Romania - Maramures to Budapest (Hungary)

In Romania, we met many friendly people, discovered beautiful places, and learned a lot about the history and customs. By the end of this week, we will be in Budapest and then spend a few days at Lake Balaton.

Border towns and joyful cemeteries (July 21, 25)

In Sighetu Marmatiel, we have the feeling that the people are somehow burdened. There are few people on the streets, and little investment is made. Only in two streets have the facades been renovated, and few restaurants are open. This border town at the Ukrainian/Hungarian border has been contested by various peoples in the past. Here, the two rivers Iza and Tisza come together, which offers a geographical advantage. Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia are nearby.

Behind the beautiful facades of the houses, however, it becomes apparent that there is much poverty here. Only the children play on the street and laugh seemingly carefree.

The museum impressively shows how the oppression and persecution of minorities continued here even after the 2nd World War under the regime of Ceausescu. In this prison, people who were hostile to the regime were imprisoned and inhumane attempts were made to re-educate them.

Memorial Victimelor - Each cell informs about a different aspect of this time. Artists or scientists in prison. Partisans in the mountains. Women and children. Photos of the detainees are displayed on the walls. What we humans are capable of is depicted here in a distressing way. The monument in the prison courtyard also reflects the despair of the people during this time. The journey continues to the so-called merry cemetery.

In the joyful cemetery of Sapanta, a unique tradition has taken hold. A destitute but imaginative woodcarver named Stan Ion Patras came up with the idea between 1907 and 1977 to give death a splash of color and humor. Since then, blue wooden crosses have been carved here, featuring an image and rhymed verses, sometimes rustic and hearty, which refer to the life of the deceased.As is the case in a village, everyone knew the deceased. Thus, the images bring to life alcoholism, a life of debauchery, piety, and the cause of death again. Pictures of drowning or car accidents, especially in the case of children, make us sad despite the aforementioned 'joyful cemetery.'

Tamara guides me through fields and water crossings to a meadow with a view of the church of the cheerful cemetery. Sheep wool is hanging on the trees and lying on the meadow to dry. There must be sheep here...

Hardly said, a sheep avalanche rolls towards us. From the forest behind us, they stream down the slope followed by 3 sheepdogs and a shepherd. Also, 3 stray dogs, including a Bernese Mountain Dog, belong to the pack and run barking past us. We hope that the sheep don't jump into the car.

After it gets dark, the dogs drive the sheep over the night into the fenced meadow behind the forest. We sleep peacefully and for a long time.

Satu Mare (22.7.25)

The morning starts with loud ringing. The sheep are on the move again, grazing as they pass by our camper.

The houses are getting taller, the signs are partially written in two languages. Here too, there are people who pursue an extravagant architectural style and take advantage of the (probably) missing building regulations to realize themselves.

The beautiful border town of Satu Mare is only 15 km from Hungary and 25 km to Ukraine. It is the end of the workday, and many people are strolling through the streets. The Hungarian language has no point of reference for us to something we know. The Finnish language and the Hungarian language have the same origin. Possibly, the Saami migrated from Mesopotamia through Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary to Scandinavia 4-5000 years ago, who knows... It's exciting that language research also assumes the origin of languages to be in the region of Babylon in Mesopotamia. The city has charm, and the buildings are pretty.

After a nice lemonade, hunger strikes and we decide to stop at Miorita. The reviews are very good. The food is heavenly! Very satisfied, I treat myself to a 200g fillet on a hot stone. I've rarely eaten such a fine piece of meat. Content, we make our way home, where we find a place that architecturally dates back to the time of communism. Somewhat mystical and at the same time impressive and sad.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, some young men are loitering there. We feel a bit uneasy, so despite the late hour, we drive to the quiet off-road place by the river. The drive is adventurous due to the large puddles in the muddy road. It's also unclear which 'path' leads to the supposed camping spot. It is very dark, and we get closer to the river. I definitely want to avoid getting stuck too close to the river in the mud. In a flat spot on a meadow, we turn off the engine, marveling at the stars in the darkness before going to sleep.

Offroad in the Puszta (July 23, 2025)

Only in the morning do we see what a beautiful place by the river we have slept. The sun is shining and already early in the morning, it is over 30 degrees in the camper. For us, 30 degrees now feels comfortable. Currently, the nights no longer cool down as much because the Mediterranean is consistently 27-29 degrees in certain places. By the way, the black dot on the sandy beach is a black station wagon that has dug itself in and stands lonely there.

