Over the years all our visitors have asked us the same question: what to see in Budapest ?, What to visit in Budapest ?
The Hungarian capital surprises with its architectural, cultural and historical wealth and visiting Budapest requires a good preparation.
To help you, here is our selection of the must-see sights of Budapest that you must discover during your trip in Hungary!
The Matthias Church
The Matthias Church is one of the main Catholic churches of Budapest, located on the Buda hills in the old quarter of the castle district. It faces the bastion of fishermen and the statue of the 1st King of Hungary, King Stephen, on his horseback.
The Matthias church was the privileged witness of the coronation of several kings and queens and owes its popular name to one of them, Mathias Corvin crowned king in 1458 in this church become Gothic.
Indeed, since its construction in 1255, the Matthias church has undergone several transformations: in mosque under the Ottoman occupation (1526-1699), then in baroque style under the Habsburgs, it is finally the architect Schulek Frigyes (1841- 1919) which will return the church to its original appearance of the 13th century.
Impressive, the roofs of the church are covered with multicolored glazed tiles characteristic of the Secession style. A Budapest must see sights, from outside and inside!
Address: Matthias Church, Szentháromság tér 2., 1st district, Buda – map – website.
Opening hours: 09:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday, Saturday: 9am-12am, Sunday: 1pm-5-pm (might vary according to events, see website calendar).
Adult admission: ≈7 €.
Enjoy also a guided tour around the Matthias Church and Buda Castle
and learn about its rich history and architecture:
(Duration: 50mn, skip the line ticket)
Buda castle and Matthias Church Walking Guided Tour – click here
The Fishermen’s Bastion – Budapest must see sights
The Neo-Romanesque Fishermen’s Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 by the Hungarian architect Schulek Frigyes instead of ancient walls of the compound. The bastion, 140m long, is composed of seven turrets representing the seven original Magyar tribes federated by Prince Arpad, founder of the Hungarian nation.
His name ‘Fishermen’s Bastion’ comes from the fishing village at the foot of the castle.
It will finally offer you an impressive panoramic view of Pest and in particular the magnificent Hungarian Parliament.
The price of entrance tickets for the upper gallery of the fishermen’s bastion is available on this link (free entrance from 8pm and 9am all year round, otherwise adult ticket ≈3 €).
Address: Fishermen’s Bastion, Szentháromság tér, 1st district, Buda – plan – website.
Opening hours: from 09:00 to 23:00 every day.
Visit Budapest: Buda Castle
The Buda Castle (also called ’Budavár Palace’) is the historic castle built in 1733 where the kings of Hungary, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, resided.
Within it you will find the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the National Library.
You can reach it by a funicular, by the bus n° 16 on the Clark Adám square or by foot, and enter the district of the castle by the majestic door of Habsbourg and its eagle, the Turul, luminous messenger of God in the Hungarian mythology .
After admiring the superb view of Pest, you will find in front of the main entrance of the castle the statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy, victorious hero of the wars against the Ottomans.
Inside, the royal apartments of the main building and the hall of honor can be visited but it is the National Gallery which has retained all our attention for the quality of its permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Address: Buda Castle, Szent György tér 2, 5th district, Pest – plan – website.
Opening hours: 24 hours for outdoor courses, National Gallery: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 except public holidays, events (see this link of the site).
DON’T MISS! Buda Castle Free Tour (2,5h)
Explore one of Budapest’s most emblematic monuments on this free guided tour of Buda Castle and discover the secrets of the former residence of the Hungarian royal family.
Information Buda castle Free Tour and Booking – click here
Free tours do not have a fixed price, rather each person offers the guide the amount they consider appropriate, depending on their level of satisfaction.
The Hungarian Parliament
The Hungarian Parliament is one of the emblematic monuments of Budapest:
inaugurated in the early twentieth century after 17 years of construction under the direction of the Hungarian architect Imre Steindl, it has been the location of the Hungarian National Assembly since 1902.
