BUDAPEST

Three days in Budapest.

Thermal baths, goulash and quirky cocktail bars.

Budapest is our favourite city on the Danube.

With all due respect to the beautiful Vienna or Belgrade, Budapest has a distinguished but unpretentious look and a vitality that we haven’t experienced in any other Danubian cities.

So much history has flowed along the banks of the blue river.

First it was the Romans, then the Hungarians arrived in the 9th century. The city was under the Ottoman rule for 150 years before the reconquest of Buda in 1686.

In the 18th century the Habsburg shaped the city, making it the second capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After a few years of freedom between the wars, the Soviets took Budapest and ruled it until the fall of the Iron Curtain. The "Goulash Communism'' is a memory of the past and, from 1989, Hungary is finally free to develop at his own pace.

Budapest is a versatile destination, good for every season, with great sights, top-notch food scene and a cool, booming nightlife (see ruins bar and clubs).

We went in February to experience the pork-based street food at the Mangalica Festival and enjoy the hot waters of the local thermal baths.

In just 3 well-planned days we got to see most of the main attractions using two self-made walk routes in Maps, but we wish we had more time to uncover more hidden gems.

RECAP & ITINERARY

When? Early February. How long? 3 days. Temperature? Dry cold, with days around 5-6°C and close to zero at night. Snow? There might be, this makes the city even more attractive (Hungarians know how to deal with it). Budget? 350-450€ per person all inclusive. Planning needed? Moderate. Accommodation? Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments. What to book in advance? Beer Spa at Széchenyi.

***

• Day 1 // Early morning flight to Budapest // Lunch at Mangalica Festival // Szechenyi Baths

• Day 2 // Self-made walk in Buda // Night out at ruins bar

• Day 3 // Self-made walk in Pest // Rudas Bath // Evening flight to London

CONTENT

SZECHENYI VS RUDAS: BUDAPEST BATHS

SZIMPLA KERT: THE BEST RUIN BAR

PEST: THE TOP SIGHTS

BUDA: THE TOP SIGHTS

SZPUTNYIK SHOP: VINTAGE FASHION

EAT LIKE A LOCAL: GOULASH & STRUDEL

OUR HIGHLIGHTS

SZECHENYI VS RUDAS: BUDAPEST BATHS

Budapest has been a famous thermal centre since Roman times, thanks to the many natural warm spring waters underneath the city. The Ottomans loved this and built plenty of new baths during their rule, some of them still functioning nowadays.

That's why the Hungarians’ bathing culture is well-established and so distant from the posh idea of a spa we might have. The everyday self-care of the Hungarian bathers is really inspiring, as they enjoy the hot water mainly for its therapeutic benefits.

There are many fürdő ("baths") you can choose from. We decided to try two famous thermal spots: the Széchenyi and the Rudas Baths.

These two city institutions couldn't be more different, despite having the exact same function: cure, restore and relax.

If you have a few days to spend in Budapest, especially in wintertime, it's worth visiting both. 

In both facilities, you will have your cabin to get changed but we think it's best to bring your own towel and flip-flops. We spent around three hours in each complex and we felt that was the right time to fully enjoy them.

The Széchenyi Baths (here) are the largest thermal baths in Europe, an impressive masterpiece built in 1913 in Neo-Baroque style, a maze of hot pools and long corridors. 

If you want to describe the Széchenyi in one word, that would be "opulence". 

Richly decorated outdoor pools, steam rooms and a romantic beer spa makes the Széchenyi a friends and couples favourite destination in Buda.

Regardless of the season, it’s always packed with tourists, but this doesn't affect the overall stunning experience too much.

In winter, it takes some courage to adventure in the outdoor pools, almost running in the gelid winter air to reach that steaming-hot paradise. In those pools you’ll mix with a variegated crowd: hugged couples, noisy kids and very patient local bathers, quietly playing checkers on the numerous floating boards.

The Széchenyi Baths offer many ticket options, starting from the full-day ticket (24€ pp) to more elaborate packages with massages, therapies and access to relax-rooms. 

