Outer Pest Budapest – All our local tips

Whatever signs and parents say, playgrounds are not only for children. Your waist might be a bit too wide for the slide or the swing but does playtime end if you have a grown-up body? Definitely not. Trying out the toys, enjoying the sunlight or the green shades under the chestnut trees are serious matters that kids shouldn’t deal with.

There’s this small alley that connects Városligeti fasor with Benczúr utca where the houses encircle a park trapped in a cage. Many parks in the city are surrounded by fences like this e.g. Szent István park or Károlyi Kert (see this article), probably to prevent hooligans and homeless people from entering during the night. Makes sense but we don’t care about the sense of it, do we? At least I’m more upset when I face a closed park gate.

The playground is supposed to be open from 07:00 to 19:00 but I didn’t find it closed later in the evening so it’s worth a try, playgrounds without children are much better anyway.

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Benczúr köz playground | Relaxing | Free
Benczúr köz | Outer Pest
07:00 – 19:00 daily

Burek, what the heck is that? If you want to eat cheap and fast, it is the real alternative to gyros or döner. Nothing typical Hungarian, the dish is of Central Asian origin, the Turks brought it with them to Anatolia to eventually spread it all over the Ottoman Empire.

This particular burek you’re about to taste comes from Serbia: thin layers of dough with various fillings in between, baked in a large circular pan. The original version is filled with salty cheese but you can try other salty and sweet types as well: apple, sour cherry, spinach with sheep cheese, ground meat or ham with mushrooms and cheese. Crispy, a bit oily dough on the outside balanced by the warm and soft filling – simply marvellous. Yogurt takes the whole dish to a different level, try it! Not fruit yogurt for salty burek though.

Other than burek they offer various pastries including rétes and kakaós csiga (”chocolate snail”), emblematic but rarely mentioned stars in the goulash dominated universe of Hungarian cuisine. Rétes would be our answer to burek, only in a different shape and regionally typical filling: apple, sour cherry, cottage cheese, pumpkins&poppy seed or cabbage.

If you want to take a bigger portion you’d better ring them before dropping in order to get your burek guaranteed. Weekdays 09:00 to 13:00 there’s also delivery to downtown addresses. Between 19:00 and 19:30 there is a 50% discount on every food in the shop, just the right time for a quick dinner.

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Burekkirály | Snacks | Small burek HUF 290.00
Hegedűs Gyula utca 20 | Outer Pest | +3612399667
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 19:00, Sat 08:00 – 13:00

This tiny cafeteria is situated in the13th district just streets away from the busy tram stop “Jászai Mari tér”. Here next to the ladies of the area who are playing bridge and still having a majestic old behaviour you can meet for a coffee with anybody.

It is not a museum type of place, do not worry! You can find really tasteful cakes and rare special types of quality coffee from all over the world. The Hawaii Kona and their hot chocolate deserved a place among the best choices for refreshment on a chilly winter morning. The hot chocolate is made of Belgian chocolate so you folks from Brussels, this is the only place where you can find the one similar you are used to in your hometown!

Prices are not so high, but do not expect them to be the lowest in town. But the taste of the first cup of hot chocolate will ensure you: you made the right decision to come here!

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Café Balzac | Coffee & tea, Snacks
Balzac utca 44/b | Outer Pest
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 18:00, Sat 09:00 – 13:00

If you will find this spot on the map maybe you will think that it is better to skip this or I have given you a wrong address. To be honest this is not a place where regular tourists go. This is really a place hidden for foreigners but in my opinion this is a place worth visiting.

If you go there on Saturday around twelve, you will find a crowded marketplace. Chinese, Russian, Romanian Gabor Gypsies and other inhabitants of the city want the same: to sell what they have. Clothes, perfume or even kitchen accessories do not worry! You can find everything there just on half price as usual.

If you speak English I am sure that bargaining is almost impossible and they will tell you double prices so it is useful to go there with a Hungarian friend. If you speak Chinese, Arabic or Romanes then use it for sure!

