Fly from Nice to Budapest

When you start your journey from Nice to Budapest, whether you are travelling as a couple for a romantic escape or with friends for a wild weekend, you need to ask yourself an essential question: Buda or Pest? Let us explain… Budapest was formed by the union of two cities that for a long time were separated by the Danube. Joined in 1873 into a single city, the two parts nevertheless have distinct identities.
Buda, the old capital, is an architectural gem on a hill overlooking the rest of the city. It’s the ideal place for a cultural discovery of Hungary’s history. Quiet, cobbled streets, magnificent monuments, the memory of the famous Empress Sisi, a breathtaking view over the opposite bank, its superb Parliament Building, or of course the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd): this is the “postcard” experience of the city.
Pest has its share of beautiful sights, but the left bank of the Danube is above all the lively side: the place to party. From its big shopping streets to the small restaurants of the Jewish quarter, and from the stalls of the Central Market Hall to the funky ruin bars, it’s a fantastic whirlwind.
So what’s it to be: Buda or Pest? “Both, of course.” Good choice!

• Take the tram! Specifically, take line 2. It runs along the Danube and shows passengers the best parts of the city, starting with its Parliament Building. A magnificent ride, day or night!
• Visit Buda, with its bourgeois alleys, Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion (what a view!), the Citadel and Buda Castle, the preferred residence of Sisi.
• Take a look inside Saint Stephen’s Basilica, in the heart of Pest. This Neo-Renaissance church is truly splendid. Its reliquary contains the mummified right hand of Saint Stephen, Hungary’s first king.
• Remember… Shoes on the Danube Bank (a memorial to the Jews killed along the riverbank) and the House of Terror (the museum of totalitarianism) remind us of the fragility of peace and freedom.
• Do your shopping: charcuterie and paprika can be bought in the Central Market Hall. Make sure you try the local speciality: lángos (a large piece of deep-fried dough covered with crème fraîche and cheese).
• Enjoy a bath. Budapest is the queen of spas and thermal baths. The best-known baths: Széchenyi is the largest establishment in the city, Rudas offers the most typical experience, and Gellért boasts Belle Époque elegance.
• Wander around the Jewish Quarter, visit the Dohány Street Synagogue (the second largest in the world), and dine in one of the area’s many fabulous restaurants.
• Walk all the way along Andrássy Avenue, Hungary’s answer to the Champs-Elysées, until you reach Heroes’ Square, the sublime Vajdahunyad Castle, and in winter, the giant ice rink, which is the biggest in Europe.
• Go on a ruin bar crawl. Located in old buildings and courtyards that were abandoned after the fall of Communism, these pubs with their funky décor are part of what makes Budapest so famous for its nightlife. One of them, Szimpla Kert, is even considered to be among the best bars in the world.
• Sample a glass of Tokaji wine, the pride and joy of Hungary’s winemakers. Many knowledgeable oenologists consider this dry or sweet wine to be one of the world’s finest whites.