How do you pronounce Budapest? We spent six days exploring the combined city! We navigated the 100E bus (and ticket snafu), drank pálinka, explored the famous Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar, saw the Parliament lit up, and stood silent at the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. Plus, Nic walked 20+ km solo!
Let’s get this started properly. How do you pronounce Budapest? It’s “Buda” and “Pesht.” It was once two separate cities, Buda and Pest, which were combined into one. The Danube essentially runs north–south through the city (with a few zig-zags). On the west side, Buda is more hilly; on the east side, Pest is quite flat.
Arrival & the 100E bus
When the two cities were combined, the name became Budapest. We arrived at the airport and took the 100E bus to Astoria Street. I had purchased two tickets online using an app. Tickets for this airport bus cost 900 HUF (about $4 CAD). HOWEVER, it wasn’t clear that you need live internet access to activate and use the tickets. I had taken a screenshot, but that doesn’t work. I was told to go inside to customer service and buy new tickets. I eventually refunded the first set through the app, but the value sits as a credit—so effectively I lost the money. Not the first time I’ve run into this.
The bus was quite crowded but, luckily, it was only about a ten-minute ride. From Astoria it was a five-minute walk to our Airbnb—actually a fantastic location, which will become clearer below. Our place was quite nice. The owner met us at the door and gave us a short orientation. There was a chalkboard listing the top 10 bars in the area, and he’d prepared a little book of recommendations for restaurants, ruin bars, and more.
First night: dinner on the waterfront
That night we walked about 1 km down to the waterfront for dinner at a place called Why Not? I had chicken paprikash. My mom used to make this when I was a kid—no idea why Hungarian dishes were in the rotation—but I always loved hers. The traditional version here had chicken pieces slow-cooked in a sweet paprika sauce, served over small dumplings with a dollop of sour cream. It was very good, though mom’s still wins. Nic had pork schnitzel with potato wedges—lots of food. For dessert we shared a traditional sponge cake soaked in rum with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The kind waiter capped it off with a shot of pálinka, a fruit brandy that runs 50–70% alcohol. To be honest we couldn’t finish it… too strong. After dinner we wandered the waterfront and then headed back.
Karaván food court & recovery
The next morning Nic was hungover. She might claim it was something she ate, but let’s be real—the beers, rum dessert, and pálinka did their thing. I convinced her to sleep it off; eventually she rallied. We checked our host’s notes and walked over to Karaván, a nearby food-truck court. We had burgers and fries from Zing Burger & Co. plus a couple of beers (hair of the dog). It did the trick—life restored.
Ruin bars & the Jewish Quarter
Next we visited Szimpla Kert, the original ruin bar. A little context: our place and Szimpla are in the Jewish Quarter, which was the wartime ghetto. Post-WWII depopulation left the area dilapidated. In 2004, the owners of Szimpla bought an abandoned building on Kazinczy Street and, as an experiment, opened a bar inside—cheap drinks for the young and creative. Mismatched furniture, wildly eclectic decor, multiple bars and nooks: it kicked off a whole ruin-bar scene. I don’t think a visit to Budapest is complete without stopping at Szimpla (or a similar spot). We had a couple of drinks and soaked up the bohemian energy, chatting for a while with Karen from Germany. Tip: late afternoon/early evening is easy; by 10 pm there can be a line.
Free walking tour highlights
The next morning we joined a free walking tour—quite comprehensive, covering major sites in both Pest and Buda. We started near the Budapest Eye and visited St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Chain Bridge, Castle District, Royal Palace, Matthias Church, and Fisherman’s Bastion. Our guide was knowledgeable, if a bit low-energy. The tour ran about three hours; so many people showed up that they split into four groups. I’d guess the route was ~5 km—we logged 15 km in total that day.
Evening strolls & Parliament by night
That evening we went back out for another walk and dinner at a tiny, cozy restaurant near St. Stephen’s. It’s so small you may sit very close to neighboring tables—we chatted with a couple from the Isle of Wight. I (predictably) ordered chicken paprikash again. Outside, there was an open-air showing of Evita in front of the basilica, but it was too crowded to linger. We continued to the waterfront to see the Hungarian Parliament lit up—truly spectacular at night.
