'There is no place like Hungary. Situated in the very heart of Europe, this kidney-shaped country can claim a unique place in the continent's soul. Doubters need only listen to the music of Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók, view the romantic Danube River as it dramatically splits Budapest in two or taste the nation's unique (and paprika-infused) cuisine to be convinced.
Hungary's impact on Europe's history and development has been far greater than its present size and population would suggest. Hungarians, who call themselves Magyars, speak a language and form a culture unlike any other in the region - a distinction that has been both a source of pride and an obstacle for more than 1100 years.'
Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/hungary
The best sights of Budapest
BUDA
Castle Hill
Castle Hill - home to what you might call Buda's 'old town' - has been a cultural and strategic focal point of the city for centuries and was also the site of over 30 sieges. The inevitable damage resulted in several episodes of rebuilding, often re-using stones from the rubble and lending to the district a fascinating mix of architectural styles. The showpieces are the square of Szentháromság tér, the spectacular Mátyás Church and the Buda Royal Palace to the south. In addition, the views over Pest from the Fishermen's Bastion will take your breath away.
Buda Royal Palace
The enormous building at the southern end of Castle Hill has been the royal palace, in various styles and guises, since the 14th century. It was rebuilt 400 years later and required major reconstruction work after World War II. It now houses the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and the National Széchenyi Library. Every September, it plays host to the Budapest International Wine and Champagne Festival, the top event on the wine calendar.
Fishermen's Bastion
The Halászbástya is often the first stop for tourists visiting Budapest, the fairytale turrets offering an elevated vantage point from which to view the city. The minarets and walls look medieval, but they were actually built in 1902 by Frigyes Schulek to complement Mátyás Church.
Gellért Hill and the Citadella
Visible from almost everywhere in Budapest, Gellért Hill (hegy), with the impressive Freedom Monument on its peak, is one of the city's memorable landmarks. The 14-metre monument was originally commissioned by Miklós Horthy as a memorial to his son, who died in a wartime air accident. When the Russians arrived, they replaced the propellor that the figure was originally meant to hold aloft with a palm frond to symbolise the country's liberation from the Nazis. Just beyond the monument is the Citadella, a fortress constructed by the Habsburgs following the 1848-49 War of Independence. It now houses an open-air museum chronicling the history of the hill. The views from Gellért Hill are breathtaking; the summit is best approached along paths leading from opposite the Gellért Hotel and Spa. You can take a look around the Cave Church on your way up.
THE DANUBE
Elizabeth Bridge
When first built at the start of the 20th century, Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) was the world's longest single-span chain bridge. Like all Budapest's other Danube bridges, it was destroyed during World War II; unlike the others, though, it was subsequently rebuilt with a completely different design to its predecessor. Today's reincarnation is in striking white and is watched over by the spectacular statue of St Gellért on the craggy side of Gellért Hill.
The Chain Bridge
The Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) was the first permanent link between Buda and Pest and is a fitting monument to István Széchenyi - known as the 'Greatest Hungarian'. The bridge has a British connection too: it was designed by William Tierney Clark and constructed by Adam Clark, after whom the roundabout on the Buda side is named. It is closed to traffic on summer weekends, when it is filled with market stalls selling folklore souvenirs, children's toys and snacks.
Margaret Island
Budapest's playground, car-free Margaret Island (Margitsziget)
has everything you need to enjoy a relaxing day - including a sports stadium, numerous tennis courts, the huge Palatinus outdoor swimming complex, an open-air theatre, Japanese and Rose gardens, early-medieval ruins, two spa hotels and a delightfully low-key beer garden.
PEST
Parliament
The world's second-largest parliament building - its neo-Gothic design is inspired in part by London's parliament - is a postcard favourite, particularly when reflected in the River Danube below it. It is equally lavish on the inside, but tourists must be part of an organised sightseeing tour to enter.
