A CITY TOO ENIGMATIC FOR A PITHY HEADLINE

I found Budapest hard to describe - irreducible to any simple summary. Honestly, I can’t even tell you if I liked it. I certainly enjoyed sections of it - brilliant architecture spread throughout the city, spots with stunning views, and plenty of delicious affordable food. But - there was just something incoherent about Budapest in general to me.

Perhaps it’s because Budapest was originally three cities that merged (including Buda and Pest). Or maybe it’s because Budapest has gone through so many reigns, including the Celtics, Romans, Ottomans, Hungarians, Austrian-Hungarian, and even a moment of being razed by the Mongols. The result of that is that Budapest has a smattering of all sorts of cultures, architectures, and styles disbursed throughout the city. Or maybe it’s because Budapest is just so spread out without a central district to see it’s highlights - so you have to go all over to see everything.

Whatever it is, Budapest is hard to experience in a simple way - unless you’re a young traveler whose primary ambition is to party and let loose. For those, they’ll almost certainly find themselves enraptured by the young energy of the old Jewish Quarter - with its hostels, ruin bars, and casual eating options. For the rest of us, Budapest may leave you confused - having delighted in certain experiences but tired of others.

TAKE IN PARLIAMENT FROM MANY VIEWS

To me, the crown jewel of Budapest is the Parliament building - the third largest in the world. The enormous gothic revival building is stunning from every angle - up close with its gardens and open square - and from a distance - across the river and up on the hills. You can also book a tour of the interior, though I chose not to.

ENJOY THE CASTLE DISTRICT

To me, the most charming section of Budapest is the Castle District - a medieval area in Buda. Here you’ll find Buda Castle, the Matthias Church, and Fisherman's Bastion (which is actually more recent and feels intentionally magical in design - like a setting for a movie about wizards). Here, you can move between some of Budapest’s most stunning architectural sites on cobbled streets with cute buildings. It is one of the few sections of Budapest that, to me, delivers a coherent experience.

RELAX IN CITY PARK

My next favorite area of Budapest was City Park - an expansive park on the Pest side that’s filled with all sorts of unexpected gems. The best way to get there, I think, is to walk up Andrássy Avenue - Budapest’s main boulevard, a major commercial district, and home to several important architectural sites - such as the Opera House.

In the park, you’ll find recreational areas, a castle, a gorgeous thermal springs bath (Széchenyi Baths), museums, a lake (which transforms into a skating rink in the winter), a zoo, and gardens. On the outskirts, you’ll find Heroes’ Square, one of Budapest’s major monuments, and one of the largest sand timers in the world.

It’s honestly astounding to be able to fit all of that in a park with enough open green space to also be relaxing. If you just go without a walking path or plan, to me, it’s one of the few areas of Budapest that will consistently delight you along a casual stroll.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Budapest can have too many options for a casual trip and they are rarely close together. I would limit yourself to picking just a few of them - and pay careful attention to when and how you’ll get there. Here are some of the most common to-dos:

• Have a Drink in a Ruin Bar: Budapest is known for its ruin bars - bars that popped up in neglected buildings in the Jewish Quarter before they were razed. They’re usually disheveled - and that’s the fun. You’ll find the interior made up of whatever assortment of thrift furniture they found - and you’ll find oddities like bathtubs just about. The original and most famous is Szimpla Kert.

• Have a Spa Day in a Thermal Bath: Thermal spa culture in Budapest dates back to Roman times - and the city currently has several stunning public (but not free) bath options for you to go to. The most famous are Gellert Baths and Széchenyi Baths.

• Relax Along Margaret Island: Between Buda and Pest is a nearly 2 mile island that has been made entirely into a park - and has a 4 mile running path with a rubber base around the perimeter. If you tire of the bustle of Budapest and need a quiet escape, Margaret Island is perfect for this.

• Find Some of the other Architectural Sites: Spread throughout Budapest, there are a lot well-known architectural sites, including St. Stephens Basilica, Dohány Street Synagogue, The Opera House, and The National Museum of Hungary. They often aren’t close to each other, so I’d try to hit them when they’re naturally on your route somewhere.

• Eat at a Market Hall: One of my favorite things to do in any city is to go to a food market - and Budapest has two. Central Market is larger and more central - but caters heavily to tourists and is more expensive because of it. Lehel Market is a bit more out of the way - but much more local.

• Explore the Roman Ruins: If you want to explore the ancient history of Budapest, you can head to Aquincum Museum and Ruin Garden on the west side of the river.

Budapest is so big that I recommend limiting what you choose to experience on any day. A recurring sentiment I heard from other backpackers was “I’m really tired. I feel like I’ve just been running around all day.” At moments, I felt like this too. But when I didn’t, I was very intentional about going to one area of the city and exploring just that section.