Play, Stay, and Eat in Budapest, Hungary
Table of Contents
Story and photos by Diane Dobry unless otherwise noted
Beautiful Budapest
The first time I visited Budapest was the week of New Year’s Eve 2003. The city was glistening from white lights hanging on every building and across the main thoroughfare, Andrássy Avenue. As my hosts drove me through the city, we stopped in City Park to watch skaters on the man-made lake that sits by two beautiful buildings, all lit up as bright as if the sun were shining on them. The revelry of New Year’s Eve included fireworks, live music, a horse race, people wandering the streets of the city dressed in wigs and hats, carrying long paper horns that they blew or used to hit each other in a friendly way.
When we heard the Hungarian national anthem playing on the radio in a car parked in front of the Opera House, we knew it was midnight and 2004 had arrived. My friend and I broke open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. That night not only ushered in a new year, it ushered in a long love affair between me and the home of my ancestors, drawing me back to visit almost annually since then. I even lived and worked in Hungary for a year after enjoying a month of cultural lessons and immersion under a grant from the Balassi Institute.
Budapest is the Best Kept Secret in Europe
Below I describe places I have enjoyed visiting, and activities I have enjoyed doing. Those few that I have not done myself are simply those things that are on my list of where to go next – places that I think readers should know about. Hungary is the best kept secret of Europe—with its beautiful architecture, unique language, hearty cuisine, and diverse capital city.
The history includes famous wine regions, horsemanship, archery, rebellions against stronger, larger countries that dominated them for years, and the love of a beautiful Queen who made Hungary her adopted home. I hope this introduction to my favorite places and things to do in Budapest will entice you to see for yourself what is so special about this small, but fascinating place only a couple of hours away from Vienna.
Play in Budapest
Water and Ice
There are a lot of ways to play in Budapest in both winter and summer, and even in fall, when festivals begin in earnest.
For being a landlocked country since the end of World War I, Hungarians spend a lot of time in water. Thermal waters reaching up to 76°Celsius (or almost 170°Fahrenheit) run underground throughout the country. In Budapest, there are some wonderful options for enjoying a soak in pools of various temperatures, both indoors and outdoors, year ‘round — as well as saunas, steam rooms and massages.
Public Baths in Budapest
The public baths – Széchenyi Thermal Baths – are in the City Park on the Pest side in a beautiful, recently refurbished yellow Neo-Baroque style building. On the Buda side, just over the Freedom (Szabadsag) Bridge, is the Gellert Hotel, adjacent to the Gellert Thermal Bath, which has an Art Nouveau flair. Not far from the Gellert Baths is Rudas Baths, which are mostly indoors and on an outdoor terrace where a jacuzzi hot tub overlooks the Danube near the Elizabeth Bridge. Often, the pools have fun features like jet sprays, massaging water showers, chess boards, waves, or whirlpools.
Ice Skating in Budapest
Ice skating in the City Park is a popular activity in winter for those who enjoy being outdoors in a beautiful setting. The park is located between the Vajdahunyád Castle and the white neo-baroque skaters’ shelter built in 1870, which resembles a palace. In summer this is a man-made lake with pedal boats or row boats available for rent, and an outdoor café offers refreshments and a chance to watch the fun on the water.
Outdoor Sightseeing and Shopping in Budapest
Budapest a very walkable city, and the architecture is stunning to look at along the way. The Parliament is one of the most beautiful government buildings in the world with its recognizable red dome and spires that rise 96 meters high on the Pest side of the Danube. Directly across the river is the Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya), where, among the arches, there is a great place to take a photo with the Parliament in the background.
Gozsdu Weekend Market and the Zugliget Chairlift
Heading south along the Danube past the Chain Bridge is the tourist-friendly shopping area of Vaci Ut in Vörösmarty Tér, with hotels and high-end souvenir shops, restaurants, and small booths. In summer, a bit to the east, toward Deák Tér, the Budapest Eye Ferris Wheel stands close to Király Street. There you can find the Gozsdu weekend market selling art, jewelry, and crafts. More small souvenirs unique to the region can be found in the large Great Market Hall (Vasarcsarna) in Kalvin Tér close to the Szabadsag (Freedom) Bridge.
A fun summer ride offering views of the Buda hills and the city below, as well as a pleasant ride up János Hill to a Lookout Tower, is called the Zugliget Chairlift (Libegő). At the top of the hill is a park for children and wooded hiking trails. If you’re not afraid of heights or being in a ski lift over the treetops, it can be very relaxing riding up and down the hillside.
Indoor Places to See in Budapest
Stop into the museums and historical buildings when it is hot, cold, or bad weather. The grandiosity alone of the interiors is stunning. Parliament has the Crown of Saint Stephen from the year 1000, with its long history that includes having been kept for decades in Kentucky’s Fort Knox to keep it safe. National Museum in Kalvin Tér tells the country’s history, and the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art (Műcsarnok) in Heroes Square have changing artistic exhibits.
Most of Europe experienced tragedy and loss during World War II and in Hungary it continued in the Soviet era. Several memorials in the city illustrate the sadder and more devastating experiences of the country. One is The House of Terror — a museum that illustrates the story of the revolution of 1956 against the Soviets that honors the martyrs who were tortured in that very building for their participation in the revolt.
