10 must sees in Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a famous destination for a city trip. During my city trip to the city, I discovered many beautiful sights which are definitely worth a visit. It was high season, so the weather was fantastic and that is why most of the sights we explored by foot. In this article I will give you 10 must sees in the capital of Hungary.

The market hall

Close to the Elisabeth bridge, you can find the market hall of Budapest. From the outside it already is a very old and unique building. On the inside you first have all kinds of food stands. You can buy anything and try a lot of Hungarian sweets and food. On the first floor, you can find a lot of stands for souvenirs and Hungarian clothes. The market hall has a nice atmosphere and it nice to walk around.

The Jewish shoes

On the Danube quay, close to the Chain bridge, you can find a memorial for the Jewish people who died in World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank. It is a very impressive memorial.

Castle district

On the Boeda side of the city, there is a hill with some huge castles which look very, very pretty from the other side of the Danube. I have heard that the fisher’s bastion is definitely worth a visit, but unfortunately I did not visit this one. On the other hand, I did visit the Buda castle, which is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It is a very beautiful castle and on top of it, you can have some beautiful views over the city. Furthermore, the castle features a nice garden. You can walk for free around the castle and through the gardens. I did not go inside of the castle, but I think you had to pay an entrance fee for walking around in the castle.

The Danube

I think there is a real small chance to miss this one, but also definitely worth a visit: the Danube. From where ever you are at the Danube, you have some nice views to the other side of the river. Also, the bridges are very beautiful to walk over. In the middle of the city, you have the Chain bridge, the Liberty bridge and the Elisabeth bridge. Personally, I found the last one the most beautiful one as well, but the Chain bridge is actually the most famous bridge of Budapest. Something I did not have time for, but some people recommended to me, is doing a boat trip by night on the Danube. You should have some beautiful views around the city by that time on the boat and it is a beautiful experience.

Gellért hill

This is a hill in the Boeda part of the city. It is located between the Liberty bridge and the Elisabeth bridge. You can walk yourself upwards and enjoy a breath taking view over the city. At the top of the hill you can also find the Citadella, which is the fortification of Budapest.

Jewish quarter

The Jewish quarter and the former Jewish ‘ghetto’ of Budapest is located just a little behind the Vaci street. There are possibilities to discover this quarter by a special tour, but we just went there ourselves. The quarter features a beautiful synagogue with nice architecture. When you walk through the quarter, you will find a lot of old, fascinating buildings and memorials. It is very impressive and definitely worth a visit.

Vaci street

This is the main street of Budapest and here you can also find all the shops and some eateries. Our hotel was located in the middle of this street, so we just had to walk out of our hotel and we were in the city centre! How ideal. During the day it can be very busy, but you should not been missing it during a trip to Budapest. The street features some nice shops. Furthermore, I have eaten a few times in the Vaci street and each time it was very nice and not that expensive (something you would expect in the main street). Here you can also find the Hard rock Café and at the end of the street a square with more shops and eateries. In the evening it is nice to drink something on the square, because by night it has a very cosy ambiance.

Thermal bath

Definitely one of the must do’s of Budapest. The city is well-known for its many thermal baths and the most famous one is Széchenyi thermal bath. This bath is also the biggest one of Europe. A lot of tourists and locals come here to enjoy a nice bath and to relax. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to enjoy a bath, so that means I have to go back one time for sure! 🙂

Raday street

One of my favourite streets of Budapest! A very small street with lots of eateries and cafes with cosy terraces and a nice ambiance. In most of the eateries, you can try out some typical Hungarian dishes. We ate here for two days and we enjoyed it both times. The Raday street is close to the market hall.

Parliament building

For me personally, this was the most beautiful building of the city. The parliament is close to the Chain Bridge and the Jewish shoes, but you can see it as well from a large distance. If you are, by example, on the other side of the Danube and close to the castle hill, you can have a look at the parliament and take some breath taking photos. It is just a stunning, huge building which is definitely worth a view from where ever.

Conclusion

These were the ten must sees in Budapest. Of course there are so many more beautiful places in Budapest you definitely have to visit. Unfortunately, during my city trip I did not have enough time to visit everything, but I would like to go back someday and explore more of the city.

Are you getting excited for booking a trip to Budapest? You can also read my personal travel story about my days in Budapest in this article (part one) and this one (part two).

Author: Tamara

This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.

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