Things to do in Budapest – My Top 8: The Pearl of the Danube
Budapest is a city that has so much going for it. From amazing nightlife to learning of the country’s dark history; from setting your eyes upon some of the best architecture Europe has to offer to letting all your stress melt away at one of the city’s many thermal baths, Budapest has it all. Read about just some of the best things to do in Budapest.
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 1. Hungarian Parliament Building
So we’re going to start this list off with one of the most iconic buildings in Budapest and, for that matter, probably one of the most iconic buildings in Eastern Europe.
The Hungarian Parliament Building is nothing short of impressive. The attention to detail and sheer size of the building makes it the most impressive parliament building I’ve ever seen. However, Bucharest could still give it a run for its money!
Construction
The parliament building is still used today for politics and is situated on the Pest side of the Danube River. The building had 40kg of gold used in its construction and is tied with St Stephen’s Basilica as the tallest building in Budapest at 96 metres high. It is said that new buildings weren’t allowed to go taller than the basilica!
Completed in 1904, the building took 19 years to complete. Because of the time period it was built and the intricacies of the building, 19 years is pretty impressive. The surrounds of the building are beautiful with a fountain to the back of it. Beside the fountain you will see a flag pole flying the Hungarian flag with two soldiers guarding it and walking clockwise around it. Altogether it’s a very relaxed place and everyone is respectful. Unlike what can happen in London, you don’t get people trying to mess or interfere with the guards. If you time it correctly, you might be lucky to witness a changing of the guards at 12.30pm!
Kossuth Tér
Respect is important at a place like this as it is also the sight of a brutal massacre that took place on October 25, 1956.
Known as the Kossuth Tér Massacre during the Hungarian Revolution; a number of people gathered in the Kossuth Tér as part of a demonstration against the Communist rule of the country.
The details behind the massacre still remain ambiguous as conflicting reports state who shot first — the demonstrators or the police — and death tolls are still unknown. Sources cite as few as 22 were shot dead, right up to 1,000. But British officials say there were 300-800 victims.
There is a memorial there on the parliament’s grounds called “IN MEMORIAM 1956” which goes underground and discusses the massacre. In addition, it also pleads with people to come forward if they have any information to give towards solving the unknowns behind the awful event.
It takes only around 30 minutes to visit and is definitely worth it to get an insight into what went on in Budapest under Communist control!
So altogether the Hungarian Parliament Building is definitely one place you want to visit! It does an amazing job in combining beauty, history, and tragedy. For more information on visitor centre hours and routes you can check out the official Hungarian Parliament website.
TIP: For the best pictures be sure to take photographs facing the building from the other side of the Danube River!
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 2. Shoes on the Danube
The shoes on the Danube serves as a poignant and physical reminder to what happens when power, control, and hatred makes humans devoid of their humanity.
Budapest does a fantastic job in highlighting its nation’s history both to its citizens and travellers alike. The Shoes on The Danube Bank sculpture is one such poignant example.
Created to honour the Jews who were murdered by the fascist Arrow Cross militiamen; the iron shoes represent the real ones left behind by the Jewish people who were ordered to take them off. Just before they were brutally shot and murdered.
The Mural
The shoes are just situated along the river, with no fuss or huge signs pointing to where they are. A simple plaque denotes the shoes and describes what they are and why they are there. The mural is simple but heartbreaking, small in size but extremely powerful.
The sculpture, while a tragic reminder of what has happened in our world’s history, is an important one, now more so than ever.
Visit the sculpture and take your photographs, there’s nothing wrong in remembering and sharing the story of the shoes and their meaning, but respect is important.
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 3. Fisherman’s Bastion
I haven’t seen anything like Fisherman’s Bastion before. I feel like it’s called Fisherman’s Bastion because the material of the bastion itself looks almost seashell-like.
Fisherman’s Bastion is actually the terrace that is around Matthias Church, facing the Danube River on the Buda side. The reason it is called Fisherman’s Bastion is because the Buda-side castle wall was protected by the Fisherman’s guild. Other people say it is named after the piece of the city which is located below the terrace. Either way, it is a masterpiece of architecture and a must-visit.
Tickets
We lined up to purchase tickets but as we were queuing we felt like we wanted to just take in the atmosphere. So we decided we just wanted to go up to the upper level of the terrace which is around one flight of stairs above the free viewing platform.
