Budapest

[Nero]

My wife and I are spending a long weekend (4 days, 5 nights in the city) in Budapest in early September. She recently finished her PhD and started a new job, so she doesn't have much vacation time, otherwise we would be staying longer. I've read countless "top ten things to do" articles, but I would like to get some opinions from photographers about the must see places that might not make it into those general tourism lists. Obviously we will be spending some time in Castle Hill and the other big attractions, but what are the hidden gems for photographers? 

[claude]

We spent a week there . there is a lot of place to see Castle hill is one of them. The Parliament, the opera house is a wonderful one especial inside a must to go for concert and the tickets are a bargain. the market is also a must. Do not miss  bath house Night  cruise on the Danube are great also for pictures. If you use the Up on buses, get the red one is the best. it is a great way to go around the city and they including a night cruise on the Danube .

Edited July 12, 2016 by claude

[Tom H.]

Walk around, the ruined buildings make for beautiful scenery. Have lunch or cocktails at Buddha Bar. I really like Mazel Tov for late evening dinner and drinks. http://mazeltov.hu/en

[Vidalgo]

I had visited Budapest twice, the last one just month ago.
I think a week is a really minimum time for trip because so many interesting places. City center is crowded by places.

There is a great walking route on Danube promenade which can give you views to the most prominent landmarks arranged on the river banks.

Approximately start (or end) point is 'Szabadsag' bridge (huge one with chains, dark green colored), here is metro 'Fovam ter', old market building designed by Eiffel (behind the market, there is a modern mall a bit empty though), in front of market there is beginning (ending?) of 'Vaci utca' if you like shopping streets, of course you can see the bridge, also worth to cross the bridge and you have Gellert Thermal Bath building, on left side, and ancient church and monastery built in rocks, on right side.
All these places can take whole day or even more.

Next is distance from this 'green' bridge to white one, Elisabeth Bridge. You will see Gellert Hill across the river, with Liberty Statue on top. Citadel on hill isn't visible from here.
Near the Elisabeth Bridge you can find two churches, so-so. Bridge by itself is a relatively modern design, may be not so picturesque.

Next is distance to Szechenyi Chain Bridge, looks like 'central' part of promenade, here are many beautiful bronze statues, Castle Hill is across the river.

Note the Castle may take whole day - worth to walk on Chain Bridge, which is beautiful by itself, then you have old picturesque elevator, Buda Castle tunnel on right side and big mural on brick wall at left side, while staying in queue to elevator (not so long). Take one-way ticket. Lifted up, you have Buda royal palaces at left side. Note sometimes there are great expositions in museums of palace, the last one was Picasso's artworks.
Views to Danube from hill.
After visiting of Palace, worth to walk to Fisherman Bastion. Holy Trinity Column in front of church (sorry, forgot the name, St. Mattias?). Worth to see interior of church (pay for entrance) and walk through it's passages, in one of side passages there is original gold crown of Hungarian kings!
Yep, Fisherman Bastion, depend of sun position you can make great photos with Danube on background.
After bastion, worth to go to the nothern end of Casthe, then you have less-known Mary Magdalene Tower and picturesque old gate. After the gate you have 2 choices: at right side - large beautiful park with views and statues, great quiet place, or to continue in direction to Mammut mall, short distance.

But back to the promenade route.
From Chain Bridge go to the Parliament. Views to the Castle Hill and Danube. Parliament - building by itself, surrounding area. Best time is morning hours. Some nice old buildings in close proximity, interesting statues - 'man on bridge'. If you like salami, there is 'Pick' brand store at left (southern) side of Parliament's square.

From Parliament area there are choices:
 - go to 'Szabadsag ter' - square/park, monuments, architecture.
 - go to Nyugati train station - station by itself (built by Eiffel), WestEnd mall (biggest in Hungary), surrounding
 - keep walking on promenade

If keeping: go to Margit Bridge, some Danube views and bridge by itself, then worth to visit Margaret Island, whole is park area, very quiet place. Counting from the Margaret bridge, there are: fountain area with lots of flowers, Water Tower approx. in the middle of island (by the way, it's famous place for music events), beautiful Japanese garden at northern part. Immediately after garden there is Arpad Bridge for return, or walk back.


Apart from promenades:

Worth to get tickets to concert of organ music in St.Stephen Basilica, the hall has excellent acoustics, and basilica by itself is very picturesque both interiors and exteriors.

Big interesting area is: metro 'Hosok ter' - glory monuments - 2 good museum galleries at sides (one is contemporary art and second of old masters works) - large park - picturesque Vajdahunyad Castle with own garden - Zoo - Szechenyi Thermal Bath. May be, full-day of walking.

Old metro line (yellow one), probably the oldest in Europe. Note the each stop has two different entrances, depends of direction, also no ticket machines at stops.

Andrassy korut (boulevard), starting close to basilica, - luxury stores, Opera house, Museum of Terror, next long distance is less interesting but at the end leads you to Hosok ter, see above.

Moorish-style synagogue building at Dohany street, close to Karoly korut. If you keep walking on this street, 10-15min. approx., you'll get Boscolo mega luxury hotel, very interesting building, with it's own church (?) and diabolic figures at sides as a streetlights. Find the statue of black young devil across the street.

Corvin-negyed metro stop. Here are: Corvin Plaza mall, not big but not bad at all, picturesque building of Museum of Applied Arts (green tiles on roof)


For night shoots, both sides of Danube are great. Just look at first evening. At lower bank there are tram lines and other structural things which are distracted, so hard to find good position.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Vidalgo