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| Mónika Csapó- All Rights Reserved |
- up to date info on the web: http://www.budapestinfo.hu/index.php?id=home_en
- check your route in Budapest (available also on smart phone): http://www.utvonalterv.hu/?lang=en
Budapest traffic
There is 3 metro lines in Budapest. They have been building the fourth metro line for the last years, but it is not in public use yet. All the lines meet at Deák tér (Deák square), so in case you would get lost somewhere try to find back to Deák tér, because there is a big chance, that from there you can get anywhere you want to go either by metro/bus/tram/on foot. On the Buda-side Móricz Zsigmond tér is a place, where many buses and trams stop and there is a chance to change between the lines.
The metro goes very frequently and you can get free metro maps at the Tourinform places in the city center. There is one very close to the Deák tér metro station (http://tourinform.hu/english).
Here is a fantastic video of Peter Dancso about Budapest:
Here is a fantastic video of Peter Dancso about Budapest:
Sights
- Buda Castle and Castle district
Facts and History: It is the historical castle of the Hungarian kings, since 1987 it is an UNESCO World Heritage sight. In the Buda Castle you can visit the Hungarian National Gallery which beholds paintings of world famous painters like Picasso or Van Gogh. The Castle district itself has many small shops, the Mathias Church is also here and it is a good program to take a walk surrounded by the historical buildings of Buda. They organize frequently markets and festivals in the Castle district such as the Pálinka and kolbász-fesztivál (Palinka is like the Hungarian vodka, a spirit made of fruits, kolbász means „sausage”) or the Hungarian Wine-festival where every year a different country is the guest country who can present its wines .
How to get here: take the bus 15 at the Széll Kálmán tér metro station (M2 (red) line) or the bus 105 from the „Deák tér” metro station
Gallery opening hours and entrance fee info: http://www.mng.hu/en
- Andrássy street
Facts and History: really nice street with nice shops and buildings. In the side streets you can find small museums, restaurants, cafes etc. The Opera and the Hungarian National Ballet Insitute is in this street too.
How to get here: Andrássy út starts at Deák tér and goes until Hősök tere
Opera
It is a really fancy building from inside and also the quality of the performances is world standard.
More info at: http://www.opera.hu/en
- Hősök tere
Facts and History: You can see the statues of the Hungarian kings and emperors here.
How to get here: from Deák tér take the M1 metro line (yellow) , get off at Mexikói út
- Széchenyi spa
Facts and History: The Széchenyi Spa is one of the oldest spa complexes of Europe and the first thermal spa which was established in Budapest. Further info at: http://www.budapestgyogyfurdoi.hu/en/szechenyi/history#
How to get here: close to the Budapest Zoo, big yellow historical building on the other side of the road
Opening hours: Swimming pool 06:00-22:00, Steam 06:00-19:00
Entrance free: daily ticket between 3200 HUF and 3800 HUF depending on the changing cabine type and on which day you visit the spa (weekday or weekend)
Entrance free: daily ticket between 3200 HUF and 3800 HUF depending on the changing cabine type and on which day you visit the spa (weekday or weekend)
- Budapest Zoo
Facts and History: The Budapest Zoo is a good program for couples and families both in the city center. It was founded in 1866 and is one of the oldest zoos in the world. The Budapest Zoo is a sustainable zoo with interesting flora and fauna (for example Japanese garden, South-east Asia area, Australia-house, Madagascar-house), modern management, and historical buildings. One example for the sustainability: the zoo uses the thermal water of the Széchenyi spa for heating.
How to get here: take the M1 metro line (yellow) from the Deák tér until the Mexikói út stop, cross the Heroes`Square and walk by the Museum of National Arts. The Zoo is on the other side of the road.
Opening hours: the Zoo has different opening hours depending on the time of the year, further info: http://www.zoobudapest.com/opening-hours
Opening hours: the Zoo has different opening hours depending on the time of the year, further info: http://www.zoobudapest.com/opening-hours
Entrance free: Adults 2100 HUF, Students and pensioners 1500 HUF; Group tickets: Family (2 adults+ 2 children between the age of 2-14) 6100 HUF; adult groups (from 10 people) 1600 HUF/person; student or pensioner group (from 10 people) 1100 HUF/person.
You can purchase your tickets online at: http://www.jegymester.hu/eng/PlaceInfo/80521/Budapesti-Allatkert
- Market hall
Facts and History: If you are interested in Hungarian food and tastes, the Market Hall will be a good place for you to start. You can go there to have breakfast or lunch, you will find something tasty for sure. Downstairs you can buy mostly bakery products, fruits and vegetables, cheese and dairy products. The lunch places and souvenir shops are upstairs. The famous shopping street of Budapest, the „Váci utca” is starting opposite to the Market Hall on the other side of the road.
