Walking Tour of Budapest 2

Exploring Budapest

Points of Interest by Foot

Margaret Island

Margaret Island is a small island along the Danube River which used to be a royal hunting reserve. Now a public park, it was named as such because during the Mongol invasion, the Hungarian King Belá founded a nunnery in the island and vowed to send her daughter Margaret there if he was able to retake the country from the invaders. The park is connected to the city by the Margaret Bridge.

Stroll along romantic walkways, watch a show in the open air theatre and cinema, or jog around. Other fun things to do in Margaret Island:

1. Watch the Magic Fountain show at night (6 or 9 PM)

Magic Fountain at night

Magic Fountain at night

2. Ride a funky vehicle for hire: bicycles, cyclo-pousses/bringo carts, golf carts, electric scooters and egg-shaped cars.

3. See stunning views from high up the island's water tower

4. Relax and have fun at the Palatinus Baths

5. Indulge with nature in the Rose and Japanese Gardens

6. See the ruins of a Franciscan church

Szechenyi Thermal Baths

Budapest is abundant with thermal baths where people flock to relax, have fun and even party. The Szechenyi Baths is the biggest green park of Budapest and one of the largest spa baths in Europe having 15 indoors baths and 3 main outdoor pools.

At one of the Szechenyi Baths' outdoor pools

Outdoor Pool

Locals and tourists flock to this place to unwind, relax, and have fun. Apart from the medicinal effects of basking in natural hot spring waters in the pools and cabins/steam rooms, huge night parties are also hosted in the outdoor pools.

Szechenyi Baths main outdoor pools

We did not pre-book our tickets when we visited. We only came as walk-ins, but it was not that busy during that time - we arrived around 7AM. I recommend going really early in the morning and buying the ticket with a cabin usage rather than just the locker usage so that you have your own cabin for changing/dressing. Otherwise, you will be changing in a changing room with other people and just having your own locker for storing your stuff. Girls are separated from boys of course. As the day goes by, the place becomes packed with a lot of people.

One of the heated indoor pools

Central Market Place

Central Market Place

Central Market Place Ground Floor

Also known as the Great Market Hall, the central market is a restored neogothic hall for traders with grocery produce on the ground floor, and souvenirs and food stalls on the first floor. Apart from shopping and sight/people-seeing, you can also get to watch free Gypsy concerts on Mondays and Fridays in the market at 11 and 11.30 AM.

Don't be fooled into adding extra toppings on your goulash. Just order the traditional one.

Make sure to try out the famous Hungarian Goulash - a beef stew, and Langos - a deep fried dough, from one of the food stalls upstairs.

Beef goulash with loads of unnecessary toppings

Langos topped with salami and veggies

For Sale Pub

For Sale Pub

Located across the Central Market Place, For Sale Pub is known for its shaggy interiors with its walls covered with pieces of paper stapled and pinned by customers throughout the years and the floors covered with peanut shells which are free for customers while they wait in the queue or to be served.

Letters/Notes on For Sale Pub

Make sure to try out the famous Hungarian crepe-like pancake, gundel.

Gundel

Gellert Bridge

Also known as the Liberty Bridge, the Gellert Bridge crosses the Danube River and connects two squares on its ends: the Gellert Square at the foot of Gellert Hill on the Buda side, and the Fovám Square with the Great Market Hall on the Pest side.

Gellert Bridge

The Gellert Bridge is the shortest bridge of Budapest and was the first in the city to be reconstructed after the second World War.

Fovám Square with the Central Market Place

Gellert Square

Cave Hill Church

Built into a natural cave system, the Cave Hill Church was the seat of Hungary's Pauline Order up until 1951. Behind the church is a monastery with neo-Gothic turrets that are visible from Liberty Bridge. The walls are formed of all-natural living rocks.

Cave Hill Church

Gellert Hill

Rising 140 meters high, Gellert Hill is a dolomite rock on the Buda side. It is named after a bishop from Italy, Gellert, who was invited by King Stephen to come over and assist in converting the Hungarians into Christianity. There is a bronze statue of Gellert on the side of the hill facing the Erzsébet bridge.

Enjoy panoramic views of the Danube River and Budapest from the hill at daytime and at nighttime.

Danube River - Dusk

Danube River - Night

Citadella

Citadella is a fortress on Gellert Hill built for the purpose of reminding the rebellious Hungarians who ruled the country, i.e. The Habsburgs, during the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. It used to be the most despised establishment in Budapest and Hungarians used to call it the Bastille of Budapest.

View from Citadella

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is an enormous female statue on top of the Gellert Hill commemorating Hungary's liberation from the Nazi rule.

Statute of Liberty

Hungarian Parliament Building

The building is worth seeing when it is lit up at night time from across the Danube River on the Buda side.

