What Do You Have to Do in Budapest as a First-Time Visitor, Budapest, Hungary

I’ve visited Budapest three times. Twice in wintertime and once for a couple of hours on a hot September day on my way to Bratislava. So basically my experience of Budapest is a Budapest decorated with Christmas lights and smelling of mulled wine and sweets. I loved exploring the Christmas markets in Budapest and eating cake in one of the city’s oldest cake shop Gerbeaud. On my first visit back in 2004 (for New Year’s ) I travelled with a boyfriend and we did most of the usual tourist attractions. We admired the grandiose Heroes’ square and the nearby castle and felt romantic at Fishermen’s Bastion and crossed many bridges. I compared Hungary’s parliament with the Houses of Parliament in London and we used the oldest underground in the continental Europe. We also took a night boat ride on the Danube river and ate in a traditional but very touristic restaurant. However, my most precious memory of that Budapest visit was winding down in the famous Gellért Baths. It was indeed a special experience!

In 2011 I visited Budapest again during Advent time and of course I bought a lot of Hungarian gingerbread biscuits (and some ginger ale). I pretty much re-visited all the major sights and admired the view of Budapest from the Gellért Hill. My last visit was in September 2012 but then I just spent a few hours in Budapest on my way to Slovakia’s capital Bratislava. I saw a different Budapest but I must say I prefer it in wintertime During this last visit I had drinks at one of the infamous ruin bars. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).