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Chinese market | Shopping
Kőbányai út | Outer Pest
08:00 – 16:00 daily

Ok, we can open an argument about if it is a spot, or not. I think it is definitely one. Or many spots together, but for a visitor of Budapest it is a must in my opinion.

The VIII. district was a mixed higher-middle class, worker area before World War II. After the war because its mostly Jewish inhabitants were killed or left the country, the socialist regime decided to use the area for a social program, the integration of Romani people even from the countryside and outer areas of the city. Now the area is famous for being a slum, but for sure this is the area where until the recent four-five years you could find the real essence of the turn of XIX.-XX. century architecture.

Now as to earn money became more important than protecting any type of heritage the area looses its special atmosphere. Some of the inhabitants are even forced to leave because of a growing gentrification and newly built fancy houses. I think this is one of the areas where you have a chance to see a more contemporary picture of Hungarian society than anywhere downtown.

The area is now quite safe, whatever they say about it. In case you are really afraid, just contact me and we can set an appointment for a tour around the area.

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Courtyards of 8th district | Art & culture, Relaxing
Area of Matyas ter | Outer Pest
24 hours daily

One of the biggest and best in Central Europe, a trip to Ecseri Piac is essential for the person who needs one of a kind souveniers, or for anyone in search of the unusual, even bizarre. I like to go on Saturday morning as all of the sellers are out then with their wares. This market definitely has something for everyone- from wooden furniture, vintage clothing, antiques of all types, porcelain and other collectibles.

There is a good selection of communist era memorabilia, and I should not forget to add that there is a TON of junk too! There are stands selling typical street food (lángos- the fried bread rubbed with garlic) that can be nicely washed down with a cold beer.

Since many of the vendors have been here forever, there is a sense of community, and most vendors are eager to engage with potential shoppers- in any language they can! The key, as all flea markets, is to haggle- they definitely hike prices for tourists, but these days I have gotten great deals, paying what I want to pay for stuff.

See here for more photos of Ecseri Piac.

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Ecseri Flea Market | Art & culture, Shopping
Nagykőrösi út 156 | Outer Pest | +3612829563
Mon – Fri 06:00 – 16:00, Sat 06:00 – 15:00, Sun 06:00 – 13:00

Just nearby the Keleti Station you’ll find the biggest park of downtown Budapest but don’t be surprised if you find some tombs there too – it is a cemetery after all. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I compared it to Pere Lachaise in Paris – a spacey, green island where amongst thousands of others the great men of Hungarian history are buried. The cemetery has been established in 1847 and officially opened on 1st April 1849. Opening times change every month, however, if you go between 7.30 and 17.00 it’ll be open in all seasons.

No wonder it is called a ‘garden’ – the first time I visited the place I was really surprised to find monuments, trees and green fields rather than tombs. Check out some photos here. Such a calm park, and although some might find it odd, I like to hang out there, walk around, sit on a bench contemplating or even enjoying the sun. The cemetery even features a museum that exhibits mourning and burial accessories.

Best time of the year to visit the cemetery is spring or autumn, when nature is at its best to provide beautiful scenery for a long, quiet walk: either harsh green with the colourful spots of blooming trees and flowers or the decadence and last dance of falling leaves. Beauty, not grief makes you cry.

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Fiumei Road Cemetery Garden | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Fiumei út 16 | Outer Pest | +3613235100
07:00 – 19:00 daily

Hidden in Józsefváros, the 8th district of Budapest, are the Botanical Garden of ELTE University. The oldest in Hungary, it has clearly seen much better days, nevertheless it can win you over with some special charm. Perfect for a relaxing walk in any time of the year.

The present Botanical Garden was established in 1847 at the former Festetics estate (the main building in a desperate need of repair is a villa by Mihály Pollack built in 1803) and only about one third of the garden’s original area remained until today. The Palm House, a home to many tropical plants, was built in 1866. Victoria House hosts a Victoria Cruziana, a beautiful tropical water lily that blooms for only 2 nights between mid August and mid September. On that day the Botanical Garden is open until 23:00.

