113 Best Sights in Budapest, Hungary

Wander the riverside, just north of the chain bridge, and a simple but powerful memorial presents itself: 60 pairs of 1940s-style men's, women's, and children's shoes cast in iron standing along the riverbank. Shoes on the Danube Bank, designed by film director Can Togay and sculptor Gyula Pauer, was erected in 2005 to honor the memory of the countless and nameless victims of the Hungarian Arrow Cross party massacres. It is estimated that between 1944 and 1945 as many as 20,000 Hungarian Jews were taken from the Budapest ghettos by the "Nyilas," lined up on riverbank spots close to this one, sometimes several people deep, and shot at point-blank range. This haunting tribute to this horrific time in history is appropriately not far from Hungarian Parliament.

It may play second fiddle to the Chain Bridge, but this pretty cantilevered river crossing is lit beautifully at night and makes for a pleasant stroll across the river during the day. It was designed for the Millennium World Exhibition in 1896 and rebuilt after being blown up in the Second World War. Keep an eye out for the interesting details, like the mythological birds perched atop it.

The sprawling Liberty Square has represented the pursuit of liberty for Hungarians since its days as the site of a massive troop barracks and the execution of Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány following the failed revolution against the Habsburg Dynasty in 1848. The square is dominated by Exchange Palace, the former stock exchange building, immortalized as Harrison Ford's hideout in Blade Runner 2049. Across from it is a solemn-looking neoclassical shrine, the Nemzeti Bank (The Hungarian National Bank). The bank's Postal Savings Bank branch, adjacent to the main building but visible from behind Szabadság tér on Hold utca, is another exuberant Art Nouveau masterpiece of architect Ödön Lechner, built in 1901 with colorful majolica mosaics, characteristically curvaceous windows, and pointed towers ending in swirling gold flourishes.

In the square's center remains a gold hammer and sickle atop a white stone obelisk, one of the few monuments to the Russian "liberation" of Budapest in 1945 that has not been banished to Memento Park. There were mutterings that it, too, would be pulled down, which prompted a Russian diplomatic protest; the monument, after all, marks a gravesite of fallen Soviet troops, but also a reminder of how close the city was to falling into Nazi hands.

As if in counterbalance, a memorial statue of Ronald Reagan---one of five that Reagan commissioned himself in his will---was erected in the summer of 2011, standing just left of the Soviet liberation monument. Next to it, at Szabadság tér 12, Stars and Stripes flying out in front and with a high-security presence, stands the United States Embassy. One of the square's most popular stories is how Cardinal József Mindszenty, fearing religious persecution, lived here as a guest of the U.S. government for 15 years during communism. On the south side of the square another monument appeared amid controversy in 2014. The Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation is a state-commissioned statue that commemorates the Hungarian victims of the German Nazis in WWII. Germany, represented by a vicious eagle, is attacking the peaceful form of the Archangel Gabriel, Hungary's patron saint. Jewish and opposition leaders have criticized the statue as an attempt to absolve the Hungarian state and Hungarians of their collaboration with Nazi Germany and complicity in the Holocaust. The latest addition is on the other side of the Soviet obelisk, a statue of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush erected by the Hungarian government in October 2020 to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe. A political location from its historical beginnings, but a center of leisure life in the city, too, Szabadság tér is also simply a great place to walk or take a break from sightseeing, with a lovely café in its center. During major football championships, like the World Cup, it is turned into an outdoor screening area and is packed to the gills with locals. It also regularly hosts various culinary and seasonal festivals.

This giant, multilevel monument halfway up the hill adds to the general fairy-tale feel on the Buda side of the river. The figure is St. Gellért, Hungary's first missionary, whose preaching didn't sit very well with the locals. Legend has it he was thrown off the hill on this very spot in 1046. The monument is best viewed from the Pest side of the river, or you can walk up the hillside path from Erzsébet híd for a close-up view.

