Tbh, I didn’t know much about Budapest before going, I had just heard it was a must. So I took three trains over 18 hours from Rome, and arrived in Budapest, Hungary. I didn’t know what there was to see, but I quickly learned that Budapest has a lot to offer information-hungry visitors (see what I did there? Hehe).

Budapest is definitely a party city. The buildings seem to transform from innocent structures by day to thriving, vibrant hubs of activity at night. So, if you traveled to Budapest to party, you definitely made the right choice… but make sure to plan at least a little time to see the city!

The city, first of all, is so beautiful.

The buildings are all capped with clay and mint colored shingles. The Danube mightily flows through the center. The city is ripe with history and picturesque views.

I did a free walking tour of the city the morning after I arrived with a couple girls from my hostel. We walked all through the Jewish Quarter and saw the synagogue, some traditional buildings, and the ruin pubs.

The Danube is the major river that runs through the heart of Budapest, separating the Buda side from the Pest side (they used to be two separate cities!).

I think Budapest is one of the most interesting cities I’ve ever been to. I use the word “interesting” here in its true sense–the city really is interesting. It’s full of wacky architecture, graffiti, ruins that have been transformed into hip pubs, and some really important history, especially with regard to World War II.

The beautiful Parliament building is also one of Budapest’s main tourist attractions. Impressive and intricate by day, yet strikingly luminescent by night, this magnificent building impressed me from both sides of the river and at all times of day.

Heroes’ Square, closing out Andrassy Avenue, is yet another tourist attraction Budapest has to offer. It contains many statues of famous Hungarian politicians, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. If you’re into history and museums, this is definitely something to check out!

Budapest is also heavily laced with Holocaust connections. Like many other European cities, there’s a Jewish ghetto, which is absolutely brimming with delicious kosher restaurants and shops and synagogues.There are countless monuments to remember the victims, some marked and some unmarked. One of the most striking and heartbreaking monuments is pictured below. The Nazis would line up their victims on the banks of the Danube River, force them to strip naked, and shoot many of them, their bodies falling into the river. Those they did not shoot would then return to the Jewish ghetto, a mere three blocks away.

After soaking in all the fascinating history Budapest has to offer, you can soak away the afternoon in one of the many famous thermal baths! These babes are so, so awesome. It’s basically like sitting in a hot tub outside, with your skin absorbing all the good chemicals and minerals they have to offer.

My friends and I visited the Szechenyi Bath, the most famous of the baths. Painted a traditional mustard yellow color, this bath is actually like twenty baths in one. The most picturesque, of course, is the outdoor bath. It’s similar to your local fitness club’s outdoor pool, probably. Picture teenage girls tanning, men standing around drinking beer, and moms dipping their legs in on the edges, gossiping…. and of course, everyone is Instagramming the whole affair! The building, however, also has plenty of indoor baths if chilling outside isn’t your thing. The pools range in temperature from 20-40 degrees Celsius (aka pretty chilly to pretty warm). There’s a bunch of saunas, as well, ranging in temperature, steaminess, visibility, and smells.

Plan to spend a while at the baths–they’re so relaxing (and a great hangover cure).

And of course, how could we talk about Budapest without mentioning the incredible nightlife?

The girls I met at the hostel and I went on several pub crawls, a champagne boat party, and danced all night every night. Budapest isn’t a city you want to sleep in–it’s the city you go to afterwards where you’ll need a day or two (or a few) to catch up!

Plus, my friend and I may have gotten matching tattoos after a particularly fun night 😉 What’s a backpacking trip without something crazy to commemorate it?!

Budapest is a city with a massive heartbeat for fun, history, and intricate architecture. The rumors you’ve heard are right–it’s a must-see when traveling through Europe. I know I’ll be returning in the near future to experience the wonder of it all again.