Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe where the Danube River runs through much of it. It has changed hand over the years having been its own Kingdom, ruled partially by the Ottomans and was a large part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I it became the country, it is today. It also was a Soviet Satellite country ruled by the Communist Party. Today the nation is a part of NATO and the European Union and has a high income. Budapest is the famous capital city that is well known for its beautiful parliament building on the Danube amongst others. It’s a place that has had its share of sadness with Nazi Occupation during World War II and then the Soviet era. It’s a wonderful country to visit and we have visited there twice!
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Getting to Hungary and Transportation
Hungary is one of the most connected countries in the Eastern Portion of Europe and is one of the better connected when traveling on a Eastern Europe River Cruise. It’s a highly modern country with excellent rail service that will take you to other European countries, and around Hungary itself. Hungary has multiple airports but Budapest Franz Liszt International is by far the most connected. There is only one direct US connection that is American Airlines with seasonal service from Philadelphia (as of January 2026). Budapest is very well connected with the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. You will most likely need to change planes in Europe when heading to or from Hungary. On our first trip we arrived by bus on a day tour from Vienna as Hungary has a good road system. Our second visit was by River Cruise on the Danube River that is a very common way to visit Hungary. We flew out of Budapest on the way home on British Airways and changed planes at London Heathrow. Hungary does not have a flag carrier airline but is the home to Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier Wizz Air.
As for transportation in a city like Budapest, there are many different options. The city has many options. They of course have options like Uber and Taxis. They also have an underground Metro/Subway system with line #1 being the second oldest metro line in the world having opened in 1896. We rode on that line, and they have beautiful antique subway stops that takes you back to a bygone era on that line. The other lines and the cities Tram/light rail system are all modern systems. The Budapest Public Transportation System (BKK) is Free for all those 65+ (with a valid ID showing your birthdate) from any country and is free for Hungarian Children with a valid student ID under 14.
Airport and other Transportation Services
Country Information
Hungary is a country a bit under 10 million people, with Budapest having 1.7 million of the population. Budapest is made up of two cities with one being Buda that was once the capital of the country, has large hills and is not as populated or busy and the other is Pest that is the heart of the city in a relatively flat area. They are connected by many bridges, including the famous Chain bridge that was the first to connect the two sides of the Danube. The language is Hungarian, but we found nearly everyone in the tourist areas at least spoke at least some English. They have a parliament with one chamber that meets in the magnificent Hungarian Parliament building. Hungarians are officially/ethnically Magyars that were once nomadic warriors from the Ural Mountains. Hungary shares borders with multiple countries like Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The currency is the Hungarian Forint as Hungary has not adopted the Euro yet. In general, the Euro is accepted in many places, as is credit cards. I used my debit card at an ATM to get Forints, and it worked out fine. As of January 2026, the conversion from USD to Forint is 1 Forint is .0032 USD. Hungary is part of the Schengen Zone so once you enter you can travel without border controls to the other nations. As of this writing, later in 2026 the Schengen Zone will implement the ETIAS where you will apply for entry (if a visa-free country) by answering security questions and paying a small fee. The climate is one that has hot summers and very cold winters. Spring and Fall are pleasant in the country. As of this writing the US State Department lists Hungary as a Level 1 out of 4 which is the safest with a recommendation to exercise normal precautions. We found Hungary very safe, but you still need to watch out for pickpockets like in much of Europe. As with any destination do your own research and make your own determination if it is safe to travel there.
Buda
Buda is on the Western Bank of the Danube and much of it is high up on bluffs overlooking the river. Buda is quieter and more residential than Pest and is home to many historic structures. You have a few ways to get up to the historic areas such as the Castle District and that’s go by bus or car, funicular or by walking up the many steps. We walked up the steps once on a ghost tour and went by bus and Uber. You will find the former capital in the Castle District, the grand St. Matthias Church named after a Hungarian King, the Fisherman’s Bastion with great views of the Danube and Pest, the Harry Houdini Museum and much more!
