The last time I was in Budapest, I was in my late 20s, ready to take on the world. I thought Budapest was incredibly charming, albeit rough around the edges. I was wholly impressed by its wonderful world of ruin bars and thermal baths. Eleven years on, Budapest felt a whole lot different.
Budapest’s thermal baths are disgusting
One of my fondest travel memories was visiting Széchenyi Thermal Baths one evening in November. The interior was not quite a luxury retreat, but what it lacked in fancy frills, it made up for in the awesomeness of its baths. The interior is like a labyrinth of rooms with 15 different thermal baths at different temperatures. We had the best time in the large outdoor pools, which were steaming in the cold November night and full of drunken revelers.
This time around, due to renovations that have made Széchenyi bath’s high prices harder to swallow, we went to Rudas Baths. Like Széchenyi, Rudas is in a giant complex that’s equally difficult to find your way around. We immediately followed signs to the thermal baths area, and we were horrified to find a handful of small gray pools that were absolutely packed to the brim with people. There were towels and flip flops and tiny pools of dirty black standing water all over the area. The baths themselves were a disgusting tepid temperature which made the hair and random dirt floating on the surface even more disgusting to witness.
We barely stayed there for 30 minutes before we ran home to wash every single thing we had on. I’m not sure if this has become a victim of its own popularity (and complete apathy on the part of the staff), or if I was just a lot more accepting of filthy public pools 10 years ago, but 0/10, would not recommend.
Ruin bars have gentrified
Budapest’s ruin bar culture emerged several decades ago out of a desire to make use of crumbling infrastructure. They were housed in empty courtyards, abandoned buildings, and furnished with whatever mismatched junk was found in the street. Eventually some places became branded and permanent, and the decayed look became more curated and less accidental. In truth, I probably visited nightlife spots like Szimpla Kert after it was already much less organic and far more established. But it was still cheap and unpretentious.
Cut to 2025 and “ruin bars” in Budapest have a 45-minute line out the door and they’re slinging €15 truffle cocktails. Now there’s a hipster food truck alley next to Szimpla Kert where langos costs €10. I love a good truffle cocktail, but it feels like the spirit of the ruin bar is effectively lost. What was once a truly unique city for nightlife now looks and feels the same as generic bougie bar neighborhoods in all major European cities.
Are we serious with these prices?
One of the most exciting things about visiting Budapest over ten years ago is that it was extremely affordable. Hotels are still quite affordable, especially compared to pricey neighbors like Vienna. However, the price of dining out now feels like a shocking mismatch to the price of accommodation. Restaurants and bars in popular districts are priced for short-term visitors, which means that in addition to not being as cheap as expected, it’s also devoid of any locals.
Not that this is deterring anyone. There are lines for every brunch restaurant where you’re likely to pay €20-30 per person for an entrée and a drink. “Traditional” restaurants dress up their overpriced food in leatherbound menus and live music, but that only serves to make it feel like even more of a tourist trap.
The Danube sightseeing cruise is still the best value thing to do
The only thing that has apparently remained untouched by inflation is the river boats. You can still take a sightseeing cruise with a glass of sparkling wine for less than €20. While the dinner cruises don’t have the best reputation in the world, I’ll accept a free glass of wine from just about anybody. The Hungarian Parliament building lit up at night is still one of the most hair-raising sights to be had in Budapest, and a relaxing evening cruise is the best way to take it in.
I can’t say I won’t ever return to Budapest, but I’ll have to return with fresh eyes (and a slightly higher budget), not expecting to relive the nights in the thermal baths and the old Jewish Quarter I had in my 20s.
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