Budapest, March & November 2018

I am lucky enough that in 2018 I managed to visit Budapest twice - the first time was on a work trip in March, and the second time was on an actual holiday. I basically loved Budapest so much on my first visit that I was desperate to go back; and what better time to visit Budapest than in late November to see the Christmas Markets?! Christmas time is my favourite time of year and since my trips to Krakow and Prague last year in December 2017, I love the idea of starting to make a little collection of Christmas tree decorations from the Christmas markets I have visited over the years. (Much of the annoyance of my boyfriend who really didn't enjoy looking through market stall after market stall debating which decoration would look better on our tree... make sure you take someone with you who likes to shop!) It makes putting up the Christmas tree even more exciting when you're unwrapping decorations and baubles that make you think of the amazing holidays you've had in the past. I really liked the Christmas markets in Budapest, especially the one by the Basilica as the light projection shows they do over the facade of the Basilica are really cool. The stalls were nice and full of crafty items, and there were plenty of amazing food stalls to tempt you alongside the all-important mulled wine options.

We visited both the St Stephens Basilica (photos above) and the Dohany Street Synagogue (photos below) during our stay to get our fill of sightseeing. If you only have time to visit one I would recommend the Basilica as it was a really interesting building. The interior is covered in gold and what I thought set it apart from other buildings I have visited was, bizarrely, its lack of windows - it felt very dark inside in a really magical way!







The thermal baths are amazing, and we decided to go to the Széchenyi thermal baths as they have the biggest outdoor spa area in Budapest. The experience of walking out into freezing cold weather reminded me of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, though the feel of the two thermal baths are very different - The ones in Budapest felt a lot more casual and local rather than touristy. Not going to lie though the changing room situation is pretty weird and takes a while to work out where you're supposed to go, but once you conquer that you're well away! Top tips: I would recommend taking flip flops as the coldest part of being out is how cold your feet are when they touch the ground... Also take a really obvious coloured towel with you because there are so many plain white towels that it becomes impossible to remember where you left yours. Unfortunately, I'm speaking from experience as mine got nicked which made for an awkward (and cold) walk of shame back to the changing rooms!

The ruin bars of Budapest are second to none in terms of evening entertainment. It's the perfect place to go for an interesting night out and this time I made sure we saw more than just Szimpla Kert, fitting in visits to Fogashaz and Instant which are joined together. The queue was much shorter here and the vibe was more club-like, but it felt a lot crazier in terms of the number of different rooms and music that was being played which definitely made it worth a visit in my eyes. The walk between Szimpla Kert and Fogashaz/Instant isn't far either so it's definitely doable.

Budapest - Work trip - March 2018

My work trip to Budapest gave me a great idea of just how much there was to see in Budapest. It's the perfect sight seeing destination, as there's so much history to learn about but it also has brilliant nightlife and some amazing buildings to visit.

During the daytime whilst we were working in Budapest we were able to go on a city tour around Budapest which was a great way to see and learn about the city if you are short on time. We visited Heroes Square and the central market hall amongst a few other places. 

The highlight for me on this tour was the visit to the Fisherman's Bastion and wandering around the Matthias Church. (See pictures above) This is on the Buda side of Budapest and it really is a breathtaking place to see. And if the Church wasn't good enough, the viewpoint also offers amazing views of the Parliament Building on the other side of the Danube. We also managed to fit in a walk along the Danube seeing all the different bridges and then the 'Shoes on the Danube' memorial.

The ruin bars certainly live up to the hype, and Szimpla Kert is one of the most popular ones to visit, all found in the Jewish quarter of the city. The ruin bars are even better and bigger than I expected, and there are so many different rooms it becomes a bit of a maze! Each room is decorated differently with a different style, and it is well worth a visit for a drink or two; I couldn't wait to go back and explore more on my own holiday. 

I would also recommend taking a night cruise down the Danube because it really is an absolutely breathtaking view. There are many different options you can book, but we did a meal and wine-tasting dinner cruise (both times!) which was absolutely amazing.