The Hungarian capital city of Budapest is considered to be the Paris of the East.

It is a vibrant city full of amazing history, culture, breathtaking architecture and the latest fashions. It is also a center of Haute cuisine and amazing rooftop establishments.

The city is split between both sides of the famous Danube River with Buda being up on the hillsides of the West bank and Pest being on the lower East embankment of the river. Some of the most iconic landmarks include the Hungarian Parliament Building, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the National Opera House, Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, the National Market, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge as well as many others.

There are also four very prominent bridges connecting both sides of the city. These include the Margaret Bridge, the very famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the Elisabeth Bridge and finally the Liberty Bridge next to the National Market. The Margaret Bridge connects both sides of the city as well as being the link to Margaret Island which hosts beautiful rose gardens, rolling fields of grass and trees to relax under and even a small zoo. The island also includes large aquatic facilities, walking paths and many fountains making it a beautiful place to take a break in the afternoon.

A few more points of interest include Heroes’ Square, the lookout over the city at the Citadella, the House of Terror, Vajdahunyad Castle as well as the famous Gellért Thermal Baths and Széchenyi Thermal Baths.

If you are only able to spend a few days in this magnificent city, the best option is to split your time by day on each side of the river, spending an entire day on the Buda side as well as another on the Pest. If you are lucky enough to have more time in this city, there are endless amounts of interesting things to see and do.

Our adventure began arriving in the late afternoon to our friend’s home in the 8th district. After catching up, we headed out on a relatively short walk past the beautifully lit Szent József church along Baross utca (street), down past the superb Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library and toward the East bank of the Danube. As the city lights came on after the sunset we proceeded from the small park, Fovám tér next to the Liberty Bridge, and proceeded North along the bank of the Danube. The great thing along this section of the river is that the bank consists of stone stairs leading down to the waters edge which make for a great spot to sit down and relax and take it all in. It also provides countless compositions for some great photography!

Day 1

Our first full day in Budapest consisted of exploring the Pest side of the city. The highlights included the National Market, walking along the famous Váci Street known for world class shopping, from the market North past the infamous Gerbeaud Café and Budapest Eye and to our first stop at St. Stephen’s Basilica. There are a few different tour options at this breathtaking church, but we elected to tour both the inside as well as walk up the 364 stairs to the outdoor terrace of the main dome for panoramic views of the entire city. It was a highlight of our time in Budapest!

*St. Stephen’s Basilica - Southern Clock Tower*

After touring St. Stephen’s, we proceeded up through Szabadság Square hosting both the US Embassy as well as the only remaining Soviet monument left in the city. From the square we walked one block to the Hungarian Parliament Building. This iconic building has to be one of the most photographed government buildings across Europe. It’s architecture is awe inspiring and the best compositions of this building are actually from across the Danube on the Buda side either during sunrise or sunset.

We lunched that day in the 13th district at a small but superb restaurant called Pozsonyi Kisvendeglo at the intersection of Pozsonyi út & Radnóti Miklós utca. After lunch there were many great little spots for an ice cream or other Hungarian treat along the small park, Jászai Mari Tér, at the East end of the Margaret Bridge.

We proceeded half way across the Margaret Bridge and headed North into Margaret Island. The island is reminiscent of any of the famous parks in Paris or London or New York with the exception that this one is an island. Giant trees and green grassy fields abound with countless walking paths making it an extremely enjoyable place for a stroll. About half way up the island, we spent a short time walking through the small zoo then proceeded just outside to the rose garden in the center of the island. This was a fantastic place to take a seat in the grass and relax in the late afternoon sun with many locals and visitors alike enjoying the beautiful day.

Upon leaving Margaret Island, we caught the local transportation to the Oktogon station which intersects with two major boulevards in the city, Teréz körút & Andrássy út. This is a major thoroughfare in the city and many highlights on the Pest side may be reached from this station. Both bus and subway services reach this area.