If you are in the city at the time of the Sakura blooming, you can head for a picnic and if you wish maybe “adopt” a cherry tree. If you are visiting in September you might become a beneficiary for a Ginkgo tree for 5000-6000 HUF and if you can’t take it with you, leave it in the garden and you’ll have the plate with your name put on a tree to remember your visit and your now eternal connection to Budapest.

Taking photos is free in case you don’t plan to use them for commercial purpose (you will need to sign a statement).

More photos at the Flickr Füvészkert set of Kata Tölgyesi.

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Füvészkert | Relaxing | Entry fee HUF 600
Illés utca 25 | Outer Pest | +3613140535
Apr – Oct 09:00 – 17:00 daily | Nov – Mar 09:00 – 16:00 daily

Those speaking German would think of a cinema but when you get there all you see is a cafe. A really nice one but where are the films? Hidden in the back of course because Kino is not a multiplex cinema in a fancy mall showing the latest blockbusters, it rather guards the fire of art movie culture.

The design elements of the cafe leave no doubt about the connection to the movie world. Until the screening starts in the afternoon the cafe serves the guests with breakfast, sandwiches, newspapers and a wide selection of drinks. Anyway there’s a lack of places in Budapest where you can have proper breakfast, I mean omelets, muesli or fresh sandwiches like here.

Why not come an hour earlier before your film begins and stay afterwards? The two functions of Kino are totally integrated creating one cultural space where you can have a Kino-coffee, watch a movie and discuss the experience with others. No restrictions apply for other arts, theatre plays are also on the menu.

One more thing for the cinema: Wednesdays offer a discounted price of 700 HUF.

Some more photos here.

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Kino | Bars, Cinemas | Cinema ticket HUF 1000
Szent István krt. 16 | Outer Pest | +3619506846
08:00 – 00:00 daily

A bit hard to write about a spot like this one. If you visit them once, for sure you will do it agian. They really care about their customers.

Most of the books are in Hungarian, but you can find some fascinating guidebooks about Budapest and Hungary and albums filled with pictures from the past and the present of the city as well. As you already thought I guess, they are not only dealing with books but they are participating in the everyday life of the area.

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Láng Téka | Art & culture, Festivals & events
Pozsonyi út 5 | Outer Pest
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 18:00

Don’t be mistaken by the Millenáris Park in Buda, this one is the real Millenáris, as the sports centre and velodrome have opened in 1896, for the millennial celebration of the Hungarian settlement.

From the beginning the complex hosted various sport events from the first international football game of Hungary over ice skating to world cycling championships in 1928. At the moment this is the only velodrome in Hungary that is suitable for cycling championships.

From the end of the ’90s Budapest has seen a biker revolution, over the years the number of participants at the annual Critical Mass protest reached as much as 80,000, the biggest biker demonstration ever.

The biker community evolved into a strong civic force very much needed to save “Milli” as the velodrome is also referred to. The planned new investments in the area would have demolished the historical building but finally activists have achieved that Milli got local monumental protection in 2006. However, there’s still a lot to do to keep the place alive.

The ever growing Budapest bike community has reclaimed the velodrome over the years and developed a base for (track) bike enthusiasts with a free buffet called Gébics, tools to repair your bike, other bike related stuff and company for riding or chatting. It’s interesting to see the growing number of fixed gear bikes in the city streets that were originally designed for track use and taken to the streets by bike messengers.

On certain days the track is open to anyone, otherwise bike racers use it for training and there are events every now and then where you can check out how the pros are doing or take part in the amateur races.

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Millenáris Velodrome | Relaxing | Free
Szabó József utca 3 | Outer Pest
Wed 16:00 – 21:00, Sat 10:00 – 15:00

Some people consider this place as a bit old-fashioned because its style. If you enter the Odeon you will see film posters from the ’60s and the design still has a similarity with the original Bauhaus ideas of the founders.

