October 24, 2024 • 16 mins
Let's explore Budapest like I did when I was in medical school!
Read the full show notes 👉 here!
🧜🏻♀️Join me, Alexandra, on Tick It Before You Kick It as I unravel the magic of a city that once was my home during medical school.
🧖♀️From the rejuvenating Széchenyi and Gellért Spas to the historic grandeur of Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion, I share my personal journey of balancing intense studies with the joys of discovering Budapest's hidden gems.
🇭🇺Experience this charming and affordable European city through my eyes and understand why it belongs on your bucket list.
⛵️In this episode, we'll cruise the Danube River, indulge in luxurious treats at the New York Cafe, and glide across the ice at Vajdahunyad Castle.
🍰Food lovers, prepare your taste buds for chimney cakes and the heartwarming flavors of Hungarian goulash, including a surprise culinary delight found in the subway!
With insider tips and stories, I aim to transport you to Budapest and ignite your wanderlust. ✈️
Don't forget to subscribe for more exciting travel adventures. Get ready to be inspired and start planning your Budapest getaway!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alexandra (00:00):
put on your big girl pants and go to the sauna.
Hey adventurers, welcome toTake it Before you Kick it.
The podcast where we talk abouteverything that you should put
on your adventure bucket list.
I'm Alexandra and I am afull-time traveling RV mermaid
who has lived in severalcountries, and I'm going to be
talking about one of thosecountries today, which is
(00:20):
Budapest, hungary.
Now, I did an entire episode onthis before, on what it was
like to actually move toBudapest, hungary.
Now, I did an entire episode onthis before, on what it was
like to actually move toBudapest, hungary.
I moved here for medical school,but now I'm going to be talking
about my favorite things that Iactually did in the city.
Now, some of these are gonna bea little bit touristy.
Some of these are going to be alittle bit more of the hidden
gems.
However, I just wanted to gothrough and talk about my
(00:41):
personal favorite.
Now, they are personal.
Some travelers might bedifferent.
I am not like some travelers,but this is just everything that
I really, really enjoyed hereand that I found unique to this
city while I was exploringBudapest.
So let's get started Now.
I have to say, before we start,when I moved to Budapest.
(01:01):
I was in medical school.
Therefore, I was in a studyingblack hole for the majority of
the time that I lived there.
However, on the times that Idid get to take off my medical
school goggles, I actually gotto go and enjoy the city for as
much as I could enjoy the citywithout feeling guilty that I
(01:21):
didn't have my study goggles on.
So just keep that in mind.
I had to be very, very specificwith my time because I just
didn't have a lot of it.
Now, once I started getting theinclination that I was going to
quit and become a travelingmermaid, I actually started to
open up a little bit and I wasactually enjoying some of
Budapest a little bit more.
So, yeah, let's talk about allof my favorite things to do in
(01:44):
this incredibly underrated city,and I do mean incredibly
underrated.
I feel like everybody thinks,oh yes, I want to go to Europe,
I want to go to London andFrance and Venice, but it's very
rare that I actually do Me.
People are like oh yes, myfirst choice was Budapest, you
know.
So I think that I knew it wasgoing to be cool.
(02:06):
However, I don't think I wasquite prepared For it to be that
cool.
I really, really enjoyed myself, especially while living there.
No, I am a little bit biased,because I did live there.
However, I thought it was great.
Plus, the prices were waycheaper than other european
cities.
Like I could actually get adecent meal and not feel like I
(02:27):
was selling a kidney, like I wasin London or Paris.
So we have to talk about one ofthe most massive things that you
can do in Budapest.
I know this is probably goingto be one of the most touristy
things you can do, but, oh mygosh, is it worth it and that is
the baths.
Now, budapest is setting on alot of natural springs water and
(02:49):
they have a plethora of spasand baths that you can go to,
and I have been to my fair shareof hot springs.
We have a few here in Colorado.
