More than expected
r 2015 –
City Guide For You Octobe
April 2
016
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
AQUAWORLD
One name, tons of memories
Whether it is a one-day break, wellness weekend
or a family vacation, Aquaworld means all of them.
Relax and fun in one place.
Check in, chill out
www.aquaworldresort.hu
A resort of:
Contents
32
Budapest fortissimo
Cover photo: View of Budapest with
the rooftop sun terrace pool of Rudas Bath
October 2015 – April 2016
4
6
8
16
22
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
42
TOP 10 Sights
Budapest Programmes
Budapest Classic
26
Budapest Culture
Budapest Map
TOP 10 News
4
Budapest Active
Budapest for Gourmets
City of Baths
Budapest for Youth
Budapest for Kids
Budapest Surroundings
Useful Information
34
Budapest Fortissimo ■ October 2015 – April 2016
Published by Turizmus Kft. • Publisher: Zsolt Szebeni • Managing
Director Editor: Brigitta Vajk • Design: Dániel Komlósi • Editorial office
and publisher: Turizmus Kft. H-1074 Budapest, Munkás utca 9. •
Tel.: (+36-1) 492-0455, fax: (+36-1) 338-4293, web: www.turizmuskft.com
• Advertising: [email protected] • Printing press: Dürer Printing
House Ltd. • Photos: photo archives of Hungarian Tourism Ltd.
Publication closed: 10 September 2015
16
budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 3
Top 10 Sights
10
TOP
sights
1
Buda Castle
(map: B3)
One of the principal cultural and tourism hubs
of Budapest. A listed World Heritage site since 1987.
(see Budapest Classic section)
Matthias Church
(map: A2)
The finest church in Budapest stands out on the
Buda side like a beacon. Besides its important ecclesiastical functions it is also a regular venue for
concerts. (see Budapest Classic section)
4
Heroes’ Square
(map: C2)
Where elegant Andrássy
Avenue ends and popular City
Park begins is where we find this
most grandiose of squares. (see
Budapest Classic section)
7
Dohány Street
Synagogue
(map: B3)
The largest synagogue
in Europe, around
which an active
religious and
cultural life thrives
throughout the year.
(see Budapest
Classic section)
4 |
October 2015 – April 2016
3
Hungarian
State Opera
House
5
(map: B2)
The 130-year-old
building is the jewel
in the crown of Andrássy Avenue. Can
be visited for evening
performances as well
as daytime opera
tours of its magnificent halls. (see Budapest Culture section)
8 Széchenyi
Thermal Bath
(map: C2)
Nicknamed Szecska, this is the
largest bathing complex in all of
Europe. Its medi­cinal
waters are tapped
from 1246 metres
and arrive at the surface at a temperature
of 76 °C.
(see City of
Baths section)
2 Parliament
(map: B2)
The world’s third
largest parliamentary building, home to the
Hungarian Holy
Crown and coronation regalia. (see
Budapest Classic
section)
6 St. Stephen’s Basilica
(map: B3)
Budapest’s largest
Roman Catholic
church, it preserves
in a reliquary the
Holy Right hand of
founder of the state
King St. Stephen.
(see Budapest
Classic section)
9 Budapest Zoo
(map: C2)
Voted one of the six most attractive historical monument zoos in
the world, it pulls in the largest
number of visitors in the capital.
(see Budapest for Kids section)
10 Great Market Hall
(map: B3)
In 2013 this was selected as the
best market in Europe. Built in
1896, at the time it was an internationally recognized state-of-theart market hall. (see Budapest for
Gourmets section)
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
budapestwinter.com
Programmes
Programmes brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car
Budapest
October
December
2–18 October, 2015
CAFe Budapest
Contemporary Arts Festival
13 November, 2015
– 6 January, 2016
Budapest Christmas Market
Budapest (various venues)
www.cafebudapestfest.hu
Budapest – Vörösmarty Square
en.budapestinfo.hu
8–11 October, 2015
ART Market Budapest
Millenáris Cultural
Center, Budapest
www.artmarketbudapest.hu
9 October, 2015
– 3 January, 2016.
Ludwig
Goes Pop
Ludwig Museum
- Museum of
Contemporary Art
www.lumu.hu
24–28 October, 2015
14th Gödöllő
International Liszt Festival
Gödöllő, Royal Palace
www.kiralyikastely.hu
21–25 October, 2015
Womex
(World Music Expo)
MÜPA Budapest,
Millenáris Park
www.womex.com/
realwomex/2015/
budapest.html
November
7–8 November, 2015
Festival of the Goose and
New Wine on St. Martin’s Day
Hungarian Open-Air Museum
(“Skanzen”), Szentendre
skanzen.hu/en
11 October, 2015
30th SPAR
Budapest Marathon
A real international running event
with 3000 runners from abroad,
from more than
70 different countries. Distances:
Marathon, 30K, Relay for 4, 10K.
runinbudapest.com
6 |
October 2015 – April 2016
28–29 November, 2015
Play-IT
GAMER SHOW & EXPO
Budapest
– Hungexpo
playit.hu/playit-2015-2
29 November, 2015
– 1st January, 2016
Advent Feast
at the Basilica
Budapest – St. Stephen’s Square
adventiunnep.hu/en
30 December, 2015
“MUSIC-WINE”
– Gala Concert of
the 30-year-old
100 Member
Gipsy Orchestra
Budapest
Congress Center
www.argosart.hu
31 December, 2015
B.Ú.É.K BUDAPEST
A monumental New Year’s Eve
parade of Budapest included a
public countdown at midnight,
located at three different sites.
www.buekbudapest.hu
www.hertz.hu, [email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
programmes
January
1 January, 2016
Haydn: The Creation
– New Year’s Concert
MÜPA Budapest – Béla Bartók
National Concert Hall
www.mupa.hu
7–11 January, 2016
Budapest International
Circus Festival
Capital Circus of Budapest
(City Park)
www.fnc.hu
February
first half of February
Hairy Pig (“Mangalica”)
Food Festival
Budapest V., Szabadság tér
(Liberty Square)
mangalicafesztival.hu
middle of February
Budapest Fish Festival
Budapest, National Museum yard
A celebration of one of
the healthiest foods and the
animals living in the rivers
Danube and Tisza.
www.budapestihalfesztival.hu
March
April
15 March, 2016, Budapest
The Day of
Hungarian Liberty
The anniversary of the
outbreak of the 1848 Revolution,
featuring processions and
free shows on the historical
national holiday in Budapest.
The best venue to pick
on March 15 is
the Buda Castle.
8–24 April, 2016
36th Budapest Spring Festival
The programme involves
many of the arts.
www.btf.hu
27–28 March, 2016
(Easter Sunday
and Monday)
Easter Festivities
Hungarian
Open-Air Museum,
Szentendre
The best Easter programme
in the region: a medley
where traditional
Easter celebrations are
revived, from Easter ham
and bunny eggs to
sprinkling the women
with perfume.
www.skanzen.hu/en
end of March, 2016
National Folk Dance
(“Táncház”) Festival
& Fair in Hungary
Papp László
Budapest Sport Arena
tanchaztalalkozo.hu
8–10 April, 2016
Oldtimer
weekend
Hungarian
Railway Museum
www.oldtimershow.hu
16–17 April, 2016,
Budapest
31st Telekom
Vivicittá Spring
Half Marathon
runinbudapest.com
end of April
(provisional date:
25 April – 01 May, 2016)
Budapest Dance Festival
MÜPA Budapest / Royal Garden Pavilion / Hungarian Heritage House
www.budapestdancefestival.hu
budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 7
Classic
Budapest Classic
Budapest holds a front-ranking position among the most attractive
cities of the world. It successfully combines a centuries-old architectural and cultural heritage with the latest features of modern life.
