Tourist Attractions in Budapest & Places For Sightseeing

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is one of the great European Cities and has many top tourist attractions. The city is fantastic for sightseeing and has lots of places of interest. There are lots of unique tourist attractions to see while visiting the city. The Budapest waterfront of the River Danube is beautiful and is a fantastic place to visit and see the sights.

Budapest is a big city, and there are lots of places to visit. As a bonus, there are many dog friendly bars and restaurants, thus a great place to visit with your pet.

Tourist Attractions in Budapest

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There are countless beautiful attractions to see while sightseeing in Budapest. This includes palaces, castles, museums and churches.

If you wish to see the inside of many of the city’s attractions, you might want to consider the Budapest Card.

Fisherman’s Bastion a Fantastic Free Tourist Attraction

The Fisherman’s Bastion near Buda Castle is a fantastic place for sightseeing and to enjoy panoramic views across the River Danube. It is one of the best known tourist attractions in Budapest for excellent reasons. The area is popular and can get busy, however; it is accessible 24/7 for those that like to visit when quiet. This area is free to peruse, however, there are fee paying options if required.

The Fisherman’s Bastion is a decorative fortification with towers. They built it in between 1985 and 1902. The bastion has 7 turrets, which they built to represent the 7 Hungarian tribes who founded the country in 895. The bastion also has a cafe, a chapel and lots of ornate detail to see. This is a must see attraction that I really enjoyed visiting.

See Matthias Church

Matthias Church is a beautiful attraction right next to the Fisherman’s Bastion. It is very photogenic and a great place to visit while sightseeing. They consider it to be one of the nicest churches in the city, and I wholeheartedly agree. The spires and roof are striking. Sadly, you can only see the outside when with a dog, however the inside is spectacular.

They built the current church building in the florid late Gothic style in the 14th century. Since then, they restored it in the late 19th century. The church has an interesting history, including spending 150 years as a mosque under ottoman rule. They also crowned two kings at Matthias Church.

Sightseeing at Buda Castle & Castle Quarter

Buda Castle is a historical castle and palace complex with lots of interesting buildings to see. You can walk through most of the complex for free. The Castle area of Budapest has lots of parts to see and is great for sightseeing. The castle has developed over the years, with the original castle being completed in 1265. However, they built lots of the baroque buildings in the 16th century.

Entering the castle quarter through the Bazaar is a great introduction to the area. The entrance is beautiful with lots of ornate features to see. The bazaar is an ornamental garden and great to walk through. There are stairways, a lift and escalators up to the main palace from here. They built the garden and its buildings in the late 19th century. One of my favourite parts of the castle area is the Mattias Fountain, which is beautiful.

Sightseeing Walk Along The River Danube

The River Danube is a prominent feature of the city and a great place to go for a walk. It is a great place for sightseeing and boy are there some amazing places of interest to see. This includes Buda Castle, the parliament, many churches and an array of statues.

The river also passes many other grand buildings on the Pest side too. You can also see many of the river boats, including those that do cruises. Heading to the river banks is a must see attraction when in Budapest. UNESCO has listed many parts of the city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the stunning buildings on the banks of the River Danube.

Lots of river cruises visit Budapest as a destination. However, as a regular visitor, you can enjoy a short sightseeing cruise to see the city from the water. Various companies offer these in a variety of formats.

Visit Thermal Baths

Budapest is famous for its thermal baths and has quite a few that you can visit. We visited the Széchenyi thermal bath in the City Park area of the city and thoroughly enjoyed. This was a must visit place for us, however the dog needed to be left napping while we visited. The thermal bath was very relaxing and rather impressive in terms of architecture.

See St Stephen’s Basilica

St Stephen’s basilica is a beautiful and iconic church on the Pest side of the river. They named it after Stephen, the first king of Hungary. It is the third largest church in the country and is a rather dominant feature on the city’s skyline. You can see it from many locations, including across the river from Buda Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion.

They built St Stephen’s Basilica in the neoclassical style, and they completed it in 1905. They regularly host classical music concerts here and you can also enjoy a tour inside.