We wanted something different and opted for the full-day entry combined with the beer bath in our own personal wood-made tub (53€ pp, book online): we booked our slot a few weeks in advance and decided to enjoy the Beer Spa first, and then explore the rest of the baths. 

The Beer Spa staff won't just pour hundreds of litres of golden Czech beer into your bathtub (unfortunately), but only the essential beer ingredients - like malts and barley - mixed in 36°C hot water.

We really loved the relaxed feeling at the end of the session, and our skin felt softer and moisturised. We can assure you won't smell like a pint of Peroni after that!

The entire beer bath lasts 45 minutes and, yay, you can delight yourself with the dangerously-free Czech beer tap next to the bathtub. You enjoy some kind of intimacy as a couple, but the staff will regularly check if you haven't drowned in happiness.

On the other side of the Danube, the Rudas Baths (here) are a proper Ottoman gem, smaller in size compared to the Gellert and Széchenyi.

The Rudas offer an authentic off-the-beaten-path experience, with a more local and intimate vibe.

The exterior of the building didn't particularly impress us, but as we stepped into the main room, the Ottoman heritage kicked in and the beauty of this bath was revealed in the details of the wonderful octagonal pool and the Turkish dome. 

The indoor architecture reminds that of a Turkish bath, especially the marvellous steamy octagonal pool, where time seems to have stopped a century ago (if it wasn't for the sporadic GoPro popping up). 

The real jewel here is the rooftop pool, with spectacular views over the Danube and the Pest district.

The rooftop pool came as a surprise for us. The intimacy of a small hot tub, the beauty of the panorama with the city lights reflected on the Danube - all of this easily distracted us from the fact the the tub was indeed very crowded. Unless you suffer from agoraphobia, this is an absolute pearl not to be missed.

Moving indoors again, the Rudas hottest pool is total magic, the healing water reaches 42°C! For a real bath-bravado try the contrast bath: first dive in the 42°C pool and immediately after that move to the 16°C one next to it. Even your soul will shrink...

The ticket for the Rudas costs between 15-25€ pp depending on the time of day and type of service you need. The entry is cheaper in the morning and there's normally less queue.

We went over the weekend when the baths are open to both men and women at the same time, as during the weekdays the entry is strictly separated (men only on Mon, Wed and Thu; women only on Tue). 

Fun fact! The Rudas were used as a filming location for the opening scene of the 1988 action movie “Red Heat”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi.

SZIMPLA KERT: THE BEST RUIN BAR

Art, culture and entertainment are often used to fill a void.

This is exactly what happened in Budapest, in the central District VII.

This district was originally the Jewish Quarter of the town and sadly served as the Jewish Ghetto during World War II.

The dusty, derelict buildings of the old Ghetto were still empty in the early 2000s, until a crew of underground young artists and bohemian blew life back into the veins of this part of town.

And like nothing, dozens of ruin bars (in Hungarian "rom kocsma", literally "pub into the ruins") started popping up in the area like mushrooms, boosting up Budapest appeal and propelling its lively nightlife, today considered one of the finest in Europe.

The common denominator of a ruin bar is not only the funky vibe and the cheap prices, but also the look: if you feel like you entered into a retro memorabilia shop with worn-out, colourful furniture and a collection of curious objects from another time... you're in the right place!

Paying a visit to this rejuvenated neighbourhood is now top-of-the-list for many tourists travelling to Budapest, so we decided to visit at least two ruin bars.

And we loved them!

Our first hit was the Szimpla Kert (here), the grandmother of all ruin bars - the first of its type to be open.

Somewhere in between a cocktail bar, a cultural centre and the backyard of a scrap merchant, Szimpla is really a cool place - we both felt at home in the cosy mess.

It’s worth visiting during the day, for the art exhibitions, cultural events and even a Farmer’s Market, and at night for the live concerts and music. 

We spent a couple of hours at the counter trying different types of palinka, mingling with the locals and other tourists, listening to Balkan music.

The best bit is the open-air garden with the derelict skeleton of a Trabant car, a symbol of the communist era (throwback memories of the movie “Goodbye Lenin!”).

