As we told you before, it is our second visit to Budapest, Hungary and we have been here for weeks already. We have spent complete days exploring, chatting with our friends, and some days doing nothing but watching people or the Danube from different angles. We were discussing what to tell you about this beautiful capital without writing millions of words. It is hard! You could easily spend months here and discover at least one nice spot or interesting thing to do every day. That is why when you search on the Internet “what to visit in Budapest?”, you get results like “50 spots to visit in Budapest” or “30 things to do in Budapest”.
We decided to push ourselves to choose only 5 places on the Pest side, the 5 reasons for our addiction to this side of the Hungarian capital. If you don’t want to get addicted to Budapest, better don’t go! Avoid it at all costs! Once you visit the following spots, you will crave being longer there, for getting back as much as possible. Well, you have been warned so here we go!
Is Budapest one or two cities?
Budapest is the gorgeous capital of Hungary (one city) and it includes two very popular sides separated by the Danube river. Pest is on the East, while Buda is on the West.
In the past, these two settlements, Buda and Pest, were not united. And they were not only two but three settlements. There was also a place called O-Buda or Obuda, it was a market town. The names of Buda and Pest already existed but details about their origin are not easy to track. The idea of unification first appeared in the 1830s, but it finally happened in 1873. Historians say that it was ‘easier’ to get the unification of the three settlements in one city than to get an agreement about how to name the new place.
The debate was harsh! There was a proposal of naming it Buda and deleting Pest. The reason seemed to be that in German, “pest” is an old word to mean plague. Dunagyöngye, Ikervár, Etelvár, Bájkert, Delivár, and Hunvár were other name proposals. It was called Pest-Buda for a while because the Pest population was bigger (200,000 vs 54,000 in Buda, and 16,000 in O-Buda). But when the name had to be written on a map, people realized that Pest would be on the Buda side of the map and vice versa. They did not like this at all, besides, they said this could confuse foreigners. So, they swapped the names to Buda-Pest, separated by a hyphen. They were decades of debate! Finally, in 1873, Pest, Buda, Obuda, and Margaret Island got united in the beautiful city of Budapest.
In modern times, you still can see the two sides separated by the Danube river but connected by several gorgeous bridges. Both sides belong to the same city, but each has a specific flavor. You can feel it if you stay longer and observe. These are the kinds of things you can’t realize if you travel in a hurry.
Now, here you have the 5 places of the Pest side that can cause you addiction.
The Hungarian Parliament
This Neo-Gothic huge building is so far the most emblematic construction of Budapest and it is located on the Pest side of the city, on the East bank of the Danube. You won’t miss it! Most souvenirs include its image. Every single tour includes it. Even if you get lost, you will find it. It is the third largest Parliament building in the world. It houses 691 rooms, 242 sculptures on its walls (inside and outside), and around 19 km of stairs and corridors.
It was the result of a competition to get the best plan to build the Parliament. The winner was a 46-year-old, Hungarian architect called Imre Steindl. The construction started in 1885. It was inaugurated in 1896 when the country commemorated its 1,000th anniversary. At that time, Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy ruled by the Austrians. Around 100,000 workers collaborated to finally, ended the complete building and its multiple ornaments in 1904. Steindl could not see his design finished. He lost his eyesight and later, died in 1902.
You can visit it if the assembly is not in session. Guided tours take 45 minutes during which you will see a couple of lobbies, the main staircase, and the Hungarian crown jewels. Check for the schedules, tours, and more details on its official site http://hungarianparliament.com/tours/
We have been walking around the Parliament many times because its location is a very pleasant one. We strongly recommend you visit the area during the day and in the evening. The pictures are just amazing! On the day, the Parliament’s details and the Danube will look gorgeous. And later on, without daylight, the building becomes a very shiny jewel due to its powerful illumination. We have many pictures, but never too many, haha Always there is a new angle to get a new shot. Or simply, we are too addicted to this beautiful place!
Saint Stephen's Basilica (Budapest)
Saint Stephen or King Stephen I is very important in Hungarian history. You will see his name all across Hungary. He is considered the founder of the Hungarian state and Kingdom. He was born pagan, his pagan name was Vajk, but later baptized and raised as a Christian. Under his rule, the Christianization of Hungary started and that brought big changes. He died in 1038 and was declared a saint in 1083. There is a national holiday to commemorate him and the foundation of the State (August 20th).
So much can be said about Saint Stephen, but what honestly got our attention was that currently, you still can see a part of his body exactly in this Basilica. His right hand! And there is more! The “Holy Right” as it is called, takes part in the commemoration every August 20th. Yes, the mummified hand goes outside the Basilica, to lead the yearly parade. As creepy as it sounds, it awoke our curiosity haha. We visited the Basilica mostly to see the hand and once there, ok, we saw that the Basilica is a very tall building, with architectonic value. You can access the top and enjoy a panoramic view.
To see the hand, you have to look for it on the right side of the Basilica. It is in a glass box. There is a slot in it. Once you insert 200 Forint (.50 Euro), a light turns on illuminating the Holy right for a minute. It is a weird experience to check the details of a mummified piece of human, but we won’t deny it was a cool and different experience to be in front of that yellowish and shrank hand. Imagine that in the past, people even fought to own it.
Shortly told, to canonize him, his corpse was exhumed from the crypt. And the story tells that people got amazed when watching his right arm (only) was as fresh as the day he got buried (they said). They took off the complete arm for preservation and veneration purposes. But the hand hasn’t rested in peace since then.
