Week 167-168: 48 hours in Budapest + Bratislava

In the first weeks of 2024, we managed to check off two new countries–Hungary & Slovakia.

When I think of Budapest, I think about the Buda Castle perched on the hill, the massive uplit Parliament Building, the historic thermal baths like Széchenyi, and the Goulash, Langos, and Chimney Cakes. The city's rich history, architectural beauty, and cultural heritage make it one of Europe’s most captivating destinations.

When I think of Bratislava, I only think of the city next to Vienna. Since we didn’t know much about it, so we were excited to check it out and check it off our list.

Friday

After a 5-hour easterly drive, we crossed the Hungarian border and entered Budapest. A city divided by the Danube River. One side is called Buda, featuring the stately Buda Castle, renewed Turkish-era thermal baths, a citadel, and the Fisherman’s Bastion. Across the river is the side called Pest. Full of lively streets, fancy hotels, historical districts, vintage coffee houses, and the iconic Parliament building.

7:30 PM - Checked into our hotel, The Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments.

While the hotel was fine, I probably wouldn't recommend it. If I were to book this weekend all over again, I’d splurge and stay at one of the fancier hotels along the river. These hotels by the river are more traditional with Hungarian architecture and decorations intact. But for this trip, the Opera Garden was fine and had enough space for all three of us.

9:00 PM - After eating at a Mexican spot 6 minutes away from the hotel, we walked around the city taking in its beauty before the rain rolled in.

Saturday

*The top floor of the Opera Garden Hotel*

10:30 AM - After breakfast and a Starbucks run, we joined a free walking tour with GuruWalks. A “pay-what-you-please’” walking tour connecting tourists with tour guides all around the world. We usually prefer private tours, but group tours are a nice, and cheap way to see the city without staring at Google Maps the entire time.

*Eric and Nate share an umbrella while the guide talked*

The guide brought us to St. Stephen's Basilica, the Danube embankment, Elizabeth Square, Liberty Square housing monuments to Ronald Reagan and the Soviet liberation of Hungary in World War II, and ending at the Parliament Building.

*Ronald Reagan Sculpture in Liberty Square*

Along the walking tour, we noticed several yellow trams. The Budapest tram network is among the world's largest tram networks and is the busiest in the world, carrying 100 million more passengers annually than Budapest’s underground trains or buses.

Fun fact–before the Second World War, the trams in Budapest were all brown. A few of these brown trams, aka nostalgia trams, still operate on special occasions. However, most of them were repainted yellow after the war.

12:00 PM - We walked over to the Shoes on the Danube. A memorial on the Pest side of the Danube, honoring the memory of Jewish people who were victims of the Holocaust during World War II.

The memorial consists of sixty pairs of iron shoes of varying styles and sizes representing the men, women, and children who were ordered to remove their shoes before being shot and falling into the Danube River.

1:00 PM - We crossed Chain Bridge – one of the city's most beloved landmarks and a symbol of the city spanning the Danube River. Like other iconic European bridges, such as Prague’s Charles Bridge, and Venice’s Rialto Bridge, this bridge is a masterpiece.

Completed in 1849, the Chain Bridge features lion sculptures serving as architectural ornaments and symbols of guardianship. By day, the bridge offers panoramic views of Budapest's skyline, and by night, it becomes a focal point for everyone’s photos as it is illuminated by lights.

1:00 pm - Once we got to the other side, we snagged a table at Lánchíd Söröző. A traditional Hungarian pub decked out with music memorabilia and old-timey photos.

Lánchíd Söröző
Address: Budapest, Fő u. 4, 1011 Hungary
Hours: Daily, 11 AM - 11 PM
Click here for more info

2:30 PM - Coffees at Zërgë

After lunch, the weather was still cold and rainy, so we spent another 30 minutes inside Zërgë. A hipster coffee shop tucked away on a corner under the Fisherman's Bastion. They offer top-notch coffees from different parts of the world and made the best chai tea latte I’ve ever had!

Zërgë
Address: Fő utca 7, Budapest, Hungary
Hours: Mon-Tues 8 AM - 4 PM / Wed-Sat 8 AM - 3 PM / Sun 9 AM - 2 PM
Click here for more info

3:30 PM - Still raining, so we slipped into the “Hospital in the Rock”.

Carved into the heart of Buda Castle, this underground medical facility was originally a cave system. It was converted into a hospital during World War II to provide shelter and medical care for the wounded. Over the years, the Hospital in the Rock has evolved into a museum, offering visitors a fascinating journey through Hungary's wartime history.

For one hour, we meandered through the cave hospital learning about the meticulously preserved medical equipment and looking at semi-creepy wax figures that were placed to help portray what it was like during those times.

Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum
Address: Budapest, Lovas út 4/c, 1012 Hungary
Hours: Daily, 10 AM - 7 PM
Price: €24/adult (€19/Adult if you book online)
Click here for more info

Photography was not allowed, but here’s a photo of the entrance.

4:30 PM - By the time we left the museum, it was dark…and still raining. However, seeing the parliament building lit up from the Fisherman’s Bastion made up for the annoying weather.

The double-decker Fisherman’s Bastion is one of Budapest’s most visited sites, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s where you can catch the best views of Budapest. It’s where you can see the four main bridges of Budapest, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Gellert Hill, Margaret Island, and Pest in its entirety. It’s also where you will fall in love with Budapest…even in the rain.

*Eric and Nate in the Fisherman’s Bastion*

The lower terrace is home to the grand staircase and Matthias Church. The upper terrace is home to platforms that provide uninterrupted views of the whole of Pest. Our tour guide said the upper part isn’t worth the extra money as you only get a few extra feet higher.

Behind the Bastian is the Matthias Church

Its colorful roof tiles, gargoyles, spires, and geometric windows make it the most beautiful church in Budapest–and also the oldest. A bride and groom were walking out as we were walking past.

Matthias Church
Address: Budapest, Szentháromság tér 2
Hours: Mon – Fri 9 AM to 5 PM / Sat 9 AM - 12 PM / Sun 1 AM - 5 PM

6:00 PM - We headed back to the hotel to relax for a bit before going back out for dinner.

8:00 PM - We ate dinner at Retró Lángos. A traditional Hungarian street food bistro down the street from the hotel. The interior walls are covered in red, white, and black doodles, and there is a line of Hungary people hanging out the door at all hours.

I tried a Hungarian Lángos at one of the Christmas markets I attended in week 112. I remember it was one of the yummiest things I had eaten since moving abroad, so having it again in Hungary was a long-awaited experience and it did not disappoint.

Retró Lángos Budapest
Address: Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 25, 1065 Hungary’
Hours: Daily 11 AM - 10 PM
Click here for more info

A Hungarian lángos is a deep-fried flatbread traditionally slathered with garlic-infused sour cream, sprinkled with grated cheese, and often accompanied with a choice of toppings like chopped onions or crispy bacon. The result is heavenly.

Sunday

We left Budapest, we stopped over in Slovakia–Austria’s neighbor to the east.

Bratislava straddles both banks of the Danube River making it the windiest place on earth…at least that was our take away after spending all of two hours there. We walked around the castle, the guys gambled and lost at a Slovakian casino, we drank more coffee and tea, and then we left.

Week 167-168: 48 hours in Budapest + Bratislava

Week 169-170: An Ordinary Day

Week 165-166: Christmas and skiing in Austria