This castle located on top of a hill facing the Danube River was the former residence of the Hungarian kings. When it was inaugurated in 1904, this castle was in one of the most extensive and monumental royal residences in all of Europe. With the fall of the monarchy, the former royal chambers gave way to large exhibition halls of the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. Under the castle and just in front of the elegant bridge of the chains, one of the main attractions of the city is located: the funicular of the castle, which connects the 51 meters from the base to the top of the hill, offering unbeatable views of whole Budapest
Either day or night, one of the best activities to do in Budapest is to take a boat ride on the waters of the Danube. Navigating you can see from a unique perspective the great icons of the city, such as the beautiful parliament building, the castle, the chain bridge and many more. These rides usually last between one or two hours depending on the route. There are options for all tastes, from the most classic classics with audio guides to an amphibious bus that runs through these waters. There are also cruises with food included and even with live musicians, a truly unforgettable experience!
Budapest District VII is one of the most historic neighborhoods in the city. Here a large part of the Jewish community of Budapest settled, they built beautiful buildings of great historical value that we still see in its streets. In this neighborhood is the Budapest Synagogue, which is the second largest synagogue in the world and the largest in all of Europe. Inside this temple is a museum that tells the story of Judaism in Hungary, in addition to the Temple of the Heroes which is a reminder of the Jews killed during the First World War.
Entering the 90s after the fall of the iron curtain, the young Hungarians were looking for places to party, but due to years under the communist regime and a great economic crisis the offer for youth was very limited. That is why young people gathered what little they had and in a very handmade way and recycling everything they had on hand they began to use old ruined mansions in Budapest and assemble their bars in them. Cinema seats, rusty cars, tables and old chairs, all served to mount these new bars in ruins, which multiplied throughout the city and survived to the present day for the charm of tourists and locals.
Located in a dark basement in the center of Budapest, this peculiar museum is the most popular in all of Budapest. Here you can not only see about 130 flipper machines that go from the 1940s to the present day, but you can also play for them for hours in a free way and even rest having a beer and keep playing. Its assorted collection is the largest permanent exhibition of flippers in Europe and in it there are real treasures, such as “Hercules”, the world’s largest “flipper” or the Humpty Dumpty, the first flipper in history equipped with paddles, the grandfather of the pinballs we all know.
Many do not know but Budapest is a thermal city and here you can find large public spas with hot water pools, with temperatures between 28ºC and 80ºC. The first to enjoy these hot springs were the Romans and later the Turkish invaders. There are currently several thermal centers, which have swimming pools for men, women and even mixed. The most famous are those of Széchenyi and Gellert, which are just minutes from the city center. Do not worry if you did not bring a towel, flip flops or swimsuit on your trip, in the spas you can rent everything you need for your bathroom, so you know you have no excuses to enjoy the water!