Matthias Church
Matthias Church was founded in the 11th century but was rebuilt in its more current state in the 15th century. It is a stunning church with beautifully colored roof tiles and Gothic architecture. It’s one of the largest medieval churches of Hungary and an important one since it was the place of King Matthias’s weddings and the coronation church of the last two Kings of Hungary. For well over 100 years of its history, it was a mosque due to the Ottoman occupation, but it later went back to being a Catholic church. Its official name is “The Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle”. From the outside there is a nice park and square where you can admire its beauty from the outside and it’s lit up at night where you can see it from Pest. It does cost to enter the church to see the floor to ceiling paintings and designs. It’s well worth around $8 to go in. There are intricate paintings, stained glass windows and an art museum. It is where the “Marian Miricale” occurred in 1686 when cannon shelling demolished a wall where the Ottomans were defending and a statue of Mary was uncovered. It demoralized the Ottomans and soon the city was retaken. There is a nice gift shop inside as well. We visited there twice in our travels.
Fisherman's Bastion
The Fisherman’s Bastion is a Romanesque architecture wall/panoramic Viewpoint that is just steps away from Matthias Church and the equestrian statue of the first King of Hungary named Stephen I. In the past a Fisherman’s Guild guarded the walls there and when not at war they sold fish in the area. Today it’s a more modern construction from the late 1800s where you get panoramic views of Budapest. To walk the upper lookout there is a charge of a bit over $3 which we did once, but the lower lookout is free and open 24/7.
Castle District – Varkerulet
The Castle District refers to the area of Buda around Buda Castle that was once home to the Royal family and the leadership of Hungary. It’s located high above the river on Castle Hill and includes Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion and other areas. Buda Castle was a continuous work from the 14th century to the 20th century that started as a Medieval palace, became a baroque style palace similar to the palaces of Vienna and then was heavily damaged during World War II so much was re-built. Buda Castle itself is a very large facility that we have walked around the outside during a ghost tour of Buda. There are multiple plazas with different statues and fountains, and the outsides of the buildings are gorgeous. Inside there is the Budapest History Museum and the National Art Gallery. Plus, you can tour the inside of the palace itself. The castle district in general is a must-see in Budapest as it’s the most historic area of the city. You can walk up the stairs of Castle Hill, take the funicular for a small fee or make your way there by bus or car. We went by bus and car and walked up the hill. We have not taken the funicular yet but have been to the lower station that has a shop and cafe nearby the “0 Kilometer” road marker that signifies the beginning of road length measurements in Hungary. The sites of the Castle District are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Budapest.
Budapest Walking Tours
Budapest Historic Tours
Szechenyi Chain Bridge
Another one of the most recognizable and famous landmarks in Budapest is the Chain Bridge. It was completed in 1849 and was the first bridge to connect Buda and Pest across the Danube River. It starts on the Buda Side near the Zero Kilometer monument/Adam’s Square and heads to Szechenyi Square on the Pest side. It was heavily damaged during World War II and has since been reconstructed. It’s a chain suspension bridge that is lit up at night and has wrought iron decorations throughout. At each end of the bridge there are two stone lions guarding the entrance that are like the lions of Trafalgar Square in London. You can drive across the bridge or walk across. We have done both on a couple occasions as it’s a nice walk across the Danube River and you get to see the city from a different perspective!
Pest
While Buda is the Royal center of historic Budapest, Pest is the beating heart in modern Hungary. Pest is the home to the world famous and beautiful Parliament of Hungary, the Andrássy Avenue which is called the “Champs-Élysées of Budapest”, the main business district, home to the second oldest metro line in the world, many museums, parks, churches and more. Most of the hotels are on the Pest side and that is where we stayed when visiting. There’s a lot to do and see on the busier and flatter side of the Danube in Pest!
Budapest City Tours
Where we Stayed
We stayed on the Pest side when visiting Budapest as do the majority of visitors to Budapest do on the livelier side of the city. We stayed at the 1896 built Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal. With a name like that you can imagine it is a VERY elegant hotel. It has a alot of great amenities and wonderful indoor pool. Check out the video below for a full tour!
The Hungarian Parliament
The most spectacular and recognizable building in Budapest is its magnificent parliament building. You have seen it in countless advertisements and it’s been featured in many movies and TV shows including the recent movie “Nuremburg” where it stood in as the interior of the Vatican with a scene with the Pope and a US Supreme Justice. It’s a massive Gothic structure that is the second largest parliament building in the world behind Romania’s Parliament. There is a lot of symbolism outside and within the building. Its 96 meters tall that represents the Magyar settlement of the current region of Hungary in 896 and the 1,000-year anniversary in 1896. The building was completed just after the massive millennium celebrations and building projects in 1904 but began construction in 1885. It is also the same height as St. Stephen’s Basilica showcasing Government and Religion are at the same level.
