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Interesting Walking Tours in Budapest

If you really want to feel the pulse of the city explore it by thematic walking tours.

Don't think you'll know Budapest if you saw only the major attractions!

These walking tours will reveal Budapest's secrets, famous characters, architecture, art and history.

For exact information about organized walking tours enquire at your hotel reception desk or at Budapest Tourist Information Offices.

Thematic Budapest Walking Tours

TIP: Jewish Heritage Tour

On this Jewish heritage in Budapest tour you will be introduced to the history and to the most beautiful monuments of the Jewish district of Budapest with the guidance of an English-speaking guide :

Essential Tour (1-1,5 hour): a visit to the recently renovated Dohány Street Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Cemetery, and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park. Dates: Mon-Thurs: 10.00 ans 14.00, Fri: 10.00, Sun: 11.00
Price: 3300 HUF

Grand Tour (2,5-3 hours): a visit to the recently renovated Dohány Street Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Cemetery, the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park and the Tree of Life.

During our walk in the former ghetto area we are passing by the Carl Lutz Memorial, visit the Rumbach Street Synagogue, walk along Király Street, we'll see the Gozsdu Court and the center of the orthodox Jewish community, the Kazinczy Street Synagogue. At the end of the tour you'll be treated to a cake and coffee in a kosher confectionery.
If you choose this tour with a lunch you'll get a 15% discount from your lunch price in the Carmel restaurant.
Dates: Mon-Thur: 14.00, Fri: 10.00
Price: 8500 HUF , students: 7900 HUF

Expanded Grand Tour - 3 synagogues (3,5-4 hours): During this tour our guide will give you an in-depth introduction to the history and culture of Hungariain Jews.

The tour includes an interior visit to the Dohány Street Synagogue, guided tour in the Jewish Museum, visit to the Holocaust cemetery, the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, a walk in the former Jewsih quarter with interior visits to the Rumbach Street Synagogue and the Kazinczy Street Synagogue.

At the end of the tour you'll be treated to a cake and coffee in a kosher confectionery.
If you choose this tour with a lunch you'll get a 15% discount from your lunch price in the Carmel restaurant.
Dates: Mon-Thur: 10.00, Sun: 11.00
Price: 9500 HUF , students: 8900 HUF

Find out more about the Jewish Heritage Tour.

Inner City of Budapest Walking Tour

This quick stroll introduces to you the most notable sights along a circle in the heart of Pest in the V. district.

Starting point: Roosevelt Square - Pest bridgehead of Chain Bridge (Lánchíd)

Getting there: tram 2 Roosvelt tér stop, a short walk from M2 (red) metro Kossuth tét or Deák tér stations

Map for the walking tour in inner city Budapest

By clicking on the hovering hand you can drag the map. By clicking on the +/- symbols (or by scrolling with your mouse) on the top left corner you can enlarge or reduce the map. Click on the icons to get additional information on the certain attractions.

Roosevelt Square Budapest-Hungarian Academy of Sciences

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences on Roosevelt Square

Roosevelt square has another relic that witnessed many events of Budapest's history during its more than 150-year life, an acacia tree that's said to be the oldest living tree in Budapest.

The Oldest Tree in Budapest on Roosevelt Square

The elegant Chain Bridge and the lions guarding the bridgehead dominate the view with Castle Hill looming over the Danube. Built between 1839-49 it was the first permanent bridge connecting pest and Buda. You can read more about Chain Bridge's history here.

Standing in front of the bridgehead you can admire one of Budapest's most scenic panorama with the Gellért Hill and the Statue of Liberty perching at its top to the left and the Royal Palace and the graceful tower of Matthias church in Castle District on the opposite bank.

To the north of the bridge the green Buda Hills enchants you to go for hiking while the green Baroque towers of Church of St Anne draw your eyes in Víziváros (Watertown).

You can see the bridges spanning the Danube:

Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) to the left of Chain Bridge, Petőfi Bridge and the red Lágymányosi Bridge further south. To the righ the white and graceful structure of Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) stretches over the river.

The neo-Renaissance building of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences encloses the square on the north.

The stunning building on the eastern side of Roosevelt Square is the Gresham Palace where the luxury Four Seasons Hotel welcomes its guests with lavish rooms.

Gresham Place Four Seasons Budapest

Two statues stand on Roosevelt Square the standing form is Count István Széchenyi (1791-1860) whose idea was the Chain Bridge, the founding of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and numerous other development programs in the Reform Era in the 19th century.