With 18,000 m2 it is one of the largest parliaments in Europe and its Neo-Gothic façade is inspired by London’s parliament, the Palace of Westminster.
Long of 268 m, it is composed of nearly 700 rooms, 10 courtyards and its dome rises to 96m.
The visit of the Parliament of Budapest is open every day and will allow you to discover the main staircase, the central hall in hexadecagon, the stained glass windows of Miksa Róth and also the crown of King St Stephen, 1st King of Hungary, and his jewels worn by the kings of Hungary since the Middle Ages.
Complete information in our article ‘Visit the Parliament of Budapest’ on this link.
Address: Hungarian Parliament, Kossuth Lajos ter 1-3, 5th district, Pest – plan –
Opening hours: every day from 8 am to 6 pm (at 4 pm from November to March).
Visit of 45 mn allowed only with guide.
Budapest Parliament 45-Minute Guided Tour ticket – click here
Do not miss: to the left of the Hungarian Parliament (when you face the Danube), go down to the riverbank to reach after 200m the poignant memorial of ‘Shoes on the banks of the Danube’, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. About 40 meters of metal shoes represent the thousands of Jews who were shot before taking off their shoes.
Visit Budapest: the Great market Hall
The Great Market Hall of Budapest was built in 1897 by the Hungarian architect Pecz Samu. This large hall with a floor area of 10,000 m2, inspired by secessionist art, stands out for its brick and metal construction, and its roof covered with colorful ceramics.
In this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will discover on the ground floor the Hungarian food and its essential specialties (paprika, goose livers, salami, wines and spirits, etc. ..) while at the Upstairs you can eat at many buffets and discover Hungarian craft stalls and souvenirs. This Great Market Hall is one of our favorite Budapest must see sights.
Address: The Great market hall, Vámház krt. 1-3, IXth district, Pest – plan – website.
Opening hours: Monday from 06:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Friday: from 06:00 to 18:00, Saturday: 06:00 to 16:00, Sunday closed.
Discover a video of the Budapest Great Market Hall on this link.
St Stephen’s Basilica – Budapest must see sights
Stephen’s Basilica in Pest is sumptuous and imposing: it is the largest Catholic church in Budapest completed in 1906 after 50 years of work!
This neo-classical basilica is the work of architects József Hild, Miklós Ybl and József Kauser. It bears the name of the 1st King of Hungary, St. Stephen, founder of the Hungarian Christian nation.
In his chapel of Divine Right (‘Szent Jobb Kápolna’) is exposed a venerated relic of the Hungarian Catholic Church, the mummified right hand of St. Stephen.
You can climb to the top of the towers (by elevator or by its 370 essential steps) and from the gallery that surrounds the dome of the basilica, to admire the superb view of Budapest.
Skip the line and take a guided tour of St Stephen’s Basilica:
Learn about its history, admire its artworks, and see the Holy Right relic. Choose the option to visit the dome terrace and treasury and take an elevator to the panoramic terrace around the dome, a unique lookout point above Budapest.
Enjoy a superb 360-degree view of the whole city. Duration: around 1 hour.
Information St Stephen’s Basilica Tour and Ticket – click here
Address: Stephen’s Basilica, Szent István tér 1, 5th district, Pest – plan – website.
Visiting hours: 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday, Saturday: 09:00 to 13:00. Sunday 13:00 to 17:00. Holidays see schedules on their website.
In the center of Pest enjoy an organ or a string concert in St. Stephen’s Basilica, one of the most beautiful neo-classical buildings in Budapest! Take your pick from 3 concerts, each with 4 seating classes, to tailor your experience to your taste and budget.
Duration: about 70 minutes. Information on Classical Music Concerts in St Stephen’s Basilica
and tickets – click here
Address: ST. STEPHEN’S BASILICA, Szent István ter 1, 5th district, Pest – map –
Visiting hours: March to October: 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, November to February: Monday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday-Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:15 pm.
