A First-Timer's Guide to Budapest Hungary

Budapest is the home to around 200 museums; the most important for the nation is the Hungarian National Museum. Navigating through the pathways of this beautiful city is as difficult as understanding the complex history of Budapest. We have shortlisted a few best things to do in Budapest and made a list to make your work easy. So, if it’s your first trip to Budapest, go ahead!

St. Stephen's Basilica is a neo-classical cathedral in Budapest. It is the most sacred Roman catholic church in all of Hungary. The church was given its name to honor the first king of Hungary, St Stephen. It is the third-largest church building in the country. During the 18th century, the Basilica was used for entertainment purposes, as a theatre where animal fights were hosted. A wealthy citizen built a small temporary church, and since then, the people of Hungary started raising funds and made plans to build a church. The result of which you can see as the St. Stephen's Basilica. The Basilica houses the most sacred treasure of Hungary, the mummified right hand of St. Stephen. This place is huge, and it can accommodate 8500 people under its roof at the same time.

This premise is one of the most significant tourist attractions in Budapest. It has its importance to the locals also. The height of the building is equal to the Hungarian parliament building; 96 meters, one of the tallest buildings of Hungary. And according to the current regulations of the country, it is prohibited to build any structure taller than this building. You can see rich fine arts inside the building as soon as you are in the lobby of the main entrance. You will see beautiful art on the glass painting works, pulpits, canopy, statues, and mosaics. You will be amazed to see the beauty of the interior design of the Basilica. Go to the Cupola and see the breathtaking view of Budapest from above. This place is involved with the musical community as well; Many musical programs are organized in the church throughout the year. If you want to be part of their musical program, you can check it online, and you can add this to your things to do in Budapest. There are plenty of terraced cafes and bistros near St. Stephen's Basilica, where you can sit and enjoy the view with a warm cup of coffee.

From Monday to Friday it opens from 9 am to 5 pm. On Saturday, from 9 am to 1 pm and on Sunday, from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Address: Budapest, Szent István tér 1, 1051 Hungary

Hungarian Parliament Building is located on the riverbank of the Danube, and it is a remarkable landmark of Hungary. The Parliament Building is situated in the pest district of Budapest, and it is a popular tourist destination. It is the largest building in the country with a height of 96 meters. The building was fully completed in 1902 and hence is just over 100 years old. The Parliament Building of Budapest is the third largest Parliament building in the whole world and to see this, and you must add this to your list of things to do in Budapest.

This building has been constructed with great love and care from 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones, and 88 pounds of gold. A total of 365 towers are incorporated in the building, one for each day of the year. Inside the grand walls of the building, there are 691 rooms, 10 courtyards, and stairs covering 12.5 miles. Unique cooling and heating system for comforting in both hot and cold weather. This is an architectural masterpiece that holds the hopes and dreams of the nation. This place is the home to the Hungarian crown jewel, which has been hidden, lost, stolen, and returned many times over. Take a tour to see the crown of Hungary's first king. When the national assembly is not in the session in the parliament building, guided tours are available, and you can opt for one to understand it better. You can get some of the best views of this magnificent Neo-Gothic architecture from the Danube or across the river. To see these amazing views, feature this place in your things to do in Budapest. From the Castle Hill and the Gellért Hill, you can get the panoramic view of the Parliament building that looks outstanding from a distance. When the sun sets and lights of the building form its image in the river, this is truly wonderful to watch.

It opens every day (Monday to Sunday) from 8 am to 6 pm. On weekends (Saturday and Sunday) it closes two hours before that is at 4 pm.

Address: Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, 1055 Hungary

Hungarian State Opera House is originally known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House located in central Budapest. It was a major figure in the 19th-century that showcased the Hungarian architecture. It took nine years to complete the construction of this building; the construction started in 1875, and it was opened to the public in 1884. It is the second-largest opera house in the country.

The city loves music, and this you can feel from their buildings dedicated to musical events. It is worth having a tour of this stunning Hungarian State Opera House and enjoying the opera performance. The building has a very rich decoration, and it is considered as a masterpiece architecture. Because of the beauty in design and the quality of acoustics, the Hungarian State Opera House is considered to be one of the finest opera houses in the world.

As you enter the opera house, you can see a beautiful bronze chandelier in the main hall of the building. The interior owns a splendid foyer with a double grand staircase. The wrought-iron lamps illuminate the staircase and the main entrance. The ceiling of the auditorium has beautiful fresco that depicts Olympus and the Greek gods. The opera house has a three-story circle with the royal box is located at the center. Each level has a different layout and decorated differently than the other level. The main auditorium is in the shape of a horseshoe that has a seat for 1,300 people. If you are an opera fan and want to attend the performance, you can check for the tickets and availability of shows online. But you don't want to attend the performance, then the architecture of the building is itself worth a visit. You can attend the 5-minute mini-concert starting at 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm. You will find numerous other sites, cafes, and restaurants near the Opera house where you relax and spend your day. So, add this place in your things to do in Budapest to feel the music and other things.

Address: 22 Andrassy Avenue Budapest H-1061, District VI

Fisherman's Bastion is located in the Buda Castle, and it is one of the best-known monuments the Budapest. It is one of the most important tourist attractions because the lookout terraces offer a unique panorama of Budapest. The main face of the Fisherman's Bastion is 140 meters long. This Neo-Romanesque style structure was built in 19 centuries, between 1895 and 1902. Since 1987, this place has been part of the world heritage site of Budapest. The surrounding of the Fisherman's Bastion will look like a fairy tale surrounding.