St István Basilica
Named after Szent István (St Stephen), founder of the Hungarian Christian state, the basilica towers over the surrounding buildings just a short walk from Deák tér. The square in front of it is a nice place to enjoy a summer concert and sip a coffee or cocktail in one of the nearby cafés or bars. Inside, significant events in Hungarian history - with those featuring St István to the fore - are depicted in an appropriately Christian context.
The Great Synagogue
The Dohány utca Synagogue, between the Deák tér and Astoria metro stations, is the world's second largest (after the one in New York). It is also the focal point of Budapest's thriving Jewish community, which holds an annual festival in and around the impressive building. Behind it, towards what was formerly Budapest's Jewish ghetto, the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park - dedicated to the Swedish businessman who rescued thousands of Hungary's Jews from the holocaust - contains a silver tree whose leaves are inscribed with the names of many of the victims. It is a beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives. The Jewish Museum can also be found here, and the Holocaust Documentation and Memorial Centre is an important and powerful reminder of one of the darkest periods in European history.
Andrássy út
Andrássy út was the late-19th-century brainchild of Count Gyula Andrássy, who was determined that Budapest should have an elegant thoroughfare to emulate Paris's Champs Elysées. The arrow-straight, tree-lined boulevard connects the city centre with Heroes' Square and City Park. Along its length you'll find the stunning State Opera House, Liszt Ferenc tér with the Academy of Music and bustling cafés, the fearsome House of Terror, the KOGart Gallery - and plenty of grand architecture. It's a lovely stroll, but if you want to take the weight off your feet, then board the underground railway (the yellow M1) -- the oldest in continental Europe -- which runs beneath.
Heroes' Square
The statues on Heroes' Square are very much a who's who of Hungarian history (with the notable exception of the unpopular Habsburg monarchy, whose statues were removed and replaced), and its scale and grandeur is an indication of the pride Hungarians have for their country. It is flanked on either side by the almost identical neo-Classical edifices of the Műcsarnok Exhibition Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts. Behind it, the Városliget (City Park) offers a host of attractions of its own, including the fairy-tale Vajdahunyad Castle, the Zoo and the obligatory Széchenyi baths.
Városliget
Budapest's second favourite park after Margitsziget, the City Park is situated behind and to the right of Hősők tere as you approach from the centre of town. It contains the Széchenyi baths, the Petőfi Csarnok concert venue, the vast Transport Museum, the zoo and several outdoor watering holes.
Vajdahunyad Castle
This fairytale castle was originally constructed from timber and cardboard for the exhibition held in 1896 to mark the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars to the Carpathian Basin. Its aim was to give the visitor an insight into Hungary's rich architectural past and it features small-scale reproductions of various buildings around Hungary and, in particular, Transylvania (now Romania). This architectural cocktail was such a success that it was rebuilt from more permanent materials in 1904. In winter, it provides a spectacular backdrop to an ice rink, while in summer, it is surrounded by a lake where pedalos and rowboats can be hired.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is relatively inexpensive when travelling inside Europe and you should be careful when selecting a policy. Watch out for policies that exclude all cover when travelling for purpose of obtaining medical treatment. The cost of cover for 1 week varies depending on age from around £17 up to around £45.
Flight information
Since Hungary joined the EU many discount airlines introduced cheap air fares to Budapest. You also can choose British Airways or Malev (The Hungarian Airlines). The flight takes two and a half hours from London and approximately three hours from Dublin.
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DEPARTURE |
ARRIVAL |
AIRLINE |
WEBSITE |
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Bristol |
Budapest Airport |
Ryan Air |
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Dublin |
Budapest Airport |
Aer Lingus |
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Glasgow Prestwick |
Budapest Airport |
Ryan Air |
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Liverpool |
Budapest Airport |
Ryan Air |
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London Gatwick |
Budapest Airport |
British Airways |
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London Gatwick |
Budapest Airport |
Easyjet |
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London Gatwick |
Budapest Airport |
Malev |
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London Heathrow |
Budapest Airport |
British Airways |
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London Heathrow |
Budapest Airport |
Malev |
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London Luton |
Budapest Airport |
Easyjet |
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London Luton |
Budapest Airport |
Wizz air |
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London Stansted |
Budapest Airport |
Malev |
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London Stansted |
Budapest Airport |
German Wings |
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Manchester |
Budapest Airport |
Jet2 |
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Newcastle |
Budapest Airport |
Easyjet |
Airports
There are 2 main Airports in Hungary.