Visit Budapest: Heroes’ Square
The Heroes’ Square (‘Hősök tere’) is the largest square in Budapest at the end of Andrássy Avenue. This imposing, semicircular place was built to celebrate the thousand years of installation of the Magyars in the Hungarian plain, on the occasion of the 1896 Exhibition.
On the central column stands Archangel Gabriel, messenger of God. At the foot of the column, the central statue represents Prince Arpad and those conquerors, chiefs of the seven tribes who arrived in this basin of the Carpathians. Behind them are represented in an arc on each side the Hungarian rulers.
The Heroes’ Square is framed by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Műcsarnok “Hall of Art” and behind it the City Park (‘Városliget’) and its beautiful lake is transformed in a sumptuous ice rink during the winter.
Address: Heroes’ Square, Hősök tere, 14th district, Pest – map.
Váci pedestrian street and Vörösmarty Square
Váci Street is Budapest’s main pedestrian street in the 5th district of Pest. It includes various restaurants, souvenir shops and many international brands (Zara, H&M, Mango, Tiger, Pylones, Swarovski, L’Occitane, Douglas, etc.).
It ends at the famous Vörösmarty square where the statue of the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty, carved in Carrara marble, is erected.
The imposing white stone building hosts the famous Café Gerbeaud where you can discover the Hungarian pastries (see our dedicated section on this link).
On the square in front of the Gerbeaud café, you will also discover the Vörösmàrty metro station: this is the starting point of the M1 line, the first Budapest metro line inaugurated in 1896 for the Millennium celebrations, 4 years ahead of the Paris metro. , and being the oldest metro in continental Europe.
Address: Vörösmarty Tér & Váci utca, 5th district, Pest – map.
The Opera House and Andrássy Street
The Budapest Opera House is an emblematic place of the capital with its symmetrical neo-Renaissance façade. Built by Hungarian architect Miklós Ybl at the request of Archduke Franz Joseph, the opera opened in 1884. Since then it has been able to accommodate 1260 listeners and its acoustics are among the best in the world.
It is located on Andrássy Street, the most prestigious axis of the city in the past.
After more than 4 years of renovation, the Hungarian National Opera opened its doors on March 12, 2022! The National Opera of Budapest is an iconic place of the Hungarian capital to discover absolutely by its architectural beauty and the quality of its representations:
For informations and tickets National Opera – click here
Budapest Opera House Guided Tour
Discover the second largest stage in Europe on this guided tour of the Hungarian State Opera House, a must-see on your trip to Budapest!
A tour of the Opera House of about 60 minutes starts daily at 13.30, 15.00 and 16.30 in English. Booking at least 1 week in advance strongly recommended.
Information Opera House Guided Tour and booking – click here
Address: Budapest Opera House, Andrássy út 22, 6th district, Pest – plan –
The Great Synagogue – Budapest must see sights
The Great Synagogue of Budapest located in Pest is the largest in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world. It was built between 1854 and 1859 by Viennese architect Ludwig Förster in Moorish style inspired by the Muslim models of North Africa and Spain (the Sevillian Alhambra). 27m wide and 75m long, it has a capacity of 3,500 seats.
One of its peculiarities is the presence of a majestic organ on which, at its inauguration in 1859, composers Franz Liszt and Camille Saint-Saëns performed.
In the back yard of the synagogue is the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs Memorial (400,000 of them were killed during the Second World War) and the Memorial Park in honor of Raoul Wallenberg who saved dozens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Second World War.
You will discover the Emmanuel Memorial Tree, dreamed by American actor Tony Curtis and sculpted by Imre Varga. The statue represents a weeping willow whose leaves bear the inscription of the name of a dead person.
