1st district
Probably you’ve already heard that you shouldn’t miss the Buda Castle, while you are in Budapest. Between the ancient walls of the iconic place of the city there are treasures such as the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Matthias Church with its colorful tiled roof. It is also worth visiting the Hungarian National Gallery with works of famous Hungarian painters, the Budapest History Museum or the Museum of Military History. After that, an evening walk in the Várkert Bazaar is especially recommended, from where you can enjoy the view of Pest.
If you crave for a less common panoramic view of Pest, you should visit the Tomb of Gül Baba with its beautiful gardens. The landmark honours Gül Baba, an Ottoman-era poet and philosopher who died shortly after the Turkish conquest of Buda.
2nd district
The Millenáris is a park, gallery, concert and performance venue at the same time. You’ll find here the National Dance Theatre, and it also gives place for major events such as Chinese spring celebrations, Art Market Budapest and the International Book Festival.
3rd district
Óbuda is worth a visit, especially for museums, the Aquincum Museum stands on top of the 2000-year-old ancient Roman settlement in present-day Budapest, while the Vasarely Museum features work by Vasarely, as well as temporary exhibitions of other Hungarian artists. And if you’re already at Fő tér, you should stop by Esernyős, which is a café, program venue, contemporary gallery and a community space.
5th district
This is the heart of the city, you will find most of the tourist attractions in this district. After you’ve visited the Parliament Building, the St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Deák Square, the Váci Street and Elisabeth Bridge, catch a movie at the Puskin Cinema which was the most elegant movie theater in town when it opened in 1926, now you can enjoy the latest art films, often within the frameworks of film festivals.
6th district
After you’ve walked along the Andrássy Avenue, Budapest’s own Champs-Élysées, a showcase boulevard of significant institutions, embassies, high-end boutiques and villas, and you tried the Metro Line M1, which is the first underground on the European mainland, and the world’s second oldest underground after the London Underground, get a glimpse into Hungarian photography: visit the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center and the Mai Manó Ház.
7th district
You can discover Jewish culture in Budapest by walking around in this district. Don’t miss the Dohány Street Synagogue, which is the largest functioning synagogue in Europe!
The district is also known for its ruin pubs and nightlife, we recommend starting with Szimpla!
8th district
A true Budapest gem, the Füvészkert, the botanical garden of the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) lies in a lesser-explored area of 8th district. The garden dates back to the 1700s, and in its heyday, it was home to more than 12,000 different species. Another great outdoor program is the Fiume Road Graveyard, the final resting place of hundreds of notable national figures and one of the oldest cemeteries in Hungary.
If you like operas, put Erkel Theatre in II. János Pál pápa tér in your bucket list, this is not only one of the most modern theatres in Budapest, but also the largest-capacity musical theatre in Hungary.
9th district
The Palace of Arts (Müpa) is a home for classical, contemporary, popular and world music, not to mention jazz and opera, as well as contemporary circus, dance, literature and film, and in the same building you’ll find the Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art.
11th district
Near to the BME Campus is the Bartók Béla Boulevard, full with cultural events, galleries, cafes, historical buildings. You shouldn’t leave out the Faur Zsófi Gallery which aims to popularize the local, contemporary art while integrating it into the international art-scene with an emphasis on the contemporary Hungarian photography, Kelet Cafe and Gallery is one of the trendiest spots with oriental cuisine, specialty coffee and self-service library.
13th district
One of Hungary’s eldest and most beautiful, still functioning theatres, Vígszínház (Comedy Theater) opened in 1896 is located at Szent István körút, next to it you will notice the Kino Café Cinema, a small art cinema with breakfast all day long.
14th district
One of the city’s main landmarks are the Városliget (City Park) and Heroes’ Square at the end of the elegant Andrássy Avenue. Face to face on each side of the square are two major cultural institutions: the Museum of Fine Arts, completely revamped and reopened in 2018, and the Kunsthalle, home of temporary exhibitions of, mainly, contemporary art.
