Visegrad, Hungary ... November 18, 2006

About 30 KM north of Budapest, along the Danube Bend, is this fun little village. There is a fortress at the top of a hill overlooking the sharp curve of the Danube. We climbed up to the fortress and saw some old wagons and catapults. Katie and Ashley had their picture taken on a throne that looked like a king and queen would sit in while watching medieval outdoor activities. There were a lot of stairs that we climbed and verandas where we stopped to take in the view. The girls had so much fun running around and climbing rocks. This fortress was a very strategic location and part of King Bela IV's fortification project of the area (not unlike the castle hill project in Budapest). Subsequent rulers (King Sigismund and King Matthias) continued to add to the fortification until taken over by the Turks, who left it severely damaged, as it stands today.