On our first visit to Budapest, we did not get to tour inside but walked around the structure. We saw the “Shoes” Memorial on the river dedicated to all the Jewish people who were massacred by the Arrow Cross allied to the Nazi Germans (see below for more about it) and the 1956 Memorial to an uprising and massacre during the communist era. There are other memorials and gardens around the area. It’s beautiful to see from the outside, but also wonderful to go inside.
On our second time in Budapest, we got the chance to tour inside. It’s highly recommended to take a tour or at least buy tickets ahead of time. As you might expect, it’s very popular and tours sell out. Inside it’s more spectacular than the outside with gold leafed corridors, sculptures, and beautiful paintings can be found throughout. The main entranceway is a work of art and to get to the dome its 96 steps. In the center of the main dome sits the crown jewels of Hungary that is guarded 24/7. In the tour you see all these things and one of the identical two parliament halls that are elaborately decorated and have unique reserved cigar holders for the members of parliament when many smoked them to hold them outside during a vote. Hungary has a single house of parliament today so one chamber is unused today. There is a museum and visitors center with a great giftshop at the end. The tour is an hour to an hour and half long and well worth it!
Parliament Tours
Hero's Square
Hero’s Square is a large memorial set of statues and monuments at the end of the Famous Andrássy Avenue (the Champs-Élysées of Budapest). It’s a memorial to commemorate the 1,000 years of Magyar settlement in what is now Hungary. Like many projects in Budapest, it was built during the 1896 commemoration of the 896 settlement of the Magyars. It’s a large and famous square with a large monument tower with the Archangel Gabriel at the top honoring those who fought and died for Hungarian independence. There are 14 statues in two separate flanking colonnades that memorialize different Kings and leaders of Hungary. Originally there were Hapsburg leaders included but after World War II they were removed in favor of Hungarian leaders. This is a must-see spot that is part of the Budapest UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses all Andrássy Avenue. Just behind the square is the large City Park that has the next stop on our journey in Budapest!
Vajdahunyad Castle
When standing in Hero’s Square you will notice a building that seems out of place in the middle of the city. Vajdahunyad Castle sits on an island in a lake in the large City Park that has a lot to see and do including a big Ice Rink in the winter, the Budapest Botanical Gardens, Budapest Zoo, the Museum of Ethnography and a place to enjoy nature. There are plenty of seasonal activities there as well.
Vajdahunyad Castle might look like Dracula’s Castle (Hunyad Castle) or another ancient castle but it’s not! It was built for the 1896 celebration of 1,000 years of Magyar settlement and originally was built out of wood and cardboard. It was rebuilt in stone after its popularity with it being completed in 1908. Its architecture is a mixture of different regions and styles to represent a large area of Hungary. One part of the castle is modeled after Vlad “The Impaler’s” castle Hunyad. You might think inside you’ll see throne rooms, but it’s the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture. We bought a ticket to go into the tower and visited the nice gift shop. We didn’t have a lot of time on our first trip to explore so we took a little time to visit the nice Vorosliget Cafe where we got Hungarian Gulash for the first time.
The Shoes on the Danube and Memorials
Not far from Parliament there are a variety of different memorials to some of the difficult times Hungary has faced over the years. One of the simplest but arguably the most meaningful and moving is the Shoes of the River Danube Bank. In 1944 the Arrow Cross Militia that was an ultra-right-wing group that was under the fascist leader Admiral Miklós Horthy, who was an ally of the Nazis, started rounding up Hungarian Jews and took them to the bank of the Danube. They were asked to remove their shoes since those were valuable to them with the Russian Army approaching and then executed them. It was a horrible time of mass murder and the memorial to this is simple and powerful with there being 60 metal shoes sitting on the bank of the river where this crime occurred. People still leave flowers and other items in remembrance.
Not too far from the steps of the parliament building is a memorial of an incident during the communist rule. On October 25th, 1956, peaceful protestors in front of Parliament were massacred by Soviet tanks and the secret police. It’s debated how many casualties there were, and “official” Soviet records show as few as 22 killed but it could have been up to 1,000 killed. There is a small plaque by stairs to a free underground exhibit on this incident.
