Budapest
Budapest is the enormous capital of Hungary and a real delight for first-time visitors. Known as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, Budapest has a charming and fairly compact center that makes it easy to visit on foot. The city is actually divided into two halves by the Danube with Buda on the west and Pest on the east. English isn’t widely spoken, but most things travelers will need can be performed easily enough in English anyway.
What To Do
On the Pest side you’ll find the downtown, which features the stunning and huge parliament building. It was designed to resemble the English Parliament building but is slightly longer and wider (on purpose). Organized tours are given most days. The House of Terror is in the former secret police headquarters and documents the dark periods under both Nazi and then communist rule.
The Buda side contains Castle Hill, which features a variety of museums including the Hungarian National Gallery housed in the former Royal Palace -- a well-regarded collection of paintings dating back to the 10th Century. The Fisherman’s Bastion is also housed in the Royal Palace and is a great place for views of the Danube and the whole city beneath you.
Getting There
With its location in Central Europe Budapest is a great place to visit by train, particularly for Eurail Pass holders. If coming from more than a country away you’ll want to book a flight into Budapest’s Ferihegy International Airport (code: BUD). It’s a large airport and recent competition from the low cost carriers has helped keep prices reasonable.
Where To Stay
There are plenty of hostels in Budapest and obviously loads of hotels as well. The city as a whole is fairly spread out so it might be worth it to choose a place near the things you most want to see rather than save a bit of money and spending half your day going back and forth.
Attractions in Budapest
Address: 1014 Budapest, I. kerület, Várnegyed
Buda Castle is the former home of Hungarian royalty and is also known as the Royal Palace or the Royal Castle. It sits atop Castle Hill in Budapest and dates from the 14th century, but during various parts of its history the castle was used as a storehouse, stable and barracks in addition to being a palace. Additionally, the various buildings which have stood on the present-day castle grounds were often destroyed or gutted, and it's only due to sheer luck that anything of the 14th century structures remain. Extensive reconstruction and renovation have taken place over the last several decades.
The buildings of Buda Castle are now home to several museums and exhibits, including the restored medieval Royal Chapel, underground dungeons, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Historical Museum of Budapest which occupies more than four floors. The outside of the castle area affords great views of the city even if you don't go inside.
Hours: Vary depending on museum/exhibit, but the castle grounds hours are:
April 15-October 15 - Daily, 06:00-24:00
October 16-April 14 - Daily, 06:00-22:00
Admission: Varies depending on the museum/exhibit
Address: Chain Bridge Budapest
Any city split by a river is bound to have famous bridges, and Budapest is no exception. Perhaps the best known is the Széchenyi lánchíd, or the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. It's a suspension bridge spanning the Danube River which connects Buda and Pest, and has the distinction of being the first permanent bridge crossing the Danube in Budapest. The Chain Bridge was opened in 1849.
On the Pest side of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge you'll find Roosevelt Square and Gresham Palace, and on the Buda side you'll find Adam Clark Square and one end of the Castle Hill Funicular. At the time of the bridge's construction, it was one of the longest in the world and it was considered one of the world's great wonders. The bridge was renovated to strengthen the steel in 1914, and then rebuilt after sustaining damage in World War II. Reconstruction was complete 100 years after the bridge was first opened, in 1949.
The Chain Bridge is not your average suspension bridge, and gets its name from the suspension cables being made of chains. Along with the other bridges in Budapest, it helps makes walks along or cruises on the Danube River extremely pretty.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
Address: Fisherman's Bastion, Castle Hill, Budapest
When a terrace has a name and is a popular tourist destination, you know the views are going to be good. On Budapest's Castle Hill, the terrace known as Fisherman's Bastion overlooks the Danube River and offers fantastic city views. The lookout terrace and white tower was built from 1892 to 1902 in a neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style, and it's more than just a viewpoint - the surroundings are quite photogenic.
Fisherman's Bastion supposedly gets its name from the fact that this particular area of Castle Hill was under the guard of a guild of fishermen who were responsible for defending it during the Middle Ages - although the truth of this legend is questioned. The viewing area is near the lovely Matthias Church, and there is an equestrian statue of Stephen I of Hungary between the church and the terrace which is also worth noting.
The towers, paths and viewing terraces of Fisherman's Bastion tend to be crowded during the busy summer tourist season, but if you can worm your way to an unobstructed view you will be well rewarded.
Hours: Outdoor viewing areas - always open
Admission: In tourist season, sometimes a small charge to climb to the top; in low season, generally no charge
Address: H-1055 Budapest, Kossuth tér 1-3.
The Hungarian Parliament Building is an ornate structure on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest, and is both the home of the Hungarian National Assembly and also a popular tourist attraction. The building itself was under construction from 1885 to 1904.
Some of the distinctive features of the Parliament Building include its stained glass and glass mosaic paintings, grand staircase at the entrance, statues of Hungarian and Transylvanian leaders on the facade and the sixteen-sided central hall - the National Assembly meets in one of the chambers connected to this oddly-shaped room. You'll notice that the main facade faces the river, but the main entrance is actually via the square on the other side of the building.
Visitors are welcome to tour the Parliament Building whenever Parliament is not in session, and tours are held in several languages throughout the day. Check with the ticket office (located at Gate X on Kossuth Square) to see the schedule for guided tours.
Hours:
Tourism Department - Monday-Tuesday, 08:00-16:30; Friday, 08:00-14:00
Ticket Office - Monday-Friday, 08:00-18:00; Saturday, 08:00-16:00; Sunday, 08:00-14:00
Parliament House is closed on Hungarian public holidays - January 1, March 15, Easter Sunday, May 28, Whit Monday, August 20, October 23, November 1, December 24-26
Admission: For guided tours: Adults - 2,520 Ft; Students - 1,260 Ft; EU citizens visit for free with proof of nationality
Address: St. Istvan ter, Budapest 1051
St. Stephen's Basilica is named for Hungary's first king, Stephen I, and is home to the country's most treasured relic - the mummified hand of King Stephen I. It is precisely this saintly relic which elevates this church from an ordinary cathedral to a basilica - if you see the word "basilica" on a church, you know they've got some piece of a saint inside.
Built from 1851-1905, St. Stephen's Basilica matches the height of the Parliament Building at 96 meters and is the largest church in Budapest. Estimates are that between 7,000-8,000 people can fit inside at one time. Some say it is second only to St. Peter's in Vatican City in sheer size. It took more than 50 years to complete the construction largely because the original dome collapsed in 1868, necessitating a complete rebuild after demolishing what had been done to that point.
Visiting St. Stephen's Basilica is free, although the trip up into the dome (by a combination of elevator and stairs) will cost you a small fee. You will be rewarded for the expense with stunning views of Budapest. Guided tours of the basilica are available throughout the day in several languages - check with the ticket office for the day's schedule.
Hours: Basilica - Daily, 09:00-17:00; 10:00-16:00 in winter; Viewing platform - only open from April 1-October 31
Admission: Guided tour - 1600 Ft. (1100 Ft. without going up into the viewing platform); 800 Ft. for retired people and students (400 Ft. without going up into the viewing platform)
Viewing platform above the cupola - 400 Ft.
Study Abroad With CSA
Center For Study Abroad
For more Budapest travel information, be sure to check out BootsnAll's Budapest Travel Guide.
