We spent our final day of this trip in Budapest. It was rainy and in the low 50s, so not an ideal sightseeing day. Fortunately, we have been here twice before so we have seen many of the touristy things to see.

Shoes on the Danube Bank

We ventured out to see a memorial on called Shoes on the Danube Bank, which we had not made it to previously. It is in remembrance of about 3,500 people, including 800 Jews who were shot along the Danube. From October 1944 to March 1945, The Arrow Cross Party, modeled after the Nazi Party, was in power in Hungary and systematically killed 10-15 thousand civilians, many of them Jewish with another 80 thousand deported to concentration camps. Some of these people were literally shot on the banks of the Danube. Before they were shot, they had to take their shoes off as shoes were very valuable during the war. The memorial consists of 60 pairs of iron shoes at the edge of the bank of the river. People have placed candles and Israeli flags amongst the shoes.

Shoes on the Danube Bank

View across the Danube

Shoes on the Danube Bank

After that, we decided to head indoors and went to the Museum of Fine Arts, which is in Heroes’ Square. It is a nice museum with a mix of ancient archaeological finds along with Medieval through Impressionist artwork. Even part of the museum itself is an exhibit, with a large room having been restored and on display.

Jug from 500 BC

from 5-3rd centuries BC

Basically a cookie mold

Funerary marker from 1300s BC

This was tiny! It’s a scarab that says do not be afraid.

Egyptian papyrus

1522 altarpiece

El Greco “Christ on the Mount of Olives”

“The Yawner” 1700s

This is what you apparently would think a dolphin would look like if you lived in Germany in the 1600s. “Neptune on a Dolphin”

One of the renovated rooms

Renovated room

Renovated room

We otherwise had a relaxing day as it was cold and wet and we have been traveling hard. We had a hotel room that looked out on the river and castle hill, which gave us a nice view into the evening. Budapest is definitely a city that is worthy of multiple visits.

Castle Hill from our hotel

Chain Bridge

Chain Bridge and Fisherman’s Bastion