How to get here: by tram from Deák tér, you have to get off at Fővám tér stop. You will see the building of the Market hall already, when the tram approaches it, it is a red-brick hall building with colourful roof.
Opening hours: Mon 6-17, Tue-Fri 6-18, Sat 6-15, Sun closed
- Váci street and Vörösmarty square
Facts and History: Váci utca is the famous shopping street of Budapest and at the end of Váci street you can find Vörösmarty tér which is a nice square with many cafés and a Christmas market during the Christmas time.
How to get here: Vörösmarty tér stop of M1 metro line (yellow)
- Parliament
How to get here: Kossuth tér M2 (red line) metro stop
Opening hours: from October 1st until April 30th Mo-Fri 8-16, Sat 8-16, Sun 8-14, from May 1st until September 30st Mon-Fri 8-18, Sat 8-16, Sun 8-14 . For individual visitors (not with travel agency or any other guided tour) you can purchase the tickets only on the day of your visit at the entrance number X. of the Parliament. For more info contact: tourist.office@parlament.hu
Entrance fee: for EU-citizens for free, for citizens outside EU 3400 HUF adult ticket, 1700 HUF student ticket
9. Dohány street Synagogue and Jewish district
Facts and History: The Dohány street Synagogue is the second biggest synagogue in Europe. In the surrounding streets (VII. district) you find the Jewish district of Budapest, which is a charming place with its shops and cafes. More info about the Dohány street Synagouge under: http://www.dohanystreetsynagogue.hu/.
9. Dohány street Synagogue and Jewish district
Facts and History: The Dohány street Synagogue is the second biggest synagogue in Europe. In the surrounding streets (VII. district) you find the Jewish district of Budapest, which is a charming place with its shops and cafes. More info about the Dohány street Synagouge under: http://www.dohanystreetsynagogue.hu/.
How to get here: in walking distance form the Astoria tram and M2 metro stop.
Opening hours of the Synagogue: Mon-Tue 10-16, Friday 10-14, Sat: closed, Sun: 10-16
Entrance fee: adults 2650 HUF-3650 HUF depending on which parts of the Synagouge you are visiting. students 1900 HUF- 3000 HUF. First guided tour at 10:30, other tours starting after this every hour. More info about group discounts etc. at: dohany@dohany-zsinagoga.hu.
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| Mónika Csapó- All Rights Reserved |
Culture tripping
The House of Terror (Terror Háza)
Dorottya Gallery (Dorottya Galéria)
The Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája)
KOGART Gallery (KOGART Galéria)
Museum of Fine Arts Budapest(Szepművészeti Múzeum)
Kunsthalle Budapest (Műcsarnok)
Hungarian House of Photography (Mai Manó-ház)
Excursions in and from Budapest
Budapest Botanical Garden
Gellert-mountain (Gellért-hegy)
Margaret-island (Margit-sziget)
Normafa
from Budapest: Vienna, Győr, Pannonhalma, Balaton
Eating and shopping
Hungary is famous for its food culture, so it is quite hard to pick one or two places to recommend where to eat. In Budapest there is eating places representing all kind of food culture. I like for example Vapiano at Deák square (it is a German food chain offering Italian-type food in design environment), the „all you can eat” buffet of the Mongolian restaurant is said to be good too (the restaurant is on the Buda side). You can find all kind of fast food and quick lunch places by simply starting to walk on any street in the city center. The Market hall is a nice place to try Hungarian food.
Nice bars
There is lot of info about the Budapest night life on the web and it is pretty sure, you will find a place which fits your music style. A curiosity of the Budapest party life are the so called „romkocsma”-type (ruin pubs and retro gardens) places. Definitely worth to visit, because it is very local and very unique. More info about ruin pubs at: http://ruinpubs.com/index.php
You might like A38 if you like concerts an live music (http://www.a38.hu/?&l=_en)
(It was winning the best party place of the world voting in 2012 on LONELY PLANET!)
(It was winning the best party place of the world voting in 2012 on LONELY PLANET!)
Hungarian designers and clothes shops
Náray
Nanushka
Látomás
TheBétaVersion - Here you find my article about TheBétaVersion: http://packyourluggage.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-hungarian-fashion-designers.html
The Budapest Travel Guide © Mónika Csapó- All Rights Reserved
Nanushka
Látomás
TheBétaVersion - Here you find my article about TheBétaVersion: http://packyourluggage.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-hungarian-fashion-designers.html
The Budapest Travel Guide © Mónika Csapó- All Rights Reserved