The ruins of this Dominican Cloister once served as the home of the Holy Saint Margaret, patron saint of the island. According to legend, King Béla IV honored a vow he made to give his child to the church if he was successful in battle against invading forces. He founded this nunnery on the Island as the convent home to his daughter Margaret who lived here from the age of 10 until her death. She was canonized long after her death by Pope Pius XII in 1943. Being an important figure in Hungarian historical lore, Margaret is usually depicted in artwork wearing a nun's habit and holding a white lily and a book. Her one-time grave, marked by a red marble tombstone, can be found in the middle of the excavated building site, to this day covered in fresh wreaths and flowers.

Its pale yellow and green metal steeple being one of Óbuda's core landmarks, this church—a tad more impressive on the outside than the inside—was built by the Zichy family from 1744 to 1749 as the successor to a previous church established here by Hungary's first king, Saint Stephen, in 1010. Situated in a peaceful neighborhood a couple minutes' walk from Fő tér and behind the Aquincum Hotel, it features a red-marble altar (1774) and striking wooden statues of Christ and the church's patron saints (1884).

This atmospheric church built into a cave—one of several in the hill—lies just north of the Gellért Thermal Baths. Mass is still held here (the church is run by the Pauline monks) and worth attending if so inclined, but it is also worth a look for its novelty value. Note: it was rebuilt in faux-cave style in the '90s so it is not quite as authentic as it could be.

Taste Hungary is a popular boutique company offering walking tours in Budapest and day trips around Hungary. Owned by a Hungarian and American couple, it originally focused exclusively on wine tourism, so its expert tours of nearby wine regions like Etyek and Eger are a great way to see some of the countryside. Taste Hungary has a lot to offer including specialized walking tours of Budapest focusing on such varied subjects as the culinary scene, Jewish Budapest, or craft beers.

For generations during the Soviet era, Andrássy út 60 was the well-known site of a secret police interrogation center. People were taken at night to this location and some never returned. In 2002, the House of Terror Museum opened to tell the story of the regime who used this location to intimidate, interrogate, torture, and kill. The museum has been carefully designed down to the imposing form of the building’s awning and the shadow it makes on the sidewalk. The music that accompanies the exhibits is likewise original, composed to create the proper mood. Graphic images and the violent theme make it unsuitable for younger children, but give visitors a sense of the real terror of living in a totalitarian regime.

The most controversial museum in post-Communist Hungary was established at great cost, with the support of the center-right government in power from 1998 to 2002. Some critics alleged that its exhibits are less than objective, sensational attacks on those even loosely associated with the communist-era dictatorship and place less emphasis on the terrors of the fascist era and the Holocaust in particular. The museum director replied that the collection is dedicated to the victims of both regimes (fascist and communist)—noting that there is an exhibit on the atrocities against Jews before and during World War II—and that it was painstakingly researched and designed by experts. Book in advance for a group tour in English.

The building itself has a terrible history. Starting in 1939, it was headquarters of the national socialist Arrow Cross Party; from 1945 to 1956 the notorious Communist state security police, the ÁVO (later succeeded by the ÁVH), used it as its headquarters and as its interrogation-cum-torture center. A powerful visual and sensual experience, this state-of-the-art, multimedia museum features everything from videos of sobbing victims telling their stories to a full-size Soviet tank. An English-language audio guide is available; groups needing them for each member should call several days or more in advance to reserve, as the number of units is limited.

This eye-catching, glass-covered building, designed in 1906 by architects Henrik Böhm and Ármin Hegedűs, proudly displays Budapest's largest outdoor mosaic. Can't see it? Take a few steps back and crane your neck until you have a good view of the facade's upper gable. It's there you will find the Seccessionist-style mosaic by Hungarian master Miksa Roth, which depicts the Virgin Mary wearing the country's royal crown and wielding a sword before a veritable who's who of Hungarian heroes.

