Budapest: tips on what to see, spas and sights

Budapest feels a lot like Prague. There is a river (the Danube) running through the city, over which there are several beautiful bridges and an island in the middle. There is beautiful historical architecture and beautiful views of the city from the hills and towers. It’s the kind of city where I just walk between cafes and good food and hit the main sights anyway. I love Budapest too! I come here almost every other year for a few days, and once I spent all of June here.

Where to stay in Budapest

Budapest is compact, it is easy to walk everywhere or shorten your journey by tram. The centre of Budapest is ideal for accommodation and doesn’t have to be that expensive. A quieter environment is around the Gellért Baths, where you can also enjoy beautiful views of the city.

On the other hand, the Erzsébetváros district is more lively. Here there are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants and the vibrant atmosphere of Budapest after dark.

Tickets in Budapest

Budapest is a very popular tourist destination, so I definitely recommend buying your tickets in advance online. This will allow you not to wait in line and lose the dozens of minutes you might miss while exploring Budapest.

In Budapest, you’ll probably be looking for these tickets and experiences:

• Boat cruise on the Danube – it’s pretty during the day and in the evening through lit up Budapest.
• Parliament building – ticket to the Hungarian Parliament building, including the Chamber of Deputies.
• Basilica of St. Stephen – entrance to the basilica and the observation deck.
• Guided walkingtour of the Buda Castle Quarter.
• Sightseeing tour – Budapest by bicycle.

Entrances to the spa in Budapest:

• Szécheny Spa – Budapest’s most popular spa with a beautiful outdoor pool,
• Spa Gellért – the spa with the most beautiful indoor pool.
• Lukács spa – small, cheaper spa.

3 parts of Budapest: Buda, Old Buda and Pest

Budapest has 3 historic districts – Buda, Old Buda and Pest.

Buda is situated on the western (right) bank of the Danube, on a green hill and there are major historical monuments such as Buda Castle, Matthias Cathedral, Fisherman’s Bastion or Gellért’s Mountain. If you don’t feel like walking up the hill, bus 16 or the cable car from Clark Ádám tér will take you there.

Old Buda is the most historic part of the city, quite peaceful, with Roman ruins and the Kiscelli Museum in a former monastery.

Pest is the central part of Budapest on the eastern (right) bank of the Danube. There are restaurants, shops, nightlife. Among the sights there is the Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Andrássy Avenue (the Unesco listed boulevard from the Cventrum to Heroes’ Square), the Market Square or the Jewish Quarter.

What to see in Budapest

Budapest is a walkable city with lots of nice views and vistas, especially in the downtown area around the Danube.

Szent István Basilica – St. Stephen’s Basilica

The Roman Catholic basilica is located in the very centre of Budapest and is named after the first Hungarian king, St. Stephen (Szent István), who is also the patron saint of Hungary. It is not a medieval monument, having been completed only in 1905. It can accommodate 8,000 people.

The Basilica has an impressive 96-metre-high dome, making it one of the tallest buildings in Budapest. There is an observation deck on the dome from where you can get a view of Budapest, which is accessible by 364 steps, as well as an elevator. Entrance to the basilica is free, but there is an entrance fee to the viewing platform.

In a special chapel there is a relic – the right hand of St. Stephen. Inside there are statues, stained glass and mosaics depicting biblical figures. If you are in Budapest on August 20, St Stephen’s Day, there is a big celebration at the basilica and a procession with the relic of the hand through the streets of the city.

Országház – Parliament

It stands right on the banks of the Danube and the best view is across the river. Either from the top of the hill from the Fisherman’s Bastion or directly from the embankment. The place has its own charm and it’s nice for sunset. I’ll sit on a bollard and quietly look out over the river for an hour listening to music or a podcast. But it’s also a great picnic spot.

The Parliament is huge, one of the largest parliamentary buildings in the world. The building was designed by architect Imre Steindl in a neo-Gothic style inspired by the British Westminster, but with distinctive Hungarian elements (statues of Hungarian leaders, floral and geometric patterns). The building is 268 metres long and 123 metres wide. The central dome reaches a height of 96 metres. The façade is decorated with Hungarian rulers and leaders, of which there are over 90.

The Parliament is open to the public during organised tours. You can see the crown jewels (including the St Wenceslas Crown), the impressive Great Hall with its dome and stained glass windows, where ceremonies and state events are held, the Parliament Chamber (out of session) or the Hungarian history exhibition.

