What is better than nice vacation snaps reminding you of your last holiday? Right, fancy vacation snaps worth Instagramming! Budapest has a lot of awesome sights to offer, but it’s not always easy to figure out from which angle the perfect Insta shot has to be taken and, above all, which places count as suitable motifs.
To save you any further trouble, we have created a guide featuring the ten most stunning sceneries in Budapest, reaching from breathtaking panorama views to beautiful indoor shots and hidden gems you probably wouldn’t have noticed.
Castle Hill
One of the most popular photo spots is Castle Hill, not least because it is an ideal location for a wide panorama shot of the Hungarian capital. To make your picture even more special, you can take it from an angle that also includes the turrets of the Fisherman’s Bastion – let’s be honest, this monument looks like it came straight out of a Disney movie. If that touch of romance doesn’t satisfy you yet, try to get the Fisherman’s Bastion into one frame with the statue of St. Stephen and the Matthias Church.
Chain Bridge
Since the Chain Bridge is not only the oldest but also the most beautiful in Budapest, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it is a popular photo motif. To capture it at its full length, preferably with Buda Castle in the background, you need to take your picture while standing on Széchenyi Square. At nighttime, both the bridge and the castle are fully illuminated, thus adding some extra glamour to your shot. Too mainstream? Then don’t focus on the entire Chain Bridge, but exclusively on the stone arches and their high level of detail!
Gellért Hill
Another location providing you with an amazing panorama view of Budapest is Gellért Hill. If you make it up to the Citadel on its top, you can take the perfect picture by zooming in on one of the numerous bridges and displaying the bustling city in the background. More adventurous photographers are highly encouraged to climb Gellért Hill after sunset – you will be rewarded with stunning night shots of the Hungarian capital!
Parliament Building
In Hungary, politics are made with style, namely in the beautiful Parliament Building that was designed in neo-gothic style. To get all of this huge piece of architecture onto one picture, you have to snap it from the Buda part of the city on its opposite side. If you want to surprise your Instagram followers with a less conventional shot of the Parliament, just go inside and capture its pretentious interior!
Heroes’ Square
One of the largest squares in Budapest is Heroes’ Square, known for its iconic statue complex of the Memorial Stone of Heroes, which features the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other Hungarian leaders. Since it is quite a task to take a decent picture without tourists photobombing it, you can, instead of shooting the entire monument, just focus on one colonnade – way easier but no less impressive!
Vajdahunyad Castle
Originally built from cardboard for the Millennial Exhibition in 1896, Vajdahunyad Castle proved itself so popular among its visitors that it was rebuilt from brick and stone. Today, its popularity remains unbroken, making it one of the top photo motifs in Budapest. Although it is often photographed from the road leading to the main gate, Vajdahunyad Castle also looks enchanting when it is not the main focus of the shot but rather towers in the background over the lake surrounding it.
The Museum of Applied Arts
The Museum of Applied Arts focuses on the exhibition of things that fulfill an actual purpose while being highly aesthetic. What a coincidence the roof of the building consists of multicolored Zsolnay ceramic tiles! Hence, it is hardly surprising that many visitors take dozens of pictures of the museum itself before actually entering it. Nevertheless, a shot of its sophisticated interior will delight many Instagram users.
The Dome of St. Stephen’s Basilica
The most popular viewpoint in Budapest undoubtedly is the dome of St. Stephen’s Basilica. To go up to the cupola, you have to pay a small admission fee, which is worth the sight. This is handy when you want to take panorama shots for your social media account. Apart from the stunning view from the dome, St. Stephen’s Basilica also wows its visitors with a magnificent interior you would want to share with your followers!
The Japanese Garden on Margaret Island
With its vast park system full of flowers, Margaret Island truly is a magnificent and colorful place where amazing pictures can be taken. One “hidden gem” in terms of photography is the Japanese Garden in its North. To capture its peace, you can go for shots showing this little paradise in its entirety, including the waterfall, the pond, plants, and maybe one or two statues. Nevertheless, it is also worthwhile paying attention to tiny details and fiddling about with the focus.
Füvészkert Botanical Garden
Last but not least, we entrust the Botanical Garden to all photo fanatics. During spring and summer, this idyllic location is bursting with flowers and, consequently, nearly all imaginable colors. Most of the pictures taken here by Instagrammers are wide-angled, showing the Garden at large. We recommend focusing on a single flower and depicting its delicacy with a detailed macro shot!
