Budapest chosen among the world’s best travel destinations

The astonishing Hungarian capital celebrated its 150th birthday this weekend with gala shows, and it was also chosen as one of the world’s best travel destinations by Condé Nast Traveler.

Budapest was created by joining Óbuda, Buda and Pest in 1873. Interestingly, we celebrate that anniversary on 17 November, but, in reality, the city was formed on 25 October. 17 November was the day when the city council took over the management of the affairs.

Hungary’s President, Katalin Novák, said that Budapest was the home and island of peace and security, which is valuable in a turbulent world. She added that Budapest is a place for all Hungarians to be proud of.

Gergely Karácsony, the opposition mayor of the Hungarian capital, said that Budapest was “unshakable in its Hungarianness”, but is also European. “Some cities are forever, like Rome, and some cities always rise again, like Budapest”, he added. And it seems that is respected also by foreign travellers.

An important success for Budapest

According to lelepo.hu, Condé Nast Traveler, an international travel magazine, compiled the destinations they recommend their readers visit in 2024. The good news is that the 150-year-old Budapest obtained a very good position on this list. Thus, we can say that the Hungarian capital is among the world’s best destinations.

The list titled “The 24 Best Places to Go in 2024” is in alphabetic order. It starts with Accra, Ghana, and continues with Budapest. They suggest tourists go for a fresh take on the 150-year-old city. The title may be misleading for some. Only the unification of the three city parts (Pest, Buda and Óbuda) happened in 1873. The three cities were founded much earlier than that. All three have ancient Roman origins and have been populated by Hungarians since the Conquest of the Carpathian Basin (895-896).

Photo: https://www.facebook.com/AndrassyAvenue/

Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, Hungarian Parliament

Condé Nast Traveler writes the following about the Hungarian capital:

“Renowned for its architecture, the Hungarian capital is home to everything from art nouveau and neoclassical to gothic and baroque, with the Blue Danube connecting it all like a ribbon. And then there are the mineral-rich thermal baths, featuring ornate design flourishes. The city also buzzes with creativity, which spills over into the vibrant nightlife; the ruin bars district is a tangible example of crafting opportunity from the ashes of adversity following the brutality of Communist rule.”

Ruin Bar in Budapest Photo: facebook.com/Instant

November 2023 marks 150 years since the previously divided cities of Buda, Pest, and Óbuda were unified, as well as a series of cultural events. The Chain Bridge—the city’s oldest and a “symbol of togetherness,” according to Mayor Gergely Karácsony—has fully reopened after a two-year restoration, granting excellent views of the Buda Castle and the Hungarian Parliament Building. New builds such as the spectacular House of Hungarian Music and the National Athletics Centre (the central stadium for 2023’s World Athletics Championships) are testament to a city with optimism for its next 150 years.

Europe’s first—combines musical memorabilia

The art deco W Budapest—formerly a palace and on a UNESCO World Heritage-listed street—opened in July 2023 opposite the Hungarian State Opera. Also in the Marriott portfolio is the Dorothea Hotel, with its 216 rooms and glamorous rooftop restaurant. In keeping with the musical events celebrating the 150th anniversary, the 2022 opening of the Hard Rock Hotel—Eastern Europe’s first—combines musical memorabilia (Prince’s faux-fur coat in a shade of, unsurprisingly, purple) with an in-thick-of-it location on Nagymező Street, Budapest’s legendary louche entertainment strip. We wrote about Budapest’s Hard Rock Hotel in THIS article.