Neighbourhoods

Belvaros, Erzsebetvaros, Ujlipotvaros and the Buda hills — which side of the river suits which trip.

A busy pedestrian street in central Pest — Photograph by Perituss, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

The first thing to understand is the river. Pest, the eastern side, is flat, built on rings and radial avenues, and holds most of what a visitor does — the restaurants, the bars, the shops, Parliament, the boulevards. Buda, the western side, is hills: the castle, the Bastion, the views, and quieter residential streets behind them. Most people stay in Pest and cross to Buda for the day.

Districts are numbered, in Roman numerals

Addresses lead with a district number from I to XXIII, and locals use them constantly. V is the inner city — central, expensive, quiet at night. VI is Terezvaros, around Andrassy and the Opera. VII is Erzsebetvaros, the old Jewish Quarter and the ruin bars — the liveliest and the loudest. VIII and IX have changed fast and hold some of the better value. XIII is Ujlipotvaros, residential, riverside and calm. I is the Castle District, and XI and XII are the green Buda hills.

A courtyard inside the Buda Castle district — Buda is the hilly side: the castle district and the views. Photograph by Verőczi Zoltán, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Choosing where to stay

Ask one question first: do you want to be able to sleep? District VII is the centre of the nightlife and it is loud on the streets involved until very late. One or two streets away — or across into V or XIII — is a different experience for the same money and a ten-minute walk back.

Checked on 4 September 2026 against published sources. Fares, hours and closing days change without much warning — confirm before you travel.

A pale facade on Andrassy Avenue — Terezvaros, District VI, runs along Andrassy Avenue. Photograph by 12akd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Facades along Andrassy Avenue — Addresses lead with a district number, in Roman numerals. Photograph by 12akd, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

This section is being written. The guide above is the section for now. New articles are published across the site about twice a week rather than a section being filled in a day, so this page grows steadily — it is worth looking in again. In the meantime the sixteen sight pages and the plans by trip length are finished, and they are the best place to start.

Coming next in this section

Budapest districts explained: the Roman numerals and what they mean
Buda or Pest: which side to stay on, and why
Where to stay in Budapest if you want to be able to sleep
Ujlipotvaros, Erzsebetvaros and Terezvaros compared