A flash visit to Budapest and Bratislava

Europe makes spontaneous trips surprisingly easy. With low-cost airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air, a long weekend can quickly turn into an adventure in a new country. In the summer of 2022, I seized just such an opportunity: tickets to see the Pet Shop Boys live at Budapest Park. The concert alone would have been enough, but it also gave me the perfect excuse to explore Hungary’s capital, wandering through historic streets by day and enjoying my favorite English pop group by night.

Budapest did not disappoint. The city is full of striking architectural landmarks, from the soaring spires of Matthias Church at Castle Hill to the imposing grandeur of the Hungarian Parliament.

With summer daylight stretching late into the evening, I decided to take the adventure a step further and cross the border to Bratislava. The Slovak capital was an excellent addition: compact and walkable, with quiet streets, charming squares, and not one but two castles keeping watch over the city.

View of the Parliament from its gardens

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2 days in Budapest

Since I only had two days to spend in the city, I decided to focus on the main landmarks, particularly the Hungarian Parliament which had been my highlight the first time I visited the country.

Budapest is famously split by the Danube river into two originally separate towns: Buda and Pest.

• Buda (West side) is historic, calm and scenic. Here we can find Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and several churches.
• Pest (East side) is lively and urban. Highlights include the Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica, several grand avenues and squares and most of the nightlife.

The Hungarian Parliament

As soon as I landed I headed towards the Hungarian Parliament, since it was the landmark that I wanted to visit the most.

Parliament Entrance

The exterior is striking and feels almost unreal when you see it in person. I spent almost an hour just walking around it and taking in the architecture from different angles. The Parliament sits on the Pest riverbank and stretches along the Danube, so it dominates the skyline when you see the city from the other side of the river in Buda.

The building is primarily Neo-Gothic, featuring 365 turrets (one for each day of the year), dotted with statues of Hungarian rulers and leaders carved in the façade. A large dome marks the exact center of the building.

View of the Parliament from Pest

The Hungarian Parliament as seen from the Fisherman’s Bastion

Touring the interior of the Parliament

I visited the interior, which is only possible on a 45-minute guided tour. You cannot roam on your own, instead you have to follow your tour guide on the visitor’s route. I highly recommend setting aside time for the tour, the interior is richly decorated in Baroque style and packed with Hungarian symbolism.

Gold is everywhere. Over 40 kg of gold was used in the decorations.

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The pyrogranite sculptures preserve the memory of old Hungarian national groups and crafts

The pyrogranite sculptures preserve the memory of old Hungarian national groups and crafts

The pyrogranite sculptures preserve the memory of old Hungarian national groups and crafts

The pyrogranite sculptures preserve the memory of old Hungarian national groups and crafts

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The Grand Stairway leads from the main entrance to the Dome Hall. The Glorification of Hungary was painted by Károly Lotz on the ceiling.

The parliament is not simply a government building; its grandeur was meant as a statement. It was built in the 19th century, when Hungary wanted to assert autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It’s packed with national symbolism throughout: every dimension and number, choices of art and decoration, etc.

The Chamber of Peers used to be the upper house of Hungary’s bicameral parliament until 1918. Now it serves as a conference hall.

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The Holy Crown of Hungary displayed beneath the dome (heavily guarded, no photos allowed, so I grabbed this one from the internet). Here is a great 3D tour

Named in honour of Stephen I of Hungary, the Crown of St Stephen was the coronation crown used by the Kingdom of Hungary for centuries, used by more than fifty kings.

The oldest authentic representation of the Holy Crown from 1555, which shows the cross in its original upright position.

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Fisherman’s Bastion

View of Buda from the Parliament (Pest)

After enjoying the parliament area for a while, I crossed Margaret Bridge over the Danube towards Fisherman’s Bastion in Buda, one of the most iconic spots in the city.

The uphill walk rewards you with the sight of impressive fortifications and great views down to the Danube and the Parliament. The Bastion’s most famous feature is its seven conical towers, which symbolize the seven Magyar tribes that founded Hungary in 896.

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Great views from Panorama cafe & bar

Check out the parliament in the background!

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Plot twist: Despite the name, the Fisherman’s Bastion is not a medieval defensive structure; it was built between 1895–1902 as a decorative terrace. The “fishermen” part refers to the fishermen’s guild, which historically defended this stretch of the city in the Middle Ages.

Overview of the Fisherman’s Bastion. I walked up the stairs on the East side. The marble walls and towers make the terrace that encloses Matthias Church

Statue of St. Stephen I

The statue of St Stephen I at the Bastion is a masterpiece; the clothing and the horse look stunningly real. Stephen I was the first king of Hungary, crowned around 1000 AD. He was the man who transformed Hungary from a pagan tribal society into a Christian European kingdom. In Hungarian history, he was not just a ruler: he is the founder of the state.

