15 must-see locations in Budapest, part 1

Hello again everyone!

I really wanted to write this post as, since I visited the city of Budapest about a year ago, I have been totally amazed by it and it has become my favourite European city (out of those that I have visited up till now).

Budapest is known as the pearl of the Danube and it is called that because it is formed by the union of two cities: Buda (to the right of the Danube) and Pest (to the left). Buda is the most historic part, full of medieval and muddy-looking buildings, whilst Pest is more modern, with offices, banks and shops, as well as being the financial centre.

Out of the two, Buda is the most difficult one to access as it is on a kind of hill, but you can go to it by cable car. Whether by foot or by cable car, you cannot miss it because most of the most special and must-see monuments of the city are located in this area.

This city is considered to be one of the cities with the best quality of life in Central and Eastern Europe. Although, the truth is that I remember that it was one of the cities with the most homeless people that I saw on the street, especially in a street that we walked down all the time to go to our apartment, where it was exaggerated.

Now I want to talk to you about the places I recommend that you visit in the city, they are all the ones that I have visited and the truth is that I think that you can't miss out on going to any of these. It is surprising the amount of historical places in the city that have been declared World Heritage Sites.

This is, therefore, why is it so important to dedicate at least 3 or 4 days to visiting this city, in my opinion. Budapest is quite a big city, it is not like other cities in which all the attractions are located in the historic quarter.

To get to know Budapest in-depth, take your time, and the best thing to do is to go around tranquilly. We spent 5 days there, so that I am going to tell you all that I was able to see in this incredible city during those days.

The Parliament of Budapest

This is an excellent monument in the city, therefore it had to be on this list no matter what.

This neo-gothic building was built at the end of the 19th century, and during this time it was the biggest parliament in the world. It is located on the river bank of the Danube which separates Buda and Pest.

The outside is just as incredible as the inside. Although I know this from photographs I've seen, as we didn't go inside and we couldn't enjoy it in first person.

But I recommend that everyone that visits the city pays the entry of 15 euros because it is incredible and you can visit rooms like the Old House of Lords and its incredible main staircase. The entrance includes a guided visit (in fact you cant visit it by yourself) which helps you to understand the history of parliament and its secrets.

If on the other hand, you decide to not go in and just to enjoy it from the outside like we did, then I recommend that you walk along the riverbank of Buda, especially during the evening because the views are incredible, as you can see in this photo.

In this same part of the city, going up to the Fisherman's Bastion (which I will speak to you about in more detail later) you can also get unbeatable views of the parliament and the Danube river.

Another option is to do a kind of cruise along the Danube, and enjoy the city from its waters. We preferred to save our money on the trip and see it from other places on foot.

Shoes on the Danube

This monument is also located on the Danube riverbank, in fact, it is next to the parliament and it commemorates the murder of hundreds of Jewish people who were killed during the Second World War, in 1945, during the Holocaust. Their bodies were thrown from the riverbanks of this river and this is why now they have kept dozens of shoes here. It is known as the Memorial Monument of Budapest.

The truth is that going past of here you get a sickening feeling in your stomach thinking about all of it, but it is also important to keep the memory alive because these events didn't happen that long ago.

The Basilisc of Saint Esteban

This basilisk is the biggest religious temple in the city and it is no more or less than 96 metres high therefore from its dome you have great views of the whole city. To go up to the top you can go by foot or by lift and you have to pay around 2 euros. However, to be able to visit the temple you have to pay more, like 3 euros something.

This building is in neo-classic style and it was built in the middle of the 19th century. It is called this as it was dedicated to Saint Estaban, who was the 1st King of Hungary from the year 1000 to 1038. In fact, inside, you can find the "hand of Saint Esteban", which attracts lots of devout Hungarians and tourists.

When we visited Budapest it was Christmas time, therefore all of the places had a special charm with the Christmas decorations that filled the city. This basilisk, and the square which you can find it, were a clear example of this, as here there was a Christmas market with lots of food stalls, souvenirs, and artisan products... .

