Budapest guide

BUDAPESTcustom travel guide

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Table of contents

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1 Budapest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Understand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Districts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Get in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Get Around. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82See. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152Buy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Eat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Drink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Sleep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202Stay safe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212Stay Healthy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

1 Restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Top Best Restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Top Older couples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Top Italian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Top Asian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242Top Vegetarian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

1 Useful info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Sunrise/Sunset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Currency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Useful phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Passport and Visa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262Emergency numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

1 Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42


Budapest Budapest · Understand

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Budapest

Budapest

Understand

Overview

Consisting of two cities with different flavors, Buda on the westbank of the Danube River and Pest on the east bank, Budapestoffers travellers a unique atmosphere influenced by Vienneseand Parisian architecture. Hungarians are proud of what theirbeautiful capital has to offer and its contributions to Europeanculture, especially in the field of music and sciences. They al-so take some pride in their language which is unrelated to lan-guages of the Indo-European family such as English, French orRussian.

Budapest, lying in Central Hungary, is the country's capital andlargest city, the largest in East-Central Europe and one of thelargest cities in the European Union. It is the country's prin-cipal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transporta-tion center. Due to its scenic setting and its architecture, it isnicknamed "Paris of the East". In 1987, Budapest was addedto the UNESCO World Heritage List. For those with a reason-able budget, Budapest offers a rather high quality of life. Theoffered range in terms of culture, cuisine and general vibe iscomparable to other major European cities. Prices are cheaper,influenced by salaries of the locals which are significantly low-er than those of Western Europe.

Sights of Budapest

Budapest

History

The first settlement on the territory of Budapest was built byCelts before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans. Aquin-cum, the Roman settlement, became the main city of LowerPannonia in 106 AD. At first, it was a military settlement andgradually, the city raised around it became the focal point ofthe commercial life. The Romans constructed roads, amphithe-


Budapest Budapest · Understand

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aters, baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified mil-itary camp. This area now corresponds to the Óbuda districtwithin modern day Budapest.

Buda as the Capital: The peace treaty of 829 added Pannon-ia to Bulgaria due to the victory of Bulgarian army of Omurtagover the Holy Roman Empire of Louis the Pious. Budapest aroseout of two Bulgarian military frontiers, the fortresses of Bu-da and Pest, situated on the two banks of the Danube. Hun-garians led by Árpád settled in the territory at the end of the9th century and a century later, officially founded the King-dom of Hungary. Research places the probable residence ofthe Árpáds as an early place of central power near what be-came Budapest.The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quicklyproved that defense is difficult on a plain. King Béla IV of Hun-gary therefore ordered the construction of reinforced stonewalls around the towns, setting his own royal palace on the topof the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361, it became the capital ofHungary.

Renaissance Period: The cultural role of Buda was particularlysignificant during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus. The Ital-ian Renaissance had a great influence on the city. His library,the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection ofhistorical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the15th century. It was second only in size to the Vatican Library.

Ottoman Period: The Ottomans occupied Buda in 1541. TheTurkish occupation lasted for more than 140 years. The Turksconstructed many fine bathing facilities within the city. Someof the baths that the Turks erected during their occupation pe-riod are still in function after 500 years (Rudas and Király). Un-der Ottoman rule, many Christians became Muslim. By 1547the number of Christians was down to about a thousand, andby 1647, it had fallen to only about seventy.The unoccupiedwestern part of the country became part of the Habsburg Em-pire as Royal Hungary.

Habsburg Empire: In 1686, two years after the unsuccessfulsiege of Buda, a renewed campaign was started to enter theHungarian capital. This time, the Holy League's army was twiceas large, containing over 74,000 men composed of German,Dutch, Hungarian, English, Spanish, Czech, Italian, French, Bur-gundian, Danish and Swedish soldiers, along with other Eu-ropeans as volunteers, artilleryman and officers. The Christ-ian forces reconquered Buda and in the next few years, allof the former Hungarian lands, except areas near Timişoara(Temesvár), were taken from the Turks. In the 1699 Treaty ofKarlowitz, these territorial changes were officially recognized.In 1718, the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ot-toman rule. The city was destroyed during the battle. Hungarywas then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.

