Buda - an awful lot of walking

Determined to fit in as much as possible in to our short trip as well as on a budget, I had lots of things planned.

Liberty Statue

Shortly after breakfast, we marched over the river to Buda towards Gellert Hill. The goal obviously to see the Liberty Statue and the Citadella at the top. There are many paths through the park up to the top; don't be fooled, none are shorter or less steep, but they will all get you to the top. Eventually, which is worth it.
You get a beautiful view over the city from the top, especially if it's a lovely day. For mid-November, it was rather warm and sunny!
We posed for a few photos, before aiming to stroll down Gellert Hill, this time on the other side.

Garden of Philosphy

This didn't go quite as well as we hoped, as we found ourselves wandering around a little aimlessly until we stumbled across  the "Garden of Philosphy" by Nando Wagner, featuring bronze statues of 8 famous philosophers or religious figures. It sits in a quiet park, almost totally overlooked by tourists, but the tranquillity only suits theme of the installation.

Upon getting our bearings again down by the river, we followed the promenade up towards Castle Hill. We took the funicular up; we'd already tackled one hill that morning, two seemed like a big ask! It brings you out right atop Castle Hill with the National Museum and the Palace to your left. We didn't go inside either of these, although I'm sure they have their merits. Perhaps with a longer stay or on a rainy day. We continued however, to circle the gardens and the castle walls, taking in yet more panoramic views over Budapest, as well as the sporadic entertainment of street performers. It did get quite crowded along the castle walls, which involved fighting/waiting patiently for a good photo opportunity.

Turret on Fisherman's Bastion

Coming back around the far (quieter) side of the castle, we came back out by the funicular and made our way past the theatre and museums deeper into Castle District.
Over lunch we planned our day before stumbling upon Matthias Church before we knew it. We bought our tickets first, strolled the Fisherman's Bastion before entry as we'd just noted a large tour group ahead of us.
Beautiful as the Bastion is, it's mostly just walls with the odd turret, merely hosting further stunning views of the city. That said, there was a wedding photo shoot taking place, so it must make an impressive backdrop for you wedding photos.
Having explored the Bastion, we entered the Church. Despite the tourists, it is serene inside and beautifully decorated. You can also make your way upstairs to the balconies for some museum exhibits and a bit of history.
Although there are many "attractions" in guidebooks and marked on maps within the Castle District, not a lot of it is worth seeing. We ambled around quite a bit before settling on the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth takes you underground and into the maze of natural caves below the hill and is set up to tell the story of Count Dracula. The displays are quite dated, but it is entertaining and educational enough. There is the option to tackle pitch black and explore a small part of the caves with only a rope to guide you. A large part of me wanted to do that, but then a small part was relieved when my fiancé refused. We cheated; we followed the rope around the caves using smartphones as a torch as well. I am intrigued as to how Vlad the Impaler became the legend we know today; he has a very interesting story growing up as a political hostage.
We moved on from the Labyrinth, we again strolled past the Matthias Church on our way to Faust Wine Cellar, where we had booked a wine tasting.  If you are ever in Budapest, DEFINITELY go to Faust wine cellar. It is small and really rather difficult to find, but worth it. It is small, which makes it intimate, having only a handful of tables. It is run by a husband and wife duo, who are very welcoming. For the wine-tasting you can try 5 local wines, and get some breads on the side, complete with full tasting notes and assistance from the hosts. They go into lots of details on the wines. At the end you can have another glass of your preferred wine. We spent hours here sipping our wines, before realising we should probably find some dinner.
Buda is much quieter in the evening than Pest so we crossed Chain Bridge (not worth further mention) and wandered around until we found somewhere just off St Stephen`s Square after following a beagle. Oh yeah, everyone in Budapest seems to have a dog.