Hungarian Parliament Building at night

 Gozsdu Udvar

Gozsdu Courtyard is a popular meeting point in downtown Budapest. It is a series of inner courtyards connecting Király utca and Dob utca. Grab a bite and some booze in one of the numerous restaurants and cafes.

Gozsdu Udvar

Walking Tour of Budapest 1

Exploring Budapest

Points of Interest by Foot

Hungarian Parliament Building

Hungarian Parliament Building

The third largest parliament building in the world - the Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of national assembly of Hungary. This impressive Neo-Gothic structure is also the symbol of Hungary and its capital city. Apart from being the building of Hungary's law-making body, it also houses the Hungarian Holy Crown, and the offices of the Prime Minister.

Facade

Adult admission fee is HUF 2400 (EU citizens).

Kossuth Square

Part of Kossuth Square

Considered as the main square of the nation - Kossuth Square was just recently reconstructed into a rational and sustainable park structure. The park is a no-traffic zone and there are still on-going plans on further developing the park.

Lion Fountain

Sitting in Vörösmaty Square, the Lion Fountain is considered among the most beautiful fountains in the city. It's a popular meeting point of several walking tours as it is conveniently located in one of the busiest hubs in downtown Budapest. The Vörösmaty Square is the start of the city's famous shopping street, Váci Utca.

The Lion FountainSt.

Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic basilica named in honour of the first king of Hungary whose mummified right hand, the Szent Jobb ("the holy right hand") is housed in the reliquary.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Going up to the cupola is a good way to see beautiful panoramic views of the city, while the St. Stephen's square offers plenty of terraced cafes and bistros that are perfect for people watching.

Admission into the basilica is free but it is customary to give HUF 200 or €1 donation. A separate ticket is needed to go up to the cupola.

Apart from Catholic services, the cathedral also organises organ concerts.

Little Princess statue

Little Princess Statue

Kiskirálylány - a small statue of a princess sitting on the railings of the Danube promenade. The original statute was created by an artist, László Marton, inspired by his eldest daughter born from his first marriage. It is one of Budapest's secret gems.

Chain Bridge

Chain Bridge

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Danube River and linking Buda and Pest. Stretching between the Széchenyi Square on the Pest side to the Clark Ádám Square on the Buda side, this picturesque bridge symbolises the unification of what used to be divided sides of the Danube River into one city. It is the first bridge built to connect Buda and Pest.

Enjoy stunning views of the city from both ends of the bridge and while crossing it. It is also worth crossing at night when the bridge is lit up.

Castle Hill

Sitting on top of a hill on the Buda side, the Castle Hill is a walled complex bounded on the north by the Castle District which comprises the entire walled area of the hill. What used to be a bustling capital of Buda, the complex is the location for key attractions such as the Buda Castle (which now houses the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum), the Fisherman's Bastion, and St. Matthias Church.

Buda Castle Hill Funicular

Get there either by riding the Buda Castle Hill Funicular (HUF 1,100 one way or 1,700 return) or taking the short hike up by the side of the hill.

Entrance to Buda Castle

Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings.

Buda Castle Ruins

Buda Castle

The 700-year old Matthias Church is now a Roman Catholic church atop Buda Hill. It used to be the venue for coronations and royal weddings and was founded by the first king of Hungary, Szent Stephen. Marvel at its exterior with its delicate turrets and coloured tiled roof with welcoming combinations of warm lights, shadows and colours of orange, brown, and gold.

St. Matthias Church

Back of St. Matthias Church

Statue of St. Stephen and Matthias Church

The Fisherman's Bastion is the fairytale-like neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style viewing terrace sitting on the edge of Buda Hill, overlooking the Danube and offering panoramic views of Budapest.

Panoramic views of Danube River and Pest from Fisherman's Bastion

Walk around the Old Town and explore its quaint streets.

Holy Trinity Statue

Grab some lunch at Piknik Pavilon, and try out the famous 7-layer Hungarian cake, Dobos torte at Ruszwurm Confectionery - the oldest family-run cafe in Budapest with a 200-year legacy.

Piknik Pavilon

Lunch: pork knuckles with potatoes and coleslaw, and spicy Hungarian sausage in a bun

Dobos torte

After exploring the old town, head back to the lookout in Buda Castle at golden hour to witness the beauty of Budapest as dusk approaches and darkness envelopes the city. And have another fine and relaxed stroll down the hill back to Pest.

View of Chain Bridge from Buda Castle lookout

Chain Bridge at night

View of Castle Hill from Pest side at night

Have dinner in Street Food Karaván - a collection of kiosks serving great-tasting food in Kazinczy Street.

Karaván

Experience a unique night out with good booze and eccentric decors at one of the city's largest and most famous ruin pubs, Szimpla Kert. Make sure to have at least one shot of Unicum - a herbal digestive liquor made up of about 40 different herbs, and the Palinka - a fruit brandy.

