Top Ten Attractions
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The Royal Palace
Located at the top of Castle Hill, it’s been the residence of many royal figures over 700 years. Now a cultural centre housing numerous museums. You can ascend Castle Hill by funicular railway. http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/bptour/b...
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The Fisherman’s Bastion
The neo-Romanesque ramparts were so named after the city's fishermen whose duty it was to defend this side of the hill during the Middle Ages. Seven turrets and terraces offer outstanding views of the city. Listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/bptour/b...
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Matthias Church
One of the best-known buildings in Budapest, with its distinctive multi-coloured tiled roof and Gothic spire. http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/kepek/na...
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Chain Bridge
The first stone bridge to be built over the Danube. Magnificent when floodlit at night. http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/chainbrid...
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The Great Synagogue
The largest in Europe – able to seat 3,000 people. In the courtyard is the Holocaust Memorial in the shape of a weeping willow tree.
http://www.bh.org.il/communities/Synagogue/buda... -
Parliament Buildings
A prominent feature of the city’s panorama, it’s a decorative building inside and out. There’s a lovely photo at http://www.michaeltaylor.ca/Culture/bu-parl.sht...
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Statue Park
It contains the giant figures of the Communist era removed from the streets of Budapest and banished into the exile of an outdoor museum – statues include Lenin, Marx and Engels. http://www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?Lang=en
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Gellert Hill
It offers unrivalled panoramic views of the city, taking in both Buda and Pest and the meandering Danube in between. See what we mean at http://www.heliospanzio.hu/en/photoalbum/geller...
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Heroes’ Square
One of the city’s most spacious squares, surrounded by grand buildings.
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Spa Baths
There are many spa and thermal baths in Budapest. The most famous and most beautiful is the Gellert. http://www.gellertbath.com
Eating and Drinking
Hungarians relish eating and drinking, and this city is great for both. Budapest cuisine is still fairly traditional, with a heavy reliance on the Hungarian staples of paprika, sour cream, onions, eggs, butter and wine, not to mention plenty of meat. Magyar cuisine (goulash etc.) is traditionally cheap and is served in large portions, which can be an advantage to the tourist on a budget. Though this style naturally predominates, you can find everything from Middle Eastern to Japanese food, bagels to Big Macs. The diversity of cuisine is matched by the range of outlets and prices - from de-luxe restaurants where a meal costs an average citizen's monthly wage, to side-street diners that anyone can afford. Many restaurants and bars have live music in the evenings. Throughout the city menus are typically printed in both German and English and restaurants are legally required to clearly list all prices. However, diners, especially tourists, should check their bill carefully as it is not uncommon for restaurants to overcharge. Vegetarians may find they struggle in Budapest, as meat features heavily in almost all savoury dishes. The number of vegetarian restaurants is far fewer than in many other European cities and those that do exist tend to be a little joyless.
Coffee house culture is strong in Budapest and the city provides a low cost but equally authentic alternative to Vienna in this respect. Many of the city's traditional 19th century coffee houses have closed, but a few remain, or at least are faithful at recreating the traditional atmosphere. Hungarians are big coffee drinkers and favour strong, black espressos regularly throughout the day. Milky coffee is available on request, while teahouses are also becoming popular, especially among younger urbanites. Budapest also has an abundance of patisseries. Traditional Hungarian cakes are appetising, if rich, with strudels, stuffed pancakes and pastries also popular.
Bar culture has not taken off in Hungary the way it has in cities such as Berlin, although there are still many opportunities for drinking. Budapest's wine cellars and beer halls have changed little in the past 40 years, leaving them either unpretentious or unsophisticated, depending on your point of view. Beer is less popular than wine and spirits; wine is often served with soda.
Shopping
Although there are fewer bargains to be had these days on items such as shoes, clothes and jewellery, there's no doubt that shopping in Budapest can be an interesting and rewarding experience. Certainly, prices here are higher than elsewhere in the country, although they remain slightly lower than most Western European or North American countries (the exception being well-known fashion brands, which tend to be more expensive in Hungary). If you plan to bring back some typically Hungarian goods or souvenirs, try buying direct from a factory outlet so as to avoid the sizeable mark-ups made in some tourist shops. As credit cards are widely accepted, there's little difficulty loading up on the plastic, particularly in larger shops and stores geared towards tourists (or those owned by Western retailers). However, in smaller shops and markets, cash is still king so make sure you're carrying a reasonable amount of forints. As shopping areas in Budapest are well planned, you should find that shops along Váci Utca (which has some of the smartest stores in the city) or along the Nagy Körút (big road) satisfy even the most discerning tastes. However, a stroll along some of Budapest's side streets may also reveal specialist or neighbourhood shops that are of interest too. In addition, you're likely to see signs advertising small shops in the courtyards (udvar) of residential blocks. Although some sell cheap toys, dodgy fashions and trinkets, others may specialize in souvenirs and interesting gift items. Hungarian shops normally open between 10am and 6pm on weekdays and between 10am and 1pm on Saturday, although nowadays many supermarkets (especially those out of town or located in shopping malls) have extended hours.
There are more than ten major shopping malls in Budapest – the latest the German-owned Árkád, which opened for business in 2002. Budapest also has some excellent markets (piac), many of which are housed in grand market halls. Not only are they great places in which to see locals going about their daily business, but they also offer high quality produce at cheap prices. For a complete run down of markets in Budapest visit: www.csapi.hu
Night Life
As Budapest is becoming, like Prague, a popular destination for pre-wedding stag (bachelor) parties, it’s no surprise that there are endless choices for evening entertainment. New clubs and discos are constantly sprouting up all over the city and there is no district especially renowned for its nightlife. The bars offer something for everybody (from sleazy sex dives to calm cafés) and there is plenty of time to experiment. Many bars are open until dawn, although most close around 0400. Borozos are cheap wine cellars, where it is rare to see women, especially unaccompanied. Sorozos are beer houses that will also serve good and moderately priced food. Clubs charge 500-1000Ft entry and may ban people in shorts or tracksuits. The minimum drinking age is 18 years. Alcohol is inexpensive, with a beer costing 200-300Ft (although far more for imported bottled beers) and spirits 500Ft. By the way, under no circumstances should you clink beer glasses – this was adopted by the Austrians when Hungarian generals were executed after the failed Revolution of 1848-49.
Probably the best source of nightlife listings in Budapest is the free weekly publication, Open (published on Thursday). Pesti Est is also very complete and is available free from cinema foyers. Pesti Müsor (www.pestimusor.hu) is a paid-for publication and is also comprehensive. However, these are in Hungarian so English-speaking revellers may prefer to pick up a copy of Budapest Week (www.budapestweek.com) or Budapest Sun (www.budapestsun.com). Where Budapest is a monthly guide in English, available free at most hotels. The bi-monthly Budapest in Your Pocket is free on Malév airliners or can be purchased in newsagents.
Budapest has more than a dozen casinos, mostly located in the luxury hotels along the Dunakorzó.
