Downtown Budapest: A Guide to its Past and Present

Downtown Budapest’s lively District 5 area is home to a mix of residents, commuters, and tourists. On this walking tour, I’ll show you the neighborhood’s major landmarks and some lesser-known spots while you hear about its history, including how Buda and Pest came together to form the city.

The tour starts at the end of Liberty Bridge. The landmark honors Franz Joseph, who went from a despised military autocrat to a respected arch-grandfather and oversaw the Habsburg monarchy’s greatest transformation. From there, you’ll dive into the heart of the downtown area with a quick visit to Budapest’s Central Market Hall. You’ll learn about the city’s past through places like the old Serbian neighborhood. I’ll also show you monuments that still evoke strong feelings in locals, like the Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation.

The tour ends in front of the Trianon Memorial opposite the Hungarian Parliament Building. On the way there, I’ll show you some of my favorite dining establishments and stores, such as Belvárosi Disznótoros sausage shop, FUGA bookstore, Café Gerbeaud, and Vass Shoes. I’ll also tell you about traditional Hungarian dishes like főzelék, a vegetable stew that’s usually eaten with a side of meatballs.

On this tour of the Pest side of the city, you’ll have a chance to:

• Gaze upon St Stephen’s Basilica, one of Europe’s great Revival Style buildings
• Stroll along the Danube and soak up views of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the first permanent connection between Buda and Pest
• Find out about the highs and lows of the city’s urban progress outside Budapest City Hall
• Take in the symbolic Marian Column at the center of Szervita tér, one of the oldest squares in Budapest
• Walk through Liberty Square, taking in its strange collection of statues and controversial memorials, and find out how it expressed Budapest’s imperial ambitions during the Austria-Hungary era
• Hear about religion in Hungary as you pass by the University Church
• Find out about Károlyi-kert (Károlyi Palace), the once-private garden that’s now a charming public park

By the end of this 90-minute tour, you’ll have gained fascinating context about downtown Budapest’s past and present, and the city as a whole.