Városliget offers exquisite fun all year-round

Vajdahunyad Castle is a sight to behold, and radiates history, although it is not as old as you might think. It was built in 1896 for the millennium of Hungary becoming a state as a fantasy pastiche showcasing fortified architectural evolution through the centuries in the country. Even if you’ve never been to Budapest before, you may well find it familiar, as it is regularly used as the setting for movies. Besides the rich exhibits at the agriculture museum on the site, Vajdahunyad castle is also the location for weekend fairs, with handcrafted products and treats on sale, while the kids can go on a pony ride or even learn archery, a very historical Hungarian pastime.

Városliget doesn’t only attract crowds in the summer, it is also home to Europe’s biggest outdoor skating rink. Spend a day with friends and family on a sporty winter day, all the while enjoying the beauty of the historic architecture that surrounds you on all sides. In the summer, the skating ring becomes a lake for leisurely boat rides.

Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere) is a must-see for even the briefest of visits to Budapest. The site marks the end of the capital’s truly magnificent Andrássy Avenue, dedicated to the seven tribes who conquered Hungary and some of the outstanding kings from the country’s history. The collection of statuary, complete with horses and chariots and even an archangel, gives visitors a chance to marvel, and locals to show off their skateboarding tricks. Believe it or not, it is also the location for an annually held horse-racing event right in the middle of the city.

Városliget is a deeply important setting for Budapest’s cultural life, as such, on either side of Heroes’ Square, museums await visitors to show varied permanent exhibits, as well as guest collections. Currently Városliget is undergoing major changes reflect its importance for culture in the capital as it becomes a museum district.

If beer is your thing, be sure to visit one of the festivals that Városliget hosts every year featuring the best brews from the best brewers throughout the country. Budapest has many festivals for beer, but Városliget, through the beauty of the setting and being able to sit down in the grass to enjoy a specialty, elevates this one above others.

The park also has a full range of cuisine options on offer. Gundel, right next to the main zoo entrance, is one of the most important centers of Hungarian gastronomy, the Robinson Restaurant Budapest opposite offers fine dining with a lakeside view, you can expect an outstanding experience in the Liget Cafe, and there are a handful of great restaurants specialized in traditional Hungarian food, or for change of pace, you can even get a specialty hamburger at Pántlika Bistro.