Budapest is the capital city of the country of Hungary, and it’s widely considered to be one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in all of Europe! From learning about the region’s history at the Hungarian National Museum to perusing the sculptures in Memento Park, join ViewCation to find the best things to do in Budapest, Hungary.
Learn About History at the Hungarian National Museum
If you want to get a quick idea of everything that Hungary’s about, you may want to head into the Hungarian National Museum! The museum features a seemingly infinite plethora of exhibits relating to the country’s rich history. This includes the various cultural aspects of Hungary’s history, including such things as art and religion. When you’re all done taking in the rich history of Hungary by way of the museum’s many exhibits, you can stroll out to the beautiful gardens located outside of the museum for a nice picnic.
Take a Stroll Around City Park
Located near the center of Budapest, City Park is a grand location for locals and tourists alike. Of course, the main purpose of City Park is to provide the many residents of Budapest with a place to waste away their leisure hours, and the park is certainly effective in these regards! However, Budapest’s City Park has just as much to offer tourists visiting the region as it does it’s variety of local residents.
Some of the highlights of Budapest’s City Park include the several state-of-the-art sports facilities available to guests, as well as the massive boating lake that the area is centered on. During the winter months, this boating lake turns into an ice rink, which is one of the largest ice rinks that can be found in all of Europe! Some of the other notable landmarks that can be found within Budapest’s City Park include the Budapest Municipal Zoo & Botanical Garden. There’s also the Vajdahunyad Castle, which is a beautiful historical building housing the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture.
Shop for Souvenirs at Ecseri Flea Market
Anyone visiting the Hungarian city of Budapest is certainly going to want to take home a souvenir, and the absolute best place in the area to go souvenir shopping is the Ecseri Flea Market! This flea market is located just on the outskirts of the city itself, and it’s full of different vendors offering a variety of unique goods. You’ll find everything from crafts to used clothing, and you may even find some authentic memorabilia from Hungary’s infamous Communist era. If you’re looking for something truly unique to remember your visit to Budapest by, this is where you’re going to find it! Just remember that haggling is the norm in these parts.
Shop for Local Food at Central Market Hall
While Ecseri Flea Market is certainly the shopping area to venture to if you’re looking for souvenirs while staying in Budapest, Central Market Hall is where you’ll want to go to get some food! Central Market Hall is where the majority of Budapest’s local residents go to shop for their groceries, and it’s a popular location with tourists, to boot! The appeal of Central Market Hall is obvious, as the market is filled to the brim with locally sourced food items, from meat to produce. Of course, raw ingredients will only have a limited appeal to the majority of tourists, but everyone will be able to enjoy the authentic Hungarian cuisine available on the upper floor!
Take a Ride on the Budapest Castle Hill Funicular
If you don’t know what a funicular is before heading out on your journey to Budapest, you’ll certainly know what one is when you’re done! The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular is one of the most notable attractions in the whole city, and it’s considered to be the second-oldest funicular in the world. For those who don’t know what a funicular is, it’s a specific kind of cable railway system. Funiculars aren’t all that common, as they have essentially long-since been outmoded by more modern technology. However, the Budapest Castle Hill Funicular is preserved for it’s historical value, and it serves as a great draw for tourists!
The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular was first opened up to the public for use all the way back in 1870, which makes it more than 150 years old. Riding the funicular will take you to the top of it’s namesake Castle Hill, though the most notable sights for tourists will come via the incredible views of the Danube River, which runs through the city of Budapest. The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular has been slightly slowed down over the years to allow tourists more of an opportunity to enjoy the experience, and it’s open until 10 PM.
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Experience the Openness of the Buda Hills
If you’re looking for a taste of nature while staying in Budapest, look no further than the Buda Hills! The beautiful, green area features a plethora of hiking trails, and even a few trails for mountain bikers. The trails can differ in terms of difficulty, but all of them offer some unique and amazing views of the region’s wilderness. Like Budapest City Park, this is another location that’s arguably even more popular with the locals than it is with the tourists. However, it’s also another location that tourists will certainly appreciate.
