Budapest Things to Do

With its reputation as a party city, Budapest celebrates Szilveszter, Hungary‘s New Year, with a bang. Street parties take place across the city and the explosion of fireworks marks midnight over the Danube River. Public transport operates until 1pm, but stores close at around 4pm and reopen only on January 2.

Although the Feast of St Nicholas is celebrated on 6th December in Budapest, when well-behaved children are rewarded with small gifts, December 24 is the key date for Christmas celebrations. The countdown starts in late November, when the stores and streets are decorated and strung with millions of fairy lights, and giant Advent wreathes appear in the main streets.

One of the best ways to experience the best that Budapest has to offer is via one of the profusion of river cruises that ply the waters of the Danube River when the weather permits. The river bisects the city into two distinct parts: the hilly and peaceful Buda on one side, and the buzzing congestion of Pest on the other.

Easily the largest wine festival in Hungary, the Budapest International Wine Festival (BIWF) is visited by more than 50,000 visitors annually. For more than 20 years, BIWF has been growing and expanding the scope of its entertainments and opportunities to imbibe, socialize, and learn about and contribute to the health of Hungarian wine culture.

The Budapest Summer Festival features musicals, ballet, dance performances, concerts, comedy, and theatre for children and adults alike at three distinctive venues during June, July, and August each year.

The many beautiful bridges that span the Danube (a total of 10) are best toured by bike, as is much of the rest of the city. Luckily, there are a number of reputable operations geared up to make just such a proposition possible.