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Budapest has long been a punching bag for invading powers and battled over by a litany of imperial bullies. But the legacy is a city stacked with historic layer upon layer of intrigue and faded glory, some layers still decaying while others have been ambitiously restored.  I was back in the Hungarian capital with Trafalgar, one of the headline stops on their splendidly curated 10-day Imperial Europe tour. 

Necklaced with nine bridges, the mighty Danube bisects the distinct settlements of Buda and Pest, that were only officially united as one city in 1873. Nestled amid the verdant hills and tumbling greenery of Buda, the Castle District is the city’s top draw, which was vividly brought to life by our local specialist guide Andrea’s engaging storytelling. Much of it was obliterated in the second world war. 

Chain Bridge and the Danube at twilight. Photo / Supplied

This UNESCO-protected treasure chest of historic properties contains churches, mansions, statues, museums, galleries and of course the Royal Palace complex.  In previous times, many of the floridly sculpted fountains gushed with wine. Imagine! The Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa added a 200-rooms to the complex in the late 18th century, which was heavily bombed in World War II, and has been freshly restored. The Royal Palace’s Riding Hall has been rebuilt, as has the ornate interior of St Stephen’s Hall. The Archduke’s palace is currently closed for refurbishment, with the buildings being reconstructed using surviving architects’ drawings. 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is overseeing the estimated NZ$3 billion dollar revitalisation of the Castle District, which seeks to replicate the pomp and prestige of the area, when it was at the peak of its imperial powers, under the Hapsburg monarchy. Andrea described it as Orban’s “edifice complex.” This mega-vanity-project is one of Europe’s largest projects of historical reconstruction, with brand new baroque buildings rising up where, for generations, there was nothing. Rococo details and white plasterwork are being liberally slathered on top of reinforced concrete like cake icing. Some of new buildings are so shiny, their freshly folded zinc roofs glint in the sun. 

Buda Castle at night. Photo / Supplied

Buda Castle was destroyed in the war, and it took 30 years to return it to the state you see it in today, but the reconstruction works continue for another four years. Nearby is the Castle Labyrinth which is a 10km-long network of caves, which was used as a very hardy air-raid shelter during the war. Orban, who is Europe’s longest-serving Prime Minister, has moved his own offices into a former Carmelite monastery in Castle Hill, and other ministries are being transferred. As Andrea remarked, “what Orban says, goes.” He cleared Budapest of beggars. 

My favourite stop was Matthias Church (also known as Virgin Mary Church), a ginger-bread stone structure dripping in history. First built in the 13th century, and covered in 150,000 porcelain tiles, it was converted into the Great Mosque by the Ottomans three hundred years later, before reverting to Christianity under the Hapsburgs.  

A decade-long restoration of the church was triumphantly completed ten years ago, so it’s looking radiant. What makes this church so striking is the carpet-like design that graces the columns and walls of the church, in memory of its era as a mosque. Directly outside, Fishermen’s Bastion was constructed during the Golden Age of the late 1800’s, when the Hapsburgs agreed to greater autonomy for the city, and a largely decorative building boom ensued. Fishermen’s Bastion features seven turrets, one representing each of the original Hungarian tribes, and the far-reaching views across the river to Pest are celestial.   

Across the Danube from Fisherman's Bastion. Photo / Supplied

Other stellar Golden Age specimens include the most adored structure spanning the Danube is the Chain Bridge: guarded by finely carved stone lions and spectacularly spangled at night. In fact, Budapest spends a fortune lustily illuminated all Danube bridges and the myriad of architectural landmarks edging the river. It’s a wondrous experience to soak up the twinkling panorama at night, as we did on our Trafalgar tour. 

A prestigious competition was held to determine the design of the Hungarian Parliament, in the late 19th century. Inspired by Britain’s Houses of Parliament, the ornately gothic designed building opened in 1903, replete with turrets and domes – and Hungary’s Crown Jewels. One of the most iconic cultural shrines is the Opera House. Built in 1884, the Budapest Opera House has 7kg of gold delivering quite the bling-factor to its interior. The State Opera House crowns the heart of Andrassy Ave, a 2.5 km-long Parisian-style boulevard, and still the glamour strip for socialites, shopping, wining, dining and entertainment. Budapest’s broad, straight boulevards were inspired by the French urban planner, Baron Haussmann’s makeover of Paris. Our gorgeous hotel, Courtyard Budapest City Center, edged by bustling Rákóczi Avenue is another such specimen. 

Hungarian Parliament and the Danube. Photo / Supplied

The past century has certainly been a turbulent and torturous period for Hungary; first as a Nazi puppet, and subsequently a Communist state, with the Soviet Union pulling its strings. Thirty five years ago, Hungary was at the forefront of world history again, the first domino to tip over, triggering the collapse of the Iron Curtain.  You can still place your finger in the bullet holes of many buildings. A sobering experience is to take in the House of Terror, which was the Nazi headquarters, its basement used for torture and murder. Post-war, the communists took over the building as the base for its fearsome secret police.  

Just down from the Hungarian Parliament, on the banks of the Danube, I found myself utterly absorbed by one of the most potent and poignant war memorials I’ve ever encountered. Twenty years old, the Shoe Memorial’s simplicity is profoundly moving. Sixty pairs of bronze shoes, of all shapes and sizes, are scattered along the very edge of the river, to represent the thousands of Hungarian Jews who were forced to remove their shoes before being brutally shot in that place, towards the end of WWII. Their bodies would fall into the cold water and be washed away from the city on the current. The shoes sit at the edge of the water, scattered and abandoned, as though their owners had just stepped out of them and left them there. 

