Budapest Attractions

Put your walking shoes on, as Budapest is an easy city to walk in. Kempinski Corvinus is within easy reach of St Stephen's Basilica, the Great Synagogue, Chain Bridge and the Opera. Public transport is comprehensive with frequent buses, trolleybuses, trams, subways and suburban train services. Hotel-, private- and branded taxis are also available. Contact the concierge for information on getting around. 

What to visit in Budapest? What Budapest is famous for?

Attractions within walking distance: 

• Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) 0.5 km 
• St Stephen's Basilica (Bazilika) 0.5 km 
• Great Synagogue (Zsinagóga) 0.5 km 
• Parliament (Parlament) 1.2 km 
• Opera House (Operaház) 0.7 km 
• Citadel (Citadella) 1.3 km 
• Castle District & Royal Palace (Budai vár) • Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya) • Matthias Church (Mátyás templom) 1.3 km 

The landmark of Budapest: Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) - The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is not just a suspension bridge that spans the Danube River between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest but also the first - and now the oldest - permanent bridge. Designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark, it opened in 1849 for the public to ease the trespassing between the two parts (hilly Buda and flat Pest) of the capital. The true highlights are the lions at the pillars, which are still guarding and watching citizens and visitors... Discover for yourself, just a short 10-minute walk from Kempinski. 

Best Neighbourhood Walk - Jewish Quarter (Zsidó negyed) 
The former Jewish Quarter in the VII district has a quaint atmosphere with characteristic people, a striking contrast between crumbling buildings and shiny new apartment blocks, and unique monuments. More and more unique cafés and bars (some of the famous ruin bars/"romkocsma" in Hungarian) are located in the Jewish Quarter: Szimpla kert, Kőleves kert, Lokál Café & Bar). Design centres and art galleries open in the area, making it a hip place favoured by both locals and tourists. The remnants of the ancient Roman Civil Town, Turkish baths, monarchical grandeur, Zsolnay-accented Art Nouveau, Bauhaus and award-winning modern architecture. Thematic walks to discover Europe’s first café culture, the fine-de-siècle landmarks, the quaint Jewish quarter or leafy Buda. Consult the concierge for bespoke sightseeing options in Budapest. 

Best Cultural Secret - Socio-Cultural Walking Tour 
This tour features both the diversity and the contrasts Budapest's eighth district is known for: luxurious palaces and time-worn backstreets, former aristocratic residences and slummy neighbourhoods. As part of the Socio-cultural Walking Tour, Budapest Beyond Sightseeing will take you to the home of a musician’s gipsy family, a hundred-year-old blacksmith workshop and an authentic pastry shop. Battle-scarred buildings from WWII and bullet holes left behind by the 1956 Revolution are also part of the tour, along with interesting tales and original stories from the locals. It's an interactive experience that gives a unique insight into the district's diversity and daily life. 

Top Day Trip - Várbarlang / The Castle Cave 
Take a break from looking up and around to descend to the depths of the city. The Castle Caves in Buda Castle Hill reveal not just a fascinating maze of underground passages and nooks, formed by natural springs dissolving the cementation of the rock, but also funky titbits of history. Count Dracula was imprisoned here in the 15th century, for starters… You can visit various exhibitions and a wax museum or roam free, and after 6:00pm, there’s a guided oil lamp tour for the less faint-hearted. 

Top Architectural Find - Hungarian Art Nouveau 
Paris, Brussels… Budapest! The heyday of modern Hungarian history not just encouraged a construction boom but inspired architects to create their own derivative of contemporary aesthetics. Ödön Lechner’s riotous, colour-crazy ornamental glazed tiles remain the most conspicuous of this imaginative era, with others drawing on folk art and Oriental traditions. Explore the facades and what’s behind them of a versatile range of edifices, such as the Fasori Calvinist Church, Gellért Spa, the Institute for the Blind, the Geological Institute, the Paris Department Store, and the Hungarian State Treasury (former Hungarian Royal Post Office Savings Bank). 

