Historic building, Parliament

The Hungarian Parliament Building is Budapest’s most striking landmark. Up close, it impresses with its wealth of detail, but the best view of the entire façade is from the opposite bank of the Danube. You can view the Parliament from the outside free of charge. Access to the interior is only available as part of an organised tour at a specific time, and we recommend buying your ticket in advance. [btn "Book the cheapest accommodation in…

Castle

Buda Castle is the main landmark on the Buda side of the Danube and one of the places you shouldn’t miss on your first trip to Budapest. From the palace terraces, there are views across the Danube to the Hungarian Parliament and the historic centre of Pest. However, don’t expect a single castle with just one guided tour route. Buda Castle comprises an extensive complex of palaces, courtyards, museums and streets. It therefore functions more…

Lookout, Historic building

The Fishermen’s Bastion is one of the most photographed spots in Budapest. From its white terraces and towers, there is a direct view across the Danube to the Hungarian Parliament, the centre of Pest and Margaret Island. Most of the site can be visited free of charge at any time of the day or night. You only need to pay for entry to the upper terraces, and even these are not subject to a charge at all times. How much time to allow: 30 to 45…

Temple

Matthias Church stands in the heart of Buda’s castle district, right next to the Fishermen’s Bastion. At first glance, it catches the eye with its tall Gothic tower and colourful roof made of Zsolnay ceramic tiles. Inside, you’ll find painted walls, stained-glass windows, royal tombs and a small museum exhibition. Always combine your visit with a walk through Buda Castle. Both sites are located in the same castle district, and it takes about…

Basilica

St Stephen’s Basilica is one of the most striking buildings in the centre of Budapest. From the outside, you can recognise it by its 96-metre-high dome; inside, by the gold, marble, mosaics and vast space, which appears far more monumental than in photographs. However, the main attraction is not just the cathedral itself. A panoramic terrace runs around the dome , offering a 360-degree view of the whole of Budapest, whilst inside, the Holy…

Archaeological site

The Roman city of Aquincum stood on the territory of today's Budapest at the end of the 1st century AD. Today it is the best-preserved civil Roman settlement in Hungary, with a covered museum and an open-air archaeological park. [btn "The 10 cheapest hotels in Budapest" https://www.booking.com/city/hu/budapest.cs.html?aid=2380460;label=p-budapest-aquincum] Roman Aquincum's period of greatest glory was roughly between 124 and 200 AD, when it…

Synagogue

The largest Jewish temple in Europe, built in the Moorish style with a typical copper dome, is one of the most striking and important buildings in Budapest. It can accommodate 3,000 worshippers, making it the second largest synagogue in the world (after the synagogue in New York). This conservative (not Orthodox) synagogue was built in 1859 to a design by Viennese architect Ludwig Förster and has elements of both Romanesque and Moorish…

Castle

In the popular Városliget Park near Heroes' Square and Szćhenyi Spa, the small Vajdahunyad Castle on the shore of an artificial pond attracts tourists and locals alike. It is a much smaller replica of the famous Romanian castle Corvín (Hunyad), built in 1896 originally as a wooden backdrop for the Millennium Exhibition, which was held to commemorate 1 000 years since the settlement of the Hungarian basin. [btn "The 10 best hotels in Budapest"…

Statue

The Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial consists of 60 pairs of cast-iron shoes attached to the embankment in the centre of Budapest. It commemorates the victims, primarily Budapest’s Jewish community, who were murdered in 1944 and 1945 by members of the fascist Arrow Cross Party. The Hungarian name of the memorial is ‘Cipők a Duna-parton’; on maps and in foreign guidebooks, you will also find it listed as ‘Shoes on the Danube Bank’. The shoes…