The border crossing is unproblematic because Romania has been part of Schengen since January 1, 2025, and Hungary has been in the EU since 2004. The journey takes us through the seemingly endless steppe region. Only large farmers with machinery can survive here. This is evident from the straw bales and the empty small farms. The houses that are painted look pretty, but what they offer is beyond our language skills.

Arriving at the Visitor Center of the National Park, we first go to the information desk and seek advice. There are 4 museums and a tourist tour by bus or horse-drawn carriage to a horse show and 'zoo'. I did this at the age of 13 and received a leather whip and a wooden bottle covered in leather from my mother. This program triggers feelings of happiness in me. Tamara had imagined a hike along the rivers, possibly seeing some water buffalo or white Hungarian steppes cattle.

The person at the tourist information sends us to another national park tourist information and a bit of hope arises. There, another person explains to us, almost with the same words and the same documents, the same initial situation for our leisure program after about 3-4 hours of driving. Our mood drops.Alcohol is not a solution, but suddenly we think that an aperitif would be a good idea ;). Thought - done. At the aperitif at 5 PM, the situation and mood don't really seem to improve - our hope of exploring the Puszta dwindles.Now we look at Google Maps and see some roads that lead into the Puszta along the lakes. It’s already dusk, so we just try the road. It can't get worse...

The road, or rather the off-road path, takes us through the Puszta. Along the way, we discover hopping field hares, leaping deer, deep blue shining birds in the evening sun, and in the distance, we see the white cows with long horns (Hungarian steppe cattle).

We watch in awe as a large running bird is hunting and occasionally runs on the ground. It could be a Red-footed Falcon, Imperial Eagle, Booted Eagle, or Snake Eagle, which are said to be everywhere here. Since we are not ornithologists, we leave out the name of the large bird. We are thrilled and still full of adrenaline. That’s why we only stop at our campsite when the sun goes down.

Because the plains are so flat and the Puszta is so wide, we see the stars passing by at the horizon in the sky. It is an especially calm night.

Trip to Budapest (June 25, 2025)

The sleeping place is absolutely amazing. In the middle of the Puszta between rivers and lakes in the largest steppe of Europe. The Puszta is the extension of the vegetation zone of the Eurasian steppe, which extends all the way to Mongolia. The area of the Puszta covers over 80,000 hectares and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

We have breakfast outside and time and again field hares come by to see who has wandered here. They sit still and then hop away confused. After breakfast, we drive along the road and see a herd of Hungarian steppe cattle climbing out of the river next to the road. They come slowly and bellowing loudly through the bushes to the nearby meadow.

The farmer is just bringing fresh water for the trough. He explains to us that he provides water for the young animals here and lets us come into the pasture. We are standing very close to the horned animals. It is a bit frightening, but the farmer radiates experience and calmness. Thus, we admire the special animals up close.

Now the female Hungarian steppe cows with their calves are coming out of the bushes to drink. From a close distance, we can be there and admire the animals.

We stay there for a little while longer and watch as the herd disappears in the distance. The drive out of the Puszta is easy and the roads are paved again.

Filled with gratitude, we set off on our way to Budapest. The drive to the campsite is only supposed to take 2 hours.The reviews for the Ave Natura Budapest campsite are very good, and the word "rustic" comes up repeatedly. I would describe this lovely and clean campsite as unconventional. All the pitches are nestled into niches on a hillside in the forest. The sanitary facilities are built into the mountain like caves, and we have to duck our heads to get inside. Everything is very clean and well-maintained, and the hosts are extraordinarily friendly. We receive all the instructions and tips for visiting Budapest. The transport connections are also very well organized. A bus 291 goes directly to the center. A night bus 155 returns to the campsite. Day passes for tram, bus, and metro are only 7 euros or 3,600 forints. Filled with gratitude, we set off on our way to Budapest.

The drive to the campsite is only supposed to take 2 hours.The reviews for the Ave Natura Budapest campsite are very good, and the word "rustic" comes up repeatedly. I would describe this lovely and clean campsite as unconventional. All the pitches are nestled into niches on a hillside in the forest. The sanitary facilities are built into the mountain like caves, and we have to duck our heads to get inside. Everything is very clean and well-maintained, and the hosts are extraordinarily friendly. We receive all the instructions and tips for visiting Budapest. The transport connections are also very well organized. A bus 291 goes directly to the center. A night bus 155 returns to the campsite. Day passes for tram, bus, and metro are only 7 euros or 3,600 forints. The campsite is a bit pricey at 31,900 forints for 2 days, but it is very convenient for visiting Budapest. My personal benchmark for high customer service. ...

