Budapest - One City, Two Personalities
My impromptu trip to Budapest in November 2018 turned out to be much more than I expected. The city was filled with impressive architecture. I loved starting each day with a morning stroll in the peaceful hilly Buda district and exploring the buzzing Pest district across the Danube river to end the day. If you’d like a short city break in Europe, this is definitely a good one to visit.
I didn’t know much about this city prior to the trip. We spent 4 days in this city. I was charmed by its magnificent architecture. I’m sharing some highlights, photos, favourite restaurants, and of course travel outfits! Continue reading and let me know your thought.
1. The Fisherman’s Bastion
Located in the Buda district, this viewing terrace offers a magnificent view of the Danube River, Parliament building and a sweeping view of the Pest. This iconic architecture enhances the beauty of Matthias Church and dramatic entrance to Castle Hill. We visited this iconic spot a few times early in the morning so we could have it just for ourselves before the tourist buses arrived around 8:30am.
All the Fisherman’s Bastion photos posted here are taken by Roky from Roklya Photography, booked through Flytographer
2. The Parliament Building
Located in the Pest District of Budapest, this Neo-Gothic architecture, is just over 100 years old, and is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. We didn’t do the Parliament tour as it was a little pricey, about 30 Euros/person.
3. The Ruin Bars
Each ruin bar has its own personality. We only had a chance to check out one – the iconic Szimpla Kert, which was the first ruin bar. This bar resembled a run-down apartment building from the outside which was decorated with aged furniture. The drinks and food were reasonably priced, the service was friendly and the venue was strangely photogenic. It was a unique experience!
Must visit cafes and restaurants:
This tiny bistro can only seat probably around 15 people at a time. They served excellent traditional fresh handcrafted food with excellent service. It was one of the best meals we had in Budapest. The food serving was decent and price was reasonable. We didn’t make a reservation and arrived early 6pm for dinner. Luckily, they gave us a table! It got busy pretty quickly, so make a reservation before you go.
Located in the ‘Buda’ district, this Michelin star restaurant was on the slightly pricey side, compared to other restaurants in Budapest. They served international food with a twist of traditional Hungarian flavour. I love the modern and romantic decoration of this restaurant, the beautiful food presentation, the fresh and exciting flavour.
They claimed to be the most beautiful café in the world and they did not lie. We went there mainly to check out the interior of this building. It was like dining in the 18th century castle, complete with live classical music playing in the background. They serve International, Hungarian food and coffee.
Where we stayed:
Art’otel Budapest in the ‘Buda’ District
We had an amazing panoramic view of the river and the Parliament from our hotel room (the picture below). The only down side of staying in Buda District was probably lack of restaurant choices. We didn’t mind it, since we only came back to the hotel after daily itinerary including dinner is over . It’s a short tram ride to the buzzing Pest district anyway.
Hope you enjoy this article and I’d love to hear your thought.