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Active tourism

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Active tourism

Budapest’s Hidden Mini Statues: A Treasure Hunt Around the City

During my Erasmus in Budapest, I started discovering that the city has much more than the famous Parliament, Buda Castle and Chain Bridge. While walking around the city, I noticed some very small statues hidden in unexpected places. These are the mini statues of Budapest, many of them created by the artist Mihály Kolodko. They can be found on bridges, walls, railings and near the streets, and some of them are so small that you can easily walk past without noticing them. For me, finding them became a little game. Every time I walked around a different part of Budapest, I started looking down and checking the corners of the streets to see if I could find another one. What are these mini statues? The statues are small bronze sculptures, usually only a few centimetres high. Many of them were created by Mihály Kolodko, a Ukrainian-born artist who lives and…

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Active tourism

A Peaceful Day in Szentendre: Colours, Gelato and the Danube

Not far from Budapest, Szentendre is a perfect place to spend a slower and more relaxing day. After the traffic, trams and busy streets of the capital, arriving here feels completely different. The town is smaller, quieter and full of colours, little streets and places where you can simply walk without having a real plan. Getting there from Budapest is also quite easy: the H5 suburban railway connects Batthyány tér with Szentendre, so it works very well as a day trip from the city. Walking through the colourful streets The first thing we noticed was the atmosphere of the centre. The streets are narrow, the houses have different colours and almost every corner looks a little different from the previous one. It is one of those places where walking around is probably the best thing to do. There is no need to rush from one attraction to another. Small squares,…

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Active tourism

Zoo Café Budapest: A Coffee Break with Animals

During our Erasmus in Budapest, we wanted to try something a little different from the usual tourist attractions. While looking for interesting places to visit, we found Zoo Café, a café where you can have a coffee while spending time with different animals. The café is located in the city centre, on Fejér György utca, close to Kálvin tér. It opened in 2014 and has around 20 different species and 65 animals, so it is definitely not a normal café. What can you find inside? When you enter Zoo Café, you immediately realise that it is very different from a normal café. There are many different animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, snakes, chameleons, lizards and birds. Some of them stay in their own spaces, while others can be brought directly to your table by the animal keepers. The café is quite small and cosy, so you can see the…

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Active tourism

Tropicarium Budapest: sharks, rainforest and an underwater world

The Tropicarium Budapest is located inside the Campona Shopping Centre, in the south of Buda. From the city centre, it takes around 40–45 minutes by public transport. It is called a Tropicarium rather than simply an aquarium because the visit is not only about fish. Inside, there are eight halls that recreate different environments, from Hungarian freshwater habitats to a tropical rainforest and the ocean. Sharks are certainly the main attraction, but there are also alligators, reptiles, monkeys, rays and hundreds of colourful fish. Starting with freshwater life The first part of the visit introduces the world of freshwater animals. Some tanks are dedicated to Hungarian fauna, while others contain tropical freshwater species. It is a quieter beginning compared with what comes later, but it is interesting to see how different the colours, shapes and sizes of freshwater fish can be. The atmosphere also slowly changes as you move from…

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Active tourism

Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden: A Day Among Animals

The Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden is located next to Heroes’ Square, inside Városliget. It is one of the places we wanted to visit because it is quite different from the other attractions in Budapest. The Zoo covers around 11 hectares and is home to more than 8,000 animals. There are many different areas to explore, so we decided to take our time and spend several hours inside. What can you find inside the Zoo? There is a lot to see. You can find elephants, tigers, giraffes, gorillas, penguins, seals, sharks and many other animals. There are also many different buildings and areas, such as the Elephant House, the Great Ape House, the Savanna House, the Palm House and Aquarium and the Shark School. There are also areas dedicated to Australia, Madagascar, South America and Southeast Asia. One thing we liked is that the Zoo does not feel like just…

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Active tourism

Buda and Pest: Two Different Sides of Budapest

Budapest is one city, but it is actually made of two very different parts: Buda and Pest. They are separated by the Danube River and connected by several bridges. When visiting Budapest, it is interesting to spend time on both sides because they have a completely different atmosphere. Buda: hills, views and history Buda is the quieter and more panoramic side of the city. It is built on hills, so walking here can sometimes be a little tiring, but the views are definitely worth it. One of the most famous places is the Castle District, where you can find Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. This area is full of historical buildings, small streets and viewpoints over the Danube. From Fisherman’s Bastion, you can see one of the best views of Pest, especially the Hungarian Parliament on the other side of the river. It is beautiful during the day,…

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Active tourism

Where to Have an Aperitivo in Budapest with a View

Budapest is a city that looks completely different in the evening. When the sun starts to go down, the buildings become warmer in colour, the lights slowly turn on and the Danube begins to reflect the whole city. For this reason, having a drink with a view is one of the experiences we would definitely recommend while staying here. You can choose between a rooftop in the city centre or a more relaxed bar directly next to the Danube. They are two quite different experiences, but both are worth trying. A rooftop above the centre of Budapest One of our favourite choices is St. Andrea Wine & Skybar. It is located on the rooftop of the Váci 1 building, in Deák Ferenc utca, just a few steps from Vörösmarty Square and very close to the main streets of the centre. It is therefore really easy to include it after an…

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Active tourism

The Citadella: Budapest from Above

The Citadella is one of the best places to see Budapest from above. It stands on the top of Gellért Hill, on the Buda side of the city. From here, the Danube seems to divide Budapest perfectly in two, and you can recognise many of the most famous places in the city. Getting to the top Getting to the Citadella is part of the experience. One of the nicest options is to start from St. Gellért Square, near Liberty Bridge, and walk up through the paths of Gellért Hill. The climb takes some effort, especially when it is warm, but there are several places where you can stop and already get a good view of the city. Another easier option is bus 27, getting off at Búsuló Juhász. From there, the north entrance of the Citadella is around a six-minute walk away. There are also walking paths starting from the…

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Active tourism

The Cinema Mystica: a journey through lights, colours and technology in Budapest

Cinema Mystica: One of Budapest’s Most Unusual Places Cinema Mystica is an immersive digital art space in Budapest. It is very different from a normal museum: instead of paintings and long descriptions, there are lights, projections, music, mirrors and interactive installations. The idea is simple: you enter different rooms and each one creates a new atmosphere. Some are colourful and energetic, while others are darker and more relaxing. In many areas, the images cover the walls and the floor, so it can feel like being inside the artwork. A different experience One of the most interesting things is that visitors are not only there to watch. Some installations react to movement, while others use reflections, sounds and changing lights. This makes the visit more interactive and also more fun. There is no single way to experience Cinema Mystica. Some people spend most of the time taking photos and videos, especially…

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Active tourism

Fisherman’s Bastion: Budapest at Sunrise and at Night

The Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the most famous places in Budapest. It is on the Buda side of the city, next to Matthias Church, and from its terraces you can see the Danube, the Parliament and a large part of Pest. It is especially popular because of the view, but the atmosphere can be completely different depending on the time you visit it. We decided to see it in two different moments: at sunrise and just after sunset. It almost felt like visiting two different places. Sunrise: quiet Budapest Visiting the Bastion early in the morning means waking up very early, but it is worth it. At sunrise, the first thing we noticed was the silence. There were only a few people around and we could walk through the arches and terraces without the big crowds that normally visit the area during the day. The light also changes everything.…

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