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5 things to do in Budapest on a rainy day

The Hungarian Girl | May 28, 2011 | 0 Comments

View of Budapest on a spring day.

You spent months planning a trip to Budapest. Now it’s raining. Don’t fret. Contrary to what most people may think, a rainy day doesn’t mean a bad day. Here are some things to keep you entertained when the weather isn’t cooperating.

1. Sit and relax at one of the many traditional coffeehouses in Budapest. Some of the most popular places include Ruszwurm, Centrál Café, Café Gerbeaud, and New York Café. Be sure to try some delicious Hungarian pastries like rétes, dobostorta and rákóczi túrós.

2. See a performance at the Opera House. Erected in 1884 and designed in a neo-Renaissance style, the Opera House holds more than 1,200 seats and has a reputation for exceptional acoustics. Performances of opera, ballet, and classical and contemporary music are held nearly every day of the week.

3. Soak up the healing waters at the thermal bathhouses in Budapest. Proclaimed as the “City of Spas” in the year 1934, Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water springs than any other capital city in the world. Some of the most popular bathhouses include the Gellert Baths, the Szechenyi Baths, the Lukacs Baths and the Rudas Baths, which many argue are the best in Hungary. If you feel like pampering yourself even further, many bathhouses offer massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, and even specialized treatments for various ailments.

4. Admire great works of art, history, and culture. Budapest has a many great musuems offering large-scale exhibitions to smaller more intimate displays. There’s also many unique museums like the Transport Museum which houses one of Europe’s oldest transportation collections. For those interested in Hungarian folk culture, the Museum of Ethnography features traditional costumes, handicrafts and re-created lifestyles of Hungary during the 19th and 20th century.

5. Enjoy fine wines. With over 22 wine regions across the country and a variety of native grapes, Hungary is a wine lover’s paradise. That being said, there’s no shortage of great wine bars in Budapest. Drop Shop Wine Bar, Doblo Wine Bar, and Bock Bisztró are just a few great places in the city.