My Trip to Budapest.

This post is long overdue but I thought I would share my trip to Budapest that I took over New Years! I've included where I stayed, what we saw and did so hopefully you will get some inspo if you ever go!

The city is split into 2 sides; Buda is West of the River and Pest is East. Pretty much everything is on the Pest side including the nightlife so I would recommend staying on this side. We stayed in a place called Heritage Home Apartments on a road called Dob. U which was in the middle of the nightlife, a 5 minute walk from the nearest metro station. The apartments are beautiful. High ceilings, fireplaces, lots of mood lighting and super modern. I would have moved in tomorrow with an armful of photos so make it a tad more homely but I wouldn't have changed anything for a short stay.

Usually when I go away I have everything planned out but we just wanted to walk around, take the city in and just go with the flow. Budapest has a lovely energy over Christmas and New Year's, lots of people in their 20's there for a cheap winter break and extra cheap booze. 

Less than a 15 minute walk to Vörösmarty tér, the main square in the city centre where there are shops, restaurants and bars (or at Christmas time a lively market filled with music, food & mulled wine). 

You'll see these pastry things everywhere - they smell amazing! Tasted pretty good too!

Where we stayed was also a 5 minute walk to St. Stephen's Basilica which is beautiful inside and out but nothing compared to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or St. Peter's in Rome. I'm very lucky to have visited some beautiful places!

City Park has a lot going on and is easily reachable by getting the yellow line on the Metro or you can stroll up Andrassy Avenue, it's about a 30 minute walk.  Up there you have a few museums in Heroe's Square, Europe's largest outdoor ice rink, the Budapest Zoo and the Szechenyi Baths (a must do in Winter - walking on ice barefoot in minus 5 degree weather & getting into a hot bath is amazing).

  

Bloody Freezing I was!

I would also recommend going down to the Chain bridge at night and walking across. We never made it into the Buda Castle but it was lovely to see it all lit up as well as the Parliament Buildings. 

If you know me you know I love to have a drink and party. Budapest was our chosen destination as we heard people really let their hair down and the booze was stupidly cheap. They were right and I cannot wait to go back for a summer weekend or hen party one day! Heritage Home Apartments is literally in the middle of the nightlife by Gozsdu Udvar which is a strip of restaurant and bars and it's also right around the corner from the Jewish Quarter which is lined with bars. A vodka and coke comes in at less than £2.00 and a bottle of decent wine is less than £10.00. The music is all English and they love their house & RnB, everyone is really friendly and most people are foreigners like us.

New Years Eve we headed down to the main square after some sparkling Hungarian wine for some food and mulled wine before the fireworks went off at midnight. 

It was so nice to go away with one of best friends and experience somewhere really random together, we literally had the best time and I can't wait to go back with a bigger group and party the nights away!