A Tour of Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria
The long-awaited European trip finally came true this summer due to various reasons. Now when we travel, domestic trips are mostly self-guided, but for overseas trips, considering language barriers and safety, we still chose to join a tour group. We picked a reliable travel agency with a higher star rating, hoping it wouldn't be too bad.
2024-7-25
At 22:30, after meeting the tour guide and leader, we took a China Eastern Airlines flight at 1:50 the next day to Hungary, arriving in Budapest at 7:00 AM on July 26. Hungary is 6 hours behind Beijing time.
It took nearly an hour and a half to go through customs—quite slow.
7-26 Budapest—Tihany—Győr
Budapest Airport
Since we spent the night on the plane, we started the day's tour right after landing. By the way, the best flight schedule, considering the time difference between the two places, is to arrive in the evening. That way, you can rest overnight and start the next day's itinerary more relaxed.
Heroes' Square is the central square of Budapest. It was built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarian settlement in Europe and was completed in 1929.
The Millennium Monument is 36 meters high, topped with a bronze statue of an angel. At the base are statues of seven tribal chiefs, representing the seven original tribes of present-day Hungarians. In front of the monument, there is a symbolic sarcophagus made of 47 tons of white巨石. This was built after World War II by the Hungarian people to commemorate历代 national heroes.
Behind the monument, there are two curved colonnades 16 meters high, forming a huge triumphal arch. In the colonnades stand statues of 14 famous Hungarian rulers from various dynasties, including the first king, Stephen I, and Matthias I. At the four corners of the two curved colonnades, there are four groups of statues depicting working people, reflecting themes such as war and peace, labor and love, knowledge and glory.
The exterior of the Museum of Fine Arts on the left side of the square
Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park
St. Stephen's Basilica was built to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Hungary in 1896. It was constructed on the foundation of the former royal palace, completed in 1905. The church's dome was destroyed during the war and rebuilt in 1949. The church houses the mummified right hand of King St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. Since August 20 is the anniversary of King St. Stephen's coronation, Hungarians call this day St. Stephen's Day, now Hungary's National Day.
After having our first Chinese meal in Budapest, we visited the Tihany Peninsula on Lake Balaton in the afternoon.
Tihany Peninsula is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It has an abbey founded in 1055, which preserves the earliest known written record of the Hungarian language. The abbey was rebuilt in 1754.
In the evening, we checked into Győr, northwest of Budapest.
Dinner was on our own. After wandering around near the hotel without finding a suitable restaurant, we ended up eating a kind of "pizza"—a fried pancake topped with minced meat and other ingredients. At the airport, we had planned to exchange some euros for Hungarian and Czech currency for convenience, but the tour guide suggested that we could use UnionPay cards in these two countries, which was very convenient, so we didn't exchange money. Indeed, for this dinner, we paid with a UnionPay card.
2024-7-27 Győr—Brno—Prague
We took a bus from Győr, Hungary to the first stop in Czech Republic, Brno (about 206 km). Brno is the capital of the South Moravian Region and the second-largest city in Czech Republic.
Street view near the square
Fruit stall
Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul—landmark of Brno
Czech Bridge over the Vltava River in Prague
The most famous Charles Bridge was crowded with people.
Charles Bridge was built starting in 1357 and completed in 1400. It was the first bridge built across the Vltava River in Prague, constructed under the orders of King Charles IV, hence its name. It connects Prague's Old Town, Lesser Town, and Prague Castle. The 30 statues on the stone railings on both sides of the bridge are mostly copies (the originals are kept in museums), all masterpieces of Czech Baroque art from the 17th–18th centuries. They are called by Europeans "the European Open-Air Baroque Sculpture Gallery," representing Catholic saints and patron deities, with figures of goddesses, warriors, human-animal hybrids, and animal-human forms.
Czech National Library
Statue of Charles IV
Following the crowd into the Old Town
Traditional Czech food: bread roll shop
Astronomical Clock, also known as the "Prague Orloj," built in 1410. Designed based on the geocentric theory of the time, the upper clock makes one revolution per year, the lower one per day. At each chime, twelve apostles appear in sequence from the windows, six turning left and six right. With a rooster crow, the windows close, and the hour bell rings.
Two apostles appearing during the chime
Old Town Hall (red building) next to the Astronomical Clock
In the center of Old Town Square stands the statue of Jan Hus. Jan Hus was a famous Czech religious reformer, great patriot, and the first rector of Charles University in Prague, founded in 1348. He reformed and simplified Czech grammar, advocated for teaching in Czech at universities, opposed Germanization, clerical absolutism, high clergy positions, and the sale of indulgences. Because his views were diametrically opposed to the Roman Catholic Church, he was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415, in Constance, Switzerland (now in Germany) by the Roman Papal Inquisition on charges of violating religious rules and spreading heresy. The statue of Jan Hus was created over 13 years from 1902 to 1915, and unveiled on July 6, 1915, the 500th anniversary of his burning.
