Experience in Budapest, Hungary by András

What is it like to live in Budapest? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Personally I like living in Budapest very much, as the city has a long and rich history and culture, but is also a trendy and modern place, full of young people and tourists from all over the world. It is not called "the Queen of the Danube" for nothing, I think the architecture and the ladscape itself, with the river cutting the city in two is really special and beautiful. You will run into history at every corner but will also have the feeling that you are in a modern metropolis.

What is the student lifestyle like in Budapest?

As there are a lot of universities in the city that welcome a high number of exchange students, it is quite great, it is super easy to run into students or young people in general when visiting a pub or club.

How much does it cost to live in Budapest?

The city is considerably cheaper in all aspects than western or northern european cities.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Budapest? Is there any advice you can give?

Exchange students usually do not complain about that, there is student housing available, and appartments to rent as well, I think one can find accomodation for a normal price without too much trouble.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Hungarian cuisine is very spicy and has a lot of "heavy" dishes that contain a lot of meat and may not be ideal from a fitness aspect, but they are super tasty and worth trying. The "goulash" got famous abroad as well, but there are tons of other dishes out there, such as the fish soup ("halászlé"), prepared with insane ammounts of paprika, or the "pörkölt" that is a form of delicious stew prepared from pork or beef in general. So go for it, but careful, its easy to put on weight when eating the hungarian way.
Also, Hungary has an old and rich wine culture and more and more hungarian wines are getting international prizes, it is definitely worth trying as well.

What places would you recommend visiting in Budapest?

Apart from the usual tourist attractions that will be obvious from the first moment (palace, parliament, Square of Heroes etc.), the inner districts of the "Pest" side of the river are home to the famous "ruin pubs" that have a very special athmosphere and are almost always full of people. These places are usually in old residential buildings that have been modified to accomodate a large-size pub or club, decorated in a rather special way (modern art combined with objects from the socialist past of the country etc.), it is something you will not really find anywhere else.

Is it good to eat out in Budapest? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

There are a lot of good places, I would mention "Menza" that is centrally located and has a very good mix of hungarian and international dishes. It is also a trendy and popular place with a modern and elegant interior. It is a personal favourite of mine, as well as the mexican restaurant, named "Iguana".

Is the nightlife good in Budapest? Where is good to go?

Budapest has a really good nightlife especially starting with thursday and during the weekends. My favourite places are the ruin pubs called "Szimpla" "Instant" and "Doboz" these are quite close to one another. Another great place is called "Akvárium" that is something between a club, a pub and a cultural space. Apart from these, there are pubs and clubs on every corner in the central areas of the city.

What advice would you give future students heading to Budapest?

Don't be afraid if you get the impression that a lot of hungarians do not smile a lot. They sometimes tend to look serious and troubled but do not judge by that, once you talk to them most if them will be kind and happy to help you. Expect language difficulties when trying to communicate with older people, it is not typical for those generations to speak english, instead, a little knowledge of german or russian can help you get yourself understood. Young people speak english in general, and also, a lot of people will speak some level of german.
Another thing: if you do not have any particular business there, do not go wandering aimlessly around District VIII in the late hours. It is not outright dangerous but is not considered the best part of the city. If you're a student, you will not have much to do there anyway.