Budapest might be my favorite city I visited during my whole semester. It’s beautiful, but it’s also a little quirky and gritty. It’s called the “Paris of the East,” an understandable nickname what with it’s Parisian-style buildings and pretty boulevards. But Budapest feels more exotic; it is instilled with a fun youthful energy and cool vibes.

After we checked in to Avenue Hostel (would also highly recommend! Free breakfast, free Monday night dinners, and very easy to make new friends) we walked around the Jewish quarter (which is very hipster) in search of food. The good food options were overwhelming and also very budget-friendly– Budapest is so cheap! You can get a burger for 3 euros. We went to the famous Bors GaztroBar, a zany little to-go place with amazing food. I got the Barack Obama sammich and their butternut squash soup, which was the best soup I’ve ever had in my whole life.

It was a beautiful autumn day and we walked around Pest for a little while before crossing the bridge into Buda. The city used to be split in two: the bougie and hilly Buda, and the flat and vivacious Pest. Now it’s one city of course, but the two sides are still a bit competitive.

After our traumatic night bus experience we decided to unwind at one of the famous Turkish baths. We went to Gellert spa, which was gorgeously decorated with sea-glass mosaics, Grecian statues and grand architecture. There were so many different thermal pools to try out, as well as saunas and steam rooms. Our favorite pool was outside, on the top of the spa. We went during sunset, the steam curling up into the cool evening air and the now-cloudy sky changing from sky blue to orange, pink, gold and then to indigo. It was beautiful. After a couple hours at the Turkish bath we went back to the hostel and had a traditional potato-and-paprika stew (paprika is a Hungarian spice).

The next day was Halloween! We went up to the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica and marveled at stunning views of the city. No other building in Budapest can be higher than the basilica, so we had the best view in Pest. Afterwards we went on a fabulous free walking tour, making our way from St. Stephen’s across the river to the top of the leafy Castle Hill in Buda. Nearby, we saw breathtaking views over the Danube river from the stony arches of the Fisherman’s Bastion.

We squeezed through the crowds at the humongous Central Market Hall, an indoor behemoth filled with stalls selling various goods and food. I got a langos, a traditional dish that consists of flat fried bread topped with sour cream and shredded cheese and anything else you’d like. I got mine with arugula, tomato, mozzarella, and mushrooms. It was amazing.

That evening we climbed Gellert Hill and experienced breathtaking views of the twilit Eastern European landscape. It was so peaceful up there and the city was positively glowing; it was my favorite moment of the whole trip. We visited the ornately detailed Parliament after that, which shimmered in gold under the night.

For Halloween we went to Szimpla Kertz, the original ruin bar. Ruin bars are these crumbly, graffiti-d ruins of old buildings in the Jewish quarter. Instead of remodeling the buildings, they are turned into bars that embrace the dilapidated state of the buildings. Szimpla Kertz is this badass bar covered in miscellaneous street signs and weird art and bulbous string lights and plants. There is exposed piping and bricks scribbled with words and random disco balls. It was very grunge. It played good dance music too.

On our third morning, before leaving for Vienna, we visited the verdant Margaret Island, or Margitsziget. It was a serene ending to a wonderful stay in Hungary.