Top 10 Things to Do in Budapest

I fell madly in love with Budapest. Maybe not quite as much as I did with Amsterdam but it definitely tops the list of my favorite European cities. This is in part due to the fact I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Perhaps because I had never been to Eastern Europe before arriving in Budapest or possibly because I did absolutely zero  research in advance. This is one of the many things that I do love about travel, despite the fact that I am an avid planner. The ability to go into a situation with an open mind can bring an entirely different perspective than if you went in with overly ambitious expectations.

For me, part of the magic of Budapest is the fact that they almost seem to still be “figuring it out” in a post-communist world having only just come out of communism in 1989. Yet, their spirits are up and Hungarians are a warm and welcoming people – much different from many other parts of Europe, in my honest opinion.

Budapest is a mix between a little underground, a little luxury, a little vintage and a whole lot of unique. In other words, I’m kind of obsessed. There is a lot to do and a lot to see so here are my top 10 things to do in Budapest.

1. Soak in a Thermal Bath

Budapest isn’t called the “City of Baths” for no reason. Hungary is a land of thermal springs, and Budapest remains the only capital city in the world that is rich in thermal waters with healing qualities. The most popular thermal bath in Budapest is Széchenyi Thermal Bath, located in the City Park, and is the largest medicinal bath in all of Europe. Once you arrival at a thermal bath, you will pick your package right then and there. This isn’t quite like a spa but rather like paying to go to a pool.

2. Eat a Lángos

Lángos is a Hungarian food speciality made of deep fried dough and topped with sour cream and grated cheese. Other variations and accompaniments can be mushroom, quark cheese, eggplant, cabbage, kefir, omelet, and a confectioner’s sugar or jam. Don’t eat too many of these! They are anything but healthy.

3. Drink Hungarian Wine

Before arriving in Budapest, I didn’t even know that Hungarians made wine. When I asked a local why that was, he said, “We are great wine makers but horrible marketers.” That explains why little know about Hungarian wine and how incredible it actually is for being so off the radar in the world of wine.

4. Shop at Central Market Hall

I’m obsessed with going to markets whenever I visit a city. I think a market is one of the most interesting windows into a city’s heart and soul. It is a true way to get in touch with the local flavor, both literally and figuratively.

5. Get a Panoramic View

Budapest is separated by the Danube River into two sides – Buda and Pest. The Buda side is located on the western side of the Danube and the Pest side on the eastern. The Pest side is flat whereas the Buda side is a giant hill. I personally enjoyed staying on the Pest side as I believe it is the livelier of the two but the Buda side is where you need to go for the views. Climbing to the top of Castle Hill, you can see all of Pest from Fisherman’s Bastion.

Another great place for incredible views is from Gellért Hill. At the top of the hill is the Citadel (Citadella), a fortress built by the Habsburgs after defeating Hungary’s War of Independence in 1849.

6. Walk around Castle Hill

The Castle Hill district is a rather quiet, quaint part of Budapest. Cars have been banned with the exception to those who live and work in the area. The majority of the streets are cobblestone and are lined with 18th century Baroque houses. Castle Hill is home to the Royal Palace, Fisherman’s Bastion, and Matthais Church – some of the most famous attractions in all of Budapest.

7. Visit Hungarian Parliament

The Neo-Gothic style Hungarian Parliament Building is more than 100 years old and one of Europe’s oldest legislative buildings and the world’s third largest parliament building. In other words, you need to go see this place. It is located in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube. You cannot go inside the building without a guide. The cheapest and by far the most efficient way to visit the Parliament is to book a tour online via Jegymester.hu, the official and exclusive ticket vendor to the Budapest Parliament building.

8. Have a Moment of Silence Along the Danube

Just south of the Parliament building, be sure to visit the shoes along the Danube. The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial of 60 pairs of bronze shoes that commemorate the massacre of Jews shot by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen. During World War II, they were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

9. Stroll along Andrássy Avenue

Have you ever heard of Budapest being referred to as the Paris of the East? Well after you stroll along Andrássy Avenue, you’ll see why. The avenue begins opposite St Stephen’s Basilica at Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, and the first section is at Oktogon, a large, octagonal square, where the avenue crosses the Grand Boulevard. Be sure to check out the Paris Department Store (Párizsi Nagyáruház) at 39 Andrássy Avenue which houses an elegant bookshop, the Alexandra Bookstore that won the Year’s Metropolitan Bookshop prize in 2011. The former ballroom is now a coffeehouse, the upper level houses the Párisi Gallery and Arts Salon, and there is a rooftop bar, to boot!

10. Party at a Ruins Pub

It’s no secret that I like to have a good time. After all, I did write an entire party guide to Las Vegas. So when I first heard about ruins pubs, I had to go investigate. There is no other word to describe a ruins pub other than simply “wild.” But not in the wild party sense but rather in reference to the decor. The most famous and well-known ruins pub in Budapest is the iconic Szimpla Kert. The building is rather large and each room differs with stuff everywhere – on the walls, the floor, the ceilings. There is so much going on that it could take days to really explore what each area of the building has.

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