Budapest is really two cities split by the Danube (hilly, historic Buda on the west bank, flat and grand Pest on the east) and the view from one to the other, especially at night when the Parliament and the castle are lit, is one of the great urban vistas in Europe.
The Thermal Baths
Budapest sits on a network of thermal springs, and its bathhouses are functioning civic institutions, not tourist spas. Széchenyi, the largest, has outdoor pools where locals play chess shoulder-deep in 38°C water year-round. Gellért, inside an Art Nouveau hotel, is smaller and more atmospheric with mosaic tiling throughout.
Go on a weekday morning to avoid the worst crowds, and bring your own towel and flip-flops, rentals are available but overpriced for what they are.
Buda Castle and the Ruin Bars
Buda Castle Hill, reached by funicular or a steep climb, has the castle itself, Fisherman's Bastion's fairy-tale turrets, and Matthias Church, all with sweeping views back across the river to the Parliament building. Go at dusk when the buildings on both banks start to light up.
Back in Pest, the Jewish Quarter's ruin bars (Szimpla Kert is the original) occupy derelict buildings filled with mismatched furniture and courtyard bars. It's Budapest's most distinctive nightlife export and worth an evening even if you're not much of a bar person.
Recommended Stay · Budapest · Pest
Aria Hotel Budapest
A music-themed boutique hotel steps from St. Stephen's Basilica, with a rooftop bar looking toward the Danube, central enough to walk to both the baths and the ruin bar district.