The town square at the entrance is a popular spot for photographers because it is beautiful. The detail on the ground is rather impressive to see. This is best seen early on before it gets busy. The area has many cafes and restaurants with outside seating. These are ideal to enjoy the view.

See the Hungarian Parliament Building a Beautiful Place

The Hungarian Parliament building is an iconic building that is a must see place while sightseeing in Budapest. It’s also a great location for a walk. The entire area is gorgeous, with lots of details to see from all angles. It’s also a special place to view from across the river or on a boat trip.

They completed the construction of this grand building in 1902. They designed it in the neo-gothic style of architecture and it is beautiful. It is the largest building in Hungary and has been since they finished it.

This is a splendid place to just mooch around. The grounds are perfectly maintained and there are many statues to see. Make sure to visit both sides when in the area. You can also book tickets to visit the inside for a tour.

Enjoy Some Goulash

Goulash is the national dish of Hungary and you can find it in many restaurants in Budapest. Traditional Hungarian goulash is a soup or stew made with tender beef, onions, and spiced with paprika. Personally, I prefer the thicker creamier versions of goulash, however the soup version is a great warming lunch.

Sometimes they serve goulash inside a hollowed out loaf of bread. This is one of my favourite dishes to cook and discovered the best way is to use a variety of types of paprika.

See Lots of Statues When Sightseeing

One thing you will notice about Budapest is the sheer quantity of statues throughout the city. They are everywhere and many have historical significance and other not so obvious. However, delving deeper, they all have connections to the city or to Hungary.

For example, the lucky police man near to St Stephen’s Basilica, Ronald Reagan, the American president, and Peter Falk, a Hungarian actor most famous for his role as Columbo, can also be found. The statues are great to explore while on a walk in the centre of Budapest.

One of the most poignant and most visited statues is the Shoes on the banks of the river Danube, Cipők a Duna-parton. They made these in 2005 to remember the Jews, who the Fascist Hungarian militia massacred during the second world war. They sadly shot the jews on the banks of the river and the water swept away their bodies. This memorial represents their shoes that were left on the bank.

Enjoy a Night Out at the Ruin Bars

In the Jewish Quarter of Budapest are the Ruin Bars, which are a great place for a night out. Many of these are a great place to dine out or have a night out drinking. The ruin bars are in formerly neglected buildings and brought back to life. They have a great vibe and are eclectic in decor. We stayed in a hostel above one of these and spend many evenings enjoying the atmosphere.

See The Tourist Attractions in City Park

The city park area is lovely, especially for dog walking. City park is big and great for a wander, especially in the autumn as the leaves are falling. The park has many attractions, including a castle, lakes, thermal paths and a museum or two. It’s also home to the city’s ice rink in the winter.

Visit Vajdahunyad Castle

Vajdahunyad Castle is a beautiful place in the City Park and is well worth visiting. It is a great place for a walk and the bars of the area are nice too. There is also a museum to visit and towers to climb when exploring the castle. It is a copy of Corvin Castle, that I visited while in Romania. They built Vajdahunyad Castle in 1896 to celebrate 1000 Hungary’s 1000th birthday.

Museum of Ethnography

The Museum of Ethnography is next door to the parliament building in Kossuth Square. It is a rather stunning building to look around from the outside. The museum is home to a collection of Hungarian folk objects from the 19th century. The exterior is marvellous and great to mooch around.

Sightseeing & Ferris Wheel at Elizabeth Square

When visiting Budapest or any other city, we gravitate to town squares and parks, hence spending time with the dog in Elizabeth Square. This is a rather pleasant park with an ornamental fountain & some cafes. It is also home to the Budapest Eye Ferris wheel, which you can ride to enjoy views of the city.

See the Sights at Heroes Square

Visiting Heroes Square near to City Park is fantastic for sightseeing. The Square is big and has some interesting statues and monuments to see. Heroes Square also has some fantastic architecture on the edges. This includes the Museum of Fine Arts and Kunsthalle, a neo-classical art gallery.

Heroes square is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with statues of the leaders of 7 tribes that were the founders of Hungary. It’s a lovely place to visit. The park next door certainly enhances that.

