I did NOT expect to love Budapest so much. It is 100% my favorite city that I’ve been to so far.
Fun Fact:
Budapest is divided by the Danube River and one side is called Buda while the other side is Pest. I had plenty of time to explore both sides of the city. I saw the main buildings such as Parliament and St. Stephen’s Basilica, visited the famous thermal baths (fed by natural hot springs), got a Hungarian mud mask facial, visited the markets and shopping centers, took a river cruise, and of course went to a club from 11:30pm to 5:30am (I don’t know how I survived that one). Budapest was the perfect mix of exciting and relaxing. I loved just walking around the city with no itinerary and seeing where I ended up.
Food
Breakfast in Budapest was absolutely delicious, I often ordered off the dessert menu, since most breakfast items were savory and I love me a good pancake or waffle. These breakfast goods were always accompanied by fresh fruits and unique spreads. One of my waffles even had flowers on it! I also enjoyed the savory options, my favorite being a loaded bagel with avocado, egg, bacon, and a delicious sauce.
For dinners, I ate a lot of Thai and of course Hungarian. Most Hungarian dishes seemed to have meat, potatoes, and spaetzle (a type of noodle). I don’t know what it is about Europe, but they have their sauces DOWN. Every gravy or stew dish that I’ve had has been so flavorful. One night, I had Hungarian Beef Stew with spaetzle and it was the most delicious stew I’ve ever tasted.
The Vibes
Budapest reminded me so much of New York City. I can’t exactly explain it since the two seem pretty opposite, but something about the inspiration and overall vibes of the two cities matched in my mind. Budapest definitely didn’t have the tall, shiny skyscrapers, but its architecture was beautiful. Every building was intricately decorated, and there were a lot of colors lining the streets. While a large city, it was extremely clean (except on Saturday morning, after many parties), and it didn’t have the hustle and bustle that you would expect. People took their time, they didn’t even walk when the light was red like they did in other cities I visited.
Overall, I loved the vibes of Budapest and would definitely like to go back.