DON’T
MISS THIS!
BUDA CASTLE PALACE
1st district, Szent György
tér 2 (map: B3)
As one of the symbols of
the country, this area has
witnessed wars and conquests
from the 13th to the 20th
century. Occupied by the Ottomans, then Habsburgs, the
Castle Palace has been razed
to the ground three times but
always rebuilt in the architectural style of the age. Its current Classicist form was given
at the end of the Second World
War. The Hungarian National
Gallery and the Budapest
History Museum are housed
here. www.mng.hu; www.
Insider
tip
Scattered throughout the city, one will come
across the ‘guardians of Budapest’, carved lions,
some with severe, some with gentler countenances, all
radiating a sense of dignity and authority. Pairs of lions
guard the entrances to important buildings, most are to
be observed in the Royal Palace grounds, but without
doubt the most famous are the four magnificent beasts
on Chain Bridge.
btm.hu
8 |
October 2015 – April 2016
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
h a l á s z b á s t y a r e s ta u r a n t
Restaurant above the city
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h–1014 budapest, halászbástya Északi híradástorony
Classic
cessor of today’s structure was
the observatory of the Pest Royal
University, which stood on the site
in the first half of the 19th century.
OUR PICK
DOHÁNY STREET
SYNAGOGUE
7th district, Dohány utca 2
(map: C3)
A slice of the exotic Orient in the
heart of Budapest. The building, constructed from white and
red brick, richly ornamented
with ceramics and reflecting a
Byzantine-Moorish style, is not
only one of the most imposing
monuments in Budapest but also
the largest synagogue in Europe.
Besides traditional services it also
hosts concerts.
w
ww.greatsynagogue.hu
Did You Know?
CHAIN BRIDGE (map: B3)
The capital’s first bridge, a historical monument, has attracted many tourists to Budapest: photographs or film of it
illuminated at night, with the imposing Buda Castle rising in
the background, make for a breathtaking sight. Count István
Széchenyi commissioned William Tierney Clark to design
the bridge and engineer Adam Clark (no relation) to build it.
Construction lasted from 1839–1849. The bridge did not escape
the destruction of the Second World War, and it was rebuilt in
1949, on its 100th anniversary.
CITADELLA
Gellérthegy (map: B3)
The Citadel sits atop Gellért Hill, 140 meters above the Danube,
from where the finest panorama of the city unfolds. Towering over the fortification is one of the much debated symbols
of the city, the 14-m-high (40 meters together with the plinth)
Liberation Monument, with a female figure brandishing a palm
branch of victory above her head, attended by two other works,
allegories of the battle against evil and progress. The prede10 |
October 2015 – April 2016
…that Budapest boasts
not only the largest
parliament building but
also the largest synagogue in Europe?
FISHERMAN’S
BASTION
1st district, Szentháromság tér
(map: A3)
A relatively youthful structure
next to Matthias Church. Building started in 1895 on the designs
of Frigyes Schulek. It was sited
on the place of the medieval fish
market and the walls protected
by the guild of fishermen, whence
the name. The neo-Romanesque
bastion has only ever had a decorative function: it is a popular
place to look out over Pest.
HEROES’ SQUARE
14th district, Hősök tere
(map: C2)
The most spectacular square in the capital,
sited at the entrance to City Park. Anyone
coming up Andrássy Boulevard sees from
afar the 36-m-high column in the centre of
the Millennium memorial, on top of which
is a statue of the Archangel Gabriel holding
the Hungarian Holy Crown and apostolic
double cross. Quarter-circular colonnades
extend to both left and right of the column.
Between the pillars of the colonnade are figures of the ‘greats’ from Hungarian history,
while the butt piers are embellished with
emblematic sculptural ensembles (work,
welfare, knowledge, honour and peace). The
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is positioned
in front of the monument. The magnificent
buildings of the Art Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts to the right and left of the
monument enhance the fine architectural
entity of Heroes’ Square.
R E S TA UR A N T · B A R · LOUN GE
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budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 11
Classic
PARLIAMENT
5th district, Kossuth tér 1–3 (map: B2)
Permanent home of the National Assembly
of Hungary, this neo-Gothic building
on the left bank of the river Danube was
constructed between 1884–1904. It has
breathtaking dimensions: 691 rooms,
chambers and halls, 268 m in length, the
dome stands 96 m above water level. Its
most precious artwork is Mihály Munkácsy’s dramatic painting The Conquest. The
coronation regalia (Crown of St. Stephen,
orb, sceptre, Renaissance sword of state)
are kept here.
During recent reconstruction work on Kossuth Square several new functions designed
for visitors were inaugurated opposite the
building’s north wing: exhibitions, a café and
gift shop in the Visitor Centre.
latogatokozpont.parlament.hu
HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
MATTHIAS CHURCH
5th district, Széchenyi tér 9 (map: B3)
1st district, Szentháromság tér
(map: A3)
The oldest and most significant building on Széchenyi Square.
Its perfect neo-Renaissance design came from the studio of
Berlin architect Stüler, and it was built between 1862–64. The
magnificent Gala Hall decorated with pictures by Károly Lotz
is also used for staging concerts. There are lecture and session
rooms, and a valuable scientific library. Allegorical sculptures
in the imposing foyer and on the façade are the work of Miklós
Izsó and Emil Wolf.
www.mta.hu
Chain Bridge with Matthias Church
12 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Budapest’s finest and most celebrated Catholic church, which –
from the Pest side – dominates the
picturesque Castle district scene.
The church was built in several
stages between the 13-15th centuries, with its current neo-Gothic
form given in 1896. Frescoes and
stained glass windows were made
by some of the period’s finest and
most renowned artists (Károly Lotz,
Mihály Zichy, Bertalan Székely).
After reconstruction lasting nearly
10 years, Matthias Church can again
be visited in all its original glory.
Besides its religious life, the church
is also the location for an ecclesiastical collection, a new visitor centre
and regular concerts.
www.matyas-templom.hu
Insider
tip
ST. STEPHEN’S BASILICA
5th district, Szent István tér (map: B3)
The 96-m-high cupola of the Basilica, which was consecrated in 1905 and
is the largest church in the city, is visible from many points around Budapest. Built in neo-Renaissance style, it guards the most important relic
of the Hungarians: the mummified hand, the Holy Right, of founder of
the state King St. Stephen. The Basilica also regularly hosts music events.