Explore the Jewish Quarter of Budapest

The Jewish Quarter of Budapest is a lovely place to hang out or go sightseeing. This area has many cafes and parks and a great place to have lunch out. The Jewish Quarter has some lovely architecture to see, including some pretty small town squares. There are a few synagogues to see or visit while here too.

Visit the Dohány Street Synagogue

One of the most iconic buildings in the Jewish Quarter is Dohany Street Synagogue. Visiting the synagogue, you will learn lots about the history of the Jewish Quarter and the dark times of its history. The museum features the era when the Nazis turned the quarter into a ghetto and many forced to live there died.

The synagogue is the largest in Europe and the 4th biggest in the world. It can seat up to 3000 people inside and it is beautiful too. They built the synagogue in between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival Style. The Dohány Street Synagogue main building is the Great Synagogue. In the complex, you can also see the Heroes’ Temple, the graveyard, the Memorial and the Jewish Museum.

Visit Labyrinth a Fun Attraction

Labyrinth is a fantastic tourist attraction to visit in the Castle District. It is both great fun and informative. This is a historical labyrinth under the castle hill, basically a big series of caves. It is most famous for being where they imprisoned Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad the Impaler.

One very fascinating part was the completely dark tunnels that visitors navigate through. As it is pitch black, the experience removes your sense of sight. This was very eye-opening and highlighted how much you rely on sight. It also highlighted the conditions prisoners would have existed in. Overall, Labyrinth was a great place to visit and a good value way to spend an hour.

Peruse Nagy Vasarcsarnok a Fantastic Market

The Great Market hall is a fantastic place to visit, especially if you are backpacking and cooking your own meals. They have a massive range of stalls for you to peruse to buy local foods. This includes some fantastic meats, sausages, vegetables and herbs.

They have stalls dedicated to paprika, a staple in Hungarian cuisine. Also, there are many gift shops on the upper floor, which are fantastic for those that love souvenirs. Palinka and artisan chocolate made it into my shopping bag here too.

They built the market hall in 1897; They consider it being the most beautiful market hall in Budapest. The building is beautiful and the tiling on the roof are from Pecs. Overall, this is a great place to visit and they also have some traditional restaurants on the top floor overlooking the stalls.

Walk on Margaret Island

In the middle of the River Danube is Margaret Island, a pleasant place for a walk or other activities. To access the island, you can walk from Margaret Bridge, which is a 15-minute walk from the Hungarian Parliament. The bridge is a fantastic place to see a skyline of the Danube including all the tourist attractions on the river banks.

There are lots of trails to explore the island and it’s also geared up for running or cycling. There are many sights to enjoy on the island, including the picturesque Japanese Gardens. You can also eat or drink out on the island, thus a great place to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I visited on an autumn city break and the autumnal leaves were stunning to walk through.

House of Houdini Museum & Magic Venue

The House of Houdini is a museum and a venue to watch live magic. They devote the museum to the greatest magician and escape artist of all time, Harry Houdini, who was born in Hungary. It has the only collection of original Houdini artifacts in Europe.

Kunsthalle Budapest Palace of Art

The Budapest Palace of Art or Kunsthalle is a historic building on the edge of Heroes square. It’s a rather nice building to see, however the main reason for visiting is to see the exhibits of the contemporary art museum inside. They have a variety of exhibitions and events throughout the year, to find out what’s on see their website.

Visit Mezőgazdasági Múzeum

The Mezőgazdasági Múzeum is in a beautiful building in the city park near and is part of the castle complex. They built the building in the baroque–style of architecture and it’s rather nice to see. The decor inside is rather pleasant to see with high ceilings, grand stairways and decorative features.

This museum features the history of Hungarian hunting and agriculture and is a fascinating place to visit. Visitors can find out about hunting techniques used throughout Hungary’s 1000 year history. The museum has over 200,000 historic agricultural tools, related artworks and artifacts. You can also find out about the use of horses and their roles in Hungarian history.

Do Some Skating at a Historic Ice Rink During The Winter

A popular place to visit during the colder months is the ice rink. Mujegpalya is one of the largest and oldest ice rinks in Europe. It is a fantastic place to see or do some skating. They completed the ice rink in 1870, and Rudolf Crown Prince of Austria was at the opening ceremony. Mujegpalya Ice Rink is open from November through to February each year. You can find opening times here.

