Budapest

Overview

Budapest is the pearl of the Danube, with thermal baths, grand architecture and glittering night views, often called the Paris of the East.

History

Budapest was created in 1873 by merging the cities of Buda, Óbuda and Pest. The Romans built a fortress here at Aquincum, and in the Middle Ages Buda was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary. Many of the baths date from Ottoman rule in the 16th and 17th centuries and remain a defining feature. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 the city grew rapidly into a Paris on the Danube. Its historic centre became a World Heritage Site in 1987, and the anti-Soviet uprising of 1956 is its most significant modern event.

Highlights

• •The Parliament mirrored in the Danube at night
• •The neo-Baroque Széchenyi thermal baths
• •Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church on Castle Hill
• •The illuminated Elizabeth Bridge and Chain Bridge
• •The ruin bar scene that defines the city's nightlife

Practical tips

• •A thermal bath is an essential experience
• •The ruin bar culture is unique

Practical information

Best time

April to October

Tickets

Parliament tours about HUF 8,000; thermal baths about HUF 5,000 to 7,000

Opening hours

Baths 6:00 to 22:00; sights roughly 9:00 to 17:00

Local food

Goulash soup, chimney cake, foie gras and Tokaji wine

Getting around

Metro lines M1 to M4 and trams cover the city, and the two banks of the Danube are linked on foot by bridges

Visa

Hungary is in the Schengen area and requires a short-stay Schengen visa. Budapest is a popular destination, so book an appointment early.

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