Reminiscing my first Christmas in Europe (Part 2): River cruise, castle walk and charity run

This post is the second of the two-part series of my reminiscence of my first Christmas in Europe. Allow me to walk you through to my memory lane as I reminisce on the good things that I have experienced in the amazing city of Budapest during the Yuletide season.

Christmas in Budapest for me is one of the best episodes of my life in my year 2016. All the best things that have happened in that year culminated with great Christmas celebration. It was the first best Christmas I have spent with myself away from my family but I was nevertheless happy given all the blessings that I received last year.

I did not hesitate to make the best of my Budapest Christmas experiences. Here are some of the other things that are truly enjoyable activities to do in Budapest during Christmas season.

Spend a night of romantic cruise at the Danube river

How can you make a night memorable? Spend it with someone you love in a romantic setting. This might be the typical answer that you may received from people if asked this question. What about making one of your nights romantically memorable during Christmas or before it? If asked with this question, I would not run out of answers particularly if you are residing in a city like Budapest.

One romantic thing that you can do to spend the night heading towards the Christmas eve is to have romantic cruise at the Danube river. The Danube river really looks terrific during the night. It looks even more terrific during December nights! One December night I decided to get some walk in the Pest side of the city near the Danube river. I crossed the Szabadsag Bridge until I reached the other side of the river, the Buda side. Strolling at December night, cold as it may be is really an amazing experience. But what I saw made me more nostalgic of the river cruise that I had had in Bohol, Philippines some two years ago. I was really attracted to trying the Danube river cruise when I saw the cruise ships all clad with lights and colours of December heralding the joyous season.

Look at this fantastic image of the Danube river at the top of the Citadella, it was such a great sight during December night while aboard a boat for a river cruise. As I see it, most of the boats and cruise ships were docked at the Pest side of the city.

 So the next night, I made my trip towards one of the cruise ships that I saw in the Pest side, which was just a few hundred meters walk from the Szabadsag bridge. I paid for some few bucks for the cruise inclusive of food and drinks. The package given by Legenda was truly amazing. A cruise ship which starts at seven in the evening and it was inclusive of the a la carte dinner accompanied by great music. Asked me how the river cruise experience was, I can only describe it but in one word: fantastic! I took the cruise at around seven in the evening, still had the chance to see both sides of the city at night! It was really a stupendous sight.

How romantic it was to experience this amazing activity even without a partner. The candle light with a glass of champagne spread magic into the atmosphere. The candle lights as I observed it were really a sight to look at as they gleam in contrast with the red wine in the glass. As you are being served with delicious dishes, you are being serenaded by a band.  The band played great music and delivered us their best performance, one fit for a king.

Two words to sum this experience: fantastic and amazing!

Get a walk in the Buda Castle

Buda Castle is such a magnificent spectacle during December. When I went there, it was mobbed by a great number of tourists. I have been to the castle several times already but each visit I had with the castle really gives me different positive impressions. One of the best periods of the year to visit the castle is during the Christmas season. It is teeming with tourists and the atmosphere looks colourful and festive.

I did not pass upon the chance to see for myself how the castle looks like during the Christmas time so I visited it four days before Christmas and I would say that it was one of the best restful and calm moments of my stay in Budapest.

Take a look at this picture of mine on my way up to the castle. There is no way you can resist its beauty. There were a great number of sightseers and onlookers like me that day that the castle really looks touristy.

If you are new to the place, you may consider joining a walking tour for around 5 to 10 euros. But if you have been to the city for several days already and is familiar to the place you may do it your own and get the chance to explore the castle including the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Mathias Church with full liberty. Budapest is such a great city of sights! I stayed in this city for around six months and I did not run out of things to see and to do.

Join a Christmas Santa Claus run

If I am not mistaken the Santa Claus charity run is annually held in Budapest. I was fortunate enough to have witnessed the Santa Claus charity jogging in Budapest.

Hundreds of locals and tourists alike were dressed in Santa Claus costume and run for a cause. This charity run is being held to extend help to those who are in need of it like sick children. The proceeds of this event are well accounted for and eventually donated to the needy.

In this particular setting which is situated just at the side of the Faculty of Business and Economics of the Corvinus University of Budapest and adjacent to the river side, the organizers had just started briefing the participants regarding the route to be passed upon by the participants. I was freezing with cold when I chanced upon this activity which is about to be started. I guess the run will commence on this area and will end somewhere in a thermal bath (if my memory serves me right, it will end in Szechenyi  thermal bath house) where participants had the chance to enjoy the warm water in the pool which is believed to be capable of curing some bodily illnesses.

Look at the this huge Santa Claus party launcher. Too bad I was not able to take a picture of him. At the background looms the Gellert Hotel and the Citadella Hill. The Szabadsag bridge at the right side was not captured in this photo. But the green structure at the right side of this photo is the bridge.

On my way to the dormitory since I decided to walk after attending a Sunday mass in the Saint Stephen's Basilica, I was treated by this magnificent sights: flowers in bloom. I do not know how you may call it. December winter bloom? It was a bonus that capped an already great  and blissful day! I felt blessed and overflowing with joy!

Budapest is the place to be in December if you want the best Christmas experience at a pretty reasonable price. Because of its comparatively lower cost of living, Budapest is undeniably a staycation haven in the month of December.  

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