Budapest: Visit Hungary by River Cruise This Year
With the Great Plain to the east and the Buda Hills to the west, the Danube River is one of Budapest’s most stunning features.
Although man has played an important role in creating some of the city’s most notable landmarks, the wealth of natural beauty means it’s easily one of the best places in Europe to take a river cruise.
With every building offering an eye-catching or unusual detail, the scars of World War II can be seen all over Budapest. Although structures like the Danube memorial are sad reminders of the war’s atrocities, it also allows Budapest to reveal some of its humble and historical culture. Let’s take a look at some of the must-see sights and attractions to experience in Budapest on a river cruise.
Klassz
For the wine lovers taking a river cruise to Budapest this year, Klassz is certainly a restaurant to tick off your list. Not only is it owned and operated by the local wine society, but the selection of world wines here changes almost daily. Furthermore, customers can order 10cl ‘sip’ glasses to compare tastes (with complimentary biscuits and cheese), and the full food menu will certainly leave you satisfied, using only the best local recipes and ingredients.
Memento Park
One of the most mind-blowing places to visit in all of Budapest, Memento Park is a must-see when taking a river cruise to Hungary. With over four dozen statues of Marx, Lenin and other championed workers of socialist regimes over the years, this is a museum that brings one of the world’s biggest political movements to life. Located a few kilometres south of the city, visitors will be able to see parts of torn-down statues such as Stalin’s boots, swords, historic military armour, and even rare documentary footage on the state’s secret agents at the time.
The Holocaust Memorial Centre
This building is strikingly modern, especially considering its location in the heart of a working-class neighbourhood. Not only is it a museum but it’s also an educational foundation too, opened in 2004 on the 60th anniversary of the country’s holocaust. Through a variety of detailed exhibitions, visitors will be able to trace the rise of the anti-Semitism movement in Hungary, tragically ending with the mass deportation of Hungarian Jews to Germany’s death camps in 1944-1945.
In the courtyard of the Memorial Centre lies a stunningly restored synagogue, completed in 1924 and designed by Leopold Baumhorn, one of Hungary’s most famous architects, hosting a number of contemporary exhibitions throughout the year.
Hercules Villa
Hercules Villa is a popular tourist attraction in Budapest, easily accessible from the city centre. Home to a range of expertly reconstructed Roman ruins, this attraction was named after the discovery of 3rd century tile mosaics of Hercules’ famous exploits, which were discovered in the villa. Private tours aren’t usually provided, however if you book in advance you might get lucky!
