One day in the middle of December, I was searching for plane tickets on Momondo, just as I…
Times visited: 2
Cities visited: Budapest
Villages visited: Nagymaros, Visegrád
UNESCO sites visited: 1/8
My first encounter with Hungary was a very brief one. In the summer of 2013, my family and I were driving from Denmark to Croatia, and as a dedicated country collector at the time (much more than now), I persuaded my dad to make a slight detour into western Hungary. We didn’t see much – just the highway and a short stop in a small village near Szombathely – but that tiny glimpse was enough to spark my curiosity.
In January 2016, I finally got to experience Hungary properly when I spent nine days in Budapest, the country’s vibrant capital. Nine days is quite a lot for me to spend in one city, and while I did take a few day trips, most of my time followed a slow-paced rhythm: sleeping in, sightseeing for a few hours, returning to the hostel in the early evening, and repeating the pattern the next day.
It was a new way of travelling for me – less intense, more reflective. While I enjoyed Budapest, I sometimes found it hard to stay motivated to explore. Still, I’m glad I experienced the city at this slower pace, because I came to love it deeply. I even managed to visit the Invisible Exhibition, one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had on my travels. Towards the end of my stay, I discovered that an old high school friend was living in the city. Suddenly, I had a local to show me hidden gems and take me on a spontaneous adventure to a castle above Visegrád, perched above the Danube River – a definite highlight of the trip.
I returned to Budapest in the summer of 2022, this time for an archaeological conference. I didn’t do any sightseeing, but just being back in the bustling city again – and indulging in all the delicious vegan food – was great!