In my opinion, the best part about travelling to Europe in the summer is that you get to wander around cities without freezing. Budapest is a very walkable city and while I was there that is exactly what I did. While I was in Budapest I stayed at Hostel One, which is conveniently located near many of the tourist attractions. During my time in Budapest I got to explore both the Buda and the Pest side, and needless to say I loved it all.
Erzsébet tér
The closest attraction to my hostel was a cute park called Erzsébet tér, so on day one I headed there first. The weather in Budapest was gorgeous during the summer and Elizabeth square had a giant grassy lawn full of people relaxing and reading. In addition to the grassy lounging lawn, there was also a bright blue pool in the center of the square and a collection of funky benches.
Ruins Bars
Ruins Bars are one of the most unique parts about nightlife in Budapest. The bars are primarily located in District VII and each one has it’s own personality. Szimpla Kert is the original ruins bar and was once an old factory. Now the popular bar is a collection of flashy furniture spread out across a maze of rooms.
Instant is another well liked ruins bar in Budapest because it is the biggest in the city. It was once an apartment building, but was converted into a dance club after Szimpla Kert’s popularity took off. A few other notable ruins bars are Fogasház, Doboz, Corvin Teto and Grandio.
Las Vegans
Las Vegan’s is the best vegan food I have ever had. Period. End of story.
I found this restaurant randomly while looking for a quick bite to eat and it was the best discovery I have ever made. Las Vegan’s has five different locations around the city, but the one I stumbled upon is in a vegan Street Food Hall. There are a ton of other options for vegan food in the mini food hall, but they were all eclipsed in my memory by my one and only love… Las Vegan’s.
The Las Vegan’s menu is small, but in my opinion that is a perk because I was able to try everything. I love all of the burgers in their own way, but if I was forced to rank them I would have to say Sweet Dream is the definite number one. The Sweet Dream burger is a combination of vegan fried cheese, onion jam, Lollo Bionda lettuce, tomato and grilled eggplant. It was truly a dream. Next up on the list would be the Magic Mushroom burger, which is a mushroom patty covered in garlic vegenaise, baby spinach, sun dried tomato, grilled onion and grilled Portobello. After those two hard hitters I would probably say the burgers rank as follows: Lord Seiten, Dr. Carrot, Hot-Cheezy and then The Beyond. I still haven’t tried the fish sandwich, pulled pork sandwich or the chicken sandwich, but they’re next on the list.
st stephen’s basilica
Budapest has many churches, but the largest is St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Basilica. I grew up Catholic and I love architecture, so visiting cathedrals and basilicas is always a must do when I travel to new places. This Basilica is the backdrop to a large courtyard filled with shops and cafes, which makes for a fun mix of old and new. While the outside is gorgeous, the inside of the church is just as breathtaking. We went inside to do a small tour of the Basilica and then we stopped on the way out to light a candle for our cousin. I’ve now lit candles for Molly in Montreal, Paris, Vienna and Budapest. I love that.
House of Terror
House of Terror is one of Budapest’s most popular museums and it is conveniently located on Andrássy boulevard. This museum walks through the history and impact of fascist and communist occupation in Hungary. The museum also serves as a memorial to the victims of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed. I think it’s important to recognize the history of each place you visit, so I would recommend everyone to go to this museum while you are in Budapest.
“The most vital lesson to be learned from the Holocaust era is that Auschwitz was possible because the enemy succeeded in dividing, in separating, in splitting human society, nation against nation, Christian against Jew, young against old. And not enough people cared.” – Elie Wiesel
Városliget
Városliget, the city park, is a giant public park in the center of the city. In the picture below I am standing in Hősök tere, which in English is Heroes Square. Heroes Square is the closest entry to the part when coming from city centre and it features statues celebrating the Seven chieftains of the Magyars, other important Hungarian national leaders and the Memorial Stone of Heroes. Once you pass Heroes Square you enter the big rectangle that is City Park. In the center of the park is The Széchenyi Thermal Bath House, which we did a bee line to as soon as we entered the park. The park also contains the Municipal Zoological and Botanical Garden, Vajdahunyad Castle, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
There are 118 natural thermal springs located around Budapest, circulating over 70 million liters of water a day and fueling Budapest’s spa scene. When I was in Budapest I went to the Szechenyl thermal bath, located in the heart of City Park. This bath house is one of the largest in Budapest and it offers a few swanky VIP packages. My cousin and I chose the package with a private room, robes, slippers and massages. The extra cost was 100% worth it. At the end of the day we left the spa feeling relaxed and ready for a night out.
Next time I’m in Budapest I’m going to try out some of the other popular thermal spas, like: Gellért Baths, Király Baths, Lukács Baths, Veli Bej, and Rudas Baths.
Hungarian State Opera House
After our amazing experience at the Vienna Opera, we decided it was a good idea to check out the Hungarian State Opera house as well. The original Hungarian Royal Opera House was built in 1835 and when we were in Budapest the building was under renovation. Due to the construction, the plays were redirected to a nearby theatre and we didn’t get to see the 19th century interior of the opera house. On the bright side, we did get to see an amazing play! We got box seats at the new theatre and saw Billy Elliot, which I had never before. Similar to my experience at Macbeth, I was locked into the plot line of the already beloved play. I had no idea it was about coal miners or dancing, but now I can say I am slightly more cultured.
Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian National Museum is another popular tourist stop in Budapest and it is centrally located in the Palace district. The museum has been collecting artifacts since 1802 and is a great one stop shop for a Hungarian history lesson. I randomly went to the museum on the opening day of their new exhibit, A Seuso-Kincs, which is an exhibit featuring the Seuso Treasure. After sitting through the opening speeches and doing the inaugural walk through of the new exhibit, I now know that the Seuso treasure is the most significant silver found during the later Roman Empire period. I loved getting to be there for an exhibit opening, especially because they gave out free champagne.
Danube Boat PArty
A classic nightlife stop for every tourist in Budapest, the Danube boat party. I hadn’t actually heard of this boat ride until I got to the hostel, but according to the check in host… it was a “must do.” And, in all honestly, it held up to the hype. Everyone going on the boat met at our hostel before hand and then walked to the ship together. The parade of tipsy tourist walking through the town must have been a hilarious sight for every local to see. Once we were on the boat there was an open bar, a rooftop dance floor and my favorite part… face paint. The cruise is roughly three hours long and loops you up and down the Danube. The best part of the entire 3 hours is when we float past the Parliament Building at night. If dancing isn’t your thing, I would still recommend the boat ride if not just for the views.
And just Walking around town
Like I said in the beginning of this post, my favorite part about traveling is wandering around new places. I walked all over Budapest and loved every second of it. I walked around the City Centre, down the Danube Promenade, along Andrassy Boulevard and everywhere in-between. I saw so much of the city and still not enough. I can’t wait to go back and roam around Budapest again. Until then, viszlat!
