A Long Weekend in Budapest (v.2.0)

Our first long weekend in Budapest was such a delight that my friend and I decided unanimously for a return visit.

We met over a sunny weekday lunch to find a date, book the flights and decide where we were staying for the 5 days – the details simply fell into place with the tip-tip-tap of a few laptop keys.

As far as itineraries go, to say ours was loose was an understatement – its one of the best thing about a long weekend in Budapest – you can do as much or as little as you fancy and not feel like you’re missing out. Though we always love their cat cafe – we always seem to somehow book our accommodation around the corner from it… what are the odds of that!?

We both had a few places we fancied revisiting, a driving need to nibble more Langos (a traditional snack of dough smothered in sour cream, garlic and sprinkled with cheese) and the memory of relaxing in the hot geothermic waters of their famous spas.

For me, Budapest is the epitome of a European city.

Romantic, intriguing, full of history, slightly magical (especially around twilight), you can go highbrow or low-fi, soak in the thermal baths, walk for miles, take in the UNESCO culture or party with the nightlife. Or, all of the above like we did.

It depends entirely on your mood.

It depends entirely on what you want out of your long weekend in Budapest.

It depends on how many langos you eat (we averaged one a day – no problems with vampires I can tell you!)

Straddling the Danube, the towns of Buda, Pest and Óbuda merged in the Nineteenth Century to form the capital city of Hungary. With over a thousand years of history separately, the cities coped through much turmoil, and the Magyar people emerged with a lightness of spirit that echoes through the streets.

There’s a satisfying joy in re-visiting a city that you’ve gotten to know, even just on a long weekend. Turning corners that are familiar, exploring new streets and being able to enjoy experiences that you weren’t able to do justice to.

We not only repeated our favourite Budapest experiences of last time but added a few new ones in.

I put together a little guide of our favourite moments of our long weekend in Budapest – the ones that I enthusiastically recommend to everyone that’s going to Budapest and have been a huge hit in the past.

The question I’m most commonly asked is how long to go to Budapest for, and I’d recommend at least 3 full days, 4 if you want to try some of the different baths.

My house in Budapest
My hidden treasure chest
Golden grand piano
My beautiful Castillo

But, for you, you,
I’d lose it all.

Have you been to Budapest yet? If so, what was your favourite moment?