Budapest is a beautiful city, one of my favourites, and although I spent years coming here when I was younger to visit friends, I enjoyed it even more coming here with my young family. A city of historical significance particularly during the days of the Austro-hungarian empire, it is no wonder that the city is so filled with stunning buildings & cultural attractions. The people are friendly, the city is well looked after and it feels safe to walk around.

Most of the city is fairly easy to get around and the trams, which come along frequently, are a lot of fun for young children both to be inside them or watch from the outside. As always, I travel with my compact and foldable ‘yo-yo’ pram that if needed can be quickly folded and carried. There was a regular array of playgrounds in the city, which was fantastic for taking those very necessary breaks throughout the day as a tourist. This time, we stayed just outside the centre which was an easy tram ride into the main area.

VAROSLIGET PARK PRECINCT

Varosliget Park - Photograph by Alex Tokes

One of our first destinations was the Varosliget Park just North of the centre. This is a wonderful place for all visitors to come with plenty to enjoy but it was especially great for architectural enthusiasts and parents alike. We returned here a few times because there was so much to see. They also have a seasonal rink that offers ice skating in winter and boating in summer.

1. SZECHENYI BATHS

Perhaps one of the most known destinations is the Széchenyi Baths. Although it is ‘touristy’ it is still worth visiting for something unique to do. If going with young kids, arrive early when it isn’t too busy and you may want a ‘cabin’ where you can leave your things including a compact pram if you have one. We had a wonderful time here playing in the main outdoor pools. (Children are not allowed in the thermal (indoor) pools.) Note that there is a lot of conflicting information about the age of children that can go along but we had no problem going in with our one year old. He spent most of his time walking around the perimeter of the pool in the shallow water and we didn’t put his head under.

2. BUDAPEST ZOO & BOTANIC GARDENS

The Budapest Zoo, over 150 years old, it is one of the longest running zoological gardens in Europe. One can observe almost a thousand species of animals here. It is also an interesting place to visit for architects with each building offering a different type of design and several designed by different architects in different eras. Our son loved it so much we came back a second time. The botanic gardens is co-located next to the zoo in a brand new complex is under construction.

House of Music, Varosliget Park - Budapest

3. THE HUNGARIAN HOUSE OF MUSIC

We loved visiting the House of Music, also located in the park, but spent most of our time playing outside in the amphitheatre. This building was designed by Japanese architect, Sou Fujimoto and was completed in 2021. Although Hungary is famed for its musical heritage, no multi-faceted exhibition presenting the history of Hungarian music in the context of European music had been hosted in any Hungarian institution exhibition before this one. The main audience for the institution are children, their parents and teachers, as well as young adults.

Museum of Ethnography, Budapest - by Palkó György

4. ETHNOGRAPHY MUSEUM

There are many museums which can be visited in the Varosliget Park precinct but we really enjoyed the ethnography museum. The building, designed by Marcel Ferencz (NAPUR Architect) is a stunning piece of architecture and its design provided a lot of stair climbing fun for the children. Prior to the opening of this building, the 250-thousand-piece collection originating from the Carpathian Basin and every corner of the world has been moved numerous times since the institution’s foundation in 1872.

Budapest Ethnography Museum in Varosliget Park.

5. SZIMPLA KERT - Ruins Bar

If you walk your way down from Varosliget Park, you will make it into downtown and find the old Jewish Quarter where there are some interesting ruin bars where old warehouses and derelict buildings were reclaimed in the 2000s and turned into creative bars where many different types of people come to gather. Without children I would happily have stayed here for quite some time but even with children we had a great time. We came along earlier in the evening and there were plenty of crazy lights and installations to keep them intrigued. An outdoor food market almost next door was a handy stop for a quick dinner where we enjoyed some Hungarian goulash.

SZIMPLA KERT - Ruins Bar - Photo by Liam McKay

Architect and interior designer, Jo Aitken, has been travelling extensively for the last 2 decades of her life and during this time has lived in Paris, Copenhagen, London & Auckland. Since becoming a mother in Copenhagen, she has sought out ways to continue this love of travel, architecture, design, art and food with her family.

You can find more about her work here.