For a cheaper and less crowded alternative to the eastern European capitals (think Paris, Rome, Barcelona, etc), Budapest is perfect. Of course, you probably didn't learn Hungarian in school and I'm sure you were excited to incorrectly pronounce arrivederci or hasta luego, but pretty much everyone speaks English so the only thing you have to be intimidated about with the language is the way it sounds, not how to use it. Budapest was under communist rule until around 1990, which makes for some interesting stories, museums, and architecture. Here are some recommendations for what to do:
1. Take a bath
Baths are big in Budapest; the two most prominent ones are the gellert and the szechenyi baths. I unfortunately don't have any pictures inside the baths as I didn't want to be ~that~ American that's taking pictures while people are trying to relax/bathe. All the baths have relatively similar characteristics, but the Gellert baths are notable for the section 17th century authentic Turkish bath and the outdoor bath that has views of the river and the onlooking cliffs. Bath features include saunas, steam rooms, random strangers, contrast rooms, hot tubs, swiss showers, salt rooms, and more. Be careful about which day you go, though, because some baths only allow both genders on weekends and alternate genders during the week. Gotta love that classic sexism.
2. Go to the castle district & fisherman's bastion
The castle district is on the Buda side (West of the Danube) and is elevated above the city. To get there you can walk (it's a hike though), take a bus, or take a cable car. Once you get there you can walk around to admire fisherman's bastion (see the photo of the arches) or the gothic style cathedral.
3. Take a river cruise
I loved the river cruise we took because it allowed us to see a lot more of the city in a short amount of time, including a head on look of the iconic Parliament building. If you're the tour bus type (I'm not, but you do you) I would definitely reccomend a cruise over a bus for Budapest.
4. Hike up to the liberty statue
The photo on the left is the view of the statue on the hill from the river, and the others are views from the top.
I'm not misspeaking when I say that this is a hike. If you're not one of the old people taking the shortcut using a bus, it takes some effort to reach the top. Make sure you bring water, because they'll gauge you for it at the top (5 euros for a bottle of nasty sparkling water is not acceptable, excuse me). But, if you're up for the hike, you'll see that the path winds around the hill, giving a variety of good angles on the city which is pretty scenic. Regardless of how you get up there, make sure you get to the top of the Gellert Hill to see the liberty statue. It was originally constructed as a monument to the soviet liberation of Hungary, but as sentiments changed it's become a statue for all those who have fought for Hungarian freedom.
5. Check out the Vajdahunyad castle
The Vajdahunyad castle is in a sprawling park next to the Szechenyi Baths, so it's the perfect place to relax for a day. The baths are usually busy, but the park and the area surrounding the castle aren't really crowded, so you can take a lot of unobstructed pics (you can pretend that that's not what you're looking for with sightseeing, but you'd be a dirty liar. Let's be honest here).
6. Go to the Hungarian National Museum
Like I said before, Hungary has a very interesting history of occupation with the Soviets and others, which makes their history museum worth visiting.
7. Walk Through the House of Terror Museum
A monument to those who were held captive or lost their lives within that very building. If you enjoyed the Hungarian National Museum, here you can learn more about the 2 regimes that inflicted terror in Budapest.
8. The Labyrinth
Right around the corner from fisherman's bastion, you can find the labyrinth of buda castle. This is a dark, underground labyrinth that challenges you to find the way out. As someone who has never enjoyed the dark, my ass was out of there pretty quick, but my brother thoroughly enjoyed wandering the halls in search of mystery and maybe other people. For someone who might not be a big fan of the dark or smallish spaces, definitely don't pay the price. But this is perfect for an adventure seeker who's looking for a good thrill.
What was your favorite attraction in Budapest? Add your comments below and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest @WeaveThroughTheWorld for more!
PS: it's pronounced Budapesht, not Budapest.