Nowadays you can borrow films, or watch a movie here but there is another really important role which Odeon surely has: a meeting point for everybody who likes hot chocolate specially prepared by a really friendly staff and who likes the idea of free Internet and prefers non-smoking places.

It is a place where you are not forced to have a drink, you can just sit there for hours which helped this place a lot to became one of the favourite spots of youngsters in the district and the whole city as well.

The only problem with this place is that it closes its doors after 23:00 every day. So for a midnight chat or mail checking you have to search for another place. But during daytime, do not miss the opportunity to get to this really nice place.

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Odeon-Lloyd | Cinemas, Coffee & tea
Hollán Ernő utca 7. | Outer Pest
10:00 – 23:00 daily

Pótkulcs is a bar, club and restaurant popular with the bohemian crowd, full of laid-back vibes, but rather crowded sometimes. Located a few minutes’
walk from Nyugati train and metro station, it has a garden completely separated from the street by a wall, as well as indoor seating – and some of the fussball tables so ubiquitous in these kinds of places.

Personally, I find the garden to be my favourite part of the locale. There’s nothing objectively special about it, but it’s cozy, charming, and has just enough grass that isn’t covered by chairs and tables. In fact, it has such a nice ambience that once I’ve stayed there late at night just to watch a game of Bridge unfold – and I can’t even play Bridge!

One thing that separates Pótkulcs from many similar venues is that you can get some hot food here, making it a good stopping point on a late night crawl. You’ll need to walk a few minutes from and back to the nearest public transport, but that has the added bonus of clearing a bit of the alcohol haze from your head.

Do note that this is a smokers-friendly place, and the air can get rather thick even in the garden, so if you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might want to go give the place a miss.

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Pótkulcs | Bars, Restaurants (Central-Eastern European) | Beers HUF 450
VI. Csengery utca 65/b | Outer Pest | +3612691050
Sun – Wed 17:00 – 01:30, Thu – Sat 17:00 – 02:30

Believe me, this is the greatest spot to purchase books for kids in English. The most helpful and kid friendly stuff in the city is here for sure. They are also organizers of programs connected to music and story telling.

Pagony is also a good place to find some toys and they have a good amount CD’s as well from the field of poems to world music.

The shop has a quite central location. If you go there from Jászai Mari tér, you will also have the opportunity to look around in the heart of the so called “Ujlipotvaros”.

After you got some toys and/or books for the kids or for yourself, you can go to the nearby Szent Istvan Park (check Saint Stephen’s park article) for a walk. It is also a good opportunity to try out your new toys in case you got some of the balls, or wooden stuff sold by Pagony.

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Pozsonyi Pagony | Shopping
Pozsonyi út 26. | Outer Pest | +36703174978
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 18:00

In the middle of the city, next to Nagykörút and currently hidden by the construction area of the never-to-be-finished Metro4, the blue columns of a market hall reach for the sky. It seems to be the smaller brother (or sister – do markets have genders?) of the big market hall at Fővám square but no one tries to sell you original Hungarian kitsch here. The hall burned down in 1988, was renovated in 1991 and still looks fresh.

Architecturally the building fits into the surrounding “landscape”, don’t let yourself be fooled by the bad reputation of Józsefváros, taking a healthy precaution will help you to safely discover the sometimes heavily fading but still present beauty of the district. On the other side of the Körút you can have a guided tour in the “Palace Quarter” organized by Beyond Budapest Sightseeing.

Compared to the “big brother” or the Újpest market (see this article) there are less shops, less stands and I can only guess the reasons why it is unused; might as well be the construction works, the ‘crisis’ or the rent prices. It would be a pity to let it slowly die in absence of sellers and customers. Drop by for some shopping and enjoy a coffee afterwards at the Csiga (check the cafe Csiga article) right on the corner.

