Budapest, with a history that goes back a thousand years is the capital of Hungary along with being its largest city. At the end of the nineteenth century, three cities Pest, Buda and Óbuda merged to form today’s Budapest with the River Danube dividing the hilly Buda district with the flatter Pest side.
We’ve visited Budapest a few times over the years and can report that it has grown in popularity and what was one of the best kept secrets, has grown to be very popular and likewise busy in a number of spots.
Things to see and do in Budapest
Buda Side
Buda, on the western side of the Danube River is quieter and more residential and the side to go to for a more leisurely sightseeing experience as well as where you get the most spectacular views.
Buda Castle Hill Funicular
There is nothing like ascending a hill in a funicular which are common in Europe and if you visit a city that has one, we’d highly recommend it.
Buda Castle
The Buda Castle, also referred to as the Royal Palace, sits high on the hill some 48 metres above the Danube and is home to the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. Even if you’re not into museums and don’t want to go inside, take the time to walk around the grounds and see the architecture, not to mention taking in the views of the Danube and the Parliament Buildings. At night, the case is dramatically lit up, and is best seen from the Pest side.
Matthias Church
The Gothic style Matthias Church at Buda Castle is a roman Catholic Church in Holy Trinity Square in front of the Fisherman’s Bastion. The current building was built in the second half of the 14th century and was renovated in the late 19th century and is a must see. Because of its excellent acoustics, the church often
The Buda Hill funicular first opened in 1870 and is the second oldest funicular of its kind in the world. It is the fastest way to get to the top of Castle Hill and affords some beautiful panoramic views out across the Danube. It also hosts organ and classic music concerts.
Fisherman’s Bastion
The Fisherman’s Bastion is located right behind the Matthias Church in the Castle District and is one of Budapest’s top attractions. The Bastion looks like a medieval monument but was built in the early 20th century in a neo-Gothic style, specifically to function as a panoramic viewing platform across the Danube, Margaret Island and Pest. The views of the city are spectacular and an ideal spot for that iconic Instagram post!
Climb the Gellért Hill
You can climb the Gellért Hill starting at the Elisabeth Bridge near the Gellért Monument. From the Elisabeth Bridge to the mountain, there are a number of paths to the top. It rises about 140 meters above the Danube River and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the city below. The climb will take about 30 minutes but be sure to take some water along with you.
On top of the Gellert Hill, you will see the Liberty Monument, established in 1947 to commemorate the liberation of Hungary from the Nazis. From here you can rest and take in the breathtaking panoramic views of the city.
Citadel
The Citadel, sits atop Gellert Hill and was constructed by the Hapsburgs between 1850 and 1854 in order to better control the city after the suppression of the Hungarian War of Independence. The fortress was originally about 200 meters long with walls about six meters high and up to three meters thick.
Pest Side
The Pest side is on the eastern side of the Danube and known for where all the action happens.
Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest, is the oldest suspension bridge in Budapest and is one of the most picturesque bridges both by day light and at night. It took over 20 years to complete and opened in 1849, before Budapest became a single city. During WWII, the bridge was destroyed by Nazi troops, and was reopened in 1949, one hundred years after it was first opened.
Watch the river cruises from mid-span, and if you’re on the Pest side, the bridge puts you at the base of the funicular or if you’re going the other way, you’ll come out in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.
Danube Promenade
The Promenade stretches along the Danube River running from the Elizabeth Bridge to the Chain Bridge. It’s a comfortable and easy walk to see many of the most famous sights in the capital. Looking towards to Buda side of the river, you will see the Buda Castle, the Liberty Statue and the Fisherman’s Bastion. On the Promenade side of the river, you can take in one of many restaurants, cafes, and the sculptures of the Little Princess.
Danube River Cruise
One way to get a different view of many of Budapest iconic and stunning sights is to go on one of the many Danube River cruises. Some are short, but well worth it.
The Shoes on the Danube
Located on the Pest side, The Shoes on the Danube Bank, between the Hungarian Parliament and the Chain Bridge, is a moving memorial honoring the Jews that were executed on the banks of the Danube River.
The innocent Jewish victims were forced to take off their shoes and leave them on the river’s edge, prior to being executed by the Arrow Cross Party, a fascist sympathizer of the Nazis, that had seized power in Budapest between 1944 and 1945
Parliament Building
The iconic Hungarian Parliament Building on the banks of the Danube River on the Pest side, is a truly remarkable looking building. Built in the Gothic Revival style it is the third largest parliament in the world. You can take a guided tour of the inside which takes about 50 minutes and takes visitors through the Staircase XVII, the Dome Hall and the Old Upper House Hall. If you don’t feel like a guided tour, the exterior is still a must see, both during the day and at night, when it’s illuminated in a gentle yellow glow.
There are water fountains in the square at the front of the Parliament buildings, which create a cool mist (most welcome if you’re there during the hot weather), and the opportunity for some excellent photos.
St. Stephen’s Basilica
St. Stephen’s Square is home to the very commanding basilica named in honour of Stephen, the first king of Hungary. Standing 96 metres tall, it is the same as the height of the Parliament Building and they are the highest structures in Budapest. St. Stephen’s Basilica has a truly stunning interior and entrance to it is free. You will need to buy a ticket if you want to go up to the bell tower for some wonderful views of the city.
