Budapest

“Summer nights & city lights.”

Budapest is actually a tale of two cities – Buda and Pest. These two cities became a single city in the year 1873.

So the first thing you’ll notice about Budapest is how big of a city this is! And the first thing you’d want to consider while planning a trip to Budapest is how you are going to get around the city.

I recommend hiring cabs if budget isn’t an issue. That way you don’t have to stress about parking and also you don’t waste time changing buses or waiting for them. Hiring cabs is not that expensive either. If you are 3 people and are going to split the fare – it is the best way to travel within the city. Almost all top places to see are very far from each other and spread across the entire city. So sort the travel first. Multiple taxi service providers apps are available on the play store and app store.

Next – Stay.
Here is complete blog on stay in Budapest – www.bombbaekar.com/stay/helen-and-frank-guesthouse

And finally – a few experiences that you MUST have when in Budapest <3

Citadella 

Yes I know, it probably already is on your list. But here’s my little pro tip: visit Citadella in the evening so that you can witness a stunning sunset and watch the city slowly light up right in front of you.

Have desserts @Central Cafe and Restaurant 1887

This quaint little café in Budapest serves some of the best desserts and coffee. It is a perfect place for you to spend your afternoons.

Pinsa Pizzeria

Make time to have at least one meal @Pinsa Pizzeria Italiana. We tried a pizza that had potato chips as a topping – one word – delicious!!

Shoes on the Danube Bank 

Shoes on the Danube bank is a monument dedicated to the thousands executed at this riverbank during the WWII. In 1944, Hitler overthrew the leader of the Hungarian government, Miklos Horthy, and replaced him with Ferenc Szalasi. Szalasi established a party which was purely fascist and anti-semitic. Nearly 80,000 Jews were expelled from Hungary in a death march to the Austrian border and approximately 20,000 Jews were brutally shot along the banks of the Danube River.

As shoes was the most valueable commodity during WWII, the victims were forced to remove their shoes at gunpoint and face their executioner before they were shot without mercy, falling over the edge to be washed away by the freezing waters.

Shoes on the Danube Promenade is a haunting tribute to this horrific time in history, created by film director Can Togay and the sculptor, Gyula Pauer.

Hungarian Parliament Building

This Building is right across the street of the Shoes on the Danube Bank. You should visit both of these places early in the morning to avoid crazy crowds and to leisurely enjoy by the Danube.

You can sight a beautiful sunrise with the City and the River in the foreground.

The Labyrinth

Visit the Labyrinth that once held Count Dracula. It is pretty cool! My battery was dead when I was here. I do not have any pictures to post for this one 🙁

The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum

Budapest has so many cool museums! Right near the Labyrinth is The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum. You will learn so much about the history of Budapest here. Also it is on this huge compound which houses a lot of other museums, that are 5 mins walk away from each other. You could easily spend half a day exploring this area. The view that this place offers is also pretty sweet <3

Museums

If that isn’t the kind of museum you are interested in – then there are so many other fun museums to choose from! Here’s a list of my favorites –
– Budapest Pinball museum
– House of Terror
– Kiscelli Museum
– Holocaust Memorial Museum
– Hungarian National Gallery
– Hungarian National Museum
– Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art
– Museum of Hungarian Agriculture