My favorite is the GlenwoodSprings.
I've been to Bogosa, however.
This one was very similar,except it just added a little
European flair, like it was justbeautiful.
(03:09):
So my two favorites.
I'm not even gonna try topronounce it.
Okay, I have learned my lessonwith this podcast.
I have been humbled by tryingto pronounce all of these words.
It starts with an S.
It's the most beautiful touristyone, it's like Shenyeni or
something along there.
There's a lot of group toursthat you can go with.
(03:30):
Most of them offer Palinkaattached to it and I thought
that this one was amazing.
I really, really enjoyed theoutdoor bit.
The indoor bit was amazing.
I don't care what they tell you,but the best part of this spa,
which I could literally sit inthere for hours, is this little
tiny sauna area.
No one knows it.
(03:51):
People know it exists but it'snot well marked so you have to
be vigilant in finding it.
But the whole thing smells likechamomile tea and it just is
this giant sauna and I thoughtthat I was alone.
But then I actually went backto Budapest after I quit med
school and my best friends wentwith me and they thought the
same thing.
She was like I would pay theentrance fee just to go in this
(04:12):
chamomile sauna.
So anyway, that one was myfavorite, so loved that one.
It's great.
I did meet another American whosaid that she hated it because
she thought it was dirty.
And maybe I'm just a dirtyadventurer.
Put on your big girl pants andgo to the sauna.
I'm sorry, if it's a littledirty, just deal with it.
Win in Budapest.
(04:33):
My other one that I loved wasthe Gellert Spa.
This one was a little bit lesstouristy, still probably the
second most touristy one inBudapest.
It's actually on the Buda side,right as you cross over the
bridge of the Danube, and thisone just had these massive
architectural structures in itthat were indoor, like the pool
area.
(04:53):
Seriously, look it up, or justgo to the show notes, look at
the pictures.
The architecture is amazing andon each side there's a
different one.
My dirty adventuring bootycould have sat in those pools
until I pruned.
Okay, it was great.
So, anyway, definitely wouldrecommend checking out those.
I have a full list of theBudapest spas so you can go
(05:13):
check out.
Maybe get some other options,maybe get some more hidden gems.
I know the Rudis Bath is reallygood as well.
Also, another thing that'stouristy that I honestly loved
was exploring Buda Castle andthe Fisherman's Bastion.
I think I'm saying that right,yes, but the views, especially
of Parliament and the river andthe rest of Budapest, are
(05:34):
absolutely amazing, which takesme to my next point is, if
you're into it, I actually did atravel photo shoot there, so I
hired someone to go takepictures of me, and I know that
sounds a little vain, but I justwanted to have the memory of me
there and, I'm gonna be honest,I had no friends because I was
(05:54):
in medical school and thefriends that I did have would
definitely not want to taketheir time to go photograph me
in the Buddha Castle.
So this was great and I was soimpressed because it is so cheap
.
I think I paid about 90 bucks.
We had the photo shoot forabout three hours.
I felt like a model it was so,so fun or like a travel
(06:17):
influencer, and you know I wasjust posing in my little cute
corset outfit and going onbalconies that I shouldn't,
because they were really superhigh and you know.
But it's fine.
The picture is amazing.
Again, I will link all this,but if you are into those travel
photo shoots, with no shame, ifyou are, own it and the
pictures are amazing, you willhave those pictures for the rest
(06:39):
of your life.
And if you are going to go to alocation and you want to pay
for it cheaply, budapest mightbe your option.
Now let's talk about anotherthing that I did, which was a
Viator tour, and I ended upgoing on this Viator tour
because I love dark, morbidhistory.
I was a forensic science majorI have to love it and we ended
up talking about all of theghosts and vampire legends
(07:03):
surrounding the Hungarianhistory.
The guy was dressed up in fullcostume and we ended up walking
around Buda Castle, theFisherman's Bastion, all of the
Buddha Hills, and it was all atnight and I got to learn so much
.
