Discover Budapest
Hotels, halal food, prayer spaces, things to do, and itineraries in Budapest.
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Must-see attractions in Budapest
From headline landmarks and heritage icons to parks, waterfronts, and major museums, discover 18 standout sights to build into your time in the city.
Hungary was one of the first European countries to herald the end of communism in the summer of 1989, eclipsed by the fall of the Berlin Wall two weeks later. The monuments of the dictatorship were taken down from public places, into Memento Park. The country’s first free elections were held in 1990 but since then the country’s socio-cultural structure has suffered under pressure from opposing political parties and policies.
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Muslim travel planner
Plan a Muslim-friendly trip in Budapest
Halal restaurants in Budapest
Budapest’s food scene is part of the city experience. Choose from 20 restaurants and food districts with location notes and planning tips.
budapestCafé Pierrot
A curious mix of café, bar and restaurant, this long established eatery is very stylish on Castle Hill. The décor is clownish and there is daily live piano music. The cuisine is Hungarian though it does offer interesting hybrids with international flavours.
budapestTabani Terasz
For something lovely to remember, you should try this enchanting cellar and terrace restaurant below Buda Castle; the place becomes very distinctive during winter when candlelit. Offering a more modern Hungarian cuisine accompanied by an excellent wine list.
budapestSpoon
Dining on the high waters of the river Danube (don’t worry, you’re still tethered to the bank!), here you’ll experience international cuisines with great choices for vegetarians. The décor is bright and the views for the castle and Chain Bridge are amazing.
budapestLou Lou
A foodie hangout for expatriate French, this bistro offers delicious French cuisine with reasonable daily specials. Some of the food highlights on offer at this antiquely furnished place are the smoked duck breast and grilled scallops.
budapestTom-George
Address: V Oktober 6 utca 8 Tel: +266 3525 Times: Noon to midnight
budapestArtesano
Address: VI O utca 24-26 Tel: + 688 1696 Times: Noon to midnight, Monday to Saturday
Budapest masjids and Muslim travel
Landmark masjids and prayer-aware notes for visitors planning salah, family movement, and halal-friendly days.
Hungarian Islamic Community
Address: 1135-H Budapest, Riert Karoly krt. 104 Tel: +362 941 4709
Iszlám Egyház Darusszalám Mecset
Budapest, Bartók Béla út 29, Hungary www.iszlam.hu(1) 365 1502
Magyarországi Muszlimok Egyháza - Budapest Mecset
Budapest, Fehérvári út 41, Hungary www.iszlamweb.hu(20) 216 0171
Nemzetközi Bankárképző Központ Zrt.
Budapest, Tárogató út 2-4, Hungary www.itcb.hu(1) 224 0700
Where to stay in Budapest
Choose where to stay by trip style, from landmark luxury and family bases to central, airport, and neighborhood-led stays.
budapestBuda Castle Fashion Hotel
The building is from the 15th century, the vaulted brickwork in the lobby is stylish, but the hotel name itself is noted for its boutique standards. There are 25 rooms and suites that look upon a cobbled stoned street or facing a quiet grass courtyard. Services on offer are a rich, buffet breakfast, bar lounge and free Wi-Fi; the hotel itself does not have a restaurant but there are restaurants nearby and the staff can assist in locating them or any other particular dining requirements you might have.
budapestLanchid 19
Situated at the feet of Buda Castle, this hotel is stylish to the max and has the awards to prove it. The Lanchid is the winner of the Best Architecture category at the European Hotel Design Awards in 2008, and has 45 rooms on offer, 3 panorama suites, 3 meeting rooms and a terraced restaurant with a bar. The rooms are distinctive with modern artwork and minimalist flair; all rooms are equipped with air conditioning, free internet access, mini bar and safe and a flat-screen, internet connected TV. The hotel itself offers: business services (copy machines, telephone, and fax), luggage storage, dry-cleaning, car rental, airport transfers, cultural programs and massage and babysitting upon request.
budapestDanubius Gellert Hotel
The grande dame of Budapest hotels, this establishment has 221 rooms and 13 suites; each fitted with satellite TV, telephone, radio and mini-bar. There are business rooms, unlimited wi-fi, a souvenir shop, laundry and dry cleaning, a newsstand, baby-sitting services, transfers and a car park available at this hotel. Be sure to check out the thermal spa and swimming pool with its arched glass entrance hall; designed in 1909 and completed in 1918, because it truly is a wondrous sight to see. The hotel architecture uses much of art nouveau. Other facilities also include an outdoor swimming pool and wave pool (operated in the summer season), a jacuzzi, a sauna and steam room, Thai massage, a beauty salon, sun terrace and solarium. Dining options are the Panorama Restaurant that offers Hungarian cuisine; gipsy music is hosted from spring to autumn. In the summer a terrace café terrace opens.
