What to see in Budapest if you have 3 days
If you have a couple of days to see the city, you can plan ahead and devote more time to those parts of the city described in the 1-day sightseeing (Downtown Pest - Danube Embankment - Castle District), and even plan visits of buildings of interest along its route. Our hot tips for this route are the Gerbeaud Café on Vörösmarty tér, the Grand Market Hall at the southern end of Váci utca and at least one of the museums located in the Castle building.
Parliament - St.Stephen's Basilica - Andrássy Avenue - City Park
The Neo-Gothic Parliament building is along the Danube embankment in Pest, next to the Kossuth tér Metro #2 stop. Built at the turn of the 19th century, it immediately became one of the main elements in the appearance of Budapest and the city's most popular symbol. The many small towers and stone tracery make it one of the most decorative buildings in the city. It is one of the largest parliament buildings in the world. The two symmetrical wings once housing the upper and lower houses open from this central point. Since 2000 the Hungarian coronation regalia are on display here, having been moved from the National Museum. Interior visits are free for EU citizens.
Nearby Szabadság tér (Freedom Square) has some of the most exquisitely decorated apartment houses of the city. The Western side of the square is occupied by the headquarters of the state TV. In the middle stands the only Soviet war memorial in Budapest that was not removed after the Soviets' departure - stylishly blocking the view from the duly fortified American Embassy. The pentagonal star on top is not red anymore, as the classic Communist red star symbol is now illegal in Hungary.
From Szabadság tér, it's a stone's throw to Szent István tér, where the St.Stephen's Basilica stands. It is Budapest's largest church, as it can hold 8,500. The construction works have started as early as 1851, but due to a series of unlucky events (the death of the original architect and the multiple collapsing of the dome) it was oly finished in 1905. Having suffered grievous damage in WWII, and due to lack of renovation, its restoration began in 1983 and was not finished until as late as the year 2003 - but then, the square in front of it underwent major renovation too, and the area is back in its old glamour. The church commemorates the first Christian king of Hungary, St. Stephen, whose right hand is on permanent display in the church. The circular balcony of the church provides a wonderful view of the city.
Adjacent to the Basilica is Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, one of the few main roads in Budapest where a proper bicycle road awaits bikers. Let's walk towards the large triple junction where Andrássy út and Károly körút meet Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, and cross the street. From here, let's take a walk on the downtown part of Andrássy út towards the Opera House. The street is lined with luxury shops and showrooms of the most prestigious international brands. Close to the Opera, in Révay utca, is the Vidám Színpad (Comedy Theatre), showing cabarets and other shows. The Új Színház (New Theatre) behind the former Institute of Ballet is a contemporary cultural centre as well as a theatre with its own cast, crew and established repertoire.
We arrive to the Neo-Renaissance building of the State Opera House, designed by Miklós Ybl, built between 1875 and 1884. The first performances ever held here were the Lohengrin and Bánk Bán. The electric lights system in the building has been in place since 1895. There are four separate sections in the Opera House: the reception area, the auditorium, the stage and the technical area. The entrance of the building is guarded by the statues of Ferenc Liszt and Ferenc Erkel, both the works of Alajos Stróbl. The ceiling of the auditorium is decorated by frescoes by Károly Lotz, and the reception area has Árpád Feszty's pictures. The Opera can be visited on a guided tour as well.
Városliget (City Park) and Heroes' Square
At the end of Andrássy út stands Budapest's biggest open square, Hősök tere (Heroes' Square), dominated by the Millennium Memorial. The column in the middle has a statue of Archangel Gabriel, underneath on the pedestal stand the seven Hungarian tribe leaders, who led the Hungarian nomads to today's Hungary in the year 896 AD. Behind it, in a semicircle stand 14 statues of Hungarian kings and other significant leaders of the nation. In front of the memorial is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The left side of the square is bordered by the Museum of Fine Arts (built in 1906), housing one of Europe's top collections. The gorgeous Neo-Classicist museum holds the largest foreign art collection of the country. Famous works by Raffaello, El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Dürer, Leonardo and Manet are on permanent display.
Across from the Museum of Fine Arts is the Art Hall, the biggest exhibition space in Hungary. The Classicist building has no permanent exhibitions on display; it regular temporary exhibitions feature mainly contemporary artists and artist groups.
Behind Heroes' Square lies the ice-skating rink which is a lake in the summer with boats for rent. Along Állatkerti körút (Zoo Boulevard), to the left from Heroes' Square, the first building is the Gundel Restaurant, built in 1894 (until 1910, it was called Wampetics Restaurant). Gundel Károly has taken over in 1910, and turned it into the best place for fine dining in Budapest. The restaurant was the official caterer to the Hungarian Pavilion of the New York World Expo in 1937, helping spread the word about the wonderful Hungarian cuisine. In 1949 it was nationalised and therefore its quality has deteriorated. In 1991, George Lang and Ronald S. Lauder have bought the restaurant, and reopened it following a complete renovation in 1992. It greeted its one-millionth guest in the year 2000. Today, it is Budapest's best restaurant without question. Its "little sister", the Bagolyvár Restaurant is adjacent to the Gundel building, and is the only restaurant where only ladies work - it's a matter of tradition.
Next to the Gundel is the ornate Art Nouveau entrance to the Budapest Zoo, which opened in 1866. The most beautiful building inside the Zoo complex is the Elephant House.
Walking past the Zoo walls, the domes and towers of the Széchenyi Thermal Bath come into view; the bathhouse is one of the largest bath complexes in Europe. Across from the bath is the Municipal Circus, where the first performance was held in 1891 - since then, 125 shows were held, with 15500 performances and over 25 million viewers.
Next to the Circus is the Amusement Park, which in today's form has been operational since the 1950's, but its history dates back to the beginning of the 1800's. The Vajdahunyad Castle, originally built of cardboard and wood for the 1896 World Expo, was rebuilt from stone at the end of the expo. It is a copy of three other buildings from the Hungarian countryside, showing Hungary's predominant architectural styles.
