As I am sure you have heard, Budapest is one of those great
cities which has everything on offer – great nightlife, authentic cafes,
history & culture as well as great spots to chill and hang out during the
day.. what more could one ask for on a holiday?! PLUS, being in the south east
of Europe its hot during the summer – BONUS. I visited Budapest for 48 hrs
during the summer of 2013 and these would be my top tips on where to go, what
to see, where to stay, and most importantly, where to drink.
Take a trip to Buda, however I wouldn’t recommend staying
there. On our first day we ventured across the river, over the famous bridge
(which is weirdly modeled on Hammersmith bridge?!) and up on the cable cars to
the top of Buda. There you will find all the old cultural sites of the city
(the hill is conveniently named Castle Hill…) including Matthias Church,
Fishermans Bastion, The National Gallery and the Royal Palace. This definitely fills
a morning.. take your time to mill around as there is plenty to see and plenty to learn
about the history of Budapest. Its walk-able, but if you’d rather ride in style
there is the number 16 bus which goes back and forth, dropping people off at different
destinations. Also, still on the BUDA side of town you can venture up to Citadella,
located beside Castle Hill. A Hungarian fortress essentially, but worth a visit
if you have time.
Visit the baths! We went to two whilst we were staying, one
in Buda and one in Pest. The Gellert baths are a good 30minute walk from Castle
Hill, still in Buda. This was my first ever experience of the Roman ‘baths’ and
it definitely was not what I was expecting.. in my mind I thought it would
resemble some large scale spa, with beautiful baths, comfy sun beds and clean
floors. Sadly the Gellert baths resembled something like a public swimming pool
– the kind of place you would get a verruca if you weren’t wearing flip flops.
And to add insult to injury, they were expensive too! And all you got to
experience was 3 swimming pools, a hot tub and a wooden bed, which gave you splitters. On the plus, the drinks were cheap which somewhat numbed the pain!
Day two, low and behold we were back at another set of baths, this time in Pest
named Széchenyi, with a hangover to add to the experience. Larger and busier
than the other set of baths, I was hopeful that this might be a more
pleasurable experience, however changing rooms cost extra, the massage room was
nowhere to be found and NO sunbeds! Disaster! Even though it was a great experience
and im sure with a clear head, it could have been more fun – however at the
time, due to the cost and the other factors, I must admit it wasn’t the best part
of my trip!
There are plenty of beautiful parks in Budapest where, when
sunny, it’s the perfect place to kick back and relax which a drink or two. By
Szechenyi baths, there is a beautiful park with a large lake and fountains - ducks potter about on the banks and always
appreciate bread (or anything for that matter!). Near to this park is Hosoktere
Square AKA hero’s square containing the Millennium Monument. This is a monument dedicated not only to the founders of Hungry but also to other historical
Hungarian figures. There are also various Art Museums dotted around the square.
Where to stay – I couldn’t recommend the Connection
Guesthouse more if I tried! It was by
far the best place we stayed during a trip around Europe. Cheap, cheerful and
right in the center of the action! The rooms were large with TV’s, a mini bar,
a clean and spacious bathroom and proper bed linen (including soft pillows –
essential). The staff were friendly and knowledgeable about directions, good
restaurants in the area etc.
The nightlife is mainly in PEST – here are a few of my
favorites:
- · Szimpla
- · Godor Klub
- · Kisrablo
- · A38
Budapest is a great night out and you’re always guaranteed to
meet a mix of interesting people from all over the world.. Not as swanky as
places like Ibiza, Budapest has more of a raw, grungy feel to it and most of
the clubs/bars are in old ruins around the town. GUARANTEED FUN 100%! And be sure to try a 'swimming pool' if you head to Szimpla!
Top Tips:
- · Make sure you always buy a ticket before you get on the metro. Police or ‘watchdogs’ patrol the underground ready to catch those who are ticket-less. They are dressed in normal clothes too making them different to spot and are also extremely power happy and relish in catching you out!
- · If you have time, head to the Budapest House of Parliament, however if not, they are visible from castle hill.
- · Try to eat in the non-tourist parts of town – they really jack up the prices where they can.
Bon Voyage x
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