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A couple of weeks ago was the first time that I have traveled to Hungary, more preciously Budapest. I didn’t know what I was expecting but my first impressions arriving by bus to a bus station outside the city centre was not the best.
But a bit later I ended up absolutely loving the city. There is so much to do, the English level is way better than in Slovakia (where I am staying right now) and it is easy enough to get everywhere you want to by foot.
I had also stayed in a great hostel that I loved so much that I ended up returning there just a few weeks after. So if you have a day or a few in Budapest, here are 10 awesome things to do in Budapest.
Most of these activities can be completed in a day or two. However, if you are staying in Budapest for longer then check out this 5 day Budapest itinerary.
1. Watch the city from the Castle
There is sort of a cable car that you can take up the hill but if you don’t want to spend any money on that you can easily just walk up the hill in a couple of minutes.
From the top you will have a stunning view of the Buda side of Budapest, including the Danube river and of course the Parliament.
2. Visit the House of Terror
If you are interested in learning about the fascist and communist regimes in Hungary during the 20th century then you might want to pay the House of Terror a visit. It is also a memorial. Price: 3000 HUF (ca. €10) / 1500 HUF (ca. €5) for EU citizen; 1500 HUF for an audioguide (optional).
3. Cross the Széchenyi Chain Bridge
This bridge across the Danube river connects the Buda and the Pest side of Budapest. From the bridge you can have a great view on the Parliament building, the river and the city itself.
4. Visit one of the largest Synaguoges (Dohány Street Synagogue)
This is the second largest synagogue outside of Israel. Only in New York City you can find a bigger one. If you want to visit the inside of the synagogue, you can buy tickets upfront which also includes the entry to the Hungarian- Jewish museum which is located right next to it.
Just notice it is closed on Saturdays due to Shabbat. The synagogues in Budapest are all named after the streets in which they are located in.
Costs: around €16 for adults/ €12 for students
5. Go to a Ruin Bar
You can not be visiting Budapest without having at least one drink in one of its infamous ruin bars, such as the most famous one, which is called Szimpla Kert. What makes them so special is that they each look so differently and are just filled with random items and random flee market furniture.
There are a lot of amazing ruin bars in Budapest! Some of them can be difficult to spot, so it’s always good to do your research about it or ask some people working at the hostel if they can recommend a nice ruin bar to you.
6. Eat a Lángos
I always eat Lángos at the German Christmas market and they are one of my favourite foods ever so I was really excited to actually try a Hungarian one.
It is basically a deep fried dough and you can top it up with garlic sauce or sour cream and then add varies other topics. Such as cheese or ham or just only have it with sauce.
7. Visit the Hero Square
As you can see from the picture below, when I was at Hero Square there was some event going on so actually the area around it was closed. But anyway, it is one of the most important squares in Budapest and known for its architecture and statutes of important Hungarian national leaders.
8. Go on a Walking Tour (or two)
Like I usually say in most of my posts, there is no better way to discover a new city than to go on a walking tour to get a clear idea of what the city is about. When I was in Budapest I went on both the standard city tour as well as the Jewish Quarter tour, which were both really interesting and I can highly recommend.
9. Fisherman’s Bastion
Located in the Buda Castle, you can get one of the best views of Budapest from the Fisherman’s Bastion.
10. And of course, visit the Parliament
The parliament is probably one of the if not the prettiest building I have ever seen. It is absolutely massive and it looks phenomenal, doesn’t matter if you see it from up the hill, from a boat or stand directly in front of it.
And here you have it: 10 awesome things to do in Budapest!
Have you been to Budapest or would you like to go?
Talk to you soon x
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