The Basilica also hosts classical concerts throughout the year.
Andrássy Avenue
This is an amazing boulevard that takes visitors from Erzsébet Square in central Pest, out to Heroes Square and the City Park, home to the Széchenyi Bath, Budapest Zoo & Botanical Gardens and Vajdahunyad Castle.
Taking a walk down Andrássy is a great way to see many of Budapest’s different architectural styles, such as the Hungarian National Opera House, the neo-renaissance townhouses and mansions and a number of national embassies.
If shopping is on your agenda, this is the place to go. Many famous designer boutiques can be found on Andrássy, including Louis Viutton, Dior, Armani, Burberry and more.
It’s a bit of a stroll so if you feel tired you can grab a ride on the metro line which runs underneath the Avenue. It’s also historically significant as it’s the third oldest underground railway in the world.
Hungarian State Opera House
The Neo-Renaissance Hungarian Opera House on Andrássy Ave was first opened in 1884 and is viewed as one of the most important historical buildings in the city. The 1,200-seat auditorium is considered to be one of the best in the world for operatic performances.
You can either book a guided tour which takes about an hour, where you will visit the beautiful rooms and gives you interesting facts about the building or you can purchase a ticket to the opera. If you’re short on time and don’t have a full evening to attend, we’d suggest taking the guided tour which also includes a short show. If you’re not typically an opera fan, we’d still highly recommend visiting, it’s a beautiful building and well worth the visit.
Heroes Square
Heroes Square, which was constructed in 1896, commemorates the thousandth anniversary of the Magyar conquest of Hungary in 895. It also marks the end of Andrássy Avenue. There are art galleries on either side of the square. It’s located at the entrance to the City Park, which is home to the Széchenyi Bath, Budapest Zoo & Botanical Gardens and Vajdahunyad Castle so it’s possible to explore it either before or after you visit those iconic sites.
City Park
The City Park includes sports facilities, swimming baths, and the city Park Pond where you can rent row boats in the summer and during the winter months, the pond is transformed into one of Europe’s largest ice rinks.
The park is also home to Széchenyi Bath and the Budapest Municipal Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Budapest Circus and the Vajdahunyad Castle.
Vajdahunyad Castle
Vajdahunyad Castle is a fairy tale like castle featuring styles from the Middle Ages to the 18th century: Romanesque, Gothic Renaissance and Baroque and is modelled on the original Hunyad Castle located in Transylvania.
Originally Vajdahunyad Castle was quickly put together to celebrate the 1000-year-old Hungarian state and was build out of cardboard and wood until it became so popular that it was upgraded to stone.
Széchenyi Baths
Visiting one of Hungary’s 150 warm-water medicinal thermal baths and specifically one of the 19 in Budapest, is a must-to-do activity.
We chose the popular Széchenyi Bath as it is co-ed and not restricted to men only/women only on certain days of the week like some of the other baths in Budapest. Széchenyi is one of the largest bath complexes in Europe with its 18 pools (15 indoor baths and 3 outdoor pools). it acquires its medicinal waters from Budapest’s second deepest source, the 1,246-metre-deep Saint Stephen’s spring which registers a surface temperature of 76C. The thermal waters contain sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate, and significant traces of fluoride and metaboric acid which are considered medicinal for such conditions as joint inflammation and muscle aches and pains.
In addition to the medicinal pools, you can enjoy one of the steam rooms or book a massage.
Although the entry routine is a bit complicated especially if you don’t speak Hungarian, and it was a bit of a challenge to communicate with the front desk staff. We stopped at the baths the day before to book our massages, our towels and locker and thought we were all set only to find out that we did not have a locker. Eventually we got it all sorted out, so we’d highly recommend getting there well in advance of any booked services!
Thermal Beer Spa
If you want a truly unique experience, enjoy a Beer Bath. Yes, a beer bath! Located in Széchenyi, there are two Beer Spas, one for those who also buy Széchenyi tickets and one for those who only come in for the beer bathing. The tubs are made of acacia and have plenty of room for two, with beer taps beside the tubs from which you can pull your own beer.
The Bath Master will show you the dry ingredients: hops, malt, yeast and a beer salt that are added to your wooden bathtub filled with 36-degree hot medicinal water.
We’d have to say this really was the highlight of our visit to Széchenyi.
Váci Street
Váci Street is the main walking and shopping street on the Pest side. It is home to many fashion and gift shops, and restaurants but most importantly is home to our favorite sweets’ establishment the Café Gerbeaudfamous for its cakes and ice cream sundaes!
Great Market Hall
The Great Market Hall located in central Budapest and is Budapest’s most famous and largest marketplace. Locally grown fruits and vegetables, and locally sourced meats can be found on the lower floors, while souvenirs are located on the upper floors. The top floor also houses a number of food stalls where you can find many local homemade delicacies.
Paprika is considered the national spice of Hungary, so you shouldn’t leave Hungary without buying some, and the Great Market Hall is the place to go. There you’ll find different types of paprika, from delicate and mild, semi-sweet with medium pungency to the fiery hot.
