General Information
Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, situated on both sides
of River Danube. It has a population of about 2 million inhabitants.
Exchanging Money
Legal currency is the Hungarian Forint (HUF or Ft; 1 EURO worths about 250 HUF).
All the major credit cards are accepted in Hungary in places displaying the
emblem at the entrance.
There are several banks and ATM machines all over the city where you can
change or withdraw money.
You may well bump into illegal money changers who seem to offer very favourable
rates. This activity is not only illegal, but is dangerous and usually turns
out to produce considerable losses.
Prices
Compared to most of Western European countries prices in Hungary are quite low.
Here stand some typical to indicate them.
| Type of products and services | Price (HUF) |
| Three-course menu in a middle-category restaurant | 1,500-3,000 |
| 1 mug of beer in a pub | 250-800 |
| A hamburger in fast food restaurant | 250-500 |
| 1 night in a Youth Hostel | 1,500-3,000 |
| 1 l. milk | 120 |
| 1 kg. bread | 120 |
| 1 l. wine in shops | 300-2000 |
| 1 bottle of beer in shops | 100-400 |
| 1 cinema ticket | 500-900 |
| 1 public transport ticket | 100 |
| 1 l. petrol (Euro 95) | 250 |
| 1000 HUF is approximately 4 EUROs. | |
Weather
Climate is continental. Seasonal variations in temperature are
quite large. January is the coldest month, June, July and August are the
hottest. In the summer it's usually around 20-35 Celsius degrees in the daytime,
usually weather is not rainy then.
Language
The Hungarian language is a relative of Finnish and Estonian, however, it is not
similar to any other language in Europe. Most of Hungarians, especially young
people speak English and/or German so don't hesitate to ask for help. At
touristical sites and hotels staff speak these languages as well.
National Holidays
20th of August
Foundation of the Hungarian State, Day of the Constitution celebrated by spectacular
fireworks all over the country, especially in Budapest.
15th of March
Central commemoration events in memory of the 1848 revolution; people wear tricolour
cockades.
23th of October
Anniversary of the 1956 revolution against the Communist regime, celebrated by candlelight
processions countrywide and centrally staged public commemorations.
Tourist Offices
Information Bureaus can be found at the most frequent sites which are the
foollowings:
Near Oktogon, VI. Liszt Ferenc square 9-11.
Budaörs, Agip-complex (M7, M1 motorways)
Western (Nyugati) Railway Station, Main Hall
Buda Várinfo in the Buda Castle, I. Tárnok u. 9-11.
Downtown, V. Vörösmarty square Tourinform Head Office, and Police-Info Office
Downtown, V. Sütő u. 2. (Deák square) Tourinform
Near Oktogon, VII. Király u. 93.
Pest side of Elizabeth Bridge, V. Március 15. tér 7.
Tel: 438-8080, 302-8580
E-mail: info@budapestinfo.hu, hungary@tourinform.hu
The offices are open during the daytime.
You can ask for prospects or just for help, they will gladly do their best.
Budapest Card
"The whole city in your pocket" is the motto of the Budapest Card, introduced by
Budapest Tourism Office. The Card offers its holder more than a hundred services:
unlimited travel on public transport
free entry to 55 museums and to some sights
sightseeing tour for half price
reduced price tickets for cultural and folklore programmes
discounts in restaurants and spas
discount for the airport minibus service, car rental, sightseeing flights,
sports facilities and in many other places
price: HUF 3400 for 48 hours, HUF 4000 for 72 hours
Travelling
Getting there
By Plane: There are direct international flights from almost every cities in
Europe. From the airport it is easy to get to the city (Erzsébet Tér)
by Shuttle Buses operated every 30 minutes by The Air Traffic and Airport Authority (LRI).
It only costs HUF 800. There is also a kind of collective taxi for HUF 1800 which travel
between any requested destination in town and the terminals. Look for "Minibus"
Counter at the Airport. Travelling with Taxi is also possible but costs a lot
more. Public transport "Airport Bus" is available too.
By Train: Budapest has three large railway stations, all connected by the
"Metró" underground system.