I’ve found that there are more stands selling meat than grocery or any other product. Draw the conclusion and you’ll understand the health problems of Hungarian society. Meat with meat and some more meat. Veggies? Sure, give me some potatoes!

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Rákóczi square market | Shopping, Snacks | 1 kg of apples HUF 299.00
Rákóczi tér 7-9 | Outer Pest
Mon 06:00 – 16:00, Tue – Fri 06:00 – 18:00, Sat 06:00 – 13:00

Imagine yourself after a long day you spent walking around the various spots of Budapest. Yes, I guess after a few hours you would feel that your legs are made of plummet ( I guess this is a special Hungarian way of describing tiredness) and you would prefer to take a nap under the sun. If it is during the summer time (you do not have to be so lucky to have a bit of sunshine during the autumn and the spring as well) then the perfect place for you is Saint Stephen’s Park for sure.

This park is situated in the nowadays quite hip neighbourhood called „Újlipótváros” in the XIII district. If you reach the Margaret bridge then you just have to walk approximately five minutes in line with the Danube on Pozsonyi út. This is the heart of this area. With its tiny shops, cafeterias and restaurants this has a really honoured place on the top list of “where I want to live in Budapest” for young adults.

If you enter the park through the main entrance, you will see three water basins with fountains and a big playground to your right and a basketball ground to your left. Some reaons why many families with newborns choose to live nearby. In the 1950s and 60s the basins where used by kids who swam there all day long during the summertime. Now it is prohibited to swim in them, but it is still a favourite spot for kids to gather.

The park is sometimes also a place where you can hear some music. Bands are playing mostly in the summer months.

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Saint Stephen’s Park | Relaxing
Szent István Park | Outer Pest
Open until sunset

The Széchenyi Baths are where I spend many summer weekend days- and sometimes cold winter weekend days, so it’s only right that I tell you how lovely and relaxing it is. The building, from 1913, is in a grand neo-baroque style. There are three outdoor and 15 indoor pools, making the Széchenyi the biggest thermal bath complex in Europe.

This place can be missed by visitors if they don’t venture into the city park where it is located. It’ll only take you about 10 minutes to get here from the city center, on Millenium Metro line 1.

There are plenty of tourists at the Széchenyi, of course, but this place is a real locals scene- there are regulars who have been coming forever. Many of the older men play chess on floating boards while they relax in the bath- not a bad way to spend a weekend afternoon…

While I love going to the Széchenyi in the summer to enjoy the outdoor baths, take a picnic lunch and make a day of it, perhaps my favorite time to go is on a cold day. It is quite otherworldly to be in a hot bath watching the steam rising- and especially magical if it is also snowing.

In addition to relaxing in the pools, there is sauna and steam, of course, as well as an array of massages on offer, which can be booked once you are settled inside directly with the providers. Enjoy!

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Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance from HUF 2500
Állatkerti út 11 | Outer Pest | +3613633210
06:00 – 22:00 daily

As you visit Budapest I am sure you will hear a lot of stories about the VIII. district. Sometimes people are referring to as one of the most dangerous areas of the city. But you have to know that during the daytime the VIII. is not so dangerous anymore.

This district will be the starting point of immigrants from China, North-Africa and the Arabic countries for another ten years for sure and this is what gives a special taste for the whole area.

Before the Second World War it was one of the middle class areas of the city, even some higher middle class families moved here. After the war many of the houses remained empty and it became a slum or so called “ghetto” area. Because of the poverty and the low housing conditions, here you can still find some places which disappeared from the other districts.

One of them is a pub at the corner of Szerdahelyi street and Szerdahelyi / Karácsony Sándor street. Most of the people are workers here, or retired men an women with a lot of experience in drinking and with a lot of stories about the area and its inhabitants. It is ridiculously cheap and you can play billiard as well if you want.

