Back in September i went on a little bloggers holiday to Budapest with Tanya. It was such a beautiful place and while there are so many things to do, here are a few of my favourites
Walk across the chain bridge at night
On our first night in Budapest we ended up along the river Danube and it was stunning. On one side you have the castle, the other the parliament building and the chain bridge linking the two sides. All of these building are illuminated at night and it really did make for a spectacular scene. One of prettiest walks i've ever done. Best of all, it's free!
Take a dip at Széchenyi Thermal Baths
This is the the largest medicinal baths in the whole of Europe. The building itself is this great yellow stone that looks more like a stately home. Inside are 3 outdoor pools which have temperatures between 27 to 38 °C. Inside there are 15 more pools and numerous sauna and steam rooms. The pools have combinations of natural chemicals in and vary in temperature.
A day ticket with a cabin starts at 5,400 Ft (A cabin is a changing room, which you can leave your stuff in and get changed in, giving you some privacy) otherwise you just get a locker to store your items. You will be given a wristband to get into your changing room and it is yours for the duration of your stay. Getting there is also really easy as subway goes right to it.
There are other baths in Budpest but this is the only one we visited. The other one that caught our attention was Rudas, which is across the river and has a roof top bath allowing you to look up at the stars as it is open until the early hours (only on Friday and Saturday, this is also the only time 'mixed' bathing is allowed)
Visit the Citadel for breathe taking views
Situated high above the City on Gellert Hill (We didn't talk a walk up this hill but for those so inclined i think it would be lovely). If you don't want to walk, get a bus up, and from the drop off point as you walk towards the citadel, there are some amazing vantage points over the whole of Budapest, which is a proper selfie moment. There is also the beautiful Liberty Statue honoring those who have died.
Ride the funicular to the castle
Yes the queues are long, yes there is a bus that goes up there, but how often can you say you've taken a funicular? It is a more unique mode of transport. It was first opened in 1870 but was destroyed in the Second World War and reopened in 1986. You get some lovely views as you go up and there are little pedestrian foot bridges which cross above you. It costs 1700 Ft for a return.
And once you are up the top, you can explore the castle (there is an art gallery there) the castle gardens, Fishermans Bastion and St Matthias' Church.
Eat Lángos
This is a Hungarian food speciality, which is basically a deep fried flatbread which you then add a sweet or savory topping to. We went with cheese. It is surprisingly filling and costs around 1000 Ft.
See the Shoes on the Danube memorial
This memorial can be found along the banks of the river, just down from the parliament building. This was erected in 2005 and commemorates 3,500 people, 800 of them Jews who were lined up on the banks of the Danube, ordered to remove their shoes and then shot. Their bodies fell into the River and were carried away.
The memorial itself is 60 pairs of vintage style cast iron shoes attached to the edge of the River. Candles and ribbons have been attached to some. It really is a very poignant display, but there is no signage to explain what it is for and we heard that the government were actually trying to get it removed.
Get ice cream in the shape of a rose
A must do while in Budapest is visit the Gelarto Rose, which is next to St Stephens Basilica. They make ice cream into roses! And have some pretty amazing flavors. It is almost too pretty to eat.
Take a look in Cafe New York
DO NOT EAT HERE, the service and food is pretty awful and you will be left feeling cheated, but the interior of the building really is magical and worth a look.
Visit a Ruin Bar
We went to Bar Szimpla and it really is a sight to behold. Ruin bars are derelict buildings transformed into very unique spaces. Our experience there wasn't the best, but i still really think they are worth a visit as i don't think you will ever see anything quite like it.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Hotel Continental Budapest which is walking distance to the main shopping street. Not only was the hotel very fancy, it has an outdoor rooftop pool and garden area, a leisure club with an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi and a a great bar, which serves marvelous Hungarian cake.