In the 13th century, as a result of a Tartar invasion, the arm was sent to some Dominican monks in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Those monks seemed to face a controversy between two branches of the church aiming to own the Saint Stephen arm. So the monks cut the arm in two pieces to solve the problem. The upper part was sent to Lemburg and the lower to Vienna. Jealousy can drive humans crazy! Anyway, that’s not a discovery.
The hand got back to Hungary, then it traveled again to Austria when the Second World War approached Hungary (1944), and well, eventually it got back to Hungary but it is still a very active hand, as you can realize.
There are different tickets based on what exactly you want to explore in the Basilica. You can take a look at this website to have a clearer reference for your visit. https://www.bazilika.jegy.eu
The surroundings of the Basilica are great to enjoy and explore and find more treasures. Just give it a try! You will never have enough of Pest.
Heroes' Square (Budapest)
Impressive, large, and full of history is the Heroes’ square of Budapest. It is another strategic spot to visit because either as a goal or starting point for a walk, it will make you pass through many cool attractions in the Pest side of Budapest. The Museum of Fine Arts and City Park are there, Andrássy avenue too, and just with these three places, you have a lot to explore. But we are getting distracted again. Let’s focus on Heroes’ square! We always get back there because every time is different. The monuments and the history don’t change, but the route we take, the things we find, the people around us, and the experience itself do change.
Heroes’ square commemorates Hungary’s important leaders. Like many attractions in Budapest, it was built in the 19th century as a part of the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the country. Look for Andrássy avenue on your GPS and you will find it easily. One of the first things your eyes will spot is the Millennium Memorial which represents the seven Magyar tribes that founded Hungary. There is a large column with the Archangel Gabriel on top, statues of different government figures, tall pillars, the Memorial Stone of Heroes (frequently erroneously called Tomb of the Unknown Soldier), a decorative iron chain that honors the heroes who died fighting for the national independence, and much more. The symbolism of every statue and monument there is big for Hungarians. It is a landmark a must to visit in the capital! During day and night!
Central Market Hall (Great Market Hall Budapest)
The building that houses the market is another interesting spot to visit. It was first constructed long ago, in 1897, and dairy products, fish, meat, and poultry were traded there. Once, it was consumed by fire so its official opening had to wait, later it got damaged during the Second World War, and until the 1990s, it was properly restored.
It is a very nice market to visit, you will find many tourists because its location is very close to more attractions. But anyway, it is worth a visit! Its architecture, but mostly (for us) the food there is delicious! You can find meat vendors, fresh vegetables and fruit stands, traditional crafts and arts, beautiful souvenirs to take home, and food! Sometimes, the lines to get a generous and tasty lángos on the upper floor are very long.
There are small restaurants there and they are very nice spots to try traditional Hungarian food. The complete market looks clean, the variety of products is wide, and it is a great stop to recharge energy (eating hahaha) and continue your tour around Pest. We are not so much into souvenirs but here we fell into the temptation. The prices and quality of the souvenirs are very decent. Or who knows, we ate there and “full belly, happy heart”. Maybe our optimism was the result of being under the influence of that delicious lángos.
The location of the market is very cool. After being there you have choices to keep walking and enjoying Pest. One of our favorite routes is to go, after the market, direction to the Szabadság bridge also called Liberty or Freedom bridge. It is that greenish, big, art nouveau bridge that is always alive, full of young people gathering, bicycles and cars constantly passing through, and many tourists getting pictures of the mythological sculptures, the industrial structure of the bridge, and the Hungarian coat of arms. And if you keep walking, you will reach the very popular Liberty Statue, an icon of this capital. Well, we won’t go deeper into the Liberty statue or the bridge’s details because bridges and landmarks in Budapest are also great attractions you shouldn’t miss! Haha Again, our addiction is talking, but ok, let’s focus on the next place.
https://piaconline.hu/en/central-market-hall
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Váci Street (Budapest)
Váci street is very popular and it is located downtown. An ideal place for people-watching and a great walking through Pest shops (all types), grocers, restaurants, clubs, and bars. For instance, if you look for famous ruined bars, Váci street will drive you to many of them. It runs parallel to the Danube so it is a very pleasant street to walk into. You can turn from time to time in its corners, and discover delicious bakeries, wine shops, bookstores, souvenir shops, interesting architecture, clothing shops, coffee shops, different statues, the Saint Michael Church, and much more. Then you can re-take your way into Váci street. You have a big and beautiful reference not to getting lost, the Danube. It is a popular place so expect tourist prices (higher than in other areas). But you don’t have to buy a thing. It is a great and strategic place to explore because it leads you to many attractions. Eventually, you will for sure find your type of place (and prices) so you will get a coffee, beer, or a complete meal. The exploration here can be as short or long as you decide. Believe us, a few hours there and you will crave more!
Conclusion
The Pest side of Budapest causes addiction. There are many cool things to visit and do there. These 5 recommendations were strategically chosen because they will connect you to many more. So yes, instead of stopping your craving for more, we will boost it through this selection. If you are afraid of getting this addiction, from now, you better don’t go to the Pest side of beautiful Budapest. Avoid it at all costs!
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Check out our previous stops:
Timișoara, the progressive city that broke the communist chain
Bigar, the once stunning waterfall that is collapsing!
Orșova, Romania a beautiful discovery kicked off by an error