Often known as the city where Western Europe meets Eastern Europe, that in and out of itself should tell you just how much European culture you are bound to find once you set foot in Hungary’s capital city.
The city, which is actually made up of the union of three formerly separate cities, has been through a lot of history under influences from different powers, Ottomans, Soviets, and Westerners. These powershave left the city with a distinctive mix of architecture, cuisine and culture that is like no other found in the continent.
Bask in the sublime architectural grandiosity of Buda castle & castle hill, the Hungarian state opera house, and the parliament buildings and crown jewels, and don’t forget to take pictures. Remember the raw and brutal lessons of history by visiting the House of Terror or Memento Park. Have much fun visiting the Széchenyi Bath spa. Those and many more attractions of Hungary are outlined by these travel books written to help you navigate the city, take a look at them.
#1 Time Out Budapest (Time Out Guides) by Editors of Time Out
I’ve always been a fan of the Time Out series of travel books, and generally find them to be the best guides to follow if you want to see the authentic side of major cities. This book is especially helpful as Budapest is not the easiest city to navigate, and the best aspects of the city are generally kept pretty hidden. The book not only acts as a travel guide, it also gives you a brief overview of the history of the city, helping you to appreciate it even more.
#2 Only in Budapest by Duncan J. D. Smith
My personal favorite. When I travel, I like visiting less known, hidden places, the ones far from the sight of most of the people. Although it will not cover the most famous city places, this book will show you that cherry on the top, something that will make you feel connected to the heart and soul of Budapest.
#3 Rick Steves Budapest by Rick Steves
The most detailed guide is available. What fascinated me about this book is just how detailed Rick went into describing all important aspects of life in the city. A lot of useful tips, necessary for having the best city experience – like being very careful with taxi drivers and price they’ll want to charge you with (my addition: especially at night hours), so better use Uber.
#4 Budapest: By Locals
It’s always useful to look at the city through the eyes of the local population. It’s very hard to write a guide that will satisfy 100% of people, especially since each of us has different taste in food, music, nightlife… But I found this book useful for my first trip to the city, especially since this book introduced to me my favorite ruin bar in the world “Szipla Kert”. I go there every time I visit the city, and every time I’m amazed by the place.
The recommendations of products and books within this article where sourced from industry experts. Their names and websites are listed below.
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