Ideas of what to do on a city break in Budapest.

The River Danube, The Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament building.

For for our short break in Budapest we chose to stay in Buda just a few minutes up Gellert Hill and a short stroll from the famous Gellert Spa.  Our accommodation was a 10 minute walk across Liberty Bridge crossing the Danube into Pest.  The Great Market Hall and numerous cafes and restaurants are found just over the bridge on the Pest side. A 15 minute walk along the Buda side of the Danube River brought us to the Chain Bridge and the short Funicular ride up to the Castle.  An ideal city to explore on foot Budapest is compact enough to walk to most of the main tourist spots if you are reasonably fit and mobile, Pest is flat whilst Buda is hilly. If mobility is a problem or you don’t want to walk there is an excellent tram and bus service connecting the various places to see and visit the city.

The districts of Buda, Pest and Obuda were unified to form Budapest in 1873.  Around 20% of the population of Hungary live in its capital city.  The city has endured a very troubled history. First following the defeat of the Austro – Hungarian Empire and the partitioning of Europe at the end of World War 1 (WW1).  Second as a result of the Nazi occupation towards the end of World War 2 (WW2).  And, third by communism and subjugation by the Soviet Union until 1991.  Much of Budapest was flattened by bombing during WW2 and neglected and left to run to ruin under communism. 

The destruction of Budapest during WW2.

Since Hungary gained its independence and the fall of communism Budapest has undergone massive restoration, as can be evidenced when visiting, this restoration work is still ongoing.  The city has been rejuvenated and is an interesting and lively place to spend some time with an abundance of restaurants, cafes and bars.  Architecturally many of its buildings are beautiful and splendid examples of Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau which is typified by the cities many surviving coffee houses, the most well of which is the New York which we ran out of time to see on this trip although we did make it to the Gresham. 

Inside one of the art nouveau cafes.

The city must have been beautiful and something to see in the heyday of the Austro – Hungarian empire.  However, as a tourist you are always reminded of the cities turbulent and troubled history.  

Red Devil restaurant in the caves under Buda.

On the Buda side of the Danube stands the Castle and under the hills are a labyrinth of hydro thermal caves formed by the water springs that supply the cities many thermal spa baths. We visited the cave system under Castle Hill which it is said was where Dracula was taken when captured and held a prisoner for 10 years. The caves have been used as wine vaults, torture chambers and prisons.  They were used by the Nazis during WW2 and as a hideaway during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Take the Funicular from near the Chain Bridge up to the Castle and walk to Fisherman’s Bastion for a wonderfully panoramic views of the city particularly across the Danube to Pest, views of the Houses of Parliament and St Stephens Cathedral are stunning. Walking around the Castle Quarter with its cobbled streets and well preserved picture postcard architecture put me in mind of a movie toy town.  The area is very quiet and tranquil compared to its neighbour Pest. 

The Jewish Quarter is the up and coming area and is full of restaurants, bars and shops and is well worth a walk around.  The Dohany Synagogue is the biggest synagogue in Europe and the second biggest in the world.  The Synagogue has been completely and impressively refurbished possible due to a donation from the now deceased Hollywood actor Tony Curtis whose father was a Jewish immigrant from Hungary.  Around 600,000 Hungarian Jews and Roma died in the holocaust.  In the courtyard of the Synagogue is the Holocaust Memorial, a silver tree of life, beneath it thousands of victims are buried.  We had a drink in Gozsdu Court built in the nineteenth century and which is now full of shops, restaurants and bars. It was sobering to realise that in WW2 the Nazis forcibly kept the two entrances to the court closed so that the majority of the inhabitants died of starvation.

One of the many buildings yet to be restored.

The House of Terror on Andrassy ut is so called because it was the headquarters first of the Gestapo during WW2 and then the Hungarian security services during the communist era.  Many people were tortured or executed in the basement cells.  A harrowing place to visit and judging by the reactions of many of the Hungarians visiting at the same time as us the memory is still very much alive for them.  A place which symbolises brutal oppression.

Hints and Tips

Interior of St.Stephens Cathedral.

• Do go inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral (the largest church in Budapest), it is from outside the neoclassical basilica is stunning but inside is absolutely stunning and would be my highlight of the trip.

  

  View from Buda of the Chain Bridge and Cathedral.

 

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• Visit the Great Market Hall which is still very much a locals’ food market and sells every possible Hungarian foodstuff, stalls selling paprika abound.  Although the first floor houses many souvenir stalls catering which cater for tourists don’t let that put you off.  On the first floor left hand corner are the food stalls selling local delicacies, the ideal spot for an authentic lunch, albeit at tourist prices. We ate at the langos stall experiencing a stuffed potato-yeast flatbread, the Hungarian pizza!

  

  Paprika for sale at a market stall.

Hungarian Pizza - the langos.

• Budapest is not a cheap city to visit, in most of the city expect to pay tourist prices when eating and drinking.  For a cheap value lunch buy something freshly baked from the bakery on the ground floor of the Great Market Hall.  I can recommend the plum pie. 

• If you plan to take a boat cruise along the Danube do so at night, very picturesque.  All of the major river landmarks along the river are lit up at night and the river has a different ambience.

  

  Hungarian Parliament although not taken at night still outstanding.

• To chill visit one of the cities thermal spring baths, not cheap but a one off.  Expect to pay around £25 (28 Euros / 31 USD) entrance plus payment and returnable deposit for flip-flops, bath cap, robe and towel if you don’t have your own.

The Gellert Spa Baths

• Do take advantage of the free Budapest walking tour which covers all of the main attractions and leaves twice a day, 10.30 am and 2.30 pm from Dek Ferenc ter, in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica.  You pay what you thing the tour was worth.

  

  St Stephen' Cathedral

• Do not be surprised or offended if your waiter stands beside you and waits for you to pay the bill informing him/her what you will pay.  This is the custom in Hungary when you tell the waiter what you will pay (including the tip), or how much change you expect to get.

• Wine served by the glass are smaller measures compared to the UK and elsewhere in Western Europe, do not be surprised.  The prices are not smaller however!

There is so much to do in Budapest dependent on your interests, length of your visit, weather and so on, it is a great choice for a city break.  

Have I missed anything that you would include for the first time visitor to Budapest? 

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