Destination Guide : Budapest
Budapest was our first long stay in our year of travel. We unpacked for two weeks, built a homeschool rhythm, and fell in love with this city! Come see why Budapest should be one of your next destinations in this edition of Destination Guide: Budapest.
STAY
Our apartment on the Buda side of the city was comfortable and walking distance to a large grocery store, the metro, playgrounds, and Fisherman’s Bastion. It was the perfect spot for us. We liked the neighborhood feel and being slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
For shorter trips, I would recommend a stay at the Baltazar Hotel a family-owned accommodation and located on the same hill as Fisherman’s Bastion. Or if you want to be located right in the heart of the city, stay in District 6 near the Opera House and only a short walk to the Jewish Quarter. To learn more about Budapest’s neighborhood head to offbeatBudapest.com, a great resource when traveling in the city. We especially love their food bingo chart!
GETTING AROUND
Budapest is home to the oldest metro line in Central Europe. Public transportation is great in Budapest. The trains and trams come quickly and, with many stops, they drop you off near wherever you are headed. We would buy tickets in books of 10 for a discounted price. Children 6 and under ride free, but there is no discount for children above 6 years old.
Walking in Budapest is also very easy and enjoyable. The city is compact in most areas and you can visit many places on your sightseeing list by foot. Also, the walking path near the Danube makes for a great stroll.
THINGS TO KNOW
Budapest is split into two sides by the Danube river, the Buda and the Pest side. These two sides plus the Obuda area became a united city in 1873. The Buda side, is more residential and quieter over all. The Pest side (pronounced “pesht”) is the hear of the city with the majority of the restaurants, bars, and historical sites.
FOOD
I’m saving all of our Budapest restaurant recommendation for their own post. Check back on our Destination Guide : Budapest Restaurants soon.
DO
VISIT THE BATHS - Tip: arrive early! Both Trent and I visited early on our solo trips to the baths, arriving between 6-7 AM and staying for about 5 hours. You will have the place mostly to yourself during the first couple of hours. We recommend visiting Szechenyi Baths if it’s your first time taking in the baths of Budapest. There are so many thermal pools, saunas, and steam rooms inside. Three outdoor pools and a Finnish sauna that gets up to over 200 degrees! Pack a book and enjoy some quiet time by the outdoor pools.
SZIMPLA KERT - The most well known of the ruin bars. Ruin bars started in the early 2000s in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest. During WWII, more than 10,000 Jews were deported from their homes. The buildings were abandoned until the 2000s when a group of friends opened a cheap bar in a dilapidated building. More ruin bars have been opened since then. You could spent hours walking through this building and checking out the artwork. Don’t forget to grab a beer or a juice while you’re there!
HIKE TO LIBERTY STATUE ON GELLERT HILL - About a mile hike, quick and easy, though a bit steep at times. We made it in about 30 minutes with the kids. I do remember getting a bit turned around because there aren’t many signs. Fair warning! Good news, the views are spectacular and there’s a bar at top. As Trent says, “Europe is great. Whenever you hike up a hill, there’s a beer waiting for you!”
FREE WALKING TOUR - With so much history, this would be a wonderful destination to try out a free walking tour.
SEE
CASTLE HILL & FISHERMAN’S BASTION - This area is beautiful to walk around, especially just before sunset. Grab a cinnamon chimney cake and maybe a glass of wine. Usually you need to pay to walk along the promenade bridge, but after sunset the guard leaves and you can enter for free. One morning I attended mass at St. Matthias Church, which is as gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside. I grew up Catholic but haven’t attended mass for years. It was a wonderful memory to experience something familiar but in a different language. To see regular church goers greet each other and catch a glimpse into their world. They are hold music performances at night in the church. This area is also full of art galleries, little shops to duck into, and restaurants.
CERAMIC TILED BUILDINGS - People say that the city is basically a living museum of some of the most prominent eras of architectural history. You can feel the city’s history with the Romans, Turks, and Germans around every corner.
VISIT THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING - Take a 45-minute tour around this lavish building.
WALK THE JEWISH QUARTER - Learn about the history of this once thriving Jewish community and visit three synagogues.
PLAY
Budapest is full of some of our favorite playgrounds. On the Buda side, there’s Millenaris Park with its colorful wooden structures, Franklin utcai Jatszoter, and Rumini Jatszoter. But the best were the slides at Csuszdapark on Gellert Hill. On the Pest side, we visited ABC Team Playground.
But hands down your kid’s (and your own) favorite place will be Margaret Island! The royal family owned this land before they sold it to the city in 1908. This island in-between both sides of the city is a delight! It’s car-free with trolleys to rent and lawns to relax in. There’s also a mini zoo, fountains that dance to music, and two playgrounds! We loved this one and we totally missed this amazing playground. But our favorite spot was Palatinus Strand Baths. Very different from our visits to other baths in the city, this bath is family friendly and geared towards children. In addition to a large pool to swim in, there’s a wave pool, playground, and water slides. There are still a handful of indoor pools and saunas to enjoy without the kids.
RUN
What a wonderful city to run in! Trent and I both loved running the track around Margaret Island. A 3.6 mile rubber track that is scenic and popular with locals. Trent also made sightseeing lists and would run a loop from landmark to landmark.
TREAT
The number one treat in Budapest: Chimney Cakes or Kurtoskalacs. They come in different flavors but the cinnamon is the best! Looking for a non-sweet treat? Try Langos! They’re known as the local hangover food, but when topped with some grilled red bell peppers, it makes for a delicious snack sans the headache.
DRINK
Budapest is filled with amazing craft beer. We loved IPAs from First Craft Beer. The local grocery stores were filled with great craft beer options as well. I also enjoyed a Froccs, a sparkling wine drink.
Have you been to Budapest? What did you love there?
