Reasons to Visit Budapest This Summer

Why Visit Budapest

Budapest is Hungary’s capital and, according to many, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This city has an unusual charm as it’s a perfect combination of historical values and modern lifestyle. I’ve been to Budapest twice and I’d love to visit it again.

Divided in two by the Danube River, Budapest is a blend of Buda and Pest, which were united back in 1873. In Buda, tourists can enjoy the Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Hapsburg Fortress, while Pest is home of the St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament Building, and the State Opera.

Thanks to Budapest’s numerous sights and landmarks, it is often a popular spring as well as fall travel destination. There are lots of organized bus and/or plane tours during which you can get familiar with the most important corners of this wonderful city.

However, what I’d like to point out in this post is the fact that Budapest is actually an excellent summer travel spot as well. To support my claims, I have listed several reasons why anyone should visit Budapest this summer and have an adventure like no other.

Sziget Festival in Budapest

Hell yeah, Sziget is one of the best festivals in Europe and possibly the world. Every year top artists take on its stage and offer unforgettable parties to their fans. In 2018 when I went, for example, Sziget’s lineup featured Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Gorillaz, Lana Del Rey, Kygo and many other attractive performers.

The festival starts on 8th of August and ends on 14th of August. You should visit Budapest during these dates if you want to experience the Szige adventure. Festival visitors should, however, prepare for higher prices during that period and have in mind that they should book accommodation in advance unless they plan to stay in the festival’s camp.

Nature is Especially Wonderful

Needless to say, during the summer period, nature is especially gorgeous. Visitors will enjoy lots of greenery. Moreover, the days tend to be sunny and wonderful, meaning the overall experience in the city is lovely and positive. Strong sun and hot weather may, nonetheless, be problematic to some people so if you have issues with high temperatures you may prefer visiting the city during a colder period. Anyway, prepare for wonderful parks, flowers, and trees; something you’ll never see in winter.

Enjoy Local Cuisine and Drinks on Outside Patios

If you’re stuck inside when visiting Budapest in fall or winter, this completely changes during the summer period. Namely, lots of restaurants open their gardens and place chairs and tables on patios. This way, you can enjoy not only the Hungarian cuisine and drinks, but also a beautiful atmosphere of a vibrant city. Plus, when you’re outside on a street you can always watch people as they live their everyday lives and have a true Budapest experience.

Swimming in Outdoor Pools

Budapest is widely known for its baths; however, visitors shouldn’t overlook outside pools either. Namely, the city boasts with excellent outdoor pools as well as water parks. Therefore, you can enjoy a swim, sip on coffee and soak in the sun even in a city so far away from the beach. Especially popular and worth seeing is the Palatinus Water Park that features 11 pools including one wave pool.

Enjoy Nightlife in Outdoor Bars and Clubs

Like enjoying local cuisine and drinks on outside patios, during summer you can enjoy a whole new nightlife experience. Budapest has lots of outdoor bars and clubs whose atmosphere is pretty relaxed and casual. It lets you breathe fresh summer air, party outside and visit summer-only spots that are opened during this period only. Other popular summer-night options include a cruise on the Danube river or taking a ride on the Budapest Eye.

Days Last Longer

What’s better than being able to explore the city for hours and during the daytime? Well, that’s one of the main pros of visiting Budapest during summers, when the days last longer and you’ll able to wander around without worrying ending up alone in a dark alley. After all, more daylight means seeing more things within a single day.

Summary

All in all, Budapest is a great travel destination regardless of the season. However, visiting this beautiful European city in the summer offers a completely different and rich experience than visiting it when the weather is bad and the days are short. Therefore, if you want to see top performers, witness gorgeous nature and take a swim in outdoor pools, you should consider giving Budapest a try instead of going to other destinations associated with summer holidays such Greece or Italy.