budapestLe Merdien Budapest
French polished furniture and brocade are the style here in this expensive hotel. Accommodating up to 210 guests, with eight meeting rooms, the hotel’s has its own catering staff that can plan a themed dinner, ranging from a Hungarian or French Buffet Campagnard to a decadent chocolate buffet - the choice is yours! The hotel also comes with its own spa, including an indoor pool, a jacuzzi, and massage services.
budapestAndrassy Hotel
A beautiful, high-class hotel just off Andrassy ut (go through Munkacsy Mihaly utca 5-7), it was built in 1937 and renovated in 2007. Services provided include a 24-hour front desk, multi-lingual staff, free Wi-Fi, high speed internet, restaurant and lounge, gourmet breakfast, room service, business facilities and parking spaces. There are 61 rooms with 7 suites to choose from.
History and today in Budapest
Read the city today, its history, residents, culture, and character before planning your route.
Budapest Residents
The residents of Budapest are predominantly Hungarians, or Magyars as they prefer to call themselves, making up about 90% of the population demographic.
City Information
When to go
The summer periods have the city crowded with tourists which is why we think the best time to visit Budapest is during the spring (late March to early May) and autumn seasons (Sept – Oct). The city gets busy during the Budapest Spring Festival held in late March/early April. In August the city slows down with the locals taking part in activities such as the ‘cucumber-growing season’, but some festivals are scheduled around August so don’t be discouraged from visiting during this month. Some of the concert halls are closed during summer but there are plenty of outdoor activities for your entertainment as well as several sights to see. Winter can get extremely cold and snowy with some museums and other tourist sites closing for the season.
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Fast Facts
-Location: Budapest is located in central Hungary which is a landlocked country in central Europe. -Dialling code: country +36 : city + 1
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Currency and Exchange Rates
Hungary’s unit of currency is the forint (Ft or HUF). It comes in notes of 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000Ft, with coins coming in with 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100Ft.
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Public Holidays
• New Year’s Day – 1st January • 1848 Revolution Day/National Day – 15th March • Easter Monday – March/April • International Labour Day – 1st May • Whit Monday – May/June • St Stephen’s/Constitution Day – 20th August • 1956 Remembrance Day/Republic Day – 23rd October • All Saints Day – 1st November • Christmas Holidays – 25-26th December
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Annual Temperature
Month Annual High Annual Low January 2°C -3°C February 5°C -1°C March 11°C 3°C April 17°C 7°C May 22°C 12°C June 25°C 14°C July 27°C 16°C August 27°C 16°C September 22°C 12°C October 16 8 November 8 3 December 3 -1
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Budapest Today
Hungary was one of the first European countries to herald the end of communism in the summer of 1989, eclipsed by the fall of the Berlin Wall two weeks later. The monuments of the dictatorship were taken down from public places, into Memento Park. The country’s first free elections were held in 1990 but since then the country’s socio-cultural structure has suffered under pressure from opposing political parties and policies.
