SUGCON 2022 – Sightseeing in Budapest
Lesezeit: 5 Min
SUGCON 2022 is sadly done but hey, this amazing event will always stay in peoples heart and mind.
After two years it was the first in-person SUGCON and I had the honor to be there as a speaker, to present my topic: „Sitecore Forms Unleashed – Accessibility in Forms“. I had a bit trouble to get there, my flight was cancelled but I suddenly jumped into the car and did an 11 hour road trip to Budapest.
You may now wonder: Why do I write about sightseeing? Where are the blog posts to my topic?
The short answer to the second question is: There was so much feedback and request to make all that things I was talking about ready for versions below 10.3 (Many of my changes will be part of the product in 10.3). There are a few things I have to change to create a package for all of you, this is currently in progress.
But, sightseeing? What?
That’s really a funny story I want to share with all of you!
As a speaker you will be invited to a separate speaker channel in Slack. There will always be the time when people ask each other in which time frame they will travel to Budapest. Most of them arrived two days before the event starts (the day before was a special speakers diner on a boat on the river Danube). But I figured out that nearly everyone would leave Budapest on Sunday!
This means the event ends on Friday… people will leave on Sunday… We would have the whole Saturday to do a sightseeing tour all together! An idea was born! I asked in the speaker channel if someone is interested and indeed some of them was interested, yay!
But wait, something doesn’t match.
WHY SHOULD A GERMAN GUY DOING A SIGHTSEEING TOUR THROUGH BUDAPEST?
The question is perfectly valid. The answer is easy as well: In the past 4 years I was several times in Budapest, I already know most of the highlights from my first visits there. The other times when I was there I always found new friends and showed them the highlights as well. Some of them was older people and they would never do such a tour on their own. So I was pretty sure I knew what I am doing.
Okay, back to my list of registered people, until the event starts there was about 7 persons registered. Then happened some magic which I didn’t expect: Some new speaker joined the channel and suddenly wanted to join my tour. During the event and during networking people talk to each other and somehow many other guys asked Mr. Varga to join that tour as well. But Mr. Varga wasn’t the organizer, so he searched for me and told me I should do a post in the SUGCON WhatsApp Group.
I did, and the feedback there was amazing as well. The start should be on Saturday, 26th March 11am in front of the hotel, but they all didn’t know what they can expect from that tour.
Germans need plans! The plan was in my head but I wrote it down, I wanted to make sure to see as lot of highlights with less effort! Zig zag through Budapest without a plan is impossible!
The other idea was why not sharing my live location in the WhatsApp group, that anyone who was a bit late can hop on and off.
Saturday morning 11am: The weather was such beautiful! No clouds in the sky but also not too hot. We started with a group of 15 people! Here’s the plan:
- Funicular railway (up to the castle hill) ❌
Comment: FAIL! Hotel was on the other side of the castle hill, so we had to move around the whole hill, but we was already close to the palace so we walked the last meters… Great start! ???? - Budapest Castle ✅
Comment: There are so much highlights up there, I can’t list them all: a lot of Museums, a beautiful well and for sure a restaurant, which was our first stop having a beer ????and something to eat. Some other guys wanted to join us, so that was a good stop to wait for them! Six others joined the group there, so we was 21 people from here! - Museum of Military History ✅
Comment: We just walked along it… - Labyrinth ✅
Comment: Ha! I guess this was the most funniest part of the tour! Sitecorians in a dark cave without any direction I loved it! - Ruzwurm ✅
Comment: One of Europe’s oldest pastry shop! Established in 1827! - Church of St. Matthew ✅
Comment: We just walked along it… - Fisherman’s Bastion ✅
Comment: Some of us hopped off from here or went back to the hotel. We did a longer break there because I figured out I have a big big problem!
With that beautiful view over Budapest I saw that the Chain Bridge was totally under construction!
What now? Cancel the tour? The plan was to drive down with the Funicular, walk over the chain bridge to the Pest side of Budapest to visit Parliament and many other highlights…
I needed a break… and a solution!
I asked Susanne who did the first sightseeing tour with me if there is a solution… She said sure! You have to take the Metro! Uuuuuhm, yes…? ????The instruction was as followed:
– Walk to „Batthyányi tér“
– From there red Metro (M2) in the direction „Örs vezér tér“
– Exit at „Kossuth Lajos tér“ I asked my group if they want to do that, they said yes we want! We was still around 12 people! - Funicular railway ✅
Comment: Finally! Check! - Cave church ❌
Comment: Cancelled. - Market hall ❌
Comment: Cancelled. - Batthyányi tér – Metro ✅
Comment: The station names might sounds crazy but it was really simple, just one stop from one side of the Danube to the other! Many thanks Susanne!
- Kossuth Lajos tér – Metro ✅
Comment: I was excited, where we are now? As we left the Metro I saw it, directly beside the Parliament I’m back into my plan! What a great tip! - Parliament ✅
Comment: Simply a must! What an amazing building! As we walked along the building Mr. Varga contacted me if we’ll visit the shoes at the Danube as well, he would join us there. First I wanted to cancel that, but hey Mr. Varga is joining us, from now we have a local guide. - Shoes at the Danube ✅
Comment: This is a memorial for people who died in 2nd world war holocaust and was just shot into the Danube. A place for all of us to come to your senses and ask yourself why war?
After a few minutes Mr. Varga joined our tour! - St. Stephans Basilica ✅
Comment: This is a must as well, an amazing building! But, this would be last location of our tour. I didn’t expect that it takes so long, it becomes dark and cold and while my group was visiting the basilica I checked out restaurant „Platz“ directly beside the basilica to finish the day, having some beers and something to eat. - State Opera House ❌
Comment: Cancelled. - Hard Rock Cafe ❌
Comment: Cancelled. - Souvenir Shop ❌
Comment: Cancelled. - National museum ❌
Comment: Cancelled.
As you can see there are a lot of more highlights in Budapest! It’s a beautiful city and always a travel worth! Thanks for having me again #Budapest!
To all those beautiful people who joined my tour: After two years without a SUGCON, it was a pleasure for me being your tour guide through Budapest! I really enjoyed to meet you guys in person again! Thanks for the trust in me, that a crazy German can show you a beautiful city!
Your tour guide
Dirk
