We just returned from a trip to Prague and Budapest. We were in Prague 10 days visiting family, and then went by train to Budapest for a few days sightseeing. Weather was cold and it snowed several times which didn’t seem to bother the locals at all (as you can see from the crowds), but was kinda rough for our Texas blood! We soldiered on, tried to see places where we could be indoors, but discovered they don’t heat those beautiful old cathedrals. The museums were nice, and warm! Sampled a lot of good food and beverages. There’s so much to see and do, both are beautiful cities with historic buildings and architecture dating from the 10th to the 19th centuries, but having different character.
Ken
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Prague, Old Town Square
Prague, Old Town Square
Prague Town Hall, Astronomical Clock
Prague Town Hall Tower
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
Thanks Joe. Here’s Budapest. (click pictures to enlarge). To get a perspective of the massive scale of buildings note the size of cars and people in front of them.
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Hungarian Parliament Building on Danube River
Snow-covered Buda Castle Hill with Danube in foreground
St. Matthias Cathedral and Fisherman’s Bastion
St. Matthias Cathedral
St. Matthias interior
St. Matthias square, Fisherman’s Bastion (note Parliament building in background, across the river
St. Matthias Corvinus statue (sainted former King)
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Buda Castle with Chain Bridge over Danube, illuminated
St. Stephen’s Basilica (in snow)
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
Glad you enjoyed seeing the pictures. Everyone should put both cities on their bucket list. Both were behind the Iron Curtain under communism for over 40 years so we in the Western world don't generally think of them in the same context as London, Paris, Munich, Rome, etc. But both are thoroughly modern cities, with great, easy to use mass transportation networks, safe drinking water, and everyone we encountered was very friendly and spoke fluent English. In addition to the historical sites and architecture there are some amazing art galleries and museums.
Everyone should go to the Communism Museums (there’s one in both cities - Prague Museum of Communism, Budapest House of Terror) to see what life under communism is really like. Both countries have only been out from under communism’s repression since 1989 so its scars are still fresh in the minds of many citizens there. Both cities have built museums about it, as reminders of the horrors, and how much has changed since 1989. Ironically both museums are located in the former communist party headquarters in each city.
If you get a chance, go!
Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
bestgear wrote: ↑Thu Jan 15, 2026 2:10 am
I remember seeing many of those historic places in my Viewmaster
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And thank you to Tom for pulling out the Viewmaster. I think my better half may have one in her stuff down stairs. There you go dating us again. You have to be old to have played with one of those.
Steve
LKSKNIVES wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 3:25 am
And thank you to Tom for pulling out the Viewmaster
no problem Steve - my brother and I would use our imaginations traveling the world with Viewmaster reels and then lookup facts in our encyclopedias. Definitely an analog world back then.
We soldiered on, tried to see places where we could be indoors, but discovered they don’t heat those beautiful old cathedrals. The museums were nice, and warm! Sampled a lot of good food and beverages. There’s so much to see and do, both are beautiful cities with historic buildings and architecture dating from the 10th to the 19th centuries, but having different character. 
