The Budapest Blues

You most likely already have the holiday blues, and I'm about to make that feeling a lot worse... apologies in advance!

I visited Budapest in September time, it was sunny, bright and vibrant! There is so much to do in this city I'm not sure I could count on both hands just the main attractions, so I'm going to talk you through what I got up, and my favourite things to do there!

1- The Baths and Spas (specifically széchenyi thermal bath)

The 1st is an obvious one, I'll admit, but to simplify things, the visit killed 3 birds with 1 stone. The 1st bird would be that walking around the city in the piping hot sun 4 days prior to visiting the baths, it was needed. It was our last day in the city, and we spent it relaxing by the pool, having a swim and a much needed relax after a few heavy days of drinking too. It was nice to spend just 1 day as if it were a simple summer holiday instead of a city break.

The 2nd is the history! Whilst you're sat around the pool, you're taking in all of this amazing history. The baths themselves are beautiful and the history that they hold is magnificent. With them being just over 100 years old, and the largest baths in Europe (I did try to count them all as I walked around the place), you can't imagine the amount of people who have passed through. The 3rd, THE WHIRLPOOL IS SO MUCH FUN, need I say more?

2- The House of Terror Museum

This one sounds a little unconventional but it isn't what you think. You don't walk around a house while clowns jump out at you to make you scream and run, its actually a museum devoted to various historical terror regimes and practices. It is in fact a great place to go and learn the history of Hungary, where they make the true horror stories feel incredibly real. In the building itself, Nazis killed and tortured people. Not long after, Budapest was taken over by the Soviet Union, suppressing any rebellion and quickly creating a life where people were scared all of the time, this went on for years. In 2002 the building was used to create the museum, where I walked along, climbed the stairs and learnt about the past of the very place I was stood. As you come to the end of your visit, you're taken to the cellars which lie beneath the museum where there are countless torture chambers where Hungarian victims were tortured and killed. The experience will definitely stick with me for the rest of my life.

3- Basilica of St Stephen

Wherever I go in the world, I always enjoy visiting a place of worship. Whether this be a church, a synagogue, a temple or cathedral. I'll always be sure to visit so that I can say a prayer for my loved ones, light a candle, and mostly remember the people who are no longer here. It's a tradition that I have almost created myself, I would always see my mum do it at a young age, and it is now a mission for myself wherever I go. Naturally, Basilica of St Stephen was a must for me! Firstly we climbed to the very top of the church to see wonderful views of the city, since it was a hot day, we made sure we stayed up there for a while to catch our breath and take it all in. Once we came down, I went inside the church by myself to do my usual ritual, and was en-captured by the most beautiful dome, it sat perfectly in the centre of the church roof, as if God Himself has placed it there.

4- The Bars

Now I know this might seem a shallow point to end on, but they truly were the highlight of the whole holiday. Of course, I was there with a group of friends, and so the bars do play a large part of the holiday, but these aren't just regular bars! Firstly I will touch on maybe a little shallow point, but only because it was SO brilliant we just had to keep returning. There are so many private karaoke bars dotted about the city and they are such a laugh. Between the 6 of us, the cost was next to nothing to have our own private karaoke room for 2 hours, with a large screen, loud speakers and a button on the wall which brought a waiter to your door with more drinks, what more could you want? Really? I can honestly say that if you haven't been to one of these, you must experience it.

Now onto the more sophisticated bar talk. Budapest has many ruin bars located in the Jewish quarter. Many of the buildings were set for demolition, when they were saved and turned into bars (great idea!) The most popular is Szimpla Kert, purely for its indie feel and quirkiness. The whole bar is full of bric-a-brac, and when I say there's at least 20 rooms that make up the building, I wouldn't be exaggerating. the atmosphere is absolutely buzzing. I have never been to a place like it!