Open: Mon-Sat: 9 am-7 pm, Sun: 7.45 am-7 pm. en.bazilika.biz
Visit the
museums of
Andrássy Avenue:
Ferenc Hopp
Museum of
Eastern Asiatic
Art, Ferenc
Liszt memorial
Museum
and Research
Centre, House
of Terror Museum,
Kogart House,
Zoltán Kodály
Memorial
Museum and
Archives
VAJDAHUNYAD CASTLE
14th district, Városliget (City Park) (map: C2)
The historical architectural ensemble rising over the small island on
City Park Lake was built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of the state. Its popular name is taken from the
principal building in the group, a copy of the main façade of Vajdahunyad
Castle, Transylvania, today in Romania. The buildings are designed to
trace the evolution of a thousand years of Hungarian architecture, from
Romanesque (Chapel of Ják) right up to Baroque (Hungarian Agricultural
Museum). The castle is a popular excursion point and venue for culinary
and music festivals. www.vajdahunyadcastle.com
budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 13
Classic
ON THE TRAIL OF WORLD
HERITAGE SITES
OUR PICK
AQUINCUM
Buda Castle Quarter
3rd district, Szentendrei út 135
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. The area harmonizes the medieval built heritages with buildings from the 17-18th
century. There are three principal sections to this protected
historical area: Buda Castle Palace, Szent György Square and
the historical residential quarter with Matthias Church.
There is a place in north Óbuda where
you can travel back in time – Aquincum was founded by the Romans as
the capital of the Province of Pannonia. Among the two-thousand-yearold ruins one can clearly make out the
amphitheatre, lapidarium, aqueduct
and Roman baths. The museum's
permanent collection includes the
world-famous Aquincum organ.
Budapest Danube embankment
The listed segment of the Danube embankment runs from
Margaret Bridge to Liberty (Szabadság) Bridge. This approximately 60-hectare area has enjoyed World Heritage protection
since 1987. Its buildings and districts recount the history of the
capital from the early settlement of the area to today.
Andrássy Avenue and
historical surroundings
14 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Millenary Park is a favourite
recreation area for locals.
It has playgrounds and the
buildings within the park boast
permanent and temporary exhibitions. Adjacent to it, a shopping
mall and several cafes, restaurants can be found in the pedestrian zone of Lövőház street.
Insider
The 2-km-long Andrássy Avenue and Millennium Underground Railway that runs its entire length, which is similarly listed by UNESCO, link City Park with the downtown.
Andrássy Avenue and its historical surroundings, including the
Opera House and Nagymező Street (“Pest Broadway”), were
added to the World Heritage list in 2002.
Liberty Bridge
www.aquincum.hu
tip
Sightseeing
in a different way
The RiverRide floating bus is
the only vehicle for tourists
in Budapest that can splash
into the water and then drive out
of the Danube safe and sound.
Start your unforgettable city
tour on land, seeing the major
sights of Pest, and after the
thrilling splash you can enjoy
the view of one of the most
beautiful cities in the world
while sailing on the river
Danube. The tour takes approx.
1 hour 45 minutes.
HOUSE OF HUNGARIAN
ART NOUVEAU
5th district, Honvéd utca 3 (map: B2)
Sylph-like female bodies holding aloft a
lamp, a comb decorated in vine leaves,
a butterfly hairpin, dresses awaiting
the next glittering ball, a fine bedroom
dressing table with mirror. The scent
of coffee, rich biscuits, peace and quiet.
A place where time stands still. This is
the former Bedő House, the remarkable
Art Nouveau facade of which – covered in Zsolnay ceramic flowers, with
Herzl-style coloured glass windows and
asymmetric balconies – rivals the wildly
poetic creations of Gaudi in Barcelona,
and in which a permanent collection
preserves an authentic inter-war period
flavour.
www.magyarszecessziohaza.hu
budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 15
Culture
Information brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car www.hertz.hu,
[email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
Budapest
Culture
Budapest is a city of values and emotions, where festivals are as much about traditions as fascinating new
surprises. The events of the Budapest Spring Festival
and CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival introduce visitors to a colourful and varied cultural scene
in one of Europe’s most exciting capitals.
Vibrantly colourful
and diverse
Past years have brought about important changes
in the cultural life of Budapest. In addition to the
beautiful, 130-year-old Opera House, and the region's first large centre of the performing arts, Müpa
Budapest – whose Béla Bartók National Concert
Hall is one of the most acoustically perfect concert
venues in the world –, the freshly renovated Liszt
Academy, which was founded by Ferenc (Franz)
Liszt, welcomes visitors again, as does Erkel Theatre. The recently opened Budapest Music Center
is one of Europe's latest establishments dedicated
to contemporary art and it also gives home to the
institute of composer Péter Eötvös.
Budapest’s cultural milieu owes much to the way its
artistic institutions coordinate their events, and it
is by relying on these synergies that the Budapest
Spring Festival (staged every April) and CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival (every October)
have planned their programmes. Both festivals are
“Gesamtkunstwerk” city festivals, with more than
150 events at over 40 venues.
16 |
October 2015 – April 2016
THE FIRST LUXURY
PERFUMERY IN
BUDAPEST
1052 Budapest, Régiposta u. 19.
facebook.com/NeroliParfumeria
instagram: @neroliperfumery
www.neroli.hu
Culture
Information brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car www.hertz.hu,
[email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
CULTURE DOSE
A38 SHIP
11th district, Buda side of Petőfi Bridge (map: C4)
One of the capital’s most popular and original
cultural spaces, which opened initially as a concert
venue and restaurant in a Ukrainian barge built
in 1968, to which an independent gallery has been
added only recently. www.a38.hu
ART GALLERY (Műcsarnok)
14th district, Heroes’ Square (map: C2)
The largest exhibition gallery in the country, a defining neo-Classical structure in Heroes’ Square.
It does not have its own collection but its regular
temporary exhibitions feature mainly the contemporary arts and the works of artistic groups from
all over the world. www.mucsarnok.hu
Did You Know?
…the Hospital in the Rock under Buda
Castle features the largest number of
waxworks figures displayed in Central
Europe.
...Várkert Bazár welcomes visitors in all
its original glory, with exhibition areas
and catering outlets situated under Buda
Castle in the World Heritage site.
...Hungarian Museum of Trade and
Tourism (in Óbuda) is the only such
museum in the world, with a significant
collection of catering-industry and trade
history relics, menus, menu cards, old
photos, promotion materials, etc.
BÁLNA BUDAPEST
9th district, Fővám tér 11-12 (map: B4)
Bálna is a commercial, cultural, entertainment and catering
centre. It’s a meeting point and experience venue. It links
the city centre with Inner Ferencváros, the tourist zone with
the gastro-zone. www.balnabudapest.hu
BUDAPEST MUSIC CENTER (BMC)
academic quarter was built specifically as a chamber venue (the first
of its kind in Budapest), devoting
particular attention to classic
chamber music. bmc.hu
BUDAPEST OPERETTA
THEATRE
8 district, Mátyás utca 8 (map: B3)
6th district, Nagymező utca 19
(map: B2)
The concert hall with superb acoustics belonging to the
complex positioned in the heart of Budapest’s cultural and
It’s a celebration every performance night in this 120-year-old
th
Photo: © CAFe Budapest
Á la c’ARTe chamber choir (HUN)
18 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Culture
Information brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car www.hertz.hu,
[email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
TRAFÓ – HOUSE OF
CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Gravity & Other Myths (AUS)
historical building (the one-time
renowned Orfeum), where the
auditorium is illuminated by the
brilliance of century-old chandeliers and the dress circle retains
its gilded stucco decoration.
On the other hand, the regular
clientele is increasingly youthful! Fans of the genres await the
latest operettas and musicals
with bated breath.
9th district, Liliom u. 41 (map: C4)
The venue for intellectual adventure,
inspiration, multiculturalism and performances that get the brain cells working.
