5 Hidden Gems In Budapest

I recently stumbled across this gem which really is hidden! In years gone by you could find lots of public toilets that were built underground - many of them are now closed but some have been given a new lease of life, like this one! Escape rooms are popular at the moment in Budapest, but the guys at ÜTŐS wanted to try something new, so they combined an escape room with mini-golf! It’s certainly not a simple golfing experience - there are 7 differently themed golf courses, like the Skateboarder or the Concrete Mixer. Forget everything you know about golf, and start thinking another way! You’ll have to move objects to make a free path for the golf ball, or figure out how to get the ball into a washing machine! Show off your talents and then enjoy an ice-cold Czech beer at the bar. They don’t accept reservations for the game, but booking a table is recommended, and the best part is there’s no time limit!

Visiting a ruin bar while you’re in Budapest is a must, but how about a themed bar? If you’re interested in history or just would like to see something different, I recommend visiting Red Ruin which is a communist themed bar the city centre. Many students love to spend their nights here, especially since they get 20% off! Budapest was once part of the Soviet Bloc, like many other Eastern European cities. This bar makes fun of its political past, and is decorated with communist propoganda, red bricks and graffiti covering the walls and paintings. The first thing that will catch your eye is the wall painting of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong wearing birthday hats and having a “communist party”. If the bar’s style has not convinced you yet, its wide craft beer and palinka selection will!

This is another real hidden gem of Budapest. Most visitors and even locals visit only one side of Gellért Hill, where after a short climb you can find the Citadel and the Cave Church. But on the other side of the hill, close to the Elizabeth Bridge, you can discover this big green area with a spectacular view of the city. The group of statues, where the Garden’s name comes from, features an inner circle composed by Nándor Wagner for “the better understanding of each other” of 5 religious figures: Jesus, Abraham, Buddha, Akhenaten, and Laozi. Near the sculptures, you’ll find Prince Buda who is separated from her Princess Pest, just as the Danube cuts the city in half also. A local tip, visit the garden on Saturday and just two minutes away you’ll find Czakó Kert, a bistro which organizes a farmers’ market every Saturday in their own garden.