Top Places to see in Budapest

A lot of you may have known that Davide and I went to Budapest recently if you've been watching my Snapchat @CiaraSwalsh and Instagram @CiaraSwalsh. 

We decided to put our money together this year for our Christmas present to each other and we chose to go abroad. We booked our flights and Hotel in January costing €150 p/p approx. We flew with Ryan Air and our flights cost €50 which is VERY cheap. We then found such a perfect hotel in the heart of Budapest for an amazing price at €200 for 4 nights including breakfast. 

We stayed in a fabulous hotel called 12 Revay Hotel. The rooms are very comfortable paired with a huge photo hung over the bed of famous sites of Budapest, and an amazing waterfall shower! (died and went to heaven every time I stepped in there). The staff in this hotel are ones to remember. We were blown away at how amazing they were. When we arrived our room was a little small so we asked would it be possible to change rooms, and within 30 minutes we had a bigger and more spacious room with no extra cost! The breakfasts were the same every morning (which is to be expected) in a buffet style. Selections of cereals, pastries, hams, cheeses, breads, tea, coffee, juices and of course hot food such as eggs, sausages, beans, bacon etc. We were spoiled for choice. When we walked two steps outside the hotel we were on Budapest's most expensive street full of glamorous shops like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Boggi, and of course an Irish Pub ;)

We were a 1 minute walk from St. Stephan's Bacilica, a 5 minute walk form the main centre of Budapest and 10 minute walk from the Danube river.

With regards food? Ya we didn't really take a liking to the food (sorry Hungarians) and it's also very hard to please an Italian boyfriend with food so we ate in very safe places like Burger King etc. And yes they were full of Italians as of course they couldn't be pleased either haha. If we weren't in a Burger King or KFC we were in an Italian restaurant. 

If you plan to travel to Budapest you must check out the following places:

The Ruin Pubs

The coolest pubs you will ever go to. For those of you who watched my Snapchat you will know what I mean. They are very old buildings and were never renovated. All they did was decorate it in a 70's vibe, serve some drinks and bam, here's your pub!

Hospital in the Rock

This is an old war hospital and really is a must see, if you are confused about finding it travel to the Fisherman's Bastion first and walk down some steps near the Gothic Church.

Szechenyi Baths

You have to go here! Not during the day but during the evening when the sun is gone down. We went in the evening when it was about 3 degrees. We were freezing until we dipped into the 38 degree outdoor bath! Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures because I didn't want to bring my camera with me. You seriously won't be disappointed. There are two baths and a swimming pool in the middle. We ordered a cabin to get changed in for €16 each including towels. So cheap.

Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Gothic Church

The Fisherman's Bastion is one of the most beautiful creations I have seen in a long time, based in Buda and from the top you can see all of Pest, including the Parliament Building, beside it is a gorgeous Gothic church with the coolest roof!!

St. Stephan's Basilica

When I saw this Basilica in pictures I never realised it's size until I was faced with it. Words can't describe it's beauty, and no picture can do it justice. We climbed hundreds of stairs within the church to reach the top and after the torture it was well worth it with the beautiful views we saw. We were very lucky with the incredibile weather we had.

 We passed this beautiful castle type building on the way to Heroes Square and unfortunately we had no time to go inside, we presume its a type of museum but whenever we return we will be going inside!

 We also found out that there was outdoor ice skating in Budapest during the winter period so get your skates on if you decide to go in the cold seasons

Heroes Square

This square is breathtaking, it represents freedom and was the gathering area for people against communism in which Budapest suffered from years ago. If I had enough time I would have spent a lot more time in this square. 

Shoes on the Danube

This was something I was dying to see when I got to Budapest, this memorial just crushes me. The Shoes on the Danube is a memorial in honour of the Jews killed during WWII by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen. The Jews were ordered to take off their shoes before they were all shot into the Danube river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank..

The Parliament Building

Has anybody ever seen a Parliament Building look so beautiful? I was awestruck when my eyes lay upon it. It's colossal! It's placed right on the Danube river and the views in the evening time are breathtaking and very romantic. 

Dinner on a Cruise

On our last night we wanted to something romantic and something memorable. We saw in our hotel that it's possible to have a dinner in a cruise ship for 2 hours along the Danube. It was about €60 in total for the both of us where there was a massive selection of food on offer in a buffet style. Including tables of fruit and loads of desert too. Upon arrival we were given a glass of champagne and another glass of House wine at dinner while a string quartet played in the background. It was a perfect ending to an amazing holiday. We then got our picture taken outside on deck in front of Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge.

If you have any more questions on Budapest or any tips feel free to leave a comment below or on any of my social media pages.

Find me @CiaraSwalsh