We visited Budapest for a friend's birthday, which later turned into a surprise celebration of her and her boyfriend's engagement <3
Hungary was safe, clean, full of life and culture (architecture, art, music, ruin bars)...we hardly scratched the surface. It certainly lives up to the hype!
Pre-trip Notes
We read that taxis regularly scam tourists, so we used the Bolt ride share app with no issues. We only had a tough time hailing a ride when we needed to get to the airport in the morning. Always a good idea to pre-order morning rides in Europe!
What We Did
Budapest
Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary: You have to make a reservation in advance to get a tour of the museum (which we did not do), but we really just wanted to see its amazing architecture <3 as it is fairly unique.
City Park and Heroes' Square: The City Park is filled with trails, grassy areas, workout equipment, and even a basic bouldering wall. Heroes' Square was filled with the World Athletic Championship stages, screens, etc.; and, it was fenced in. But, it was still cool to get a shot of some of the famous statues.
House of Music Hungary: We didn't actually "visit" this, but we did go inside to see the interesting architecture and get a quick reprieve from the heat.
Andrassy Avenue: We walked A LOT during our Budapest visit, and we walked a good bit along the famous Andrassy Avenue to see the Neo-Renaissance mansions and townhouses.
House of Terror Museum: Absolutely worth the visit! We learned so much about Hungary's tortured rule by Nazis and Soviets. We also learned that Hungary had its own Nazi-aligned party called the Arrow Cross Party, whose headquarters was at the museum. The location was later occupied by the Soviets who also used the location to torture prisoners.
St. Stephen's Basilica: A quick snap on our walk through the city. It's a pretty area with a nice square out front. We chose to visit the interior of the synagogue in the interest of time.
Dohány Street Synagogue: The synagogue has a very Middle Eastern look to it, and the interior was similar in layout as church's we've seen. We found it interesting that the rabbi faces away from the congregation (more like "leading" than preaching).
Széchenyi LánchÃd Chain Bridge: Beautiful bridge built in 1849 to connect the Buda and Pest sides of the Danube.
Buda Castle: There is so much to see in the Buda Castle area. Here are just a few things we had time to see/explore -
Habsburg Gate: Good for a photo from above or below.
Buda Castle Labyrinth: We could have easily spent WAY more time here. It was a great break from the summer heat, and there's all kinds of cool/spooky stuff to explore. There's even a section that is pitch-black with a rail to assist you if you dare venture inside.
Budapest History Museum/Castle Museum: This place is HUGE! We thought we could cover it in an hour or two, but we could have easily spent half a day here truly looking at everything (art, artifacts, etc.).
St. Stephen's Hall: So shiny! The original hall was destroyed in WWII, but it was more recently re-built for touristic purposes. A little girl found an original tile from above the fireplace, so its replicas would be the truest pieces to the original hall.
Hungarian National Gallery: There is some really beautiful artwork here, but we think our time could have been better spent at another art gallery.
Gulácsy Exhibit: Gulácsy was a weird, but interesting, dood. He created his own world (Na’Conxypan), of which is portrayed in some of his artwork. He painted a lot of himself; he wasn't formally trained, which we thought was really amazing.
Royal Riding Hall: We only saw this from the outside, but it's a really beautiful building!
Mystique Room: We did a really awesome escape room with friends! It was magic-themed (deeefinitely not Harry Potter) and had some super fun games and puzzles. 10/10 would do again!
Fisherman's Bastion: Gorgeous at dawn. Get there before or at sunrise to get the best lighting and photos without people (or at least not many people) in them! Just jump the turnstiles to get in.
Hungarian Parliament Building: We saw the iconic building throughout the trip, and it never got old. A particularly special/serendipitous experience was an open-air concert. This happens in the summer months at 5 pm on Thursdays at the backside of the building. The concert we saw was clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and a flute quartet! They were SO good <3
Central Market Hall: Well, it was closed when we wanted to visit, but it looks really cool (particularly to get some local foods). Check the timings before you go!
Old City Wall: We had some time to kill, so Nick took us to a super neat spot that has remnants of the old city wall (can't find the link/specific place).
Esztergom
We took a day tour north of the city along the Danube to learn a bit more history and see new sights. Esztergom was Hungary's medieval capital, and our first stop.
Basilica of Esztergom: Really pretty! It's under heavy restoration, but we still thought it was worth a visit. There were two main phases of original building (14th and 19th centuries), and the major damage requiring renovation occurred during the Ottoman invasion and WWII. The Ottomans destroyed all of the faces of the figures in the church, except for Mary, who is the same as the Muslim holy figure of Maryam.
Szentendre
Such a cute town! We could have spent a lot more time here just wandering the shop and artisan lined streets, but we were on a time budget with our tour (we lost a lot of time due to a motorcycle protest post-lunch).
Szamos Marzipan Exhibition and Workshop: We didn't go in, but it's quite the kitschy stop for at least a photo of what's on display in the window.
Food
Budapest
MITICO: Good food, but it's a buffet (not necessarily what we were looking for).
Kiadó Kocsma: We sat outside to enjoy delicious soup and goulash with some beers. Definitely recommend!
Corso (InterContinental Hotel): Only ever stopped here for drinks...the Rubik's Cube drink is worth a try! Rubik Cube was invented in Budapest.
Szimpla Kert: The first and most famous Ruin Bar. Worth a visit for the vibe! Lots of fun colors, decorations, lights, and music.
Blue Bird Specialty: Breakfast - SO GOOD.
BBQ Grill Terasz: Place to eat near Fisherman's Bastion. Big Nah - poor service and the food was passable.
Leo Rooftop Budapest: Incredible views and well-made drinks!
Twentysix Budapest: Not only is the food here amazing (especially dessert), but the plant-filled atmosphere is really cool!
Buda Rétesvár-strudel: Located in the castle complex, we dream about these strudes...
WAFU: Japanese, amazing ramen. This hit the spot so hard we drank an entire bottle of sake to talk about it.
HOPS BEER BAR BUDAPEST: Cool, non-crowded bar with great beer and service!
BITE Bakery Café: Great for an on-the-go brekkie.
TATI Farm to Table: A friend in the group picked this place...Incredible food and drink!
Leroy Bistro (airport): Food was meh, but the drinks were surprisingly good!
Esztergom
Nagyvillám Étterem: We stopped here as part of our day trip to the northern Hungarian Danube. On the menu: Tasty soup, a mixed main (protein, potatoes, veggies), and some pálinka to top it off!