Emergencence of Budapest: 1867 was the year of Reconcil-iation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary. The19th century was dominated by the Hungarian struggle forindependence and modernization. The national insurrectionagainst the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848and was defeated a little more than a year later. This made Bu-

dapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compro-mise which opened the second great phase of development inthe history of Budapest, lasting until World War I. In 1849 thesuspension bridge (Chain Bridge) linking Buda with Pest wasopened as the first permanent bridge across the Danube. In1873, Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part,Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Bu-dapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administra-tive, political, economic, trade and cultural hub.

Judapest: Ethnic Hungarians overtook Germans in the secondhalf of the 19th century due to mass migration from the over-populated rural Transdanubia and Great Hungarian Plain. Be-tween 1851 and 1910, the proportion of Hungarians increasedfrom 35.6% to 85.9% thus, Hungarian became the dominantlanguage and German was crowded out. The proportion ofJews peaked in 1900. Due to the prosperity and the large Jew-ish community of the city at the start of the 20th century, Bu-dapest was often called the "Jewish Mecca" or "Judapest".

Independence: In 1918, Austria-Hungary lost the war and col-lapsed. Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In1920, the Treaty of Trianon finalized the country's partition, asa result, Hungary lost over 2/3 of its territory, and about 2/3 ofits inhabitants under the treaty, including 3.3 million out of 10million ethnic Hungarians.

Battle of Budapest: In 1944, towards the end of World WarII, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American airraids. From December 1944 to February 1945, the city was be-sieged during the Battle of Budapest. Budapest suffered majordamage caused by the attacking Soviet and Romanian troopsand the defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridgeswere destroyed by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilianslost their lives during the conflict.

Genocide: During 1944 and early 1945, between 20% to 40%of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died throughNazi and Arrow Cross Party genocide. The Swedish diplomatRaoul Wallenberg, managed to save the lives of tens of thou-sands of Jews in Budapest by giving them Swedish passportsand taking them under his consular protection.

Communism: In 1949, Hungary was declared a communistPeople's Republic. The new Communist government consid-ered the buildings, like the Buda Castle, as symbols of the for-mer regime,and during the 1950s, the palace was gutted downand all the interiors were destroyed.

Hungarian Revolution: In 1956, peaceful demonstrations inBudapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. Thisuprising was an anti-Soviet revolt that lasted from October 23until November 11. lthough the leadership already collapsedafter mass demonstrations beginning October 23, the Soviettanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continueduntil early November, leaving more than 3000 dead. This wasconsidered the biggest tragedy for Hungary. In 2006, to com-memorate this sorrowful event, a monument was erected forits 50th anniversary.


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Inclusion into the UNESCO List: From the 1960s to the late1980s, Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happi-est barrack" within the Eastern bloc, and much of the wartimedamage to the city was finally repaired. In 1987, Buda Castleand the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO listof World Heritage Sites. Andrassy Avenue was added to the UN-ESCO list in 2002.

Inclusion into the European Union: Since the peaceful 1989system change (Rendszerváltás) which was achieved as a com-promise between reformist party forces and the opposition(notably including a younger self of the current PM, Viktor Or-bán), Budapest transformed in appearance and atmosphere, aprocess further accelerated by the country's long-awaited join-ing to the European Union in 2004.

Climate

The city has a humid continental climate with warm or verywarm summer. Winter (November until early March) can bevery cold and there is little sunshine. Snowfall is fairly frequentin most years and night time temperatures of −15 °C (5 °F) arenot uncommon between middle December and middle Feb-ruary. The spring months (March and April) see variable con-ditions, with a rapid increase in the average temperature. Theweather in late March and April is often very agreeable duringthe day and fresh at night.

The city's long summer, usually lasting from May until middleSeptember, is warm or very warm. Budapest has as much sum-mer sunshine as many Mediterranean resorts. Sudden heavyshowers also occur, particularly in May and June. The autumn (middle September until late October) is characterized by littlerain and long sunny days with moderate temperatures. At theend of October, the weather often turns abruptly colder.

Districts

Districts of Budapest

Although Budapest is administratively divided into 23 num-bered districts which are always written in Roman numerals,it is often colloquially divided into parts consisting of the twomajor cities of Buda and Pest plus one historic district.

Buda: The area located west from the Danube containingDistricts I, II, III, XI, XII, XXII as well as the area of Óbuda in thenorth which is the third, smaller town before the unification.Castle Hill: District I of Buda, the oldest part of the citycontaining the Castle and some of Budapest's best-knownattractions such as Fishermen’s Bastion, the Labyrinth andMathias Church.Pest: The area located east from the Danube containing Dis-tricts IV to IX, traditionally associated with a more pulsatingcity atmosphere.


