Aug 16, 2025 8 min read

48 hours in Budapest_ April 2025

Maps to Memory is now heading to Budapest, the beautiful capital of Hungary. Join us on this trip and let us see how traveling to Budapest is, and see some of the places that you might travel to soon.

When u get out of the airport, u will turn to the left and see many signs for bus 100 E, which is an airport shuttle to the city center. You buy the ticket in the app for 2.200 HUF. If you didn't manage to buy it, it will be possible to buy it on the bus too.

Day 1

Starting the first day in Budapest, we found a good ranking local cafe Blue Bird Café, to get breakfast. Highly recommended. We ordered Ham and Bacon and an English breakfast.

Check out the menu and prices here :

Buda Castle_ Combined tickets: 4800 HUF

Walking to the Buda Castle from the city center took almost thirty minutes in pleasant sunny weather. I was captivated by how the castle complex reveals its past, with architectural layers stacked one over the other, each representing a different era. It's truly a stunning testament to the passage of time.

Location

Situated on Castle Hill in the Buda part of Budapest, overlooking the Danube River.
The castle is part of the Budapest Castle District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Historical Timeline

13th Century – Origins

Built in 1247 by King Béla IV of Hungary after the Mongol invasion (1241–1242) to strengthen defenses.
Initially, a fortified royal residence with smaller medieval structures.

14th–15th Centuries – Gothic Splendor

Expanded significantly under King Louis I and Sigismund of Luxembourg.
Under King Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458–1490), it became a Renaissance hub, hosting scholars and artists from Italy.

16th–17th Centuries – Ottoman Rule

Captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1541.
Castle declined and was used mainly for military purposes during Turkish occupation (1541–1686).

1686 – Habsburg Reconquest

Retaken by a Holy League army.
Heavily damaged in the process, and later rebuilt in Baroque style under Habsburg Emperors.

19th Century – Austro-Hungarian Period

Significantly rebuilt and expanded by Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann in the late 1800s.
Became a symbol of imperial power and Hungarian nationalism.

20th Century – World Wars & Communism

Suffered severe damage in WWII during the Siege of Budapest (1944–45).
Post-war reconstruction under the Communist regime simplified the architecture, removing many Habsburg elements.

What's Inside Today

Hungarian National Gallery

Houses Hungarian art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Includes works by Mihály Munkácsy, Károly Ferenczy, and others.

Budapest History Museum

Covers Budapest’s history from prehistoric times to modern day.
Includes parts of the original medieval castle structure.

National Széchényi Library

Hungary’s national library contains millions of books, manuscripts, and historical documents.

Architecture

Blends medieval, Baroque, neoclassical, and modern styles due to centuries of reconstruction.
The current look is mainly a 20th-century reinterpretation of the 19th-century Habsburg palace.
Key features include:
- Habsburg Steps
- Lion Courtyard
- Matthias Fountain (romantic-style sculpture)
- Dome (visible from across the Danube)

Fisherman's Bastians _ Tickets: 1,200 HUF

Built between 1895 and 1902 as part of the Millennium celebrations of Hungary’s 1000th anniversary (896–1896).
Designed by architect Frigyes Schulek in the Neo-Romanesque style.
Named after the Fishermen’s Guild responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls during the Middle Ages.
- This guild was believed to have lived and worked in the nearby Fishermen’s Town (Halászváros).

Check out the opening time here on the official website: https://fishermansbastion.com/

Have fun at night

A set of bars that we had in the Club crawl in Budapest, where we had an amazing experience:

Day 2

Starting with the Tower of Mathius Church

To be able to climb the tower, we had to show up early, around 9:30, to get the ticket. Inside the tower, you see the history, and it tells you about King Bella IV. founded the town of Buda, and soon the church of Our Lady was built in Buda Castle.

Origins (13th Century)

The church was originally built around 1255 during the reign of King Béla IV after the Mongol invasion.
Initially constructed in a Romanesque style, only small traces of this original structure remain today.

Gothic Transformation (14th–15th Century)

During the 14th century, under King Louis I (Louis the Great), the church was rebuilt in Gothic style.
The main tower (the one visible in your photo) was significantly expanded and embellished in the 15th century, especially under King Matthias Corvinus, after whom the church is now commonly named.
He had the south tower (sometimes called Matthias Tower) restored and a royal oratory added.

Ottoman Period (1541–1686)

During the Ottoman occupation, the church was converted into the main mosque of Buda.
Much of the Gothic decoration was removed or plastered over, including some parts of the tower.

19th-Century Neo-Gothic Restoration

After centuries of damage and alteration, major restoration began in the late 19th century under architect Frigyes Schulek.
Schulek restored the tower to a highly decorative Neo-Gothic style, with elaborate spires, pinnacles, and sculptures—what you see today.
He also added colorful Zsolnay ceramic roof tiles, which have become one of the building's most recognizable features.

The city park

Amongst the stunning buildings in the city park, I fell for the agriculture museum, which is a mix of architectural styles.

It's housed within Vajdahunyad Castle, originally built for the exhibition as a temporary structure made of wood and cardboard.
Due to its popularity, it was rebuilt in stone between 1904 and 1908 by architect Ignác Alpár.

St. Stephen's Basilica _ ticket: 8 Euros

About the history of the basilica: work on St. Stephen’s Basilica started in 1851, following the plans of József Hild, who designed it in the classicist style popular at the time. Building the biggest Roman Catholic church in Budapest wasn’t easy—things even took a dramatic turn in 1868, when the dome collapsed just a year after Hild passed away. After that, Miklós Ybl took over, fixing design problems and giving the whole church a new look with Renaissance touches. When Ybl died in 1891, architect József Kauser and parish priest Lénárd Lollok carried on, handling the interior, decorations, and overall design with a unified vision.

By 1897, the church officially got its name from Hungary’s first king, St. Stephen, who played a huge role in shaping the country’s history by establishing it as a Christian state. Only Hungarian artists—painters and sculptors—were invited to create the artworks inside. The basilica was consecrated in 1905, and in 1906 the final keystone was laid in a big ceremony attended by Emperor Franz Joseph I. Much later, between 1983 and 2003, the entire building went through a major renovation.

Check out their official website for opening hours:

St. Stephen Basilica_ Budapest_ Maps to Memory

Last but not least, don't forget to stop by the amazing Parliament building.

The Parliament Building_ Budapest_ Maps to Memory

Budapest showed us the most amazing weather with a very comfortable temperature and nice and kind people, and party life at night, and I enjoyed my time there. I hope all the readers get the same experiences, and of course, I put some places for you to discover on your own.

Feel free to comment and tell me which places you discover for yourself?

After a two-day trip, we left for Copenhagen. So if you are curious how we spend our other two days in Copenhagen, you can visit the post here:

Copenhagen

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