A weekend in Budapest
I went with a group of friends to celebrate a big birthday. The weather in April was lovely and we were surprised to find 't-shirt' weather.
When we arrived, we checked in and then headed straight out to do an open top bus tour. I always find this helps to get your bearings and is a great way to check out where all the major sights are you want to see. Budapest really is a mixture of old and new and personally I much preferred the Buda side.
Our first evening was spent on a lovely dinner cruise along the Danube. The city is stunning at night all lit up and a cruise is a perfect way to see it. I would recommend pre booking a table as it is very popular. The food was amazing and a it was a 'special' birthday they greeted us with a glass of champagne each (worth mentioning at time of booking)
Our next day we visited the 'Buda' side of the city and ventured up the Fenicular to Castle Hill, an Unesco World Heritage Site. There are some amazing churches, government buildings and the Royal Palace to explore as well as thermal springs and The Hospital in the Rock.
Budapest is host to some lovely restaurants and bars and the city has quite a 'buzz' about it. No visit would be complete without trying one of the local dishes - goulash. It is on offer in most restaurants and is delicious. I would also personally recommend the local cafes and trying 'chimney' cake, various flavours but cinnamon the most popular!
There are plenty of private and public spas around, something that Budapest is very well known for. The concierge are great to point out the nearest ones and generally one should be within walking distance. A lovey way to relax on the morning of our journey home!
We stayed at the Marriott Executive Suites in a two bedroom two bathroom suite that slept up to five. It was the prefect location between the main shops and the river and offered continental self service breakfast.
A great few days in a really lovely city, I was surprised by Budapest and would recommend it to couples, families and friends! It will appeal to all.