Budapest is undoubtedly on of the visually most attractive European cities. Massive Chain Bridge, exotic Fishermen's Bastion, colossal palace of the Hungarian parliament and marvellous panoramic view of Budapest's bridges spanning the mighty Danube are only a few of Budapest's sights not easily forgotten.
Budapest however isn't just the parliament, Váci utca and the tourist ghetto on the top of the Castle Hill. Budapest is also grey Russian panel-type blocks of working class neighbourhoods, 40 tonnes of dog shit on the streets per day, 8000 homeless, cheeky sales assistants, surly waiters and some of the most aggressive drivers on the planet.
Most of the travellers never discover the ugly face of Budapest. So why would you?
Because if you are willing to dig further, you can enjoy a cold beer in a wonderful courtyard surrounded by dilapidated buildings accessible only through small doors from a dodgy side lane. Because in smoky cellars off the beaten path you can listen to virtuoso Gipsy music incomparable to the touristy tunes you get to listen to in famous restaurants, normally serving inferior quality food at premium prices. Because you can find peace at magnificent cemetery which doesn't fell eerie at all, or because you can stock up on your travel clothes at frantically busy Chinese market, paying ten times less than in high-street shops. And last but not least, because once you know the second face of Budapest, you might just better understand the first one.
So after digesting the standard Budapest tourist menu normally consisting of basilica, Andrássy út, the opera house, Heroes' Square, City park, the parliament, the Chain Bridge, the Royal Palace, the Matyás Church, the Fishermen's Bastion and Váci utca, pluck up your courage and turn into the side streets.
However, if you get cheated by a bitchy waitress in a dark local watering hole or if you dive into the pile of dog shit (with your shiny new shoes you just bought at Váci utca) while jumping away from a Trabant in order not to get run over - complain not. You've been warned.
Budapest orientation
Budapest is divided into 23 districts, its most interesting historical centre (Budapest Castle, the Matyás Church, the Fishermen's Bastion) being in District I. Budapest's business centre and a number of other attractions are in Districts V and VI. District VII is known for its bars wile District VIII, the locals say, is one of the most dangerous and best avoided at night. Some parts of it do look rather dodgy, including the one in which the Chinese Market is located.
In Budapest there can be streets with the same names in different districts. Hence the district number is always an important part of the address. All addresses in this Budapest travel guide include district numbers (e.g. Buda I or Pest VI. Buda is on the right bank of the Danube while Pest is on the left bank).