When we got to the ticket window, the lovely person at the booth told us that it wasn’t worth the money to go to the upper terrace by itself. So we took her advice and just checked out the free areas of Fisherman’s Bastion.
The free areas includes pretty much everywhere except for St Michaels Chapel, the upper deck, and round tower of the bastion. If you do wish to explore these areas, here are the prices for Fisherman’s Bastion.
Fisherman’s Bastion a really beautiful place to walk around and provides you with the opportunity to take in the beautiful city and enjoy life. There’s plenty of travellers around and it can become very busy, but it’s a superb experience!
Be sure to get some stunning photos while you can because this place is so gorgeous you’re just going to want to frame all the photos you take. In the case you are physically impaired there are buggies that can help transport people up to the bastion from the streets below, as it can be quite a few steps!
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 4. Széchenyi Thermal Bath
The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe and is supplied by two thermal springs of temperatures 74C and 77C. In addition to the high temperatures, the thermal water is made up of sulphate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, metaboric acid, and fluoride. So you can expect spa-quality water on your visit!
We walked to the baths from our Airbnb through Park Városliget. It’s a quaint park where a lot of people were running, taking in an evening stroll, and chilling out. There also appeared to be an almost mini commune of homeless people with their tents set up. But they were passive and stuck to themselves.
After a lovely walk through the park we came out to a main road and across from us was this stunning building which borderline resembled a temple. When we went inside the design of the building was stunning with ceiling murals and lots of detail everywhere – it felt like we had gone back in time to the Renaissance. We paid for our tickets at the ticket desk – check out the prices below.
The Price list
| Tickets & Massage | Price – Weekday | Price – Weekend |
| Szechenyi Bath Ticket with cabin | €19.60 | €20.20 |
| Szechenyi Bath Ticket with locker | €18 | €18.70 |
| Online Ticket with Private Cabin & Private Entrance | €21 | €22 |
| 20 Min Aroma Massage with Ticket & Cabin | €26 | €27 |
| 45 Min Harmony Aroma Massage with Ticket & Cabin | €76 | €77 |
| 60 Min Harmony Aroma Massage with Ticket & Cabin | €89 | €90 |
| Pool Party Ticket from 10.30 pm to 3 am in Szechenyi Baths | Not Available | €50 / €65 with drinks |
We paid the extra to get the cabin and I’m glad we did. It was a lovely wooden cabin room, similar to those wooden changing rooms you would see on beaches decades ago from the 70s. The cabins are big enough for two and electronically lock, so your valuables remain secure.
When it comes to walking around, your bathing suit and flip flops are the proper attire. And if you feel you’ll be able to secure a sun lounger outside, then bring your towel with you.
The Pools
Altogether there are 18 pools for you to experience in Széchenyi! Of these 18, there are 13 thermal pools and 5 swimming pools. The difference between swimming pools and thermal pools is basically the swimming pools are located outside (except for two) and in the swimming pools you can swim around and splash about a little bit. In the thermal pools it is all about relaxing, sitting, or walking around while in them.
The whole experience is super relaxing. Everyone is there to enjoy themselves and take it easy making it one of the most peaceful places I’ve been. The temperature of the pool range from 18C to 40C. And some of the baths have warnings that you shouldn’t stay in them longer than 10 or so minutes.
There are also saunas for you to relax in if you want to get out of the water, plus massages and all kinds of relaxing offers. If you’re feeling brave I challenge you to use the plunge pool! It is really cold but the health benefits are numerous and you will feel super refreshed.
The Széchenyi baths are a fantastic way to spend time in Budapest. The baths are the best way to break away from the hustle and bustle of the city so I highly recommend you visit them. However I would recommend you to go in the evening. Due to there being less people, the baths were a lot quieter and the scenery was just gorgeous against the night sky. The baths are open every day from 6am to 10pm.
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 5. Heroes’ Square
We visited Heroes’ Square after spending the evening in The Széchenyi Baths, as it was at the entrance/exit of the park and only five or so minutes away.
Heroes’ Square is one of the most visited sights in Budapest, partly because it is surrounded by two important buildings: Museum of Fine Arts on the left, and Kunsthalle (Hall of Art) on the right.
Construction began in 1896 to commemorate 1,000 years of Hungary’s existence and consists of two colonnades displaying 14 figures from Hungarian history. The colonnades and figures form a semi-circle around the centrepiece column. In addition, the centrepiece itself is surrounded by the seven original Magyar chieftains and topped by the Archangel Gabriel.