Symbolic number 96 – The height of the dome of the Parliament is 96 metres, which refers to the year 896, when the Hungarians settled in the Carpathian Basin. This number also appears in other parts of the building, for example in the number of steps leading up to the main hall.

Halászbástya – fishing bastion

On the other side of the river, with a magnificent view of Pest and the Parliament, which is practically directly opposite, stands the Fisherman’s Bastion. In the Middle Ages there was a fish market here. It is quite an atypical large building with lots of turrets and arches.

Buda Castle

The former Hungarian royal residence is on a hill on the right bank of the Danube in the historic Buda district. The royal palace now houses the Hungarian National Gallery with an extensive collection of Hungarian art from the Middle Ages to the present day. There is also the Budapest Historical Museum dedicated to the history of the city from prehistoric times to the present day.

Szechenyi’s library contains valuable historical manuscripts, books and maps. The Matthias Fountain in the courtyard of Buda Castle depicts King Matthias Corvinus on the hunt.

Matthias Temple

On the castle hill in the Buda district there is also Matthias Church, originally a Gothic church from the 13th century. It was even converted into a mosque in the 16th century after the Turkish invasion, but was rebuilt again after the liberation. It houses the crown jewels and hosts organ concerts (the church has perfect acoustics).

The church has a tower with a paid entrance from where there is a beautiful view of the city.

Gellért’s Mountain and Citadel

The Citadella rises on the other side of the river. For me, it’s a skippable sight, but the drive up there to Gellért’s Hill is well worth it, beautiful views of the river, the bridges and all of Pest. They call it a mountain, but it’s a little hill, only 235 metres high.

There are several trails leading to the top of Gellért Mountain through pretty parks. Along the way you will meet the Statue of Liberty and the cave chapel. The Gellért Thermal Baths are also at the foot of the mountain.

Central Market

I really like the market in Budapest. If I ever live here for even a month and cook for myself (and I think that inevitably has to happen one day), I’d like to live nearby. The market is huge, with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and the famous Hungarian sausages and chabayki. There’s a great selection of dried fruit and nuts. Upstairs there are buffets with ready-made food, produce and rags.

And tons of peppers, of course. The first time I was in Budapest, I was 8 years old and we came to visit a classmate from school who had moved here with his parents. That time we took back a recipe for Hungarian goulash and also a tube of paprika, which we called “needed” at home when we added it to the goulash. They still have the same tube in an almost unchanged design. It’s been available in our shops for a long time, but I still prefer to buy it in Budapest.

And since everyone has to take peppers from Hungary, I’ll give you a tip: sweet “édes”, hot “csípős”.

Szimpla Kert

Budapest’s hipster scene, a bar in ruins. Through the passage with the described walls you enter the courtyard (originally it was a factory) in the open air, you can still go upstairs “to the pavilion”. Furniture and furnishings collected from various places, colourful chairs, colourful sails, loads of accessories some of which might seem tacky, but you look at the whole thing and it has the perfect atmosphere.

You can have a drink here or come to the Sunday market.

Margaret Island

In the middle of the Danube is the 2.5-kilometre-long Margitsziget, Margaret’s Island, named after Saint Margaret, daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary, who lived here in a Dominican monastery in the 13th century.

There are parks, gardens and meadows, ideal for picnics, walks or jogging. There’s also a musical fountain that regularly puts on light and music shows. There is also a small zoo, a rose garden and a Japanese garden on the island.

Margaret Island is also home to one of Budapest’s oldest swimming pools, Alfréd Hajós, named after the famous Hungarian swimmer, and the Palatinus Thermal Spa, with outdoor and indoor pools, saunas and other wellness services.

Vajdahunyad Castle and Városliget Park

At the heart of the Városliget Park is Vajdahunyad Castle, which was built at the end of the 19th century for Hungary’s millennium celebrations in 1896. The architect Ignác Alpár created this building as a tribute to the various architectural styles and historical monuments of Hungary. It combines elements of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles and is mainly inspired by the famous Hunyadi Castle in Transylvania.

Today it houses an agricultural museum with exhibitions on the history of agriculture, forestry, viticulture and fishing in Hungary.

There are many interesting things in the big park besides the castle. Firstly, the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden. The Széchenyi Thermal Baths, one of Europe’s largest, with hot springs and extensive spa facilities. In winter an ice rink and in summer a venue for Városligeti Műjégpálya events.

Caravan

Popular street food market in the Jewish quarter. There are plenty of stalls such as Lángos stand with langos, Zing Burger with burgers, Las Vegan’s with vegan food or Töltő with sausages. It is usually open from noon to midnight.

Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere)

The square commemorating the millennium of the arrival of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin was built in 1896 at the end of Andrássy Avenue.

There are several monuments that reflect Hungary’s history, such as the Millennium Monument, a monumental column topped by a statue of the Archangel Gabriel holding the crown of St. Stephen and the Apostolic Cross. In the colonnade are statues of kings, statesmen and leaders who played key roles in Hungarian history. Each statue is accompanied by reliefs depicting significant events associated with these personalities.

Shoes on the Danube bank

The 2005 Holocaust Memorial consists of 60 pairs of shoes (women’s, men’s and children’s) arranged on the banks of the Danube. They symbolise the shoes of those who were forced to take their shoes off before they were shot and their bodies fell into the river. You can find them not far from the Parliament building.

Bridges in Budapest

The parts of Buda and Pest are divided by the river and reconnected by bridges over it. As well as being an important element of local transport, some of them are historic and beautiful.

• The Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) is not exactly ancient, it was built in 1849 and yet it is the first bridge that connects the two parts of Budapest, Buda and Pest. It is a beautiful structure with stone towers and chain elements, and at night the bridge is illuminated.
• The Freedom Bridge (Szabadság híd), originally the Francis Bridge (Ferenc József híd), has an Art Nouveau design with ornamental towers and lamps. The bridge connects the Gellért Baths on the Buda side with the centre of Pest and is one of the most beautiful in Budapest.
• The Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd), named after Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), is a suspension bridge that connects Pest Square (Erzsébet tér) with Gellért Hill and is an important transport hub of Budapest.
• Margit Bridge (Margit híd) connects the Pest part of the city with Margaret Island and then with the Buda part, and is the second oldest bridge in Budapest. The bridge has a curved shape that allows access to the island.

New York Café

Opened in 1894, the café is often included in lists of the most beautiful cafés in the world. It has a magnificent interior with rich decoration, marble columns, golden details and frescoes on the ceiling. To be clear, it’s not where I’d send you for good food, I’m writing that in the “things to see” section, not “places to eat” on purpose, but I also don’t want to say you can’t get a cool breakfast here. It’ll just be a little more expensive. The menu includes breakfast, lots of desserts, and traditional Hungarian dishes.

Thermal baths in Budapest

Budapest is the spa capital of Europe, with more than 100 thermal springs that provide rich sources of mineral water with healing properties. Their history dates back to Roman times, when many baths were built, some of which are still in operation today. Even zoo animals bathe in the thermal baths here.

The thermal baths offer a wide range of services such as hot and cold pools, saunas, steam baths, massages, mud therapy and other wellness treatments. Some of the hot pools are outdoors, which I liked both in the summer when it was nice and in the winter when there was snow around.

Széchenyi Spa

It is located in the Városliget City Park and is one of Europe’s largest and most unknown thermal baths. They were opened in 1913.

They have 18 pools, 15 indoor and 3 outdoor. Outdoors there is a thermal pool (38 °C), an active adventure pool with whirlpools and jets (30-34 °C) and also a swimming pool (50 m, 26-28 °C), all surrounded by a pastel yellow spa building. The indoor pools have a temperature of 18-40 °C.

In addition to swimming pools, there are also saunas, steam baths and various types of massages.

Gellért’s Spa

Gellért is a name that resonates with luxury and history in Budapest. The spa at the foot of Gellért Mountain has been around since 1918, built in the Art Nouveau style. The Danubius Hotel Gellért is part of the spa complex and is directly connected to the spa.

There are 13 thermal pools, indoor and outdoor, with a temperature of 26-40 °C, steam chambers, saunas, a large outdoor pool with artificial waves. Compared to Széchenyi, they are smaller, quieter and more “historical”. The water is very mineral, you can smell the sulphur.

Rudas Spa

Rudas Spa has a completely different vibe than Gellért or Széchenyi. It’s an old Turkish bath from the 16th century, the main pool is under a stone dome with stained glass windows, which is awfully pretty. There’s a rooftop pool with panoramic views of the river and the city.

There are 6 thermal pools and one swimming pool. The pools range in temperature from 11 °C to 42 °C, the swimming pool is 29 °C. There is also a modern wellness area with saunas, whirlpools and steam baths. Weekend evenings tend to be “night bath” nights – it’s open late and has a great atmosphere.

Spa Lukács

Lukács Spa has a long history dating back to the 12th century, when monks used the healing springs to cure the sick. It is in a quieter part of town, so less touristy.

