What's the weather like in Budapest in March
March marks the start of spring in Budapest, Hungary, and features rapidly rising temperatures. After the extreme cold of December, January and February, the city wakes up from its winter sleep and starts receiving more and more tourists. The weather turns pleasant during the day, but the nights are still a little chilly and there is the occasional rain shower.
Temperature
The average maximum temperature during day is an almost pleasant 10°C, but the average minimum nighttime temperature remains cold at 2°C. Both high and low temperatures increase drastically in the course of the month, though, respectively from 7°C to 14°C and from -1°C to 3°C. The overall average temperature is 6°C, making March the fifth coldest month of the year, after the three previous winter months and November.
Rainfall
When it comes to rainfall, March is no exception by any means. Every month receives its share of rainfall and so does March. The total amount of precipitation is around 40mm and there are 11 days with precipitation. The possibility that rainfall occurs on any given day in March varies very little in the course of the month and ranges around 51%. Unlike the previous snowy months, however, March's precipitation statistics aren't dominated by snow, but by rain. Moderate rain is the most common type of precipitation, observed on 37% of all days with precipitation. Light rain comes in second and happens on 23% of the rainy days. It does still snow, though, and moderate snow and light snow occur on 18% and 14% of the days with precipitation respectively. The chance of snowfall decreases greatly in the course of the month, from 24% to 10%.
Sunshine Hours
The average sunshine hours total 9 per day, a two-hour increase compared with the three previous months. This increase in sunshine is due to two factors. The first one is the slight decrease in cloud cover from 87% to 82% in the course of the month. The second one is the gradual lengthening of the days. March 1 is the shortest day of the month with 11.05 daylight hours; March 31 is the longest day with 12.48 hours of daylight.
After the chill of winter, the city of Budapest warms up with colorful festivals, events and performances in spring. The weather at this time is pleasant, especially for walking around Budapest's beautiful heritage sites.
Budapest Hotels for March
The four-star Ikonik Parlament is, as its name implies, located near the striking Parliament building in central Budapest. It also lies close to the Danube and the St. Stephen's Basilica. Housed in a beautiful historic 19th-century building, the hotel's interior design is surprisingly minimalistic. It has 64 double rooms, all featuring air-conditioning, a mini-bar, TV, well-equipped bathroom and more. The hotel's amenities include a beautifully designed lounge bar, a sauna and Jacuzzi, a library room, business centre and Internet corner.
Bars and Restaurants
Housed in a 13th-century bakery house, Pierrot Cafe & Restaurant is a friendly and award-winning restaurant in the Castle Hill district. It features fine cuisine and a striking interior design, like many other places in the area, this one hasn't transformed itself into a tourist restaurant, but has stayed true to its original values. It is open for lunch and dinner and serves international food, as well as traditionally Hungarian dishes.
Things to do in Budapest in March
In the remembrance of 1848 revolution, March 15th is observed as a national holiday in Budapest. Parades, official celebrations and other events, including musical and theatrical performances, take place. The whole city is decorated in the three colors of the Hungarian flag (white, red and green).
The colourful spring festival in March attracts a large number of tourists toward Budapest. It is a traditional festival and an important cultural event. Traditional folk arts, crafts, songs and dance performances are an integral part of the festival. The festival always has a central theme. The two-week festival features performances of high quality classical music, orchestra, opera and chamber events. Other exhibitions of visual arts include modern fine arts work, theatre and dance performances. This festival brings a large number of tourists to Budapest.
Easter is also celebrated along with the spring festival in a traditional way. The Easter festivities last for a week. Easter Egg decoration is an old Hungarian tradition which is still in practice.
Gluttonous Thursday is a great opportunity for tourists to try the best of Hungarian cuisines. All the restaurants give 50% off on their food.
A major attraction in the city is Buda Castle Hill, a district overflowing with history and home to many small shops and historic buildings. The area is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a fantastic place to walk around in, with its maze of cobbled streets, pretty squares and old churches.
