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Active tourism

Heroes’ Square: a journey through Hungarian history

At the end of the elegant Andrássy Avenue, just before entering City Park, there is one of the most impressive and symbolic places in Budapest: Heroes’ Square, or Hősök tere. The square is huge, open and monumental, and at first sight it can seem like just another beautiful place for taking photos. But almost every statue here tells a part of Hungarian history, from the arrival of the Magyar tribes to some of the most important kings and national leaders. Heroes’ Square is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage area connected to Andrássy Avenue and its surroundings. UNESCO World Heritage Centre Why is Heroes’ Square so important? The square was created as part of the celebrations for the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, traditionally dated to 896. Construction of the Millennium Monument began around the celebrations of 1896 and the entire monumental complex was…

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History

House of Terror: a journey through Budapest’s darkest history

Walking along Andrássy Avenue, it is impossible not to notice the large black TERROR sign above number 60. This is the House of Terror Museum, one of the most intense and unusual museums in Budapest. The building itself is part of the exhibition: it was once used by the Hungarian Arrow Cross movement and later by the communist political police. Today, its rooms tell the story of these two dictatorships through original objects, documents, videos and immersive installations. Inside the museum The visit starts on the upper floors and follows Hungary’s history during the Nazi occupation and the following communist period. One of the first impressive areas is the central courtyard, where a Soviet tank stands in front of a huge wall covered with photographs of victims. From here, the exhibition becomes increasingly immersive. Several rooms are dedicated to the Arrow Cross Party, the Soviet occupation, deportations and forced labour…

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Active tourism

Budapest’s Lucky Statues: Touch Them and Make a Wish

Budapest is full of impressive monuments, but some statues are famous for a completely different reason. According to local traditions, touching a particular part of them can bring luck, love, inspiration or even success in exams. If you walk around the city, you can actually see which parts people touch the most: the dark bronze becomes bright and almost golden after thousands of hands have rubbed the same spot. There is no official number of lucky statues in Budapest. Different local guides include different ones, but there are several famous examples spread between Buda and Pest. The Fat Policeman – probably the most famous one One of the easiest lucky statues to find is the Fat Policeman, standing on Zrínyi Street, only a few steps from St Stephen’s Basilica. The first thing you notice is his enormous shiny belly. It has become golden because tourists have been rubbing it for…

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Active tourism

The Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest: a Budapest legend

If you have been in Budapest for Erasmus for more than a few days, you have probably noticed that this city is full of legends. One of my favourites is the story behind the statue of the Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest, because it is basically a love story that explains the relationship between the two sides of the city. The statue is located on Gellért Hill, not far from the Citadella, and from there you also get one of the nicest views over the Danube and the whole city. The legend According to the legend, the Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest lived on opposite sides of the Danube. They fell in love with each other, but there was a problem: the river separated them. The Prince lived on the Buda side, surrounded by the hills, while the Princess lived in Pest, on the…

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Active tourism

Buda Castle: A Free Afternoon in Budapest

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…

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Active tourism

The Top 10 Free Places to Visit in Budapest

If you are in Budapest for Erasmus, one of the best things about the city is that you can do a lot without spending much money. There are many beautiful places to visit that are completely free, from viewpoints and parks to historic streets and impressive buildings. As students, we obviously love finding places where we can spend an afternoon without having to worry about our budget. So, here are 10 of our favourite free places to visit in Budapest. 1. Fisherman’s Bastion Fisherman’s Bastion is probably one of the most beautiful places in Budapest. It is located on the Buda side, near Buda Castle, and has amazing views over the Danube and the whole city. The best part is that most of the area is completely free to visit. There are some upper towers that require a ticket, but you can still get a great view without paying. We…

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Active tourism

A Temporary Island in the Danube: A Hidden Side of Budapest

Budapest is full of famous places, but sometimes the city creates something completely unexpected. In these days, because of the extremely low level of the Danube, a large part of the riverbed has appeared at the southern end of Margaret Island, close to Margaret Bridge. From a distance, it almost looks like a new small island in the middle of the city. It is not a permanent island, of course. It is mainly made of stones, gravel and sand that normally stay underwater. But for a short period, it has become one of the most unusual places we have visited in Budapest. Why is it there? The Danube is currently at an exceptionally low level. This summer Budapest already broke its previous low-water record from 2018, and on 8 September the official gauge dropped to only 1 centimetre. On 17 September the level was around 40 cm, still well below…

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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

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

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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