Budapest Travel Tips – A City of Contrasts
Many North Americans don’t immediately think of this as a tourist destination, but here are some Budapest travel tips. We travelled there in 2022 to begin a river cruise on the Danube. The city proved to have so much more to offer than I had expected and I wished we had more time to spend there.
About Budapest
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, is a vibrant place where old meets new. It is a city of grandiose buildings. wide riverside walkways, and many thermal springs. Buda and Pest were originally two separate cities on each side of the Danube River. It had a somewhat bleak history at times, although communist control of Hungary ended in 1949.
Where to Stay
Our stay in Budapest was at the Barcelo Budapest, in the middle of the downtown area known as District V (the 5th District). In some ways this is a great area for first time travellers to the city as it is close to all of the major attractions. However being downtown it isn’t the most economical. We did find though that the Barcelo fit within our budget and was a very nice, clean hotel. The included breakfast room was the best hotel breakfast I have had before or since, tremendous variety and every dish well prepared. We had dinner at the small rooftop bar which was also very good.
This part of town is not considered to be the hub of nightlife but we found it seemed quite lively. This was true both when we went out walking after dinner, and when we went for an early morning walk. But all traces of the all night parties were cleared up as the sidewalks were washed by machines each morning.
What to Do
Like many European cities, the architecture is amazing. We spent part of a day just walking around the downtown area looking at the amazing buildings. The St. Stephen’s Basilica pictured above, was one of those. We also loved the Hungarian State Opera House, including its ceiling outside the side door, pictured below.
After a transatlantic flight it is always good to get out for some sunshine and exercise. We chose to hike up Gellert Hill. There are many different paths on the way up to the Citadel at the top, which unfortunately was in the middle of a reconstruction project when we were there. St. Gellert was a bishop who was allegedly thrown down this hill in a barrel during a pagan revolt. The hill is much more peaceful these days, and the view of the city is impressive.
Next Time in Budapest
Our time in Budapest was short so there were many things we didn’t have a chance to see. Next time I would like to visit one of the thermal baths. Szechenyi Baths is the largest and probably most well-known, or maybe a private beer bath at Lukacs Baths is more your style. Another site to visit would be the ruin bars. These are nightclubs that operate in what was once abandoned and derelict buildings. They are mostly in the Jewish Quarter of the city. And while I am far past my clubbing days, I would like to at least have a quick visit to one of the most famous ones, Szimpla Kert. And finally for a more sombre visit, the Shoes on the Danube Memorial is an important reminder of a history that should never be repeated. It is a sculpture of the shoes that Jewish people were ordered to take off beside the river before they were executed in 1944-45.