St. Stephen’s Basilica Christmas Market<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNow\u2019s the time to head back to the city centre to experience the prettiest Christmas Market in Budapest at St. Stephen’s Basilica. This Christmas market is hugged by some of the most beautiful architecture in Budapest and comes alive at night-time – as you approach the road that leads up to the Basilica, you can\u2019t help but be wowed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
A line of wooden market stalls selling strudel, quality handicrafts, and \u2018festive punch\u2019 perfectly frame the grand Basilica and sparkling bow-embellished Christmas tree. Beneath the Basilica you\u2019ll find a square with more stalls, a small ice rink, and live music. Make sure you stick around for the festive light show, which projects on the Basilica daily every half an hour from 5.30pm \u2013 10pm.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Dinner<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIf you want a budget-friendly dinner, grab something from one of the many food street stalls. Warming goulash, crispy potato pancakes, roasted duck leg, and hun-dogs \u2013 baguette, pickles, and Hungarian sausage \u2013 are all dishes you\u2019ll find everywhere.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Alternatively, head back to your hotel to check-in and freshen up, and then venture out to your choice of restaurant. Budapest has a great restaurant scene and you can sample anything from traditional Hungarian cuisine to Mediterranean, Jewish, and Asian. Well-reputed restaurants to check out include Mazel Tov, Rosenstein, TwentySix, and Caf\u00e9 Kor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Nightlife<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAfter dinner, go to one of the city\u2019s world-renowned ruin bars. These wacky neglected pre-war buildings have become somewhat of an institute in Budapest\u2019s nightlife and are made up of rooms brimming with quirky furniture and a buzzing atmosphere. Some of the most popular ruin bars are Szimpla Kert, UdvarRom and Ellato Kert.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Morning<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIf time allows head to Cirkusz for breakfast. This trendy caf\u00e9 has been coined one of the world\u2019s top brunch spots and serves everything from pulled pork benedict to American pancakes and waffles. You may have to wait for a table but, rumour has it, their eggs benedict is worth missing your flight home for\u2026<\/p>\r\n
\u00a024 hours isn\u2019t long to soak up everything Budapest has to offer but I hope this itinerary helps you make the most of the time you have!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Budapest, Hungary has oodles of history, a thriving foodie and nightlife scene, and its Christmas Markets have been voted some of the best in Europe. 24 hours isn\u2019t long to soak up everything this city has to offer but it is long enough to kick-start the festivities. Marvel at the shimmering Christmas lights, warm up with a spiced mulled wine or hot Aperol from a market stall, browse traditional Hungarian souvenirs and submerge yourself in a natural thermal bath. Here\u2019s how to maximise 24 hours in Budapest! Morning V\u00f6r\u00f6smarty T\u00e9r Christmas Market Once you\u2019ve arrived at your accommodation, wrap up warm and head straight to V\u00f6r\u00f6smarty T\u00e9r Christmas Market – the oldest and most popular market in the city. Start by perusing the stalls adorned with wreaths, baubles, and twinkling fairy lights. Here you\u2019ll find everything from ceramics, jewellery, and artwork to mulled wine, goulash, and roasted chestnuts. Make sure you sample the traditional Hungarian street food dish Langos, a deep-fried bread topped with garlic butter, sour cream, and cheese before moving on to Hungary\u2019s famous chimney cake with your choice of toppings. Afternoon Head to the waterfront where you\u2019ll find the spectacular spikey skyline of Buda Castle and Fisherman\u2019s Bastion across the river Danube. To the right, you\u2019ll also be able to spot the impressive Chain Bridge, which is one of eight bridges connecting Buda and Pest. Buda Castle and Fisherman\u2019s Bastion If you\u2019d like to visit Buda Castle and Fisherman\u2019s Bastion hop on the Line 16 bus. Alternatively, you can walk, take a taxi, or jump on the funicular at the bottom of Buda Castle hill. You can visit the castle courtyards for free or organise a tour to go inside. Once you\u2019re done exploring, walk to Fisherman\u2019s Bastion, which offers outstanding views across Pest including the iconic Hungarian Parliament Building. Budapest Thermal Baths If you\u2019d rather spend your afternoon relaxing, visit one of Budapest\u2019s thermal baths. Sz\u00e9chenyi Thermal Baths are the most famous and can be found in City Park. Booking ahead is advised and tickets cost between 9,400 and 10,900 HUF (\u00a320 – \u00a325). Other thermal baths include Gell\u00e9rt, Rudas, and Kir\u00e1ly. Evening St. Stephen’s Basilica Christmas Market Now\u2019s the time to head back to the city centre to experience the prettiest Christmas Market in Budapest at St. Stephen’s Basilica. This Christmas market is hugged by some of the most beautiful architecture in Budapest and comes alive at night-time – as you approach the road that leads up to the Basilica, you can\u2019t help but be wowed. A line of wooden market stalls selling strudel, quality handicrafts, and \u2018festive punch\u2019 perfectly frame the grand Basilica and sparkling bow-embellished Christmas tree. Beneath the Basilica you\u2019ll find a square with more stalls, a small ice rink, and live music. Make sure you stick around for the festive light show, which projects on the Basilica daily every half an hour from 5.30pm \u2013 10pm. Dinner If you want a budget-friendly dinner, grab something from one of the many food street stalls. Warming goulash, crispy potato pancakes, roasted duck leg, and hun-dogs \u2013 baguette, pickles, and Hungarian sausage \u2013 are all dishes you\u2019ll find everywhere. Alternatively, head back to your hotel to check-in and freshen up, and then venture out to your choice of restaurant. Budapest has a great restaurant scene and you can sample anything from traditional Hungarian cuisine to Mediterranean, Jewish, and Asian. Well-reputed restaurants to check out include Mazel Tov, Rosenstein, TwentySix, and Caf\u00e9 Kor. Nightlife After dinner, go to one of the city\u2019s world-renowned ruin bars. These wacky neglected pre-war buildings have become somewhat of an institute in Budapest\u2019s nightlife and are made up of rooms brimming with quirky furniture and a buzzing atmosphere. Some of the most popular ruin bars are Szimpla Kert, UdvarRom and Ellato Kert. Morning If time allows head to Cirkusz for breakfast. This trendy caf\u00e9 has been coined one of the world\u2019s top brunch spots and serves everything from pulled pork benedict to American pancakes and waffles. You may have to wait for a table but, rumour has it, their eggs benedict is worth missing your flight home for\u2026 \u00a024 hours isn\u2019t long to soak up everything Budapest has to offer but I hope this itinerary helps you make the most of the time you have!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1437,67,68,1438,216],"tags":[1439,473,474,1436,574,1440],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12537"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12537"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14346,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12537\/revisions\/14346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lydiagiles.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}