One of the best cities in Eastern Europe, Budapest is a cultural paradise! From its medieval history to its recent communist connotations, Budapest has seen a lot and as such is a very interesting place. Not only is it beautiful with its old lanes, hot baths and river fronts, but there are a lot of activities to do in and around the city, so rest be assured, Budapest will never disappoint you.
Visa
To visit Budapest, you need a Schengen visa. It is better if you apply for a multiple entry visa. You can apply for one here and it will cost you around INR 5000 for the whole process.
Not many people know this, but Budapest is actually two cities – Buda and Pest. You should begin your day in Pest, as most likely you’ll be staying on this side of the river. Have a filling breakfast at Zoska Reggeliző Kávézó, near the inner city as most of the day will be filled walking and catching trams.
Walk down to the riverfront and admire the sheer scale and beauty of the Danube River as local Hungarians carry on their business. Walk north along the promenade to reach the Hungarian parliament.
Hungarian Parliament Building
This is the seat of the national assembly of the Hungarian Parliament and is an amazing example of Gothic architecture. Being neo -gothic it is decorated with luxurious finishes and interiors. You can even visit the inside of this building with a guided tour, which can be booked at the lobby. There are guards surrounding the building, but they are not intimidating and the building is very accessible to the public. It remains the largest and tallest building in Budapest.
Vaci Street
In the afternoon or evening, depending on when you complete the Parliament, you can go to the Vaci Street for shopping. On the way stop at the famous Dohany Street Synagogue, the largest in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world.
After you’ve completed your shopping you can have dinner anywhere in the old city. This way, you’ll have covered most of the riverfront and inner city.
Start the second day of your tryst with Budapest with breakfast on the Buda side of the river as you’ll be spending most of the day here. You can have a nice Hungarian or continental meal at the Deryne Bisztro. You can take a direct bus from the Ferenciek Tere bus station on the Pest side.
Buda Castle
Climb up the hill and visit the medieval Buda Castle. It used to be the home of the Hungarian Royals throughout its regal history. The castle enjoys commanding views of Buda and Pest.
Fisherman's Bastion
After you’ve walked through the castle, visit the smaller attractions near the castle. These include the Labyrinth, a series of caves below the castle. Have a quick look at the Fisherman’s bastion, a fortress tower near the castle. There is a café on top and you can have lunch here.
Citadella
This fortress on top of the Gellert hill, is a relatively new fort, built in the 1800s. It has many interesting architectural details and statues. Much of Buda is located on a hill, so many places offer commanding views of the river and the entire city, the Citadella included.
Szimpla
A unique feature of Budapest, the ruined buildings from the wars of the last century have been turned into pubs. Entire buildings which are ruined, have been retained in the same ruin way, and been converted into massive clubs.
A must go if you’re in Budapest, any one of these will guarantee you a fun night. Szimpla in the inner city is by far the biggest and most famous one.
Hosok Tere
Most of this day will be spent in and around the Hosok Tere, a large gate with statues of the 7 tribes who founded Hungary. So it makes sense to have breakfast at Sonkapult in the inner city and then take the metro from Bajcsy Zlinisky Ut and get off at Bajza Utca.
Bajza Utca
There are a lot of museums to around this area. You can start with the ones closest to the station, the KogArt and the Postal Museum and work your way up to the Hosok Tere.
Mucsarnok
This is a contemporary art gallery and you can spend the morning till lunchtime here and in its parks. You can walk here from Bajza Utca. The museum of fine arts is just opposite this and you can while away your afternoon looking at frescos and statues. There is a castle called Vajdahunyad in the park and complete with a lake, it makes for a good picnic spot.
Szechenyi Bath
One of the largest thermal baths on the continent, this hot spring turned into a public spa and pool is one of the most famous and people from everywhere come and visit.You can come walking from the museums or take the next stop on the metro. A while in the hot water here, will relax you and wash away all the tiredness of the past few days. The entry price is around €20 with massages costing extra. Spend the whole evening here as you bid adieu to Budapest.
There's always so much to do and see in Budapest, that you're bound to have a good and relaxing time here. So don't worry much and head over immediately to this Eastern European gem!