Budapest guide 
Sights and monuments - In this article you will learn about famous monuments in Budapest, for example Buda Castle, the Parliament, the Basilica of St. Stephen and others.
Accommodation – Here you will find recommendations for different types of accommodation in Budapest, from a luxurious 5* spa hotel in the city center to a cheap hostel on a car-free island, a classic guesthouse or apartment accommodation.
Food and drink – Goulash is definitely one of the most famous Hungarian dishes. But in this article you will also read about other foods and drinks that you should not miss in Budapest.
Practical advice – Here you will get some tips for public transport, how to find your way around the city, opening hours of shops or monuments, information about local spas or cruise ships.
Weather - When is the best time to visit the city? Four seasons in Budapest.
Celebrities – Many well-known musicians, writers, inventors and politicians lived and worked in Budapest...
AI poem - What has artificial intelligence invented about Budapest and its long history?
Budapest, the capital and largest city of Hungary, is located in Central Europe. The city lies on the banks of the Danube River, which divides it into two parts: Budín (Buda) in the west and Pest in the east.
The long history of Budapest dates back to Roman times, when the city of Aquincum existed on the site of today's Buda. In 1873, the three cities – Buda, Old Buda (Óbuda) and Pest – were united to form the current Budapest. The city developed rapidly and became one of the main centers of Austria-Hungary. After the First and Second World Wars, Budapest went through a series of changes, but it still retains its historical beauty.
Among the most famous and most visited monuments are the Buda Castle, the Parliament, the Chain Bridge, St. Stephen's Basilica and the thermal baths.
As an important cultural center, Budapest is home to many theaters, concert halls, museums and galleries. It is home to the Hungarian State Opera, the National Museum and several important universities. Various cultural and artistic festivals take place here every year, such as the Budapest Spring Festival and the Sziget Festival, one of the biggest music festivals in Europe.
Budapest is the economic center of Hungary with developed industry, financial services and tourism. The city has an extensive public transport network, including metro, trams and buses. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is served by flights from many world capitals.
Budapest combines a rich history with modern energy, and offers visitors both historical monuments and a vibrant cultural life.
Sights and attractions
Buda Castle - This great castle is located on a hill above the Danube in the Buda district. Formerly the seat of the Hungarian kings, this vast complex now hosts the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. From the castle you can enjoy a wonderful view of the entire city and the Danube river.
Parliament (Országház) - The building of the Hungarian Parliament, located on the banks of the Danube in the Pest district, is one of the largest parliamentary buildings in the world. This neo-Gothic building symbolizes Hungarian democracy. Inside you can see the crown jewels and other historical artifacts.
Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) – The first bridge connecting Buda and Pest was opened in 1849.
One of the most famous symbols of Budapest provides a beautiful view of the Danube and the surrounding monuments, especially in the evening under artificial lighting.
Saint Stephen's Basilica (Szent István Bazilika) - The largest church in Budapest, named after the first king of Hungary, Saint Stephen. The basilica is known for its impressive dome and interior decoration. Inside is a relic - the mummified hand of Saint Stephen. From the vantage point at the top of the basilica, there is a panoramic view of the city.
Széchenyi Thermal Baths (Széchenyi fürdő) - Thermal baths made Budapest famous. Among the largest and most famous are the Széchenyi Baths. They are located in a city park and offer a wide range of thermal pools, saunas and wellness services. You can visit the spa all year round and not only tourists but also local residents go here.
Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya) - This neo-Gothic building is located on a hill in Buda. Its seven towers symbolize the seven Hungarian tribes that inhabited the Pannonian Plain in the 9th century. From the Fisherman's Bastion you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Danube, the Parliament and Pest.
Gellért Hill (Gellert-hegy) - This mountain offers a wonderful view of the city and the Danube. At the top of the mountain is the Citadel and the Statue of Liberty (Szabadság-szobor), a symbol of Hungary's liberation. On the way up you can visit the Gellért Baths, another of the many thermal baths in Budapest.
Great Synagogue (Dohány utcai zsinagóga) - The Great Synagogue in Dohany Street deserves its name, as it is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. They built it in the Moorish style in the middle of the 19th century. Next to the synagogue is the Jewish Museum and Holocaust Memorial.