What was in the early 20th century a
transformer station is today the most
important presentation space for Hungarian and foreign contemporary companies,
where dance, concert and stage performances, new circus and exhibitions follow
one another. www.trafo.hu
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA
6th district, Andrássy út 22 (map: B2)
One of the most imposing opera houses of its day, the
Budapest Opera House opened in 1884. Its neo-Classical
and neo-Renaissance design is the work of the greatest
Hungarian architect of the 19th century, Miklós Ybl. The
grandiose lobby, elegant staircase and horseshoe-shaped
auditorium are important tourist sights in themselves.
Guest conductors at the Opera House have included such
world greats as Gustav Mahler and Otto Klemperer.
www.opera.hu
www.operett.hu/en
LISZT ACADEMY
HUNGARIAN
NATIONAL GALLERY
1st district, Buda Castle Palace,
wings B, C, D (map: B3)
Open: Tue-Sun: 10 am-6 pm
Since it houses the most comprehensive collection of Hungarian
fine art, it ranks as one of the
largest museums in the entire
country. Anyone interested in
strolling through a medieval
lapidarium or among late Gothic
triptychs, yet who would also
like to view 19-20th century
Hungarian painting and sculpture, will find everything here in
one place! Info: www.mng.hu
20 |
October 2015 – April 2016
7th district, Wesselényi utca 52 (map: C2)
With a history stretching back 138 years, the world-famous
university founded by Ferenc (Franz) Liszt, the institution of
Hungarian music higher education, has been located in this
magnificent Art Nouveau structure (a key venue of domestic
concert life) for 106 years and is once again open to concertgoers after nearly a decade of restoration that has rekindled
all its former grandeur. www.zeneakademia.hu
Works by leading classic and contempotip rary representatives of Hungarian and
international photography are displayed in
Mai Manó House (www.maimano.hu) and the
Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center
(www.capacenter.hu) named after the Hungarianborn photographer, located in Nagymező Street
famed for its theatres.
Insider
PEST VIGADÓ CONCERT HALL
5th district, Vigadó tér 2 (map: B3)
The building was inaugurated with a ball in 1833.
However, besides the frivolities it was always a
representative of high culture – at that time the
only concert hall in Pest. It attracted figures such
as Johann Strauss Jnr., Mascagni, Dvořak, Debussy
and Arthur Rubinstein. www.vigado.hu
MÜPA BUDAPEST
9th district, Komor Marcell utca 1 (map: C4)
The Müpa is a bold architectural statement
on the bank of the Danube, serving as the
home base of the Budapest Festival Orchestra,
Ludwig Museum and performances of the
National Dance Theatre.
The venue brings together the many and varied
disciplines of the arts in unique fashion by
providing a home for classical, contemporary,
popular and world music, not to mention jazz
and opera, as well as contemporary circus, dance,
literature and film. www.mupa.hu
foyer of pest vigadó
OUR PICK
AKVÁRIUM CLUB
5th district, Erzsébet tér 12 (map: B3)
Multiple concert venues, unbeatable milieu,
cutting edge lighting and sound systems, fantastic restaurant and plenty of programmes
for young and old alike.
www.akvariumklub.hu
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Budapest Map
budapest fortissimo
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October 2015 – April 2016
| 23
Culture
2
major festivals
of the city
2–1
Octob8
er
2015 ,
CAFe Budapest
Hungary’s most important contemporary arts festival
This year the festival pays tribute to
Béla Bartók with several performances
of the compositions of this great collector of Central European folk music.
The other highlighted composer of
the festival is the Estonian Arvo Pärt,
who turns 80 this year.
Opera lovers will be delighted by
new productions and co-productions,
including the most recent joint effort
of the Neue Oper Wien and Müpa,
Shostakovich’s satire, The Nose, and
Máté Bella’s piece, Spring Awakening.
The world premiere of Péter
Eötvös’s new cimbalom concerto
promises to be a real treat, as will
the concert of Bence Bogányi and
24 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Gergely Bogányi with the Münchener Kammerorchester, and
the performance of the ENSEMBLE GENEAMUS (Budapest–
Vienna).
Those who prefer lighter genres, dance performances, crossover
and world music, can also take their pick from a rich selection as
Budapest will play host to Pink Martini, Radiohead founder Jonny
Greenwood, the Black Box Dance Company, Jojo Mayer and Félix
Lajkó, the New York Gypsy All Stars, and the master of new sounds,
Hauschka, with Finnish virtuoso of the drums Samuli Kosminen.
There will be exciting exhibitions as Ludwig Goes Pop in the
eponymous museum, and Bálna Budapest celebrates the Day of
Hungarian Painting.
Like last year, the festival will be joined by Art Market Budapest,
the leading art fair of Eastern Europe, focusing now on the Balkans
between 8–11 October 2015.
For the latest information visit:
www.cafebudapestfest.hu
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
Budapest Spring Festival
Hungary’s major cultural arts festival
The 36th Budapest Spring Festival welcomes visitors with a
programme that involves many of the arts, with events in classical music, opera, jazz and pop, world music, dance, theatre
and the visual arts. Featuring the best Hungarian performers
and real world stars, the Budapest Spring Festival is a truly
special occasion, presenting Hungarian and world premieres
of musical and theatrical productions and co-productions with
partner institutions throughout its seventeen days.
There will be dozens of venues in 2016: in addition to Müpa
and the Hungarian State Opera House, the Liszt Academy,
Bálna Budapest, Pesti Vigadó, Budapest Music Center, National
Theatre and other Budapest theatres, cultural institutes and
museums will also be home to outstanding events. Once again
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
realized in cooperation between
Müpa Budapest, the Budapest
Festival and Tourism Centre, and
Hungarian Tourism Inc., the event
series continues to broaden its offer
by involving the leading cultural
institutions of the city.
For the latest information visit:
www.bsf.hu
budapest fortissimo
8–24
april
,
2016
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October 2015 – April 2016
| 25
Top 10 News
Top 10 news
about Budapest
1
6
Several Hungarikums have
been added to the list of inimitable, quality products of Hungary, among these ground paprika
from Szeged and the herbal liqueur
Unicum. The list now contains 50
Hungarikums including Hungarian
pálinka (brandy), Tokaj Aszú wine
and Herend porcelain.
The 12-kilometre-long Children’s Railway meandering
through the hills of Budapest
has been declared the longest railway of its kind (i.e. partly operated
by children) by Guinness World
Records.
Blossoming tourism proves
that Budapest is indeed a favourite destination, thanks to
a great cost-to-value ratio: in 2015
growth of nearly 9% was registered
in the number of guest nights.
A fourth restaurant in
Budapest, Tanti, joined
the group of fine dining
restaurants awarded
a coveted Michelin star.
Costes, Onyx, Borkonyha and
Tanti represent the peak of
the restaurant scene, according to the Michelin Guide.
Budapest’s latest high-end
hotel opened close to St
Stephen’s Basilica. Aria Hotel
Budapest**** is dedicated to famous musicians and composers: its
rich music collection is combined
with subtle elegance, making it a
truly special boutique hotel.
2
3
4
5
26 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Early April 2015 also saw the
inauguration of the Prestige
Hotel Budapest****. The hotel
operates in a wonderfully rejuvenated palace and boasts a world-class
restaurant, Costes Downtown.
