No doubt, the capital of Hungary is the perfect place for a City Photographer. To be honest, Budapest was not on top of my travel list. The initial reason for this trip were cheap flights. Nevertheless, there are plenty more reasons to choose it as your next travel location. One of them is the impressive architecture with its historical constructions (perfect for city photography). Another important aspect for this trip is Eastern Europe itself. I traveled so much over the last years, but always skipped this part of Europe. The countries don’t get as much as attention as popular travel destinations like Italy or Spain. Reason enough to give them a chance and explore their beautiful cities. If you are looking for some great city photo-spots, take a closer look at my 5 places you have to see in Budapest!

The Hungarian Parliament Building

The Hungarian Parliament Building is the most famous tourist spot in Budapest. Due to that, it’s one of the most captured places. The symmetry and the famous architecture are unique and best to picture from the other side of the Danube river.

I got up at 6:00 AM, to create a special version of this famous scene. It was the right choice: The photo-spot, regularly invaded by hundreds of tourists, was empty. I really enjoyed the pure silence in the middle of the city and got lucky with the light. No clouds, no distraction. The perfect conditions to get a clean shot and outline the purity of the Parliament itself.

Lights on: The Hungarian Parliament Building

City Photography: The Famous Chain Bridge

Another highlight for city photography is the historical Chain Bridge in the city center. It was the first permanent connection between Buda and Pest. The relationship between these two parts of the city was, let’s call it “difficult”. Reason enough to give this beautiful bridge a try and capture it in the appropriate way.

Due to the historical impact, I chose a photo-spot under the Chain Bridge. The view from below creates a monumental character and helps to avoid the lights of the evening traffic. Take the evening hours to visit this spot. You can enjoy the sunset and capture the bridge at the same time (view from the city center)

Connection between Buda and Pest: The Chain Bridge

Architecture at Fisherman’s Bastion

If you are into Architecture, please don’t miss this photo-spot! The Fisherman’s Bastion implements a monumental church, surrounded by a wall and some small towers. I got there in the middle of the day and still got a great capture of the Bastion (definitely one of the places you have to see in Budapest!).

I can highly recommend taking some ND Filters with you, to take some interesting long exposures (especially at a cloudy day). And don’t forget to turn around. There are plenty windows to frame the Parliament Building on the other side of the river. Use the lines of the architecture to express your creativity.

A Place you have to see in Budapest: Fisherman’s Bastion

Sunrise: Panorama at Buda Castle

If you want to experience my favorite view of Budapest, you have to enter the Buda Castle early in the morning. You can take a bus from the city center and walk up the small hill. You will be rewarded with a great location which offers a wonderful panorama view over the capital. I highly recommend it as one of the places you have to see in Budapest!

I visited the place three times and was super lucky. The last sunrise of my trip created a colorful pink sky, which felt quite surreal. It was challenging to discover the perfect location for this. A lot of trees distracted the frame and forced me to shoot a panorama of three horizontal pictures. In the End, I am really happy about the composition with all the small details (long exposure timing, incoming light and leading lines). My favorite city photography shot of this trip!

Colorful Sunrise: Panorama View over Budapest

A Place you have to see in Budapest: Christmas Market

A seasonal attraction of Budapest is the Christmas Market. I am really used to wonderful markets in Germany, but this one is special. They got me with a combination of traditional food, self-made articles and an impressive light show. It’s even worth to be mentioned as a recommended photo-location.

All the small shops offer a great contrast to the enormous St.-Stephans-Basilika. I preferred the long road to the church for my shot. But if you are into Street Photography, take your camera and just walk over the market. You will find wonderful details and a vibrant atmosphere. Once again, wait for the evening lights to create the perfect Christmas feeling.

I hope you enjoyed this article about the places you have to see in Budapest. I appreciate your feedback and wish you a great time in the capital of Hungary!

Glowing Lights at Night: The Christmas Market