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Nearby is the powerful “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. During a five-month period in 1944–45, militia from the fascist Hungarian party shot Jewish Hungarians along this stretch of riverbank. Victims were forced to remove their shoes first; their bodies fell into the Danube and were carried away. The iron shoes scattered along the bank evoke what they left behind.
Danube river cruise & the Central Market
One classic thing to do in Budapest is a Danube cruise. We chose a company with a 24-hour ticket so you can ride multiple times; each loop is one hour. It was about 11 euros for the tour, or ~16 with two pints included—so we did the beer bundle. Our first ride was around 2 pm, gliding under several bridges and past the Royal Palace, Castle District, Parliament, and Margaret Island, with audio commentary. We returned at 7 pm for “sunset,” but the buildings weren’t lit yet, so we stayed aboard for a second lap—this time everything aglow, which was perfect. Between cruises we popped into the Central (Great) Market and shared a big chicken plate discounted near closing.
Daytime eats, shoes by day & a rainy walk
The next day we wandered again and tried lángos—a fried bread typically topped with sour cream and cheese. Not bad, but not an everyday thing. We looped back to Parliament and the Shoes memorial for daytime photos. Dinner was a three-course special: goulash to start (in Hungary it’s a hearty soup packed with meat, potatoes, and veg), mains with several choices (yes, I chose paprikash again), and the traditional rum-soaked sponge cake for dessert. This round wasn’t as good as our first place. We lingered chatting with a couple from England to wait out the rain, but eventually had to walk home in it anyway.
Nic’s big solo day
On our final full day, I wasn’t up for much and wasn’t feeling great. Nic, on the other hand, had a whole plan: Margaret Island, maybe public baths, and more—likely 20+ km. She set off solo, stopped at a big mall for a disappointing Big Mac, then continued to Margaret Island to explore the gardens and catch the fountain light show at sundown. Afterward she walked the Buda side down to the Elisabeth Bridge and back toward our place—well over 20 km in total.
A (very) brief history of Hungary
Hungary was founded in 895. In the year 1000 it became a Christian kingdom when the pope crowned St. Stephen; before that, people were mostly nomadic pagans. In the Middle Ages it endured a Mongol invasion. King Matthias Corvinus later ruled, but after his death in 1526 the kingdom couldn’t resist the Ottoman Turks.
In the 18th century Hungary came under Habsburg rule, lasting until the failed 1848 revolution. Austria then granted autonomy, creating the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867—an arrangement that greatly benefited Hungary’s economy.
The alliance meant fighting alongside Germany in WWI. After defeat, Hungary lost 72% of its territory and 3.5 million ethnic Hungarians found themselves in neighboring countries. Seeking to regain land, Hungary again aligned with Nazi Germany in WWII. The war reached Hungary in 1944; 400,000 Jewish Hungarians were sent to Auschwitz. Hungary tried to switch sides, but the Soviets prevailed and communist rule followed.
Economic decline and social dissatisfaction led to the 1956 uprising and a declared withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact, which Moscow crushed; by 1968 the regime had reconsolidated, though living standards gradually improved. In 1988 travel restrictions were lifted; in 1989 a multi-party system was created, and the border fence with Austria was cut—an early crack in the Iron Curtain. The Republic of Hungary was proclaimed in October 1989, and in March 1990 the country held its first free democratic elections—its first time truly independent. Hungary joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
Reflections
Budapest surprised us with how easily it balances fun and gravity. In one day you can sip cheap beers in a riot of color at a ruin bar and, an hour later, stand silent at the Shoes on the Danube and feel the city’s history press in. We loved how walkable it is and how different it feels by day and by night—Parliament glowing across the river is worth the late stroll. Food-wise, I clearly have a paprikash problem, and we learned that “hair of the dog” occasionally has its place. Not everything went smoothly (hello, 100E ticket snafu and soggy walk home), but even the hiccups felt like part of the story. If we came back, we’d add a thermal bath day and more time on Margaret Island—but for a first visit, this mix of walks, water, and history was just right.
Next stop
From Hungary, we took a train to Subotica, Serbia. More on that next post.
