A FASHION SURVIVAL GUIDE AND HANDY HINTS FOR A TRIP TO MY NEW FAVOURITE CITY
It’s been a couple of years since my last city break in Europe and I forgot just how much I love it. I was wanting somewhere I could get some much needed chill time whilst still satisfying all my incessant culture vulture needs. Budapest is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go and did not disappoint!
I didn’t get a summer holiday this year so I wanted somewhere that still had a bit of sun at the end of September, and as my famous bad luck would have it, the weather was glorious until the day before we arrived when it rained and dropped about 10 degrees, obviously. It warmed up a bit after a cloudy first couple of days but to be honest, with so many sights to see, I don’t think we could have managed it being much warmer, especially combined with some seriously naughty hangovers. It was pretty changeable though, especially being out for so long during the day, so my trusty backpack was with me all the way, filled with layering options just in case, plus my travel guide and classic overused dog-eared map.
My cycle shorts and cropped leggings became my fave trend over the summer; I can throw them on with just about everything and they look great. They’re so comfy too so they were perfect for our daily hikes. I ordered a unitard from Pretty Little Thing to add to the collection for an easy daytime look. I love the retro asymmetric detail at the top, which I added to with my black crossbody bag adjusting the strap to double as a bumbag.
We dropped lucky by choosing our apartment purely by what looked nice and ended up staying just outside the Jewish Quarter which is where all the best nightlife is, and on the edge of the shopping district (we ended up here a few times, of course) and main square, the best place to get your bearings to find the main sites. Budapest isn’t too big of a city so it’s pretty easy to get about, we did a whole lot of walking though so trainers are a must. I prefer to walk rather than get a metro if I can as it’s the best way to take in the sights and the atmosphere, and to see what I stumble across along the way.
We spent one of the days exploring Castle Hill, on the Buda side of the river. I got pretty nifty with the map after a few wrong turns on the first day so we went via the famous Parliament building and St Stephens Basilica Cathedral, and after a pit stop for a coffee and a recharge on a quirky little rooftop cafe bar next to the river we headed over one of the many bridges and climbed the hill up to see Matthias Church, Buda Palace and the castle remains. This is where all those photos are taken from when you google Budapest, with the most amazing views of the city across the Danube.l. -and we got some of our best insta photos up here FYI.
Food is such a huge part of culture (and my life as a big pig in a small body), so whenever I visit another country, I make it my mission to try as many of the local dishes as I can.
There are so many places to eat and drink around the city with mouthwatering smells coming from just about everywhere you turn. Our fave way to eat in the evenings though was street food and Karavan is deffo the go-to place for a huge variety, Hungarian and otherwise, in a bustling outdoor garden area set between the ruins of the surrounding buildings, with plenty of cherry beer to go round. If you make it to Karavan you have to get to the goulash van, and the Transylvanian sauerkraut version (bringing back memories of my travels through Germany and Central Europe) wasn’t too shabby either.
We spent most of our nights in the hipster garden and so-called ruin bars in the historic Jewish Quarter, all super chilled and totally my kinda vibe. By far my favourite though was Szimpla Kert where I had the best mojitos around, or at least I think they were - I had a few too many but they’re just so damn refreshing, what can I do? The bar is set over two floors, in the remains of several derelict buildings, with a huge open air space in the centre where the ruined walls are clear to see. The place is filled with tourists and locals of all ages, all out for a good time. As soon we walked in the party was going, but with a super cool, laidback vibe, with a different bar and a different weird and wonderful room every which way we turned. There’s lights and greenery and funky decor everywhere you look and the music was on point, but the chat and the friendly atmosphere is what the place is really about. We pulled a seat up at a gymnastics vault (because why not) and drank the afore mentioned mojitos until we virtually crawled home - after the greasiest, and most tasty burger I ever ate. I wore my new Primark denim dress layered over a T-shirt and threw my vans on which kept me warm and matched the casual cool feels going on.
Everyone knows the struggle of packing for a short stay holiday when you’ve only got your carry on case to contend with, especially if you go between seasons and you’ve got confusing weather situations to deal with. The key is to pack options that can all be worn together, for day or night, and once you’ve felt the dress code vibes you can switch things up if you need to. I took two pairs of heels with me but I only wore a pair on the first night. My outfit was pretty casual to play them down but we did a lot more walking on the rest of the nights, plus spending the night drinking outside is great, but isn’t great for the old toesies. The evenings were a lot cooler too, even cooler than the UK at this time of year, so I took my hoody to layer up, but I only had two jackets and I would recommend taking three if you have room, just to mix it up a bit.
We found our hangover cures in the city’s infamous thermal spas, and as luck would have it we had already put the most famous two Szechenyi and Gellert, on our list of must-dos. I loved both but if you have to pick one then I’d choose. Its a bit more expensive but totally worth it. Handy tip: I’d take your own towel rather than renting one to avoid losing half of your towel deposit (£10 to rent but £5 is non refundable). If you don’t have your own your hotel will let you take theirs along. The water in the pools is warm of course but outside of the summer months you’re gonna get pretty nippy when you get out so be prepared! Szechenyi baths is a bit more lively than Gellert, with a jacuzzi and whirlpool in the middle, which is HILARIOUS, and they sell beer too. Its set in the middle of City Park, with Heroe’s Square at its entrance, a castle and a cute little boating lake, as well as a circus and Budapest Zoo, and I love a good zoo so I had to go! Gellert Baths is a lot more chilled, and so pretty to photograph, and the walk across Liberty Bridge with the view of the Liberty Monument at the top of the hill is a must.
I feel like I only scratched the surface of this historical and vibrant city, I can’t wait to go back and carry on living my best hipster life. If you get a chance to go to Budapest, go!