By Car: You only need a valid driving licence, registration document and
a country sticker to enter Hungary. For using highways you need to buy stickers
(costing HUF 1400 for a week) eg. at a petrol station.
By Coach: There are Eurolines coaches from 15 European countries.
Public transport
It is easy to get anywhere in Budapest by Budapest Transport Ltd. (BKV) with the
system of 3 underground "Metró" lines (shown M1,M2,M3), tramways, buses and
trolleybuses and the "HÉV" suburban railway lines. Fast bus lines are
indicated red. You should pre-purchase your ticket at any
Metró station or from an orange ticket-machine. A one-way ticket costs HUF
100, a seven-day travelcard is HUF 1.950, and there are several other types of
passes. Budapest Card is also valid. There is a special price for going outside
the boundary of Budapest. You should not forget about validating your ticket
after you took the vehicle or entered the Metro building. Ticket
collectors come often, sometimes they don't speak languages and charge you.
Riding a bycicle
Budapest has a developing bycicle way system. Bikes are useful, especially
around the spot of the conference. But you have to pay attention to
crazy drivers who often neglect riders.
Driving and Parking
Budapest has a well developed road system but traffic jam is frequent
during the daytime. There is a parking fee in the inner city. It is
strongly recommended to go to the city by public transport and not by car.
Travelling to the Country
By train: Hungary has a spread-out railway network with frequently operated
trains which are rather cheap. Travelling 100km-s is about HUF 600. To
bigger towns it is recommended to travel by the fast and confortable InterCity
trains although in this case you have to pay the HUF 360 suppliment.
By coach: For shorter distances sometimes "Volán" buses are also a good solution,
however they cost slightly more.
By car: There are a lot of country roads, but motorways lead only to the most
improtant directions.
Sights of Budapest
Budapest is situated on both sides of river Danube. Buda side is the one with
hills and the Castle on the Western side, binded together with Pest, the old
City by eight beautiful bridges. These two parts of the city were once separate
towns and were merged together with Ancient Buda (Óbuda) only in 1873.
The Buda side
Buda Castle (Budai Vár)
The name Buda Castle covers more than a castle or the Royal Palace in the
capital city; it extends to the historical quarter full of sites. On bright
spring days people invite friends for a "walk in the Castle", i.e. to
wander around the Castle Hill quarter. The most exiting way of getting to the
Castle is by taking the Funicular (Libegő), a little cable car up the Castle Hill.
The Royal Palace (Királyi Palota) is situated on the southern part of the Hill. It was
built in the last century. The medieval palace that stood here was destroyed
during the battles against Turkish invaders. The Hungarian National
Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Széchényi
Library are located inside the building.
The Castle District is one of the most romantic
pedestrian sections in Budapest. A medieval little town with atmospheric
streets, picturesque houses, gas lamps and beautiful monuments. There are
numerous museums with interesting collections there.
The center of the district is called the Trinity Square
The Fishermen's Bastion (Halászbástya) near the square never
served a defensive purpose: it is an excellent lookout place.
The Matthias Church (Mátyás templom) is located just besides the
Fishermen's Bastion. The cathedral is almost as old as the Royal Palace and has
been the venue of several coronation ceremonies. The church bears the name of
its biggest Maecenas, King Matthias, who married twice in this shrine.
the Turks occupied Buda in 1541 and converted the temple into a mosque,
whitewashing - and thus preserving - its medieval frescos.
The Mary Magdalena Tower (Mária Magdolna torony) is an
interesting remain of the church destroyed in World War II.
Behind it a garden of ruins displays the history of the church from the 13th
century. The restoration of the tower was completed in 1997, and today it is
open to the public as a lookout tower.
Almost every house in the quarter has cellars several storeys deep
running down into the hill. These cellars were connected into a several-
kilometre-long corridor system in the Middle Ages.
A section of it is called the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle and can be
attended.
Gellért Hill
The hill offers the most beautiful panoramic view of the city.
The hill was named after Bishop Gerald (Gellért püspök) who was propagating Christianity in
Hungary. Tradition has it that he was sealed up in a barrel and thrown into the
river Danube from the hill by pagan Magyars rebelling against Christendom
after the death of our first king St. Stephen.
