As we head down the homestretch of our Central Europe tour, we begin our next to last full day with an opportunity to see many Budapest attractions.  Today we explored both the Buda and the Pesht side, viewing Parliament (“Look kids…Parliament!”), and the Danube River running thought the heart of Budapest.  Our morning tour concluded with a walk around Fisherman’s Bastion, overlooking Budapest and lovely Danube River bridges; the Castle and many renovated architectural gems and great examples of Art Nouveau.

This afternoon, we offered some free time to participate on some casual sightseeing excursions or to just chill out on your own. Those who still wanted more had the opportunity to visit the many museums including the mesmerizing Museum of Terror, the Fine Arts Museum or the Museum of Decorative Arts.  Or, as you can expect, many folks ventured out and shopped til they dropped in the Central Market.

Tonight we headed back to the Great Synagogue of Budapest for Shabbat Services followed by dinner at Kogart Restaurant, a “Top 10” on the lists of things to do in Budapest.  The restaurant is an elegant blend of traditional & contemporary and is located on the ground floor of one of Andrássy út’s beautiful old villas.

(photo: This is the Hungarian equivalent of our Statue of Liberty. It commemorates the “liberation” of Hungary from Germany by the Soviets)