This romantic tree-lined promenade, often overlooked by sightseers, follows the castle's ramparts southeast from Capistrano Square toward the Royal Palace. It offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the matte-pastel baroque houses that face Úri utca, with their regal arched windows and wrought iron gates. On a late spring afternoon, the fragrance of the cherry trees and the sweeping view of the quiet Buda neighborhoods below may be enough to revive even the weariest. About halfway along the route is a staircase leading down to Sziklakórház (Hospital in the Rock), a subterranean World War II medical facility turned Cold War nuclear bunker that's part of the extensive Castle Hill caves network. Although fascinating, entry to Sziklakórház (including an English-speaking tour) costs a hard-to-justify €25.

Running south from Vörösmarty Square to Elizabeth Bridge is Váci utca, Budapest's best-known shopping street and most unabashed tourist zone. This pedestrian precinct with electric 19th-century lampposts has a lot of chain outlets, souvenir stores, and overpriced cafés, but also springs the odd surprise with high-quality china shops, independent bookstores, and folk-craft emporiums. Most notable of all is the architecture, which is consistently beautiful: look out for Philanthia Virág at number 9, a tacky flower and gift shop set within a beautiful Art Nouveau building blessed with original tiles, frescoes, and arches. Other notable Art Nouveau buildings along Váci utca include the four-story Thonet House (no. 11/A) by renowned architect Ödön Lechner, and—somewhat surprisingly—the McDonald's on the corner of Régi posta. It was Hungary's first, and remains one of Europe's most beautiful.

Immediately north of Erzsébet híd (Elizabeth Bridge) is Budapest's best-known shopping street and most unabashed tourist zone, Váci utca, a pedestrian precinct with electric 19th-century lampposts and smart shops with credit-card emblems on ornate doorways. No bargain basement, Váci utca gets its special flavor from the mix of native furriers, tailors, designers, folk-craft shops, china shops, bookstores, and internationally known boutiques. On Régi Posta utca, just off Váci utca, you'll find Hungary's first McDonald's, which opened in 1988. Váci utca's second half, south of Kossuth Lajos utca, was transformed into another pedestrian-only zone in the 1990s. On both halves of Váci utca, beware of inflated prices and pickpockets. With it's high end retail shops, "Fashion Street," between Vörösmarty tér and Deák tér, now competes with Váci for shoppers' attention.

It may look centuries old, but this beautiful complex of palatial riverside buildings was actually only constructed in the late 1800s by architect Miklos Ybl; the use of neobaroque and neo-Renaissance architecture was very fashionable at the time. The buildings are today home to everything from theaters and art exhibitions to restaurants and shops, but the complex's highlights are the spaces in between, including the manicured ornamental gardens and the lovely, strollable footpaths. You can take an elevator and escalator from here up to the top of Castle Hill for free.

Downtown revitalization since the early 1990s has decentralized things somewhat, but this large, handsome square at the northern end of Váci utca is still the heart of Pest's tourist life in many respects. Street musicians, sidewalk cafés, and ice-cream-toting tourists make this one of the liveliest places in Budapest and a good spot to take it all in. At its center is a white-marble statue of the 19th-century poet and dramatist Mihály Vörösmarty, and nearby is an elegant former pissoir—today a lovely kiosk displaying gold-painted historic scenes of the square's golden days. Stores and businesses occupy the perimeter, and as of this writing a grand new "multifunctional" building was rising on the square' west side. In June the square plays host to Budapest's annual "Book Week" and in the run-up to Christmas it is awash with gift stands selling handmade, traditional crafts items.

A self-described "open community cultural space" located in a beautiful former pump house on the banks of the Danube, this cool little gallery and art space has rotating exhibitions of modern art. Access is through FELIX Kitchen&Bar, an elegant (and pricey) stop for a coffee, cocktail, or sumptuous meal.

Weather-beaten but beautifully baroque with a pleasingly pink second-floor facade, the 18th century Zichy Mansion is deep in a courtyard at the exalted if neglected-looking address of Fő tér 1. A little cluster of museums in this historic spot make it a de facto cultural center. Permanent exhibitions at the cheerful Óbudai Múzeum include a popular tribute to toys, as well as an immersive tour through Óbuda's history. The mansion is also home to the Kassák Múzeum, which honors the literary and artistic works of a pioneer of the Hungarian avant-garde, Lajos Kassák. Completing the trio, the Vasarely Múzeum is a rambunctious collection of the work of the grandfather of 'op art', Victor Vasarely, who pioneered the funky, geometric patterns that trick the eyes and raise the spirits. The museums host gallery talks and other cultural programs.