Shoe Monument on the blue Danube. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Roman emperor Nero was reputedly the first to bathe in the city’s natural hot springs, but the proliferation of Turkish baths was bestowed on the city by the Ottomans, before they were unceremoniously sent packing by the Hapsburgs. (Budapest’s enduring passion for coffee and paprika can also be attributed to the Ottomans.)  My favourite spot for a therapeutic soak is at Gellert Baths. The Art Nouveau designed Gellert Hotel was built during the Golden Age of the late 19th century, housing a palatial complex of highly ornate thermal baths and swimming pools.  

Nearby, Gellert Hill pays homage to the city’s patron saint, St. Gellert. In the 9th century, the Venetian missionary was invited to Buda, to help convert the city to Catholicism. A pagan revolt led to Bishop Gellert being placed in a spiky barrel and rolled off the hillside into the Danube. His violent death led to him being canonised, and the eponymously named hill now bears a glittering statue in his honour, which is also a great panoramic perch. 

If you want to sample some authentic Budapest tastes, here’s a few tempters. The grand old Central Market, a vast and cavernous emporium built in 1896, teems with merchants and the food stalls sell peasant dishes like goulash soup and langos (fried flatbread with toppings). Grab a high stool and you can enjoy a spicy sausage and a beer for less than NZ$5. The magnificently colourful riot of paprika, sausage and fruit stalls are a photogenic headrush. Budapest loves its cakes and pastries. A cherished institution is the Gerbeaud Pastry Shop on Vorosmarty Square, founded in 1857, and sure to charm you with its elegant old-world ambience and mouth-drooling sweet temptations.  

Budapest Central Market. Photo / Supplied

Just down from our hotel on Erzsebet Ave, New York Café is a tractor-beam. Since the turn of the 20th century, it’s been billed as the most beautiful and the most beloved coffee house in Budapest. A wildly popular haunt among artists, poets and writers, the most influential newspapers were previously edited upstairs in the café’s gallery. Its eclectic Italian Renaissance-style architecture, with marbled columns, gilded artworks, crystal chandeliers and ceiling frescoes, all dressed in opulent furnishings is guaranteed Instagram-bait. The coffee is pretty average, but the sheer splendour of the interior is irresistible. 

Our Trafalgar tour included a Be My Guest experience which aims to offer up an authentic slice-of-life dining occasion. The venue was Schieszl winery, on the outskirts of the city. Established in 1896, our host was Konrad Schieszl who explained that he is the fifth generation to run the winery and restaurant.  His family originally came to Budapest from Germany 300 years ago and his great-grandfather started growing grapes on the site of the winery. I particularly enjoyed their merlot and cabernet sauvignon, while the on-site restaurant served up an array of delightful dishes. The speciality is Mangalica pig, a cholesterol-free pork from a heritage breed of Hungarian pigs, that has become the toast of many gourmet restaurants. Streaks of fatty “marble” infiltrates their muscles, producing a spider web pattern of white lines that resembles Wagyu meat. Even the colour of Mangalica meat is beef-like, noticeably darker than regular pork varieties. These unusual, curly-haired pigs look more like oversized sheep. 

Mangalica Pork at Schieszl. Photo / Mike Yardley

Konrad’s father conceived the winery’s secret recipes for curing and smoking this famous pork.  As we were feasting on this guilt-free pork, Konrad captivated us with the tale about his grandfather’s best friend, who was Jewish.  During World War II when Jews were being slaughtered, he decided he must save his dear friend. Along with his wife and child, they were concealed inside of one of his giant wine barrels, whenever the SS came calling. They all survived.  

When the war ended and the Soviets moved in, anyone with German ties was expelled from Hungary. The Schieszl family were given 24 hours to get out, stripped of all their property and most of their belongings. 12 years later, the Jewish friend’s son, who had become a lawyer with political connections to the Prime Minister, was able to make arrangements for Konrad’s grandfather, to buy back his property and return to Hungary. And the family business has never looked back. What a remarkable story. 

Back in town, kert, or "ruin" bars, are a Budapest signature, continuing to make great use of derelict buildings, awaiting restoration. Such a specimen is Taqueria which was formerly the provisioning depot for Hungarian Railways. Now a spacious garden bar, try a "pinky" (grapefruit vodka shot) or plum palinka (fruit brandy) that packs a punch at 40% alcohol, and toast Budapest’s searing history. 

Ruin bars in Budapest. Photo / Supplied

Tour Differently. Travelling with Trafalgar means you won’t just see the world – but you’ll experience it with authenticity to the fore. Tour adventurously, from the must-sees to hidden secrets, and tour locally with those priceless encounters with the locals like Konrad Schieszl. Trafalgar’s 10 day Imperial Europe tour has a starting price of $4,422 per person, twin share and includes a savings of up to $600 per person. Valid on select travel dates June, July and August 2025. Subject to availability. Call 0800 484 333, visit  or see your local Travel Agent. 

Mike Yardley is our resident traveller and can be heard on Newstalk ob�����ӿ� at 11.20am on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.