Danube Bend Tour from Budapest
The tour visited Esztergom, Visegrád and Szentendre, the three most beautiful cities in the Danube Bend.
The tour was a little disappointing, not because of the views but the tediousness of it. We thought it would all be by boat. Actually it consisted of a bus ride through Slovenia and a short boat tour back to Budapest. Our guide had four (4) different language speaking groups on the bus – English, Spanish, Italian, and Hungarian. As we rode through many busy old cities of which I would like to have explored and found colorful as well as charming, the guide would point out facts and history 4 times. Four times required rapid speaking and often was presented after the highlight was far back. At one point she told a joke in Italian but not in English because it was a play upon Spanish words that would not have translated well to English. I knew enough Italian to pick up the joke.
Unfortunately many of the sights had been destroyed in WWII and were in various states of repair or reconstruction. For example, the Pink Castle of Dracula.
Our lunch stop was at a restaurant that dressed you in medieval costumes for pictures.
I think if I were to do it again, we would have taken public transportation and proceeded at our own pace. There were many interesting places at which I would have liked to linger longer.
Esztergom
Esztergom Basilica
Enjoying the view from the other side of the Danube
Crossing the Danube, we toured the basilica
Stopping for a coffee Americano
After the Basilica we got back on the bus to follow the river with scenic stops.
Visegrád
Stopping for lunch at a medieval restaurant and mandatory touristic pics. Would have referred to walk into town (Visegrád?) and eat at one of the local restaurants.
One of Dracula’s castles – Pink Castle completed in the 13th Century
Szentendre
Our boat for the return trip down the Danube
