Since I was already in Europe for work (and have unrealistic expectations for my physical durability), I popped over to Budapest this last weekend for a very quick trip! Though I only had a brief time in Budapest, I felt like I got a good chance to sample the city, though I would have loved to spend a more time soaking in the culture!
Below is some background on Budapest and my top recommendations for a short trip.
Background on Budapest
Budapest is a very old city, tracing its history back to the Celts even prior to the Roman occupation around 50 AD. It was the co-capital of the Austro-Hugraian Empire, prior to the empire’s dissolution in 1918. The city of comprised of two components: Buda and Pest, the portions to the west and east of the river respectively. (Wikipedia)
Pest is the more trendy old town area and contains the Parliament Building (third largest in the world), St Stephen’s Basilica, and the ultra trendy Jewish Quarter, housing the largest synagogue in Europe and a multitude of “ruin bars” – a Budapest specialty of bars housed within dilapidated pre-war buildings that has popped up within the last 15 years.
Buda, on the western bank, contains the many of the popular thermal baths (excepting the most famous, Széchenyi, which is in Pest).
Budapest is a very walkable city and I wouldn’t recommend getting any transport passes unless you’re unable to to walk distances of 1-2 miles. You can buy bus tickets from machines at the major stops (I wouldn’t recommend the app, since it’s extremely confusing), but I would recommend paying in cash, though card is accepted. The 100E bus runs from the airport to the old town for the equivalent of $3 and I would highly recommend it.
I would highly recommend carrying cash since many places do not accept card. Be aware that Hungary has its own currency of the Forint, though you can often choose to pay in Euros. The exchange rate between the Forint and USD as of December 2019 is roughly 1 USD = 300 HUF.
Top 10 Things To Do in Budapest
1. Ruin Bars.
This was hands down my favorite activity in Budapest! I only went to Szimpla Kert, the most famous of the ruin bars, but I would have loved to go to more. The bar is set in a rundown, graffitied building and filled with second hand furniture and random street-side finds, like old bathtubs and playground equipment for seats. The bar is composed of several smaller bars (even a brewery), many small rooms, and an outdoor area. At night, it’s a great place to grab a beer and, during the day, they have vendor stands for things like comics and vintage action figures. On Sundays, it’s the site of a great farmer’s market and an excellent brunch buffet upstairs! The bar started in 2003 and while it used to be more of an “alternative” option, it’s a bit overrun with tourists now, though still very cool! Most of the bars are located in the Jewish Quarter and a quick Google search will turn up some other options.
2. Thermal Baths.
Thermal Baths in Budapest often date back to the 19th or early 20th century and are generally co-ed with a mix of indoor and outdoor baths. Bring a swimsuit, towel, and flipflops! The two most famous baths in Budapest are Széchenyi, which houses a large outdoor bath, and Gellért, located inside an art deco hotel.
I ended up not going to either of these options and decided instead to go to Rudas Bath. I found that the baths felt a bit “public pool” to me and the water wasn’t as warm as I was used to at a spa but it was still nice, though I prefer single gender nude baths. At Rudas, each person (or group) is given a private locker changing room, which is very comfortably sized. Rudas, to me, appeared to be comprised of a mix of tourists and locals, while the two main baths are more expensive and tourist dominated. There are many other baths in the area.
3. Christmas Markets & Drink Mulled Wine.
This is a seasonal activity but worth doing if you’re in Budapest in December! The area surrounding St Stephen’s Basilica has several markets and I found them to have more variety in vendors than the main Prague Christmas markets tourists visit. You can find mulled wine, alcoholic punch (stronger and more expensive), chimney cakes, and a large variety of gift and heavier food options.
4. Vintage Shopping.
I found Budapest to have a great vintage clothing scene! There were too many for me to visit them all, but I enjoyed the two Szputnyik shops and Retrock Designer Vintage Store. Prices were very reasonable for the options and the shops were very well curated!
5. Eat Hungarian Food.
There are many options for doing this but I found that the Christmas Markets and the Central Market had some of the best options. Central Market was too crowded for me generally but the second floor has many traditional Hungarian food choices. In particular, I would recommend trying lángos, a soft fried bread traditionally topped with sour cream and cheese. Synagogue & Explore the Jewish Quarter.
6. St Stephen’s Basilica.
The Roman Catholic basilica has free entry (donations suggested) and is located in a central location in the city. It’s certainly worth the quick stop to see its gilded and painted interior and I would recommend going earlier in the day to avoid crowds, and because its one of the few things open at 9AM.
7. Parliament Building.
Inspired by the British Parliament building, the Hungarian Parliament Building was built in the early 20th century and houses an impressive 691 rooms (Wikipedia). While I didn’t go into this building, I believe you can and it is at least worth looking at from the outside!
As the largest synagogue in Europe, it’s one of the most expensive activities you can do in Budapest with an entry ticket coming in at around $13. If you’re interested in Jewish history, particularly during WWII, it’s worth the visit as it has a museum that tells the story of the Jewish people in Budapest and the sad story of the massacre of hundreds at Jewish hospitals in 1944, prior to the liberation of the city by the Soviets. The synagogue is the site of a mass burial ground of the victims of this attack.
9. Go to a traditional cafe.
Another thing that I didn’t do while I was in Budapest, but Budapest houses some traditional Austro-Hungarian cafes, similar to those in Vienna. If you have not been to cafes in Vienna, I would recommend this.
10. Buda Castle / Fisherman’s Bastion.
These two tourist destinations are located close to each other in Buda and allow for some great views of Pest, though they get extremely crowded with tourists.
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