Across from Parliament is an interesting but controversial memorial called the “Memorial to National Unity”. It is a list of names of communities and cities that were part of Hungary prior to a 1913 treaty that reduced the size of Hungary. These cities have a variety of different values and cultures and are part of several different nations now. Politically some see it as a place remembering what Hungary used to have and others see it as an ultra-nationalist meaning of cities that culturally were not part of Hungary and land that Hungary would like back. Politics aside the memorial is beautiful with a ramp leading underground to a shattered central fireplace with an eternal flame. Visit it yourself and decide what it means to you.
Liberty Square
A short walk from Parliament is a very interesting park full of conflicting monuments and controversy. The first very large monument you might notice walking into the park is the Soviet War Memorial that is topped with a Soviet star. It’s dedicated to the Russian liberation of Budapest from the Nazis in World War II. You might ask why it is still there. Well, a bilateral agreement was made with Russia to keep the last remaining Soviet monument standing in Budapest as all the others have been removed to “Memento Park” dedicated to the broken Soviet Monuments. You’ll find a striking contrast near the monument with statues of Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush walking towards the Soviet Monument. It’s a way of “trolling” the Soviet Monument since it was under Reagan and Bush when the Soviet Union fell. As you might expect, many in Hungary see the Soviet War Memorial not as liberation from the Nazis but the beginning of the equally terrifying Soviet Occupation for 40 years.
At the other end of the park there is another controversial monument called “The Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation” that like it states is dedicated those killed by the Nazis. It depicts Archangel Gabriel as Hungary being attacked by a Nazi Imperial Eagle. The controversial nature of this memorial is that some say this is whitewashing history as groups like the Arrow Cross where Hungarian and the Hungarian fascist dictator rounded up jews and others himself. This monument was constructed overnight (literally) in July of 2014. Since then, there is a “living monument” of letters and signs protesting the memorial across from it.
Liberty Park is one of the most contrasting parks I have been to full of controversy as the soul of a nation continues to evolve and be fought over.
St. Stephen's Basilica
St. Stephen’s Basilica is arguably the most important church in Hungary and is the largest and tallest in Budapest. It is 96 meters tall that matches the Parliament Dome height to signify they are equal in importance. The Catholic Church was completed in 1905 and is dedicated to the first King of Hungary St. Stephen. Inside you can find a relic of St. Stephen in his “Holy Right Hand”. The architecture is of neoclassical and neo-renaissance design and features a king on the altar and has beautiful mosaics, marble and gold leaf. You can take the stairs (364) to the top of the dome to see a 360-degree view of Budapest or you can take the elevator. There is a charge to visit the church and the panoramic Viewpoint.
Attraction Tickets in Budapest
Budapest Great Market Hall
Budapest is home to a large and famous marketplace that has been around since 1897 when much of the amazing places to visit in Budapest was built to commemorate 1,000 years of the Magyar people in modern day Hungary. This large marketplace hall has three stories, all with different things to see and buy. The outside of the marketplace is a beautiful Neo-Gothic design that looks kind of like a cathedral and uses the same type of colorful Zsolnay tiles that are used at Matthias Church. The main hall is home to fresh meats, produce, paprika and the interesting Chimney Cake desert that is sweet dough that is twisted around what is kind of like a rotisserie pole and is covered in different toppings like sugar, Oreo and more. It looks kind of like a chimney or volcano and steams like one when hot.
The second floor is dedicated to street food like sausages and other dishes like Gulash and has a large area to buy all kinds of different souvenirs like nesting dolls and other Hungarian gifts.
The basement level is for fresh fish, pickled items and they have an Aldi we visited to see how it compares to back home. The basement can be a bit smelly with fresh fish on ice. It’s a great place to visit that has been featured in programs like Rick Steves Europe! It’s free to visit but of course it costs if you get anything.