We also spent a nice night out at the Ellato Kert but unfortunately it closed down in November 2019. This is the only downside of these ruin bars: you can’t get too fond of a single one of them because the turnover is quite fast, they pop-up out of nowhere but sadly close down when you least expect.

PEST: THE TOP SIGHTS

Budapest has so many historical landmarks and beautiful things to see. 

It’s very hard to give a single highlight and it’s almost impossible to hit them all in one single day of walking. If you have at least two full days, the best thing to do is to spend one day in Pest and one in Buda. 

Here are our suggested walk routes, one for each side of the Danube.

Pest is the eastern part of Budapest, the commercial and industrial heart of the city.

It takes two thirds of the city and it’s predominantly flat (yay, saving your legs once again!).

We found it a great place to visit on foot, thanks to the large avenues and the beautiful promenade along the Danube.

The route we recommend for Pest is 7 km long (Google Maps) and takes around 6-7 hours, including times for photos, breaks and a couple of entries. It starts from the marvellous Neo-Gothic Parliament and continues south until the City Market before finishing in Vigado square.

The main sites we saw on this route on our first day were:

• The Hungarian Parliament: this Neo-Gothic colossus is the main landmark of the city and it’s one of our favourite buildings in the world. You can take a 45-minute free tour to explore its 700+ rooms and 19 km of corridors. 

• The Shoes on the Danube (Cipok-a Duna): quite a hearth-breaking memorial for the Jews who were killed by fascists during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes on the edge of the river before getting shot.

• St. Stephen's Basilica: free to enter, it’s the most important religious site of the city and also the resting place of the fist of King Istvan and Ferenc Puskás, the greatest Hungarian footballer!

This route will take you into the Jewish district, right next to the Great Synagogue (2nd largest in the world). We found so many good locations to take top-notch pictures, especially near Gresham Palace and Vigado ter, with the old castle in the background.

There’s a lot of life in this area of the city, particularly in the vibrant Vaci street and around the City Market, a mandatory stop for food lovers.

In addition to this self-made walk plan, we also took the Communism Tour with the Free Walking Tour gang.

We were curious to get some additional insights on the communist period and on how the city promptly has got back on its feet since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This tour was more like an open-air university lesson rather than proper sightseeing, touching base on how the locals lived under the Iron Curtain, the uprising of the 1956 and stories of everyday life.

The overall experience was good and we liked our guide.

If you're a history nerd you are going to like this, even though at times we felt like the Soviet times are “editorialised" and slightly twisted to make it more interesting to modern tourists.

BUDA: THE TOP SIGHTS

Buda is on the western bank of the Danube and it's considered to be the historical and imperial centre of the city. 

The route we suggest is 6 km long (Google Maps) and takes around 4-5 hours for completion, including times for photos, breaks and a couple of entries.

It starts from the Liberty Bridge and ends up on the Chain Bridge, ready to return to Pest. 

This side of the Danube is particularly hilly and when you peak at the Citadel you can admire the city in all its splendour. 

There are some amazing sites in this Buda walk route, notably:

• The Citadel: we chose a random trail and walked uphill to the top of the Gellert hill, dominated by the Hungarian Statue of Liberty. The panorama from the viewing platform is just incredible.

• Buda's Castle: rebuilt at least six times, the ancient residence of the local kings, nowadays worth visiting for the view, the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

• Matthias Church: a must-see, we really loved this beautiful free-to-enter church and its multi-coloured roof tiles. For a small fee, and some decent fitness, you can climb the bell tower for a great view.

• The Fisherman Bastion: an extension of the city walls built by the guild of fishermen to protect the city, this is one of our favourite Budapest landmarks. It’s a perfect spot for a photo with the Parliament in the background and there’s a nice bar in one of the turrets where you can take a break (and a hot coffee).

This route will make you appreciate two famous bridges (check out the Chain Bridge, stunning when it’s floodlit after sunset) and, if you are in for a treat at the baths, you can choose to visit either at the iconic Gellert or the intimate Rudas.

SZPUTNYIK SHOP: VINTAGE FASHION

One of our favourite Budapest traits is its ability to mix eclectic and tradition effortlessly, to switch in a heart-beat from elegant to beatnik.