Research reveals
that Budapest is
one of the best
value tourist spots anywhere. A recent article
in the British Guardian
newspaper wrote about
the Hungarian capital as a must-see
since “only few European cities can
rival Budapest’s glorious setting
astride the Danube River”.
Recently three barber shops
opened in the centre of Budapest: the Budapest Barber
Shop trio is a haven for men seeking traditional and quality service,
as the old-school ambience is combined with classic and professional
techniques plus new options like
beard dyeing...
According to TripAdvisor
users, the fourth best hotel in
the world and the best hotel
in Europe in 2015 is the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace – with
an unbeatable view of Buda Castle.
A Hungarian restaurant
features in the prestigious Night Fever
catalogue of the best bars and
restaurants in the world: Zona
Budapest in Lánchíd Street. Experience it yourself!
7
8
9
10
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
Active
Budapest Active
Getting acquainted with a country, its habits and people is not
always possible by just taking part in a sightseeing programme.
Instead, one has to join the sort of unique and fun programmes as
those listed below. It is truly worth booking one or two extra nights
and discovering why Budapest is becoming such a fashionable and
sought-after destination for foreigners… and Hungarians too.
OUR PICK
Cookery courses
Taking a cooking lesson is probably the
best way to find out secrets of Hungarian gastronomy, make new friends and
at the end have a great meal together.
The ambiance of such programmes,
the chosen Hungarian specialities and
your active attendance are the key to a
memorable culinary experience. A range
of options are at your disposal brought
to you by such companies as Taste Hungary, Chefparade or Gastropolis.
28 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Insider Unconventional
tip
sightseeing
More and more companies are
offering out-of-the-ordinary
sightseeing walks, where unknown treasures of the city are
showcased based on different
themes. These tours provide a
great chance for those wanting to
discover the hidden side of Budapest and get off the beaten track.
Some of these inspired guided
sightseeing tours include a treasure hunt, tastings and further
tailor-made elements. Check out
the offers of Underguide, Imagine
Budapest, BudapestScenes or
Beyond Budapest!
Painting class
Chocolate school
You really do not have to be talented to make your own replica
of a Van Gogh or the artwork of
a famous Hungarian painter. A
truly unique Hungarian initiative, FessNeki, will provide you
with accessories, artists helping
you as instructors and everything
else needed to create a brilliant
painting – all the while having a
great time. It’s a perfect way to
tap into your creative side while
sipping a glass of delicious Hungarian wine! fessneki.hu/en
Szamos is probably the best
known name in Hungary when
talking about marzipan and
chocolate. Where better to learn
master techniques and secrets
than in the confectionary, café
and chocolate manufacturing
shop in the heart of Budapest,
Szamos Gourmet House? Explore the adventures of making
your own handmade chocolates
and fulfil a long-forgotten childhood dream. www.csoko-
Exit/escape games
If you are looking for some quality entertainment, head for an
exit room! Budapest has become
the worldwide hub of exit rooms
as there are more than hundred
such places in Budapest alone.
The goal in this brilliant team
building activity is to find the
way out of the room in which you
have been locked, with the help
of logic, creativity and teamwork.
Our picks are Trap Factory on
mysterious Csepel Island, Parapark, the very first escape game
in Hungary, or Claustrophilia in
downtown Budapest.
ladeiskola.hu/english.html
www.trapfactory.hu,
www.parapark.hu,
www.claustrophilia.hu
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Gourmets
Budapest for
Gourmets
Budapest is a creative city, and not only in the
buzzing art and fashion scene. Gastronomes are
reinterpreting Hungarian classics for a 21st century
international audience, locals are redefining and
repurposing their environment to give them a whole
new lease of life.
Among the bests
Did You Know?
…that you can time
travel into Hungary’s
past with beers and
wines?
…that you can buy artworks and home-grown
vegetables?
…that you can understand the Hungarian
soul? We’ve followed
how Budapest’s
abandoned downtown
buildings are turned
into fantastic bars and
how ruin pubs (www.
ruinpubs.com) have
become a highlight of
Budapest. They are
the pulsating heart of
Budapest, the gardens
of creativity, cultural
and civil hubs, hidden
artist caves, a mingling
of everything we love
and what you will love
about Budapest.
budapestflow.com
30 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Voted ‘Best Bar in the World’
by readers of Lonely Planet
in 2012, the A38 used to be
a Ukrainian barge but has
been repurposed as a concert
venue, bar and restaurant.
The ruin pubs of Kazinczy
Street lead to the chic wine
szimpla kert
bars of Gozsdu Udvar, adjacent to the stately splendour of Andrássy Avenue, where the palaces might
display luxury accessories or hide a ruin pub 2.0 where young people pour
in on a Friday night to sip cocktails amongst exposed brick walls.
Stars and others
Due to the growing number of tourists, menus are almost always available
in several languages. International top restaurants with Michelin stars
(Costes, Onyx, Borkonyha, Tanti), traditional or modern Hungarian
cuisine mixed with Mediterranean flavours, English or Irish pub food,
soup bars, Asian or Mexican fast food, student bars with Balkan food or
fancy burger bars and steak houses await you.
Ráday Street offers a wide selection of restaurants in all price ranges,
while Liszt Ferenc Square is known for its idyllic outdoor seating with
higher, but still affordable prices.
Don’t miss!
➥ According to Gault&Millau, the following restaurants are among
the best in town: Zóna Budapest, Alabárdos, Laci!Konyha!, Olimpia Vendéglő, Salon Restaurant.
➥ The distinguished name of Gundel is one and the same as the
history of Hungarian gastronomy, while the menu of the elegant
Kárpátia lists classic Hungarian dishes alongside fine dining of
nouvelle Hungarian cuisine.
Insider
tip
Bistro revolution
While ruin pubs are still thriving, the bistro revolution is redefining our relationship with eating out, craft beer appreciation
is a serious pastime and chic wine bars are giving prestige and
recognition to the wide variety of wines that come from Hungary’s far flung wine regions, introducing them to Budapest and
through her, the world.
➥ Budapest is also
famous for its coffee
house culture: in addition
to classic coffee houses,
such as the New York,
Gerbeaud, Central or Lotz,
you can enjoy invigorating
coffee from freshly roasted
beans in family-run coffee
shops.
➥ You should definitely
visit the Great Market hall,
which, according to CNN, is
the most beautiful market
in the world – a treasure
box full of Hungarian food
and lifestyle.
Taste Hungarian wines!
Hungary’s 22 wine regions turn out a diverse range of wines.
There is no doubt that the country’s flagship wine is furmint,
from which we get the superb Aszú dessert wine in Tokaj. Varieties also well worth trying are the other native Hungarian whites
(juhfark, kéknyelű, hárslevelű, leányka), and from the reds Eger
and Szekszárd Bull’s Blood.
SZAMOS GOURMET PALACE
CAFE ◆ CONFECTIONERY ◆ CHOCOLATIER
SWEET TEMPTATIONS IN THE
SZAMOS GOURMET PALACE!
We have exquisite desserts waiting for
You all day in the elegant surroundings
of the Szamos Gourmet Palace in the
center of town!
