The city of Spas, castles and bridges… however you call it, Budapest is one of the few cities that will charm you. What remains from the trip to beautiful Budapest is the stately beauty of the city, the trip to the picturesque Danube villages, the good local food and the charm of the Danube, especially at sunset.
5 or 4 days by air with Aegean to Buda & Pest – Parliament – State Opera Danube villages – Covered market – Church of St. Stefanou. Accommodation in 4* hotels with breakfast and “Royal” meal at the Renaissance restaurant only for 25/12 & 01/01.
Meeting at the airport and flight to Budapest. Meeting with our guide and we start for the guided tour (inside) of the Parliament, to get to know together with its rich interior decoration, the Holy Crown, the Scepter of Hungary, the Sword of St. Stephen and the Golden Apple of Power. Afterwards we will visit the beautiful indoor market. Here you will have the opportunity to buy the famous Hungarian salami, the local drinks Unikum and Palinka, as well as their famous wines. Next stop is the Budapest State Opera House. It has been in operation since 1884. It was built to compete with the operas of Paris, Vienna and Dresden. It was the life’s work of the great Hungarian architect Miklos Ibl. The interior is decorated with works by Hungarian artists such as Strobl and Lodz. From that time until today, the Opera House has hosted some of the most famous composers, such as Erkel, Gustav Mahler and Otto Kleberer. The main hall of the Opera House is adorned with a bronze chandelier weighing 3,050 kg, which illuminates a magnificent fresco of Lodz with the gods of Olympus. Also, the Royal Theater is decorated with sculptures that symbolize the four voices of opera: alto, soprano, bass, tenor. Last stop is the beautiful indoor market. Here you will have the opportunity to buy the famous Hungarian salami, the local drinks Unikum and Palinka, as well as their famous wines. Then transfer and check-in at our hotel. In the afternoon we suggest you take a walk to the highlight of Christmas Budapest, which is Vörösmarty Square in the heart of the city at the end of Váci utca. A Christmas market set up there, with 122 stalls of handicrafts and food. There you will take a culinary journey through all the traditional flavors of Hungary. Goulash soup in bread, stuffed cabbage, strudel, grilled sausages, meats & Christmas cookies are worth trying. Kürtös kalác stand out, which are sweets with a leaf, in a cylindrical shape, originating from Transylvania. They are served with various toppings including sugar, nuts, coconut and chocolate. In the evening we suggest you join us on the Danube cruise to see the most important buildings of the city illuminated (optional)! Return to the hotel, transfer.
Breakfast and we start our tour from Pest, with the great square of the Heroes, and the impressive statue of the archangel Gabriel, an impressive structure, where the statues of the country’s kings are “hosted”. Then you will visit the Cathedral of St. Stefanou, the largest church in Hungary. You will be impressed by the interior decoration as well as the chapel of the church, where the right hand of the Saint is preserved. You will then head along the Danube where you will admire the beautiful bridges and reach the Buda side. You will admire the Castle, the Fishermen’s Tower and the Historical Church of Ag. Mattia, who dominates the Northern part of the district of Kastro. Rest of the day free. For the evening On the evening of Christmas Eve, we suggest you follow us to a well-known restaurant and spend a beautiful night with gypsy violins, local cuisine & the blood of the Bull !!!
Breakfast. Departure for the beautiful route to the Bend of the Danube. First stop the village of artists, Ag. Andreas, with its picturesque alleys and beautiful tourist shops, the area is famous for its good wines. We continue to Visegrad, the historical attraction of the magnificent Danube Bend. Of its once glorious and European-famous royal palace, only a few ruins remain, the Renaissance-style formal reception courtyard restored based on old plans. Then we will enjoy our festive meal like “kings” at the Renaissance restaurant “Renaissance”. Next is a walk to the first capital of Hungary, Esztergom. We will cross the bridge that joins the two banks of the Danube, Hungary and Slovakia to pass to the city of Sturovo in Slovakia from where we will enjoy the spectacle that the Danube offers and we will be impressed by Saint Stephen illuminated on the opposite hill in Hungary. Return to Budapest in the afternoon.
Breakfast. Departure for our optional excursion to Vienna, the beautiful Austrian capital. Upon arrival, the city tour follows, where we will cross the famous boulevard, with its imposing 19th century palaces, the Opera House, the Natural History and Art History Museums, the Parliament, the Town Hall, the University and the Belvedere and the famous summer palace Schönbrunn, Sissy’s favorite palace, with its magnificent gardens. Then we will end up in the center of the city, where the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Stephen of Vienna is located; a 12th-century church in a mixed romantic and Gothic style, it is considered the central attraction of the city, with its main characteristic being its colorful, mosaic-style roof. Then we will walk to the historical district of the Greek parish, where the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity of the 18th century is located. in Byzantine style, where the church of Ag. Georgiou and the house where the ethno-martyr and forerunner of the Greek Revolution, Rigas Feraios, lived. Free time in the city center to enjoy your coffee in the famous Viennese pastry shops, to taste the authentic schnitzel, to walk along the pedestrian street to the shops and also to the large Christmas market in front of the imposing Town Hall. In the afternoon return to Budapest.
Breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, transfer to the airport and return flight to Athens.