Our Tip: avoid the long queues to visit the synagogue of Budapest with skip-the-line tickets (see below). Guided visits included!:
For information and Skip-the-Line tickets for the Great Synagogue – click here
Address: Budapest Great Synagogue, Dohány u. 2, VIIth arrondissement, Pest – plan.
Visit Budapest: The Citadel
The citadel (‘citadella’) is the name of the stronghold that dominates Budapest at the top of Mount Gellért. Built by the Austrians in 1854 on one of the peaks of Budapest (235m), it served as a symbolic point of observation for the Hasburgs after the popular revolt of 1848. At its end stands since 1947 the Statue of Liberty, holding a palm in his arms. Symbol of the city, it pays tribute to the liberation of Budapest at the end of the Second World War by the Soviet Red Army. The citadel of Budapest offers you an impressive view of Pest, the Danube and the bridges of Budapest.
Address: The citadel, Mount Gellért, 11th district, Buda – map –
Széchenyi Baths – Budapest must see sights
Visiting the famous thermal baths of Budapest remains a must!
The Széchenyi Baths are the largest baths in Budapest, located in Pest in the “City Park” (“Városliget”). This is our favorite bath in Budapest, with its architecture, its huge neo-baroque yellow courtyard and the 21 baths, all mixed, that make it up and make it a must.
The Széchenyi baths, marked by their neo-Renaissance style, were opened in 1913.
You will find 3 outdoor baths whose temperature varies between 27 and 38 ° C, 18 indoor baths whose temperature varies between 18 and 38 ° C and hammam spaces (wet heat, via steam up to 50 ° C.) and saunas (dry heat up to 90 ° C with a moisture content not exceeding 30%). Massage services are also available.
The Széchenyi baths can be reached by public transport via the Metro M1 – Széchenyi fürdő station – and the trolley bus 72 – Széchenyi fürdő station.
To be sure to benefit from the best price (skip the line entry + locker), do not hesitate to book several days or weeks in advance, cancellation being free up to 24 hours before the start of the activity:
Information on Széchenyi Baths and tickets skip-the-line – click here
Address: Széchenyi baths, Állatkerti krt. 9-11, XIVth district, Pest – plan.
Opening hours: from 06:00 to 22:00 every day (indoor baths from 06:00 to 19:00).
Feel free to check out our article on Budapest’s Best Baths on this link with further information on the magnificent Gellért baths in Budapest.
Visit Budapest: the New York Café
The neo-baroque New York Café was opened in 1894 and quickly became the place frequented by Hungarian writers and poets. Partly destroyed during the second world war and then ‘nationalized’ by the communist regime, the coffee house was restored to its nobility thanks to the new Italian owner Boscolo who reopened it in 2006.
Considered by some media as the most beautiful café in the world, you will discover outside the bronze Lucifers evoking the many artists and intellectuals who frequented the Café and inside the frescoes on the ceiling of the nineteenth century Hungarian painters Gusztáv Mannheimer and Ferenc Eisenhut that rival the beauty of marble floors, gilding and frescoes.
Enter the New York Café in Budapest and discover the beauty of the Belle Epoque!
Do not miss this jewel of Budapest must see sights.
Address: Café New York, Erzsébet krt. 11, VIIth district – map – website.
Open daily from 8am to midnight. Link from the New York Cafe Menu.
You will also find other historic cafes in Budapest in our dedicated article on this link.
Cruise on the Danube – Budapest must see sights
You can also discover Budapest in a new light with a cruise on the Danube! (1h): information on this link ‘cruises to Budapest on the Danube’.
For Cruise information in Budapest – click here
Discover Budapest: 3-Hour Live Guided Sightseeing Tour
Enjoy a 3-hour guided tour of Budapest and learn the highlights of a thousand years of Hungarian history. Visit the beautiful Castle District, Heroes’ Square, enjoy the views from Gellért Hill, see the famous Central Market Hall and much more!
Information and Ticket – Budapest 3-Hour Guided Sightseeing Tour –
click here