Visiting this location is on the top of the things to do in Budapest list of the visitors. The mission of building the Bastion is accomplished as it provides an amazing view of the city on the bank of the river. Watching the sunrise or sunset from this location is perfect. The golden lights of the morning make the entire town more beautiful. The lights lit in the building in the dark reflects in the water, and it looks gorgeous. This place is generally crowded throughout the year, but if you want to avoid the crowd, come to this place at dawn or after dark. If you are up here, then do not miss to check out the other famous things of Buda Castle district like Castle Hill Funicular, Matthias Church, Buda Castle, and the Changing of guards.

There are several cafes on the terrace of Fisherman’s Bastion where you can taste some of the authentic Hungarian food and wine and enjoy the view. The Bastion is open all day throughout the year, so if you want to see the beauty of the magical city at night, you can easily do that. This place is heaven for professional photographers.

Address: Budapest, Szentháromság tér, 1014 Hungary

Váci Street is the most famous and busiest street in Budapest. It features many restaurants, shops, cafes, and other stores primarily for tourists. You can see the retail shops of some of the famous brands like Zara, Mango, H&M, Hugo Boss, Douglas, Nike, Swarovski, and Lacoste. The street is the principal shopping street for locals as well, so you might end up with crowds on the streets, especially during some occasions. Even if you do not want to buy anything from here, add this place in your things to do in Budapest list and walk around the streets for window shopping.

The entire Boulevard is lined with beautiful architecture and buildings of the 19th century. There are plenty of dining options where you can relax a bit and enjoy some food or drinks. So, you can enjoy your coffee with a piece of cake in an open cafe and watch the movement of the people. This street offers you some excellent bottles of wine, showcasing the finest wine of Hungary. Váci Street is busiest during the Christmas season. The entire street is lit up with festive illuminations and hosts a huge Christmas market. While walking on Váci Street, you can use the free Wi-Fi hotspots. You will find the street more peaceful in early spring or late autumn. Váci Street can be a good place to start your city walking tour and then strolling to the chain bridge to cherish the beautiful views along the Danube River. This place has a magical atmosphere, and you must add this place to your list of things to do in Budapest.

Address: Budapest, Hungary

Liberty Bridge is on the Danube river in Budapest and connects Buda and Pest districts. Although the bridge is shortest (336 meters) in Budapest, it has great importance for the city. Initially, at the end of 19 century, the bridge was the part of Millennium World Exhibition. During World War II, the bridge suffered heavy damages, and it was built again after that. Each of the pillars of the bridge has a bronze statue of a Turtle bird on top of it. In 1894, it was a trend to build bridges in chain style, so this bridge was also built in the style of the chain bridge. At both the ends of the bridges, there are custom houses directly at the abutments. Now the custom-houses serve as the ticket house for tram and museum.

On the pest side of the street, you will find one of the outstanding attractions, which is Vaci shopping street. You can take a walk towards Vorosmarty square and take a tour of the world-famous Vaci Street. Another famous attraction for the visitors is on the Buda side of the bridge, the Gellert Baths, and Gellert hill. Gellert Baths are famous for Nouveau architectural beauty, and people take the famous thermal spa baths here.

You can take a tram from the Liberty Bridge that frequently runs every 5 minutes and experience the public transportation system of Budapest. Stand at the center of the bridge and take a look at the surroundings from there. The northeastern house showcases the museum on the bridges of Budapest, which is also worth taking a tour. It hardly takes 2-3 minutes to cross the bridge by tram. But if you want to catch the panoramic view of the river then prefer walking on the bridge. Liberty Bridge looks outstanding from Gellert hills. Visit this bridge by adding it to your things to do in Budapest.

Address: Budapest, Hungary

The Budapest History Museum is housed in the Buda Castle, and hence it is also known as the Castle Museum. In 1887, the municipal council of Budapest decided to take the initiative for the foundation of the Municipal Museum. The Budapest History Museum is divided into four floors. Here you can know about the 2000 years of the turbulent history of the Budapest city. Here you can see various archeological stuff that was uncovered in various excavations that happened in Buda, Obuda, and Pest. You can see some of the oldest things here which are 40,000 years old.

The collection of the museum features objects of everyday use that were used by the ancient Hungarian people. All these items of everyday use recreate the traditional rooms and living space as per the traditional culture of Hungary. The basement of the museum is entirely different from the rest of the floors. During World War II, the halls and corridor of the Castle were damaged, and it was rebuilt again, and now it is open to the public. The Gothic hall and the chapel are the most striking rooms of this museum. In the entire museum, you will see various furniture, clothes, books, everyday items, photos, and graphics from the medieval ages. Every item displayed in the museum has a tale related to the Buda and Pest. In 2014, a new entrance to the Budapest History Museum was built, allowing access to the visitors from Castle Garden Bazaar and the Savoy terrace.

If you have the Budapest card, you can visit the museum free of cost. Budapest History Museum host, some of the events, also like the wine festival and the festival of crafts. If you are in Budapest in the month of August-September, you can probably get a chance to catch one of these events. If you love history and love to know about the ruins and age-old things, then you must add this place in your things to do in Budapest.

It opens every day (Tuesday to Sunday) from 10 am to 6 pm. It remains closed on Monday.

Address: Budapest, Szent György tér 2, 1014 Hungary

Explore the Castle hills, opera house, majestic views of nature from Fisherman's Bastion, and a lot more in your Budapest trip and return with a bag full of beautiful memories. Seeing and exploring other places is always beneficial for humans as it creates a sense of connectedness with the people around the world and a feeling that we are not different at all. The war and destruction do the same thing to each human, and so the peace does. Happy exploring Budapest city with our list of best things to do in Budapest.