Budapest is widely famous for its mesmerizing architecture, rich history and tasty food.

Today, Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors every year from all over the globe to its countless landmarks, museums and art galleries, as well as its sports halls and stadiums.

So grab onto the top tourist tips when traveling to Budapest, hit the city center with a your pre-booked airport cab and start exploring. Here’s what to see:

Castle Hill

Rising above the Danube, Castle Hill holds many of Budapest's most important medieval monuments and museums.

The most spectacular of these structures is the 18th century Buda Castle, a huge palace with 200 rooms, being amazingly illuminated at night.

Here you can also find the 19th century Fisherman's Bastion, built where the local fishermen had their defense set in the Middle Ages. Sitting behind the wonderful Matthias Church, the Neo-Romanesque towers and colonnades were completely restored.

Castle Hill is also a perfect place for a stroll among number of excellent statues.

Gellért Hill

Resting on top of a 235-meter dolomite block and falling steeply down to the Danube, the panoramic Gellért Hill strikes with its beauty. Some of Budapest’s most known medicinal springs are here to supply the Gellért Spa and Rudas Baths, which have attracted visitors from far since the 13th century. The Citadel can also be seen here, a large structure built by the Austrians in 1851. While at the Gellért Hill, make sure to check the Liberation Monument, built in 1947 in memory of the Soviet soldiers who died during the WWII. And to end the day, take a stroll around Jubilee Park, laid out to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution.
 

The Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts is known to house the largest collections of artworks by the Old Masters in Europe. The array of Italian, Spanish and Dutch paintings are on display in a beautiful, classically-influenced 19th century building, featuring long rooms for the large paintings and cabinets for the smaller ones, along with architecturally intriguing space - the Renaissance Hall. The museum was established in 1870, after Hungary inherited a large collection of artworks, while the space is divided in six excellent departments: Egyptian Art, Ancient Art, the Old Sculpture Gallery, the Old Painter Gallery, the Modern Collection, and the Graphics Collection. Hence, if you are an art lover, this museum must be on your list.
 

Parliament Buildings

Take a walk along Budapest's lovely cobbled streets and stop by the architectural wonder called the Parliament Building and its surroundings - the Museum of Ethnography and the Ministry of Agriculture. This Neo-Gothic building is the world's third largest parliament building, inaugurated in 1886 to mark the country's 1,000th anniversary. Featuring 691 rooms and 19 kilometers of corridors and stairs, the place has guided tours for the visitors whenever the government is not sitting. It is a truly remarkable building, so buy your ticket online to avoid waiting in lines.
 

Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial

Close to the Hungarian Parliament, on the bank of the Danube, you'll pass by the chilling Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial, a line of 60 pairs of steel sculpted shoes in memory of the Jews shot here during the WWII. The memorial is placed along the Danube Promenade, a pleasant riverside walk from the Elisabeth and Széchenyi Chain Bridges. This is one of the most striking and emotion-filled monuments you’ll ever see in your life, so take a 15 minute break next to the memorial.
 

Heroes' Square and the Millennium Monument

The spectacular Heroes' Square (or Hosök tere), a work of the architect Albert Schickedanz, highlights the Millennium Monument, a 36-meter column topped by a figure of the Archangel Gabriel, unveiled in the 19th century. Through the wide open space, a group of bronze horsemen can be seen, representing the conquering Magyar Prince Árpád and six of his warriors. Colonnades extend in a semi-circle, while between the pillars, statues of Hungarian rulers are placed. In front of the Millennium Monument stands a memorial to the Unknown Soldier, giving the remarkable space a unique character.
 

Vaci Street

Váci Street (or vaci Utca) in downtown Budapest is one of the world’s most attractive pedestrian shopping streets not only according to Hungarians, but according to the foreign visitors as well. Here you can walk among many shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, while absorbing the positive atmosphere and vibes by the numerous visitors. This shopping street is pretty attractive and very clean, offering an afternoon filled with fun. It is truly a must-go place in Budapest.
 

Margaret Island

Margaret Island (or Margit-sziget), 2.4 kilometers long and 503 meters wide, represents Budapest's main recreation spot for many locals. A number of thermal spring baths can be found here, together with carefully tended gardens and paths, opening way for full relaxation. A highlight of the visit is the Palatinus Baths, a huge spa complex covering over 17 acres, where a bath with artificial waves can be enjoyed, together with various medicinal, swimming and children's pools, giving space for up to 20,000 bathers at a time.
 

The Great Synagogue

Pest’s Synagogue and the Jewish Museum should be on your agenda when visiting Budapest. The romanticized Moorish-Byzantine style of this temple with three aisles was designed, planned and built in 1859 by the Viennese architect Ludwig Förster. It is a very spectacular sight and visitors wait in line to admire the interior. However, do note that a not-so-cheap entrance fee is required, so be prepared to plan your budget accordingly.
 

The University Church

Sitting in the south of Pest away from the main shopping streets, the Baroque church in Budapest is one of the most beautiful structures in the city. Its front faces onto a narrow street, which scarcely does it justice. Built between 1725-42 (the two mesmerizing towers were completed after 1771), the principal façade incorporates a triangular tympanum with representations of St. Paul and St. Anthony, together with the arms of the Pauline Order. Its walls are clad in artificial marble, while the highlights include the frescoes on the barrel-vaulted ceilings depicting scenes from the life of Mary (1776), the choir-stalls, and the sculptures of St. Paul and St. Anthony on the High Altar (1746).

When visiting Budapest, make sure to stay at least a few days and enjoy the city properly. But even if you are merely passing by, there’s so much to see in Budapest in one day. Once you are done with your urban adventure, getting to Budapest airport is a piece of cake, especially when having a head full of memories. We wish you happy and safe travels!