Matthias Church

Officially the Church of Our Lady of Buda, it was founded in the 13th century and served as the coronation church of Hungarian kings. King Matthias Corvinus married here twice, that’s where the popular name comes from.

During Ottoman rule, it was converted into a mosque for about 150 years, and subsequently restored in the late 19th century.

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The colourful Zsolnay ceramic roof tiles are unique in Europe

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Buda Castle Hill

The Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the many historical buildings located atop Castle Hill in Buda. The area is packed with historical sites, and it’s well worth spending a few hours checking out the different landmarks, even if just the exteriors.

The National Archive of Hungary was already closed when I arrived, I would’ve loved to visit. The building itself is striking, featuring Zsolnay ceramic roof tiles.

I loved the small medieval Church of Saint Mary Magdalene; it felt really rather evocative as it was raining when I visited and I was the only one around. Founded in the 13th century, it served the Hungarian-speaking townspeople (rather than German-speaking elites like Matthias Church).

Today, only the tower survives, and the church is mostly in ruins, since the rest of the structure was destroyed in WW2.

Just outside the church, I spent a few minutes looking at a detailed metal representation of the Hungarian coronation mantle. The original mantle dates back to 1031 and is stored in the Parliament.

Buda Castle

My final stop was the crown jewel of Castle District: Buda Castle itself. It’s less a single building and more of a huge palace complex packed with history and architecture.

Dating back to the 13th century, when it was built as a fortress after the Mongol invasion, it was expanded, destroyed and rebuilt multiple times.

I arrived in time to see the change of guards at the main gate, which is not a big deal honestly. Then I spent some time walking the courtyards and terraces, but I didn’t visit any of the paid interiors because they were closing. If I’m ever back, I will prioritize visiting one of these.

After taking in the views, I walked down Castle Hill and crossed back to Pest via the Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd).

Pest

As I didn’t have much time, I just passed by and briefly checked out a few other attractions.

Central Market (Pest)

Deak Ferenc St, known as Fashion Street, with Anker Palace at the end (Pest)

St Stephen’s Basilica (Pest)

Square in front of St Stephen Basilica (Pest)

Pet Shop Boys live at Budapest Park

On my second day, I showed up about six hours before the scheduled time to queue for my concert in Budapest Park, since I wanted to secure a first row view. It was exhausting but very rewarding! I was able to see the show from a prime spot, and I’ll never forget that night.

The setlist of the Dreamworld Tour was perfect, and to my surprise the venue was packed and people would sing along to most of the songs, despite the language barrier. The ticket cost only 40 USD, surprisingly cheap. First-row tickets for the same tour in the UK would’ve cost literally more than this entire trip.

A day in Bratislava from Budapest

Getting to Bratislava

On my last day, I rode an early train from Budapest Train Station (Keleti Palyaudvar) at 7.33 AM, and by 11.30 AM I was already in the old town of Bratislava. Since my flight departed at night, I had most of the day to explore the Slovakian capital.

Budapest Train Station

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Budapest Train Station - Interior

The trains were comfortable and inexpensive

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Bratislava Old Town

Bratislava turned out to be a wonderful addition to my trip. Its compact old town is a maze of cobblestoned streets, flanked by beautiful buildings in soft pastel hues. I spent most of my time walking around the streets, checking out the squares and palaces.

Michalska Street in the Old Town was part of the medieval coronation route, used by Hungarian kings on their way to St Martin Cathedral.

Michael’s Gate in Michalska Street, the only surviving city gate from Bratislava’s 14th century medieval fortifications

As you walk around, you stumble upon small palaces, scenic courtyards and plazas.

Primate’s Square, featuring Primate’s Palace (on the right), the City Hall of Bratislava (on the left)

Primate’s Square

Main Square (Hlavné námestie). The statue, ordered by King Maximilian II of Habsburg in 1572, depicts a legendary knight called Roland.

The main square is surrounded by the Old Town Hall, embassies and cafes. I spent some time working from the Starbucks located right there.

Slovak National Theatre

Funny Statues

Bratislava’s Old Town is dotted with quirky statues that are fun to spot while wandering its narrow streets.

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A small bronze figure representing a French soldier, a nod to Napoleon’s brief presence in Bratislava during his 1805 campaign.

The Čumil (man at work) statue was installed on 26 July 1997 at an event called the Korzo party, to celebrate the reconstructed and renewed pedestrian zone.

Memorial to the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen

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Devin Castle Ruins

Devín Castle (Devínsky hrad in Slovak) is a medieval fortress in ruins perched on a rocky cliff where the Danube and Morava rivers meet, right at the border between Slovakia and Austria.