Fisherman's Bastion

This is my favourite place in the city without a doubt! As I told you before, it is the perfect place to be able to see the Parliament of Budapest from above.

It is called the Fisherman's Bastion because previously the fishermen of the city had the job of defending its walls from here. Currently, it doesn't have any role, it just works as a viewpoint of the city, as you can see some of the most incredible attractions of the city and of the Danube river.

It is a construction which is full of walls and 7 towers in total. These towers pay homage to the 7 chieftains who founded Hungary.

Matias Church

The same side as the Fisherman's Bastion you can find this pretty church, also known as the Church of Our Lady, and is considered the most important Catholic Church in the city as it is where several Hungarian Kings had their coronations.

I love it due to it's coloured tiles, and the truth is that the stamp of this church joined with the Fisherman's Bastion is magical. It was the place that surprised me the most in the city.

Even though we didn't, you are able to go inside and it is probably just as pretty outside as it is inside.

Gellert Thermal Bath

Budapest is known as the global capital of thermal baths and it is because the city is on top of a tectonic plate, so that in different points hot water comes out which has numerous beneficial properties for health. There are 5 thermal baths in the city but I am going to talk to you about the two most important ones and the ones that I have been lucky enough to try during my visit.

In first place, it is this Thermal Bath's turn, the Gellert Thermal Bath. It was built in 1918 although later it was extended, and it is located inside Hotel Gellert (although to enter it you go through the bath's own entrance). In fact, these baths were built before the hotel which shares the same name.

It's main pool is one of the most famous images of the city, in fact it has been on television adverts, magazines, etc. The truth is that I loved it, with its columns and statues. I felt as if I was bathing in a work of art, and that is actually what it is.

The only gripe I have is that the water isn't as warm in this pool and also you cant go in without a swimming cap, so we were barely in it for 10 minutes before we were thrown out because we hadn't bought one.

Luckily, in the rest of the pool you are allowed to go in with your hair down. These weren't as amazing as the main pool, but at least they had hot water.

There is also a sauna, a massage room, etc. I think that for the massages it is necessary to pay, but for the sauna, you can go in fine with your entrance to the thermal baths. I have never been a very big fan of saunas, therefore shortly after I went in, I had to leave.

For the rest, I 100 per cent recommend visiting this thermal bath as it is a unique experience and the facilities are incredible. The price is kind of hard, you have to pay between 18 and 20 euros.

Bearing in mind that for most of the monuments in the city you have to pay for entry, probably you have to decide to miss out on something to not spend your entire wallet on the trip. Therefore, it is important to bear in mind that there is also another incredible thermal bath in the city that you also have to pay for the entry, so maybe the wisest thing to do is just to choose to go to one. They are quite different experiences, as you will see when I talk about the other one.

Széchenyi Chain Bridge

This bridge is the oldest one in the city, and also the most famous one. And it is not surprising, as especially in the night when it is lit up completely, it is beautiful to cross it and see the Parliament lit up from it as well. The four stone sculptures of the Guardian lions stand out, which you can find at both entrances of the bridge, one on each side.

This was the first bridge that joined the cities of Buda and Pest before both turned into the current city of Budapest. It was built in the year 1849 after two decades of building it, but it was destroyed at the end of the Second World War by the Nazis.

It was then rebuilt and reopened in 1949, just 100 years after its initial construction. Therefore, the bridge that we can see now is not the original one.

There are lots of places from which you can see the bridge, but my personal recommendation is to go for a nighttime walk along the riverbank of Buda and sit down on one of the edges to admire the bridge and the Parliament lit up. We did this on one of our last nights, and although we died of cold, it was incredible to sit there for a bit and admire everything.

This has been everything about Budapest for now! I will talk to you about the rest of the places that you can't miss in this incredible city very soon.

As always, thank you very much for reading!

Photo gallery