37 of the best · Budapest, Hungary
31 of the Best Things to See in Budapest
From the Parliament and Buda Castle to the Dohány Street Synagogue and the giant statues of Memento Park, the essential sights of Budapest, with our tips for seeing them at their best.
Our 37 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in Budapest
Insiders' picks
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Budapest.
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The icon of the Danube
Hungarian Parliament Building
The great neo-Gothic Parliament on the Danube, completed in the early 20th century, home of the Holy Crown of Hungary and open for guided tours.
Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3Explore View on map
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Fairy-tale views
Fisherman’s Bastion
White neo-Romanesque terraces and towers beside Matthias Church, built at the turn of the 20th century, with famous views over the Danube.
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The great dome
St Stephen’s Basilica
Budapest’s largest church, completed in 1905, with a great dome you can climb and the relic of Hungary’s first king.
Szent István tér 1Explore View on map
The full list: Sights, A–Z
Show 26 of 37 places on a map
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A UNESCO boulevard
Andrássy Avenue
The grand boulevard from the city centre to Heroes’ Square, lined with mansions, the Opera and luxury shops, with the old metro beneath.
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The back story
Andrássy Avenue and Heroes’ Square
Budapest’s grandest boulevard runs from the city centre to a square of kings and chieftains.
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Must see
Buda Castle
The vast former royal palace on Castle Hill, now home to the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum, with views over the Danube.
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Since 1870
Castle Hill Funicular
The historic funicular from the Chain Bridge up to Buda Castle.
Clark Ádám térExplore View on map
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Views of the castle
Danube Promenade
The riverside promenade on the Pest bank, with views of Buda Castle and the bridges.
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Europe’s largest synagogue
Dohány Street Synagogue
The largest synagogue in Europe, built in the 1850s in Moorish Revival style, with a museum and a moving memorial garden.
Dohány utca 2Explore View on map
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Fairy-tale views
Fisherman’s Bastion
White neo-Romanesque terraces and towers beside Matthias Church, built at the turn of the 20th century, with famous views over the Danube.
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The city at your feet
Gellért Hill & the Liberty Statue
The rocky hill above the Danube, crowned by the Citadella and the Liberty Statue, with the widest views over Budapest.
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Bars and restaurants
Gozsdu Courtyard
A long chain of courtyards between Király and Dob utca, lined with bars and restaurants.
Király utca 13Explore View on map
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Market since 1897
Great Market Hall
Budapest’s largest and most beautiful market hall, opened in 1897, with paprika, salami, pastries and food stalls.
Vámház körút 1-3Explore View on map
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The Millennium Monument
Heroes’ Square
The monumental square at the end of Andrássy Avenue, with the Millennium Monument and statues of Hungary’s leaders.
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Music under a leafy roof
House of Music Hungary
A striking new music centre in City Park, designed by Sou Fujimoto, with an interactive exhibition and concerts.
Olof Palme sétány 3Explore View on map
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A museum of two regimes
House of Terror
A museum on Andrássy Avenue about the fascist and communist regimes in Hungary, in the building once used by their secret police.
Andrássy út 60Explore View on map
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The back story
Hungarian ingenuity: from the Rubik’s Cube to the ballpoint pen
A small country with a remarkable record of inventions, and the Budapest places that tell their stories.
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The icon of the Danube
Hungarian Parliament Building
The great neo-Gothic Parliament on the Danube, completed in the early 20th century, home of the Holy Crown of Hungary and open for guided tours.
Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3Explore View on map
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A neo-Renaissance jewel
Hungarian State Opera House
The neo-Renaissance opera house on Andrássy Avenue, opened in 1884 and beautifully restored, with tours and performances.
Andrássy út 22Explore View on map
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The back story
Lechner and Hungarian Art Nouveau
Glazed tiles, folk motifs and fairy-tale roofs: how Ödön Lechner invented a Hungarian style, and where to see it.
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Lipótváros’s grand square
Liberty Square
A large square of grand bank and palace buildings near the Parliament.
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Contemporary art
Ludwig Museum
Budapest’s museum of contemporary art, in the Müpa arts centre beside the Danube.
Komor Marcell utca 1Explore View on map
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A park in the river
Margaret Island
A green island park in the middle of the Danube, with a running track, a musical fountain, gardens and medieval ruins.
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The patterned roof
Matthias Church
The Gothic church of the Castle District, with its famous roof of coloured tiles and a richly painted interior.
Szentháromság tér 2Explore View on map
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Communist-era statues
Memento Park
An open-air museum on the edge of the city, where the giant statues of the communist era were brought after 1989.
Balatoni út - Szabadkai utca sarokExplore View on map
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Continental Europe’s first metro
Millennium Underground (M1)
The little yellow metro under Andrássy Avenue, opened in 1896, the first underground railway on the European continent.
Andrássy útExplore View on map
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European masterpieces
Museum of Fine Arts
A great museum of European art on Heroes’ Square, from Egyptian antiquities to Old Masters.
Dózsa György út 41Explore View on map
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Lechner’s tiled roof
Postal Savings Bank
Ödön Lechner’s Art Nouveau masterpiece, with a fantastic roof of glazed tiles.
Hold utca 4Explore View on map
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The back story
Puskás and the Golden Team
The team that ruled world football in the 1950s, and the stadium that carries its captain’s name.
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A Moorish masterpiece, restored
Rumbach Street Synagogue
A synagogue designed by Otto Wagner in Moorish style, restored and reopened in 2021.
Rumbach Sebestyén utca 11-13Explore View on map
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A moving memorial
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Sixty pairs of iron shoes on the Pest embankment, a memorial to the Jews shot into the Danube in 1944 and 1945.
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The great dome
St Stephen’s Basilica
Budapest’s largest church, completed in 1905, with a great dome you can climb and the relic of Hungary’s first king.
Szent István tér 1Explore View on map
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The first bridge
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
The first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, opened in 1849 and recently renovated, guarded by stone lions.
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The back story
The Danube bridges: how Buda and Pest became one
From the Chain Bridge of 1849 to the bridges rebuilt after the war: the story of the crossings that made Budapest.
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The back story
The Danube Corso: promenading on the Pest embankment
Cafés, a concert hall, a little princess and the finest view of the Castle: the riverside walk of Pest.
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The back story
The Great Market Hall
Paprika, salami and lángos under a Zsolnay-tiled roof: the story of Budapest’s grandest market.
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The back story
The Millennium Underground: Continental Europe’s first metro
Opened in 1896 for Hungary’s thousandth birthday, the little yellow M1 still runs under Andrássy Avenue.
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The back story
The Parliament: a palace for a nation
The largest building in Hungary, a neo-Gothic palace on the Danube that took nearly twenty years to build.
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A castle of styles
Vajdahunyad Castle
A fairy-tale castle in City Park built for the 1896 celebrations, combining copies of famous Hungarian buildings in many styles.
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Castle Garden Bazaar
Várkert Bazár
Neo-Renaissance arcades and gardens below Buda Castle on the riverbank, restored as a cultural space.
Ybl Miklós tér 6Explore View on map
Many sights are busiest in the middle of the day; come early or late for the best experience.
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