8+1 things you should not do when visiting Budapest

When you travel abroad, it is recommended to look up what you should do and see in the city or country you are visiting. However, there are usually few words written about what you should rather not do because it is not considered funny, or quite the opposite, it is viewed as rude behaviour. If you keep on reading, we will give you some tips on what to avoid saying or doing during your time in the Hungarian capital.

Jokes about Hungary and being hungry

I am quite sure that almost every Hungarian person who has ever talked to a foreigner heard the joke hungry Hungary and the question whether all Hungarians really are hungry all the time. It was funny at first, maybe the next two times, but let’s make something clear. When you hear the same thing over and over again, several times every year from your friends visiting abroad or a random tourist you meet in a ruin bar, it does not only become boring but quite annoying and, frankly, it can sometimes be perceived as a rude comment. We have heard it a million times, and we would not say it to each other.

Budapest is not Bucharest

I know the two countries are right next to each other, I know we have a shared history, and I know that there are territories that were previously part of Hungary but now belong to Romania. Us Hungarians, we do not mind if you pronounce Budapest with the consonant “S” when in our language it is a different sound, that is completely fine, you do not have that sound in your alphabet. But joking about calling our capital Bucharest, when there is more than 600km between the two cities, is not a very nice thing to do. Also, it makes you seem like you do not know European geography.

Never toast with beer 

It might sound weird for anyone not to toast with a glass or a pint of beer (mostly pint, I mean, who drinks only a glass when it comes to a good Hungarian craft beer?), but for us Hungarians, it is essential. It might be a superstition, but it is definitely based on historical happenings. 150 years ago, during the revolution in 1848-1849 when the Hungarian uprising was defeated by Austria, the winners celebrated in Vienna by toasting with beer. It was even illegal to do it in Hungary for a while, but nowadays, it is only tradition that tells us not to do so. Still, it is very much recommended for foreigners to avoid this custom when they visit our capital.

Being topless in the middle of the city

We know Budapest is a cheaper option than most European cities when it comes to visiting a capital – or organising your bachelor party for a reasonable price, with everything included. These trips are great fun. But please, respect residents of the city by not getting half – or completely – naked in the middle of the day or night, right in the centre. We know you are on holiday and you want to enjoy every second of it and do things you would not do at home, but shouting profanities or anything that comes to your mind at 2 am is not the nicest behaviour, nor is it appreciated.