Church of Our Lady before Týn on the square
Týn Church is the oldest building in Old Town Square. The church was first built in 1135, but the current structure was built in 1365. It is famous for its Gothic twin towers, decorated with pure gold rods, with a total height of about 80 meters. Because the church's appearance resembles a fairy-tale devil's castle, it is often called the "Devil's Church."
St. Nicholas Church
View of Prague Castle district from the way back to the hotel
Hotel for the second and third nights in Czech Republic
2024-7-28 Prague—Karlovy Vary
Early in the morning, we went to the castle district on the west bank of the Vltava River.
The castle was built in the 9th century and consists of three courtyards, encompassing one palace, three churches, and one monastery, distributed across three inner courtyards. It was once the palace of emperors and kings; now it is where the Czech president holds welcome ceremonies for foreign heads of state and receives credentials from ambassadors. The president's office is located inside the castle, so it is also called the "Presidential Palace." In 1992, Prague Castle was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Entering the most splendid third courtyard
St. Vitus Cathedral
The first church on the site of today's St. Vitus Cathedral was an early Romanesque rotunda built in 925 by Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia. It was expanded into a Romanesque church in 1060. In 1344, Charles IV ordered the construction of a Gothic church on the original church's foundation, which was completed in 1929. The church's stained glass windows replaced in the 20th century are works by Alfons Mucha.
The Old Royal Palace was once the residence of the Kings of Bohemia, with various parts renovated by successive rulers. The entire palace building is roughly divided into three floors. Upon entering, one is in the grand Vladislav Hall, the heart of the palace.
The church is the best-preserved Romanesque building in Czech Republic. Built in 920, it underwent multiple expansions, the last one at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The church's foundations and two spires have been preserved since the 10th century.
Current Czech Presidential Palace
View of the Presidential Palace from its rear garden
View of Charles Bridge and the Old Town from the rear garden of the Presidential Palace
Golden Lane is one of the most famous attractions of Prague Castle. Located between St. George's Basilica and the Toy Museum within Prague Castle, it is a commercial street selling handicrafts. In the 16th century, during the Holy Roman Empire, many metallurgists lived here, so the cobblestone lane came to be called Golden Lane.
House No. 22 on Golden Lane was the residence of Franz Kafka from 1616–1617 (note: should be 1916-1917, but keeping original). It is now a small bookstore.
Karlovy Vary was founded in 1350 by order of Charles IV (1316–1378), with its final architectural character formed at the end of the 19th century. It is a famous spa town in Czech Republic, also known as the "Spa Town." The film "Hibiscus Town" won the Best Film award at the 26th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (1988).
Market Colonnade
Mill Colonnade, with 124 Corinthian columns and statues symbolizing the 12 months on the roof. It is the most beautiful of the three colonnades in town.
Advertisements for the famous Czech absinthe
There are many shops selling ceramic cups of various sizes and shapes for drinking the spring water.
We bargained with the shop owner with only 107 Czech crowns and bought a ceramic cup marked 110 crowns.
Park Colonnade
Restaurant "Good Soldier Švejk"
7-29 Prague—Český Krumlov—České Budějovice
From Prague, we took a bus about 172 km to the first stop, Český Krumlov Castle. Originally planned as just an exterior visit, the guide, after obtaining everyone's consent, arranged a paid visit to the interior of the castle.
Český Krumlov Castle, also called Hluboká Castle, was built in 1285, initially as royal property. In 1661, the German noble Duke Adolf I of Schwarzenberg bought the castle and its surrounding lands, and the Schwarzenberg family owned it for nearly 300 years. The last family member to inherit the castle was Dr. Adolf, but he had to flee to the United States before the Nazi rise to power and never returned. Since 1947, the castle and related property have been government-owned.
Photography is not allowed inside the castle. The guide provided some photos from other sources, which I include in the travel notes for memory.
Český Krumlov town (CK Town) is hailed as the most beautiful town in the world. It is located in the South Bohemian region, on the upper reaches of the Vltava River, about 160 km from Prague. The area began to prosper in the 13th century due to its position on an important trade route. Most buildings were built between the 14th and 17th centuries, predominantly in Gothic and Baroque styles. The entire town is embraced by a wide, winding horseshoe-shaped bend of the Vltava River, with the famous castle built on the opposite bank. In 1992, UNESCO listed it as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site.
