The Tale of Two Cities and other Budapest, Hungary Things to Do Tips

Buda and Pest were once two separate cities on opposing sides of the Danube. In 1873 they merged to become the fine city of Budapest which we know today. Buda is the mainly residential part and Pest Industrial or lets just say where most people work, though they are both beautiful and historic. Well actually there were three cities Buda, Obuda and Pest that joined together to form Budapest. Obuda today is in district III of Buda.

Budapest is divided into 22 districts (Kerulet) with Roman numerals to mark each one. At the bottom of my pages in the address or general directions you may find these numbers referenced.

You can buy a Budapest card which gets you into most of the monuments(including galleries and thermal baths) for less or even for free! You can buy them at travel agents or at train, bus petrol stations in Budapest. A two day card costs 2800ft and a three day pass 3400ft. Transport is included in the price.

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Phone: 317 9800
Directions: Budapest is in the North of Hungary, not too far from the border with Slovakia.
Website: www.hungary@tourinform.hu
Other Contact: recorded info line: 0680660044

Gelert baths are the oldest and most famous baths. The temperature of the water is roughly 44şc. They have MANY different kinds of pools and activities. Including a private bath just for two, the communal swimming pool or thermal mineral bath!

Men and Women used to be separated. When I went a couple of years ago this had changed. Be careful, this still may to be true for other thermal baths in Budapest.

Another point to remember is that you must wear a swimming hat in the pools! If you don't want to wear the pastic bag type thing they give you: bring your own.

You can find many others:

All over the city, but mostly in central areas. Look for details at the homepage of Budapest Medicinal Spas & Thermal Springs Co.

P.S. Remember if you forget your swim suit you can hire them from the Gelert pools! You have to put a deposit down which you get back upon returning the swim suit.

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Phone: +36 1 452 45 00
Directions: Across The Elizabeth Bridge.Look for Hotel Gellert on St Gellert Square. Buses #7 7A 86 Teteny-busz and trams #18 19 41 47 49 118, stop Szent Gellert ter.
Website: http://www.budapestgyogyfurdoi.hu

It's not only the castle that is well worth seeing and all the other activities you can do in the Castle district such as visit museums and art galleries and churches but also the spectacular view of the Danube and the parliament buildings. There are so many photos waiting for you up there! Especially near the Fisherman's Bastion.

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Address: District I
Directions: On the top of Castle Hill (Varhegy). Funicular from Clark Adam ter (Buda bridgehead of the Chain Bridge), bus #16 from Deak F. ter, bus VAR from Moszkva ter. No cars allowed.

To see the Parliament is a must see activity. Even if you don't go into it, take a trip up to the Castle district to see the views of the Parliament and the Danube.

I have never been inside the Parliament building itself; I preferred to see it from the heights of the Castle district where you can appreciate it's architecture in full from afar.

To get a close up you can a take the number two tram on the Pest side right to it (this must be the number one tourist tram route as you see some of the best views along the way).

You can also get the red line metro right to it as well.

It is worth seeing it at night all lit up. In the same square you will also find a museum and some other pretty buildings.

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Phone: + (36) 1 441-4000
Address: 1055 Budapest, Kossuth tér 1-3.
Directions: On Kossuth Lajos ter; metro M2, trams #2 2A, trolley-buses #70 78 and bus #15 to Kossuth Lajos ter stop
Website: http://www.parlament.hu

After defeating the Hungarians in the 1848/1849 War of Independence, the Government of Vienna had all the bastions on Castle Hill torn down . The Fisherman's Bastion on Castle Hill was actually built in 1905 in memory of the fishermen who helped defend Budapest during the war. It was built on the site of the old fish market and hasn't seen battle itself! It became a UNESCO world heritage site in the 80's.

It looks as old as it is, but it is still a great piece of architecture and provides many a traveller with stunnung views across the Danube!

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Address: Castle District (Varhegy) in Buda
Directions: It can be reached by the Castle bus (Varbusz) from Moszkva ter.

Although it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, this is what dominated the skyline when you look across at Buda from Pest.

Now it contains the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum .

I really enjoyed the National Gallery which has a predominantly Hungarian collection from gothic to modern times. I normally get bored by Catholic religious artwork so I stuck mainly to the contemporary stuff. Some of it was really 'interesting' such as the multi video screen piece which consisted of old ugly naked men moving around in a bizarre timing. Like someone was pressing the FFW button then the REW button one after the other! Sorry that's what I remember most!