So definitely that was one ofmy favorite things I did too.
Another thing that I have tosuggest is, if you are into
medicine or anything, theSemmelweis Museum.
(07:23):
Now, this is a shameless plug,because I myself went to
Semmelweis Medical School, so itwas very interesting for me to
see all of these differentmedical devices and how they
were learned and where my schoolwas founded.
So that was definitely reallyfun.
My favorite part in there wasone of the x-rays, like the
early x-ray machines and thenalso the sunken head.
(07:45):
Speaking of more morbid travel,if you do like more darker
history, I would definitelycheck out the iron shoes on the
Danube.
I actually stumbled upon theseand had no clue what they meant.
I actually found out later thatthe iron shoes are a memorial
because there's about 60 pairsof them.
They're in 40s style andthey're metal shoes and they're
(08:06):
arranged along the riverbank andthey're actually a tribute to
the Jews who were killed duringWorld War II, because they would
basically take all their stuffand make them take their shoes
off and then kill them and letthem drop into the river.
So very, very sad.
However, I think it is a verygood memorial to those who did
lose their lives in World War II, so if you're a history buff,
(08:27):
this might be a good one for you.
Now let's just roll right onwith history.
St Stephen's Basilica this was afive-minute walk from my
apartment that I was staying inwith my little cat.
I have an episode on that aswell, how it was to actually
move to Hungary with my cat fromColorado, anyway.
So I wanted to go to StStephen's Basilica and it did
(08:49):
not disappoint.
It was absolutely amazing, andone of the unique things that
you can see there is you canactually see the mummified hand
of St Stephen, and it's calledthe Holy Right Hand, and again,
I stumbled upon this.
I had no clue what it was, butthen I actually realized and I
was like, oh, that's supercreepy and, you know, kind of
cool.
So there you go, and if you'rein that area anyway, I would
(09:12):
also check out.
There's a cat cafe that'sfilled with mancoons.
It's literally right across thestreet.
So cute.
It has really good coffee.
It's a little expensive, butyou get to hang around cats, so
maybe worth it.
It is also within walkingdistance of the Hungarian Opera
House.
So funny story my dad actuallybuilt an entire Lego version.
He's super into Lego and hebuilt an entire Lego version of
(09:35):
the Hungarian Opera House and hehad never even seen it.
So going to the Hungarian OperaHouse was really, really fun
because I got to see it in Legoform and then I got to go to the
real thing.
Would highly recommend thetours there and definitely
seeing the Nutcracker orsomething very iconic, and maybe
go see a show there.
It is absolutely stunninginside, but, like words cannot
(09:59):
describe how stunning thearchitecture is in this place,
and if you don't want to takethe tour, you can still admire
it from the outside and you canstill go inside and see some of
its wonders as well.
Now, next, another one of myfavorite things to do in
Budapest is go to a ruin bar.
This is something that I reallyhaven't seen anywhere else, but
it's basically these oldbuildings that are transformed
(10:21):
into hip, trendy bars.
They're filled with eclecticfurniture, often some quirky
decor, and it's a very mishmashof style that just somehow
creates a very unique night outin Budapest.
One of my favorite isSimpliKurt.
Now, when I was in med school,I had no time for this.
However, when I came back andactually started living my life
again, I did go out to a ruinedbar responsibly, of course,
(10:44):
responsibly.
However, it was very, very funand even if you aren't drinking,
it is a very cool concept tosee if you are in the city Now
moving on chaotically which Iwouldn't want it any other way
because I thrive on chaos, butlet's move on.
So next, if you want to see thecity without actually seeing the
city, I would definitely do acruise on the Danube.
(11:06):
I've done this so many times.
One of the most eventful timesthat I went on there was
actually an unlimited boozecruise, which was just
absolutely dangerous, but it wasvery fun.
So I'll link that in the shownotes.