From the Oktogon station, we walked Northeast along Andrássy út past the House of Terror museum, which contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist regimes of 20th-century Hungary. We proceed along the avenue up to Heroes’ Square. If you are in need to some espresso at this point in your journey, the Grancaffe Italian Corner has great espresso and coffee. Heroes’ Square is one of the major squares in Budapest and includes Hungary’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a sight to behold and not to be missed.

Behind Heroes’ Square, you enter the large park of Városliget which contains both the Széchenyi Thermal Baths as well as the Vajdahunyad Vára or castle. There are many activities and restaurants in this area to be enjoyed should you want to spend some time exploring the area.

After spending some time at the park, we caught the subway underneath Andrássy út back to the Oktogon station and then walked Southwest along Andrássy út to the Hungarian Opera House. This building is a marvel of architecture and a true gem of this city. I only wish we had the time to take in a show at this historic and magnificent building.

Our first day came to a close with a walk past the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in all of Europe. As the sun set and the day turned to night, we once again strolled along the East bank of the Danube and enjoyed this beautiful city.

Day 2

New York Palace Café - our second day in the city began at this very famous cafe situated at Dohány utca & Erzsébet körút. This cafe has become very famous over the past few years due to social media. It boasts a beautiful Italian Renaissance-style decor. However, our party found the quality of espresso and small bites to be less than great. Stop here to take in the sheer beauty of the room and the lobby of the hotel, but don’t expect the best coffee in town. It’s a great spot for the photographs.

From the cafe, we took off and headed across the Danube to spend our second day in the Buda side of the city. We crossed the Liberty Bridge and passed the famous Gellért Baths, a stop I hope we can spend some time at during our next visit. We proceeded North along the West bank of the Danube past one of my favorite little gems along the river at 16 Várkert rakpart. This row of buildings hosts a neat 5-story building that is only one room wide on all five levels. It was a neat discovery and made for a great architectural image.

We proceeded up the stairs at the Várkert Bazár and made our way up the long staircase to the Buda Castle high atop Castle Hill overlooking the Pest side of the city. The Buda Castle plays host to both the National Gallery as well as the National History museum. One could likely spend a number of days in this gigantic building alone seeing all it has on display. We chose to watch the changing of the guards next door at the Presidential Palace situated high above the Chain Bridge below.

Just North of the castle, occupying the remainder of Castle Hill, are a number of tiny streets containing the famous Fisherman’s Bastion & Matthias Church with its beautifully ornate tiled roof. It is a delightful area to stroll along the streets that make up Castle Hill. There are many beautiful door fronts and homes along the back streets in this area of the city. Plaques adorn many of the entry ways of buildings showcasing famous residents and visitors such as Franz Liszt. Another gem in this area is the Budavár Tower at the North end of the hilltop. For great views of the city, be sure to climb to the top of the tower!

Another great option to view the hills of the Buda side of the city is to walk to the West edge of Castle Hill and walk along Tóth Árpád sétány. This is a great brick walkway with numerous viewpoints looking West across the city and hills.

A few blocks East of the Budavár Tower lies the Vienna Gate. This is the Northern entry/exit point from Castle Hill leading back to the outside of the original castle hill walls. A number of streets and walking paths will lead you back down the hill to the West bank of the Danube River. We had lunch that day at a small restaurant on the edge of Batthyany Square on which the beautiful Church of St. Anne sits.

For one of the best sunset vantage points in town, take a taxi or walk up the Citadella. This hilltop features the Liberty Statue as well as one of the best views of the city from the highest hilltop. We did the long walk up to the top of the Citadella through the Garden of Philosophy which is a lovely park with its own lookouts over the city. Climb higher through the park and surrounding neighborhood and you eventually reach the pinnacle of this great hill. The views include three of the main bridges along the Danube, Buda Castle, the Parliament building, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Budapest Eye and the surrounding city as far as the eye can see. It was an absolute treat being there for sunset and the twilight hour.

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