Is Budapest Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons Why I Love It

Is Budapest worth visiting? It absolutely is! It’s one of the most beautiful European capitals.

The architecture in Budapest is very impressive and the location on the Danube River makes the architecture look even better when it reflects on the mighty river. The river is also a great place for a stroll in summer and in colder temperatures, you can warm up in one of the many thermal baths in Budapest.

It’s also a very affordable European capital city with a wide range of delicious food. My favourite Hungarian food is a chimney cake, a sweet yeast dough sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

I’ve been to Budapest multiple times and my last visit lasted 2 weeks and I can’t wait for my next time to visit this amazing city. I hope with this post I can convince you how great the city is, so keep on reading and sooner as you’ll know you’ll want to go to Budapest.

10 reasons why Budapest is worth visiting

1. Impressive architecture

Budapest has some incredible architectural landmarks, like the Hungarian Parliament Building, one of the most beautiful parliament buildings in the world, and one of the main attractions in Budapest.

The stunning Fisherman’s Bastion overlooks the city and is the perfect Instagrammable spot in Budapest.

But what makes the architecture in Budapest so impressive in my opinion is that even the normal buildings look beautiful. You can just wander through the streets, keep your eyes open and take in your surroundings. Honestly, every corner you turn in Budapest, there’s something awesome to see.

You’ll see impressive buildings in elegant Baroque and Neoclassical styles, next to art nouveau buildings. And this mix makes the architectural landscape of Budapest even better.

And believe me, I’m not just saying that. I was really impressed with the architecture in Budapest, especially since I was in Belgrade before and the architecture there is still a remnant of the communist history of the country, in other words, the general buildings don’t look that great.

2. Location on the Danube River

Budapest is located right at the Danube River. Actually, Budapest used to be two different cities, Buda and Pest, which were separated by the River Danube. Today, the west side of the river is still referred to as the Buda side of Budapest and to the east of the river is the Pest side.

There are multiple beautiful bridges across the Danube, the most famous one is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge but my personal favourite is the Liberty Bridge. I love the fact that people just relax on the bridge, meet friends or read a book. It’s one of the amazing alternative things to do in Budapest.

Another great thing about the river through Budapest is Margaret Island, an island in the middle of the Danube River. This island is connected to the mainland by bridges, so it’s easy to get to Margaret Island and it’s the perfect place to relax on a summer day.

3. Thermal baths in the city centre

I’ll be honest, the first two reasons why I love Budapest also apply to Vienna for example. But the reason I love Budapest more than Vienna are the hot springs and thermal baths in Budapest’s city center.

The most famous thermal bath in Budapest is the Széchenyi Thermal Bath in the City Park but this one was a bit too crowded for me. So I also tried out some other thermal baths in Budapest and my favourite is Rudas Baths.

The thermal baths make Budapest a great destination to visit year-round. When you get too cold in fall or winter, you can just warm up in some hot water.

4. Delicious vegan food

Budapest is amazing for vegan food! And I’ve heard for non-vegan food as well but I don’t have any experience with that.

There are many all-vegan restaurants in Budapest with a wide range of cuisines. My favorite vegan restaurant is Kozmosz Vegan Restaurant. The main dish was delicious but the highlight was the Cremeschnitte, a vanilla custard cake.

The most famous Hungarian dish is a Goulash, and you can find vegan versions of it in most vegan restaurants and some vegan-option places.

Two Hungarian dishes that are vegan most of the time anyway are Lángos, a deep-fried garlic bread, and chimney cake, a sweet yeast dough. I absolutely love chimney cake, every time I visit Budapest I have a lot of them.

5. Reasonable prices

I remember the first time I went to Budapest, everything was super super cheap. Well, prices have gone up since then but compared to many other European cities Budapest is still very affordable.

In order to get the most for your money it’s best to draw out some Forint, the local currency. Many places will accept euros but they’ll give you a terrible conversion rate so it’s best to have Forint with you.

6. Fascinating History

The Hungarian capital, Budapest is full of history, from the founding of the nation in 1000 AD to the tragic history of the 20th century. There’s a lot to learn about Hungarian history.

King Saint Stephen founded Hungary in 1000 AD out of seven Magyar tribes. The seven tribes are the reason the Fisherman’s Bastion has seven towers. The tribes are also represented in Heroes’ Square, Budapest’s most famous square.

King Stephen shaped the landscape even more, he Christianised the new country. The basilica is named after him and statues of the first king are found all over the city.

In the great synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Budapest, you can hear the tragic story of the Jewish people killed during the Second World War.

A great place to learn about the terror regimes in the 20th century is the House of Terror Museum. In Budapest, the terror didn’t end with the end of World War II. The communist regime that followed brought its own terrors to the people of Hungary.

7. Amazing viewpoints

I love a good viewpoint and Budapest has plenty of those.

The best viewpoint within the city centre is from the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica. For an entrance fee, you can climb the spiral staircase to get to the top and from there, you have a panoramic view of the whole city.

