Budapest is a must-see city in Europe. As Hungary’s capital, Budapest is bisected by the Danube River with the hilly district being Buda and the flat side being Pest.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool
After having a busy day of exploring Budapest there is no better way to relax than in the Széchenyi thermal baths and swimming pools which is one of Europe’s largest spa complexes. There are 21 different pools and all are different temperatures ranging from very warm to FREEZING cold. Apparently sitting in freezing cold water is good for you, I lasted about 1 minute. Along with the variety of baths and pools you can relax in, there are also saunas to sweat out all your body’s toxins if you wish.
Pizza and Beer Boat Tour
If you are on a budget and traveling through Budapest, this tour is a must! For ~32 usd you get a scenic boat tour, a personal pizza (I hope you are hungry in Hungary!), and unlimited beer and/or soft drinks! It was awesome to see Budapest from the water, plus we got a meal and beer. There are different pizzas to choose from and we of course chose the Hungarian Pizza (an obvious choice while in Hungary) and the Ham and Corn Pizza. It was no deep dish pizza from Chicago, but still delicious! The boat tour is ~75 minutes and you get to see a lot of the sights Budapest is known for such as their parliament building, castle district, and the chain bridge.
Szimpla Kertmozi
This pub is hard to describe and the best way I can put it is that it is a bunch of random and mismatched items that create awesomeness. It has an fun vibe with music, food, and drinks! It just one of those places that you have to go see for yourself.
Hiking Gellért Hill
Yes, you can drive or take a bus up to the top of Gellért Hill, but hiking up to it is a way better experience and of course cheaper if you are on a budget. Gellért Hill was named after bishop Gellért who was actually thrown to his death from the hill during a fight against Christianity in 1046. His statue is on the hill and you are able to hike up to see his statue which is a great resting stop before heading all the way to the top. Along the way and at the top, you get beautiful panoramic views of Budapest over the river at every lookout point. At the top of the hill is the Citadel (a fortress) and Budapest’s Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was erected to commemorate the liberation from the Nazis. After the hike you can reward yourself with a beer from the beer cart at the top 🙂 There are many other things to see while hiking the hill such as the famous Gellért baths, parks, and even a church that is built in to the caves within the hill.
Other sights to see in Budapest
Parliament building: This is one of my all time favorite buildings in Europe. It’s massive and the architecture is out of this world. Plus, it is right along the river.
Shoes on the Danube: This memorial is also along the river and is sad yet moving. The Shoes on Danube memorial is for the people who were killed by militiamen in Budapest during WWII. People were ordered to take off their shoes and then were shot along the river so that their bodies fell in to the river. The Shoes on Danube are near the parliament building so you can see that as well!
Buda Castle and the castle district: The whole district is beautiful and it is great to walk around and explore. The castle district is also up a large hill (they weren’t lying when they said Buda is hilly), but at the top you overlook Pest and it is all worth the burning legs.
Budapest..more like BudaBEST! Go visit!
