Choose from 78 Fun Things to Do in Hungary
Budapest Jewish Quarter
- Wear comfortable shoes to tackle the winding lanes and cobblestones.
- Walking tours of the Jewish Quarter typically take two to three hours.
- Getting around the quarter is possible for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility, but not all of the district’s historic landmarks are fully wheelchair accessible.
Pick Salami and Szeged Paprika Museum
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Kazinczy Street Synagogue
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Museum of Military History (Hadtorteneti Muzeum)
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Holy Trinity Column
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Memento Park
Under Communism, scores of statues celebrating Marx, Lenin and Engels were erected as propaganda tools around Budapest. They were all uniformly monumental in scale, made out of concrete and downright ugly, and were soon joined by equally vast statues of Hungarian Communist leaders Béla Kun and Arpád Szakasits as well as gigantic allegorical monuments to Soviet heroism.
When the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1989 and Hungary began to enjoy its first vestiges of independence, these monolithic reminders of years of suppression were torn down and carted off to Memento Park on the city’s south-west outskirts. Here they are displayed as a grim reminder of Communism and the Cold War along with an old Trabant and a half-destroyed statue of Lenin, which was desecrated in the 1956 rebellion.
The park is dominated by the 20-foot (six-m) statue of a wild-eyed liberation soldier, arms flung wide, hammer and sickle in his hand and gun slung around his neck; this once stood on the top of Gellért Hill and was seen as a symbol of Budapest’s repression.
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Danube River at Budapest
- Boat tours operating on the river include panoramic cruise ships, amphibious coaches, and private small boats.
- Cruises typically last one to two hours.
- Bring warm clothing if traveling on an open-air boat—it can get chilly, especially at night.
- Most boat cruises are wheelchair accessible, but it’s best to check in advance.
Heroes' Square (Hosok tere)
At the entrance to Budapest's City Park, Heroes' Square (or Hősök tere) features an impressive semi-circular sweep of columns and statues and a cenotaph honoring the fallen of the 1956 uprising. On either side of the square are the Museum of Fine Art and the Exhibition Hall, which now shows contemporary art.
At the peak of the semi-circle is a statue of the Angel Gabriel bestowing the Hungarian Crown on St. Stephen. Lower down is a rugged band of chieftans on horses with antler bridles - this is Árpád and other leaders from an early Magyar civilization.
Other statues represent various leaders and statesman as well as abstract values like war and peace.
Museum of Fine Arts
On the ground floor, visitors will find exhibitions of classical antiquities and of 19th-century paintings and sculptures. The classical antiquities exhibition spans five halls and consists of more than 5,000 items. The collection of paintings includes works from German, Austrian, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian and British masters. On the second floor, the sculpture exhibition consists of more than 100 European sculptures from the German late-Gothic, Italian Renaissance and Austrian Baroque periods, among others.
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Miniversum
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Lake Balaton
- Lake Balaton makes a peaceful escape from bustling Budapest.
- Bring a swimsuit to take advantage of Lake Balaton’s shallow, calm waters.
- Watersports, such as windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and sailing can be practiced on the lake, though no motorized sports are allowed.
- Many full-day tours include lunch at a traditional Hungarian restaurant.
Danube Palace
The ornate auditorium is decorated with a liberal sprinkling of cherubim and frescoes of pastoral scenes. Following the Communist takeover of Hungary after WWII much of the original décor was destroyed but this has since been reinstated; the only remaining sign of Soviet occupation is a stained-glass window near the restaurant that depicts happy peasants frolicking with the flags of Hungary and the Soviet Union.
In the last century big names such as Bartók and Dvorák played at the Danube Palace and today it is home to the Danube Symphony Orchestra, which was established in 1961. They perform regular, joyous Hungarian folk concerts using traditional instruments in the intimate surroundings of the 292-seat auditorium. A festive concert is also held here every Christmas Day, played by the Danube Chamber Orchestra, when the repertoire consists of classic favorites such as Pachelbel’s Canon and Albinoni’s Adagio in G.
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Retro Design Center
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Danube Promenade
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Budapest Zoo
There are more than 950 species of mammal, birds, reptiles, fish and insects in 14 different themed zones at the zoo. There’s a lot to pack in, so get a map at the ticket office so you don’t the miss reptile house full of snakes and lizards, giraffes and gazelles in the Savannah Zone, the lemurs in Madagascar House, the lions, rare birds flying free in the aviaries and the petting farm for toddlers.
There’s plenty going on daily to keep families amused. Highlights of the zoo’s activities include the pelican feasts at 10.30am; sea lion feeding at 11am, 2pm and 4.30pm; and camel walking at 12pm. Magic Mountain is the zoo’s newest attraction, with lots of interactive games for kids plus a 3D cinema showing wildlife movies and simulation rides.
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Budapest Parliament (Orszaghaz)
- Budapest Parliament is a must-see for history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and first-time visitors.
- All visitors must pass through security when entering the building. Large bags are not permitted.
- Tours of the facilities last approximately 50 minutes.
- Photography is allowed throughout the building except for in the Dome Hall.
- There are restrooms in the visitor center.
- Parliament is accessible to wheelchair users.
Esztergom
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Lake Neusiedl
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Matthias Church (Matays-templom)
Matthias Church, with the bright color of its tiled roof and its fantastic Neo-Gothic ornamentation, is one of the stand-out attractions of Castle Hill. Most of it dates from the late 19th century, but parts of the church are much older than that. It's named the Matthias Church because King Matthias I married Beatrice of Naples here in 1474.
It was here, in 1867, that Franz Liszt's Coronation Mass was first performed, and the church still has a strong musical tradition; try and catch a concert here if you can.
On the exterior of the church, check out the unusual diamond-patterned tiles of the roof and the Matthias Tower, which bears the king's crest animal, a raven with a gold ring in its beak. Also look out for the medieval columns on the bottom of the Béla Tower, with their studious monks and devilish animals.
Inside the church you'll find rich frescoes and a legendary Madonna statue - this Virgin is said to have saved the Castle from Turkish invasion when her face, revealed by a demolished wall, frightened them into retreat.
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You can get to the Matthias Church on buses 16 and 16-A116.