A week in August in Budapest

It was our first experience in Budapest. The charm of this city captures you already upon arrival in the evening, when the lights illuminate the heart of Pest, the bridges over the Danube, the monuments along the bank. Filling 5 days while reconciling the needs of two adults (me and my wife) and those of two children aged 3 and 6 is never easy but also thanks to the clement weather (it only rained one evening) the holiday was beautiful every day. Budapest is clean and tidy, 3 metro lines allow you to go anywhere and buses complete the transport. One evening (the evening of the rain) we called a taxi and with less than two euros we got home (we were anyway in a nearby restaurant but taxi prices are very convenient). The things in my opinion not to be missed are the center of Pest (almost all pedestrian), the Parliament (free visit with mandatory booking on site), the Basilica of St.

Stephen, the castle and the royal palace, the Chain Bridge, the great Andrássy avenue (UNESCO heritage) with numerous neoclassical-style buildings, Heroes' Square with the large Varosliget park, inside which is the Vajdahunyad Vara castle, begun in 1896. Next to the park are the beautiful Széchenyi baths. The children had a lot of fun in the various Playgrounds we encountered near the interesting sites and also at the "Millenaris" where they spent 3 hours in a building built for them. One day we went by train to Szentendre, a characteristic small town near Budapest called the city of artists. To sleep we rented an apartment on the internet on the site. The choice of the apartment (well-kept and clean) proved successful both economically and for practicality because it was in the heart of Pest. The owner is kind and gave us several useful tips.

A few dinners we had at the Lucash restaurant located on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky ut (behind the Basilica of St. Stephen); courteous staff, good Hungarian cuisine and modest price. Overall a beautiful holiday that we recommend to everyone.