Budapest
Budapest is a prime site for dreams: the East's exuberant vision of the West, the West's uneasy hallucination of the East." M. John Harrison
The “Queen of the Danube” is really two cities: the hilly Buda and the flat Pest, lying either side of the river. At various times an Ottoman province, imperial city, communist capital and modern metropolis, Budapest combines a tumultuous history with great provisions for today’s visitors.
Gradual incursions by stag parties can’t take away from Budapest’s charm. Buildings and architectural styles survive from the city’s whole history: everything from Roman ruins to Baroque churches and Turkish mosques. Its bars and restaurants offer food from the world over, and are more affordable than anything in Paris or London. With attractions varying from grand galleries to pinball museums, panoramic hills to cave churches, Budapest caters to all tastes, meaning you’ll never be stuck for things to do.
Though often compared to Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest is very much a working city. Transport is good, the atmosphere unpretentious. Don’t worry about the notoriously hard Hungarian language; most locals speak good English.
Budapest Top Things to Do: A Travel Guide
Budapest for the Fashion Forward
Activities
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Central Market, Budapest: All Year
Budapest’s largest indoor market sells everything from salami to souvenirs. The place to go for some authentic retail therapy.
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Déryné Bisztró, Restaurant, Budapest
Since opening its doors in 1914, Déryné Bistro has been a favourite glitterati hangout. Serves coffee, drinks and food, even to mere mortals.
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Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest
In the 19th century, Hungary turned 1,000 years old. To mark this milestone, the Fisherman’s Bastion was raised: a mock castle with exceptional views of Budapest.
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Great Synagogue, Budapest
Budapest’s Great Synagogue is Europe’s biggest place of Jewish worship and an architectural marvel. It also contains the Hungarian Jewish Museum, and a sober memorial to Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.
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Heroes' Square, Budapest
The largest of its kind in Budapest, Heroes’ Square is a landmark of the city centre. It was built to celebrate 1,000 years of Hungarian civilisation and backs onto various important sights.
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Holocaust Memorial Centre, Budapest
Budapest’s Holocaust Memorial Centre is one of the few institutions in the world dedicated entirely to Holocaust education and commemoration. A hard-hitting visit awaits you.
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Hungarian National Museum, Budapest
Hungary’s National Museum contains relics from the nation’s history. It’s a must if you’re in Budapest and want to learn the basics about this country you’re in.
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Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest
The home of Hungary’s parliament is one of Budapest’s most iconic buildings. With a tower as tall as a cathedral’s, it’s hard to miss wherever you go in the city.
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Imre Nagy Statue, Budapest
It’s easy to miss the life-sized statue of Imre Nagy as you take in the Hungarian Parliament Building. But Nagy is one of Hungary’s most significant historical figures. You can’t say you understand this country until you’ve had a look.
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Liberty Bridge, Budapest
Continually passing by the clattering tram of Budapest, the Liberty Bridge is the second oldest bridge of Budapest after the Chain Bridge.
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Matthias Church, Budapest: All Year
At the peak of the Várhegy hill, protected by the Fisherman’s Bastion, one can find the church dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption of the Hill of the Castle, typically known as the Matthias Church.
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Memento Park, Budapest
Budapest’s Memento Park is a fascinating open-air museum dedicated to the iconography of Communism.
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Shoes on the Danube, Budapest
Shoes on the Danube is a chilling memorial to Hungarian victims of the Holocaust. One of several Holocaust memorials in Budapest, it speaks to one of the city’s darkest hours.
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St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest
Tall spires, mummified hands, Med-style bistros? Remarkably, St Stephen’s Basilica in central Budapest has them all.
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Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest
The first to link Buda with Pest, Széchenyi Chain Bridge has become an icon of the capital’s modernisation.
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Terror Haza Museum, Budapest: All Year
Probably the bleakest museum in Budapest, the House of Terror explores oppression in Hungary under the Nazi and Communist regimes.
