Pest is the more exciting half of Budapest, with unique attractions including the House of Terror and Szechenyi Baths.
What’s Pest all about?
The city splits like the name – Budapest is really two settlements riven by the River Danube. Buda is the one with most of the obvious goodies – castle, wooded hills, ultra-photogenic churches and royal history.
But it only takes a wander down Kazinczy Utca to work out why Pest is the more appealing side of the city. The street has an awful lot going on. Thai restaurants, ramen joints, taco bars and bike rental shops cram into close proximity, and Karavan is a collection of street food trucks banded together under one label. Next to it is Szimpla, an audacious takeover of a ruined building with dozens of alcoves and separate sections to it, all decorated with random ephemera such as carousel horses and old Trabant cars. A shisha bar sells a magical variety of flavours, and gigs advertised are in genres such as ‘elegant scandal music’ and ‘doom jazz’.
In short, you do a few hours in Buda, then spend the rest of the break in Pest. It’s the fun half – and then some.
A walk through Pest’s highlights
Hungary’s undeniably fabulous Parliament building was partly built as a two finger salute to the royal establishment on the opposite bank of the Danube. A glorious red and white behemoth, it straddles architectural styles, although the gothic influence is most visible. It doesn’t exactly tone down the opulence inside either, although it can only be seen on a guided tour.
From there, string together a few parks, and admire the architecture on the way to major thoroughfare Andrassy utca. Highlights on the way include the colourful, artfully-tiled and somewhat playful Royal Postal Savings Bank building, plus the heavily detailed National Bank Building, where busts on the façade tell tales of trade around the world.
Once at Andrassy utca, head past the grand cafés towards the House of Terror. Formerly the secret police HQ, this inventively tells the story of Hungary’s tribulations under the Nazi then Soviet-backed regimes. It’s an almost unrelentingly grim tale of murder, repression and deportation to work camps, but it’s really well told with bold imagery, reconstructed cells and plenty of video recollection.
Bathing in Pest
Budapest is blessed with thermal springs, and the sprawling Szechenyi Baths takes full advantage of them. There are 15 indoor pools and three massive outdoor pools, and it’s as much a hang-out as a place for a swim. Expect old men playing chess at the water’s edge.
Where to eat in Pest
Kazinczy utca is the most obviously humming street in Pest, and arguably the one best known by visitors. But it is by no means on its own – you’ll find good local hangouts within a few streets either side.
Koleves isn’t quite as exalted, but does a wonderful job of good food in a laid-back, art-surrounded atmosphere. Hearty mains, such as the goose leg confit with semi-mashed potato, stewed cabbage and sun-dried plum, work really well – but there’s also an admirably large range of vegetarian options.
Elsewhere, the third restaurant in Budapest to be awarded a Michelin star, Borkonyha, pulls off a stylish but unstuffy modern vibe – and dishes aren’t quite as pricy as you might imagine. They lean towards forest fare, such as the venison saddle with dried fruit-filled ravioli.
Shopping in Pest
The Central Market Hall on Vamhaz krt is largely worth visiting for the visual spectacle. It’s a humungous building, reminiscent of an early 20th century pride-and-joy train station, and packs in hundreds of stalls. Dangling meats, artisan chocolates, honey stalls and food carts mingle, while there’s souvenir and gift fare on the upper level. A lot of it is tat, but there are some good pottery and woven goods.
A market tour with food tastings is a good way to discover the best spots.
Kiraly utca is a good bet for a shopping stroll. There are several design and fashion shops along it, plus the appealing Atlantisz bookshop and Orange, which does flamboyant, colourful eyewear for those who want to jazz up their glasses.
Billed as the main shopping street, pedestrianised Vaci utca is something of a depressing disappointment, unless you like poor quality strictly-for-tourists junk and women trying to hustle you into buying “genuine leather” gloves.
Pest hotel recommendations
I’ve written a separate guide with Budapest hotel recommendations, but the following three are among the best in Pest.
The Four Seasons Gresham Palace is the most spectacular address in town. A bona fide art nouveau masterpiece, the detail is sumptuous, from the quirky clock hands above the lifts to the glass roofs in the lobby and period-style furniture.
For some old school grandeur at a slightly lower price point, the Danubius Astoria has a wonderful lobby of gilding, green marble and wood panelling, while upstairs rooms are comfortable, and go big on the heavy draped curtains.
One of a plethora of indie, design-leaning boutique hotels in Pest, the Hotel Carat surrounds a court yard, has silvery feature walls and black-and-white photo prints of Budapest on the walls sassed up in a near pop art style.
More Budapest travel
For a wide range of Budapest tours and activities, head this way.
Other Budapest travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- How to do Budapest in May with children.
- Why the Vasarely Museum is Budapest’s best art museum.
- 11 best things to do on a 3 day Budapest city break.
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