Overview to Budapest: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Budapest Information
- Eating & drinking in Budapest
- Night life in Budapest
- Getting around in Budapest
- Things to do in Budapest
- Where to stay in Budapest
- Budapest street map
Rightly regarded as one of Europe's most attractive cities, Budapest is one of the richest historical travel destinations imaginable. Brightly adorning the River Danube, its astonishing old center has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Budapest is, in fact, two cities – ‘Buda’ (home to the imposing Castle Hill) and ‘Pest’, its more modern hub. The mighty Buda Castle, accessible by a wonderful funicular ride (the Siklo), holds the Royal Palace and the fascinating Budapest History Museum.
The heart of old Buda is the Szentharomsag ter; a bustling square overlooked by the impressively uneven Matyas Church. Across town, the atmospheric old quarter of Watertown is an inviting jumble of crumbling mansions set in a tangled web of alleyways.
Known as the ‘City of Spas’, Budapest has a number of thermal water spas that date back hundreds of years. Enriched with medicinal properties, the most famous include the 13th century Gellert Bath, the Kiraly Bath and the fabulous Szechenyi Baths.
The subterranean waterways also formed an extensive network of caves under the city. Many of Budapest's 200 caves are accessible to visitors and are a popular retreat from the scorching temperatures of the summer months.
Above ground, the city boasts an incredible wealth of churches. St Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's largest church, looms large over the city and contains Hungary's most revered relic – the mummified hand of the country's first monarch, King Stephen.
Other churches throughout the city show a Turkish influence, as well as more conventional baroque and classical elements. Budapest is also home to Europe's largest synagogue, the Dohany utca Synagogue, whose museum contains Jewish artifacts from the last 2,000 years.
Travelers keen to learn more about the country's past should head to the Aquincum Museum and the Military History Museum. Alternatively, for a glimpse of the city’s more recent history, the Communist Statue Park sneeringly displays the statues of communist figureheads Lenin and Marx.
And since the fall of communism, Budapest has been reestablishing itself as a mecca for shoppers. Today, it has a number of vibrant markets, malls and smart shops in the cluster of streets around Pest’s Vaci Utca.
Budapest's market halls are also an attraction in their own right. The Great Market Hall and the four acres of Ecseri Flea Market, particularly, are must-sees for anyonelooking to really get under the skin of the city, or just pick up some delicious street food on the cheap.
Like Istanbul, Bucharest and several other cities in Central and Eastern Europe, Budapest is defined by the feeling of having been on the cusp of both East and West, but belonging entirely to neither. And it’s this extraordinary vibe that makes the city such a truly remarkable place to visit.