I spent 4 days touring Budapest with my sister in July 2016. When we arrived, the architecture really surprised me! I didn’t know the history of Hungary before I left which is why I was surprised at how much it looked like Vienna (Hungary was once owned by the Austrians’)! I personally enjoy cities more when they have cobbled streets and coloured houses along cosy streets but Budapest was beautiful!  But what can I say, Budapest isn’t known to be the Paris of the East for no reason!

The Highlights:

Buda Castle

To get the best view of the city, you should definitely save some time for Buda Castle. The castle is on top of Buda Hill. From the top, you can see the all of Pest including the most majestic Houses of Parliament I have ever seen! If you don’t want to break a sweat or pay for a 2minute funicular ride to get up Buda Hill, read my My Dirty Secrets of Budapest! post.

Matthias Church

I don’t usually get blown away by churches, but oh my! This is the prettiest church you or I will ever see! It is situated in the castle district, just a 2 minute walk from Buda Castle.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath

This is the oldest bath house in Budapest. There are 3 pools outside; one extremely hot, one a little less hot with a lazy river in it and one ‘normal’ heated pool for swimming. Inside, you can get a massage, sit in one of the many saunas or relax in one of the Jacuzzi’s. Top Tip: if you don’t like getting naked in front of everyone (there are no changing rooms and no shower cubicles), I suggest you rent a private room.

St Margaret’s Island

This little island reminded me of central park in New York. The quiet island is a huge park in the midst of the crazy city life. Inside the park is a cool ass fountain that is (sometimes) synchronized to the music, a water park, a small zoo, an open air theatre and probably a whole lot more that I didn’t get to see!

Chain Bridge at Night

Chain bridge is GORGEOUS!! at night. Get yourself a cocktail from one of the bars along the river, find a bench and let it soak in! It’s the perfect way to end a tiring day of sightseeing.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

This church also offers some amazing views! There is a small admission fee to enter the tower though.

Heroes’ Square

If I were to come back to Budapest again, I would definitely schedule more time for this place! My sister and I accidentally came across it on our way back from the zoo. The statues of the famous leader are just.. wow! A good place to eat your lunch or to kill some time!

Where I stayed

I stayed at Marco Polo Top Hostel, situated at the edge of the Jewish district. It was a 10min walk from the city center and a 2 minute walk from the largest synagogue in Europe. It had a bar, a cool wall memorial, free maps, offered airport transfer (surcharge) and it was very clean. I have no complaints, other than there was no air con. But what can you expect if you are paying as little as £15 a night! Book your next stay here!

Where to eat

Hard Rock Cafe:

I love the Hard Rock Cafe! I ordered the pulled pork burger and OMG it was amaaziinnngggg!!! What else can I say?

Jamie Oliver’s:

If you grew up in the UK, you know who Jamie Oliver is; he’s the awful guy that ruined school dinners by making it all healthy! So when my sister and I literally stumbled upon his restaurant in the castle district, we had to try it! It wasn’t too expensive, thankfully. The garlic bread was a amazing but his pizza was average. My sister really enjoyed her spaghetti bolognese though.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to comment, send me an email or Facebook message me!

Peace out wanderers!

Lisa