We loved our stay at the oldest address in Budapest, the Pest-Buda Hotel – potentially even the oldest in this part of Europe – deep in the heart of the Castle District, just a stone’s throw from Fisherman’s Bastion – perfect for early-dawn photo shoots (as you’ll see from our front cover), explorations and sunrise gazing at this historical monument before the coachloads of tourists arrive.
When we’d had our fill of sights, we returned to the historic Revival mansion, originally built in 1696, for a delicious breakfast served by a super-friendly team.
There are only 10 rooms at the Pest-Buda Hotel. We got to try the Atelier Suite, an attic room featuring an exposed, original Baroque roof structure and a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the rooftops of ancient Buda and the bell tower of Matthias Church.
If sleeping in ‘olde-worlde’ European architecture isn’t your thing, but you still want to take advantage of the location and mood of the oldest hotel in town, the owners have more modern apartments just around the corner. But even apartment guests couldn’t stay away from Pest-Buda Hotel comfort food, billed as ‘Grandma’s homestyle Hungarian kitchen’, extending the original hospitality from way back when in the 1700s when the building was an inn. Think goulash, paprikash and duck liver pâté – a mouthwateringly experiential way to get under the skin of this old city.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Culturalist | BUD | GMT +2 |
| While you’re Out There |
| It’s often said that the whole UNESCO World Heritage area around the hotel is like a film set. Well, you can take that literally, as many parts of Budapest feature in Hollywood blockbusters and TV dramas alike. You may recognise the Castle District from Netflix’s Homeland (it’s a doppelganger for Moscow) and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Red Heat. |
Photography courtesy of Pest-Buda Hotel
At OutThere, we believe in boundless travel. But we understand that some destinations can pose challenges to travellers that complicate visiting them. We advise all visitors to inform themselves about local legislation and customs, and to work with a trusted travel provider in order to ensure a safe and pleasant holiday.
