Lesser Than 24 Hours in Budapest? Here’s What You Could Do.

Budapest is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe, since it offers options for all types of holidayers – it balances the quest for the history and art seeker alongside that of the fun seeker / party animal.

The centre of attraction in Budapest is of course the Buda Castle – situated atop a hill overlooking the Pest side across the Danube.

The Heroes’ Square is another tourist draw, noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important national leaders. The Heroes Square, celebrates the thousand-year anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian state. The main column is topped by a statue of Archangel Gabriel. The base of the column has bronze statues of the 7 Magyar Chieftains. Any Lord of The Rings fan, will find resemblance of these statues with that of the 9 Kings shown in the movies.

Decision taken, now was the time to explore Budapest. I began walking towards the St Stephen’s Basilica, the most important church building in Hungary, and named after King Stephen I, the first king of Hungary. The views from the southeast and the west façade are simply superb!

The chief attractions of the castle area (importantly: the ones that I could visit) are 13th century St. Matthias Church, and the turrets of the Fisherman’s Bastion. The latter offers sweeping panoramic views of the city across the river. The Matthias Church, originally built in the 11th century has a beautiful exterior with an even splendid interior. The ornate stained-glass windows, the intricately carved pulpit, the little exhibits on the first floor, all make the Matthias Church a must visit when in the Budapest. An imposing bronze statue of Stephen I, the first king of Hungary stands guard outside.

The Fisherman’s Bastion, is a Gothic style terrace with 7 towers representing the 7 Magyar tribes. Why the name? As the guide explained, it was named after the group of people who were responsible for defending this part of the castle in the middle ages. The Bastion is probably one of the best locations in Budapest to get a 180-degree panoramic view of the Pest part of the city, with the Danube and the bridges connecting Pest to Buda!!

I wish the itinerary had allowed for atleast half a day, if not an entire day, at the Buda castle. There is quite a lot to be seen. The next part of the itinerary was in Pest. The main highlight of Pest, lining the Danube, is the parliament building, and the several bridges that link Buda and Pest – The Chain Bridge being the prettiest. This bridge has featured in several Bollywood movies too!

Lunch was at The Domus Vinorum, an old wine cellar converted into a restaurant. Post lunch, as per the itinerary, we were supposed to head back to Vienna. But I hadn’t had enough of Budapest. I took an impromptu decision of staying back for the night, since I had read that Budapest is as interesting after sundown, if not more. A crazy decision it seemed then, but definitely worth it, as I know now.

The walk took me past the Erzebet Teri park, housing the Budapest Eye (a giant ferris wheel), where the lush green of the trees and the gentle pink blossoms were a much need relief to the eye.

I landed upon Vorosmarty square, which is host to several food and souvenir shops, and also is the location for the Christmas Fair & Winter festival. The options of food to satiate the hunger pangs ranged from fresh smoked salmon, grilled pork, freshly baked artisan breads and pretzels, mulled wine, and food stuff of every nature. Coupled with Hungarian souvenirs of all sorts, the Vorosmarty square can keep a visitor enthralled for a couple of hours, at the very least.

With plans to stay in Budapest and take the next morning train to Bratislava (for the next stage of the itinerary), I only needed to hole up for the night. While browsing for options, chanced upon Wombat’s City Hostel (www.wombats-hostels.com) in the near vicinity. With plans to go to Chain Bridge in the evening, followed by some partying, this seemed to be a perfect location.

Only once I reached Wombat’s did I realize that it is in the midst of Budapest’s party district – The Jewish Quarter, and is situated just opposite to Gozsdu Udvar, a popular courtyard full of ruin bars, pubs and restaurants. This location makes this hostel quite popular with backpacking young tourists, visiting Budapest.

Wombat’s proved to be a wise decision, with its decent rooms, a great reception cum lounge area, the bar, friendly staff, and a great breakfast (which we realised the next morning). There are pub crawls that start from the hostel, which are good if you're mood for a fun evening.

At 11pm the night had just begun, as I crossed the street from my hostel and entered into a different realm – one of ruin bars, loud music, eclectic ambience, people socializing at the various pubs and cafes that line the courtyard, young party goers jostling for space in the crowded pubs. And it an experience that you should get, if you’re in that part of the world.

Early next morning after a hearty breakfast (by hostel standards!!), we had to make a dash for the Budapest Keleti railway station to catch our 7.30 am to Bratislava. So ended the one day (less than 24 hours) in Budapest!!

What I missed doing, that should not be missed:

1.A detailed day long trip of the Buda Castle

2.A cruise on the Danube, preferably in the evening, to see the buildings lining the river – especially the grand parliament house.

3.Soaking in one of the several Turkish Baths in Budapest. A remnant of the Ottoman occupation of Budapest, this is one the definite to dos there.

4.Sampling Goulash and other Hungarian delicacies.

These and much more, has put Budapest on my to-do list for the future. I need to go back for sure!

How to reach?

1. Budapest is connected to all major cities of India, by connecting flights via any of the hubs in the Gulf or any of the larger European cities.

2. Budapest Keleti Train Station is connected to Vienna, Berlin and Bratislava

Where to stay?

If you're on a budget, there are several hostels where you could stay. I stayed in Wombat's and can recommend that one, for sure.

Else, there is a choice of AirBnB, and hotels to suit your budgets, that can be booked online.