The square is one of the most important in Budapest, if not Hungary, and is well worth a visit. I love when cities have open expanses in their heart and just want to show of beautiful architecture and monuments. Heroes’ Square is one of those places where you can just stand in the middle of the square and soak it all in. We spent around 20 minutes taking pictures and admiring the monuments. It was lovely.
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 6. House of Terror museum
The House of Terror museum is located at Andrássy út 60. No place is more suitable for this “Terror” museum as the building was once used as the headquarters of the Nazi party in 1940. The house was then taken over by “State Security” when Communism had a choke-hold on Hungary. It was here where both political dictatorships, Nazism and Communism, tortured Hungary’s citizens.
The Basement
The museum stretches out over four floors and one part that stood out for me in particular, was the basement where people were kept as prisoners and tortured.
You are free to roam around the basement and see the different type of cells they kept people in. One cell had water 1 metre high in it, making it so prisoners had to sit in the water constantly. In another cell there were no lights and the prisoners were unable to stand due to a very low ceiling. Another cell could fit literally just one person standing up and that was it. You can really get the sense of malevolence in the place and it hits home what people went through.
I encourage anyone visiting Budapest to go to the Terror Museum because if you’re not a fan of museums it isn’t just all reading, it shows you what people suffered through.
However, I would say that it can be a bit scary for children at some parts, with one area in particular showing videos which are disturbing.
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 7. Buda Castle & Funicular
Go to Buda Castle for the views! From atop the castle you can see all of Budapest’s magnificence. The grounds are gorgeous and meticulously maintained.
When we were there they were in the middle of preparing for a festival so be sure to check out what’s on in the castle as there are always festivals and special events – including beer and wine festivals!!!
If you are not going to do a castle tour then you should at the very least take in a stroll and admire views – they are breathtaking. On your stroll you will come across beautiful fountains and again might even get to see the changing of the guards!
Another attraction of Buda Castle is the funicular located at the Széchenyi Lánchíd bridge which brings you up to the castle. There will probably be a queue but line up for it as it’s a really scenic ride!
Top 8 Things to do in Budapest: 8. Ruin Bars: Szimpla Kert and Instant & Fogas Ház
Ruin bars are makeshift bars in dilapidated pre-war buildings, decorated with quirky furniture. The furniture together with the look and feel of the buildings make for an awesome party destination.
The most famous of which is Szimpla Kert and it’s no wonder it makes this list. Szimpla Kert often holds markets, serves foods, sells shisha, and of course puts on a great night out.
Cocktails run to around €6.20 and altogether the place is pretty reasonable. Instant and Fogas Ház is a ruin bar but more so a club with 18 bars and 7 dance floors. It is a really popular spot for groups, stags, hens, and big group nights out.
Explore Budapest’s nightlife and don’t be afraid to try something new because the city has a lot to offer for all tastes. If a bar looks shabby on the outside, don’t be fooled, as soon as you go inside it is an adult wonderland!
So that does it for my list of things to do in Budapest! Above all I hope it helps you put together your itinerary for visiting or has encouraged you to visit. Altogether it really is the complete city; offering everything from a unique, booming nightlife through the awesome ruin bars, to informative museums; from gorgeous centuries old architecture to relaxing thermal baths.
What other cities did we visit?
In addition, Budapest is just a train journey away from some of the most exciting city destinations in the world. On our interrail we visited the Dragon City of Ljubljana, which was a spectacular mix of adventure and city life. Serbia’s Belgrade was amazing. On the outside it carried the scars of communism in its architecture but beneath had a bustling, fun city vibe. In addition, we also took in the beautiful Skopje which simply stole my heart!
Getting To and Staying In Budapest
Just as a quick note, there are numerous ways of getting to Budapest. We arrived in Budapest via train, but there are plenty of bus connections as well. Similarly, if you are flying in, Budapest airport takes in millions of passengers every year and has many connections throughout Europe. Interested in seeing how much flights would cost to Budapest? Search below!
Staying in Budapest is quite reasonable and it’s not difficult to find decent hotel and hostel accommodation throughout the city! Of course, if Airbnb is your thing then here is a discount off your first stay! If you’d rather go down the Hotel or Hostel, route then check out the map for some of the latest hotel deals below!
I use affiliate links to help run this site which means that if you click on something and purchase something, I may receive a small commission.