The International Airport of Hungary is Budapest (BUD), Ferihegy, functioning with 3 terminals and can be found approximately 20 km-s from the Centre.
Hungary's new Airport is Sarmellek (SOB), Fly Balaton Airport with 1 terminal, 13 km-s from Lake Balaton's Capital, Keszthely.
Train
The Hungarian State Railways (MAV) is Hungary's biggest transportation company, representing new, passenger-centered services. A great opportunity to discover the country by trains, that are in-service all year round, only some of them are seasonal. There are 3 main railway stations in Budapest from which trains are leaving to the south, east and west of the country.
1. Southern Railway Station is the third largest railway station of Budapest, can be found in the 1st district.
2. Eastern Railway Station is the largest among the three main railway stations of Budapest, can be found in the 8th district.
3. Budapest Western Railway Station is a railway station in the northern part of the old town of Budapest, in the 6th district.
Public transport of Budapest
BKV (Mass Transport co. ltd. of Budapest) is the unified public transport company of the capital. The company runs busses, trolley-buses, trams, subway line and suburban railway lines in and outside the city.
BKV paints its vehicles different colors by type.
- Trams: yellow
- HÉV vehicles: green
- Trolleybuses: red
- Buses: blue
The five metro lines are marked on the map in different colours:
- M1: yellow
- M2: red
- M3: blue
- M4 (under construction): green
- M5 (planned): purple
Buses, trams and trolley-buses run between 4.30 am and 11 pm. Budapest has 3 subway lines at the moment, these lines meet at Deak Square, the subway runs from 4.30 am until 11.10 pm. Tickets can be bought at the subway stations, at ticket dispensers, tobbacco-shops or at newsstands.
Taxi
Taxis in Budapest use yellow number plate and sign and must have a meter which give a receipt. You can call taxis from anywhere (the dispatchers usually speak English), and they'll arrive in a matter of minutes. When you take a taxi it will approximately cost 3500-4500 Forint, which includes basic fee, kilometer fee and timeout fee. When passengers are satisfied with the service, usually tip taxi drivers with 10% of the total charge.
Currency exchange
Currency exchange is possible and adviced to be done in Hungary, instead of exchanging at home, as local banks work with better rates than their counterparts abroad. Exchanging currency into Forint is possible in banks, official exchange offices and travel agencies. To change money in hotels is not advisable as their rates are at least 10% lower than at banks or offices. If you would like to exchange money on the weekend you can only do so at the official exchange offices of the City Centre and Castle District. ATMs can be found throughout the capital, accepting credit and debit cards. Most international credit cards (AmEx, Diners Club, Cirrus, EnRoute, Euro/MasterCard, JCB, Visa) are accepted in Budapest for shopping and currency withdrawals. Cards which a shop or restaurant accepts are usually displayed in the window of the premises. Traveller's cheques are not widely accepted, cash is more adviced when staying in Budapest.
What to take home?
There are great souvenirs of Hungary which are worth to take home. The most popular souvenirs which can be carried with you on the airoplane:
- red paprika, licorice cherries
- hungarian salami (Pick, Herz)
- wine of Tokaj (aszu, szamorodni)
- palinka (cherry, plum, apricot)
- champagne (Torley, Hungaria)
- zwack unicum (Hungaricum)
- folklore products
- famous embroideries of Kalocsa
- worldwide famous china (Zsolnay, Herend)
- crystal glass products
and of course great memories....
