I spent 17 nights in Budapest last year during my third visit to the city, and there’s definitely more than enough to keep you engaged for an even longer stay if you desire. Even sticking to the popular attractions, Hungary’s capital is brimming with history and unusual sights. However, if you’re inclined to break away from the typical tourist spots and explore more of the country, there are several enjoyable day trips from Budapest that you can easily take via train or through a guided tour.
Traveling around Hungary is quite economical. Prices in Budapest are quite moderate, and the same applies to train fares for excursions from the city. If you embark on a tour through Viator or a local operator, it usually won’t significantly impact your travel budget. Hungary has been included in every edition of my book The World’s Cheapest Destinations, and while there are less expensive locations in Europe, it remains one of the best values.
I’ll skip a few places I visited on my initial trip to the country that you could also reach on a day trip, such as the wine regions of Villany and Pecs, simply because a single day isn’t sufficient for them and it would likely be a dawn-to-midnight travel day. Better to spend the night in that region, perhaps even renting a car to explore several different locales.
The following destinations are easier to access and manageable as a day trip, provided you’re only visiting the eastern part of Lake Balaton and not traveling to the far opposite end. I explored all these areas (after checking off what I wanted from a Secret Budapest book I utilized) and thoroughly enjoyed them; I highly recommend them if time allows.
Memento Park for Communist Relics
Memento Park is technically within Budapest, but the journey there and back is lengthy enough that I’d classify it as a day trip. First, you’ll need to take the metro to the distant Kelenfold train station, and from there, catch a public bus through the countryside to reach the location where communist statues were laid to rest.
This isn’t just a random area where unwanted statues from communities were discarded and left to deteriorate. The site itself is designed in six circles that loop back on one another, much like the ideology it embodies, leading nowhere. There’s a natural rhythm as you wander among these works that glorify the great laborers and the communists who held sway in Hungary for decades. You can opt for a guided tour for deeper comprehension of what you observe or pick up an in-depth book titled In the Shadows of Stalin’s Boots from the gift shop.
One display features a replica of Stalin’s boots, remnants of a colossal eight-meter statue that was cut down and toppled during the 1956 failed revolution. That structure stands outside the gates where the other displays are, serving as a powerful metaphor. In a nearby facility, you can watch some bizarre spy training films from the 60s and 70s, demonstrating how ordinary citizens were constantly monitored, with tapped phones and intercepted correspondence.
There’s a wealth of symbolism embodied in the gates and walls nearby: they’re designed to illustrate how the system seemed formidable, with imposing entrances to government structures, but was fundamentally hollow within. The architect made significant efforts to honor the art itself, and his aim was not to create an “anti-propaganda park” in response to the propaganda these sculptures represented.
Some displays evoke laughter or pity for the people who had to endure them daily, while others stand as impressive pieces when viewed without bias, such as this one:
The layers of significance and historic context in this park are challenging to unpack in a brief article, but visiting Memento Park offers a profound lesson on conformity under a dictatorship and the pervasive power of propaganda in a communist regime. It’s essential for grasping the somber history of Budapest in the 20th century and the continuing authoritarian instincts present today under a leader who has maintained power and stifled opposition since 2010. Historical manipulation is rampant nowadays, just as it was during the 1950s when these monuments were erected.
Memento Park is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. For transportation details, see the official website here.
The Wine and Fortress City of Eger
Visitors typically head to Eger for one of two primary reasons. The more cultured option is to tour the old castle situated on the hill. Its history is so rich that it was initially destroyed by the Mongols before being rebuilt to withstand Turkish forces in 1552. The alternative motive is to enjoy hearty amounts of wine with friends in the “Valley of