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Budapest’s Lucky Statues: Touch Them and Make a Wish

Budapest is full of impressive monuments, but some statues are famous for a completely different reason. According to local traditions, touching a particular part of them can bring luck, love, inspiration or even success in exams. If you walk around the city, you can actually see which parts people touch the most: the dark bronze becomes bright and almost golden after thousands of hands have rubbed the same spot. There is no official number of lucky statues in Budapest. Different local guides include different ones, but there are several famous examples spread between Buda and Pest. The Fat Policeman – probably the most famous one One of the easiest lucky statues to find is the Fat Policeman, standing on Zrínyi Street, only a few steps from St Stephen’s Basilica. The first thing you notice is his enormous shiny belly. It has become golden because tourists have been rubbing it for…

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Active tourism

Puskás Aréna: a different side of Budapest

If you have been in Budapest for Erasmus for more than a few days, you have probably already noticed the Puskás Aréna. It is one of the most impressive buildings in the city and, even if you are not a big football fan, it is definitely worth seeing. The stadium is located quite close to the city centre and can host more than 67,000 people. It opened in 2019 and is named after Ferenc Puskás, one of the most famous Hungarian football players in history. The stadium tour One of the coolest things about the Puskás Aréna is that you can actually visit it even when there is no match. There are guided tours where you can explore the stadium and see places that are normally closed to visitors. You can walk around the stands, discover the areas behind the scenes and get an idea of what happens inside the…

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Active tourism

The Moon of Budapest: a little piece of the sky in the city

If you have been in Budapest during the summer, you have probably noticed that the city is full of unusual things to see. But one of the most unexpected ones is definitely the giant inflatable Moon that appears in the city. The first time I saw it, I honestly had no idea what it was supposed to be, but it immediately caught my attention. As an Erasmus student, I have started to realise that Budapest is a city where you can find something interesting almost everywhere. And sometimes, you don’t even have to look for it. The Moon The giant inflatable Moon is basically exactly what it sounds like: a huge Moon installation that you can see in Budapest during special events and exhibitions. It looks like a giant version of the real Moon, complete with all its craters. During the day it is already quite impressive, but when it…

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Active tourism

The Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest: a Budapest legend

If you have been in Budapest for Erasmus for more than a few days, you have probably noticed that this city is full of legends. One of my favourites is the story behind the statue of the Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest, because it is basically a love story that explains the relationship between the two sides of the city. The statue is located on Gellért Hill, not far from the Citadella, and from there you also get one of the nicest views over the Danube and the whole city. The legend According to the legend, the Prince of Buda and the Princess of Pest lived on opposite sides of the Danube. They fell in love with each other, but there was a problem: the river separated them. The Prince lived on the Buda side, surrounded by the hills, while the Princess lived in Pest, on the…

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Active tourism

Buda Castle: A Free Afternoon in Budapest

If you are in Budapest for Erasmus, visiting Buda Castle is definitely something you should do. It is one of the most famous areas of the city, and the best part is that you can explore most of it without spending any money. How to get there for free The easiest way is to walk. From Pest, you can cross the Chain Bridge and then walk up towards the Castle District. It is a bit uphill, but it is completely free and the views along the way are really nice. You can also take public transport and walk the last part. If you are trying to save money as an Erasmus student, we would skip the funicular and use the money for something else later. What should you see? The Castle District is quite big, so you can easily spend a few hours walking around. Start with Buda Castle and…

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Active tourism

Red Bull Ládaderbi: Budapest’s Craziest Race Takes Over Tabán

Yesterday, 20 September, Tabán looked very different from usual. Instead of people relaxing on the grass, the hill became a race track full of strange vehicles, costumes, music and thousands of spectators. It was the Red Bull Ládaderbi, probably one of the funniest and most unusual events we have seen in Budapest. But what exactly is Ládaderbi? The idea is quite simple: teams build their own vehicles and race downhill using only gravity. There is no engine. The cars have to be handmade, but apart from some safety rules, creativity is almost unlimited. And this is what makes the event so entertaining. Some vehicles actually look fast and well designed, while others look like they should never move at all. This year there was everything: a racing bathtub, a giant anvil, a Nimbus 2000 broom, a rocket launcher, a dinner table and even a kayak transformed into something similar to…

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Active tourism

The Best Danube Cruise with Unlimited Drinks in Budapest

If you are in Budapest for Erasmus, going on a Danube cruise is definitely something you should try. The city looks completely different from the river, especially in the evening when all the buildings and bridges are illuminated. There are many different cruises to choose from, but if you are looking for something fun and not too expensive, an unlimited drinks cruise is probably one of the best options. Here is the one we tried and why we liked it. Bud By Boat Bud By Boat offers a 75-minute cruise on the Danube with unlimited drinks. The ticket is currently around €24.80, which is quite reasonable for an Erasmus student, especially because you don’t have to pay for every drink separately. The cruise goes along the centre of Budapest, so you can see some of the most famous places from the river, including the Parliament, Buda Castle, Gellért Hill and…

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Active tourism

The Magic of the Musical Fountain on Margaret Island

Margaret Island is already one of the most relaxing places in Budapest, but there is one spot that completely changes its atmosphere: the Musical Fountain. During the day it is a nice place to stop after walking around the island, but in the evening it becomes much more special. The fountain is the largest musical fountain in Hungary. It is about 36 metres wide, and its central water jet can reach more than 25 metres high. Every hour, the water moves following different songs, creating shapes and rhythms that make it look almost like the fountain is dancing. When water starts dancing What makes this fountain different from a normal one is the combination of music and movement. Some jets slowly rise with quieter parts of the songs, while others suddenly shoot into the air when the music becomes stronger. Sitting around the fountain and watching the water follow the…

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Active tourism

The Top 10 Free Places to Visit in Budapest

If you are in Budapest for Erasmus, one of the best things about the city is that you can do a lot without spending much money. There are many beautiful places to visit that are completely free, from viewpoints and parks to historic streets and impressive buildings. As students, we obviously love finding places where we can spend an afternoon without having to worry about our budget. So, here are 10 of our favourite free places to visit in Budapest. 1. Fisherman’s Bastion Fisherman’s Bastion is probably one of the most beautiful places in Budapest. It is located on the Buda side, near Buda Castle, and has amazing views over the Danube and the whole city. The best part is that most of the area is completely free to visit. There are some upper towers that require a ticket, but you can still get a great view without paying. We…

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Active tourism

Budapest’s Hidden Mini Statues: A Treasure Hunt Around the City

During my Erasmus in Budapest, I started discovering that the city has much more than the famous Parliament, Buda Castle and Chain Bridge. While walking around the city, I noticed some very small statues hidden in unexpected places. These are the mini statues of Budapest, many of them created by the artist Mihály Kolodko. They can be found on bridges, walls, railings and near the streets, and some of them are so small that you can easily walk past without noticing them. For me, finding them became a little game. Every time I walked around a different part of Budapest, I started looking down and checking the corners of the streets to see if I could find another one. What are these mini statues? The statues are small bronze sculptures, usually only a few centimetres high. Many of them were created by Mihály Kolodko, a Ukrainian-born artist who lives and…

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