The other statue is Ferenc Deák (1803-1876) another outstanding figure of the Reform period - often called "the Wise man of the Nation" - who facilitated and organised the compromise between Austria and Hungary in 1867.

Sttaue of Ferenc Deák in Budapest

Heading south you pass the statue of József Eötvös (1813-1871) writer and politican standing on the square of the same name. Walk straight ahead on Dorottya utca and you'll reach the heart of Pest, Vörösmarty Square.

Statue of Mihály Vörösmarty on Vörösmarty Square Budapest

The plaza is the main square of the inner city. The white marbel statue of the great Hungarian poet, Mihály Vörösmarty (1800-1855) writer of the Szózat.

Szózat, a patriotic poem (Appeal) is often cited on public holidays and deemed to be the second national anthem of Hungary.

The opening line of the poem is carevd into the pedestal of the composition: "Be faithful to your land forever, O Hungarians!". Unfortunatley the statue is covered in canvas in winter to protect it from corrosion.

The Luxus Department Store in Budapest Vörösmarty tér

The Luxus Department Store on the eastern side of the square was one of the rare palces in the communist era where you could buy quality clothes.

Today only a jewelry shops operates in the 3-storey building which will be refurbished.

Take your time wandering around the square. If you feel like taking a rest and have a cup of coffee pop in the famous Gerbeaud Cafe & Confectionery.

Although being a very touristy area the place is a bit pricey but it has very attractive rooms decorated with 19th-century furniture and artworks.

In one of the rooms you can see a portrait of Emile Gerbeuad the Swiss confectioner who bought the place in 1884. If you can find place sit on the terrace in warm weather.

Váci Street with Christmas Lights Decoartion

The Millennium Underground (M1, yellow metro line) has its termini on the square. If you pay attention you can here the murmur of the trains while sipping your coffee in Gerbeaud.

Budapest's main Christmas Market is held here, too. Around Christmas Váci street also dresses up in dceorations and lights for the holiday .

From the south end of Vörösmarty square you can contiune your walk the famous Váci pedestrian shopping street which abounds in fancy boutiques, shops, cafes and restaurants. Apart from the highly commercialized aspect of the street you'll find some remarkable architecture in the area. So don't just windowshop, scan the building facades occasionally and you'll spot some real gems.

For instance the facade of the building at No. 11 is decorated with beautiful Zsolnay tiles. Turn into Kristóf tér where a delictae statue of the Well of the Fishmonger Girl stands erected by the Pest city's Guild of Fishermen. Another nice statue is the Fountain of Mercury (Hermész kút) on the corner of Régiposta utca. It's a replica of Giovanni Bologna's "Flying Mercury" in Florence.

The Philantila flower shop at No. 9 with its art-nouveau decor is another interesting building and shop in Váci utca.

If you want to stock up on English-language books browse the shelves in the Libry Studium Bookshop (63., Váci street, open: Mon-Fri: 10.00-18.30).

In Szervita tér where the Baroque Szervita church welcomes those who long for some quite moments.

The stained glass facade with a huge mosaic picture on the house at No. 3 will caught your eye.

Miksa Róth, one of the most oustanding stained glass artists of the time created the incredible mosaic artwork titled the "Birth of Hungaria" on the building of the former Turkish bank.

Great historical figures and representatives of Hungary pay homage to patron of Hungary, ...

Walk along Petőfi street that flanks Szervita tér and you'll reach the City Hall of Budapest (9-11., Városház utca).

Built between 1716-1741 the Baroque building's original purpose was to provide shelter for those who became crippled in the war between Austria and the Turkish army.

The building has been housing the Municipality of Budapest and been functioning as City Hall since 1894.

Detail of the City Hall's baroque facade designed by Anton Erhards Martinelli -Atlas, the God from Greek mytology holding the sky on his shoulders.

Városháza utca takes you to a charming inner city plaza, Kammermayer Square with the very Parisian-atmosphere Gerlóczy cafe on its side where you can take a rest and have lunch.

At this point you have several choices: if you feel like continuing walking and exploring more of downtown Budapest than the former Jewish quarter with the Central Synagogue in Dohány utca is at just a stone's throw from here.

If your had enough walking and want to return to your hotel room you can get on the blue metro at Ferenciek tere or on any of Budapest's three metro lines in Deák tér.