It is about 40 degrees and every well, faucet, and mist is being enjoyed.

It is already late afternoon and it has cooled down to 32 degrees. We make our first stop at the Hotel Paris and admire the beautiful entrance hall.

In Hungary, around 200,000 Jews were killed and thrown into the Danube. The original shoes were reproduced in metal and stand as a memorial to this terrible massacre.

A good colleague, who comes from Hungary, recommends Father Marcus to us for a fine dinner. It is a local establishment, a former beer cellar from the 11th century. The food is excellent. Afterwards, we explore the Castle Hill and the Fisherman's Bastion by night. The view of Budapest and the monuments on the hill are beautiful.

Tired, we manage to catch the last night bus to the campsite. Once there, we meet a Belgian couple who are enjoying the mild summer night in front of their camper. They are on their way to Nessebar, and we get to give them some tips for traveling through Romania. We only go to sleep at 1 AM, and our legs are heavy after 14,000 steps.

Budapest (July 25, 2025)

The market hall is our destination since it is already lunchtime. The hall, Vasacsarnok, dates back to 1894. There are over 180 market stalls spread across three floors.

The synagogue was built at the site where a gate to a Nazi Jewish ghetto once stood. Today is Friday, and therefore it closes early at 3 PM. At the gate, there is a memorial for the Hamas attack involving about 200 hostages, many of whom are still held captive.

A dozen people are waiting in front of the New York Café to take a look inside this building from 1890. We are reluctant to stand in line for a coffee, but are glad we did. It's an experience. The building has withstood wars and regimes and is still a gem today. The coffee and blueberry dessert are excellent.

Between the synagogue and the New York Café is the creative headquarters. There is a flea market taking place at Gozsdu Udvar on Saturday, and in the evening, bar after bar lines up.

In this neighborhood, you will also find the most exciting graffiti and exclusive boutiques.

Via Andrassy Street, which corresponds to our Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, you arrive at Heroes' Square. The 36-meter-high Millennium Monument was created in 1896. Seven chieftains of Hungary, who founded the country, as well as kings and other historical figures, stand around the Angel Gabriel, who is perched on a tall column in the center.

During our walk over the Chain Bridge, we enjoy the evening atmosphere by the Danube. The view from here is uniquely beautiful.

We take the tram to Margareteninsel, where there is supposed to be a Las Vegas spectacle. What we don’t know is that the show starts every hour from 11 a.m. and the last show is at 9 p.m. This way, we arrive just in time for the final bouquet with the water spray and the ballet.

We will not forget the view of Budapest anytime soon. Our 24-hour day pass expires at 23:56 and we take the bus at 23:51. Once again, right on time at the last minute. 😊

Trip to Lake Balaton (July 26, 2025)

One thing must be said here. If you encounter entrances with left turns on the highway, you are in Hungary. If you get lost three times in a roundabout because the roundabouts are arranged in an elliptical pattern one after the other, you are in Hungary. If the words consist only of äöü, you are in Hungary. For example, 'köhögö röhögo' means coughing while laughing. Although these words do not occur in combination ;-).

Balatonfüred is our first destination. The lakeside promenade is beautiful and the bathing facilities invite you to swim. Accordingly, they are packed during the holiday season. The town is charming and the boutiques also invite you to shop.

What we do not know is that on July 26th is Anna's name day and today the one-week beauty contest 'Annaball' begins. Hundreds of paying guests are participating in the parade in costumes from the turn of the century. Women of all ages are wearing hearts with numbers around their necks so that the winners can be determined.

The evening atmosphere at Lake Balaton is calm. The ambiance in the venues with live music is correspondingly festive.

Today it only rains once (27.7.25)

We are driving along the Balaton to the south. The lake is about 80 km long and, at 592 m², is one of the largest lakes in Central Europe. The shores are lined with volcanic hills and sandy beaches. An ideal place for swimming and hiking. However, it is pouring rain today. Thank God our broken back door and the broken rearview camera are finally waterproofed. There is a lot of oncoming traffic, and we look at which country they come from. I look for the individual Austrians and Germans who line up among the Hungarians, and suddenly there is a stationary column in front of us. The ABS is in full operation and Tamara and I are leaning forward in our seatbelts, already hearing the crunch of metal. We come to a stop just a hair's breadth away from the vehicle's rear. Tamara dryly remarks; well, it has turned into an exciting ride after all. I can only laugh about it later. Thank God nothing happened. Upon arriving at the campsite, we set up and at 6 PM, the sun comes out