The history of Český Krumlov began in the 13th century when the South Bohemian noble family of Vítkovci built a castle here; in the 14th century, the Vítkovci died out, and the Rožmberk family became the local rulers. By the 16th century, the town flourished greatly; in the 18th century, the Schwarzenberg family began to control the area, exerting enormous influence.
We had lunch at a cave restaurant in the town square, each person had a portion of steak, pork chop, and chicken chop, but hardly finished.
České Budějovice is the capital of the South Bohemian Region and a city of beer. The well-known Budweiser beer originated here; "Budweiser Budvar" beer is said to be one of the best in the world.
Přemysl Otakar II Square
Black Tower, next to St. Nicholas Church
Hotel for tonight
2024-7-30 České Budějovice—Salzburg—Linz
Salzburg is the capital of the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, located in the north-central part of Austria, at the northern foot of the Eastern Alps.
Salzburg means "Salt Castle"; the state of Salzburg has produced salt since ancient times, giving the state and its capital the name. Salzburg is the birthplace of musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. More than half of Mozart's brief 36-year life was spent in Salzburg. Salzburg is also the hometown of conductor Herbert von Karajan and the filming location for the movie "The Sound of Music."
Mirabell Palace was built by the former Archbishop Wolf Dietrich, who fell in love with Salome Alt, the daughter of a merchant and councilor, and built a palace for his beloved.
The Mirabell Garden contains many figures created according to Greek mythology, as well as a Dwarf Garden, a Baroque Museum, and a Natural Theatre. Next to the garden are the Congress House and a sanatorium. The famous "The Sound of Music" was filmed here.
Hohensalzburg Fortress sits on Festungsberg hill, a landmark of Salzburg. The fortress is 250 meters long and 150 meters wide at its widest point, making it the largest existing fortress in Central Europe. Construction began in 1077 and was gradually expanded by successive archbishops. The fortress is in the style of Central European castle architecture, initially used as a defensive fortress, and later also served as a bishop's residence, barracks, and prison.
Entering the old town of Salzburg, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
We visited the Hohensalzburg Fortress
View of the old town from the fortress heights
We had lunch on the bustling Getreidegasse
Mozart's residence on Getreidegasse (yellow building). Mozart lived on the second floor with his wife and children from 1784 to 1787. Here, Mozart also taught the young Beethoven.
Mozart statue on Mozart Square, northeast of the Cathedral Square.
In the evening, we checked into a hotel in Linz.
2024-7-31 Linz—Hallstatt—Wolfgang
Hallstatt is a village in the Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria, on the shores of Hallstätter See. The "Hall" in Hallstatt may derive from the ancient Celtic word for "salt," as the area got its name from nearby salt mines, and historically this region became wealthy from salt. Therefore, it is also called "the most beautiful town in the world" or "the oldest salt town in the world." The Hallstatt-Dachstein region was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
After about a 37 km drive from Hallstatt, we arrived at the Lake Wolfgang region.
We had lunch at the White Horse Inn by the lake.
Enjoying the scenery while eating
Sign of the White Horse Inn
Boat tour on Lake Wolfgang
Lake Wolfgang is ten kilometers long, one kilometer wide, with a maximum depth of 114 meters. The lake's color changes between blue and green with the seasons. It is surrounded by dense forests, green meadows, and steep alpine mountains. It was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1997.
Austrian Youth Activity Center
We sailed to St. Gilgen on the southern shore of the lake. St. Gilgen is the hometown of Mozart's mother. She was born in 1720 in a modest house not far from the town hall. Mozart's sister also married, had children, and lived here until her death. The house where she was born is now the "Mozart Memorial."
Mozart's grandmother's residence
A place to linger reluctantly
This is our hotel in Vienna for two nights.
Interior of the hotel, a bit like a castle
2024-8-1 Vienna
Today's schedule is a tour of Vienna.
Statue of Johann Strauss in Stadtpark
Entering the pedestrian street of the old town
After the guide informed us of the meeting time, we used a navigation app to start a self-guided tour of the old town.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Greek Church of the Holy Trinity
A rare self-guided tour, overlooking the old town
Maria am Gestade Church
After lunch, we had an in-depth tour led by the guide.
Hofburg Palace is the palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria. Between 1275 and 1913, it underwent many renovations and reconstructions, eventually evolving into a maze of 18 wings, 19 courtyards, and 2,500 rooms. Today, the Hofburg Palace is the residence of the President of Austria.
Heroes' Square at the palace
Prince Eugene of Savoy statue
Outstanding military commander of the Habsburg dynasty, Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire, considered one of the most outstanding military commanders in Austrian and even European history.
In the Middle Ages, many palaces liked to have sturdy and honest Swiss guards at the gates, hence the name.
