Budapest, Hungary

MARCH WEEKEND-BREAK

14/03/20 - 17/03/20

Spring 2020 I decided to take my boyfriend away to Hungary, Budapest for his 20th birthday. Booking the entire trip only a month in advance, I managed to get the flights for us both, and the accommodation for under £400.

Unfortunately, the weekend we flew out on, Coronavirus had began its journey around the globe, though it didn't stop us from still having an amazing weekend together.

Where we stayed- Modern 1BR Central Apartment - kitchen/ bedroom/ bathroom/ living space.

The apartment was very clean and extremely spacious with enough storage to hide the excessive amount of luggage I had taken for 3 nights! The building the apartment was a local establishment and was filled with those from the area ,which at points made it feel like were constantly being watched. The apartment was also on the second to top floor and though there was a lift, I wouldn't say it is easily accessible. However, other than that, the apartment was in the perfect location and allowed for a scenic walk in all directions. Being only a 10/15 minute stroll to the Danube river, we were able to discover cute local eateries and shops which we would have missed otherwise.

Things to do- It goes without saying that simply walking around the city makes for the perfect day, we were extremely lucky to have had clear and sunny weather for our visit too, which made it all the better. We walked from the apartment towards the river every day, stopping off to grab a bite to eat and browse the shops and then made our way to the river.

Before crossing, we were faced with the shoes on the Danube bank, which is a tribute to the 20,000 Jews who were forced to remove their shoes and then were brutally shot along its banks. The shoes were situated along the side of the river and many were filled with flowers to show the grief and remembrance for those who were lost. Being able to see the memorabilia was extremely touching and gave a reminder of all the country had been through. It was also lovely to be able to have a place to be pay our respects and remember those who were taken too soon.

After crossing the river, we were faced with the Hungarian Parliament Building. We were able to explore the building and its surroundings and see the history situated around it. There were options to have a guided tour around and to learn about specific events, however we chose to take a self guided walk and view it all at our own pace. The views from the top were breath taking and well worth the walk up- there was also a lift for anyone who did not wish to take on the stairs!

Another great way to see the city was to take a ride on the Ferris wheel. Now, Ryan was absolutely petrified of being that high up, but the view was worth every second of him moaning about it. I believe it was around £7 per person to ride and lasted about 5-8 minutes. We chose to ride during the day, however, in the evening it was lit up and would have been amazing to try.

Where we ate- (Bar) High Note Sky Bar - Firstly, when I say I felt fancy walking in here, it's an under-statement. From the initial greeting downstairs to the boujee lift and the bar itself, it was all very fancy compared to our usual drinking scenery! The cocktails were fairly priced for the establishment we were in, however, the ones we tried were not quite your usual strawberry daiquiri, but its always great to experiment with new alcoholic concoctions. The tables outside were all equipped with little heaters and cozy lights and was definitely pleasing to the eye, though I wouldn't recommend sitting out there all night if you intend to be able to feel your hands and feet!

(Restaurant) Vendette ,Pasta e Basta - After walking around for at least an hour on our last night trying to decide where to have our final meal, we finally stumbled upon this Italian restaurant. The atmosphere was welcoming and upbeat and to be quite honest, it was completely filled with tourists like us. We were seated quickly and served within a reasonable period, given the busyness. Garlic bread starters ,followed by pizza and pasta and a few cheeky cocktails, it was fab! probably the best date night we had there, would 100% return uf we go back.

(Cafe&Bar) RedN cafe and bar- All I have to say is it was 12pm and we were absolutely freezing, until we sat down with a pint of beer and the nicest bowl of chips I've had. Not an exaggeration at all, they were beautiful. I wish I could eat them now. just wow.

(Dessert) Gelateria Pichler Fagyizo - DELICIOUS. We may or may not have had 3 rounds of chimney cakes over the course of the weekend, but honesty, they were too good not to. Little chimneys of heaven.

(Cafe) Annas Cafe - Okay, so I don't liken to write off an eatery based off one bad experience, however, on the one occasion we did choose to have lunch here, we decided it was not for us. Unfortunately, the service was slow and we found the food to be over-priced for the quality. However, the staff were polite and the cakes looked delicious.

I'm also embarrassed to say that during our three day visit, we did manage to sneak in a Dominos ,2 McDonald's (Juicy Jack burger;)), TGI Fridays and a cheeky 3 courses at the Hard Rock ,but sometimes we can't resist a classic.

Overall, we found that Budapest was a beautiful country with amazing shopping and food choices and we would definitely like to return when Coronavirus allows us too!

definitely would reccomend