Budapest was the final stop on our Christmas Markets trip through Central Europe, and by the end of it, it was probably the city that surprised us most.
We arrived by train from Bratislava and spent three nights at the Matild Palace on the Pest side of the city. Even before exploring Budapest itself, the hotel made an impression. Between the historic architecture, the river views, and the location, it remains one of our favorite hotel stays from that entire trip.
Most of our time was split between exploring the Buda and Pest sides of the city. We visited Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, and the Hospital in the Rock Museum on one side of the Danube, then crossed over for St. Stephen's Basilica, the Hungarian Parliament Building, Heroes' Square, and the Dohány Street Synagogue.
Of course, visiting in December meant the Christmas markets became a major part of the experience as well. We spent plenty of time wandering through the markets at Vörösmarty Square and St. Stephen's Basilica, warming up with food while the city glowed with lights and holiday music echoed through the streets.
Budapest feels grand in a way that's hard to fully capture until you're there. Massive historic buildings, bridges crossing the Danube, ornate cafés, thermal baths, and layers of history everywhere you look. It feels bigger, more dramatic, and more substantial than many people expect going in.
What stood out most to me, though, was the feeling that we were only scratching the surface. Some cities feel like you've seen the highlights after a few days. Budapest felt bigger and more layered than that. Every neighborhood seemed to have another beautiful building, another café, another historic site, or another corner of the city to explore. We saw as much as we could in a few days, genuinely appreciated the city, and walked away understanding why so many people love it.
From Budapest, we flew to London to spend Christmas with my family.