A weekend in the city of two halves, split by the River Danube – old Buda on one side and urban Pest on the other, visiting the Hungarian National Ballet.
Stay
Brody House is uber cool and the only place to stay. In a traditional old style building, you ascend the stairs to find an eclectic, quirky art house with groovy music filling the stylish rooms. An honest bar is always open, make your own cocktails and just jot down your drinks on the pad and paper (honestly we did!). Each room is unique, ours had original parque flooring running from the kitchen/lounge down long hallway to a massive room with striped walls, huge paintings and reclaimed furniture.
Drink
Guests of Brody House are given access to their private members club, which is an incredible building that feels like being on a set of an arthouse film. Stairways attacked with graffiti, rooms filled with art, an open courtyard at it’s heart is surrounded by rooms filled with original handmade art and furniture. The bar is cool with a friendly bustling vibe that makes you never want to leave.
Eat
Enjoy delicious contemporary Italian and Hungarian wines at Fausto’s modern Osteria, make sure you get the chocolate pudding!
It’s not every day that you get to dine in a castle, so head over to Buda for a luxurious dinner in the vaulted ceilings under chandliers and with a sparkling view across to Pest at Halaszbastya Restaurant
Dance
Check out the Budapest Dance Theatre, one of the biggest and most influential contemporary dance companies in Hungary, with repetorie inspired by ballet, contemporary artistic skills and different varieties of modern dance, such as: Limon, Cunningham and Graham techniques
Hungarian Art of Movement presents authentic examples of the almost 100 year old Hungarian modern dance traditions that was banned after 1948, but has survived and enjoying a resurgence.
See
Body House provided bikes, which was perfect for cycling both sides of the river, It was a tough trek up the hills of Buda, but definitely worth making it to the Castle for the views across to the famous Parliament Building.
End the day at the opulent 19th-century HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE, for a much deserved glass of Hungarian champagne before catching a world class show.