10 Things to Do in Budapest in October

October is known as the peak of the autumn season. It is a season of many activities such as deer tours or the international version of the Central Market tours.

It is also a month of remembrance of the people's revolution against the conservative regime of the Soviet Union, which is remembered every 23rd of October. Let's see what this month brings.

Oktoberfest, an exciting and fun-filled festival, takes place at the beginning of October. The event features contemporary music, theatre and dance performances, exhibitions, city tours, literary events, workshops and markets. In other words, it is an event on a grand scale. Highlights include an exhibition of vintage photos related to the before and after of the city.

More than 100 national and international breweries participate in the festival, as well as various Budapest restaurants leaving visitors with plenty of options to choose from. Attendance is free of charge; however, consumption and participation in some activities require a ticket. For more information visit the event's website.

And if you want to experience Oktoberfest in style, I recommend you book a ruin pub crawl, as many locals do a celebration of this international event in their own style.

23 October is a Hungarian bank holidays commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and is marked by a series of national events. Events commemorating the day range from free exhibitions to an open day at some of the city's most important buildings. For this day I recommend you book a guided tour of the Hungarian Parliament- it's the perfect occasion!

This holiday commemorates the date when Hungarians began to rise up against Soviet occupation, a bloody weeks-long struggle for freedom in which thousands of people died. In the end, in early November, the revolution was crushed and Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest.

Despite this, the 1956 revolution is an important event in Hungarian history and an important milestone for Budapest; hence, as sad as the cause may seem, the celebration is a joyous one.

The Contemporary Art Festival is an event that takes place in various venues around the city (theatres, cinemas and galleries) at the beginning of October.

From contemporary music to theatrical premieres, from popular music and jazz to dance and visual art. For two weeks you can enjoy a series of events held in cooperation with Müpa Budapest, the Budapest Tourist Centre and the Hungarian Tourist Board.

The most prominent places on this date are:

• The Jewish Quarter, so a tour of the area would be highly recommended for these dates.
• The Sissi Palace, so it is an ideal time to book a guided tour of the Gödöllo Palace.

The Sausage and Pálinka Festival takes place in early October at Buda Castle itself. It is an ideal plan for fans of good food and drink and authentic folklore. In fact, the combination of pálinka and sausages is very much part of Hungarian culture.

During the three days of the festival, more than twenty pálinka distilleries join the festival with their best products. In Budapest, it is sometimes difficult to separate the music from the food, so your ears will enjoy it too!

A word of advice: if the festival has lived up to your expectations and you want to find out more about this traditional spirit, don't hesitate to book a guided tour of the Pálinka Museum, where you can learn all the details first-hand and enjoy a tasting.

Musical concerts, premieres, legendary ensembles and young talents - this is what is known as the International Liszt Fest! It lasts two weeks, from the second to the fourth week of October, and in addition to classical music concerts, there are also opera and dance performances, industry conferences, organ recitals and contemporary music evenings, along with jazz, international and regional music performances.

The location of the event fluctuates widely, so check the Festival's website for more details. The venues include the large Esztergom Basilica and the Svábhegy Observatory area.

To complete this plan suitable for both music lovers and those who like to enjoy themselves, I recommend that you book tickets for the organ concert at St. Stephen's Basilica.

The Chimney Cake Festival, a fun and creative event, takes place in mid-October. Here you can learn all about chimney cake, a very popular traditional Hungarian cake. The festival offers a wide variety of chimney cakes, prepared over charcoal or fried in oil, plain or rolled in various ingredients. If you are looking for a gastronomic tour of Budapest, you can start with this one.

You can try dozens of varieties of this cake and enjoy a stroll through the City Park, the venue of the celebration, with activities for everyone. There will also be drawing competitions for children, magic shows, baking competitions and lots of live music. For more information on times and prices visit the event's website.

During the second week of October you can enjoy the best of Budapest's gastronomy at very reasonable, not to say bargain, prices. During this period, you can enjoy a fixed-price meal in the best restaurants of the city.

Usually there will be an exclusive three-course menu. Half of the participating restaurants offer their menus for only 3,900 HUF (approx. 13 €), and the other half offer premium menus for 4,900 HUF (approx. 16 €) and exclusive menus for 5,900 HUF (approx. 19 €).

The service charge is always included in the menu price. Restaurants serving premium or exclusive menus are marked with a red "DiningCity Star" icon (you can find this icon in the list of restaurants on the Restaurant Week website). Reservations for Restaurant Week can only be made through the Restaurant Week website.

The Central Market Hall is an event held at the Central Market, the largest indoor market in Budapest, in order to showcase products belonging to different countries, one could call it a macro-event of cultural exchange. This seven-day event takes place in mid-October.

The Central Market usually focuses on typical Hungarian products:

• The first floor corresponds to the food hall with vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables, Hungarian sausages and Hungarian paprika to Hungarian wines.
• The first floor is filled with vendors selling souvenirs and traditional Hungarian embroidery.

The only difference is that, with this event, there will be space for every country that wants to participate. At each stall there will be a flag to better identify the origin of each product.

With the onset of October (sometimes even at the end of September) the Pilis Park Forest authorities organise tours in five separate locations, including the Budakeszi Wildlife Park, Szentendre and Gödöllő, for visitors to hear the roar and beauty of the deer, as autumn is the season when these creatures are most appreciated.

If you are a fan of these animals and want to see them up close in their natural habitat, you cannot miss this event. Tours usually start at 17:30 hours. But for more information, prices...

Art Market Budapest held in the second week of October is an art exhibition and fair that aims to draw attention to and raise awareness of contemporary art and artists from Central and Eastern Europe. Art Market and its programmes are designed to help bring the public and the artists closer together. In addition to the exhibition, special programmes and art presentations help to highlight the uniqueness of art in Central and Eastern Europe.

Art Market Budapest will be held at Millenáris, a Europa Nostra award-winning complex and one of the best-equipped cultural centres in Central and Eastern Europe. Art Market Budapest coincides with Budapest Art Week where there will be a series of events, programmes and workshops related to art and culture. For more information visit the event website.

---

Autumn in Budapest manifests itself with cool weather and cloudy days, breaking into showers from time to time. Sunrise is around 6:30 am and sunset is around 5:30 pm. It gets colder throughout the month and colder as November approaches.

The average temperature is around 16°C with afternoon highs of 19°C. You can expect cooler weather at night with an average minimum of just 7°C. So if you're looking for skiing it's best to visit the city in December or January. On the other hand, there is a little less sunshine compared to the previous months. However, you will still have at least ten hours of sunlight to explore the city. Precipitation has decreased compared to September, dropping to 60 millimetres in 12 days of the month.

As autumn is in full swing, the days get shorter and shorter throughout the month. October 1 is the longest day with 11:40 hours of daylight, while October 31 is the shortest with 10 hours of daylight.

Budapest in autumn is similar to most European cities; the temperature fluctuates from cool and pleasant during the day to chilly in the evenings. It is advisable to bring cold weather clothing including thin jumpers, leather jackets, waterproof jackets, scarves and gloves (especially if you are a cold weather type). Ankle-length boots for walking will also be useful.

Yes, it is a less crowded month than you would see if you were visiting in the summer. While there are fewer festive events, there are plenty of local and artistic events.

The high temperatures of the summer months drop off somewhat in October, but early October is still a great time to take a trip to Budapest and tours from Budapest. Both average daytime and nighttime temperatures drop over the course of the month.