But just please, please, please, enjoy responsibly, but it was
amazing.
We saw Parliament Building, wesaw that Castle Hill, we saw all
(11:27):
of the amazing buildings thatyou can see right on the Danube
and Budapest.
So definitely a very good andcheap way to see the city, and
if you don't have a lot of timeto see the city, it's perfect.
Another thing that I love, whichI'm going to get so much hate
for, because every time I wouldmention this to a Hungarian
their eyes would roll so farback into their brain and just
(11:49):
like spin around the other side.
But I loved New York Cafe.
I'm sorry they thought it wasso dumb that you would spend 10
euros on a coffee, but I justdon't care.
It is so beautiful in there.
It's actually voted the mostbeautiful cafe in the world.
They even have like 24 karatgold hot chocolate.
It is so bougie.
(12:10):
It kind of feels like having adrink or a high tea in the
middle of the Beauty and theBeast castle.
So that's what kind of vibeswere here.
It was actually one of the firstplaces I went to when I first
arrived in the city.
I got Hungarian goulash therewith my mom before med school.
Then I also went back with mybest friends and they said that
it was amazing too.
(12:30):
So I'm glad it's not just me.
I might be a dirty adventurer,but it doesn't mean that I don't
love some luxury.
So another thing, and again Iam not going to even attempt to
pronounce this, okay.
Okay, let's try it.
Here we go Vajahudnyad, thatwas terrible.
(12:51):
This is why I don't do this.
Okay, I'm sorry.
Hungarian Such a beautifullanguage.
I actually went through severalHungarian classes in med school
because they were required andagain, the only thing I know how
to say is thank you.
So it's a very, very hardlanguage to learn and I
overcompensated andoverestimated my abilities for
language learning when it cameto Hungarian.
(13:13):
So I still struggle.
Please excuse me, but anyway,the Váda Hudniad.
Okay, again, please just seethe show notes.
This castle is amazing.
It's literally right in thecity center, right by Heroes
Square, and there's a lot ofstuff that happens throughout
the year at this castle, like,for example, when it gets cold
(13:34):
enough, they actually freeze itand it becomes an ice skating
rink.
Well, it looks like a fairytale castle.
It's amazing.
And that's all for the bucketlist activities that were my
favorite, but let's just quicktalk about all of the food that
you can partake in this.
Now, honestly, my favoritething that I ate is actually
(13:54):
chimney cake, or kurtos kleklaks.
Oh man, I'm just.
I'm in pain with these words,but it's also called chimney
cake If you go to the CzechRepublic.
It's like treadlek and there'sactually a wide debate on where
it actually originated if it wasin the Czech Republic here or
Romania but it's absolutelyfantastic and, ironically, the
(14:17):
best chimney cake that I've everhad was in the subways.
So you know, you don't even needto go somewhere fancy.
Honestly, budapest is one ofthose places where you just have
a plethora of food options.
As I said, the New York Cafe.
You can get food there.
Another one that I reallyenjoyed, one of my favorites,
was the restaurant 26.
I've had a lot of great Greekplaces there.
(14:38):
Anywhere that serves Hungariangoulash absolutely was my
favorite.
So you will definitely not beshort on options and, of course,
I must admit I did go to a TGIFridays when I was super, super
homesick in Octagon.
There's just something foreverybody in Budapest.
So this is just a little tasteof one of the many things that
(15:00):
you can do in Budapest.
I have a couple bucket lists onmy website.
I have one that more covers thehidden gems of Budapest, and
then I have another one which isthe full shebang.
So if you do want more detailson anything that I've talked
about and more definitely headover to the bucket list Mermaid
or the show notes that I'velinked in the description, and I
will link everything so thatyou can be prepared for your
(15:22):
time in Budapest and I just haveto thank you for going to one
of the lesser-known areas Europeand taking a chance on Budapest
.
Stop getting in your head andjust go.
