Short Trip to Budapest

Budapest was a charming city from our first sight of it as we took the airport shuttle into the city. Upon arriving in the city center via the airport shuttle’s final stop, we felt safe to walk around and enjoy the beautiful architecture. 

Our low-budget traveling sent us into the first grocery store we came to, a very nice store where we discovered that the exchange rate to U.S. dollars is much lower in the Hungarian currency, Hungarian Forints, than in Euros, which we were used to. We were able to purchase sandwich supplies and snacks for a week for a very low price - about the equivalent of $15. 

With our lunch supplies, we checked into our Airbnb, fit for five people, and one I would recommend to anyone traveling to Budapest: “Flower’s House Airbnb” (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/825353120967531186?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=9412ce1d-711c-47ff-ae9c-94a08d382d65). The accommodations were located in a great part of town, a short walk to the nearest metro station, and lots of restaurants were nearby, including a delicious pizza place with a variety of slices sold for an excellent price!

Speaking of the Budapest metro, it was actually my favorite metro I rode in Europe! It was very clean, not overly crowded, and quaintly old-fashioned (in a good way!). The metro had plenty of seating, and there were leather straps for standing as well. It ran regularly, and the stations were clean and beautifully tiled. The only thing that was difficult was determining which direction we needed to be traveling, since each direction of the metro used a separate entrance on different sides of the street. 

Our few days in Budapest were full of unique activities and beautiful sights. After traveling for part of the first day, we used the afternoon and evening to relax at the Széchenyi Bath. Did you know that Budapest is known as being the city of baths? We had no idea, but quickly discovered why. There were quite a few hot spring baths to choose from in Budapest, but we went with Széchenyi and were not disappointed! The pools (medicinal, saunas, hot springs, you name it) are located within a gorgeous Neo-baroque palace. We spent hours exploring all of the pools, relaxing in the hot springs, running around the whirlpool, and trying out the indoor medicinal baths. It was so picturesque, and there were beautiful lights at night as well. If you’re traveling to Budapest, definitely take advantage of one of the city of baths’ excellent hot springs!

Our next day was spent in the old town of Budapest. We started by taking the metro to Budapest’s Parliament, a beautiful building located right on the Danube River that splits the city (it’s technically the city of Buda on one side of the river and the city of Pest on the other side of the river!). From Parliament, we walked down the side of the Danube towards a pedestrian bridge. As we walked, we came across the World War II memorial of shoes along the riverbank. It was incredibly powerful, and should not be missed when visiting Budapest! Once we got to the bridge and crossed over, we made our way to the bottom of Castle Hill. There were three options for climbing the hill: a funicular, the tram, or walking. As I said previously, being on a low-budget, we opted to walk. It was a pretty steep walk, but not too bad. Once we got to the top of the hill, we first came to Buda Castle, which was more of a normal government building than what comes to mind when I hear the word “castle”. However, from Buda Castle, there was a beautiful view of the city, Parliament, and Danube River. Continuing from Buda Castle, we walked to St. Matthias Church, which is also located on Castle Hill. It’s no wonder that it claims the title of the most beautiful church in Europe! With its gorgeous tiled roof, and intricate architecture, it was my favorite church we saw in Europe even before we went inside. Going inside the church was the best decision we could have made, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Budapest- it was breathtaking! Every inch of the walls, ceiling, and floors were covered in detailed paintings of vibrant colors. Pictures and words can’t accurately describe its beauty! Additionally, in contrast to many churches and cathedrals we visited elsewhere in Europe, visitors can explore the upstairs of St. Matthias Church as well, which is something else I can highly recommend! The view of the church’s interior from above is even more breathtaking than from below! Our day exploring Budapest ended right beside St. Matthias Church at the Fisherman’s Bastion. The Fisherman’s Bastion is essentially a gorgeous stone overlook of the city and river. The bastion was more castle-like than Buda Castle and made the perfect picture spot!

That was the end of our time in Budapest, as we took the tram to the train station and headed to the next country on our list, however there were still a few things on our list that we considered doing in Budapest that I will list for your consideration as well: Cave Church (slightly outside the city, so we didn’t have enough time), Chain Bridge, and Houdini’s House.I didn’t originally consider Budapest to be a place I shouldn’t miss, but after visiting, I would tell anyone visiting Europe that Budapest, Hungary should be on their list!