My Hostel in Budapest

(Note: the title is a play on that George Ezra song, this post is about Budapest not specifically my hostel.)

First stop on my January adventures across Europe was Budapest! Another gorgeous city! The people here speak Hungarian, but most know English as well, so that’s not too big of a problem. Also the currency used is the forint, and not many places take credit cards, so make sure you grab some.

I arrived kind of late, so the first thing I did was get dinner and then check out a ruin bar. Ruin bars are essentially old buildings that get converted into bars without any refurbishment. The decorations are usually repurposed from elsewhere, and each one has its own atmosphere. Most of them are in the Jewish Quarter near the Grand Synagogue. The best one, in my opinion, is Szimpla, which is pretty close to the synagogue itself. All of the decorations are repurposed, and there are plenty of tables and chairs in every room. There’s even a tub you can sit in! Tons of events take place inside, including live music and screenings.

The next day we did a free walking tour from Hostel Culture, which was really good despite the freezing cold. (It started snowing pretty heavily in the middle of the tour.) They show you the main sites on both the Pest (east) side of the Danube River, and the Buda (west) side of the Danube. This includes St. Stephen’s church with the holy Right Hand (I saw it, it was strange), Vorosmarty Ter with the food market, the Chain Bridge, and Castle Hill. Afterwards I explored more of the Pest side, including food from Vorosmarty Ter (the fried dough and chimney cakes are a favorite), the inside of St. Stephen’s (beautiful), and the Parliament building. There are tours of the Parliament building, and they’re pretty cheap so I’d recommend doing that. I’d also recommend seeing the Parliament building at night while walking along the Danube. They turn the outside lights on and make it even more beautiful, if you can believe it.

The next day was an exploration of the Buda side. Thankfully it was clearer, so we could easily see the Citadel from the banks of the Danube with the statue at the top. Then there’s the Hungarian National Gallery, located within Buda Castle on Castle Hill. The collection is really cool, there’s everything from medieval art to modern Hungarian works. There’s also the Square of the Holy Trinity, right next to Castle Hill with the great views from the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Matthias church.

Another great place to eat is in the Central Market, south of Vorosmarty Ter. They have some cheap street food and souvenirs on the first floor, while the ground floor has more produce and meats.

One other thing about Budapest, there are a ton of statues everywhere of many different people. There’s an artist painting along the Danube promenade, and leaders on horseback near the different historical sites. Find your favorites!

And that was my taste of Budapest. It’s a beautiful city, I hope that I can return there someday.