5 things you must try when visiting Budapest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, we have to mention the famous Hungarian cuisine. Surely everyone has heard of goulash soup, but you should know that Hungarian cuisine is certainly not limited to this dish. It also has fantastic range of soups, main dishes, desserts and snacks to choose from.  Would recommend is the fried dough – langos flatbread.  The original version is a plain dough mix, fried in oil, flavoured with garlic, sour cream and / or cheese.  Beautifully simple, yet full of lovely flavours, the traditional langos is still really popular. By now you can find a lot of new versions with different toppings.  If you are ever wandering around on the streets of Budapest and run into a cafeteria where they sell this fried dough – langos-  do not miss it!

 

 

 

A sightseeing cruise is one possibility for a simplified, yet amazing way to discover the sights of Budapest. Budapest has a lot of tourist attractions, most of which are located on both sides of the Danube. The tourists have two choices: walk around both sides of the embankments of the Buda side and the Pest side. There is no problem with that, but it may be somewhat time-consuming, as only one side of the sights are visible during the walk.  If you are short of time, or wish to kill two birds in one go, a river cruise may be the perfect solution for you. This way you will be able to capture both sides of the famous view in one go, possibly from the best angles. Hint: try timing this program for the hours of the sunset when the sun goes down and the lights turn on in Budapest – it really is magical.

 

 

 

Also related to the culinary delights offer – the wine, beer and spirits of the nations. As many of you know, Hungary is famous for the drink culture. The Hungarian beers, wines and spirits are popular worldwide.  Oddly, even the biggest „beer nations”, like the Dutch and German often frequent Budapest for its beers. Nowadays there are plenty of pubs brewing their own homemade beer, which as well as very tasty, cheap too: in central Budapest a pint of beer is the equivalent of about £1 to £2, or often even cheaper, depending on the place.

 

 

 

At this point we must mention the wine culture of Hungary. The closest vineyard to Budapest is Etyek which is the newest wine -producing area in Hungary. Furthermore there is the famous Hungarian champagne, Torley . Those who like strong drinks, you've got to try it in the Hungarian national drink of peach schnaps or fruit brandy. This short drink can be produced from every imaginable fruit – raspberry, cherry, plum, apricots are the leaders, but there are many other versions available. According to the Hungarians proverb „If a fruit is good enough to produce marmalade from it, it can be used for palinka as well” This is a strong drink, so please drink responsibly!

 

 

 

If you ever feel like giving yourself a break from the sightseeing or just fancy trying some wines or beers,  a  ruin pub might be the right place for you.  They can be found all around central Budapest, but the 7th district, such as the Kazincy street and Synagogue areas,  are famously infested with these establishments. Most of the pubs are located in old or abandoned old buildings, giving a unique atmosphere and experience for those who visit them. These pubs kept the original character of the buildings and after the necessary refurbishments to abide the health and safety regulations, they provide excellent venues for entertainments, socialising, drinking for pleasant and mature crowds.  

 

 

 

The fifth and final offer, you might want to try, if you go in Budapest, is the Etyek Wine tour. As already mentioned, the Hungarian wines are famous worldwide. As Etyek is just a short 30 minutes train ride away from central Budapest. Upon visiting this charming town you will have the chance to see wineries, vineyards and to gain insights of wine producing.  Whilst admiring the breathtaking rural scenery, you can taste fine white wines and roses or sparkling wines.  You don’t have to be a sommelier or a professional wine taster to make it wort the journey – give it a shot, you won’t regret it.