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’s Holocaust Memorial Centre is one of the few institutions in the...
Since opening its doors in 1914, Déryné Bistro has been a favourite...
Hungary’s National Museum contains relics from the nation’s history. It’s a...
Budapest’s Great Synagogue is Europe’s biggest place of Jewish worship and an...
The home of Hungary’s parliament is one of Budapest’s most iconic buildings....
Probably the bleakest museum in Budapest, the House of Terror explores...
In the 19th century, Hungary turned 1,000 years old. To mark this milestone,...
At the peak of the Várhegy hill, protected by the Fisherman’s Bastion, one...
Shoes on the Danube is a chilling memorial to Hungarian victims of the...
Budapest’s largest indoor market sells everything from salami to souvenirs....
The largest of its kind in Budapest, Heroes’ Square is a landmark of the city...
Tall spires, mummified hands, Med-style bistros? Remarkably, St Stephen’s...
It’s easy to miss the life-sized statue of Imre Nagy as you take in the...
The first to link Buda with Pest, Széchenyi Chain Bridge has become an icon...
Continually passing by the clattering tram of Budapest, the Liberty Bridge is...