I have decided to put some of the place I visited in Budapest here. If I were to do it one by one, it is too tedious.
Budapest is really beautiful.
Besides being affordable , they have a lot of beauty which is yet to be discovered. A lot of people would put their attention on Prague when they choose to visit Eastern European countries. It's a shame that Budapest did not get as much as attention they deserve.
1. Matthias Church
Visit the 700 year old Matthias Church at Buda which serves the symbol of the city's rich past. However, there is a need of payment if you were to go inside of the church.
2. Fishermen’s Bastion.
Visit fishermen's Bastion which is only five minutes walk from Matthias Church. Fishermen's Bastion is named as 'Halászbástya' in Hungarian. It is a 100 year old , favourite lookout for tourist and the locals. This bastion was build to show respect to the fisherman who protected this part of the city, The view from there is astonishing.
3. Buda Castle
I did not take picture of Buda Castle which is a pity but here is the famous historical statute in it to make up for that.
Buda Castle ( named : Budavári Palota) is one of the famous tourist spot at the Buda side. It is a historical castle which used to serve the Hungarian Kings in Budapest, built on the southern side of Castle Hill. From here, you can overlook the whole Pest city which was stunning. Not the mention, the view of Chain Bridge would be the best here.
4. Chain Bridge
Instead of walking through Chain Bridge from Buda to Pest, I decided to stay at Buda Castle to get the best view of it. In the afternoon, it may not be special. But when the sun goes down, the view is stunning. Look at how beautiful it is at night.
I would suggest that when you guys are visiting the Buda side , you should start your journey a little later so that you can stay till night for this beautiful view.
Trust me, it's more worthy seeing Chain Bridge at night.
5. Ruszwurm Cafe.
When you are tired of walking through little alleys in Castle Hill District at the Buda side - especially after all the touristy visit to Matthias Church,Fishermen's Bastion and Buda Castle which is located very close to each other , you can stop by this cafe to have a drink.
I recommend this place for the break because this cafe is very historical. It opens at year 1827 which is almost 190 years old. There are located in the Castle District which is just across the street from Matthias Church. Their signboards are not that evident so you might need to look closely along the way. Besides, they need no promotion because they are always crowded.
During the high season, the queue is crazy. Lucky for me, I visited during winter in December which did not require me to queue. I only waited for 10 minutes. The cake was fine and coffee was just okay. The attitude of the staffs are pretty bad and perhaps it can be forgiven because they are really busy.
6. Vajdahunyad Castle
Compare to Buda Castle, I like Vajdahunyad Castle better.
This castle is located in the City Park of Budapest and was built in 1896. This castle contains parts of buildings from different time periods , having different architectural styles. Not to mention that this place is really romantic and fairytale like. It would be the best to visit during spring or summer. I visited during winter and this place still capture my heart.
This place is also surrounded by a big park which is great for couples to take a stroll. The lake was frozen and covered with dead leaves. However, romance is still not dead.
I will strongly recommend this place if you were to visit Budapest.
7. Heroes Square
This place is located across the bridge from Vajdahunyad Castle, approximately a short 10 minute walk. My walking speed is really slow - so if you are a fast walker maybe you only need to take 5 minutes or so.
Hősök tere , which mean Heroes' Square in Hungarian , is one of the major squares in the city. The iconic statute features Seven Chieftains of the Magyars , the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and other important leaders. This place may seem empty but rather beautiful when the sun is setting.
I am a person who love pink-purplish skies so I was really glad that I witness that that day,
The famous spa is located near by which I didn't visit. It was too cold so I suggested to skip that.
8. Hungarian Street Food.
This is not exactly a place. I went during winter so there is Christmas Market. There is a few street food I would strongly recommend you to try when you are in Budapest. To find authentic local food, Food Market will always be the best choice.
so cute.
Lángos
A plate-sized fried dough which is usually having sour cream and cheese as their topping. That would be a classic lángos. This fried dough tasted a little like thick version of roti canai. As you can see from the first picture, there is so many kind of toppings available. This thick piece of dough can be your starter, main or even dessert lol. I love pizza a lot so I ordered the pepperoni one with extra cheese.
This is really good, not to mention cheap as well.
stuffed paprika.
Gulyás
Goulash, is the authentic Hungarian soup. It contains pieces of beef, potatoes , vegetables , spices and their famous paprika. This is the best comfort food for winter. Not to mention, it looks cuter when it is served in a bread bowl.
Kürtőskalács
This chimney cake would be my favourite because I absolutely love bread. This Transylvanian pull-apart bread is baked outdoors over charcoal. The texture is more like a combination of bread + cake which is really lovely. Often, it is rolled with sugar or cinnamon but other flavours such us cocoa or nuts are available - wholly depending on the seller. It was so good that we have to pack another two home for breakfast tomorrow.
Trust me, this is the only type of spiral you'd never want to end.
9. New York Cafe
How can you not visit the most beautiful cafe in the world?
Sipping a cup of Americano with a slice of cheesecake, overlooking the Venetian-styled lamp hanging on the gold plated walls which shows the charm of Belle Époque - is sure one of the most luxurious thing in the world.
Perhaps the dessert might not be as good as how it was written on the internet but the sophisticated interior is the charm that will your heart away.
Visit this place!
10. Central Market Hall
Nagyvásárcsarnok , the Central Market Hall is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest which sells farm food, fresh vegetables to souveneirs on the second floor. This place is located near the famous pedestrian shopping street at the Pest side of the Liberty Bridge.
Besides buying some paprika home, you can also find souvenirs - which you need to put in quite an effort to seek for stalls which sells them at lower price.
New York Cafè -Boscolo Hotel Budapest, Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9, 1073 Hungary