As I said, I'm a wee bit biasedbecause I live there and I love
it.
So, thank you, guys, so muchfor watching, thank you for
listening to my personalfavorite things to do in
Budapest.
As I said, check out that guide, follow me on socials at the
(15:43):
Bucket List Mermaid, and we willsee you next week for more
adventures and more ideas onwhat to put on your adventure
bucket list.
Thank you again, so much forlistening.
If you did like this show,definitely don't forget to give
it a subscribe on your favoritepodcasting platform.
Maybe leave it a review and wewill see you on the next
adventure.
put on your big girl pants and go to the sauna.
Hey adventurers, welcome toTake it Before you Kick it.
The podcast where we talk abouteverything that you should put
on your adventure bucket list.
I'm Alexandra and I am afull-time traveling RV mermaid
who has lived in severalcountries, and I'm going to be
talking about one of thosecountries today, which is
(00:20):
Budapest, hungary.
Now, I did an entire episode onthis before, on what it was
like to actually move toBudapest, hungary.
Now, I did an entire episode onthis before, on what it was
like to actually move toBudapest, hungary.
I moved here for medical school,but now I'm going to be talking
about my favorite things that Iactually did in the city.
Now, some of these are gonna bea little bit touristy.
Some of these are going to be alittle bit more of the hidden
gems.
However, I just wanted to gothrough and talk about my
(00:41):
personal favorite.
Now, they are personal.
Some travelers might bedifferent.
I am not like some travelers,but this is just everything that
I really, really enjoyed hereand that I found unique to this
city while I was exploringBudapest.
So let's get started Now.
I have to say, before we start,when I moved to Budapest.
(01:01):
I was in medical school.
Therefore, I was in a studyingblack hole for the majority of
the time that I lived there.
However, on the times that Idid get to take off my medical
school goggles, I actually gotto go and enjoy the city for as
much as I could enjoy the citywithout feeling guilty that I
(01:21):
didn't have my study goggles on.
So just keep that in mind.
I had to be very, very specificwith my time because I just
didn't have a lot of it.
Now, once I started getting theinclination that I was going to
quit and become a travelingmermaid, I actually started to
open up a little bit and I wasactually enjoying some of
Budapest a little bit more.
So, yeah, let's talk about allof my favorite things to do in
(01:44):
this incredibly underrated city,and I do mean incredibly
underrated.
I feel like everybody thinks,oh yes, I want to go to Europe,
I want to go to London andFrance and Venice, but it's very
rare that I actually do Me.
People are like oh yes, myfirst choice was Budapest, you
know.
So I think that I knew it wasgoing to be cool.
(02:06):
However, I don't think I wasquite prepared For it to be that
cool.
I really, really enjoyed myself, especially while living there.
No, I am a little bit biased,because I did live there.
However, I thought it was great.
Plus, the prices were waycheaper than other european
cities.
Like I could actually get adecent meal and not feel like I
(02:27):
was selling a kidney, like I wasin London or Paris.
So we have to talk about one ofthe most massive things that you
can do in Budapest.
I know this is probably goingto be one of the most touristy
things you can do, but, oh mygosh, is it worth it and that is
the baths.
Now, budapest is setting on alot of natural springs water and
(02:49):
they have a plethora of spasand baths that you can go to,
and I have been to my fair shareof hot springs.
We have a few here in Colorado.
My favorite is the GlenwoodSprings.
I've been to Bogosa, however.
This one was very similar,except it just added a little
European flair, like it was justbeautiful.
(03:09):
So my two favorites.
I'm not even gonna try topronounce it.
Okay, I have learned my lessonwith this podcast.
I have been humbled by tryingto pronounce all of these words.
It starts with an S.
It's the most beautiful touristyone, it's like Shenyeni or
something along there.
There's a lot of group toursthat you can go with.
(03:30):
Most of them offer Palinkaattached to it and I thought
that this one was amazing.
