Another of our large family holidays found us heading to Budapest. And, as usual, we only had 4 days to spend there. So, we needed to find out the best things to do in Budapest.
I must confess that I didn’t really know too much about Budapest before we went. Other than watching a Rick Steve’s video. I knew that it had been part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and I knew that it had been occupied by the Soviets after World War Two.
Other than that, we were largely going in blind.
Initial Impressions
We drove into Budapest after spending 4 days in Saltzburg. And I have to say, that that probably didn’t help with my initial impressions.
Austria had what looked to be lush fields and landscapes. Almost as soon as we got across the border, the landscape changed. Somehow the fields looked like they weren’t tended as well as they could be, and everything looked much drier.
Even the border crossing, which is no longer in use, was in a state of disrepair. Unfortunately, it played right into the stereotype of an old abandoned Soviet government building.
The driving wasn’t too bad. A little hectic when we got into the city centre, but we had Google maps so that took care of the navigation. We had booked accommodation out in the suburbs, and it was easy enough to find.
Getting Around
You can certainly use a car to get around the city, but as it was unfamiliar to us we opted to use public transport instead.
This proved an interesting challenge to start with. We knew which bus to catch, and when it turned up, we piled on. Unfortunately, the driver wouldn’t take any money from us.
Now this might sound like a great way to travel cheap, but there were signs all over the bus warning of the consequences of traveling without a ticket. So I spent the whole trip worrying that an inspector would get on and fine us.
It was only on the last day that we finally figured out that tickets or tokens need to be purchased in advance. We were able to but some at our accommodation, and I’m told that most shops sell them as well.
I definitely can’t complain about the cost of public transport. Given that we only paid for about 2 trips out of 6. To be fair though, we always offered payment.
The Best Must-See Attractions
For me, there are 4 must see attractions.
- Buda Castle
- Fisherman’s Bastion
- Margaret Island
- Széchenyi Thermal Baths
Buda Castle
The current castle was built in the mid 1700’s, but there’s been a castle of some description on this site for about 500 years before that. And to be fair, when you see it you’ll understand why.
An outstanding location with commanding views across the city and up and down the Danube River.
There are plenty of tours to help you interpret the castle. Most of them run for 2-3 hours and are well worth the money.
To check for entry costs and times, check out the official website here.
Fisherman’s Bastion
Fisherman’s Bastion sits on the side of the same hill that Buda Castle sits on. Indeed, it looks to be part of the same defence system.
This defensive area was set up in the mid 1700’s as well, and the fisherman of the area were charged with defending this position. Obviously, this is how the name came about.
We were here in July, and if you want any chance of getting a photo without hundreds of people in it, then best you get there nice and early.
Margaret Island
We really enjoyed Margaret Island. Jacqui had read about it before we got there, and she wanted to see the Japanese gardens, which were at the far end.
You need to catch a ferry to get to Margaret Island, but from memory they run about every hour so it’s not too hard.
There are plenty of food outlets and restrooms on the island which was nice. You can also hire bicycles, but we opted to walk.
Even without the Japanese gardens, it would have been a nice place to go. Just taking a leisurely walk in a fairly serene setting is a sharp contrast to walking in the city of Budapest itself.
We probably spent about 3 hours here and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Széchenyi Thermal Baths
A great way to relax and beat the chill is to visit a spa. Budapest is a popular destination for spas, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to find your perfect one.
In the city, there are three different types of baths: wellness, thermal, and mineral. The wellness baths are ideal for those looking for a spa experience without the heat. Thermal baths are hot-water spas where you can soak in natural thermal water. To experience a true spa day, visit a mineral bath. These offer a variety of treatments and experiences for those seeking a more traditional spa treatment.
We ended up at Széchenyi Thermal Baths, which is one of the most popular venues in the city. They have large outdoor pools at various temperatures, and we spent most of our time in those.
However, indoors they have about another 20 pools. And these ones have vast temperature differences. A bit too far out of my comfort zone if I’m honest.
We spent the whole day here, and it was a perfect rest day, as we’d been on the go for about 2 weeks straight.
As a bonus, they sell monogrammed towels here which are a really good quality. We bought one each, and I’m sure that they’ll last us for years to come.
Here’s the official website for the baths.
Other Attractions
Apart from these main sites we did spend the first day on one of the hop on/hop off buses. As with all the major cities they provide a great overview of the city and really help you to get your bearings.
We spent half a day wandering around in the city. I got to try out Hungarian Gulash for the first time, which we all enjoyed. And Hungarian beer is cheap. Which regular readers will know is very important to me.
Conclusion
I probably went into Budapest with big expectations and came out a little flat. It is clear from the majestic buildings that the city was once part of a mighty empire that spent lots of money to look flash.
The Soviet era appears to have been a lot more practical and utilitarian. However, my opinion is that, like a lot of Soviet era places, the wheels fell off a bit with the fall of communism.
Little things like uneven footpaths, can seem a lot bigger when you’re traveling with elderly relatives. It just felt as though they were still working to get things in order.
This is probably deeply unfair of me, but on this leg of the journey we had been to Lucerne, Saltzburg, Vienna and Munich, with Budapest tucked in the middle. In that grouping it felt a bit like the poor cousin.
With that said, we never had anything but good things to say about the people. The food and drinks were delicious and cheap. And there truly are some world class attractions to see.
We will probably go back there again, and no doubt we’ll have a ball. It’s all about setting realistic expectations.
You should go and have a look as well. And if you are heading over there, here’s a couple more posts to get you on the right track.
Cheers and happy travels.