There are also multiple viewpoints on the Buda side of Budapest, which is known for being the hilly side of Budapest. The highest viewpoint is from the top of Gellért Hill. But you also get a great view from the Buda Castle Funicular and from Fisherman’s Bastion.

8. Easy to get around

It’s very easy to get around Budapest. My favourite way to get around Budapest is to just walk. It’s a walkable city and since you’ll come by so many beautiful sights wherever you walk to it’s simply the best way to get around.

I just love walking in a new city, that way you discover so many hidden things. While walking around Budapest I stumbled upon some great street art and found the most amazing museum, the Museum of Ethnography.

Okay, fair enough, I haven’t been inside the museum but you can walk up on the rooftop for free and from there we saw a hot air balloon in the city park. It was so cool and we would have missed it if we wouldn’t have walked.

But public transportation is also very easy to use. There are undergrounds, trams and buses. Most stops have ticket machines and at the old metro stops there’s still a person in a booth selling tickets.

By the way, did you know that the oldest metro line in continental Europe is in Budapest?

9. Plenty of green areas

The next thing I love about Budapest are all the green spaces. The biggest park in the city is the City Park. It’s a massive park with a castle inside, the Vajdahunyad Castle which by the way is the most beautiful castle in Budapest in my opinion.

The famous Széchenyi Baths are also located inside the City Park. And every winter they create an ice skating rink in the park.

Another great green area in Hungary’s capital is Gellert Hill. The whole hill is basically a giant park with walking paths, benches, playgrounds and so on.

I’ve already mentioned Margaret Island which is another green lung of the city. It’s the perfect place for a morning jog or a bike tour.

One more park I want to mention is the small green area in front of the Ferris Wheel of Budapest. It’s not big at all but it’s full of life since locals and tourists alike meet there to relax, chat or read.

10. Vibrant nightlife

I’ll be honest with you, usually a nightlife scene isn’t important to me if I like a city or not. But even I have to admit how cool the ruin pubs in Budapest are!

Ruin pubs or ruin bars are basically bars in neglected run-down buildings. So instead of abandoning these pre-war buildings or knocking them down, they made really cool artistic pubs out of the half-abandoned buildings.

You can visit the. pubs during the day as well for a drink. In day time you have plenty of space to truly appreciate what they did with the buildings. But if you want to experience the true. atmosphere of a ruin bar you have to come at night.

Why Budapest should be your next destination

One thing I love about Budapest is that it’s great to visit no matter what the season is. It just depends if you prefer ice skating and hot thermal baths or if you prefer a stroll next to the river in the summer months and a swim in an outdoor bath on Margaret Island.

The shoulder seasons also have their advantages, warm weather and plants changing their colours.

Every season also offers different events and concerts in Budapest. The most famous festival in Budapest is the Sziget Festival. This festival which is held every year in August is one of the biggest music festivals in all of Europe.

Practical tips for visiting Budapest

Now, let’s come to a few tips to make the most out of your Budapest holiday:

• Use Hungarian Forint to pay to avoid bad exchange rates
• Bring a reusable water bottle. Tab water in Budapest is safe to drink and very good.
• Don’t worry about the language barrier, most people can speak English
• Don’t forget your swimsuit at home. If you do, you can buy the new swimsuit can be your souvenir from Budapest Hungary.
• If you come from a non-EU country take the plane. I took the bus once from Serbia to Hungary and it was horrible.

Final thoughts: Is Budapest worth visiting?

So, one more time: Is Budapest worth it? Yes, it absolutely is! The capital of Hungary is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I hope my list of reasons why I love Budapest has made you want to visit because I know strolling through the city centre while eating a chimney cake and admiring the beautiful architecture will make you fall in love with this beautiful city as well.

So, when you’re ready to explore Budapest, check out my other posts about this incredible city.

Lastly, the only overrated aspect of Budapest in my opinion is the renowned New York Café.

Read more about Budapest:

• 20 Absolute Best Things to Do in Budapest Hungary
• 17 Unbelievable Free Things to Do in Budapest
• 17 Truly Unusual Things to Do in Budapest
• 3 Days in Budapest Itinerary: What to See & Do
• I tried the 4 Best Thermal Baths Budapest
• 10 Best Fully Vegan Restaurants in Budapest
• 3 Best Budapest Tours from Vienna
• Is Budapest Worth Visiting? 10 Reasons Why I Love It
• Best Souvenirs from Budapest to Remember Your Trip
• 15 Best Budapest Instagram Spots to Capture Your Trip
• How to Get to Margaret Island Budapest: Easy Ways
• Ultimate Thai Massage Budapest Guide
• New York Café in Budapest: Is It Really Worth It?
• Can You Drink Tap Water in Budapest? Absolutely!
• Is Budapest Cheap? Yes, But Not as Much as It Once Was
• Belgrade to Budapest by Bus: The WORST Journey
• Hungary

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