Budapest: Day 1 // Sunsets and Shreks

The first stop of our Interrailing adventure was Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

First Impressions: Lots of bridges. Goulash everywhere. Absolutely no one pays for the tram. Pubs, bars and clubs that are both inside and outside at the same time. "Edgy". Little bit stuck in 2003. Really pretty. REALLY CHEAP.

We quickly realised Budapest is a place that people just don't bang on about enough; without the commercialisation of Prague or seediness of Amsterdam, Budapest entirely, unapologetically remains its own city. There is genuinely something for everyone - be that its unique world renowned "Ruin Pubs", heavenly thermal baths, buzzing night life or stunning panoramic views of the twinkling bridges at night. I cannot recommend it enough as an Interrailing student destination (Eastern Europe is wonderfully cheap) or as a slightly higher budget weekend city break. However, writing as a poor student, you can expect to read about the stunning city from a backpacking angle.

So, leading on from 'poor' 'student' and 'backpacking' you can probably guess our accommodation of choice (or rather, accommodation we could afford) - hostels. Our Budapest hostel was The 11th Hour Cinema Hostel, which pretty much has everything you could want - wifi, no curfew, free pub crawls and even a cinema room if that's your kind of thing. They also offer special deals for guests, such as thermal bath entry at a lower rate and stupidly cheap 2/3 course meal deals at nearby restaurants: 

790 Forintz is £2.19, 900 = £2.50, 1040 = £2.89... You get the gist. For some unknown reason we didn't actually try any of them, but the hostel wouldn't recommend a bad place so I'd check it out if you're on a budget.

Another hostel we visited that night (as it also has a huge Ruin style courtyard and bar) is Grandio Party Hostel who, as well as doing food, apparently do the biggest Jager train in Hungary as well as their own pub crawls.

The front door to the hostel, which took us more time to find than I'd like to admit...

Open plan, ceiling-less interior.

After checking in we crossed the beautiful Chain Bridge over the River Danube into the Buda side.

Sunglasses - Tiger; Bralet - SoulCal @ Republic; Skirt - ASOS; Bumbag - Pieces @ ASOS; Ballet Pumps - Miss Selfridge; Bracelets - Primark.

We stopped off at a roof terrace bar on top of Gellert Hill for a drink and to take in the views of the Danube. I cannot find the name for this place ANYWHERE but you can't really miss it...

Glass tables, white chairs, decking and parasols

The view

We then walked back down and went up another, bigger hill - The Citadella. If you get right to the top, you have a panoramic view of Budapest, so we timed it to catch the sunset, much to Hannah's dismay who wanted to murder me after a half hour uphill walk on about 3 hours sleep.

A waterfall greets you at the bottom:

Ruins on the way up

Classic reflecting on life whilst staring into the sunset

This is one thing you HAVE to do while in Budapest - the views are stunning and it's almost like something out of a film, note the man lying down on the wall. And it's free.

We then walked back down and crossed the bridge back to Pest, by which time it'd gotten dark and the lights had come on...

Well duh.

After going back to the hostel and grabbing a drink we embarked on our first Budapest pub crawl, going to Ruin Pubs and Ruin Pubs only.

Ruin Pub - noun. 1) Essentially a bar, set in an open plan, squat looking environment with weird stuff like bicycles and watering cans stuck to the walls and Pumba-shaped disco balls and trees growing inside and where you can't quite tell if you're inside or outside. Sah rustic, sah edgy.

First stop: Grandio Party Hostel.

A Hungarian speciality - elderflower white wine spritzers. Two parts wine, one part soda, elderflower cordial. Pronounced like moots-ee-frich.

Apparently another speciality - Tabasco 'Mad Dog' shots

Second stop: Füge Udvar.

You can see the quality of my photos getting gradually worse throughout the night

Another drink unique to Hungary - the 'Shrek'. Three parts wine, two parts soda and kiwi liqueur... So so good, and dangerously easy to drink. Definitely try it in Budapest, although I think it may be unique to this bar... Few places will know what you mean when you drunkenly ask for a Shrek.

Unfortunately it wasn't too busy as we were out on a Monday night and this place is off the beaten track, thus not attracting many tourists.

Next up: Fogas Kert.

No specific drinks recommendations here, it's just a really cool place. Some sort of circus top makes up the ceiling, trees everywhere, shisha bar. Once again off the beaten track and not a place you'd usually read about, but still busy for a Monday night.

Then it was off to... I honestly can't remember the name and I have no photos which give any clues. Another club more popular with locals than tourists, it would have been great if there was A) a bigger dancefloor and B) any post-2003 music. Apart from Gangnam Style. Which they loved.

And now for the best part of the night, probably the most well known Ruin Pub in Budapest that has been cited as the '3rd best pub in the world'... SZIMPLAAAA!!! 

Ellie chatting to, wait for it... PIERRE YVES. Not a celebrity, just the Frenchest, most perfect name I've ever heard. Szimpla's walls are covered in written/scratched/sprayed names.

Szimpla personifies everything you expect and want from a Ruin Pub. A must see in Budapest, make sure you see all the rooms.

After being kicked out at closing time (usually 4am, though as it was a quiet Monday night we were told to leave when it got to half 3) we walked back singing Afternoon Delight repeatedly at the top of our voices and collapsed in the hostel reception talking rubbish to other travellers until 5am, when we retreated to Marilyn. (did I mention every room is film themed?)

A successful and unforgettable first night. From what I can remember.

Up next: thermal baths and INSTANT...

Bises,

Riona