The current temperatures don’t exactly inspire a desire to spend your free time in the outdoors, but it’s still important to get a change of scenery. So just a few of days after the Christmas festivities, I decided that it was time to move away from our fridge full of leftovers and new computer console…..and onto a more productive activity.I’d been meaning to make a trip to Aquincum, the remains of a Roman settlement from the 1st century AD, for quite a while and a trip on the, usually warm, HÉV followed by a spot of culture was actually quite appealing.
After taking the wrong turn out of the HÉV stop, which saw us lost for approximately thirty minutes, we finally found Aquincum; well, we could hardly miss it – a sprawling maze of ancient ruins, adequately preserved. Unfortunately visitors are unable to wander around the ruins during the winter months (“Fine by me,” I gushed, quickly reapplying my scarf to my face). But the good news is that the actual museum, showcasing all kinds of fascinating exhibits, is open all-year-round.
After paying just 800 HUF to get in, two floors of mesmerizing memorabilia awaited us. Cabinets stacked with the results of careful excavations ran along the walls; there were coins, pottery, shoes and even belt clips on display, all accompanied by a description of the object’s past. Sure I expected to see tools and other ‘useful’ things but the jewelry and other more decorative items really surprised me. Some of the bracelets and necklaces, even by today’s standards, were beautiful.
Up-to-date computers ensured that the exhibition was interactive, and I could have spent all day reading the vast amounts of information on offer, including detailed maps and a giant photograph of the Danube today, highlighting all the areas which show evidence of Roman dwellings. Highlights of the exhibition were a stunning original mosaic floor and ceiling (the latter had to be pointed out by the helpful staff as I managed to walk past it), the remains of a Roman organ and a sarcophagus containing a heartfelt inscription.
This museum is certainly worth a visit on a cold weekend afternoon; go on, you might even learn something.
Joanna Singleton
Aquincum Museum
1035 Budapest, Szentendrei út 139.
Open Tue. – Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tel.:+36.1.250.1650
How to get there: Take the HÉV train from Batthyány Square or bus 34, 42 or 106 and get off at the Aquincum stop
