If you are in Budapest for Erasmus, visiting Buda Castle is definitely something you should do. It is one of the most famous areas of the city, and the best part is that you can explore most of it without spending any money.
How to get there for free
The easiest way is to walk. From Pest, you can cross the Chain Bridge and then walk up towards the Castle District. It is a bit uphill, but it is completely free and the views along the way are really nice.
You can also take public transport and walk the last part. If you are trying to save money as an Erasmus student, we would skip the funicular and use the money for something else later.
What should you see?
The Castle District is quite big, so you can easily spend a few hours walking around.
Start with Buda Castle and explore the streets around the palace. There are lots of beautiful old buildings, small streets and viewpoints over Budapest.
Then head to Fisherman’s Bastion, which is probably our favourite spot. From here, you get an amazing view of the Danube, the Chain Bridge and especially the Parliament.
Right next to it, you can also see Matthias Church, famous for its colourful roof. You can visit the inside for a fee, but seeing it from the outside is already worth it.
What can you do for free?
Walking around the Castle District, seeing the outside of Buda Castle and enjoying most of the viewpoints are completely free.
There are some attractions that require a ticket, including certain areas of Fisherman’s Bastion and the inside of Matthias Church. But honestly, you can have a really nice afternoon without paying for any of them.
When should you go?
We recommend going in the late afternoon. You can explore everything while it is still light and then stay for sunset.
Budapest looks beautiful from Buda during the day, but when the Parliament and the bridges start lighting up, the view becomes even better.
It is also a great place to take pictures with your Erasmus friends, so make sure your phone has enough battery!
Our Erasmus tip
Wear comfortable shoes because there is quite a lot of walking and some uphill streets.
And don’t feel like you need to plan every minute. One of the nicest things about Buda Castle is simply walking around and discovering the area.
Our ideal plan would be: walk across the Chain Bridge, explore Buda Castle, take a million pictures at Fisherman’s Bastion, watch the sunset and then go back to Pest for dinner or drinks.
A pretty perfect Erasmus afternoon without spending much money.
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