They have a tradition of “healing books” where visitors can leave their positive stories of healing.

There are 8 swimming pools from 20 °C to 40 °C, there are therapeutic, swimming and relaxation areas.

Király Spa

The spa dates back to the 16th-17th century, during the Turkish rule in Buda, so it has the authentic atmosphere of a Turkish hammam – domes, granite columns, original architecture. It’s a smaller spa, but unlike the others, it’s not really for a “day stay”.

There are 4 pools ranging from 26 °C to 40 °C.

What to taste in Budapest

Hungarian cuisine is known for its richness, flavour and especially paprika. You definitely shouldn’t miss out on goulash, which in Hungary is a thick soup with meat, vegetables, potatoes and nightshade, and pörkölt, which is more similar to Czech goulash. Of course there is lángos with various flavourings, but in its most traditional form with sour cream and grated cheese.

Paprikás csirke is quite similar to our chicken on paprika and finally a dish, which we probably don’t have a Czech equivalent of, is hortobágyi palacsinta, a pancake stuffed with meat and topped with paprika sauce and sour cream. And finally stuffed cabbage or stuffed peppers.

Of the sweet dishes, I would highlight the dobos torta, a layered chocolate cake with caramel frosting. And cheesecake dumplings in toasted túrógombóc crumbs.

When to go to Budapest

Budapest (like most European capitals) is one of those places that are beautiful all year round and each time brings a different charm. During the summer and Advent, Budapest is most popular with tourists, so prices can be higher.

In summer you can combine it with a stay at Lake Balaton, in winter you might appreciate the thermal baths more. In spring and autumn it will have nice colours and be a little quieter, but only a little, because as I said, it’s a year-round destination.

Budapest: Itineraries

How many days are needed for Budapest? I always like to stay at least 3 days (and I’ve done all the main sites several times already), because I enjoy just enjoying the city itself. But as far as first visits go, it’s a city where you can get through everything important in a weekend. Why I’d rather opt for a long weekend and at least 3 nights is the thermal baths though, because if you want to stay there it will take at least half a day.

Itinerary for 1 day

If you only have one day in Budapest, you probably won’t be able to fit the thermals in, unless that’s your main priority. In that case, I’d ditch the pointless sightseeing, spend half a day at the spa, walk around the river overlooking parliament, cross the bridge into the centre and you’ll still have a great time.

If you skip the baths, you can catch a view from St. Stephen’s Basilica, a quick run through the market and across the Chain Bridge to the other side of the Danube to Buda Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion and from there a view of the Parliament. And in the evening to Szimpla Kert. During the day you should also not forget the famous lángos at Retro Lángos.

Itinerary for 2 days

Start your second day with breakfast (or coffee after breakfast) at the New York café and enjoy the local décor. Afterwards, take a stroll to Városliget City Park and Vajdahunyad Castle. You can also walk along the river and to Margaret Island. And in the evening, take a boat ride on the Danube.

Itinerary for 3 days

After the walk to Gellert’s Hill and the Citadel, dedicate the third day to the thermal baths.

Where to go on a trip from Budapest

If you don’t just want to visit Budapest, within an hour’s drive you’ll discover historic cities, castles with views of the Danube, wine regions, lavender fields, spa lakes and almost the sea.

Szentendre

Historical town where there is an open-air museum representing traditional Hungarian architecture and lifestyle. There are many restaurants with traditional Hungarian cuisine, cafes and galleries, the town is a bit artistic. And besides the train, you can also get here by boat from Budapest!

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton, which is known as the Hungarian Sea due to its size, is easily accessible by train, with railways running all around the lake. You can head to Balatonlelle to chill by the water or to the lavender fields, shops and beautiful views of Lake Balaton in Tihany. Or to Keszthely, the most remote Balaton resort, and the nearby natural spa lake at Heviz.

Visegrad

A historic town about 40 kilometres from Budapest. There’s a royal palace and a few hiking trails in the surrounding hills and forests.

Etyek

A wine-growing area about 30 kilometres from Budapest famous for its white wines, mainly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Wineries here offer tastings and tours. Some wineries also have restaurants.

Where is Budapest

Budapest is located in central Europe, in the northern part of Hungary, on both banks of the Danube River. It is about 250 km southeast of Vienna and 160 km southeast of Bratislava. Budapest lies on the border of the Pannonian Plain and the Buda Hills, which form the western edge of the city. To the east of the Danube is the flat area of Pest, while to the west is the hilly Buda region.