1. The Metro is really cool.
Fun fact: Budapest has the oldest electrified underground railway system in Europe. I know this may seem like a weird thing to have made the list, but it really is a cool experience! The stations are tiled in somewhat intricate yet simple tiles with old-world font for each station name. There are old-fashioned wooden cabinets and doors everywhere in the station (not sure where they lead to?), and the metro is very quick and easy. They stations aren’t not super crowded like the ones in New York or LA.
One thing I found interesting about many of the subways in this part of the world is they work on a sort of “honor system”. You buy a ticket from a machine and validate it on one of these really old fashion ticket punchers that puts the date on it. Then you can use that same ticket for the next three or more days for the public transportation but you never have to take it out, show it to anyone, or scan it to get on or off anything. I heard there are undercover ticket patrolers that will ask you to see your ticket or check tickets in the trains every so often, but other than that you never have to dig around to find it.
2. Szechenyi Thermal Baths
This was by far my favorite experience in Budapest and I almost didn’t do it. It’s a little bit of a hike from some of the other main sights of the city and the walkable locations near the river but I’m so glad I made it there at the last minute.
The price is very reasonable to get in and it’s really organized. I was a little worried before going there about how smooth the whole locker room and storing my stuff process would be but it was all for naught! The photos always make this place look really crowded, but it’s so huge that it really didn’t matter. There are baths of different temperatures and activity levels to suit your preferences, but be sure to bring sunblock for hot days because there isn’t much shade at all. Also bring your own towel and some flip flops because the ground is HOT!
I could have spent the entire day here and not gotten bored. It was extremely relaxing despite the amount of people and the surrounding architecture is just beautiful. It is definitely an experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
3. The city is so safe to walk around in.
I traveled solo to Europe for this trip and as a single female traveler this one’s huge for me. I don’t make it a habit to stroll through dark alleys at night in foreign countries, but if I’d wanted to, this would have been the place to do it. I could walk around alone all day in Budapest and not once did I feel uncomfortable, conspicuous, or nervous at all. The streets are clean and I didn’t come across any creeps that accosted me with their eyes or watched me turn corners (which actually happens quite often in other cities I’ve visited). This reason alone puts Budapest at the top of my “favorite European cities” list.
4. The abundance of outdoor cafés are great for people watching.
Okay so this is true of just about any European city, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway. One of my favorite memories of Budapest is sitting at Anna Cafe eating beef and dumplings and watching people walk by enjoying their summer day. There’s just something about summer in Europe that brings everyone into a happier state of mind and makes the world a whole lot more pleasant. Another fun fact: I don’t think you can get an unsweetened iced tea at many places in Europe. Every time I ordered one I ended up with something akin to a lemon flavored Fuze in a bottle and filled with sugar.
5. There are so many cool ruin pubs and character-filled bars.
One of my favorites was Red Ruin, a communist themed bar tucked away on a side street in the central part of the city. It’s a small place and is filled with cool historic beer bottles and posters depicting the communist era. The service is friendly and when I asked for a recommendation for a local craft beer the bartender very kindly provided me with a “local” Irish beer called Limerick. It was delicious nevertheless. It’s a great place to hang with friends and even meet a few fellow travelers (apparently there were 3 separate tourists from Michigan there that same day?! What are the odds?).
6. Take in the views at the Fisherman’s Bastion.
This one’s a classic, but definitely had to be on the list regardless. I stayed on the “Pest” side of the city (I recommend this because there’s more here in terms of restaurants and hangout spots), but the “Buda” side is an easy and scenic walk across Liberty Bridge. Fisherman’s Bastion is at the top of a hill on the Buda side and has a beautiful view across the river of the Parliament Building and the rest of the city. I’d recommend going early in the day to avoid the heat and the crowds–might make it easier to get a picture without someone else in the background!
7. Gelarto Rosa
This quick little detour was definitely something different. You’ll find delicious gelato stands all over the city, but none quite like this. Here you’ll find delicious gelato (with some pretty unique flavors like white chocolate lavendar and green tea) that is crafted into a piece of edible art that looks like a rose! The prices are very reasonable and even though the line looked a bit long, it was very quick.
I did visit the House of Terror, which is usually high on many travel guides lists of things to do in Budapest. It is a very nice museum with some quite interesting areas, but my honest feedback is that it is mostly videos / TV screens in every room. To me, if I wanted to watch TV I’d do it at home. I was looking forward to some more tangible artifacts and exhibits but didn’t really find them here.
If I’d had more time in Budapest, some of the other things I would have visited would have been:
Budapest Grand Market Hall: I know! How did I NOT go here?! Well, I can explain… I was scheduled to depart on a river cruise on Monday and the itinerary of the cruise said we’d be taking a tour that visited the market. However, the market is closed on Mondays! So keep this in mind when ironing out your travel plans and make sure you visit on a different day of the week so you don’t miss out.
Rustico Restaurant: I walked by here one afternoon and they had the most beautiful music being played by a violinist. The decor is really cool and eclectic and they serve traditional Hungarian food. Definitely looks like a place worth checking out.
1000 Tea: There are apparently some really cool tea houses in Budapest and I saw this one tucked back in a courtyard full of greenery and fun lanterns in a popular part of the city.
Budapest Cave Church: This is somewhat away from most of the other attractions in the city so would be a cool place to take the time to see if you really have a lot of time in Budapest. The pictures look really unique and I’m sure it’d be a great place to snap a couple shots.
The New York Cafe: It’s arguably one of the most beautiful cafes in the world and is located in a historic hotel in Budapest. It would be fun to get dressed up and get a coffee one afternoon with a friend!
That’s all I have on Budapest for now! And yet again, I’m left trying to concoct an excuse to go back so I can check these other items off my “to do in Budapest” list. However, I think I did pretty good at seeing a ton during the short time I had this time around.
Happy Travels,
CAITLYN WITHOUT A COMPASS
Consider also checking out Munich: 5 Attractions You Don’t Want to Miss if you’re heading to Europe soon!
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