Budapest, a city split between the Danube River, is such a delightful surprise. I love this city because while it has an underground system, you can walk the entire thing and see what you want. Most Americans who travel to Europe want to see Prague as their Eastern European experience.  While Prague is brilliant in its own way, in my opinion, does not hold a candle to Budapest. Budapest is actually two cities: Buda and Pest. Most of your time will be spent on the “Pest” side because it contains attractions like:

Heroes Square

Parliament

Opera House

View from St Stephen’s Cathedral

I usually book my hotel on the Pest side at the Radisson Blu due to the low prices and excellent location. It is within walking distance of House of Terror, the museum dedicated to the relationship between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union as well as the communist reign.

One of my favorite pieces of history to view is how each country remembers World War Two and the impact it had on its city. On the banks of the river, there is this stunning memorial to sixty Jewish people who lost their lives on that very spot.

To cross over to the “Buda” side, you should take the iconic Chain Bridge (one of eight in the city)

that takes you to the easiest, quickest way to the top of the hill: a trolley!

 From the top of the hill, you can see lovely views of the Pest side:

As you go deeper into the Buda side, you’ll find Matthias Church and a lovely little terrace to enjoy a snack in the city.

  I love local meat cuisine!

My favorite view from the Pest side is up on Castle Hill. You can see a lovely view of Parliament from the other side and walk along some pretty amazing architecture!

I know I said I hate typical tourist attractions BUT I did make an exception while touring Budapest: River Ride! This is a bus tour that takes you around the Pest side of town to see the sites before turning into a floating bus that takes you on the Danube. You can buy tickets online or on the Pest side in Roosevelt Square. Needless to say, we had a blast…