The Citadel (Citadella) is built on the hilltop by Austrians
after the repression of
the 1848-1849 War of Independence to provide military control over the town.
The statue of a women visible from almost any point in town stands there to
commemorate liberation from Nazi occupation.
Gellért Monument, the Waterfall, and the Cliff Church cut
into the rocks give a beautiful view of the Hill from the Pest side.
Tabán, between Gellért and Castle Hills was a densely populated
area full of one-storied houses, among them well-known restaurants and pubs.
In 1933, the houses of Tabán were demolished for sanitary reasons. Deer House
(Szarvas ház) still maintains the old Tabán spirit. Now the victinity is famous
for its spa baths: Rác, Rudas and Gellért Baths.
Between the Two Parts
Chainbridge (Lánchíd) was the first permanent bridge over the Danube. Budapest
owes its construction to Count István Széchényi. The bridge was completed in
1849 by the supervising of Architect Ádám Clark. It has since rightly become a
symbol of Budapest city.
In 1999 a monumental ceremony and the installation of new floodlights marked
the 150th anniversary of the bridge.
Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) bears the name of Queen Elisabeth the
queen very much liked by the Hungarians. Originally built in Eclectic style.
All the bridges were blown up by retreating German troops in 1945. The old
bridge was unrepairanbly deamaged. The new wasconstructed in its place.
Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) was opened in 1896 as part of the
monumental series
of ceremonies organized to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of
the Magyars in the Carpathian Basin. it was originally named after Emperor
Francis Joseph.
Margaret Bridge (Margit híd) was the second permanent bridge in Budapest.
There is an embranchment from the middle pillar onto Margaret Island.
Margaret Island (Margitsziget) is located in the middle of the river
Danube. It used to bew a closter island until the Turkish occupation. In the
19th century an open park and entertainment centre was opened to the general
public. You can rent a "family bike" known as Bringóhintó there.
The Pest Side
Downtown
You can begin your walk at Vörösmarty Square. The square is
always busy and full of life. The square holds the two most popular cafés of the
capital: old Gerbeaud and trendy Art Café.
Than you can walk on the pedestrianized Váci street, which was
formed in the 18th century. It quickly became the shopping centre and later the
esplanade of the Pest side.
One of the most beautiful metropolitan squares of the city, the core of the
inner city, a true throwback to the turn of the century.
You may continue walking on the Southern part of Váci Street or may go down
to the riverside. Like a little museum, the Inner City Parish Church is a
fine display of the different architectural styles of the ages.
Heading to the North, you can walk on the Danube Corso. You will soon
reach The Pest Concert Hall (Vigadó), a masterpiece of Hungarian Romantic
architecture which has seen the appearance of such celebrities as Franz Liszt
(Ferenc Liszt), Wagner, Brahms, Richard Strauss, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály.
The Office Quarter
Basilica is the biggest church in Budapest.It took 60 years to build
it. Special works of art present the life of King St. Stephen (Szent István király)
- in whose name the basilica was dedicated - founder of the Hungarian State and
Christian Church in Hungary. A grandiose cupola dominates the edifice offering
visitors a good view of the city from its rim. From the unique 360-degree
circular lookout you can admire Budapest from a height of 65 meters.
Liberty Square (Szabadság tér) is on the place of a huge prison.
Government offices, banks and splendid apartment houses were later built on its
ruins on Liberty Square. A war memorial in the middle of the square stands in
memory of the fallen heroes of World War II. This is the only survivor of
removing communist and Soviet-style monuments from the city.
Built at the turn of the century, the building Parliament a
dominant sight and symbol of Budapest and the Danube panorama. It is one
of the most decorative structures of the capital, and also one of the biggest national assemblies
in the world. The Hungarian Holy Crown and the Crown Jewels can bee seen there.
On Kossuth Square there are two other interesting buildings: The
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and a really pompous
one, the Museum of Ethnography.
The Small Bouleward (Kiskörút)
The walls of old Pest city were dismantled in the 19th century and - like in
many other European cities - a boulevard was opened in their place.
