The city is divided into two parts by the river Danube, the hilly side of ancient Buda on the western bank and the flat plain of the commercial and cosmopolitan Pest on the eastern bank. These two parts of the city were once separate towns and were merged together with Ancient Buda (Óbuda) only in 1873.

Tip - If visiting art galleries & museums, try to do a little prep before you go so you know what you’re looking at. Also be selective about what you visit – if you try to explore too many you can become a little overwhelmed.

The Buda Side

Castle Hill

A key destination for visitor’s to Budapest as this location hosts many of the city’s most important monuments and museums as well as offering excellent views of Pest across the Danube. Sights include:-

Buda Castle (Budai Var) or Royal Palace – Budvari Palota Diszter 17

Carefully reconstructed and situated on the southern part of Castle Hill at its highest point. The original medieval palace was destroyed during the battles against Turkish invaders, and has been bombed, razed, rebuilt and redesigned at least six times over the past seven centuries. At one stage the site was filled in to lay the foundations of the new grandiose Baroque palace started by Maria-Theresa and expanded on Hungarian initiative in the 19th century, only to then be gutted during the Second World War. Unfortunately there is no place in the Palace today that would allow the visitor a glimpse of the lavish suites and interiors of past royals. It does however house impressive cultural institutions and museums:-

• The Hungarian National Gallery (includes fine arts, medieval and renaissance stonework remains, Gothic wood sculptures and easel paintings, Renaissance and Baroque art).
• The National Széchényi Library.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art (includes works by American Pop-Art artists, and by German, French and North American artists active in the 1980s).

The Budapest History Museum (includes exhibitions about the history of Budapest and constructed sections, and Gothic sculptures from the Mediaeval Royal Palace).

Castle District

One of the most romantic pedestrian sections in Budapest. A medieval little town with atmospheric streets, picturesque houses, gas lamps and beautiful monuments.

Trinity Square

This square is the current centrepiece of the Castle District featuring a monumental Holy Trinity statue, the discreetly reserved old Buda City Hall, and the world famous Matthias Church. The best restaurants and shops in the area are also nearby along with the cellars of the Hungarian Culture Foundation.

Matthias Church

The church bears the name of its biggest Maecenas, King Matthias, who married twice in this shrine.

Cave System – at Castle Hill

On the Buda side almost every house in the quarter has cellars several storeys deep running down into the hill. One section of the cellar system was turned into what is known as the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle with a remarkable historical walk-through tableaux.

Tip: One of the most interesting ways of getting to the Castle is by taking the Funicular cable car up the Castle Hill.

Gellert Hill (Gellert hegy)

The hill (that some believe used to be the meeting place of witches) offers panoramic views of the city in particular the Royal Palace, the Danube and its bridges. At the top of the hill is the Citadella (a type of fortress) and the Independence Monument, which is Budapest’s unofficial symbol. Below the hill are several thermal baths including the Rudas baths which has an octagonal pool under a dome supported by eight columns, it is however for men only, but the Rac Thermal Baths are for men and women.

Connecting Buda and Pest

There are 4 bridges that connect the two sides of Budapest:-

Chain Bridge

The first permanent bridge over the Danube, a symbol of the city and a magnificent site when illuminated at night. The other bridges; Elisabeth Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Margaret Bridge although not as impressive each have their own style and history.

Margaret Island (Margitsziget)

The city’s finest green spot located in the middle of the river Danube between Margaret Bridge and Árpád Bridge. Originally there were three islands here, the islands of Spa, Pictor and Rabbits. These were framed with a common concrete shore as part of river regulation efforts in the 19th century and so the 2.5-kilometre-long island was formed. The 100 hectares of parkland is kept peaceful and quiet by being sealed off to most vehicular traffic. You can rent a "family bike" known as a Bringohinto Cycle Car, or simply walk through the island.

The northern section of the island is home of the turn-of-the-century Grand Hotel Margitsziget and the modern Thermal Hotel Margitsziget, the latter offering thermal spa and state-of-the-art medical services using thermal water springs, both properties are featured by Great Escapes.

The Pest Side

City Park

One of the largest parks in Budapest, with its entrance at Heroes' Square that has a very solemn monument – an empty coffin beneath a stone tile. The square is home to the Museum of Fine Arts. The park is bordered by a winding avenue and has plenty of playgrounds, sports fields, small gardens and green esplanades. It also accommodates the Municipal Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the Transport Museum, a Municipal Circus, a funfair and Aviation Museum, (located in the Petofi Hal), and the Vajdahunyad Castle which is home to the Hungarian Agricultural Museum.

State Opera House (Andrassy ut 22)

Considered to have one of Europe’s most beautiful interiors it is worth taking a guided tour of this building during the day to admire the stunning architecture separately from attending a performance in the evening. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.opera.hu

Great Market Hall (Fovam ter)

The largest and richest indoor market in Budapest was built at the end of the 19th century when open market facilities were no longer able to satisfy the needs of a growing city. The construction of five market halls was therefore started with the Grand Market Hall being the most attractive and interesting shopping site. It is still a very busy and vivid market, definitely worth a visit if you wish to get a glimpse of the everyday life of ordinary Hungarians.

Open: Monday 6am-5pm, Tuesday-Friday 6am-6pm, Saturday 6.am-2pm

Slightly Further Afield

The Danube Bend

The river itself is 1,890 miles long stretching from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. At the north point where it divides Buda and Pest, the wide Danube twists through a narrow valley that is considered by many to be the most impressive stretch of the river, referred to as the Danube Bend. Famous for its historic towns and scenic beauty is an ideal choice for a day trip by boat, car or train.