Other pieces were more normal and less revealing than that example! If you would like to see if the naked men are still there, or see what else the gallery has to offer, it is open from 10am-6pm every day except Mondays. It cost about 400ft if you are under 26 and 800ft if you are older.

The Budapest History Museum in wing E looks at the last 2000 years of history. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go in but if you would like to have a loo it is open the same times as the art gallery except that it closes on Tuesdays. It was also 400ft.

Be careful using a camera in either of these places because they don't take kindly to it and will fine you!!!!

It is also pleasant to walk around the grounds if you are not into art or history! It's cheaper do this to if you don't have much money.

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Address: District I
Directions: On the top of Castle Hill (Varhegy). Funicular from Clark Adam ter (Buda bridgehead of the Chain Bridge), bus #16 from Deak F. ter, bus VAR from Moszkva ter. No cars allowed.

Located in Pest it is the largest synagogue still in use in Europe. It now contains the Jewish Museum which is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 3pm Friday and 2pm Sunday. Remember that it is the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday so it is closed all day.

The Synagogue is at Vll Dohány utca 2-8 and behind it between Dohány utca,Kertész utca and Kiraály utca is the old Jewish ghetto.

During WWll, Hungarian Jews were some of the last to be rounded up, however this actually proved more fatal for them as the where sent straight to the gas chambers from the trains. It is a great tragedy that should be remembered, therefore a trip to the Synagogue and the Jewish museum is a truly worth while activity.

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Address: Vll Dohány utca 2-8
Directions: Pest.

An outline of the things to see in Pest:

St Stephens Basilica on Bajcsy Zsilinszky ut.

The Parliament Buildings on Kossuth Lajos ter. Which houses the crown of Saint Stephen.

The Ethnography Museum which faces Kossuth Lajos ter (closed Mondays).

The Great Synagogue at Vll Dohany utca 2-8. Including the Jewish museum and the former Jewish quarter behind.

The National Museum at Vlll Muzeum Korut 14-16 (closed Mondays).

Heroes' Square at Hosok tere where you can see one of Budapest’s most famous monuments celebrating the conquest of the Carpathian Basin. In the same square you can find the Museum of Fine Art which has many famous foreign artists too including the best Spanish Collection outside Spain.

Vajdahunyad Castle by the city park.

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Directions: Opposite Buda!

An outline of the things to see in Buda:

Castle Hill (Varhegy) where you can find lots more to do and see:

The National Archives featured in the photo below.

The Magdalene Tower.

Matthias Church on Szentharomsag utca which houses the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art.

The Fisherman’s Bastion where you can get great views of the Danube and the Parliament building.

The Royal palace which is also the National Gallery and the Budapest History museum.

Below the Castle Hill there is a series of
Labyrinths which are also a museum that goes through the stages of human society.

To the South of Castle Hill you can find the
Citadella a Hapsberg fortress.

The Gelert Thermal Baths at the side of the Gelert hotel.

The Statue Park featuring all the communist statues that were removed from the city at xxll Szabadkai utca on the corner of Baltoni ut. Get the Volan bus from stand 2 or 3 to Dios`-Erd. Check it out at: Communist Statue Park

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Directions: Opposite Pest!

Margit Sziget is an island of park land in the middle of the Danube. It can be reached by the number 4 and 6 tramlines or you can walk there from Svent Istvan Krt (which separates districts 5 and 13) then going across Margit Hid (bridge). You can get down to the island from the middle of the bridge.

It is a great place to come and relax, walk dogs or have a picnic and get away from down town Budapest even if it is down town itself! The air is cleaner and there are thousands of shades of green among the pretty flowers.

You can also go to eat and drink at the tower restaurant area or one of the other bars dotted around. If you come in summer and it is hot, follow the lead of the locals and take a dip in the water park swimming pools also located here (Budapest's version of a beach). Or if you don't fancy paying for soaking up the sun by the water go down to the rivers edge and sit beside the Danube (although it is rather polluted).

You can also go running here on specially laid down tracks.

As you walk down to the park you will hear music playing and see a large fountain dancing to the almost 'fairground' music.

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Address: 1138 Budapest, Margitsziget
Directions: Bus No. 26 (from Nyugati pu.) serves the whole island and trams 4 and 6 stop at the entrance bridge (stop "Margitsziget").