Szimpla Kert

And finally, end the night with a crazy Pub Crawl and have fun exploring different ruin pubs across the city with great company.

Pub Crawl

Expenses:

Lunch = 2950

Cake = 320

Dinner = 850

Szimpla Kert = 1450

Pubcrawl = 3000

TOTAL: HUF 8,570

24 Hours in Vienna

Less than a day in Vienna

We literally had a quick walking tour of Vienna: so this is a 'strictly for the fit-to-walk-and-hustle' guide.

Riesenrad, Prater

Wiener Riesenrad is the famous Ferris wheel at the entrance of Prater amusement park in Leopoldstat. Apart from being known as the symbol of the city and a good place to have panoramic views, it was also made more famous by the movie Before Sunrise as this was the location where Jesse and Celine shared their first kiss.

Wiener Riesenrad

We didn't get to ride the 120-year-old Giant Wheel because our time was only limited to seeing the filming location. An adult ticket is €10, and it is open from 09:00 - 23:45.

Prater Amusement Park

It is worth mentioning as well that Prater Amusement Park is the oldest amusement park in the world. So I suggest that if you've got time, you may as well explore the whole lot. It is open 24 hours and entry is free. Only the rides have admission fees.

On the way to Cafe Central

A small alley on the way to Cafe Central

Café Central

Cafe Central

This café claims to be the 'centre of Vienna,' hence the name. It's one of the oldest Viennese traditional coffeehouses and used to be a popular hangout of many famous philosophers such as Freud and Trotsky. The interior designs would certainly make you feel like you've been transported back to their time. It is a great place to try out good Viennese breakfast and pastries.

Traditional Viennese Breakfast

During peak season, there is a huge queue. We got there very early and thus there was no queue, and tried their traditional Viennese breakfast. You can easily forget the time here and get engrossed with chatting over good coffee because of the relaxing ambiance.

Rathaus Vienna

The city's town hall and is the location of the Rathauspark (town park) and Rathausplatz (Vienna City Hall) which is the seat of Vienna's local government.

Rathausplatz

We only took our time to marvel at the façade of Rathausplatz and then walked around the park before proceeding to our next destination.

For those with plenty of time, I reckon it is a good place to people-watch. Also, guided tours of the building are free of charge on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 13:00 (except on meeting days and public holidays). The starting point is the city information centre of the town hall, and reservation is needed.

Rathaus is the location for the famous Christmas Market as well as ice skating during the winter season, among many others. You can also spot the Burgtheater just across the street. It is the Austrian National Theatre and is one of the most important German language theatres in the world.

Volksgarten

A public park in the Inner Stadt, this garden is part of the Hofburg Palace.

Volksgarten

It's a lovely place for enjoying a hot drink in a cold winter's day while enjoying reading a book or just people-watching.

Hofburg Palace

Part of the Hofburg

Now serving as the official working place and residence of the President of Austria, The Hofburg used to be the political centre of imperial monarchy of the Hapsburg dynasty rulers.

Hapsburg Palace

We only went round to the façade and side of the Palace en-route to our next destination. An adult ticket is €13.90, and €16.90 if with guided tour. It is open from 9 AM to 530 PM (September to June) or 6 PM (July to August). Ticket would include entry to the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Silver Collection. It's a good way to finding out the rich history of the Republic of Austria.

The Hofburg

Museum Quarter

One of the entrances to Museums Quartier

See art before more art

For the art lovers, this is the place to be. This is one of the largest cultural quarters in the world. It is the location for the famous Leopold Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Mumok, and the Kuntshalle, among many others.

Leopold Museum

Here, "see and be seen" is the motto. Enjoy this wonderful and culture-rich quarter.

Naschmarkt

For the food lovers, this market has 120 market stands and restaurants with cuisines including  Viennese, German, Indian, Italian, and Vietnamese, to name a few. It is the city's most popular market.

Schnitzel

Dr. Falafel

Indulge in good food in a mixture of young and old crowd! There is also a flea market here every Saturday.

Stuffed stuff

Making the falafel

Brakvurst

Apart from the said tourist spots, I unexpectedly fell in love with Viennese streets. Every area has its own unique character that is almost 'hipster' in a way - both urbanised and quaint at the same time. There are hidden gems scattered all throughout the city --- you need only time to find them.

Street Art

Also loved the water fountains scattered throughout the city!

Free clean drinking water spots

And do watch a play/show in one of the theatres

Stumbled upon this on the way to Cafe Central

Catholic Church Maria am Gestade

I'd definitely go back with more time in my hands to explore the Museums Quartiers, the street art and the Catholic Churches scattered throughout the city. And maybe, save up to watch a play/theatre show too.

Day's Expenses:
- train to Prater: €2.40
- Cafe Central breakfast: €10
- Dr. Falafel: €4.80
- x3 Magnet: €10
- Bratwurst: €3.50
- Schnitzel: €6.60

Total: €37.3