The Museum of Terror
The museum of Terror is an excellent museum that highlights when extremes come to power, terror follows. The museum is dedicated teaching about the brutal rule of the fascist Arrow Cross who were allied with the Nazis and the immediately after that the Hungarian Communist party who were just as brutal. The Arrow Cross (far right) killed many Jewish Hungarians and terrorized the country with secret police. While on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum (far left) the Hungarian Communist party killed thousands including in the 1956 massacre in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building. Not far from the site of this massacre is a memorial of shoes where the Arrow Cross Militia had Jewish Hungarians take off their shoes and then were executed with their bodies being thrown into the Danube River. This museum does an excellent job highlighting the fear, lies, control and death caused by both extremist groups that ruled from the 1940s to 1989. A one fact that is horrifying is that the building the museum is in is the headquarters of the Arrow Cross secret police AND the headquarters of the Communist Party Secret Police. Many people went in and never came out during the reigns of both in the same building. One of the most powerful displays I found was the locker room. In there is a mannequin with a uniform that is half Arrow Cross and half Communist. Many of the secret police and leaders once the Arrow Cross was removed from power just changed uniforms and joined the Communist party and continued the control and lies. Another area that is chilling is the basement that was a prison and torture chamber for both regimes. We saw the execution chamber with its Gallows there as well.
This museum is not for the faint of heart but is one that should be visited while there to see it all for yourself. It shows in my opinion that the far left and far right bend into becoming nearly the same when it comes to control, lies, and brutality. While they take different routes to get there politically, they end up in the same place where the people are terrified and abused. It’s why we should fight extremists in any form and learn from Hungary’s difficult past in the 20th century.
Rural Hungary
On both trips to Hungary, we either passed through or visited smaller cities outside of Budapest. On the first trip we passed by small villages and a somewhat large Soviet Era factory town that our guide said to not pay much attention to the ugly concrete, square and featureless communist apartment blocks. It was the first time we had seen the drab communist era buildings. On our second trip we stopped South of Budapest and visited the small city of Kalocsa to see an amazing church and listen to a short organ concert. From there we headed to wonderful Bakod Horse Farm on the plains of Hungary.
The Assumption Cathedral
Completed in 1774, the Assumption Cathedral is an absolute hidden gem and a true work of art. We had never heard of Kalocsa and its Cathedral before this trip. The outside is painted in Hapsburg yellow and has two large bell/clock towers. Inside is truly spectacular. It has frescos and bright pink paint. Since it is in the Baroque style its truly ornate full of breathtaking stucco reliefs, Wood working and marble. The altar is of Mary’s Ascension and elaborate as is the pulpit. The true gem is
The pipe organ that has 4,668 pipes! It was used by composer Franz Lizst. While there we had an amazing organ concert playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565. You will recognize it from Horror like Dracula. Check out highlights from the concert and a cathedral tour below!
Bakod Horse Farm
After visiting beautiful Kalocsa, we headed to the nearby Bakod Horse Farm (Bakodpuszta). Its a Hungarian farm/ranch on the border of the Kunság plain. We were greeted with wonderful Hungarian snacks and went straight to see a show about the Hungarian ranching way of life. The horsemen called Csikós drove traditional wagons, used their whips (karikás ostor) to knock over wood planks at a full gallon and showed us Hungarian games on horseback. The whips are used for signaling and not for punishment of the animals. They have incredibly well-trained horses as they showed as the horses never flinched with the loud whip sound and allowed their trainers to lay on them. The most spectacular display of skill was the Puszta ten-in-hand, also known as Koch-ten. A rider stands on two horses while controlling 8 others while the horses are at a gallop. The Csikós are incredibly talented and this is a great place to visit.
You can also see Hungarian animals such as Hungarian grey cattle, ’mangalica’ pigs, ’racka’ sheep. We visited the stable and the giftshop that has whips (they are works of art with the leather working) and many more Hungarian souvenirs. The farm is very peaceful with a beautiful sunset over the Hungarian Plains. We finished our time there with a great carriage ride.
Horse Show Tours
Hungarian Cuisine and Exeriences
Budapest Food Tour Options
Conclusion
Hungarian is a wonderful country to visit with Budapest being the main city people visit. Budapest is a great place to visit with beautiful buildings, thermal spas, parks, markets, and of course great food. Dont miss places in the countryside like the Bakod Horse Farm and Kalocsa Cathedral. In Hungary they do have 4 seasons so be prepared accordingly for when you go as in January, we went one time and there was ice in the Danube River. Hungary and all Eastern Europe is filled with wonderful places to visit, stories of tragedy and triumph and a wonderful and vibrant culture. Definitely visit and you won’t be disappointed!
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