My favorite city in Europe and you can try to debate on it with me but trust me you WON'T win. Truly a hidden gem.
We arrived Thursday night in Budapest riding Wizz Air. I have heard many complaints about taking budget airline flights but this airplane wasn't bad at all. Because our flight landed in very late, most of the restaurants near our Air B&B were closed. We opted out for a nearby kebab restaurant Mir Kebab (Budapest, Király u. 1, 1071 Hungary). It was a great late night food and super cheap, about 2.50 USD. After, we stopped by CoolTour Bar for a delicious Long Island Iced Tea.
Rise and Shine! For the first day we decided to conquer the Buda side of the city. By crossing the beautiful chain bridge, we arrived on the Buda side directly in front of the Budapest Castle Hill Funicular. There are many ways you can get up to where all the landmarks are, by foot, by this funicular or by bus. When we were waiting in line, there were many salespeople offering the bus ticket to us, but we decided to stick with the funicular. Our first stop was the Matthias Church (second picture) and Fisherman's Bastian (third picture). These two landmarks are MUST sees. The design and architecture is so beautifully constructed. While standing on Fisherman's Bastian, you can see the Pest side. Although the weather was gloomy and cloudy, the landscape was still breathtaking. The aesthetic was mysterious and captivating. In my exact words, "the cloudiness makes me feel some typa way." After all the pictures taken here, we were hungry and the restaurant I found was still on the Buda side but we had to take the funicular down. Before leaving, we stopped by the Buda castle (first picture). It doesn't look exactly like a castle but it is still beautiful.
Lunch Day One:
For lunch we went to a restaurant named Ildiko's Kitchen. Delicious authentic Hungarian food with great pricing. I ordered the pork stew with noodles and a cup of goulash soup.
Thermal Baths
The weather there the whole time cooperated with us and didn't rain. Nevertheless it was very chilly. We decided to go to the Gellert Baths. Known worldwide, The Gellert Thermal Baths first opened in 1913. It has been opened through all major historic events such as World War II. There are various options for baths and spa. We opted for the basic package of just the baths. There are many baths to choose one, we went to most of them. We began with the indoor pool then headed out to the outdoor pool. The atmosphere of being in the baths is very calming. It was dark out and also very chilly. Being in the outdoor pool and seeing heat rise up from the pool was very cool. Next to the outdoor pool was a sauna and an cold bath next to it. The sauna was extremely hot. If you want to get the full experience, sit on the second row. The heat was crazy.
Hiking
After the baths, I wanted to see Citadella. For anyone who's skeptical about going, I have to say this is one of the best
things to do in Budapest. The views are beautiful and just the environment is incredible. Located on top of the Gellert hills, Citadella is about a 13 minute walk from the Gellert Baths. It is all uphill though so be prepared. My friend and I had no idea
that it was uphill so we really lost our breaths getting up but the views made us forget it all. This area was previously a fortress built by Hungarian forced laborers. Since we got here at night, we got to see the beautiful flashing lights. There are a couple mini cafes at the top so don't worry if you need some water or food. This fortress is literally at the top of a mountain so you can't see it well standing near the bridges at the bottom. It seems that there are many different trails you can take to get back down. We walked down towards the Elizabeth Bridge and on the way passed the Gerard of Csanád Monument. This location is also super cool because you're standing next to this huge monument and the lookout is incredible.
Dinner/Nightlife Day One:
That night we had the famous langos for dinner. I kid you not, this is my favorite food. I have never tasted anything like this. This fried dough is covered in sour cream and cheese. For extra and preference, you can add meats, onions, etc. We proceeded to visit a ruin bar. These bars are famous in Budapest. The one we went to was Szimpla Kert, the original ruin bar that inspired the openings of the rest. These ruin bars are located near the Jewish Quarter. After WW2, buildings, lots and stores were abandoned which sparked the idea to build underground bars. The setup in here was very hipster and funky. The lighting, various rooms with bars and two-story setting attracts people from all over the world.
Day 2
Today was all about the Pest side. One the first day I said Buda was my favorite but after exploring both, I truly love it all equally. We started our adventure at noon and headed in the direction of the Parliment. We walked through the Jewish Quarter and saw the Great Synagogue also known as Dohány Street Synagogue. The name really matches the building as it is designed with intricate details and looks great (more than great in my opinion). Because it was noon, we were hungry and tried looking for a restaurant on the way to the Parliment. We stumbled upon a bistro named Két Szerecsen. The people there were kind and the food was yummy. I tried the chicken paprikash, pumpkin soup and mojito. Everything was reasonably priced.
Lunch:
After we fueled up, we walked to Liberty Square and then Kossuth Lajos Square where the Parliment is located. At Liberty Square, we noticed a statue of Ronald Regan. According to this site, this statue was created to honor the former U.S. president who tried to end the Cold War which meant would end the Russian influence in Hungary. He is facing the U.S. embassy. This square is very peaceful. The Parliment is such an impressive structure. Next to it is the Kossuth monument(middle picture), a national symbol.
If I haven't mentioned before, I love bridges. There's something about the construction and walking across one that makes me feel so magical. I convinced my friend who was with me to walk the Margaret Bridge and go to Margaret Island. We didn't walk far into Margaret Island but from the looks of it, the build was similar to Roosevelt Island. A small place/park where people would go for afternoon strolls and runs. On the way back to the air bnb, we walked on the river front and passed the Olympic Rings. This was built in 2015 when the Hungarian government tried to bid to have the Olympics in Budapest.
The most memorable thing I saw in Budapest was during our promenade walk. I found this on Google Maps, this location is called Shoes on the Danube Bank. Created by film director Can
Togay and the sculptor, Gyula Pauer in 2005. There are 60
pairs of shoes shaped and formed to the ones worn in 1940's. The shoes are shaped in all shapes, sizes and styles to demonstrate the haunting truth of the Jewish people that were killed at this water front. More than 8,000 people were killed under Ferenc Szalasi's rule because he had similar views as Hitler. It is such a sobering tribute and truly a beautiful one as well. I had never learned about this before so seeing this and reading about it was very meaningful to me.
Christmas Markets
The winter holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year because it is filled with so much light. We were lucky to see the beginning of the Budapest Christmas Markets. It is located at the center of Budapest at Vörösmarty Tér Square. This area is so beautifully decorated with many stands of local vendors selling christmas ornaments, traditional Hungarian foods and more. My favorite thing was called mulled wine. It was warm wine with many different spices in it. The flavor is so good and the smell just brings you into the holiday spirit. Many people will be eating chimney cake as well. It is a a sweet bread that forms into a little chimney and is created right in front of you on a hot open stove. We got the chocolate chip. I thought that it was good but it wasn't anything super duper out of the ordinary.
Nighttime
One of our friends who visited Budapest beforehand recommended with go to the Sparty. Located at Budapest's most famous and oldest thermal baths, Szechenyi Baths. It is a bit on the higher end for price, but was definitely a fun experience. With fire dancers on the sides, changing colored lights and all the dancing, you are bound to have a good time. To get there, we took the metro. It was super easy to use and the tickets are fairly cheap.
Our flight was super early the next day so we departed and took the same bus (200E) to the airport. This bus is very convenient and easy to use. It was a very cost-effective option. More details on the bus here.
Truly one of my favorite cities in Europe. Can't wait to come back!