Check Out the Liberty Statue
The Liberty Statue in Budapest is a remnant of Hungary’s Communist days. However, in the time since the country’s transition to a democratic system, the monument has come to take on a new meaning. Today, the statue stands as a reminder to the people of Budapest to give thanks to all of the many people that died liberating the country. The statue sits atop a hill, which can be a bit of a climb! However, in addition to the chance to see the statue itself up close, tourists will also be rewarded upon their climb to the top of the hill by some staggering views of the surrounding area.
Visit the Hungarian Parliament Building
While the Hungarian Parliament Building exists predominantly for political purposes, the beautiful historical building has also become a popular location for tourists to visit. The building has a Gothic Revival style and is one of the largest in the entire country of Hungary. This size comes for practical reasons, as the building houses multiple hundreds of offices. Tourists would likely be bored if they knew what was going on in each of these officers, but there’s nothing boring about the way the building looks! The Hungarian Parliament Building is a beautiful sight.
Journey Out to Margaret Island
The Danube River runs through Budapest, and, in the middle of the Danube River, there’s a miniscule body of land that goes by the name of Margaret Island. Though Margaret Island certainly isn’t all that big, it has plenty to offer visitors. The island is only around two miles long, but it’s entire length is comprised of recreational facilities and parkland. There’s plenty to do and see on the island, and golf carts can be rented to help visitors get from one end to the other.
Some of the many notable parts of Margaret Island include the running track that circles around the island’s entire rim, as well as the Margaret Island Musical Fountain. The running track is one of the most popular places in the city of Budapest for locals to jog, while the Margaret Island Musical Fountain sprays water in ways that make it appear as if the water is dancing to classical musical.
Visit the Danube Promenade
The Danube Promenade is, as it’s name should suggest, a promenade located along the Danube River. Specifically, the promenade is located between the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge, which are two notable bridges crossing over the Danube River. There are several notable landmarks that visitors will get the chance to see while walking the Danube Promenade, and they’ll even get a nice view of the aforementioned Liberty Statue. The promenade also features several restaurants, so you can end your journey with dinner.
Visit the House of Terror
When one sees the name of this Budapest attraction, they’ll likely assume that it’s a haunted house! The House of Terror certainly stands as a monument to terror, though it’s not the kind of terror that involves the supernatural. Instead, the House of Terror is a museum of sorts showcasing exhibits that depict the manmade terrors of Hungary’s Communist era. Visitors will even get the chance to step into an authentic prison area that was used back in the day.
Experience St. Stephen’s Basilica
If you need a place to repent after witnessing the horrors that can be found within Budapest’s House of Terror, you may want to head over to St. Stephen’s Basilica! St. Stephen’s Basilica is one of the most notable religious buildings in the entire country of Hungary, and it’s named after the country’s very first recorded king. That king would be the building’s namesake, Stephen. Visitors should be advised that, as St. Stephen’s Basilica is an authentic holy site, they’ll need to keep both their shoulders and their knees covered.
Peruse the Sculptures in Memento Park
If you find yourself particularly fascinated with Hungary’s history of Communism, visiting Memento Park should be considered a must. The park is home to several historical sculptures that have preserved from Hungary’s Communist era. Most of the statues from this time period, with the significant exception of the aforementioned Liberty Statue, were destroyed amidst the country’s transition to a democratic system during the late 1980s. However, some of the most striking sculptures were preserved for historical purposes, and most of these now stand within Memento Park. The park was opened up in 1993, only a few years after Hungary’s transition to a democratic system.
With all of these incredible things for tourists to do and see, it’s no wonder that the Hungarian capital of Budapest stands as one of the most popular tourist destinations within the whole of Europe. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Hungary was a Communist country up until the end of the 1980s, and that several Communist-era landmarks still stand within the country’s capital of Budapest as historical landmarks? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more globetrotting ViewCation videos are on their way!