1052 Budapest, Váci utca 1. (entrance from Deák Ferenc street)
www.szamosmarcipan.hu
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Baths
City
of Baths
Budapest is a city of medicinal baths. Although baths from Roman times (2nd century)
have been uncovered in Budapest, the true
bathing culture was initiated during the period of Turkish occupation in the 16th and
17th centuries. Even today there are some
Turkish baths in the capital, each one a
masterpiece of Ottoman architecture.
RELAX AND ENJOY
DANDÁR BATH
Did You Know?
DANDÁR BATH
9th district, Dandár utca 3 (map: C4)
Dandár was built in 1930, and originally functioned as a sanitary
facility. Today it operates as a medicinal spa. Since 2014 it
welcomes guests with five pools (inside and outdoor) alongside
numerous medicinal and wellness services: saunas, massages
and medicinal water fountain.
SZÉCHENYI THERMAL BATH
14th district, Állatkerti körút 9-11 (map: C2)
Széchenyi spa sits right towards the top of the list of must-see sights
in Budapest. With 15 different pools it is not only one of the largest
bathing complexes in Europe but it enjoys a reputation as the spa with
the greatest atmosphere in the capital. Chess players immersed to the
neck in steaming thermal water are as much a feature of the Széchenyi as the open-air pools embraced by the wings of this beautiful old
…that there are a dozen thermal
spas and baths in Budapest
alone, thus the city is also called
the Spa Capital of the World?
Info about baths and spas:
www.spasbudapest.com
building, the classical Roman pool halls
and the cavernous saunas. In addition to
traditional medicinal services, the more
than 100-year-old spa and swimming
pool offers guests several other wellness
services at no additional charge, including an exercise room, saunas, aerobics,
and aqua-gymnastics.
luKÁCS THERMAL BATH AND SWIMMING POOL
32 |
October 2015 – April 2016
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
Insider ➥ The Rudas restaurant is a fine dining establishment with a range of dishes
tip
featuring traditional and modern cuisine.
➥ The Király bath escape room represents a real challenge to visitors: adventurers simply must try the Prisoners of Budapest (budapestprisoner.com) game.
➥ For those seeking that extra level of pampering, don’t miss the Palm House in
Széchenyi spa (www.szechenyipalmahaz.hu): this crystal palace is a multifunctional
space with a special microclimate thanks to the lush flora. It is the perfect place for
rest and relaxation.
KIRÁLY THERMAL BATH
RUDAS THERMAL BATH AND SWIMMING POOL
2nd district, Fő utca 82–84
(map: B2)
1st district, Döbrentei tér 9 (map: B3)
Construction of the Király Thermal
Bath (450 years old this year) was ini­
tiated by Pasha of Buda Arslan in 1565
and completed by his successor, Sokoli
Mustafa. It is one of the few remaining
monuments from the Turkish times,
receiving visitors in all the original
magnificence of a bathing palace, from
the Ottoman period. In addition to
medical services it also offers guests
numerous other new features including a fitness room built in 2015.
luKÁCS THERMAL BATH
AND SWIMMING POOL
2nd district, Frankel Leó utca
25–29 (map: B2)
The baths already functioned
during the Crusades. During the
Turkish occupation it was the
favourite spa of Pasha Mustafa, and
on the recapture of Buda it became
the property of the treasury. People
came here for treatment from all
over the world, and marble tablets
with inscriptions of gratitude for
successful cures can still be seen
on the walls. Lukács has thermal
pools, swimming and adventure
pools, a wellness section, saunas and
a variety of services. The recently
established open-air workout room
is on the roof terrace.
The constantly upgraded Rudas is a perfect blend of longestablished and modern bathing traditions. The core of today’s
spa was established during the Turkish occupation in the 16th
century, and the Turkish bath, that is, the currently operating
Rudas, is nearly 500 years old. An octagonal pool is sited under
the characteristic Turkish dome (diameter 10 m) supported on 8
pillars. Medicinal waters can be taken in the pump-room in cure
form. Rudas is open to both sexes on certain days, most notably
during late night sessions on the weekends that are an unmissable experience for any visitor to Budapest. The panorama pool
in the wellness section constructed a year ago provides guests
with a magnificent view of Budapest.
OUR PICK
GELLÉRT THERMAL
BATH AND SWIMMING
POOL
11th district, Kelenhegyi
út 4–6 (map: B4)
One of the most popular
baths for tourists coming
to Budapest. The medicinal
spring here was already famed
in the 13th century. The megellért
thermal bath
dicinal baths and hotel built
in Art Nouveau style opened
in 1918, before being expanded with an outdoor strand area and
jacuzzi. The original, 1927 wave machine is still in operation
today and ranks as a major feature around Europe. The Gellért
offers virtually every spa therapy, it has a fully equipped medicinal baths section (outpatient hospital) and an inhalatorium,
and guests are also welcome to try the lava stone massage, spa
pedicure, chocolate massage, Cleopatra and herbal baths.
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Youth
Budapest
for Youth
Ruin pubs and escape game rooms, alternative concert venues, Europe’s best festival,
crazy pubbing on the Beerbike, sightseeing
by TukTuk – young people of the world
have discovered Budapest.
MUCH TO DO – LESS TO SPEND
Budapest still counts as one of the cheapest European cities. This
means Happy Hour nonstop, but it gets even better! The Basilica and
the lobby of the Opera House and the Liszt Academy are free to visit
and The Palace of Arts is also free to explore. Climbing up Gellért
Hill will only cost dedication – but once you have reached the Citadel
you will be rewarded with the best views, which are priceless. Art
lovers will spot countless galleries and antique shops on Falk Miksa
Street that are worth popping into. Others can go on free walking
tours that start daily from Vörösmarty Square. Sporty types will value Margaret Island’s 5.3-km-long jogging track. Using public transport can be an attraction in itself: the Millennium underground,
tram No. 2 and the public boat services don’t cost much either.
LIVELY AT NIGHT
Magnificent bridges provide an amazing backdrop for atmospheric
parties on ships – as well as for open-air clubs like Park, Zöld Pardon,
Romkert, Kiosk, Cha-cha-cha or Holdudvar. On mild summer
nights crowds take over once abandoned courtyards now called
‘ruin pubs’, grand palaces and casinos are transformed into dance
floors, schools function as cool clubs and cinemas become bars.
Party people from all over the world dive in to the Sparty, the hottest
event of the weekend organized regularly throughout the year. Music, laser and light shows take classical thermal baths to a whole new
level. A38 is the old Ukrainian cargo ship which was converted into a
floating concert hall/bar. You might have heard about it since Lonely
Planet chose it as the best bar in the world.
34 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Did You Know?
…in 2015 Sziget festival won – for
the second time – the prestigious
European Festival Award, becoming Europe’s Best Major Festival
again after 2011.
…according to a recent report
from Lonely Planet, Budapest is
among the 10 best places in Europe for a family holiday.
…recently the fashion magazine
Harper’s Bazaar listed Budapest
among the continent’s 10 best, and
most underrated cities where you
should book your next vacation.
…you can ride the Continent’s oldest metro in Budapest. The yellow
metro line No. 1 (also called the
Millennium Underground) started
operating in 1896.
…Budapest is the only place in
Europe where you can take a
sightseeing tour on an amphibious
coach (a bus that splashes into the
Danube to give you great views
from the river, too)? Register for
the RiverRide experience.