See The Lutheran Church in Deák tér

One of many nice attractions to see in Deák tér is the Lutheran Church. It’s a lovely building to see and is the oldest and best-known evangelical church without a tower. The church dates from 1799 and they built it in the neo-classical style of architecture. This is also the largest Protestant church in the city.

Visit Puskás Aréna

If you’re a fan of sport or music, you might want to catch a match or a concert at Puskás Aréna. It’s a massive stadium with a capacity of 70000. The stadium is also nice to have a wander around the outside. They also do tours of the site. You can find out about events at the stadium on their website.

Szechenyi Chain Bridge Across The River Danube

One interesting thing to see on any river is its bridges and Budapest has a few nice ones. This includes the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, a 19th century suspension bridge. The chain bridge spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the two sides of the city. The bridge is often illuminated. However, in recent years, it is under renovation and not crossable. Hopefully, I will get up close and cross the bridge on a future visit to the Hungarian capital. Until then, it looks fantastic from the viewpoints at the castle.

Stephen Szechenyi Square

Stephen Széchenyi Square is a pleasant place to visit near the river. You can find it on the Pest side of the river near the end of the Széchenyi Bridge. The square is a pleasant place to visit once you cross on the island and has some lovely trees and plants, including the oldest tree in Budapest. There are many beautiful buildings in Stephen Szechenyi Square. This includes the Hungarian Academy of Sciences building and The Gresham Palace.

The square also has many monuments to see, including the Ferenc Deák Statue and Count István Széchenyi Statue. It’s well worth a mooch around if walking along the Pest side of the River.

Hungarian Academy of Sciences Building

Another pleasant building to see on the banks of the river Danube is the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The academy dates back to 1825, when a learned society was created. They changed the name in 1845 and they moved to this beautiful building in 1865. They built the Hungarian Academy of Sciences using the Renaissance revival style of architecture.

The purpose of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the cultivation of science and sharing of science findings. They also represent Hungarian science domestically and worldwide. Unfortunately, the building is not really open to the public, but nice to see when exploring Budapest.

Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Near to Elisabeth Bridge that crosses the Danube is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s a beautiful church with a small park to the front. The church has a long and interesting history, including in 1046 they buried St Gellert at the church. It has been reconstructed many times and is now built in the Neoclassical style.

Szabadság Bridge – Liberty Bridge

One of the other bridges across the Danube is the Szabadsag Bridge AKA Liberty Bridge. It’s a pleasant bridge that’s a nice place to enjoy the views when crossing. Szabadság Bridge is south of the principal attractions.

This is the shortest bridge in the centre of Budapest and is roughly 333 metres long.They completed construction in 1896 after starting in 1894. However, the bridge was rebuilt in 1945 after suffering lots of damage in World war II. Other features of the bridge include art nouveau designs. There are also mythological sculptures on the 4 masts and the Hungarian coat of arms on the side.

Liberty Square

Another great place for sightseeing is Liberty Square. Liberty Square is a nice place to hang out and has lots of pleasant buildings at the edges. The square has many statues and monuments to see too. One of the key places of interest in the Square is the Exchange Palace.

The square is also home to the US Embassy building and cool statues of Ronald Regan and George Bush, the American presidents. The square’s centrepiece is the Soviet War Memorial, which commemorates the Russians that lost their lives in World War Two.

Visit Nearby Parts of Hungary

As well as the attractions in Budapest, you can also go sightseeing in nearby towns and cities. Many are within easy reach by train or bus from the key stations in the city. Gyor is a short train ride from Budapest and there’s lots of nice Baroque architecture and other places of interest. Lake Balaton is a stunning place within easy reach of the Hungarian capital. This is the largest lake in Hungary and is affectionally known as the Hungarian seaside.

Review of Budapest in Hungary For a City Break

Budapest is a fantastic city to visit and found there was far too much to see or do on our various visits. It is a place I will return to see more. The highlights for me were the architecture, the history and the relaxing time in the thermal baths. The combination of attractions and prices makes Budapest well worth visiting for a city break.