Budapest. What can I say that hasn’t already been said somewhere else? Probably not anything but lets give it a go.
For starters it’s a hell of a beautiful city. When walking around Budapest, you need to look up towards the roofs of the buildings so you can appreciate their beauty. Thankfully during the time of the USSR, they didn’t destroy too much of the old architecture so alot of the old buildings remain. Although, of course there are a few Soviet faceless buildings. The Parliament building and St. Stephens Basilica stand out, but Budapest has other beauts. The Castle district and Citadella both provide great views looking back down onto the Danube and the city. At night, the city remains beautiful and a walk along the Danube and across Margaret’s Bridge is highly highly recommended.
There is also some good street art to be found, which can be just as beautiful. Artists are allowed to do big murals, as long as they relate to Hungarian culture, history, people etc. One example of this is a big mural showing when Hungary beat England 6-3 in what Hungarians call ‘The Game of the Century’. There is also a really cool piece of work that shows a Rubix’s cube. When you look at it normally with the naked eye it appears 2D, however when you look at it through a lens/camera it appears 3D! Pretty cool bit of work.
In terms of culture, there is plenty of that as well. There is a set of free walking tours that are worth doing. One is a generally Budapest tour, one a tour round the Jewish area with info about Budapest’s Jews, one about the Communist history of Budapest. All are worth doing if you want more info about Budapest. There is also a heapful of museums – Torture Museum, Hospital in the Rock. However, my favourite was the Pinball Museum. For 2500 Fornits (£6), you can go and play as much pinball as you want on a load of machines from modern ones, right the way back to some of the earliest around. There is also an old school Space Invaders Machine, Mortal Kombat, and various other old arcade style games.
Now, bars and nightlife. Of course there is plenty. Ruin Bars are something Budapest is famous for. If you dunno what these are, they are basically old, abandoned buildings that have been turnt into bars. The most famous and popular of these is Szimpla Kert. An old abandoned building that now has a mixmatch of styles, furniture. Instant can also be popular, but if you lose your mates in here, you’ll struggle to find them again! It’s a big building, spread over 3 floors. If you’d prefer a few cocktails than a Ruin Bar then both Rumpus Tiki Bar and Warm Up Bar are worth checking out. (Shout out to Beer, Meats and Treats for Recommending These. Follow her Food & Drink Blog here Beers, Meats and Treats)
I suppose I should mention the Thermal Baths of Budapest as well. There are loads of Thermal Baths dotted around Budapest. And it’s worth visiting at least one. Just check the opening times, whether it’s a Male Only/Female Only/Both Gender Session and then go along. I went to the Szechenyi Baths up by the City Park and it was amazing. Great for a hangover and just great even if I wasn’t hungover.
Budapest is deffo worth a visit, my new favourite city in Europe. Well until September at least when I’ll be hitting up the Baltic.
Joe From Bow 