10 Best things to do in Budapest

The Hungarian Capital has a whole host of incredible things to try.

1. Climb Gellért Hill

Gellért Hill is the tallest most easily accessible viewing station, standing tall over the Danube on the Buda side of Budapest.

The hill was named after Hungary's first missionary, St. Gellért, who was assassinated by the pagan Magyars.

St Gellert was an Italian missionary invited to Hungary by King Stephen to convert the local people of Buda and Pest; however the Magyars deeply resented the new faith so much so that they flung the bishop to his death in a spiked barrel down Gellert Hill in 1046.

Despite this morbid history the best panoramic views of Budapest and the sweeping banks of the Danube River are from this hill.

2. See the Parliament Building

The domed neo-Gothic structre was inspired by the British House of Parliament and serves as both a vibrant government center and a proud city landmark on the banks of the Danube.

Make sure you walk the whole way around it so as not to miss out - the back of the building is absolutely beautiful!

3. Visit the Shoes on the Danube bank

On the banks of the Danube River in Budapest, not far from the Hungarian Parliament building, sit sixty pairs of replicated women's, mens and children's shoes from the 1940s.

They sit precariously at the edge of the water, neglected, as though their owners had just stepped out of them and abandoned them.

If you take a closer look, you can see that the shoes are rusted, made of iron and set into the concrete of the embankment.

They are a memorial to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944-1945, were told to take off their shoes before being shot on the banks of the Danube River and thrown into the water by the members of the Arrow Cross Party.

The monument was conceptualised by film director Can Togay, and was created by Togay together with the sculptor Gyula Pauer.

It was installed on the Pest bank of the Danube River in Budapest in 2005 and is an incredibly thought provoking and harrowing reminder of the countries past.

4. Explore Buda castle

The prestigious Castle District that presides over the top of Budapest has been a defining presence of the capital for ages, and now serves as an important hub of culture and history. Make sure you pack some comfy shoes as you'll be doing a fair bit of exploring!

At the top of the castle grounds is the oldest coffee shop in Budapest; sit down for delicious cakes and pastries after doing some adventuring!

5. Discover Fishermans Bastion

History suggests Fisherman’s Bastion owes its name to a medieval fishermen’s guild, who lived under the castle walls in Watertown (Vizivaros), and were held responsible for preserving this part of the city from any internal and external threats.

The bastion comprises seven stone towers, which each symbolise the seven chieftains of Hungary, who founded the nation in 895AD.

The structure itself is fairytale-esque, with turrets, towers and parapets- beautiful as a look out point over Budapest.

6. Cruise along the Danube

Book an evening sight-seeing cruise down the Danube and admire Budapest’s UNESCO-listed Danube embankments while you cruise.

Glide by the Hungarian Parliament, Buda district, and Chain Bridge taking in the spectacular sights as they are illuminated against the night sky.

It's a fantastic way to soak in the cities atmosphere and view Budapest in a different light!

7. Go to a Ruin Bar

You cannot complete a Budapest trip without visiting a Ruin Bar.

These impossibly cool drinking joints situated inside neglected pre-war buildings have taken Budapest by storm and have proven again how this beautiful city tainted by war and destruction can take something broken and transform it into something effortlessly beautiful.

After World War 2 and the cold war years, many buildings in the old Jewish Quarter of Budapest had been left to rot and ruin, located in these formerly abandoned buildings, ruin pubs provide easygoing spaces in which to let loose and drop the pretences of the day.

It’s almost impossible to discuss Budapest’s ruin pubs without mentioning Szimpla Kert – the original trailblazer.

Back in 2004, a run down building on Kazinczy Street in District VII (also known as the Jewish Quarter) was saved from demolition by a group of entrepreneurs looking to open up a bar/community space. Rather than redeveloping they chose to work with the building’s ramshackle state, adding quirky furniture and decorations, creating a mix’n’match aesthetic and making use of a space otherwise destined for ruin.

From the outside these ruin bar's could easily be confused with your average run-down building, inside they’re anything but average.

Step through the doorway and into the rabbit hole of flea market furniture, weird antiques, art and graffiti, where the young, hip, artsy folk of Budapest drink, mingle and enjoy the laid back atmosphere in the coolest of settings.

Ruin Bars are now an integral part of Budapest and have provided an injection of quirkiness back into the capital!

Where else could you sit in a bathtub, surrounded by walls covered in art and disco balls?

8. Take a dip in Széchenyi Thermal Bath

The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe.

The baths are one of Budapest’s most popular attractions, built in 1913 over healing hot springs feeding 18 separate pools, 3 outdoor and 15 indoor, and a range of other wellness features including steam rooms and saunas, in the ornate complex it's the perfect place to wind down relax and soak up the heat!

What happens when you combine spas with a party? A Sparty, of course.

For those of you looking for something a little bit different Sparty is a popular Hungarian event series, which has been held since 1994 in Budapest's oldest thermal baths.

Sparty is the result of a combination of the words Spa and Party, and fuses night bathing with club life.

More information can be found here.

9. Visit the New York cafe

Considered by some to be the most beautiful café in the world, the luxurious decor of the New York Café in Budapest, with its colourful paintings on the ceiling, its golden details and the marble pillars, is overwhelming.

I highly recommend visiting for breakfast in the morning and dressing for the occasion; although it is a more expensive stop on your Budapest trip the full breakfast buffet selection does end up being worth the cost; all you can eat from pastries to smoked salmon and eggs benedict, to freshly squeezed juices and luxuriously thick hot chocolates, you can certainly eat and drink your moneys worth!

A boujee experience that is definitely worth the slightly more expensive breakfast prices!

10. Browse the Central Market

Budapest's largest and most expansive indoor market, built in the neo-Gothic style in 1897, offers a variety of food stalls, from fresh vegetables, fowl and meat to wine and liquor shops.

Most importantly the market is also central (5 min walk from the city centre).

If you love fresh goods, people watching, shopping, photo opportunities, guided tours with tastings, or just enjoy the hustle and bustle of a local treasure, you will enjoy visiting the Central Market Hall.

No matter if it rains or shines, the Great Market Hall is a great option, and definitely one of the top Budapest attractions you need to visit in your trip to the City.