Budapest Budapest · Get in

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Get in

Inside the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

By Plane

Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport (IATA: BUD) isthe country's largest airport, located around 16 km (10 miles)southeast of the city center. Formerly known as Budapest Fer-ihegy International Airport, it is the international airport serv-ing the Hungarian capital city with international connectionsprimarily within Europe as well as to Africa and the Middle East.

Terminals: The airport has two terminals. It is wise to dou-ble-check your arrival and departure terminal. While Terminal2A is within a short walking distance from Terminal 2B, the dis-tance between Terminal 1 (nearer to the city center) and Ter-minal 2 is quite sizable with the trip taking around 6 to 8 min-utes by car or 12 minutes by bus.

The small, renovated Terminal 1 (gates 1-10) is used by low-cost airlines both from Schengen and non-Schengen zonedestinations.

The more spacious Terminal 2 (opened in 1985 and the hubof the Hungarian national carrier, Malév) is divided in two:Terminal 2A (gates 20-30) serves all Schengen zone desti-nations. Terminal 2B (gates 11-19) serves all non-Schengenzone destinations.

Connections: MALÉV, the Hungarian national flag carrier, op-erates direct flights between Budapest and major Europeancities and some countries of the Middle East, Asia and NorthAfrica. Hungarian discount airline Wizz Air operates flights be-tween Budapest and many European cities. Delta Airlines andAmerican Airlines operate direct flights between Budapest andNew York City. Many other airlines also operate service to/fromBudapest.

Airport Transfers:

Rail: Hungarian State Railways runs suburban and long-dis-tance services between Terminal 1 and Nyugati Railway Sta-

tion in Budapest city center. The trip takes approximately 25minutes.Public Transport: There are bus services from Terminal 2available for 24 hours providing connection to the city cen-ter. They are the 200E Bus (connecting with Metro 3), run-ning from 4 am to 11 pm, and the 900 Nightbus (connectingwith 950 Bus), running from 11 pm to 4 am. The 200E Busnormally departs every 10 minuties while the 900 Nightbusdeparts every 30 to 60 minutes.Mini Buses and Shuttles: Several companies operate air-port shuttles taking passengers to any destination in the city.Other shuttles and coach services exist to outlying towns inHungary, Romania and Serbia.Taxis: Only one taxi company (Főtaxi) is authorized to usethe airport cab stands.Car Rental: Nearly all major rental companies operate at Fer-ihegy.

By Train

Train Stations: The city's main railway stations are Keletipályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), Déli pályaudvar (South-ern Railway Station) and Nyugati pályaudvar (Western RailwayStation). The stations are named for their geographic locationin the city, not for the direction of the destinations served byeach. The stations are well connected to each other and tothe rest of the city. Keleti and Déli Railway Stations are locatedon Metro 2 while the Nyugati Railway Station is on Metro 3. Atransfer should take less than 20 minutes during peak hours,slightly more on weekends and evenings.

Connections: Trains connect Budapest with almost all coun-tries in Central and Eastern Europe. The major cities with reg-ular train connections to Budapest are Berlin, Munich, Vienna,Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Bucharest, Ljubljana and Zagreb.There are also seasonal trains coming from Belgrade, Sarajevo,Sofia, Kiev and Moscow. Most of the international trains includ-ing domestic trains to/from Miskolc, Eger, Győr and Szombat-hely, are stationed at Keleti as well.

Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station)


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Interior of Keleti pályaudvar

Facilities: Train stations in Budapest are not up to Westernquality standards. They are hard to access for people with dis-abilities and their facilities are very limited. Be prepared forlong queues at the ticket office. English is rarely spoken. Do notexpect luggage trolleys or clean toilets. Food and drinks avail-able at the stations are substandard. It is also difficult to find agood nearby cafe if you did not research in advance.

Tourist Reminder: Do not accept any offer from taxi driverswaiting around the station entrance.

By Bus

Connections: Hungary’s national bus network is operated byVolán Association. If you arrive to Budapest from another Hun-garian city, bus is often the best option. International busroutes are operated by Eurolines with the majority of the con-nections running two or three times a week. On the otherhand,connections to/from Austria and Slovakia run daily.

