Making a top 10 list is definitely not rocket science, and the large variety of such collections available on the internet is a conclusive evidence for the latter statement. Although we have no intention of turning into trendgetters instead of trendsetters, on account of the multifaceted nature of Budapest, and to make your holiday-planning less bumpy, we’ve collected a top 10 of must-dos you shouldn’t miss out on when visiting Hungary’s capital.
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Urban Edens
Budapest has a number of hidden gardens where you can relax and soak in the beauty of Mother Nature. Epreskert is characterized by sculptures, mulberry trees, and crazy artists. is a splendid scene for some afternoon romance. Füvészkert has a unique collection of flora, although you may be better off with a beer at , a garden bar full of plants.
2/8
Treasure Hunting
Fancy a souvenir from the communist era, a bootleg vinyl, or a design goodie? We won’t take no as an answer, so head over to on an early Saturday morning. Disguise yourself as a local and bargain on dentures and old cameras! Once a month, houses WAMP, a design fair where young artists showcase their works.
3/8
Thermal Baths
Bring on your harem, and spend an afternoon at state-of-the-art , a 400-year-old Turkish bath. If you’re into early-morning swimming and chilling, kick off your day at . Stroke a few laps, sweat it out in the sauna, then eat up the buffet! Diving into the outdoor pool of in a snowfall is pretty cool. Or hot. Watch as the flakes dissolve in the steam, and play a game of chess with the old-timers.
4/8
Wines and Spirits
Prepare your liver (not in a Hannibal Lecter-way) and drink it up! Begin your tasting tour at with a glass of fruity furmint and a pint of dessert wine. Your next stop should be ’s spicy kadarka, and you shouldn’t miss out on ’s full-bodied reds, either! For refreshing spritzers, go over to , while the best pálinkas can be found at Rézangyal Bisztró.
5/8
Frici papa kifőzdéje
Your Hungarian cuisine-trip should start at a hash house such as with a dish of beef stew and some poppy seed bread pudding. Lángos, a Hungarian flat bread speciality is available at food stalls and marketplaces. The best roasted sausages and black puddings are sold at the butcher’s, such as the one next to the Opera House. The Goulash at bluesy is flawless, while the best “túró rudi” (a bar of curd thinly coated in chocolate) can be found at Cserpes Dairy.
6/8
A soundtrack to your life
A life without music is an empty life, so fill your ears with fresh tunes. ’s gives home to underground concerts almost every night., a world-famous club situated on a former Ukrainian stone-carrier ship, is a shrine for electro-believers. although several other genres can be found on the repertoire. If you’re not style-centric, head over to or Trafiq. For some brain-shaking dubstep, climb the mountain of stairs leading up to Corvintető.
7/8
A history of cakes and coffees
The strudels at The First Strudel House of Pest are the same for the sweet-toothed as what drugs were for the 1996 version of Robert Downey Jr. is a hub of Hungarian specialities like Dobos cake and Eszterházy cake. Illustrious used to be a writer’s nest during the early 1900s, now it is a glamorous venue for five-star desserts and quality meals. is also worth a shot, just as Buda Castle’s .
8/8
Fall/Winter Sports Collection
If you happen to be a jogger, look no further than , where the beautiful sight of the leaves changing their colors will make you forget about your aching muscles. In case jogging makes you cringe, play football or frisbee on the spacious fields. Ice skaters should spend an afternoon at ’s Ice Rink. For those who prefer a pair of wheels to a pair of blades, we recommend a bike trip to the Danube Bend. Water-fanatics should check out either Császár-Komjádi Swimming Pool or
In case you caught the picnic fever, we the best outdoor places and parks to chill out.
