by Alexandra Petra Nagy

I was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary and I take great pride in that. This city has so much to offer for tourists who want to see the historic mixed with a touch of the new. I am currently living in the United States, so I get a lot of questions from my American friends. They often ask, “What are the top things to see in Budapest?”  I am really excited to share my suggestions about my charming home.

1. Look up

Look up? What? Many of us walk on the street as tourists, trying to find our way to the next destination or exciting place. When you get to Budapest, you will see buildings with barely any paint coating next to remodeled, nice and sometimes even fancy. But when you look up to the top of the building, you will find many really old details such as old statues, paintings and even bullet holes. Even now, I find new details of buildings that I have seen over and over. Keep your eyes open.

2.  Free walking tours

What an amazing opportunity to take the city in and learn about history by experiencing it on foot! I have heard from many of my friends who have visited Budapest that this was one of the highlights of their trip. The walking tour starts on the Vorosmarty Square, which is very easy to find. If you are into shopping and ask a local, you will be sent to Vaci Street which leads right into the Vorosmarty Square. I will say though, Vaci Street is expensive. You can find better deals in shopping centers and malls if you want to get new clothes and such. The tour is about 2-3 hours and it is free, but tipping is welcomed at the end.

3. Food market /Great Market Hall – “Nagy Vasarcsarnok”

If you wish to buy souvenirs and see a place where locals get their fresh produce, meat and such, this is where you want to be! I would leave the souvenir shopping for this place because you will be able to find anything and everything here for the best price. There is a cafeteria on the top level. If you wish to try Hungarian food like “hurka,” “kolbasz” or “langos,” this is a good place to try, though the price might be on the higher end.

4.  Gellert Hill – Gellert Hegy

Are you wondering how to pronounce the Hungarian words? Haha, good luck! All the weirdness in our words come from the letters that look like individual letters, but actually are one letter like “gy”. It is not “g” and “y,” it considered one letter in the Hungarian alphabet. We have 40 letters in our alphabet!

So about Gellert Hill — This is my absolute favorite spot besides the Buda Castle. You can start your walk from Gellert Square and make your way through the sometimes super tiny paths along stone railings. While you do that, imagine how much history those rocks and stones are holding and the stories they could tell you. Be sure to check out the chapel that is located inside the hill.

Here are times of the masses:

During the week: 8:30 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

On Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

During this time, tourists are not allowed in but if you want to partake in the mass, you are more than welcome to.

5.  Baths/Spas – Gyogyfurdo

You need to visit as many baths as possible because all of them are unique and different. There are so many natural warm spring waters under the city. These baths go back hundreds and thousands of years. The Turks, the Romans and even the Celts have been enjoyed these warm spring waters.

Make sure you double check the opening times and restrictions. There are baths that will only allow women in on certain days and then men on other days.

If you are into parties, then you also want to check out the bath party that normally takes place at Szechenyi bath.

6. Buda Castle and my favorite walking route

Ladies (and gentlemen) who enjoy taking pictures, this is the best place to take cute pictures with beautiful backgrounds.  Start your walk from the Matthias Church, make your way to the Fisherman bastion, don’t be afraid of walking up in the bastion even though there is a restaurant — the crew will not kick you out. I have actually done a professional photoshoot in the Buda Castle and the pictures turned out amazing. If you want your own professional photos, I highly suggest reaching out to Tamas Szaraz at fotozunk@fotozunk.hu . The photoshoot costs around $100 and they give amazing customer service.

After you are done in the bastion, make your way over to the castle. If you walk toward the library, you might recognize that that’s where Katy Perry’s video for “Firework” was shot. Pretty cool!  Next, walk down to the Bazaar, which is newly renovated. From here, I like to walk across the Chain bridge to the Pest side, make my way over to St. Stephen Basilica and grab coffee in one of the cute shops like MiEgymas on Arany Janos Street/utca. The walk is even more spectacular if you do it either at sunrise or sunset.

7.  Hospital in the Rock

The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum is the name given to a hospital created in the caverns under Buda Castle in Budapest in the 1930s in preparation for the Second World War.

I have been to this Museum and I am planning to go again. All I can say is that you do not want to miss this place. The tour guides do an amazing job. The place can get cold, so bring a jacket with you.

8. Tea houses and Coffee Shops

If you are like me, you want to experience what locals experience. Try and not go to Starbucks while in Hungary. You will spend so much money for something that you can get at home as well. My favorite tea house is Sirius. Its not so easy to spot so you have to keep your eyes open but so worth it! nothing compares to this place. Its an amazing spot for a cute date or if you want to get away from the city: charming, lovely, and mesmerizing.

I will say that this is a little off the beaten path but I am happy to explain to you how to get there. The above mentioned coffee shop is close to the St Stephen’s Basilica, called MiEgymas. If you are looking for the best tasting cappuccino you will find it there. The place is calming and has a great vibe to it. Reasonable price and the staff is amazing. I have all types of food allergies and they were happy to accommodate all my requests.

9. Food, food and more food

Anywhere you go, you will find restaurants calling your name to try traditional Hungarian food. There are also many places that offer street food like gyros. There are two things you can’t miss while in Budapest — and this will save you time as well.

Try one of the “Pekseg” (bakeries) and go to Trofea Grill. Why?

You will find pastries in the bakeries like nowhere else. Hungarians like to eat Kakaoscsiga or Turosbatyu for breakfast with Kakao or simple milk. Kakaoscsiga is a pastry made with cocoa  and shaped like a snail. Turosbatyu is a sweet bread that is filled with sweet farm cheese. It is definitely a different taste if you are from the States.

Trofea Grill is an all you can eat place that serves traditional Hungarian soups, meats, desserts and so on. The price varies depending on when you go there, but it is still pretty cheap since you can try out so many different dishes. If you want to try the local, traditional cuisine and try most of it, Trofea is your place.

10. House of Terror, Andrassy Street, Heroes Square and Vajdahunyad Castle

The House of Terror is a really sad place but offers much information about the 20th century in Hungary and is also a memorial to the victims of government regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building. After you visit the House of Terror, you will want to get some fresh air and for that, I suggest making your way up to Heroes Square. You don’t need to take anything, just start walking on Andrassy for about 10-15 minutes. If walk a little more, then you will find the Vajdahunyad Castle.

11.  What to know before you go

Save your coins because you quickly will realize how expensive it gets to do something so natural. In Budapest, there are public bathrooms, but you have to pay to access them. It can cost anywhere between 100 – 250 Forint (Ft). There are some shops where you don’t have to pay, but most of the McDonalds, etc. will require a code to use their restrooms.

Tipping is encouraged and servers will love you for it.

Complaining is not encouraged. Hungarian people are nice and helpful. Of course, you can find the opposite as well just like anywhere else, but our customer service couldn’t be better.

Lastly and most importantly: please be careful with your belongings on public transportation, especially on tram 4-6, subways and the underground area. The economy is not doing the greatest and there are many desperate people here, so be aware of that.

If you visit Budapest, I do wish you the most wonderful time ever. I hope you get to enjoy special moments in my home that will make you want to come back and will cause you to smile anytime you think about Budapest.

PS — I am happy to help you plan your trip or tell you if the location you picked for your hotel is right. I am happy to talk to you and answer any questions, because I would love to make sure that you get the best out of your trip. I can totally relate to being in a different country, being   nervous and excited at the same time.  Therefore, if I can help you ease your mind and get you even more excited, please feel free to ask away on travelsimpleandfit (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Alexandra Petra Nagy is a Hungarian-American who is passionate about making a change in others’ lives. She is an expert in Budapest and in finding solutions for all situations. You can read her writing here or find her on Facebook.