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
EXPLORE BUDAPEST
ON NEW WAYS
Try a completely new means of transport and
unconventional vehicles, here are some recommendations:
Buda-Castle Funicular The Funicular (Sikló
in Hungarian) transporting passengers to the Castle District
is a short, three-minute ride to and from Buda Castle, worth
trying not only for the great views but also because it is a
historical carriage operating since 1870.
Budapest TukTuk Dolce Vita on three wheels, as
they call the experience! Opt for a “simple” tour of the city
enjoying the lively and bohemian style of this charming
tricycle or choose a customized tour or one of the offers
taking in extra programmes such as a drink in a rooftop bar
or a classy dinner.
PediCab Budapest A pedal coach service, is the
man-powered version using environmentally friendly rickshaws to discover the metropolis.
Budapest on two wheels The question
remains: why walk if you can ride? Ride a bike, as on tours
organized by Budapest Bike, rent a segway or ride an apple
green BUBI bike… BUBI (Budapest Bicycle) is the newly
launched bike-sharing network, with 98 docking stations
and 1150 bikes across the city centre. molbubi.bkk.hu
Nostalgic vehicles Driving a Trabant (a once
very popular and common car type in Hungary) will not
only be a challenge but also huge fun, so do not hesitate to
hire one to discover Budapest and its surroundings (Go Trabi
Go, Rent a Trabant or MB Travel will provide you with such
services). If you do not wish to drive, and have a large family, or a group of friends with you, opt for an eye-catching
nostalgia bus or even an LI2-type nostalgia aircraft taking
groups on aerial sightseeing tours from Budaörs Airport…
INFO For detailed information about public transport in
Budapest, visit www.bkk.hu/en
Don’t miss!
The best nightspots in town are: Kazinczy Street,
Gozsdu Courtyards and the Jewish quarter, the pedestrian way next to the Opera (Hajós Street), Broadway Budapest (Nagymező Street), University Square
(Egyetem tér), the area around Oktogon (Liszt Ferenc Square, Andrássy Avenue), Szent István Square
by the Basilica (plus Zrínyi and Hercegprímás Street)
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Kids
Thanks to its great setting,
Budapest is one of the greenest capitals in the world, where
children can enjoy a wide variety
of leisure pursuits in crystal-clear
air and an upland environment.
Naturally, there is plenty to discover indoors, too.
Budapest for Kids
MEETING ANIMALS
OUR PICK
Tropicarium Budapest
22nd district, Nagytétényi út 37–43
(Campona Shopping Mall)
www.tropicarium.hu
Capital Circus of Budapest
14th district, Állatkerti körút 12/a
www.fnc.hu
Municipal Zoo
and Botanical Garden
14th district, Állatkerti körút 6–12
www.zoobudapest.com
Aquaworld Budapest
4th district, Íves út 16
The aqua empire of children including a giant
slide, surf and wave pools (plus sauna world and
thermal pools for parents).
www.aqua-world.hu
MUSEUMS FOR KIDS
Chocolate Museum
Hungarian Natural
History Museum
16th district, Bekecs utca 22
www.csokolade-muzeum.hu
(no English website)
Hungarian Railway Museum
7th district, Alsó erdősor u. 13
www.boszorkanymuzeum.hu
(no English website)
8th district, Ludovika tér 2–6
www.nhmus.hu
14th district, Tatai út 95
www.vasuttortenetipark.hu/en
36 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Witch Museum
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
CALL FOR
FRESH AIR
Buda Hills (Széchenyi
Hill, Sváb Hill, János
Hill, Hármashatár Hill)
A mecca for nature lovers and excursionists, the Buda Hills (400-500
m) lie to the northwest of the city
centre and offer visitors excellent
air and endless forests with well
marked tourist trails.
City Park (Városliget)
The largest green belt expanse on
the Pest side, a favoured place for
families, offers entertainment of all
kinds and for all generations: Zoo,
Capital Circus, museums, spa, boating lake (or skating rink in winter).
Gellért Hill
A popular excursion destination
for Budapesters and tourists alike
due to its attractive park and superb
panoramas from the viewing terraces.
Don’t miss!
Chair-lift – between Zugliget and János Hill
Children’s Railway – between Széchenyi Hill and
Hűvösvölgy
Cogwheel Railway – from Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor
Pál-völgyi Cave and Szemlőhegyi Cave – both ideal
venues for great adventures
on the Buda side: regularly
organized, guided tours will
show you the breathtaking
dripstones and canyon-like
corridors of these underground worlds.
www.dinpi.hu
INDOOR PROGRAMMES
Budapest Bábszínház (Puppet Theatre)
6th district, Andrássy út 69
Central Europe’s largest puppet theatre in
a historical monument over 100 years old.
www.budapest-babszinhaz.hu
Minipolisz
6th district, Király utca 8–10
Minipolisz is an interactive exhibition, an entire city showing
children the most typical venues and occupations, where
they can become – if only for a few hours - dentists, cashiers
or hairdressers. www.minipolisz.hu
Miniversum
6th district, Andrássy út 12
A gigantic, beautifully detailed and decorated model layout
featuring many sights and landmarks from Budapest and
Hungary - and a bit of Austria and Germany, too, scaled to
1:100 of original size. www.miniversum.hu
Palace of Wonders
Margaret Island
The capital’s most beautiful park is
on the island, and visitors strolling around come across a variety of
interesting structures and ruins dating back several centuries. And there
is still more: a strand, swimming
pool, hotels, a variety of restaurants
and the popular Brigóhintó (family
pedal ‘bikes’).
22nd district, Nagytétényi út 37–43
(Campona Shopping Mall)
Interactive scientific exhibition. Spectacular, entertaining
and instructive experiments draw us into the astounding
world of natural laws and physics. www.csopa.hu
Planetarium
10th district, Népliget
Do not miss the opportunity to meet the universe in Budapest! Travelling in time and space becomes possible thanks to
the exhibition and (English-speaking) shows.
www.planetarium.hu/english
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Surroundings
Budapest
Surroundings
In whichever direction one looks,
there are things of interest close
to Budapest – charming towns,
the beauty of the Danube Bend,
a Mediterranean ambience,
history that can be touched...
Insider
An absolutely unmissable attraction in Esztergom is
Prímás Pince, a Tourism and Wine Cultural Centre.
Guests are welcomed to the imposing restaurant and
wine tasting venue in a recently stylishly renovated, elegant historical cellar system running beneath the Basilica.
www.primaspince.hu
tip
Esztergom
This more than 1000-yearold settlement (founded
973) – the first capital of the
country, site for the baptism
into the Christian Church
of our first king, where the
pagan rebel Koppány was
cruelly executed and his
quartered remains hung on
the city walls, seat of kings
and archbishops for centuries – attracts around 1
million visitors annually.
Hungary’s largest church,
the Basilica, stands atop
Castle Hill. There is a
statue of St. Stephen not far
away, and the Mária Valéria
Bridge also contributes to
the delightful view of the
surroundings.
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October 2015 – April 2016
Szentendre
This neat town with a decidedly
Mediterranean ambience has preserved its 18-19th century compact
and unified layout. Its picturesque
setting on the Danube, its architecture and historical monuments
all contributed to the formation over the years of colonies of painters,
sculptors and artists who lived and still live today in Szentendre. There
is a particularly strong Serbian culture all around, brought here by
Serb communities fleeing a Turkish onslaught in the late 17th century.