Devin was an important fort in the 9th century, with a church and a stronghold. A stone castle was formally built in the 13th century, serving as a defensive fortress and border stronghold of the Kingdom of Hungary.

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The Maiden Tower is the most iconic feature of Devín Castle; it used to be a small medieval watchtower. The name comes from a well-known local legend: a noble maiden, forced into an unwanted marriage, chose to leap from the tower into the Danube rather than surrender her freedom. Whether true or not, the story gives the site a strong romantic and tragic aura.

The castle was destroyed in 1809 by Napoleon, leaving the dramatic ruins that can be visited today. From the cliff there are panoramas of the rivers and countryside, and you can even see Austria.

Engraving of the castle, before Napoleon ruined it. c 1750

Bratislava Castle

I walked uphill towards Bratislava Castle, which towers over the city on a hill. The castle hill has been occupied for thousands of years, and by the 10th–11th centuries the site became a stone fortress guarding the western frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Bratislava Castle reached its peak importance in the 16th century, after the Ottoman Turks captured Buda in 1541 and Bratislava (then Pressburg) became the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

• Hungarian kings were crowned in the city
• The crown jewels were stored in the castle
• The fortress was transformed from a medieval stronghold into a royal residence.

Under Maria Theresa (18th century), the castle was rebuilt in grand Baroque style, becoming a palace rather than a fortress.

The castle burned for several days in 1811 during a fire, leaving it completely ruined. It was abandoned for more than 140 years, until it was decided to rebuild it after WW2 as a symbol of Slovak identity.

The castle and its extensive gardens are great photo stops, but I read that the interiors (the Slovak National Museum) are a bit underwhelming, so I decided to focus on enjoying the gardens and exteriors.

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The castle hill offers great panoramic views as well.

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St Martin Cathedral and the old town. In the distance, the business district can be seen, mainly Sky Park (the three rounded towers).

The UFO bridge - The top houses a restaurant and observation deck. It was meant to symbolize futurism and technological optimism.

Closeup of St Martin Cathedral

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1635 - Town and castle on M. Median’s veduta

1735 - Town and Castle

The castle burned down in 1811

Castle in Ruins, mid-1800s [/carousel]

St Elizabeth’s Church (The Blue Church)

I went a little out of my way to visit this beautiful small church with a very peculiar design and colour.

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Built in 1909–1913 and designed by Ödön Lechner, a key figure in Hungarian Art Nouveau. At the time, Bratislava was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, and even though Art Nouveau was fashionable, this version was especially experimental.

Presidential Palace

Grassalkovich Palace is a rococo palace built around 1760, originally the residence of Count Anton Grassalkovich, a powerful adviser to Maria Theresa. Since 1996 it has been the official residence of the President of Slovakia.

Maria Theresa of Habsburg was one of the most powerful rulers in European history, ruling from 1740 to 1780. She was the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and ruled from Bratislava (then called Pressburg). 11 Hungarian rulers were crowned in Bratislava, that’s why there are important buildings (a castle, a cathedral) in such a small city.

Maria Theresa

Fun Facts about Slovakia

• The country has only 5 million people and a fertility rate of 1.3, so the population is seriously declining.
• They make a lot of cars here, about 1 million a year. There is a big Volkswagen plant here, as well as Peugeot, Citroen, Kia, Volvo and Jaguar plants.
• In 1541 the Ottoman Empire captured Buda, and Central Hungary fell under Ottoman rule for 150 years. Pressburg (Bratislava) served as a safe city for the Habsburgs to set up the new Capital of Royal Hungary.

Bratislava Airport

As it grew dark, it was finally time for me to ride the public transport towards the small airport of Bratislava. Exhausted but very happy, I flew back to London.

Final Thoughts

It still amazes me how much I managed to fit into such a short trip. In just a few days, I explored two capitals, crossed a border, and walked through an incredible amount of history, even if the pace was intense at times.

Seeing the Pet Shop Boys live for the first time was the highlight. It was something I had wanted to do for years, and experiencing it from the front row in Budapest made it unforgettable. The concert alone would have justified the trip.

The long summer days made a huge difference. Early mornings, late evenings, and very little downtime meant I could squeeze every bit out of the visit. I came back exhausted, but completely satisfied. This trip was a good reminder that you don’t need much time to create great memories if you use it well.

That said, I already have a short list for next time. In Budapest, I missed several places on Castle Hill because they were closing, including Matthias Church, the National Archives, and the museums at Buda Castle. I also didn’t make it to any of the famous thermal baths. In Bratislava, I would have liked to visit the castle interior, and ideally spend an extra day exploring some of the castles in the east of the country, all great reasons for coming back one day.