Bus Stations: Although Budapest’s long distance bus stationsare located outside the city center, they are very well connect-ed to the rest of the city. The main stations are:

Népliget Bus Station (Népliget autóbuszállomás, metro 3,Népliget station): Buses from abroad and most of WesternHungarian destinations arrive and depart here.Stadion Bus Station (Stadion autóbuszállomás, formerlyknown as Népstadion autóbuszállomás, metro 2, Stadionokstation); This is the biggest hub for Eastern Hungarian desti-nations.Árpád Bridge Bus Station (Árpád híd autóbuszállomás,metro 3, Árpád híd station): This is a smaller station for somenorthern destinations and suburban traffic. Use it to andfrom Szentendre, Esztergom or Visegrád.Etele tér Bus Station (Etele téri autóbuszállomás, bus 7E,173E): This is a newly built station next to Kelenföld RailwayStation. It is useful for getting to Statue Park and some sub-urban destinations.

By Bicycle

Crossing Hungary and arriving to Budapest is easy as Eurovelo6 links to Vienna and Belgrade. Following the Danube, the roadis flat and separated from cars. Spring will offer the best weath-er to travel by bike through Hungary.

Designated Bike Lane

Get Around

Orientation

Orientation is not a big problem in Budapest. The river Danubesplits the city into two areas: Buda and Pest. Aside from thevery center, the city's structure is quite logical. Landmarks inBuda as the Royal Castle or Citadella Castle also help you to findyour way. Besides the Danube itself, the best reference pointsfor orienting yourself are the bridges crossing the river. FromNorth to South, they are:

Árpád Bridge (Árpád híd): It is a modern bridge linking toNorthern Margaret Island and is the longest bridge in Bu-dapest at 973 meters.Margaret Bridge (Margit híd): It is easily identifiable thanksto its distinctive shape. It makes an approximately 35 degreeturn half way across, at the southern tip of Margaret Island.Trams 4 and 6 cross the Danube here. It is located at thenorth of the city center.Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd): It is the oldest, arguablythe most beautiful and certainly the most photographed ofBudapest's bridges. It was the first permanent bridge acrossthe Danube.Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd): This bridge was dedicated tothe murdered Queen in 1898. It is the third newest bridge ofthe city.



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Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd): It connects the GellértBaths (Gellért fürdő) in Buda with the Great Market Hall(Nagyvásárcsarnok) in Pest.Petőfi Bridge (Petőfi híd): This southernmost bridge links theinner ring road (Nagykörút) of Pest with Buda. Rákóczi Bridge (formerly Lágymányosi Bridge or Lá-gymányosi híd): This bridge is the southernmost, connect-ing the settlements of Buda and Pest.

Liberty Bridge

Bridges in Budapest

Public Transport

While you will find several points of interest within walking dis-tance, Budapest is still a sizeable city. The city is well coveredby a network consisting of three metro lines, blue buses, redtrolley-buses and yellow trams. The whole system is fairly easyto understand. On the other hand, schedules are not quite asreliable and the vehicles are not always the cleanest. Ticketshave become increasingly expensive as well. It is worth invest-ing into a public transportation map at any BKV ticket salesdesk. You can also find detailed public transport maps in sometram stops, especially along the 4-6 tram lines and in the metrostations.

Transportation Lines Useful for Tourists:

Metro 1, 2, and 3 connect the suburbs with the biggest trans-port hubs, numerous tourt highlights and central hotels.

Tram 2 runs along the Danube on the Pest side while Tram19 runs on the Buda side. They offer a ride with great viewsof the opposite side.Tram 4 and 6 follow Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard) offeringair conditioned service up to every 3 minutes at peak timesas well as throughout the night. They cross over to Budaon Margaret Bridge in the north and on Petőfi Bridge in thesouth. After which, the two lines diverge for their last twostops in South Buda.Bus 7, 7E and 173, 173E connect Keleti railway station withthe city center and many points of interest in Buda and Pest.Bus 16/16A and 116 take you to Buda Castle from SzéllKálmán tér (former Moszkva tér). Bus 16 starts from Deák Fer-enc Tér, the metro line hub.Bus 105 connects Hősök tere (Hero's Square) to Deák FerencTér through Andrássy boulevard, before it crosses the ChainBridge to Buda and passes by Déli Pályaudvar (Southern Rail-way Station).Bus 200E connects the airport with the Metro 3 terminusKöbánya-Kispest.Night travel services are provided by the Tram 6 as well as anumber of night buses lines.

Tickets and Passes: The city's public transportation is run byBudapest Transport Limited Company (BKV). Their English-lan-guage website provides information on current schedules andfares. If you intend to travel a lot, travel cards are far less ex-pensive than single journey tickets. In the evenings and nights,finding a place to buy tickets can be hard. Ticket machines areusually out of order and the vendors are also closed.