St. Stephen’s Basilica can be a tranquil place to sit and enjoy the domed ceiling to enjoy its painted frescoes of heavenly host. If you are lucky, you may get to experience the occasional organ concerts presented by local students for their music classes. Tours (normally) include a look at St. Stephen’s actual hand in a gold trimmed glass box or some (by registration only) offer a view of the city from the Panoramic Lookout, 65 meters above the plaza.
Tour the Opera House on Andrassy Street, Budapest’s “Fifth Avenue,” that runs from Deák Tér close to the Danube all the way to Heroes Square and City Park. Throughout the Pandemic, and even before then, operas and musical performances were shown online for the world to enjoy.
Stay in Budapest
Budapest has many of the major hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. They also have other smaller, trendy European brands such as the K & K Opera hotel, which is practically next door to the Opera House on Andrassy Street.
Traditional Hungarian Hotels
While the Gellert Hotel is old and well known and attached to the Gellert Thermal Bath, they are not the same company. Some guests claim the hotel is a bit plain and aged inside, but many are impressed with its intriguing history.
Another popular old establishment is the Corinthia Hotel, reminiscent of the fictional Grand Budapest Hotel in the Wes Anderson film of the same name. The Corinthia Hotel is a beautifully decorated property, and Sunday brunches here are popular.
Hostels
The Antique Guest House and Hostel on the Buda side of the Danube is close to the Bathany Tér Metro stop. Stroll up a hill on Markovics Street a couple of blocks to Iskola (School) Street, where the the dark red building flanked by umbrellas and pink table cloths of the outdoor terrace area for Edeni Vegan restaurant signal that you have arrived.
Wombat’s on Kiraly Street, close to Deák Tér, the main hub of the Metro, and where the express bus to the airport picks up and drops off, comes highly recommended as clean and modern.
NETIZEN Budapest Centre hostel gets high marks among those listed in Budapest, as does Maverick City Lodge and Maverick Urban Lodge. Remember, though, hostels are inexpensive because they are simple and often populated by young people looking to have fun while traveling, so things could get noisy at times.
Eat in Budapest
There are so many wonderful places to eat in Budapest. Walk down the street and you will find numerous cafés, restaurants, cukrászda (confectionaries) and csárda (traditional Hungarian eateries). Even mall food courts offer good options. My favorite, a bit expensive but unique and conveniently located, is Spoon the Boat. This fabulous eatery is docked on the Pest side of the Danube with a perfect view of the Castle. I love the outdoor deck where guests can take night selfies with the glowing lights of the castle on the hill behind them.
Cafe Culture and the Great Market Hall
Gundel is an older, famous restaurant across from the public baths and next to the zoo. Popular coffeehouses like the New York Café, Gerbaud, and the Central Café and Restaurant are also worth seeing for the opulence and the traditional atmosphere reminding visitors of café culture of late 19th century Budapest.
The best parts of the city for good food at reasonable prices tend to be on the Pest side. Areas around Kiraly Street and Kalvin Tér have a good choice of vegan restaurants, cafés, and the large Great Market Hall (Vasarcsarna). The Great Market Hall is not only filled with foods to try and buy – they also offer a variety of food tours and other offerings. Additionally, there are several good, reasonably priced traditional food vendors. Between the Great Market Hall and the National Museum further north is Raday Street, which has indoor and outdoor seating for restaurants, most with traditional menus.
Ruins Pubs, Wine Tasting, and More
Deák Tér has many casual eateries and bars, but one of my favorite places for visually lovely open-face sandwiches, pizza slices, and lemonade (as well as a clean bathroom close to the M2 metro) is Duran Szendvics shop. Malls like MOM Park on the Buda side, ARENA across from Keleti train station, West End mall next to the Nyugati train station, and ARKÁD, at the far eastern edge of the city center have interesting eateries. These include Bagatelle in MOM Park; crepes, sandwiches and Asian fare in ARENA; restaurants featuring BBQ to Italian, Turkish and Thai at West End; and a completely refurbished eclectic food court at ARKÁD.
Ruins pubs like those in Szimpla Kert, created in spaces in former abandoned buildings, are Bohemiian in style and offer casual food and drink.
For wine tasting, you can’t beat Taste Hungary’s Tasting Table. This great place also has wine pairing dinners from time-to-time and sells wines from all over the country. They run food and wine tours around the city as well as throughout the country.
Walking up Andrassy Avenue reveals several cafés and restaurants nestled between the high-end shops, banks, and businesses. But close to Oktagon Metro stop is a plaza (Liszt Ferenc Tér) filled with indoor and outdoor eating featuring all kinds of bars and restaurants. One that stands out over the years is Menza. In good weather, outdoor seating is filled and indoors there are upstairs and downstairs tables. But every year new places come along.
Beautiful Budapest is Calling You
There is so much to see and do in Budapest. For more information check out Getting Hungary on Facebook and WeLoveBudapest.com.
Diane Dobry is a freelance writer who teaches PR and New Media Journalism at Full Sail University. With 20 years of experience in professional writing, researching, proofreading and editing, as well as PR and media relations, I currently specialize in creating content, editing, proofreading, blogging, and general communication consultation services. My personal and professional interests include travel, wine importing, food and higher education. As a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, my key focus currently is in those areas in my professional writing.