Howdy all! Following on from my last post on Hungary’s capital of Budapest where I wrote about the sights of Buda, I turn my attention this time to the other part of the city, Pest. So here is a detailed list of the places I visited in Pest last year!
Heroes’ Square
This is a landmark and much photographed plaza in Budapest full of statues to former leaders, flanked by the Museum of the Fine Arts and Palace of Art. The Millenium Monument is a feature dedicated to 1000 years of the Hungarian State, built in the late 19th century. Another ‘must visit’ location, and iconic, in Budapest.
Hungarian Parliament
The most recognisable building in Budapest, and you can take great photos of it from the Buda side of the Danube. It was built between 1885 and 1904. It’s an incredible, large building, ornate and worth a visit. We visited the only way you can, and that’s with a prebooked tour. Booked well in advance on the internet, around $60 or $70AUD.
The tour is limited of course, because it’s a functioning parliament. But we got to see some of the chambers, the crown jewels (you aren’t allowed to photograph them) and some interesting and beautiful rules, with explanations coming through a little transmitter from the guide.
Vajdahunyad Castle
This castle we weren’t planning on visiting, I hadn’t heard of it – it wasn’t even on the radar, but searching for things to do in Budapest and a photo of it popped up on my feed. On the basis of one photo we decided to go!
It sits in the massive city gardens, has a bit of a moat and is very photogenic. To get inside we went into the Agricultural Museum, which lets you see a number of rooms including some glorious stairways and a creepy hall with animal bones and antelope skulls – it’s dedicated to hunting.
The main reason to go into the museum is that you get to go up the tower which affords wonderful views of the surrounds.
Café Gerbeaud
This café is another classic European opulent café that opened in 1858 and serves nice ice cream. Actually, technically it’s classed as a ‘Coffee House’. There can be a line to get in, not unlike the Café Central in Vienna, but the wait is not as long. It’s a place worth having a coffee in just for the décor.
St Stephen’s Basilica
St Stephen’s is the premier cathedral in Budapest, St Stephen is considered the founder of the city and so it’s very well visited. It’s the largest church in Budapest, and the third largest in all of Hungary. St Stephen was the first King of Hungary, and if you’re keen to see him, you can at least see a small part of him – his hand is a holy relic and it’s on display in the Basilica!
Having said that, the church is worth visit, it’s got beautiful domes and is beautifully maintained. It’s an UNESCO site, was built between 1851 and 1906 and was built on a site that had a theatre that held animal fights. You do need to pay to get in, buy the tickets (timed) in a small office close by the basilica.
Hungarian State Opera
We went to the opera one night, the Hungarian State Opera to be precise. The building is glorious and can seat/hold 1300 people, and was opened in 1884. We saw Don Carlos, and it was great performance. Be careful with your seat selection if you do see a show there. Our seats were lacking in legroom and somewhat obscured, we ended moving to the standing area, well there’s a padded bench to lean on, and a screen with surtitles.
Also in Pest…
So two other places I didn’t visit in 2025 which are worth visiting – the House of Terror Museum, which details oppression in the Hungary from last century and a sad history too, involving Nazis and the Soviet Union. Confronting, but educational and an important place to stop I feel (I visited in 2004).
The Széchenyi Baths and Pool are one of the many spa options in Budapest, but the biggest I think and the most popular. I haven’t visited but would have if I hadn’t gotten sick whilst in Budapest this time round. They look amazing in photos!
Okay, and thus ended my time in Budapest. After a week in Budapest I was ready to move on further east to Romania and the city of Cluj-Napoca. And yes, that’s for another blog…. Thanks for popping in reading, take care and May the Journey Never End!
Andy Roams 