Day 11 - Gellért Hill + Shopping
Gellért Hill Cave We'll cross the river again for a short visit here. This portion of the cave network under the hill was originally a private home and began to be used as a chapel in the 1920s. During the Soviet occupation, the chapel was closed and sealed, and reopened as an active religious site in 1989. A ticket costs about $5.
To cross the river again, we can walk across the Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) to the Central Market Hall, or we can take the Metro one stop over. If we missed anything at our last visit to the market, now is the time to grab it.
Shopping the Design District
If it’s typical souvenirs you’re after, there is no shortage of shops selling Budapest-branded items all over the city, particularly in Váci ut. and around the major tourist attractions. However, Budapest is also home to many shops featuring locally designed and produced goods. Here is a path that will take you to several, located in what is casually called the Design District. Set aside some time for shopping this route or make some of them part of another daily plan.
Impact Shop Local, ethically made and packaged foods and crafted items, from an employer providing employment for disabled and disadvantaged people and communities.
Fekete Design Spot Mostly paper items.
VALAMI Hazai A variety of gifts from Hungarian artists - ceramics, notebooks and cards, jewelry, and more.
Szimpla Design Shop So many things! There is also a farmer’s market here on Sundays from 9-2.
Picassino Design Artistic jewelry and accessories.
Printa Design Shop Clothing, accessories, and home goods.
Rododendron A variety of clothing and accessory items.
MONO art & design Fashion and accessories.
Paloma Artspace A collection of artists' shops, each operated by its own creator. A wide variety of items such as jewelry, textile goods, home decor, and accessories.
Danube River Cruise
This is our last evening in Budapest! Our cruise (included) on the river will take us past many of the sites we visited during our week here. A past guest commented that this is a great way to finish it off and tie everything together. A glass of prosecco will be served as we board.
Our cruise will end at about 9:00 p.m. and will drop us off near the Chain Bridge, which we'll have seen on earlier days. This beautiful structure, built in the 1840s, underwent a renovation in 2023, and is now closed to private traffic. After our cruise, the sun will be going down and the city will be starting to light up. This is a great time to take a walk on the bridge, both for the view and to watch the evening coming to life.
