Budapest Self Guided
The Hungarian parliament building in Budapest
Two Days Self-Guided in Budapest
After our Free Walking Tour and day trip to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, we had two more days in Budapest and decided to map out a few interesting sites, spoil ourselves with good food, and prepare for our next move, our Christmas stay in Denmark.
Our luck was turning with the weather. We ended up with two brilliant days, the wrap-up after nearly two months of travel around Europe.
In this post, we take you through Castle Hill, the Christmas Markets, a couple of restaurant options, and a climb up the stairs to the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica.
Di is taking in the amazing view from St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest
Day 1
The day started with a quick planning session, during which we added the spots we wanted to see on the Maps.me app. We then stopped by Spinoza, a restaurant recommended by Emma and Simon.
We made reservations for 7:30 and happily noted that it was close to our studio apartment. We checked out the Drum Café, also just around the corner, and decided to have lunch there the following day.
We continued to the Elisabeth Bridge, and the area reminded us somewhat of Paris, with a cozy café on the corner of the bridge.
The weather was fantastic, and we had too many layers on and were prepared for a much colder day. We opted to walk via the narrow streets rather than along the Danube River.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Danube River, and the Hungarian Parliament building on a beautiful sunny day in December
Our first destination of the day was the Au Revoir Photography exhibit on Castle Hill. We went inside to check the prices. Admission was HUF 2,400 or approximately $8.00 per person, which we found very reasonable, and an extra HUF 1,000 / $3.40 if you want to take pictures.
Although the exhibition looked interesting, the amazing weather won us over, and we decided to spend the day outside, enjoying the warmth and sunshine.
Saturday crowds gather on Castle Hill to enjoy the view of the Hungarian Parliament Buildings, the Chain Bridge, and Danube River.
Amazing Views From the Castle Walls
Further up Castle Hill along the castle walls, we enjoyed incredible views of the Hungarian Parliament Buildings, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, and the Danube River. Our guide from the Free Walking Tour had said not to bother, but we believe it is worth it.
Other tourists and locals had the same idea on this gorgeous December Saturday. Huge crowds like this would normally bother us, but there was a good atmosphere in the air, and for once, we took it in stride.
The Hospital In The Rock Museum, Budapest
Hospital in The Rock Museum
Several of our friends had recommended the “Hospital In The Rock” Museum, so we headed there next. The underground hospital was built in the caverns under Buda Castle in the 1930s in preparation for the Second World War.
The visit started with a video about the hospital's history. The tour was similar, with more details and stories. The underground hospital was built for 60, then 200, and then up to 650 during the 1944-45 siege of Budapest.
From 1958 to 62, the hospital was upgraded in preparation for a nuclear attack. Illustrations of the size of current nuclear weapons compared to Hiroshima and Nagasaki were on display.
It was frightening to see, and we were both quite saddened and disturbed by the exhibition. We talked about it later. To a degree, we have avoided these somber exhibits as we know we are pretty sensitive, and it takes a toll. It is, however, good to be reminded once in a while.
The Hungarian Parliament Buildings
After the somber experience at the Hospital In The Rock, we decided we needed to live life to the fullest and went for coffee and cake! The café's lineup was out the door, so we changed our minds and had glühwein instead.
Huge crowds gathered around the Matthias Church on this late Saturday afternoon in the sun, a big contrast to a few days earlier, when we had paid a visit on a cold, rainy, and wet Thursday evening. We checked the viewpoints and headed down different steps toward the Danube.
Halfway down, we realized we had not gone to the Hilton wine cellar, our friend Will’s suggestion. We were past the point of no return and continued to the riverfront to see the Hungarian Parliament Buildings at dusk.
We meant to take a tram back, but it only runs on the east side of the Danube. We asked a local and she said we would need to take the metro.
On the Metro in Budapest
Christmas Markets
Saturday evening at the Christmas Markets was jam-packed. The crowds were so thick you could barely move at times, and eventually, it was getting to us.
We wanted to try a Lángos. OMG, it's so yummy: warm, deep-fried bread with sour cream and grated cheese. Why did we wait so long to taste this?
We kept wandering and found more gluhwein to keep us warm before returning to the apartment to rest before our dinner reservation at 7:30 pm.
A festive Christmas market atmosphere in Budapest
Dinner at Restaurant Spinoza
Dinner at Spinoza was a wonderful experience. The food was okay, but the atmosphere was splendid. We were seated right next to the piano player, and several times during our dinner, we had wonderful conversations with him.
He must have been in his early eighties. He had traveled the world and spent time in Canada and Denmark. He plays a famous Danish tune for us in the short clip below.
The Ruin Bar
After dinner, we dropped in briefly at the Ruin Bar, as Chris had suggested. It was a very interesting place, and we explored the maze of different bars, rooms, and hang-out areas. We took a few photos, and although we had planned to stay for a drink, we were knackered after a long day and headed home to bed.
Plenty of treats to be found in Budapest. Sharing a warm chimney stack with cinnamon.
Day 2
Slow mornings seemed to be a thing for us in Budapest. We did laundry and went out at 11:30 a.m. to explore the Jewish quarter. The first stop was for a very tempting and warm chimney stack with cinnamon from the vendor outside our hotel. Yummmmmmm. It was warm and steaming.
We walked along different streets and went to the Dohány Street Synagogue. The admission cost was HUF 4,500 / $15.00 to enter, but we decided against it and instead followed the beautiful morning light and looked for interesting buildings and street art.
Dohány Street Synagogue, Budapest
Lunch at The Drum Café
Lunch was at the Drum Café, as recommended by our tour guide. It serves affordable local food. The menu is on a business card holder, with a picture of each dish and a short description in Hungarian and English, with flags on the traditional Hungarian dishes.
It was very busy, and we were seated by the door, which was a bit cold as the door kept opening. They did offer blankets. I had a Lángos with ham, salami, onions, cheese, paprika, and sour cream. I loved it!
Di had a large portion of Goulash Soup. It was a fairly quick turnaround, and the café was full the entire time we were there, mostly tourists.
Tram line 49 in Budapest
St. Stephen’s Basilica
We made our way to St. Stephen's Basilica to climb the tower, which has 305 steps. Admission is 1,000 HUF / $3.40 per person, cash only. The first set of stairs was about 150 steps, and the platform opened to a gallery-like space. Now, we had a choice of an elevator on the right or another 149 steps on the left.
We decided the steps on the black wrought iron spiral staircase would be good for us. Di felt her lungs actually hold out quite well—a sign of being on the road for two months. Reaching the top, the light and views were wonderful, and we spent about 15-20 minutes taking aerial photos and a couple of selfies.
An aerial view of Budapest from St. Stephen’s Basilica with Castle Hill, The Danube River at Matthias Church in the distance.
Budapest - Final Thoughts
Climbing the stairs at St. Stephen’s was a superb way to wrap up our time in Budapest and almost two months of travel in Europe. The view of the Christmas markets below, the Danube, and Castle Hill in the distance was mesmerizing. This is what travel is all about.
We talked about what’s next and decided it would be best if we went home to edit the rest of the photos and catch up on the diary so that when we arrived in Denmark the following morning, we could have a Christmas break.
A selfie to wrap up our stay in Budapest
We did another load of laundry, started packing, and looked into online tickets for the airport bus, but you need mobile data, so we will leave a few minutes early and use the ticket machine at the bus stop.
We worked away, had the rest of our leftovers for dinner, and watched an episode of The Crown. We were looking forward to departure for Denmark and a big Emma hug.
Looking for more from Budapest? Check these two posts:
Budapest Free Walking Tour
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I have made use of Fujifilm film simulations.
