A slide show of my first visit to Budapest. For more adventures check out smalltowngirlinagreatbigworld.blogspot.com

1. BUDAPEST
Small Town Girl
goes to
April 2014

2. First things first…
Where am I?

3. Budapest is the capital of Hungary.
It is split into two halves by the Danube River.
In 1873, three separate cities (Buda, Pest, and Old
Buda) were joined to create the capital city.
The names originate from the original names of the
villages on different sides of the river: Buda on the left
side and Pest on the right.
> Read more about Budapest

4. Do you speak
Hungarian?
Don’t worry, neither did I.
Budapest is a tourist city. Most
people that you will come into
contact with speak English
(perhaps also German, Spanish,
or Italian). Conveniently, most of
the signs are also printed in
Hungarian and English.

5. Checklist
X Sights
Local food
Thermal baths

6. Dating back to the 13th century, this castle
and the accompanying hill is now home to
museums, restaurants, and offices. You
also get a great view of Pest from the top of
the hill.
Buda Castle

7. The Chain Link Bridge was the first
permanent stone bridge connecting the
two parts of the city. Although Budapest
has several bridges along the Danube, this
is the most well-known.
Chain Link Bridge

8. The Parliament building is the
home of the National Assembly of
Hungary. It’s one of the largest
Parliament buildings in Europe. I
recommend taking a tour of the
inside of the building. It’s as
beautiful as the outside.
Parliament

9. This is one of the chambers where
Parliamentary sessions are held. The
room seats the 199 members of
Parliament and the cabinet. Plus, all
session are open to the public.
For many centuries Hungary
was rules by kings. Now,
however, it is a democratic
republic headed by a Prime
Minister and the unicameral
National Assembly of
Hungary. The country also
has a president but the
position is only one of a
figure head.
!

10. Grand Market
Hall
If you are looking to buy
some souvenirs, some
authentic Hungarian
sausages, great street food
(like Lángos), or just about
anything, The Grand Market
Hall is the place to go. It’s
conveniently located near
Corvinus University and the
Fővám tér stop on metro line 3.

11. Corvinus University is one of the most prestigious universities
in Hungary. If you are in the neighborhood definitely take a
walk through the building’s unique interior.
Corvinus University

12. Built in 1896, this castle was built to showcase the
architectural evolution in Hungary. Therefore, the
different parts of the castle look quite different from
the others. It’s a romantic scene and located near
Heroes’ Square.
Vajdahunyad Castle

13. Luckily, as we were visiting
over Easter weekend, we were
able to visit an Easter market
at Vajdahunyad Castle with
lots of Hungarian street food
and local craftsmen's
products.

14. The main feature of Heroes’ Square is the statue
complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the
Magyars and other important national leaders.
Luckily, I went on the Saturday before Easter
Sunday and there was a parade.
Heroes Square

15. You will see ads for the current opera all over the city. You can also
take a tour through the opera house, finished with a mini “opera.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend an actual opera but I would
like to come back and do so next time.
Opera House

16. Checklist
X Sights
X Local food
Thermal baths

17. Gastronomy Pancakes | Palacsinta
This pancake is the Hungarian
version of the French crepe. It’s a bit
thicker and can hold almost anything
from chicken and mushrooms to jam
and whipped cream.
Fried dough | Lángos
These fried dough creations come all
sorts of ways. The traditional one is
spread with sour cream and covered
with grated cheese.
Chimney cakes | Kürtőskalács
This yummy food is a spiral pull-
apart bread baked rotisserie style
and rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
It was one of my favorite foods.

18. Gastronomy
Sausages
Sausages are a popular street food to
be found at almost every vendor.
Make sure to try the Hungarian
sausage with mustard and sweet bean
salsa.
Goulash | Gulyás
Goulash is probably the most
popular dish in Hungary. It makes
an appearance on almost every
menu.
Fried cheese
“Rántott Sajt”
Fried cheese is not exactly a foreign
concept, but it’s pretty good
nonetheless.

19. Gastronomy Hungarian strudel | Rétes
Strudels can be filled with
various types of filling. I tried
the apple filling.
Dobos Cake | Dobostorta
Dobos cake is chocolate
buttercream-layered sponge cake,
topped with crystallized caramel
and covered on the edges with
nuts.

20. Best place for pancakes?
Grandma’s Pancakes (English name)
was recommended to me by my
Hungarian friend. Pancakes make up
almost the entire menu, and you can
get them almost any way you like
them.

21. Best street for restaurants?
Ráday street was recommended to me by my Hungarian friend, who
said this street had better prices and quality of food compared to the
popular Váci street. I did try one restaurant on the street. The food was
very good. Most of the restaurants have nice outside terrace seating.

22. Checklist
X Sights
X Local food
X Thermal baths

23. Szechenyi
Thermal
Baths

24. Budapest has more thermal springs than any other capital city in the
world. The Szechenyi spa is the largest thermal bath complex in
Budapest. There are numerous pools and different saunas inside and 3
large pools outside. Definitely try out these unique baths. But, make
sure to bring your own bathing suit, towel, and flip flops. Otherwise, you
have to pay to rent them.

25. Travelers’ tips!

26. Consider renting a private apartment
Renting a private apartment can be cheaper than hotels. Plus, you
have the freedom to come and go as you please and experience what
a local apartment is like. Most importantly, there are no strict check
out times! Want to rent this apartment? Check out the website.
#1

27. Public Transportation
BKK
If you want to see a lot of the
sights and save your feet. Using
public transport is the way to
go. A single ticket only costs
about 1 euro (350 HUF) and a
daily ticket only about 5 euros.
Be warned, you must always
have a valid and validated
ticket with you. Inspectors will
ask for them and the fine for
traveling without one is 16,000
HUF!
#2

28. Hungarian Forint
In Hungary, they use the forint
not the euro.
1 euro = approximately 300
HUF
So, it’s quite common to pay a
bill of that costs in the
thousands (HUFs that is).
#3

29. 10%
tipping
Tipping is a custom in
Hungary, unlike in Finland.
Not leaving a tip is
considered rude and is
interpreted to mean that
you were extremely
dissatisfied with the service.
#4
Also, European bank cards usually work with the Hungarian ATMs, so you can
withdraw money at almost any bank in Budapest. From the ATM, you’ll get large
bills – make sure to exchange larger bills for some smaller bills or coins as some
places (like trams, busses, and street vendors) are unlikely to have enough change .

30. 1. Read the top 10 things to do in
Budapest.
2. Figure out which local foods you
must try.
3. Find an apartment.
4. Book your wine tasting tours.
5. Make a plan for public transport
(or see where you can rent
bikes).
6. Learn some useful phrases in
Hungarian.
Planning a
trip to
Budapest?
Here are my suggestions

31. WINE
Hungary also has its own wine
region. There are many wine
tours and tastings throughout
the city. You can also visit the
actual wine region which is
about 3 hours from Budapest
by car. Make sure to book your
tastings and tours in advance
as they fill up quite quickly.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to
do any of these tours this time.
But now I have a great reason
to go back!
But what about the…