Top Three Sights 
1. Széchenyi Bath (Széchenyi fürdő) 
2. Heroes Square (Hősök tere) 
3. Buda Castle (Budai vár) 

1. Széchenyi Baths 
Built just off Heroes’ Square in City Park in 1913, Széchenyi Baths remains the largest medicinal baths complex in Europe. Its Neo-Baroque splendour is in curious contrast with the Buda-side spas’ Orientalist and Ottoman grace, while its outdoor pools have forever attracted water-lovers even in the dead of winter, so warm and unique is their thermal water. Don’t miss playing chess with the locals in the steam! But a choice of 21 pools in spectacular surroundings is only the cherry on the cake – Széchenyi’s mineral-rich thermal water, sourced from 1,246 m below ground, is known to benefit physiotherapy, while another source provides artesian thermal water good for digestive problems. Insider tip: for a more exclusive time at the baths, buy supplemental admission to the Palm House, an eco-friendly green oasis created in cooperation with the nearby Botanical Gardens for a less crowded and more quiet time. 

2. Heroes' Square 
You may know Heroes’ Square from a Michael Jackson video or “Evita”… Its intended purpose in 1896, however, was to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the conquest of the Carpathian Basin by the forebears of Hungarians and to present the historical leaders of Hungary. This magnificent and proud semicircular display, its iconic statue complex, the Millennium Memorial, contains statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding historical figures, some of whom were edited out after 1945. For a colourful chronicle of Hungarian history, this is the hall of fame you cannot miss! This sprawling square is flanked by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hall of Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts has undergone renovation - don’t miss its meticulously restored, breath-taking Roman Hall and the second-largest collection of Goya’s work. Nearby The adjacent City Park is home to the Zoo and the Grand Circus, while work is ongoing to construct Liget, or a museum complex featuring pavilions, the beautifully restored transport museum and other cultural venues. Open daily 6:00 - 22:00; the thermal bath closes at 19:00. 

How to get there?
Széchenyi Baths, Heroes’ Square and City Park are accessible by Metro 1 from Deák Ferenc tér, at the Hősök tere stop. 
 

3. Castle District 
Nowhere else is the cavalcade of history more evident than in the quaint hilltop Castle District perched above Buda, Pest and the Danube. While it’s famous for its Medieval, Baroque and 19th-century houses, churches and public buildings, the stories they tell speak of not just Hungarian but Ottoman, Jewish, Christian European and Habsburg chapters of history. Further must-see sights include the Vienna Gate, the Museum of Hungarian Military History, Castle Labyrinth, Buda Castle, Trinity Square, Mathias Church (surrounded by the Fisherman’s Bastion) and Sándor Palace, which is the Hungarian president’s official residence. The Pest-facing hillside Várkert Bazár was recently reconstructed to reveal its full Neo-Renaissance grandeur, with its promenades and spaces now home to exhibitions, cultural events, gardens and restaurants. The Royal Palace was the former residence of Hungarian kings. Built in the 13th century, it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. 

During the 19th century, its reconstruction followed a Neo-Baroque style. Under the palace, ruins of the Medieval and Renaissance building were excavated. The castle is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, which was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1987. The Hungarian National Gallery is located in Buda Castle. Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest is without a doubt one of the top Budapest attractions. The present-day lookout towers, the decorative fortifications of Fisherman’s Bastion, were built in the 19th century to serve as lookout towers for the best panoramic views in Budapest. Matthias Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Budapest, Hungary, in front of the 

Fisherman’s Bastion in the heart of Buda’s Castle District. It was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015. The current building was constructed in the florid late-Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century, adding new motifs, such as the signature diamond-pattern roof tiles and gargoyle-laden spire. 

How to get there?
 You can take bus Nr. 16 from Deák Ferenc tér and get off in the Castle District, or you can take Nr. 16 to Clark Ádám tér and ride the funicular to the Royal Palace. You can also walk to the Castle District, which will take about 20 minutes. 

Be sure to head back to our Local Information page to discover more of what to see and do in Budapest. Of course, our Clefs d'Or Member concierges and our entire staff at Kempinski Hotel Corvinus will be more than happy to assist in any way they can during your stay too.

Please contact our esteemed multilingual Clef d’Or Member Concierge Team for assistance with any arrangement or other information you might require during your stay at +36 1 429 3391 or [email protected]