I really, really enjoyed theoutdoor bit.
The indoor bit was amazing.
I don't care what they tell you,but the best part of this spa,
which I could literally sit inthere for hours, is this little
tiny sauna area.
No one knows it.
(03:51):
People know it exists but it'snot well marked so you have to
be vigilant in finding it.
But the whole thing smells likechamomile tea and it just is
this giant sauna and I thoughtthat I was alone.
But then I actually went backto Budapest after I quit med
school and my best friends wentwith me and they thought the
same thing.
She was like I would pay theentrance fee just to go in this
(04:12):
chamomile sauna.
So anyway, that one was myfavorite, so loved that one.
It's great.
I did meet another American whosaid that she hated it because
she thought it was dirty.
And maybe I'm just a dirtyadventurer.
Put on your big girl pants andgo to the sauna.
I'm sorry, if it's a littledirty, just deal with it.
Win in Budapest.
(04:33):
My other one that I loved wasthe Gellert Spa.
This one was a little bit lesstouristy, still probably the
second most touristy one inBudapest.
It's actually on the Buda side,right as you cross over the
bridge of the Danube, and thisone just had these massive
architectural structures in itthat were indoor, like the pool
area.
(04:53):
Seriously, look it up, or justgo to the show notes, look at
the pictures.
The architecture is amazing andon each side there's a
different one.
My dirty adventuring bootycould have sat in those pools
until I pruned.
Okay, it was great.
So, anyway, definitely wouldrecommend checking out those.
I have a full list of theBudapest spas so you can go
(05:13):
check out.
Maybe get some other options,maybe get some more hidden gems.
I know the Rudis Bath is reallygood as well.
Also, another thing that'stouristy that I honestly loved
was exploring Buda Castle andthe Fisherman's Bastion.
I think I'm saying that right,yes, but the views, especially
of Parliament and the river andthe rest of Budapest, are
(05:34):
absolutely amazing, which takesme to my next point is, if
you're into it, I actually did atravel photo shoot there, so I
hired someone to go takepictures of me, and I know that
sounds a little vain, but I justwanted to have the memory of me
there and, I'm gonna be honest,I had no friends because I was
(05:54):
in medical school and thefriends that I did have would
definitely not want to taketheir time to go photograph me
in the Buddha Castle.
So this was great and I was soimpressed because it is so cheap
.
I think I paid about 90 bucks.
We had the photo shoot forabout three hours.
I felt like a model it was so,so fun or like a travel
(06:17):
influencer, and you know I wasjust posing in my little cute
corset outfit and going onbalconies that I shouldn't,
because they were really superhigh and you know.
But it's fine.
The picture is amazing.
Again, I will link all this,but if you are into those travel
photo shoots, with no shame, ifyou are, own it and the
pictures are amazing, you willhave those pictures for the rest
(06:39):
of your life.
And if you are going to go to alocation and you want to pay
for it cheaply, budapest mightbe your option.
Now let's talk about anotherthing that I did, which was a
Viator tour, and I ended upgoing on this Viator tour
because I love dark, morbidhistory.
I was a forensic science majorI have to love it and we ended
up talking about all of theghosts and vampire legends
(07:03):
surrounding the Hungarianhistory.
The guy was dressed up in fullcostume and we ended up walking
around Buda Castle, theFisherman's Bastion, all of the
Buddha Hills, and it was all atnight and I got to learn so much
.
So definitely that was one ofmy favorite things I did too.
Another thing that I have tosuggest is, if you are into
medicine or anything, theSemmelweis Museum.
(07:23):
Now, this is a shameless plug,because I myself went to
Semmelweis Medical School, so itwas very interesting for me to
see all of these differentmedical devices and how they
were learned and where my schoolwas founded.
So that was definitely reallyfun.
My favorite part in there wasone of the x-rays, like the
early x-ray machines and thenalso the sunken head.
