How many folks have you met on your travels with insane stories of the Budapest party life? I'm betting the majority! With heaps of funky ruin bars, a young, hip international community and a
lot of cheap beer, Budapest is one of the most popular cities for backpackers travelling around Europe. They come for the same reason I did, to see what all the fuss was about!
The moment I stepped off the train in Keleti station I was charmed by the vibrancy of the city, the streets lined with party enthusiasts and the absolute architectural beauty of the city itself. Over those four incredible nights of my stay, I dipped my toes into eccentric and electric nightlife which thrives in the veins of the city. But there was one problem. A problem which one could see to be a fortunate problem.
There were too many great places to go, and not enough time to indulge my soul in cheap booze, new people and the collective party energy. Six months later, I moved to Budapest and haven't looked back. I perhaps haven't learned that staying out until 5am every night isn't the best for my body, but I have learned the best places and events can be selected for those on a short trip! So here it is, the best of and a little bit of everything!
Summertime on Erzsébet tér
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Situated in the centre of Pest, Erzsébet tér (Elisabeth Square) during the summer months is buzzing with life. You'll find hundreds of people gathering around the square, relaxing in the summer sun and chilling by the pool above Akvàrium Klub (pictured above). This is undoubtedly the best place in Budapest to start your night. Whether with your new hostel friends or on our Pub Crawl. But grabbing a few beers and chilling out is definitely worth doing.
Szimpla Kert Quirkiness
SzimplaKert was the first ruin bar to come into being! A trendsetting bar, which still holds it crown as being the weirdest f*cking bar I've ever been too. The interior is what can only be described as a Hoarders crack den, but I mean that in the nicest way possible. You see Szimpla's atmosphere, although you think would be uncomfortable and crowded, actually manages to feel very cosy and charming. Like falling in love, this bar will have you on your toes, pleasantly surprised at every turn and give you that warm squishy feeling. Well, that might be the alcohol...
Just one of the glowing doll heads you'll find inside SzimplaKert! You should see what else they have in there, incredibly weird sh*t.
Sziget F*cked!
For those of you who haven't heard of Sziget, your welcome for the amazing time you're about to have! Sziget is one of Europe's largest music festivals, with huge names such as Blink 182, The Prodigy, Queens of the Stone Age, Macklemore, the list goes on! Taking place over ten days in August, it feels like every backpacker in the world is there! With crowds of up to 100,000 people! It's one of the biggest parties on Earth. You'd be a fool to miss it.
Instant Until 5am!
No matter who you are, what your purpose is or if you're on the
pub crawl, if you're in Budapest you're going to end up in Instant. There's a whole lot shi*t going on here, to start there's a massive owl that overlooks the main dancefloors which judges your poor life decisions. You're surrounded by people from all over the globe and you
will get lost in your intoxicated state. But it's all apart of the fun! You end up drinking with Brazilians, French kissing French people and God only knows what else. Just be thankful everyone is as drunk as you.
Retox Drinking Olympics
Join the Jager train at Retox hostel! Renowned for its outrageous drinking games, built to challenge the human body and wipe away any self-respect you have left, the drinking Olympics are not to be taken lightly! As a entertained bystander, I've seen people vomit on themselves, on bystanders, pretty much a lot of vomiting. But what I find astounding is that competition is so fierce. I've seen guys regurgitate their entire insides and then down shot after shot. You'd be lying if you said you weren't on some level, impressed.
Sing Your Heart Out At Morrison's 2
This popular spot is heavily student friendly. Monday nights have entry prices at 500HUF, with
THREE free beer tokens before 11pm! That's a pretty sweet deal! Downstairs you'll find a combination of karaoke and foosball! Two pretty awesome activities if you ask me. Lots of dancefloors where you can shake your thang to some 50 Cent, Rihanna and all the latest music! This place is really great if you're with a group of friends although it's pretty easy to get talking to people too!
Chill out in Trapéz
I love this place! Situated close to Cornivus University, it's a bit of a student spot. But it's so cosy! My recommendation is to go to this place after hiking up Gellért Hill. They serve quality wholesome food for very little, and the atmosphere is very homely. It makes it very hard to stay awake when you're dying of a hangover after stuffing your face.
Fogasház
Fogashaz is one of the bigger ruin bars, but it's also the craziest. One of the stops on our
'Backpacker PubCrawl' on Saturday nights, this place is packed with techno loving, limb-waving, strobe lights enthusiasts. But there are areas where the vibe is more chill. Overall there's a reason it's one of the most popular bars in Budapest, and that's because of it's open-air charm. It's almost too easy to have an amazing time here!
By Party-Enthusiast, Catherine Munnelly.
