Budapest was my first European city, and honestly, it was the perfect place to begin. I was on my first train overseas, still very much in learning mode, trying to stay positive through the confusion of how things worked, the language barrier, and all the little mishaps that came with landing somewhere new.
I had already laughed at myself a few times. I tried buying a bus ticket at the wrong place at the airport, got confused over ticket and towel rentals at Széchenyi Baths, lost my way in a not-so-pleasant part of the city, and even got hit with the classic “What train platform am I on?” in exchange for donation money. I don’t mind tipping, but my face was priceless when the guy started rubbing his fingers for one.
Still, that was all part of the experience. None of it threw me off. If anything, I expected some level of confusion, and in a weird way, it made Budapest feel even more real.
Erzsebet Hid/ Elizabeth Bridge
Shoes on the Danube Memorial
Heroes Square
Hungarian lunch and brew.
First Impressions of Budapest
As for choosing Budapest as my first European city, it was perfect. It wasn’t Paris, Rome, or London, but it also wasn’t somewhere as unfamiliar to most people as Bishkek, Tashkent, or Yerevan. In my eyes, it sat right in that sweet spot between recognizable and still a little off the beaten path, which was exactly what I wanted.
The city is beautiful, especially at night when its historic landmarks light up and show off. At the same time, what drew me in just as much were the rougher edges. Some people may look at the worn walls, graffiti, and aging buildings with disgust, but I found a kind of beauty in that too. It gave Budapest personality.
Stroll in the streets.
History, Atmosphere, and Character
Budapest felt like a city with layers. The beauty was obvious, but so was the weight of its past. From shifting borders and war to Nazi occupation and the socialist era of the Cold War, Hungary carries history that still seems to linger in the atmosphere.
Even though times have changed, I felt like you could still catch glimpses of those earlier decades in the faces of people, especially the elderly, and in the city itself. That older feeling gave Budapest a kind of depth that made it stand out more than a place that was simply polished and pretty. It felt lived in, marked by time, and all the more interesting because of it.
One of several ruin bars.
What to Do in Budapest in Three Nights
I can absolutely see why Budapest is called the Queen of the Danube. The river divides the city in a way that gives both sides room to breathe, and it creates some incredible views, especially when walking the bridges or taking in the skyline after dark.
Even with only three nights, Budapest felt more than worth it. Walk along the Danube, take in the bridges, step into the city’s apartment courtyards and look straight up into the sky, wander through Margit Island for a break from the city buzz, grab a beer at a ruin bar, pick up some Hungarian pizza and kürtőskalács on the street, and of course, end the day with a soak in one of the city’s famous thermal baths. That alone makes for a pretty damn good introduction to Budapest.