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Teleki tér | Bars | Glass of wine HUF 160
Szerdahelyi / Karácsony Sándo | Outer Pest
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 18:00

If you approach Margit Island from the south – via Margit Bridge -, you’ll see a public fountain, with a large, rather strange-looking statue standing close to it. If you have a taste for the bizarre, you’ll find this statue worth checking out.

Built in 1972 to commemorate the ‘73 centenary of the unification of Pest, Buda and Óbuda (and thus the formation of Budapest proper), this large metal spiral is… well, hard to describe. I know for a fact some people find it awesome, and I imagine some might find it absolutely hideous. Personally, I’ve decided after much thinking that I find it “weird”, but I’m happy I checked it out after a friend’s rave about it.

It’s hard to give a good description of these two embellished spiral towers that have countless plaques and items emerging from their surface, so all I’ll say is you should go there – the scary-ugly passageway leading to the island from the tram stop will emotionally prime you for the experience – and have a look. And if you find any hidden message in the teddy bear, the stick hand grenades, the candelabra and “Revolution! Revolution! Revolution!” sign, do tell me about it.

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The Centenary Memorial Statue | Art & culture | Free
South end of Margit-sziget | Outer Pest
24 hours daily

To understand the existence of this tunnel first we have to examine the structural landscape of the railway stations in Budapest. There are three main, so called ‘headstations’, Déli, Keleti and Nyugati (Southern, Eastern and Western), which are deeply incorporated in the city. Therefore crossing the railroad is mostly possible via overpasses or underpasses and tunnels. Anyway you have to go a long way to find one of these possibilities since they are not marked at all.

No wonder I was surprised when I accidentally discovered this tunnel. It looks like it’s forgotten, just a little street of Podmaniczky on one end, cobblestone-covered ramp on the other end, both leading to a dark hole in the wall.

Interesting rather than nice the tunnel runs under the rail tracks leaving from Nyugati Station and connects Podmaniczky with Bulcsú utca. You may cross by foot or by bike, the metal panels that cover the pipeline in the middle will make the trip pretty loud when you step or ride on them. The ‘discreet’ lights will enhance the feeling of paranoia during the night, so do the houses of the Bulcsú street on the Western exit, you better think twice before going in alone. I wouldn’t want to scare anybody off, it’s just better to know the dark side.

A few years ago the area was planned to host the new government district but the project got stuck in blueprint-phase. However, as a major industrial and slumish area in the middle of the city the neighbourhood is undergoing a major renovation. I hope my favourite secret tunnel won’t be a victim of the real estate vultures.

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Tunnel under Nyugati Station | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Podmaniczky utca 32/ Bulcsú utca 1 | Outer Pest
24 hours daily

True, Újpest is a bit out of the centre, actually it looks like a small town in the countryside with dusty wattles on the side of the road. But this is just the thing about it which gives its charm and the true market feeling. You can be sure you won’t find any tourists around here, it’s a purely local market.

I live quite close so it is pretty obvious for me to do the shopping here every now and then. For those coming from downtown, the blue metro line takes you to as close as a block away.

There are three main buildings: the big market hall, the connecting side wing and the separate dome. The market hall is full of tables with vegetables, fruits and eggs piled up on them while on the side various shops sell meat, pastries, dairy products and pickled vegetables. Let me point out two typical feature of a market: the old ladies and gentlemen apparently selling homegrown products and the presence of supermarket-like shops which doesn’t really make sense to me. The side wing has shops but no stands, the dome is almost empty with one important shop selling fish.

After a long and exhausting shopping there is nothing better than a good old fried sausage or meat along with some pickled vegetables, accompanied by a “fröccs” or spritzer. And al this is available at the back of the main building.

No space is left unused, the surrounding area is loaded with stands that sell plants, flowers, dishes, clothes and anything you can imagine. They’ve got exactly what you’re looking for, now go and see for yourself!

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Újpest market | Shopping, Snacks | Pack of asparagus HUF 250.00
Szent István tér | Outer Pest
Mon – Fri 06:00 – 17:00, Sat 06:00 – 14:00