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Budapest History
The beginnings of Budapest can be traced back to 1 AD when the Celts first settled in the region. Later the Romans took over and made the site a fortified military camp which lasted until 829 AD when the victory of the Bulgarian army over the Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious shaped the area into two Bulgarian military fortresses, Buda and Pest which occupied opposite sides of the Danube River. The Hungarians, led by the Arpad dynasty, eventually settled in the 9th century, eventually founding the Kingdom of Hungary. However it wasn’t until the Tartar invasion in the 13th century that King Bela IV ordered the building of the royal palace on the hills of Buda; the city would become the capital of Hungary in 1361. During the reign of Matthias Corvinus, the city went through a golden age and became a cultural hub for Central Europe. The Italian Renaissance had a great influence on the architecture and design of the royal palace and the Corvina Library was second only to the Vatican in terms of size and important documents. However the golden age was not to last because in 1526 the Ottoman Turks came plundering in Buda, eventually occupying it in 1549 which was to last for 140 years. In 1686 the Holy League Army, made up of soldiers from all over Europe, invaded resulting in the Turks signing the Treaty of Karlowitz which recognised territorial changes; the entire Kingdom of Hungary was eventually removed from Ottoman rule in 1718. However in the result, Budapest came under Hasburg rule and the next century was endless struggle for the Hungarians to claim independence and modernization. The socio-political back-drop of Budapest was to change with 1897, the year of Reconciliation, which brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary. This now made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy but it also gave the city a second golden age by instigating cultural developments. In 1873 the cities of Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus producing the metropolis of Budapest as we see today. Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. The capital, Budapest, was 23% Jewish. Due to the prosperity and the large Jewish community of the city, Budapest was often called the "Jewish Mecca". However it was not to last with World War I bringing about the end of the second Golden Age. By 1918, Austria-Hungary had lost the war and as consequence, collapsed; the trade-off was that Hungary got to declare itself an independent republic. In 1920 the Treaty of Trianon finalized the country's separation but Hungary lost over two-thirds of its territory. World War II was to bring about more strife with the city being partly destroyed by British and American air raids in 1944. The worst was yet to come with the period from 24th December 1944 to 13th February 1945, culminating in the Battle of Budapest. The attacking Soviet troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops caused major damage to the city with all bridges destroyed by the Germans and deaths of 38,000 civilians. The war also brought the death of between 20% and 40% of Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants who died through Nazi and Arrow Cross Party genocides during 1944 and early 1945. Despite this, modern day Budapest has the highest number of Jewish citizens than of any other European city. In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic but this new government considered buildings like the Buda Castle as symbols of the former regime, resulting in all the interiors being destroyed. In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. The Leadership collapsed under the mass demonstrations that began on 23 October; but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt with a ceasefire announced in November. The Revolution left more than 3000 dead. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Hungary’s population would reach 2.1 million and this period saw much redevelopment in Budapest with much of the wartime damage to the city finally being repaired. Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1987; Andrassy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere and Városliget) would be added to the list in 2002.
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Shopping in Budapest
Explore 10 shopping stops, from malls, markets, and book bazaars to fashion streets and souvenir finds.
budapestWestEnd City Centre
An opulent place with its own indoor waterfall, you’ll find brands such as Mango, Mexx and Springfield here and much more.
budapestGreat Market Hall (Nagycsarnok)
Found at the bottom end of Vaci utca, this is the largest and finest market in the city (plus the most expensive). Here you’ll find knives, wood craft and embroideries along with other amazing souvenirs.
budapestMammut
This shopping monstrosity has doubled in size since the opening of its second mall next door, linked by a pedestrian bridge. There are over 320 shops to browse through or try the many facilities with a cinema, gym, squash courts and a children’s playground with a nappy-changing room. There’s even a market out the back of the complex.
budapestMom Park
Located up the road from Deli metro station, this is a newer mall with just seventy shops, a cinema and gym. Location: XII Alkotas utca 53 Times: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm
budapestEcseri piac
A well-known flea market for tourists to explore and bargain hard (the stall owners are notorious for rip-offs). Here you’ll find everything from bike parts and jackboots to peasant clothing and hand carved pipes, with a few antiques in the mix. Take the red bus 54 from the Hatar ut metro stop on the blue line or the black 54 bus from Boraros ter by Petofi hid.
Signature sights in Budapest
A curated pick of the city's standout sights, led by the strongest editorial recommendations.
Festivals and events in Budapest
Plan around 20 festival seasons, public events, Ramadan/Eid periods, book fairs, art cycles, and winter food activity.
budapestNew Year’s Day Concert
Held usually in the Duna Palota, this event takes place annually to celebrate the New Year.
budapestInternational Circus Festival
A biennial event; held under the big top of the Municipal Great Circus in late January.
budapestOpera Ball
A very prestigious event that is held in the third week of February at the Hungarian State Opera House.
budapestBudapest Spring Festival
Cramming in over 200 events, this is the capital’s largest and most important festival which truly expresses Hungarian culture. It takes place over two weeks in late March/early April.
budapestBudapest Fringe Festival
A kind of sideshow to the Spring Festival, this event is held in Millennium Park and other venues around the city. It is a three day festival and showcases non-mainstream theatre, music and dance performances.
Budapest tours and experiences
Heritage walks, food crawls, coastal trips, museum circuits, family days, and guided ideas for an easier day out.
budapestOrganised Tours
There are a whole variety of tours to experience in Budapest.
The Irhal city file
Budapest travel guide sections
Focused sections for articles, directories, maps, and trip planning.