(07:45):
Speaking of more morbid travel,if you do like more darker
history, I would definitelycheck out the iron shoes on the
Danube.
I actually stumbled upon theseand had no clue what they meant.
I actually found out later thatthe iron shoes are a memorial
because there's about 60 pairsof them.
They're in 40s style andthey're metal shoes and they're
(08:06):
arranged along the riverbank andthey're actually a tribute to
the Jews who were killed duringWorld War II, because they would
basically take all their stuffand make them take their shoes
off and then kill them and letthem drop into the river.
So very, very sad.
However, I think it is a verygood memorial to those who did
lose their lives in World War II, so if you're a history buff,
(08:27):
this might be a good one for you.
Now let's just roll right onwith history.
St Stephen's Basilica this was afive-minute walk from my
apartment that I was staying inwith my little cat.
I have an episode on that aswell, how it was to actually
move to Hungary with my cat fromColorado, anyway.
So I wanted to go to StStephen's Basilica and it did
(08:49):
not disappoint.
It was absolutely amazing, andone of the unique things that
you can see there is you canactually see the mummified hand
of St Stephen, and it's calledthe Holy Right Hand, and again,
I stumbled upon this.
I had no clue what it was, butthen I actually realized and I
was like, oh, that's supercreepy and, you know, kind of
cool.
So there you go, and if you'rein that area anyway, I would
(09:12):
also check out.
There's a cat cafe that'sfilled with mancoons.
It's literally right across thestreet.
So cute.
It has really good coffee.
It's a little expensive, butyou get to hang around cats, so
maybe worth it.
It is also within walkingdistance of the Hungarian Opera
House.
So funny story my dad actuallybuilt an entire Lego version.
He's super into Lego and hebuilt an entire Lego version of
(09:35):
the Hungarian Opera House and hehad never even seen it.
So going to the Hungarian OperaHouse was really, really fun
because I got to see it in Legoform and then I got to go to the
real thing.
Would highly recommend thetours there and definitely
seeing the Nutcracker orsomething very iconic, and maybe
go see a show there.
It is absolutely stunninginside, but, like words cannot
(09:59):
describe how stunning thearchitecture is in this place,
and if you don't want to takethe tour, you can still admire
it from the outside and you canstill go inside and see some of
its wonders as well.
Now, next, another one of myfavorite things to do in
Budapest is go to a ruin bar.
This is something that I reallyhaven't seen anywhere else, but
it's basically these oldbuildings that are transformed
(10:21):
into hip, trendy bars.
They're filled with eclecticfurniture, often some quirky
decor, and it's a very mishmashof style that just somehow
creates a very unique night outin Budapest.
One of my favorite isSimpliKurt.
Now, when I was in med school,I had no time for this.
However, when I came back andactually started living my life
again, I did go out to a ruinedbar responsibly, of course,
(10:44):
responsibly.
However, it was very, very funand even if you aren't drinking,
it is a very cool concept tosee if you are in the city Now
moving on chaotically which Iwouldn't want it any other way
because I thrive on chaos, butlet's move on.
So next, if you want to see thecity without actually seeing the
city, I would definitely do acruise on the Danube.
(11:06):
I've done this so many times.
One of the most eventful timesthat I went on there was
actually an unlimited boozecruise, which was just
absolutely dangerous, but it wasvery fun.
So I'll link that in the shownotes.
But just please, please, please, enjoy responsibly, but it was
amazing.
We saw Parliament Building, wesaw that Castle Hill, we saw all
(11:27):
of the amazing buildings thatyou can see right on the Danube
and Budapest.
So definitely a very good andcheap way to see the city, and
if you don't have a lot of timeto see the city, it's perfect.
Another thing that I love, whichI'm going to get so much hate
for, because every time I wouldmention this to a Hungarian
their eyes would roll so farback into their brain and just
(11:49):
like spin around the other side.
But I loved New York Cafe.
