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Stories from Budapest, Hungary

Every story, long read and guide in the ULTIMATE Budapest City Guide, in one place.

By rail to Belgrade, Vienna and beyond

Budapest Keleti is about to become a crossroads of Europe: through trains to Belgrade on the rebuilt line are expected in December 2026, and Railjets and sleepers already run to Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Prague and Berlin.

The arched façade of Budapest Keleti station, opened in 1884Travel guideBudapest–Belgrade by trainWhat’s open, journey times, stations, ticketsThe red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakIn depthULTIMATE Rail JourneysRocket to the Shinkansen, the Orient Express and the AlpsThe Vienna State Opera at dawn on the RingItinerariesFour rail routesBelgrade, Novi Sad, Budapest, ViennaThe Upper Belvedere in Vienna lit at blue hour and reflected in its poolWinter journeyChristmas markets by trainVienna, Budapest and ZagrebThe Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the DanubeOur sister guideULTIMATE BelgradeWhere to eat, stay and explore in Belgrade

History

History & heritage

How Roman Aquincum, the royal castle of Buda and the merchant city of Pest grew into one capital in 1873, with Ottoman baths, Habsburg boulevards and a great Jewish quarter.

Buda Castle above the Danube in BudapestHistory & heritageFrom Aquincum to 1873: how Buda and Pest became BudapestRomans, Magyars, Ottomans and Habsburgs on the DanubeThe Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy AvenueThe back storyBudapest Art, Architecture & CultureIn Budapest, look up: the city’s finest art is often on its roofs, in…

The city of baths

More than a hundred hot springs rise beneath Budapest, and bathing here is one of the great experiences of Europe: steaming outdoor pools in the snow, Ottoman domes lit by coloured glass and grand bath palaces.

The Chain Bridge and the Parliament at duskVörösmarty SquareChristmas in BudapestAdvent Bazilika, City Park skating and the light tramsThe pool hall of the Royal Spa at Corinthia Budapest, with its coloured-glass ceilingIn depth: wellnessBudapest’s best spasFrom Ottoman domes to the grand hotels’ poolsLawns and old trees on Margaret Island, with the water tower beyondIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild BudapestBats, hills and the Great PlainThe Széchenyi Thermal Bath in City ParkThe back storyThe city of bathsRoman springs, Ottoman domes and bath palacesCity ParkSzéchenyi Thermal BathOutdoor pools that steam all year

Our advice

Three baths, three moods

Start with Széchenyi for the grand experience, then try Rudas or Veli Bej for the atmosphere of the Ottoman baths, and Lukács to bathe with the locals. The thermal baths

The Danube and its icons

The Danube is Budapest’s main street, and the view along it, from the Parliament to Buda Castle and the bridges, is one of the most beautiful city views in the world.

The turrets of Fisherman’s Bastion above BudapestCastle DistrictFisherman’s BastionThe best-known view in BudapestThe Széchenyi Chain BridgeThe DanubeThe Chain BridgeThe bridge that united Buda and PestThe Liberty Statue on Gellért HillBudaGellért HillThe city at your feet

Our advice

Cross at dusk

Cross the Chain Bridge at dusk, when the castle and Parliament light up, then walk the Pest embankment to the Liberty Bridge. Tram 2 along the river is one of the most beautiful tram rides in Europe. The Danube bridges

A city of music

Liszt founded its academy, operetta was perfected here and there are concerts every night of the year, from the gilded Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy to jazz clubs and a concert ship on the Danube.

Müpa Budapest, home of the Ludwig MuseumConcertsThe Liszt AcademyAn Art Nouveau concert hallOperaThe State OperaA neo-Renaissance jewelOperettaThe Operetta TheatreOn Budapest’s Broadway
  1. On the DanubeA38Concerts on a ship

New Budapest

The city of Liszt and the bath palaces is building again: a golden music house among the trees of City Park, a museum with a walkable roof, an opera workshop in a railway hall and a new tower on the Buda skyline.

The golden canopy of the House of Music Hungary in City ParkFeatureNew BudapestCity Park, Eiffel Art Studios, MOL CampusThe new Museum of Ethnography with its green roofCity ParkThe Museum of EthnographyA new home with a walkable roofOn the DanubeMüpa & the LudwigConcerts and contemporary art under one roof

Know Budapest

The stories behind the city: our guides to the Jewish Quarter and the Castle District, the ruin bars, the bridges and the coffee houses.

The painted octagonal dome of the Rumbach Street SynagogueNeighbourhood guideJewish QuarterSynagogues and ruin barsThe patterned tile roof of Matthias ChurchNeighbourhood guideCastle DistrictSeven centuries on the hillInside Szimpla Kert, the original ruin barThe back storyRuin barsBars in crumbling courtyardsThe back storyThe bridgesHow Buda and Pest became oneThe gilded hall of the New York CaféThe back storyCoffee housesA golden age around 1900
  1. The back storyHungarian foodGoulash, lángos and paprika

Beyond Budapest

Some of Hungary’s finest places are an easy day trip from the capital: the towns of the Danube Bend, the shores of Lake Balaton, and Eger and Hollókő in the northern hills.

The main square of SzentendreDay trip · 1 hourThe Danube BendSzentendre, Visegrád and EsztergomThe Tagore promenade in BalatonfüredDay trip · 2 hoursLake BalatonThe Hungarian seaThe old village of HollókőDay trip · 2 hoursEger & HollókőA castle, wine and a UNESCO villageThe Hungarian Open Air Museum at SzentendreDay trip · 1 hourGödöllő & the PusztaSisi’s palace and the horsemenPécs Cathedral and its four towersTrip · 3 hoursPécsRoman tombs and Zsolnay

The wine country

Further afield, Tokaj for the king of wines, and Szeged for Art Nouveau and paprika.

  1. Trip · 3 hoursTokajThe king of wines

Know your neighbourhoods

21 Magyar Vendéglő, from its own photographyNeighbourhood

Castle District

Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion: medieval streets high above the Danube.

Explore Castle District Shops on Váci StreetNeighbourhood

Inner City & Váci Street

Váci Street, Vörösmarty Square and the Danube promenade: the historic heart of Pest.

Explore Inner City & Váci Street A sightseeing boat on the Danube in front of the ParliamentNeighbourhood

Lipótváros & the Parliament

The Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica and the Chain Bridge: grand, elegant Pest.

Explore Lipótváros & the Parliament The Dohány Street SynagogueNeighbourhood

Jewish Quarter

Synagogues, ruin bars, courtyards and street art in the liveliest district of Pest.

Explore Jewish Quarter The Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy AvenueNeighbourhood

Andrássy Avenue & the Opera

The grand boulevard, the State Opera and the theatre district.

Explore Andrássy Avenue & the Opera Heroes’ Square and the Millennium MonumentNeighbourhood

City Park

Heroes’ Square, the Széchenyi Bath, Vajdahunyad Castle and great museums.

Explore City Park The Liberty Statue on Gellért HillNeighbourhood

Buda riverside & Gellért Hill

Gellért Hill, the Ottoman baths and the Buda riverside.

Explore Buda riverside & Gellért Hill The musical fountain on Margaret IslandNeighbourhood

Margaret Island

A green, car-free island in the Danube, with pools, gardens and a musical fountain.

Explore Margaret Island

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