If you love shopping, fresh goods or people watching, the Great Market Hall needs to be on your itinerary.
Other Important Historical Sites
While maybe not enjoyable, in a touristy kind of way, there are a couple of other important memorials which have historical importance.
Holocaust Memorial Center
This memorial focuses on the experiences of the Hungarian Jews up to and through the holocaust.
While not really suitable if you’re travelling with younger kids, but for adults and teens, with its factual and anecdotal evidence pieced together, it provides a clear picture of the evils that were committed here.
House of Terror Museum
The museum commemorates bloody periods in Hungarian history and offers many lessons for its visitors of the atrocities inflicted on innocent people.
Margaret Island
Margaret Island consists of 227 acres is a 2.5km long island which sits in the middle of the Danube. It’s covered in parkland and recreational facilities.
The Island is linked to the city by the Margaret to the south and the Árpád Bridge in the north.
Dining
While all the food and restaurants were wonderful there are a few highlights that stay in our memory. Goulash was number one on our list. It’s Hungary’s national dish and is usually served as a stew around the world but an authentic goulash is actually a thin broth made from chunks of beef cooked with onions, tomatoes, pepper and it wouldn’t be complete without paprika. It’s usually served with fresh bread on the side.
We love meat and fortunate for us, sausages (Kolbász) are also a pretty important in Hungary. In fact, you’ll find sausages featured in dishes served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and be included in stews, soups, salads, and even pastries. Kolbász is the general term for Hungarian sausage and there are numerous varieties that can be served cooked, boiled, cured or smoked.
Kürtőskalács or Kurtosh Kalach, Chimney Cake as we call them, is a sweet treat are made from long strips of sweet sugary dough wrapped around a truncated cone-shaped spit, brushed with butter and rolled in granulated sugar then roasted over charcoal where the sugar caramelizes forming a crispy coating. The dough is removed from the spit, where steam is seen rising from the center like a chimney (those the English translation of chimney cake). The cone is then dusted with toppings like ground walnuts or cinnamon. They’re becoming popular elsewhere and we’ve seen them in many places around the world during the festive season at Christmas Markets.
Best Time to Visit Budapest?
We’ve visited Budapest a number of times and each of their seasons have some different appeals, although it does have something to offer all year.
Summers do get hot, with the temperatures hovering around 32 degrees Celsius (90s Fahrenheit) and winters range from about 2°C to 9°C. Early fall is our favorite as its still quite warm even in the late evenings.
How many days do you need to visit Budapest?
Depending on your interests, you could easily spend three to five days here at a time. We’ve found that even though we’d been here before, there are always some favorite things to see and much to explore and learn about.
Getting to and Around Budapest
Budapest is easy to get to by train from all the major centres in Europe or by plane depending on where your travels have you coming from.
The Budapest airport is located 24 Km from the city centre and there are three ways to get to the city centre from the airport.
First, is by public transportation by a direct bus line that connects the airport with the city centre at Deák tér. It leaves from Deák tér every thirty minutes from 04:00 to 23:30. The first bus leaves from the airport each morning at 05:00, and the last one at 0:30. Bus 100E stops at the BKK bus stop at the airport between the two terminals on the arrival level. Passengers may get off the bus going to Deák tér at Kálvin tér and at Astoria. Bus 100E going to the airport only stops at Kálvin tér, but the first two in the morning will also stop at the Astoria M bus stop. You have to purchase a special ticket for bus 100E for HUF 900. For more information on the shuttle bus visit the BKK website.
Secondly, you can use the miniBUD which is the official airport shuttle services for Budapest. You can schedule your pickup and drop-off online in advance, or you can order your ride when you arrive where the shuttle is usually no more than 30 mins, however, you can experience some longer lineups. When you land at the airport, you’ll find their desk in the baggage claim area where you can order your shuttle. When you return to the airport you can book online or through your hotel in most cases. For more information on the shuttle bus visit the miniBUD website.
Thirdly, you can take a taxi to and from the airport which is the most expensive way to get to the city center, but also the quickest.
At the Budapest Airport the official authorized taxi company is FőTaxi and is located at the exit of terminals 2A and 2B of the international airport Liszt Ferenc of Budapest (the only airport of the city).
The average cost is from $25-$35€. When you land in Budapest exit the airport and make your way to the taxi counter (a small enclosure with several people serving customers) outside where you will be able to order your taxi. They’ll give you a receipt with your cab number and price on it. Once you have that you just have to wait a moment for your cab to come up. This is one of the safest ways to ensure that the taxi driver is legal, and the cost is guaranteed. Taxis do not charge extra per person.
If you pay your taxi with a credit card, check that the amount displayed on their terminal is in local Hungarian currency, the forint, and not in euros as the conversion rate applied by Budapest taxi companies in euro is always unfavorable.
Once you’re in the city it’s pretty easy to get around by walking.
Budapest and Hungary in general is fascinating and has a rich mixture of natural, historical and cultural sites to visit.
To learn about Sopron, Hungary click on this link: (Sopron)