The tickets must be validated on the vehicles while and on thesubway, they are validated before entering the platform. Al-though in most places you will find regular ticket validatingmachines, some older vehicles only have mechanical ticket val-idators. When using these, you must pull the black lever on thetop of the validator after putting in the ticket. It validates theticket by punching holes in it.

You may also find these multiple journey cards valuable de-pending on the length of your stay:

Budapest Card (Budapest kártya): allows the holder unlim-ited free travel in the city with discounts at museums andrestaurants, coming in 24 hour and 72 hour optionsOne-Day Travel Card (Budapest 24 órás jegy): valid for 24hours after purchase and valid also on MÁV trains and sub-urban yellow Volán busesOne-Day Group Travel Card (Budapest csoportos 24 órásjegy):applicable for a maximum of 5 people travelling to-gether and valid for 24 hours after purchaseThree-Day Travel Card (Budapest 72 órás jegy): valid for 72hours after purchaseSeven-Day Travel Card : valid on the day when purchasedand on the following 6 daysFourteen-day pass (kétheti Budapest-bérlet): valid for 14consecutive days with a photo pass (take a passport size



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photo to the ticket office) and also valid on MÁV trains andsuburban yellow Volán buses

Inspectors: When using the public transport, you should al-ways have a valid ticket or pass. There is a correponding fine fornot having one. You are likely to run into ticket inspectors, es-pecially in trams and buses on Sunday. They also guard the en-trance and exit to many metro stations. They rarely speak Eng-lish and some were reported to be keen on controlling tourists.Although they can ask for your ID, they are not considered po-lice officers under Hungarian law. If you do pay a fine on thespot, ask for a receipt.

Tourist Reminders: A new bus and tram numbering systemhas recently been introduced in Budapest. Various tram andbus lines have now new numbers and many routes have beenmodified. Do not believe your map edited before September2008 or you will inevitably get lost. Also, a number of places(streets, squares, parks) were renamed mid-2011, resulting inthe renaming of public transportation stops as well as the mod-ification of their schedules.

By Metro

The underground network consists of three lines, connectingseveral centrally located sights, railway and autobus stationswith suburbs. The lines cross only at Deák tér station in CentralPest. Many stations have been recently renovated.

Metro Lines:

The historic Metro 1 or Millennium Subway (yellow line) con-nects the Városliget (city park) with touristy Vörösmarty Térin Pest center, passing the Opera and Heroes' Square, as itmostly follows the majestic boulevard Andrássy út. Metro 2 (red line) connects Déli pályaudvar (Southern Rail-way Station in Buda) with Eastern Pest, passing Széll KálmánTér (former Moszkva tér, Buda's top transport hub), Kossuthtér (the Parliament) and Keleti Pályaudvar (Keleti RailwayStation).Metro 3 (blue line) can assist you in reaching the airport asyou can change to Bus 200 at Kőbánya-Kispest terminus.

By Bus

The dense bus network connects the suburban zones with sev-eral metro and train stations including the city center

Important Signages:

Numbers with an added 'E' (for example 7E or 173E) indicateexpress services that do not stop at all stops.Numbers with an added 'A' have shorter routes than theirregular counterparts (for example bus 30 has a longer itiner-ary than 30A).Numbers above 900 denote night services.

Numbers between 800 and 899 denote mid-range subur-ban services provided by Volán company as such, BKV tick-ets and most tourist passes are not valid on them.

By Suburban Rail

Green suburban railway lines (called HÉV) connect central Bu-dapest with several suburbs. Note that your tickets and travelpasses are valid only within the city boundaries. Otherwise, youshould purchase a supplementary ticket (kiegészítő jegy) at aticket office.

By Other Scenic TransportationServices

Tram

Tram: Budapest's 25 tram lines offer a slower but more scenicway of getting around. Lines 4/6 run all night.

Trolley-Buses

Trolley-Bus: The city has 13 trolley-bus lines running in North-east and Central Pest. Some of them pass through the City Park(Városliget) and cross Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út), givingyou beautiful views while using this eco-friendly mode of trans-port. Line 70 connecting Kossuth Square (Parliament) to City



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Park (Városliget) also passes through the lively Nagymező utcawhich is considered as Budapest's version of broadway.

