Lots of people travel to Budapest for a couple of days on the way to some more glitzy locations (BIG mistake, but whatever) and if that's your situation then by all means do the big stuff, (Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Buda Caves, bowl of goulash, ruin bars, etc., etc.) But if you find yourself with a week or more in this beautiful city, then you have the opportunity to do some of these more off-the-beaten-tracks activities. Here we go!
1) Dance to traditional folk music at Szimpla Kert.
That's right, this foreigner hotspot actually hosts folk music nights every Monday night with live music. Dance with a bunch of drunk foreigners and a few Hungarians who have been folk dancing since they were five. If you're lucky, one of them (maybe a sprightly old gentlemen in bell-bottoms) will take pity on all of you and start teaching everyone to dance! Spinning in circles, holding hands, doing mini can-cans-- this is not to be missed! Even if it's not at Szimpla, it's definitely worth trying to learn some Hungarian traditional dancing. Ladies, being spun around at high-speed velocities is an incredible experience!
2) If you're in Buda, go to Pest. If you're in Pest, go to Buda.
I was based in Pest during my five months in Budapest, but there are pros and cons to both sides of the city. In general, my friends and I agreed that Pest is where the fun stuff is, but Buda is where the nice stuff is. If you're a young twenty-something-year-old, Pest is probably a slightly better fit (with the Jewish quarter, all the bars/clubs/parties, lots of restaurants/cafés, more shopping, etc.) But when I took the effort to go to Buda, I was rewarded with lush green parks (ahem, Buda hills), beautifully paved paths by the Danube (the Danube walk is much better on the Buda side than the Pest side), and just a quieter, more pleasant experience. The upshot is this: no matter where you're based in the city, try to see as much of it as possible.
3) Visit (lots of) cucraszdas.
I love these little sweetshops dotted all over the city. In particular, though, I'd recommend a tiny, independent bakery called Hatcuki tucked into a corner of Buda. Not only do they make the Best Cheesecake I Have Ever Tasted (and deliver it to my favorite café, Magvető) it's rare that you find a place where everything tastes as divine as it does there (the chocolate cake is also good). It may be a trek if you live in Pest, but see Point #2.
4) Visit places in Hungary outside of Budapest.
I've been pretty good about documenting the places I've been in Hungary: check out my posts about Eger, Szentendre, and Mohács (scary sheepmen!), among others. Places like the Danube Bend are so accessible from Budapest by train or by ferry that it would be crazy not to go. If you need inspiration, try taking the train to Visegrád and getting off at the wrong stop! I also wrote about a failed bike trip around Balaton. But, not to worry, a successful bike trip does exist within my semester! A few weeks ago some friends and I biked to Szentendre, proving that it is possible for me not to mess up a bike trip :)
 |
| Back at Szentendre: it's warm this time! |
5) Go to Király Thermal Baths
Forget Szechenyi or Rudas. The award for best baths in the city in my opinion belongs to Király, tucked away next to Margaret Island on the Buda side. It's the least touristy, most local bathhouse that I've been to. Don't be fooled by its relatively worn-down appearance: it has all the same functionality and features as the bigger baths, just with fewer actual tubs (and people). It's still got the chamomile steam room though, which is honestly the best part of the any bathhouse.
6) Café hop A LOT
If you haven't already, check out the big list of cafés I published earlier this year. One café that I only found out about after publishing the list: Dorado, an amazing café for doing work in. I tried my first cappuccino there, which was a magical experience in itself, and having had a few more at other places since then can affirm that it compares very, very favorably to other cafés. Another good cafe to check out is Rengeteg Romkafe, where you can try the best hot chocolate you've ever had. A word of warning though: go to Romkafe for the vibe, not so much to do work.
 |
| Me with my first cappuccino, which means my first basic Insta-esque coffee photo. Also, throwback to the Original Lonely Nut Club. You are missed. |
 |
| A sour-cherry/caramel/rum hot chocolate at Romkafe. |
7) Go to Lehel Market
My FAVORITE market in the city. Cheap, fresh, local produce. Also it's enormous. You can pretty much find anything you're looking for here in the way of food. Walnuts are pretty expensive everywhere, but here I can get a half-kilo bag of huge, delicious walnuts fresh off the tree for about $5.
8) Explore the parks in Budapest.
Budapest is a remarkably, wonderfully green city. I've posted about nice spring things to do in the city before, which include the ELTE Botanical Gardens, City Park (obviously), the banks of Danube (Pest statues), and Normafa. I have one more addition to that list: the Garden of Philosophy in Buda is absolutely breathtaking on a sunny day and features some of the best statues I've seen in the city.
 |
| This uber-cool statue was a model of Budapest with King István, the first king of Hungary, standing over Buda and his wife standing over Pest. |
 |
| Why can't Manhattan have greenery like this?? |
My first few weeks in the city I thought I would be okay without my usual Asian cuisine. I was wrong. With my pantry bare of even soy sauce, after a few weeks I was craving something with tofu, bean sprouts, and spicy sauce. After an extensive search of some of the "Asian markets," I'm convinced I have found the best Asian grocery store in the city which will fulfill all your Asian cooking needs (also, everything from canned goods to tofu is cheaper here, trust me). Go to Asia Bt.!! In addition to every kind of ingredient your heart desires, they also have the biggest most extensive variety of spices I have ever seen, all stacked neatly on their spice wall. It's truly an experience for anyone who likes to cook (or eat).
10) Be spontaneous
The city is beautiful, and public transportation is imminently accessible. You'll never get lost enough to be seriously in trouble. If there's anything I've learned from my time abroad, it's that it's worth taking chances even if you're not guaranteed a perfect or even predictable experience. So say yes to an impulse and get lost!
No comments:
Post a Comment