Keep an eye out in the adjacent square, Szentlélek tér, for a group of sculptures by Imre Varga, one of Hungary's leading sculptors who passed away in 2019. If the group of slightly concerned-looking women with umbrellas whets your appetite, the Imre Varga Collection is just behind the square.

If interesting transportation options like the Gyermekvasút (Children's Railway) are your thing, the Zugliget Libegő (chairlift) in the Buda Hills is also good fun. The chairlift takes passengers from Zugliget up above the treetops to the side of János Hill in about 15 minutes, all the while providing panoramic views of the Buda surroundings. It can be reached by taking Bus 291 from Nyugati station to its final stop. The lift operates from 10 am to 7 pm in summer and until 3:30 or 4 pm during the winter. Check the website for special "Night Lift" events (usually in August and September) where you can ride the lift after dark.

A herbal liquor product made by the legendary Zwack distillery, Unicum is the quintessential Hungarikum (product of Hungary) and this museum is worth a visit. While the Unicum recipe remains a well-guarded secret, visitors can learn about this esteemed company’s legacy spanning six generations, a World War, and communist rule, before touring the carefully restored distillery, with systems that are over 100 years old. The final stop on the tour is the Unicum cellar, where visitors are invited for a tasting of classic Unicum, the newer Unicum Plum, as well as other variations.

Filmmaker István Szabó’s 1999 movie Sunshine, starring Ralph Fiennes, presents the lives of a Jewish Hungarian family living in Budapest over four generations and incorporates the Zwack family story into the plot.

Fittingly, this museum is lodged in a former barracks on the northwestern corner of Kapisztrán tér, cannonballs from the 1849 siege still lodged in the walls. The exhibits, which include collections of uniforms and military regalia, trace Hungary's military history from the original Magyar conquest in the 9th century through the period of Ottoman rule to the mid-20th century. You can arrange an English-language group tour (up to 20 people) in advance for 8,000 Ft; for larger groups the cost is 12,000 Ft.

Heroes' Square is the gateway to a square kilometer (almost ½ square mile) of recreation, entertainment, beauty, and culture. A bridge behind the Millennial Monument leads across a boating basin that becomes an artificial ice-skating rink in winter; to the south of this lake stands a statue of George Washington, erected in 1906 with donations by Hungarian emigrants to the United States. You can soak or swim at the lovely, turn-of-the-20th-century Széchenyi Fürdő, jog along the park paths, or marvel at the art nouveau buildings and beasts of the Budapest Zoo.

In the eastern quarter of the park, former leisure-time youth center and major concert hall Petőfi Csarnok is slated for demolition but as of mid-2016 still hosts a weekend fleamarket in its back lot. The Gundel restaurant charms diners with its turn-of-the-20th-century ambience. Fair-weather weekends, when the children's attractions are teeming with youngsters and parents and the Széchenyi Fürdő is brimming with bathers, are the best times for people-watchers to visit the park; if you go on a weekday, the main sights are rarely crowded.

Beside the City Park's lake stands Vajdahunyad Vár (Vajdahunyad Castle), a fantastic medley of Hungary's historic and architectural past, starting with the Romanesque gateway of the cloister of Jak, in western Hungary. A Gothic castle whose Transylvanian turrets, Renaissance loggia, baroque portico, and Byzantine decorations are all guarded by a spooky modern (1903) bronze statue of the anonymous medieval "chronicler," who was the first recorder of Hungarian history. Designed for the millennial celebration in 1896, it was not completed until 1908. In 2003, a bust of legendary B-movie actor Béla Lugosi was placed in an alcove along the southeast corner, its origins a mystery even today.