Is Víziváros a good place to stay in Budapest?

Víziváros is a good base if you want to stay on the Buda side, close to the castle, without being up on the hill itself. Batthyány tér has a metro line that runs under the Danube to Deák Ferenc tér, and trams run along the riverbank in both directions. It suits couples, families and repeat visitors who prefer calm evenings to the bars of the Jewish Quarter.

The area is a strip of old streets between Castle Hill and the river. Fő utca runs through the middle with cafés, churches and small hotels, and Batthyány tér has some of the best views of Parliament in the city, especially when it's lit up at night. Behind it, steep lanes and stairways climb up to Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church, and Margaret Bridge leads across to Margaret Island.

The downside is that Víziváros is quiet once the day is over. There are fewer restaurants and bars than in Pest, most evenings out mean crossing the river, and the walks up to the castle are steep. The roads along the embankment can also be busy with traffic.

What makes Víziváros special is the view. You can step out of your hotel onto the riverbank, see Parliament across the water, climb up to Fisherman's Bastion before the crowds arrive and still be a short metro ride from the heart of Pest.