The largest and richest indoor market in Budapest was built at the end of
the 19th century is the Grand Market
The Hungarian National Museum is one of the finest examples of
Hungarian Classicism. Hungarian history is presented from the foundation of the
state up until 1990. The museum played a key role in the 1848-49 revolution and
as such it became one of its symbols; for this reason the National Museum is to
this day one of the focal points of celebrations marking the national holiday
of March 15.
The Synagogue is the world's second largest and Europés largest
one, with seating for 3000. It was built in the middle of the 19th century in
Romantic style for the around 30,000 Jewish community of
Pest mainly living in this part of the town. There is the Jewish Museum
in the adjacent building.
Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út)
This is Budapest's first elegant metropolitan avenue
artificially constructed late last century after the unification of Buda and
Pest. The Millennium Underground stretching under Andrássy Avenue was put
into service in 1896 as the first underground train system on the Continent.
Opera House: Budapest is proud of possessing one of the most beautiful
opera houses in the world. It is still one of the best opera houses in Europe.
The area bordered by the Opera House and the Oktogon square is called the
Pest Broadway. Theatres, nightclubs, cabarets and museums in the
neighbouring streets offer a wide range of programmes.
The Academy of Music (or Ferenc Liszt College of Music Art)
is located next to Andrássy Avenue and Oktogon. Its first managing director was the
world famous composer Ferenc Erkel. The Academy today not only trains musicians
to the highest standard, but it also functions as the centre of concert life
in Budapest.
Budapest's grandest square, Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) closes off Andrássy út,
with City Park right behind. Marking the end of stylish Andrássy út,
Millenium Monument is a majestic memorial of the thousand-year history of
Hungarians in Europe. Each part of the monument represents an important section
of Hungarian history. The solemnity and pomp of the statue park is further heightened
by the two old museum buildings on either side: the Museum of Fine Arts and the
Palace of Art
The Grand Bouleward (Nagykörút)
In the old times Pest was just an island in the Danube, surrounded by a branch
of the river. Over the centuries it had dried up living a small ditch.
Late last century an idea was floated to turn the ditch into a channel with
bridges at each avenue and ornamental parks on each side. This plan was finally
abandoned, the ditch was filled in and the Grand Boulevard was build, bordered
by huge apartment houses and public institutions built in the style of
Eclecticism.
The Western Railway Station (Nyugati Pályaudvar) was built at the time
the Grand Boulevard was constructed, on the plans of famous Parisian architect
Eiffel. Its grandiose ironwork hall made it one of the most modern railway
stations in turn-of-the-century Europe.
Behind the station the largest shopping mall of Central Europe, namely the
West End City Center takes place.
The City Park (Városliget)
One of the largest parks in Budapest, City Park lies north of Heroes' Square.
the park is full of playgrounds, sports fields, small gardens and green
esplanades. The City Park is home to the Municipal Zoological and Botanical
Gardens, the Transport Museum, a Municipal Circus, a
Funfair, an Aviation Museum located in the concert facility
Petőfi Hall and the Széchényi Medicinal Baths
and Swimming Pool. The world famous Gundel Restaurant is the first sight
of interest on the inner avenue. There is also a beautiful internal lake in the
park known as the City Park Pond, a preferred site for rowers in the
summer and an excellent ice-rink in the winter, with an amazing view of the
Vajdahunyad Castle and its bridges over the water.
The castle was built for the World Exhibition organized in 1896 to mark
the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars in the Carpathian
Basin. Its aim was to give the visitor an insight into Hungary's architectural
past. Today it homes the Agricultural Museum
Ancient Buda (Óbuda)
Óbuda (then called Buda) was the first major settlement on the
territory of Budapest in the Middle Ages. However, the new castle and settlement
which sprang up on Castle Hill in the 13th century diminished its importance,
and even stolen the name.
The most attractive, restored area is the Main Square (Fő tér)
which has been the town's centre since the 18th century. The dominant
building is the Baroque Zichy Palace, formal home of the landowners
family. It is a cultural centre today, housing the Kassák Museum
and the Vasarely Museum (Vásárhelyi Múzeum).
