What to do in bustling Budapest
This month's flashback takes us back to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. When I had to pick a country for my exchange I really doubted between Hungary and Greece but the warm Mediterranean temperatures won me over haha. A friend of mine did go to Budapest and her exchange started a month before mine did. I was on a little break from school so I went there to visit. Nice to know: one year later we both moved to Curaçao for our internships and we became roommates.
We made great memories that weekend in Budapest. Delicious food, beautiful sights and lots of cocktails at club Instant. My friend was living the exchange student life and for me Budapest was an awesome preview of my own erasmus. But obviously there is a lot more to do in Budapest than just clubbing. Since my friend knows everything about it I asked her all the ins and outs about Budapest.
Buda and Pest
The Danube river divides Budapest in two parts: Buda and Pest. Buda is a more residential area with some amazing castles and Pest is the city center with malls and nightlife.
Danube Boat Cruise
We took the hop-on-hop-off bus for sightseeing and it included a little boat cruise. We woke up quite later after a night of going out and it was already dark when we finally made it to the boat. It turned out to be the best time for a Danube cruise because the lights made the parliament and surrounding buildings look so magical!
Central Market Hall
Are you in for some Hungarian treats? Go the Central Market Hall for the most delicious langos and cheap groceries.
Heroes Square
It is called Hosok Tere in Hungarian and this famous square is a beautiful monument for the Hungarian war commandants. Right behind Heroes Square you will find the City Park Ice Rinks, one of the oldest and the biggest ice rink in Europe. We had lots of fun here and trust me, I really suck at ice skating!
Fisherman's Bastion and the castles
Take the funicular to the Buda side of town and visit the Fisherman's Bastion and the castles. This site offers a great view over the city!
Thermal Spas
Budapest is well-known for its amazing spas. The most famous ones are Szechenyi and Gellert. There are many different baths to choose from and the architecture is amazing. You can even play chess while you are relaxing inside the water! No to mention all the epic parties that are hosted inside these spas.
Margaret Island
Technically Margaret Island is one large urban park in the Danube. It is a great spot to relax and it is connected to the mainland by a bridge. You can rent a segway to get around the island but it is also a perfect location for cycling and running. The island also has a magic fountain with a light-and music show at night.
Holocaust Monument
The row of shoes on the Pest quay is a monument for the victims of World War Two. Sadly, many of them got shot here and ended up in the Danube.
Ruin Pubs
The nightlife of Budapest is amazing! Especially the ruin pubs, those are really cool. Szimpla Kert, Doboz, Hello Baby en Morrison's 2 are some of the besy ruin pubs in town but you have many more to choose from.
Did you ever go to Budapest?
Ayo! AR x
*Source of images: Pixabay