Most of the houses which once belonged to wealthy merchants are now
museums; in fact the galleries, workshops, exhibition centres and museums just come one after the other.
Szentendre is home to the first (and still the largest) skansen or
open-air museum in Hungary.
Museum experts revive the everyday life and holidays of the old
peasant way of living.
www.budapest.gotohungary.com
OUR PICK
Visegrád
Visegrád is a synthesis of the past,
present and future. At one time the
border of the Roman Empire, the
“limes”, ran past the settlement;
you can still see the ruins of Roman watchtowers along the Danube. The first king of Hungary, St.
Stephen, established a stewardship
here and raised the archdeacon’s
church, the foundations of which
still stand on Castle Hill. The view
from here is superb, encompassing
the incomparable Danube Bend.
The imposing citadel is not far away; during the reign of King
Matthias, who had it rebuilt in Renaissance style, a fountain
ran not with water but with wine during meetings of heads of
state. Throughout the year knight’s tournaments are organized
next to Solomon’s Tower and a medieval fair presents Hungarian handcrafts in the Palace House (Palotaház), a tourist
information and event centre which also boasts a restaurant.
www.palotahaz.hu; www.visegrad.hu/en
budapest fortissimo
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October 2015 – April 2016
| 39
Surroundings
Surroundings brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car www.hertz.hu,
[email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
Ráckeve
Situated on the banks of the Danube just 40 km from Budapest, Ráckeve is well worth a visit. The “town of towers
and water” boasts such sites as the unique boatmill, the
Serbian Orthodox Church with its magnificent frescoes
and, for a programme popular with kids, the Thermal
and Fun Bath Aqualand.
budapest.gotohungary.com/charming-rackeve
Vác
Gödöllő
If we leave the capital heading
northeast, after 30 km we arrive
in the town of Gödöllő, renowned
for its association with Queen
Elizabeth, wife of Franz Joseph,
emperor of the Austro–Hungarian
Monarchy. The restored Baroque
palace, originally the Grassalkovich Mansion, was the favourite
residence of the queen, familiarly
known by the Hungarians as Sisi.
This truly imposing palace lovingly
restored to its original glory has a
fascinating exhibition and regularly
hosts cultural events and festivals.
A Baroque theatre operated in the
south wing of the mansion between
1785–1867. Following its complete
restoration, opera performances are
once again staged in Hungary’s only
surviving original Baroque theatre
(guided tours also available).
www.godollo.hu/tourism,
www.kiralyikastely.hu
40 |
October 2015 – April 2016
Vác is a charming town 40
km north of Budapest with
a rich cultural heritage and
beautiful promenade along
the Danube. Among its 81
monument listed sights,
mention must be made of
the Baroque-Classiciststyle Triumphal Arch (the
only one in Hungary), the
breathtaking Memento
Mori Exhibition (presenting mummies from the
18th century) and the imposing Cathedral.
budapest.
gotohungary.com/
baroque-treasures-ofvac
Don’t miss!
➥ Adventures in the equestrian park – situated 35
km from Budapest, in the heart of Domonyvölgy, the
Lázár Equestrian Park is owned by the coach driving
world champion brothers Vilmos and Zoltán Lázár.
The resort nestles among the picturesque Gödöllő
Hills. Several lodges located around the park serve
the finest of Hungarian cuisine accompanied by
evocative Gypsy music. Naturally, there is also a range
of riding programmes that have proved extremely
popular with locals and foreign tourists (four-in-hand
driving, horsemen skills, the ‘Puszta Five’ and so on).
➥ Prize-winning wines from Nyakas Cellars. The
estate can be found close to Tök, a small village in
the Nyakas-Hill (height: 350 m)
www.nyakas.hu
Insider
tip
Börzsöny
Mountain
It is not by chance
that Börzsöny, the
third highest mountain in the country,
is among the most
popular hiking and
biking destinations.
Picturesque villages
(Nagybörzsöny
above all), three
forest railways, several ruins of ancient
fortresses (such as
Drégely, Hont
or Nógrád) await
visitors throughout
the year.
Enjoy the hotels and
restaurants delivering
the highest quality:
HUNGARIAN
QUALITY AWARD
»qualityaward.gotohungary.com
Zsámbék
Zsámbék is without any doubt a village not
to be missed when looking for attractions
close to Budapest. On the way, the wildlife
Park of Budakeszi (Vadaspark in Hungarian) is a favourite spot for families with children. The famous church ruins of Zsámbék
are indeed worth the 30-minute drive: the
late Roman-preGothic Basilica on the crest
of a hill provides a fantastic view.
budapest.gotohungary.com/
discovering-zsambek-basin)
budapest fortissimo
■
October 2015 – April 2016
| 41
Information
Information brought to you by Hertz Rent a Car www.hertz.hu,
[email protected], Tel.: +36-1 296-0999, +36-1 296-0997
Useful Information
BUDAPEST, BASICS
reaching budapest
Climate
Temperate zone,
continental climate,
four seasons.
Hottest months: July, August
(temperatures can reach
28–35 °C)
Coldest months: December,
January (temperatures can fall as
low as –15 °C)
Time zone
Central European time
(CET). GMT +1 hour
Summer time (March to
mid-October): GMT +2 hours
Holidays
National holidays: 15
March, 20 August, 23
October; Christian holidays: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, All Saints’ Day (1 November),
Christmas and Boxing Day (25–26
December); plus: 1 January and 1
May (May Day).
Budapest facts
and figures
Area: 525 km2
Pop.: 1 815 000
Administrative structure:
23 districts
Buda: hilly, right bank of Danube
Pest: flat, left bank of Danube
Islands: 3 Bridges: 9
Currency
Forint (Ft or HUF)
Coins: 200, 100, 50,
20, 10, 5
Banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000,
5000, 10 000, 20 000
Arriving by
plane
Budapest has
the largest airport in the country, Ferenc
Liszt International Airport.
All passenger flights arrive
and depart from Terminal
2. For full information,
please visit www.bud.hu
Taxi
The official
contractor
of Budapest
Airport is Főtaxi (tel.:
www.fotaxi.
2-222-222,
hu). You can order a cab at
their desk in the airport for
fixed, reasonable prices.
Airport Shuttle
If you are
travelling on
your own, it is
cheaper to use the Airport
Shuttle Minibus (ASM),
which has desks at the
airport on both floors
(arrivals and departures).
www.airportshuttle.hu
By train
Budapest has
direct rail links
to 25 capitals,
and there are more than 50
international connections
each day. The three major
international railway stations in Budapest: Eastern
Railway Station (Keleti
42 |
October 2015 – April 2016
pályaudvar); Western
Railway Station (Nyugati
pályaudvar); Southern Railway Station (Déli pályaudvar). All can be accessed
by the metro. www.mav.
hu, www.elvira.hu
By coach
The international coach station
is at Népliget.
Volánbusz has scheduled
passenger coach services
to and from more than 24
countries. www.volanbusz.hu
By boat
Hydrofoils run
scheduled
services from
Vienna and Bratislava to
Budapest between April
and October. There are
three large international
quays on the Danube
in the capital.
www.
mahartpassnave.hu
By car
Of the five
motorways and
four main roads
in Hungary, eight start from
Budapest. There is a flatrate charge for use of motorways M1, M3, M5, M6 and
M7 (payment can be made
at border crossing points
and most petrol stations).
www.motorway.hu
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