Choose from 78 Fun Things to Do in Hungary
House of Hungarian Art Nouveau
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Hospital in the Rock
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Lukács Thermal Bath
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Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galeria)
The gallery is chronologically laid out over four levels and follows the development of Hungarian art from medieval times to present day. With around 25,000 artifacts in the collections, the gallery divides between nine permanent exhibitions.
To many western eyes, much of the work will be by unknown artists but the dynamism and skill of the work will more than compensate as the development of Hungarian art unfolds through the gallery. The 19th-century portraits are fascinating as they provide a glimpse into the rarified world of pre-World War I Hungarian aristocracy, but the show is totally stolen by the gleaming, gilded medieval wooden altarpieces depicting the Madonna and various ecclesiastic scenes.
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Vaci Street (Vaci utca)
- Vaci Street is pedestrianized.
- Most shops along Vaci Street are open Monday to Saturday, from 10am until 7–8pm. Some shops may open on Sundays.
- Free Wi-Fi hotspots are located on and around Vaci Street.
House of Terror Museum
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St Stephen's Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika)
Among the carved wooden pews, marble statuary, frescoed ceilings and gilded ornamentation, the opulent basilica’s most holy relic is found in the small dark chapel to the left of the elaborate main altar. The mummified and bejeweled hand of St Stephen, who was both first king and patron saint of Hungary back in the ninth century, lies preserved in a delicate glass cabinet.
The basilica can accommodate 8,500 worshippers and was built during the late 19th century during the expansion of Budapest for the Millennium celebrations. Much of the later design work was by Miklós Ybl, designer of the Hungarian State Opera House. Badly damaged during WWII, the cathedral has recently been extensively restored and once more sparkles both inside and out.
Regular organ recitals are held here and the dome has a panoramic viewing point taking in the sweep of the city and Danube River; access is by elevator and steep steps.
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Hortobagy National Park
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Roosevelt Square
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Liberty Square (Szabadsag Ter)
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Hungarian National Museum
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Rudas Baths
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Imre Nagy Monument
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Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Allami Operahaz)
- The Hungarian State Opera House is a must for music fans and architecture enthusiasts.
- Refuel at the Opera Café, situated on-site.
- No dress code is enforced but most patrons wear smart dress (i.e., no shorts or sneakers).
Vajdahunyad Castle
Running the gamut of Romanesque to Renaissance architecture, the palace is gaily encrusted with towers, turrets, Gothic flying buttresses, portcullises, bridges and courtyards, happily borrowing features from other castles around Hungary and there are scores of neo-classical statues scattered in the grounds.
Today Budapest’s Agricultural Museum is housed among the marble stairs, ornate décor, stained glass and vast chandeliers of the palace interior. The eight permanent exhibitions include a terrifying collection of taxidermy and a vaulted gallery stuffed full of antlers. Other highlights are the informative exhibit on Hungarian wine production and the whistle-stop tour through Hungarian agriculture, but that comes to an abrupt halt in 1945 without addressing the effects of enforced Communist collectivization after WWII.
The castle courtyard is open 24 hours a day and is free to wander and admire the eclectic architecture. Church services are held on Sunday at 12 noon in the Romanesque Jak Chapel from April to September.
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Hungarian Academy of Sciences
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Margaret Island (Margit-sziget)
Margit-sziget (Margaret Island) is a magical little piece of heaven poised between Buda and Pest. Being there always gives you the sense of taking some time off from the real world. It's small - only 2.5 km (1.4 mi) long - but you'd be surprised how much the island manages to pack in and still feel like an oasis.
Margaret Island was once three islands; they were put together to stem the flow of the Danube in the 19th century. In the middle ages, Margaret Island was called the Island of Rabbits. It was named Margaret after a saint who lived in one of the many nunneries.
The Ottoman rulers kicked out the monks and nuns and took over the island for their harems. There's still plenty of lolling about and pleasure seeking to be done on the island today. It has a pool and lido, a thermal spa, concerts and a Japanese garden to help you relax.
There's also a small zoo and a musical fountain, but just about the nicest thing to do on Margaret Island is what so many of the city's inhabitants do - bring a picnic and lie back in the flowery grass.
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You'll find Margaret Island between the Margaret Bridge and the Árpád Bridge in the Danube River. You can stay on the island, or visit it by taking bus 26 (the only form of transport other than taxis allowed on the island).
Museum of Applied Arts
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Rumbach Street Synagogue
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Palvolgyi Caves
- Wear old clothes and sturdy shoes for a caving tour—it can be wet and muddy inside the caves.
- The temperature in the caves is around 52°F (11°C) year-round, so wear warm clothing.
- No experience is necessary to join a caving tour, but an average level of fitness and mobility is required. Participants must be able to climb up and down a fixed ladder.