If you are planning to visit here, let me tell you this. Budapest has been home to us since the stone age and is one of the most historical places on earth. I am going to highlight every place here that you cannot afford to miss on your trip to Budapest. If you are in two minds about this tour, you will be sure about wanting to go there after you have read the complete article.
1. Buda Castle
Buda Castle is one of the places that you don’t necessarily have to plan for. This involves no costs for a visit and is also open at any time of the day. However, if you are planning on visiting the Royal Palace, there are both time restrictions and an entry fee. The Buda Castle has two museums. One is the Natural Gallery and another one is the Budapest History Museum. Every hour, only 15 people are permitted entry here.
2. Shoes on the Danube Bank
This is a memorial with 60 shoes pointing towards the river, which was made in the honor of Jews who were massacred during the second world war. Now you might be wondering what a memorial is doing on this list, and here’s why. This memorial is not only beautiful to look at, but it signifies a part of history that just cannot be forgotten. Shoes of all shapes and sizes are found here signifying the fact that nobody was spared. Candles are placed inside the shoes and flowers are laid around them to honor their memory.
3. Tropicarium
Now here is a place for you to enjoy nature and animals. You will be able to spot a variety of exotic birds, monkeys, alligators, tropical fish, various species of insects, and the main attraction, sharks. The shark feeding show starts at 3 pm every Thursday. You will come across informative signs about the animals as well as you move along the way. It is located inside a shopping centre. You will come across a wide variety of reptiles as well. This is not a huge place but you will probably end up spending more than 30 minutes here to absorb its beauty. First time visitors stay an average of 40 minutes each. It can get overcrowded on weekends so try coming here on a weekday if you can.
4. Capital Circus of Budapest
It is hard for you to be here and not crack up constantly. This is almost always fully booked so try pre booking the tickets. It is open throughout the year. Performances are done by animals, clowns, and artists mainly. There are usually 3 timings available for everyday so check them out first with the rest of your schedule and accordingly book the tickets. It has seating arrangements for 1450 people. They have also recently started displaying sports events, fashion shows, classical and pop concerts, opera performances, and a lot more. This is a total entertainment center.
5. Ice Rink and Boating
This is located in the City Park. This is not only the largest ice rink in all of Europe, but also one of the oldest ones. There is also an ice hockey rink here now. When the rink is not frozen in summers, it is used for activities like boating and rowing. The ice rink is open throughout winters. The timings in winters for ice rink is between 9 am and 1 pm and between 5 pm to 9 pm. The timings in summers for boating and rowing activities are between 10 am to dusk, which of course highly depends on the weather.
6. Fisherman’s Bastion
The Fisherman’s Bastion is among the best monuments in Budapest and it is located close to the Buda Castle. According to some historians, a part of the castle was protected by fishermen, hence the name. This part of it was walls that were built in the 1700s. It was not completed until recently in the 1900s. This served as a lookout and used to be a real castle. The entrance here is free. You can also enjoy meals in the cafe located on the terrace. This is a great place to stop for pictures that you can show off as your tour memories. This looks a lot like the Walt Disney Castle logo. Don’t believe me? See for yourself
7. Széchenyi Thermal Bath
This is a medical bath for which water is supplied by two thermal springs. This is also located in City Park. It consists of 18 pools and you can make it even more luxurious than it already is by getting at least one massage therapy and facial treatment. You can also get an underwater aqua massage. You can also take advantage of steam cabins here, but hold on, relaxation is not all this place is meant for! If you are looking for some entertainment before or after you rest, this place is perfect for you. Who doesn’t love some fun after effective stress alleviation? You can try out whirlpools and water jets here as well. This is not the only bath in Budapest, but it is definitely the best one.
8. City Park
I have already spoken about 2 attractions in City Park that are a must visit, so let’s see what else this place has to offer. This is close to the center of Budapest. There is a pond here for rowing in summers and ice skating in winters, which is again a must try. It is possible that it might not be an option because it dries up. The Memorial of ‘56 is an attractive monument. Stopping by while walking around the park is recommended. There is also an amusement park here which has one of the oldest roller coasters in the world. Close to this, there is a zoo located. Don’t miss the elephant house in this zoo. You will find a lot of common species here but it is worth seeing. Another museum here is the Transport museum. It shows the evolution of transport chronologically. There is even an Aviation museum where you will find a display of spacecrafts and airplanes. The Timewheel is a monument made of granite. It works exactly like an hourglass does.