In a moment, you bounce from a large and sophisticated Art Nouveau boulevards to a dark alley with funky shops, graffiti and ruins bars.

We really loved this contrast and if you are like us, you’ll enjoy Budapest.

The city has plenty to offer, if you know where to look.

The Szputnyik shop - D20 (here), for example, is a colourful vintage shop near the Great Synagogue.

We saw a few shops like this in town, selling vintage stuff, jewellery and old bags, but this one is literally a cut above the rest as it blends the classy vintage with the latest trends.

We browsed the entire shop collection, from the contemporary limited edition to the altered vintage clothes.

Far away from being the usual souvenir spot, this is really a cool spot for original and ethic shopping - and the staff is nice too.

Spare friends and family the usual fridge magnet and the “All I got from Budapest was this silly t-shirt” crap!

EAT LIKE A LOCAL: GOULASH & STRUDEL

Just a few hundred metres from Szputnyik, we recommend a stop to Gettó Gulyás (here).

This is a nice traditional restaurant, serving solid, Hungarian classics.

As the name suggests, you can find it in the middle of the old Ghetto and it's perfect to enjoy a hearty portion of goulash. Goulash is the Hungarian national dish, a delicious beef stew with a rich paprika-seasoned broth.

We particularly loved this dish here, as it came with a superb homemade egg barley on the side (see the picture below).

The menu is short but sound, featuring other classic dishes like chicken paprikash and paprika veal stew.

Prices are fine, we spent around 20€ pp for lunch including a huge main and a glass of local wine each.

For our “tea time” break, we went all in for Első Pesti Rétesház (here, in Hungarian “The First Strudel House”).

This strudel hot spot was launched in 2007 in a beautiful old building near St. Stephen Basilica.

Strudel is a favourite dish throughout the whole Mitteleuropa and you can trace its roots back to the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire.

We tried the classic alma strudel (with an apple filling) and the meggyes-makos version (with sour cherry and poppy seeds) and we got literally blown away by the delicate flavour and the smell of the fruit hidden in the fragrant layers.

Their hot chocolate is just the perfect finishing touch.

And there is more! They offer videos and strudel stretching classes to teach about this great dessert.

TRAVEL TIPS

There’s a wide range of options to sleep in Budapest: hostels for budget travellers, regular and luxury hotel chains and plenty of AirBnbs.

We slept at the Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments near Szabadság tér (around 110€ per night for a superior double room). We chose the Opera for the central position and the quality of the rooms, as well as their breakfast, of course.

This festival is held every February in the centre of Budapest, near Szabadsag Square. It’s dedicated to Mangalica pigs, a local pork breed with a tasty, low-cholesterol meat. This gastronomic fair is free to enter and it’s a must-do for all carnivores. Local products, entertainment and - of course - food are guaranteed!

Check our full review of the Mangalica Festival.

Budapest has a very efficient transportation system, it’s a pleasure to move around.

The Metro is an iconic attraction by itself. Line 1 was completed in 1896, making it the oldest electrified underground in Europe! Now there are 4 lines marked by colours (red, green, blue, yellow) taking you anywhere in the city in no time. It’s quite vintage and a bit noisy but we found it a very cool way of moving around.

Single ticket price is around 1.30€ per ride and can be bought with cash or cards in the machines at every station. You can also buy travel cards for a longer period of time for a discounted price (24 or 72 hours, or a week). Summer 2020 will see the launch of an automated fare collection system, just like the Oyster Card in London.

That’s not all, Budapest also has a wide variety of trams, buses and trolleybuses moving locals and tourists around at cheap prices and reaching the city outskirts.

The Listsz Ferenc airport is just 16 km from the Budapest city center. 

We hopped on a shuttle offered by our hotel (30€ cash, 30-minute ride).

There are plenty of options to reach your accommodation in the city: bus (the N100E starting at Deák Ferenc tér, only 3€ for a 1-hour ride), train or tram taking you to one of the suburban metro station and, of course, a last minute taxi (no less than 35-40€ per ride to the centre).

The Hungarian Forint - or HUF - is the currency in Hungary. We found plenty of ATMs and most of them working, so no issues taking cash in the city centre.