Aquincum
Óbuda was already inhabited in the Palaeolithic Age, and this is where the
Romans built the city of Aquincum, centre of the Roman province of Pannonia
Inferior. Visit the ruins of the Roman military amphitheatre and the
remnants of the civil townwalking over the partly excavated and
renovated streets of the antique city centre or visit the Aquincum
Museum.
Excursions
Szentendre
20 km from Budapest, the town dates back to the 14th century's cultural and tourist
centre, town of arts and artists, right on the bank of the Danube. Mediterranean
atmosphere, Serb Orthodox monuments, 12 museums - one of them an open-air folk
museum.
Easiest way to get there is to take the HÉV from Batthyány tér. (Station of Metró
line M2.) The HÉV train is there in 45 minutes.
Visegrád
Golden age in the 15th c. during the reign of King Matthias. The excavated parts
of the Renaissance Palace areamazing. You get the best view over the Danube Bend
from the Citadel right on top.
You can travel there by Bus from Árpád Bridge coach station (Árpád híd, a station of
Metró line M3), it is about 1 hour.
Esztergom
The town, 70 km from Budapest, is the seat of the Hungarian Roman Catholic
Church. It was a royal seat until the 13th century. St. Stephen was crowned here.
The Cathedral (Bazilika) is Hungary's largest church, and the Christian
Museum is one of the largest such collections.
Also the Bus from Árpád Bridge (Árpád híd, a station of Metró line M3) is the
easiest way, taking about 1 1/2 hours.
Dunakanyar (Danube Bend)
If you want to travel by boat to the Danube Bend, you can take the scheduled
services operated by Mahart. In service: May-Sept.
Hydrofoils are operated to the Danube Bend on Saturdays from mid-May to end-August
but they only call at Visegrád and Esztergom.
Departures, tickets: Vigadó Square Boat Station.
Gödöllő
The most famous sight of the town, 30 km from Budapest, is the Grassalkovich
Palace, the largest in Hungary. Maria Theresa stayed here several times, and it
was the favourite home of Queen Elisabeth (Sissy) in the 19th century.
Restoration is underway, but several wings are already open to the public.
Easiest way is the HÉV from Örs Vezér Tere (M2 Metró station).
The trip takes 45 minutes.
Buda Hills
Making small walks or a one-day trip, or just having a rest: This is the ideal
place for you! You can take the Cogwheel Railway to get to the top of
Széchényi-Hill by a 20 minutes trip, enjoying a delightful view of the City.
Then you can walk to János Hill (Jánoshegy, the highest point of Budapest: 529m),
to look out from the tower of Erzsébet Kilátó. Then you can continue to
Hűvösvölgy, or to Makkosmária, a beautiful Christian
pilgrimage site. You can use the "Flying Chairs" (Libegő) to get back to the
valley. Or take the Children's Railway, a tiny train that is directed by small
children linking Széchényi Hill with Hűvösvölgy on a 11 kilometre-long track,
between the old trees, calling at János Hill, in Flower Valley
(Virágvölgy, the nearest station to Makkosmária) and at Szépjuhászné,
nearby a medaeval monastory.
It takes only twenty minutes with tramway 56 to get in Hűvösvölgy,
the gate of the hills. You can reach the Hármashatárhegy area from there with
another half-an-hour walk. It has an amazing view from the cliffs to a
small sailplane-airport. From Ancient Buda you can also reach Hármashatárhegy
by bus 65. The two caves, Pálvölgyi Cseppkőbarlang and
Szemlőhegyi barlang, stuffed with fantastic stalagtites and
stalagmites, can be reached by the same bus. (A student entrace ticket for both
together costs HUF 600)
Hills of Buda, being Natural Reserve, have a very rich wild life, despite of
the closeness of the city. Several
types of rare plants, like the truffle grow there, and animals: squirrels, hedgehogs, but
sometimes wild boar and deers can often be seen. Birds as the long-eared
owl, the buzzard, several hawks, and the blackbird live in the foliage.
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