Experience in Budapest, Hungary by Dora

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

The city has so many different faces: there are a lot of historical and architectural sights to see and we have really good museums as well. If you are into culture, you can meet your expectations here! If you want to relax or recover there are excellent spas and thermal baths and we have some great green spaces (Margaret island, Kopasz gát) where you can chill out. Budapest has an alternative/bohemian/underground face because there are a lot of ruin pubs, design galleries and shops.

What is the student lifestyle like in Budapest?

Budapest is a good city for university students because the four main universities (Corvinus University of Budapest, University of Medicine, Eötvös Lorand University and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics) are located in or near to the city centre. Each university has its own well-equipped library but we also have The Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library which is a Central Library in the city centre. It is huge and the building is beautiful, the inside looks like a royal palace so it is very special to study for your exams there. We also have a lot of cafés, pubs and cheap restaurants in Budapest which are important factors for students.

How much does it cost to live in Budapest?

It depends on your lifestyle but for a foreign student it would cost 150,000 HUF per month. This is to cover costs of utilities, meals, city transportation, instructional materials, some personal expenses and minor incidentals.

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

If you come as an exchange student, you should start to find accomodation few months before your arrival. For example, if you start in september, you should start searching in July or at the beginning of August.

Unfortunately, most of our universities can't provide places in dormitories.

This is a website where you can search for student accomodations: http://roommatesbudapest.com/

If you come as a tourist, you can find really cheap but still good hostels. I would recommend the Wombat hostel or Marco Polo hostel but here is a good article about hostels in Budapest: http://welovebudapest.com/en/hotels-accomodation/articles/2012/10/10/the-best-hostels-of-budapest

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

The traditional Hungarian couisine is spicy and greasy, I have to admit I am not a big fan of it. However, we have some famous Hungarian dishes that you shouldn't miss: Gulyás soup, Chickenpaprikás, Hortobágyi pancakes, Töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage) and of course the desserts and sweet treats such as Gundel-style pancake, Dobos Cake, Kürtőskalács (Stove cake or Chimney cake), Túró Rudi, Somlói galuska (Somló-style Sponge Cake). You should also try Lángos, which is a deep fried flat bread usually topped with sour cream and grated cheese, sometimes ham, or sausages, rubbed with garlic or garlic butter, or doused with garlic water.

In the last few years we had a "street-food revolution" in Budapest, and now there are some pretty good places to eat. We have soup-bars, thai restaurants, pasta restaurants and some good sandwich places as well.

What places would you recommend visiting in Budapest?

There are so many things to see and do in Budapest, it really depends on your own preferences. Regarding the " must-see" sights, I would recommend: the Buda Castle and the castle district, including the Matthias church and the Fisherman's Bastion. You shouln't miss the Chain bridge, the Gellért hill, the Central Market and the Danube promenade. And there is the beautiful Parliament, the Andrássy Avenue and the Opera, the Heroe's square, the City Park with the Vajdahunyad castle. If you have more time, you should visit a spa and some of the museums (ex. : House of Terror). When the weather is good, you can have a picnic on the Margaret island or go hiking in the mountains since the city is surrounded by the Buda mountains. You can also visit the zoo or just walk around in the city centre.

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

My favourite places to eat out in Budapest:

Cserpes Tejivó (Cserpes Milkbar) - they sell pastries, sandwiches, salads and dairy products (yogurts, cheese, milkshakes, cottage cheese) which don't contain artificial additives. It is a good place for a breakfast, for a light lunch or dinner.

Leves - this a soup bar located near to my university. Every day they offer 4-5 different kind of soups and paninis. It is only a take-away restaurant, you get your soup in very cool cups.

Parázs Presszó - this is a good thai restaurant, you can get good soups, curry and thai dishes there. They have 3 locations, the best one is in the Jókai Street.

Pad Thai Wok bar - another thai restaurant where you can create your own pad thai combination from the listes ingredients.

Vapiano - the famous chain restaurant with its delicious pastas, pizzas and salads. One of the restaurants is located in the very middle of the city center.

Hummusbar - if you are all about the hummus and falafel, you should try one of these restaurants.

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

The nightlife is good in Budapest although we prefer going to a pub instead of visiting a club. You have to try the famous ruin pubs: Szimplakert, Instant, Grandio, FügeUdvar.

There are also some good party places: Ötkert, Corvintető, Doboz, Urimuri.

During the summer we usually have drinks at Deak Ferenc Square or at the riverside.

What advice would you give future students heading to Budapest?

You should definitely come to Budapest even if you don't know much about the city or about Hungary! The city is an amazing mixture of old and modern, traditional and bohemian lifestyle. It is relatively cheap, there are a lot of things to see and do. We are located in the middle of Eastern Europe so you can travel from Budapest and visit a lot of other cities. In this link you can find a video of Budapest.