Day 2: The Sultans Trail from Belgrade to Sofia

#throwback September 6, 2025

Special conversations on the night train

Miraculously, I feel quite rested after my catnaps in my seat on the night train. Before arriving in Vienna, I have another pleasant conversation with my tablemates. I’m sitting at a so-called ‘table seat’ with two other travelers opposite me. The man was a freelance mountain hiking guide for 30 years and has done hikes in Canada, the Balkans, Mongolia, and the Pyrenees, among others. My lively table lady is 82 years young and tells me about her hut-to-hut treks from more than 50 (!) years ago and how special that was back then. She still walks 10 km every day, rain or shine. “Well,” she says, “I’m fibbing a little; I don’t hike on Saturdays, that’s when I clean my house.” She’s forgiven!

Budapest, what a beautiful city

I arrive in Vienna with a 40-minute delay, where I can stretch my legs for just under an hour before the bus to Budapest leaves. After a smooth journey and a few more short naps, I arrive there at half past two. It’s quite warm, but manageable. I take the metro to my hostel, check in, and head out to explore the city.

I’m pleasantly surprised. What a gorgeous city, beautifully situated on the Danube with its many bridges. The city is clean, cozy, and there’s a lot to see. The people are very friendly; I’m experiencing a bit of a ‘Spain vibe’ here in Hungary, something I didn’t expect, with the difference that everyone speaks good English. I actually feel quite at home. It’s pretty touristy, of course, but it’s not like it’s shoulder-to-shoulder—just right.

Those calories, I’ll just walk them off again

After strolling about ten kilometers through the city, I settle down on the terrace of a small restaurant specializing in Hungarian cuisine. I let them take care of ‘my kitchen for today’ and I don’t regret it; I eat a delicious chicken dish and an extravagant dessert. It tastes superb. 3,000,000 calories, sure, but I’ll walk that off over the next few weeks.

Tomorrow by bus to Belgrade. That’s where my hike starts, a section of the Sultans Trail, to Sofia. I’m really looking forward to it!