4+1 tips on how to beat the heat while exploring Budapest

While a lot of people enjoy the summer heat and do not mind the hot temperatures while sightseeing, it is always better to be safe and include options where you are not exposed to the sun, and you can cool down. Let us see which places work best if you want to see Budapest but want to stay cool.

Although ruin pubs and museums (especially those that focus on Hungarian history and cultural heritage) are great to opt for during these hot days, you might want to expand your horizons and see what else Budapest has in store.

1 Churches

Churches are worth checking out even if you are not a dedicated church-goer, mostly because of their architecture, décor and their past.

These places of devotion are perfect if you wish to wind down and reflect in silence while taking in the frescoes and detailed structures.

Aside from St Stephen’s Basilica, we recommend visiting the St Elizabeth Church at Rózsák tere, a beautiful Gothic church with a lovely garden, the Church by the Rock, situated inside Gellért Hill, the Church of Szentimreváros, overlooking the Bottomless Lake in Buda, or the Inner City Parish Church at the Pest end of Elizabeth Bridge, which is open 0-24.

St Elizabeth Church left:
Puffancs – WikiCommons
right: Daily News Hungary

2 Beaches, Baths

Although this counts more as relaxation than sightseeing, you can get to know a thing or two about Hungarian cuisine at the beaches (yes, I am talking about tasting lángos). There are plenty fun spas and beaches in the outer parts of Budapest, like Lupa Beach, which has a Caribbean note to it with the turquoise blue water and the white sand, or Palatinus that has several pools, lots of slides and a fitness park.

Photo: www.facebook.com/LupaTóOfficial

However, if you want to stay close to the city centre,

you can visit one of the famous historical baths of Budapest, as many of them have outdoor pools filled with refreshing, cold water.

Try the Gellért Baths, but make sure you take a tour inside and grab a deep breath before you dive deep – the Art Deco establishment’s beauty will leave you breathless.

Photo: www.gellertfurdo.hu

3 Ice cream and other refreshments

Delicious ice cream while roaming the streets is a company which we cannot get enough of. If you are nearby St Stephen’s Basilica and are looking for a special treat, try Gelarto Rosa at Szent István tér, where with the help of a special Italian technique, your ice cream is shaped into an artificial rose.

On the other hand, if you want to keep things more simple and minimal when it comes to appearances, try Anjuna Ice Pops.

Anjuna offers a great variety of vegan ice creams, that are also gluten-, sugar- and lactose-free.

Photo: www.facebook.com/pg/GelartoRosa

One of my personal favourites is Valdocco at Múzeum körút, where they serve traditional ice creams with a range of flavours that keeps changing, but the taste remains authentic.

4 Parks

Trees and their shade are like armour that shields us from the hot rays of the sun. Even though there are not many well-kept parks in Budapest, there are treasures like Margaret Island, where you can spend hours relaxing and walking, while getting to know the squirrels, or Kopaszi Dam, the City Park or the tiny Károlyi Garden and its loveliest resident, a bunny, near Egyetem tér.

Margaret Island, Photo: YouTube John Feher – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBaoct6LizAk_8lhsx6It1Q

+1 drinking fountains

The quality of the water in Budapest is surprisingly good (speaking from personal experience and relying on the opinions of many locals), especially in downtown Budapest. Staying hydrated in summer is of crucial importance, so carry a water bottle with you because

chances are you will find a tap or drinking fountain within 5 minutes of walking distance anywhere in the city.

There is a map where you can find the nearest tap and another one that includes those cafés and restaurants where you can refill your bottle for free.

featured image: Photo: MTI/Mohai Balázs

Source: Daily News Hungary