Castle Square, statue of Emperor Francis II
Augustinian Church
Augustinian Church has always been the court church, where royal weddings and funerals were held. The most notable wedding was that of Napoleon, who was too busy with wars to attend his own wedding to Marie Louise, so he had someone marry by proxy. The wedding of Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) was also held here. Inside the church, there is a small crypt containing 54 small jars, each holding the hearts of Habsburg royals!
Works by Italian sculptor Canova inside the church
Maria Theresa Monument
Hall of Fame at the University of Vienna
Statue of Sigmund Freud
We took a bus back to the meeting point.
Dinner was a specialty—roasted ribs.
2024-8-2 Vienna—Parndorf—Budapest
The name Schönbrunn Palace comes from Holy Roman Emperor Matthias (reigned 1612–1619). Legend has it that when he hunted here in 1612, he drank the spring water, found it refreshing and sweet, and named the spring "Schönbrunn" (Beautiful Spring). Thereafter, "Schönbrunn" became the name of the area. Matthias' successors often used the area as a summer hunting ground and built a summer residence. In 1683, the Turks attacked Vienna and destroyed the summer residence. In 1696, the imperial architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was commissioned to build a palace on the ruins, which became the main part of today's Schönbrunn. In 1743, Empress Maria Theresa ordered the construction of the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace and Baroque gardens, covering a total area of 26,000 square meters, second only to France's Versailles. Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth spent much of their later years in this palace.
After visiting Schönbrunn, we took a bus to the Parndorf Outlet, and then headed straight to Budapest for a night cruise on the Danube. Due to traffic jams, we arrived a bit late.
Parliament Building at night
Buda Castle was first built in 1247 when King Béla IV of Hungary constructed the castle to defend against Mongol invasions. Later, King Sigismund of Luxembourg converted the original structure into a Gothic palace. Between 1541 and 1686, the Ottoman Turks occupied Budapest, and Buda Castle was used as a barracks and mosque. In the 17th century, the Habsburgs drove out the Turks, and Buda Castle was rebuilt in Baroque style. Today, Buda Castle houses the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum. In 1987, Buda Castle was inscribed as part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, often referred to as Hungary's Forbidden City.
Hotel for the night
2024-8-3 Budapest
Fisherman's Bastion was built in 1905. Originally, this was a fish market, and later fishermen built this bastion for defense. During World War II, Fisherman's Bastion was nearly destroyed, and it was restored between 1947 and 1948. From the towers and observation decks, one can see the Danube River, Margaret Island, and Pest on the east.
Matthias Church is one of the symbols of Budapest. It is a Neo-Gothic church built by King Béla IV between 1255 and 1269. In the 15th century, King Matthias built a bell tower on the south side, and the entire church was named Matthias Church. Since the coronations of Hungarian kings were held here, it is also called the "Coronation Church." During the Ottoman occupation in the 16th century, the church was burned and later used as the main mosque. The church's present appearance was completed between 1874 and 1896.
Statue of King St. Stephen
Matthias Corvinus was elected King of Hungary on January 20, 1458, and officially crowned at age 15. In 1463, he was formally recognized as King of Hungary by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. In 1485, he defeated Emperor Frederick III and conquered half of Austria and its capital Vienna (the Siege of Vienna). Hungary reached its peak at this time, establishing itself as the second most powerful country in Eastern Europe (the first being the Ottoman Empire). Matthias I died in 1490, leaving only an illegitimate son, János, who could not inherit the throne. Vladislaus II, the King of Bohemia of the Jagiellonian dynasty, succeeded him, and Hungary gradually declined.
Taking a photo of Matthias Church from Fisherman's Bastion
View of the Danube from Fisherman's Bastion
After lunch, we had free time. Using a navigation app and a map, we started a city walk through Pest and the Danube.
Metro Line 1, which began operation in 1896, is called the "Little Yellow Subway"
Express delivery小哥 on a bicycle
New York Palace, now a trendy café, always has a long queue. We didn't have enough free time to enter, leaving a little regret.
Also a scenic view
Great Synagogue – the largest Jewish place of worship in the world outside New York.
After dinner, we came to the Danube bank, where locals were already starting to party.
Chain Bridge at dusk
Today's city walk totaled over 36,000 steps. We returned to the hotel after 9 PM. Tomorrow morning, we head to the airport to return to Shanghai, thus ending the 9-night, 12-day trip across Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria. Looking forward to the next more exciting journey.
Even though the overseas trip was with a tour group, learning English is very necessary. For example, asking for directions, ordering food, shopping at supermarkets, and even using the restroom requires communication, because you have to pay with a card to use it; otherwise, you might really get into trouble 😁