Andrássy út - This elegant boulevard has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here you will find a number of historic buildings, including the Hungarian State Opera House, as well as Heroes' Square (Hősök tere), home to the Millennium Monument and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Great Market (Nagyvásárcsarnok) - This impressive market in Pest is the largest covered market in Budapest. This is a great place to taste and buy local products, including Hungarian specialties such as sausages, paprika or wine.
Accommodations
In Budapest, you can choose from almost 6,500 different accommodation capacities, the most represented apartments, then hotels, guesthouses, hostels or private houses and villas. Due to the rising summer temperatures, many accommodations have air conditioning, while others offer a swimming pool.
You can indulge in luxury in the city center, for example, at the 5* Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the city center from the rooftop bar. The hotel also offers a wellness center with a swimming pool, whirlpool, saunas and hammam or free snacks throughout the day.
Bagatelle Gardenhouse offers accommodation in green areas in the wider city center. The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden with a terrace and outdoor furniture. You can park here for free in the private parking lot. In addition to the café, restaurant and snack bar, there is also a shared kitchen at your disposal.
The pleasant guesthouse in the city center Anabelle Bed and Budapest is located a short distance from the Parliament and the Danube River. It offers beautiful views of the city from the terrace. You can also use the common room or outdoor furniture. Breakfast costs EUR 10 per person. The guesthouse allows pets.
For young travelers who want to meet other backpackers, we can recommend, for example, Island Hostel Budapest. The hostel is located on Margaret's island, in a quiet green car-free area, just 200 meters from the Palatinus beach. You can enjoy the view of the Danube and the Parliament from the spacious terrace. The accommodation offers shared rooms as well as private double rooms. Here you have a common room, a shared kitchen, a garden, a games room or an outdoor fireplace.
Those who prefer to stay in an apartment with their own kitchen can look at Spirit Apartments by UrbanRent, for example. The apartments are located a short distance from the river and the tram stop, about 2.5 km from the city center. You have a garden or paid private parking at your disposal.
For a complete offer of accommodation in Budapest, we recommend using A-HOTEL.com. You can also use Booking.com.
Typical food and drink
Goulash - One of the most famous Hungarian dishes. It is a thick soup made of beef, onions, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and spices. Goulash is served with bread or bun dumplings and is considered the national dish of Hungary.
Paprika - Food prepared from chicken or pork, stewed in a cream sauce with paprika. It is often served with pasta called nokedli (the Hungarian equivalent of gnocchi).
Pörkölt - Hungarian stew, similar to goulash, but with less liquid. It is prepared from beef, pork or lamb, onions, peppers and other spices. It is often served with dumplings or pasta.
Langos - A popular Hungarian street delicacy. The fried pancake is often served smeared with garlic, sour cream or ketchup and grated cheese. Sometimes it is also offered in a sweet version.
Hortobágyi palacsinta - Filled pancakes, most often with minced meat (mostly veal or beef) in a creamy sauce. After filling, the pancakes are baked and served with sauce.
Halászlé - Traditional Hungarian fish soup made from different types of fish, peppers and tomatoes. This soup impresses with its distinctive red color and strong taste.
Kürtőskalács (Chimney cake) - This traditional Hungarian dessert is baked over an open fire and coated in sugar, cinnamon or nuts.
Dobos Torta - A famous Hungarian dessert that consists of several layers of thin sponge cakes interspersed with chocolate cream, covered with caramel on top.
Wine - Hungary is famous for its quality wines, especially from regions like Tokaj and Eger. Among the most famous are Tokajské víno (king of wines, wine of kings) - a sweet dessert wine, or Egri Bikavér (Bull's blood) - a well-known red wine.
Unicum - A bitter herbal liqueur with a rich and intense taste, which is produced according to a secret recipe. It is popular as a digestif after a meal and is said to contain 40 types of herbs.
Practical advice for the trip
Budapest has a well-developed public transport network, including metro, buses, trams and trolleybuses. The metro will get you where you need quickly and efficiently, especially the M1 line, one of the oldest underground railways in the world.
Consider getting the Budapest Card, which gives you unlimited transport around the city and free or discounted entry to many museums and attractions.
You can buy tickets for public transport in machines at metro stations, in newsagents or using a mobile application. Don't forget to mark your ticket before boarding the means of transport.
If you prefer to take a taxi, use reliable taxi companies such as Főtaxi and avoid unmarked vehicles. You can also order a taxi via the Bolt app.
In Hungary, forints are used. Most shops and restaurants accept cards, but it's a good idea to carry cash, especially for smaller purchases or in places outside the tourist areas.