I'm sorry they thought it wasso dumb that you would spend 10
euros on a coffee, but I justdon't care.
It is so beautiful in there.
It's actually voted the mostbeautiful cafe in the world.
They even have like 24 karatgold hot chocolate.
It is so bougie.
(12:10):
It kind of feels like having adrink or a high tea in the
middle of the Beauty and theBeast castle.
So that's what kind of vibeswere here.
It was actually one of the firstplaces I went to when I first
arrived in the city.
I got Hungarian goulash therewith my mom before med school.
Then I also went back with mybest friends and they said that
it was amazing too.
(12:30):
So I'm glad it's not just me.
I might be a dirty adventurer,but it doesn't mean that I don't
love some luxury.
So another thing, and again Iam not going to even attempt to
pronounce this, okay.
Okay, let's try it.
Here we go Vajahudnyad, thatwas terrible.
(12:51):
This is why I don't do this.
Okay, I'm sorry.
Hungarian Such a beautifullanguage.
I actually went through severalHungarian classes in med school
because they were required andagain, the only thing I know how
to say is thank you.
So it's a very, very hardlanguage to learn and I
overcompensated andoverestimated my abilities for
language learning when it cameto Hungarian.
(13:13):
So I still struggle.
Please excuse me, but anyway,the Váda Hudniad.
Okay, again, please just seethe show notes.
This castle is amazing.
It's literally right in thecity center, right by Heroes
Square, and there's a lot ofstuff that happens throughout
the year at this castle, like,for example, when it gets cold
(13:34):
enough, they actually freeze itand it becomes an ice skating
rink.
Well, it looks like a fairytale castle.
It's amazing.
And that's all for the bucketlist activities that were my
favorite, but let's just quicktalk about all of the food that
you can partake in this.
Now, honestly, my favoritething that I ate is actually
(13:54):
chimney cake, or kurtos kleklaks.
Oh man, I'm just.
I'm in pain with these words,but it's also called chimney
cake If you go to the CzechRepublic.
It's like treadlek and there'sactually a wide debate on where
it actually originated if it wasin the Czech Republic here or
Romania but it's absolutelyfantastic and, ironically, the
(14:17):
best chimney cake that I've everhad was in the subways.
So you know, you don't even needto go somewhere fancy.
Honestly, budapest is one ofthose places where you just have
a plethora of food options.
As I said, the New York Cafe.
You can get food there.
Another one that I reallyenjoyed, one of my favorites,
was the restaurant 26.
I've had a lot of great Greekplaces there.
(14:38):
Anywhere that serves Hungariangoulash absolutely was my
favorite.
So you will definitely not beshort on options and, of course,
I must admit I did go to a TGIFridays when I was super, super
homesick in Octagon.
There's just something foreverybody in Budapest.
So this is just a little tasteof one of the many things that
(15:00):
you can do in Budapest.
I have a couple bucket lists onmy website.
I have one that more covers thehidden gems of Budapest, and
then I have another one which isthe full shebang.
So if you do want more detailson anything that I've talked
about and more definitely headover to the bucket list Mermaid
or the show notes that I'velinked in the description, and I
will link everything so thatyou can be prepared for your
(15:22):
time in Budapest and I just haveto thank you for going to one
of the lesser-known areas Europeand taking a chance on Budapest
.
Stop getting in your head andjust go.
As I said, I'm a wee bit biasedbecause I live there and I love
it.
So, thank you, guys, so muchfor watching, thank you for
listening to my personalfavorite things to do in
Budapest.
As I said, check out that guide, follow me on socials at the
(15:43):
Bucket List Mermaid, and we willsee you next week for more
adventures and more ideas onwhat to put on your adventure
bucket list.
Thank you again, so much forlistening.
If you did like this show,definitely don't forget to give
it a subscribe on your favoritepodcasting platform.
Maybe leave it a review and wewill see you on the next
adventure.
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