Exchange money at exchange offices in the city, not at the airport, where the rates are less favorable. Also avoid street money changers.
Hungarian is a rather complex language, but many people, especially in tourist areas, speak English or German. However, learning a few basic phrases in Hungarian can be useful and the locals will appreciate it.
Most of the tourist information and signs are also in English, so you can find your way around easily.
Shops in Budapest are usually open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., some even until 8:00 p.m. Large supermarkets and shopping centers may be open longer.
Many museums and monuments are closed on Mondays. It is recommended to check the opening hours on their website in advance.
Budapest is generally a safe city, but watch out for pickpockets in tourist areas. Keep your valuables in secure bags and avoid suspicious areas after dark.
Budapest is famous for its thermal baths. It is recommended to visit at least one of them, such as Széchenyi Baths or Gellért Baths. Don't forget to bring your swimsuit, towel and flip flops.
Try a cruise on the Danube, which offers wonderful views of the city, especially the illuminated parliament and Buda Castle. You can choose day or evening cruises.
Weather
Budapest has a mild continental climate, which means that there are significant seasonal differences between summer and winter.
Summer temperatures are usually between 25-35 °C. Thunderstorms will come during the dry and hot summer.
From September to November, temperatures gradually drop from 20 to 10 °C. A pleasant and often sunny autumn invites you to stroll around the city.
Winters are cold, with temperatures between -5 and 5 °C. Sometimes it snows here.
In spring, temperatures rise again from 10 to 20 °C. And even though it often rains, blooming parks and gardens attract tourists to visit Budapest.
Famous personalities
Béla Bartók (1881–1945) - Music composer and pianist, one of the most important Hungarian composers of the 20th century. He lived and taught music at an academy in Budapest. They consider him one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology. His works often drew on Hungarian folk music.
Ferenc Liszt (1811–1886) - Music composer and pianist. The famous romantic composer and virtuoso became famous for his piano compositions and symphonic poems. Although he was born in Raiding, Budapest reveres him as one of its greatest musical geniuses. He occasionally taught music at the Hungarian Conservatory in Budapest.
Imre Kertész (1929–2016) – Writer and winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Literature. His best-known novel, Man Without Destiny, reflects his experiences in the Holocaust.
László Bíró (1899–1985) – Hungarian inventor and journalist. He invented the ballpoint pen, known as "biro" in many countries of the world. He was born in Budapest and lived part of his life there.
Ernő Rubik (1944) – Inventor, architect and designer. He invented the famous Rubik's cube and other mechanical puzzles that became a world phenomenon. He was born in Budapest towards the end of World War II.
George Soros (1930) - Financier and philanthropist. The Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist was born in Budapest. Soros founded the Open Society Foundations, an organization that supports democratic development initiatives around the world.
Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917–2016) - Hungarian-American actress and socialite. She was born in Budapest. She became famous not only for her films, but also for her personal life and charisma.
Miklós Horthy (1868–1957) - Politician and statesman, Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1944. Horthy was an important political figure in the period between the two world wars.
József Antall (1932–1993) – Politician and the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary after the fall of communism in 1990. He is considered a significant figure in modern Hungarian politics.
A poem about Budapest and its history invented by artificial intelligence
In the heart of Europe, where the Danube flows quietly,
There lies the city, Budapest, in its beauty and pride.
She was born from ancient dreams, from a time of a thousand years,
Where history intertwines, like a thread into a web of tangles.
On the banks of the river, where bridges connect the world,
Budin and Pest bond to each other like an old lip.
An ancient castle, proudly standing on a hill,
He is a witness to history, the painful ones even in love.
There Liszt soared his notes high to heaven,
And Bartók's sound carried in the dark, deep night.
Here Red Square and Andrássy Road,
However, this country has always been and remains honest to the people.
The Ottomans once stormed the gates from afar,
Years of struggle, wars, but hope did not run away here.
Revolution, uprising, even the hard chain of communists,
But Budapest rose up, straightened its back from the dust and rubble.
Today the city shines like a pearl in dark nights,
Lights twinkle on the waters of the Danube, from clear skies.
The clock is ringing in the Fisherman's Bastion,
And the Országház is proudly reflected in the river current clearly.
Budapest, the city of legends and miracles,
Your heart beats in the rhythm of time, in the waves of fate.
You will always remain beautiful, with the past in your hands,
And the world will honor you, like a treasure, like a spiritual verse.