Cogwheel Railway

Cogwheel Railway (Fogaskerekű vasút): This is a tram-likerailway with historic charm, running from Városmajor terminusthen climbing Széchenyi hill , Buda's popular picnic, excursionand sledging place. BKV tickets and passes are valid.

Budavári sikló

Buda Castle Funicular (Budavári sikló): This handsome, shortfunicular line takes you from the Buda end of Chain Bridge toBuda Castle, offering a breath-taking scenario as it emergesfrom street level. As it is considered a tourist sight, BKV ticketsand passes are not valid.

Zugligeti Libegő

Zugliget Chairlift (Zugligeti Libegő): It is a chairlift, takingyou from Zugliget to János hegy. You will have a nice viewwhile traveling. BKV tickets and passes are not valid.

By Foot

Many of Budapest's highlights are easy to approach walking.In the center, you will find more pedestrian zones from yearto year. Car drivers tend to respect pedestrians and often giveadvantage on cross-walk even if there is no traffic light.

Tourist Reminders: Due to the lack of bike lanes, cyclists haveto weave around pedestrian traffic. It is not advisable to wearhigh-heeled shoes in the downtown area as there are lots ofstone pavements, especially in Castle Hill.

By Car

Apart from the summer holiday, Budapest has heavy traffic es-pecially in the morning and in the late afternoon. If you do notwant to spend your visit to Budapest in a traffic jam, use thepublic transport. Driving across the center requires some localknow-how to be efficient.

By Taxi

In normal traffic conditions, you can get around in the cen-tral areas in 10 to 25 minutes by taxi. Budapest's taxi driversare not always prepared for English speaking clients. It is bestto call one of the major taxi companies with English speak-ing switchboards to avoid problems. Do not accept offers fromtaxi drivers waiting in the airport terminals or railway stations.Use your common sense. Hail taxis carrying logos of the big-ger companies such as 6x6 Taxi, Budapest Taxi, Budataxi, CityTaxi, Főtaxi, Mobil Taxi, Radio Taxi, Taxi 2000, Taxi Plus, Tele 5Taxi and Zóna Taxi.


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By Scooter

Although not as fancy as in Rome or Paris, scooters are becom-ing more common in the streets of Budapest. Inside the city,scooters can be driven on the tram and bus ways, often buzzingin between traffic. Although most car drivers are quite used tothe scooters around them, some can still be slight irresponsi-ble. If you ignore their pushiness and drive conservatively, youshould not experience any problem. The best roads are themain ring roads as these have plenty of space with good as-phalt. The smaller in between roads including the roads in hillyBuda, can be of lesser quality with some unexpected potholesor tough to see speed bumps.

Tourist Reminders: In Hungary, a scooter with an engine of upto 50cc can be driven without a license plate and with only aregular car driver's license. However, it cannot be driven witha passenger. For scooters and motorcycles with an engine sizeabove 50cc, a license plate and motorcycle driver's license isrequired. If you are experienced with driving a scooter, it is agreat way to experience the city. Helmets are compulsory.

SeeMatthias Church: It is a Roman Catholic church located infrontof the Fisherman's Bastion at the heart of Buda's Castle District.The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothicstyle in the second half of the 14th century and was extensive-ly restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largestchurch of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of me-dieval Hungarian Kingdom.

Matthias Church

Fisherman's Bastion: It offers impressive views across theDanube to Pest. This neo-Gothic construction was built in 1905by architect Frigyes Schulek. It is composed of seven towersthat are symbolizing the leaders of the seven magyar clans thatcame in the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9th century.

A View from Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion

Buda Castle: It is the historical castle and palace complex ofthe Hungarian kings in Budapest and was first completed in1265. In the past, it has been called Royal Palace. It is locatedon the southern tip of Castle Hill and is a part of the BudapestWorld Heritage Site. While here, do not forget to visit the Na-tional Gallery located inside.

Buda Castle

Margaret Island: It is located in the middle of the Danube inCentral Budapest. It belongs administratively to the 13th dis-trict under the name of Margitsziget. The island is mostly cov-ered by landscape parks and is a popular recreational area. Itsmedieval ruins are reminders of its importance in the Middle



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Ages as a religious center. The island spans the area betweenthe Margaret Bridge (south) and the Árpád Bridge (north).

Margaret Island

The Hungarian Parliament Building: It is the seat of thecountry's National Assembly and one of Europe's oldest legisla-tive buildings. It is a notable landmark and a popular touristdestination. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of theDanube. It is currently the largest building in the country andstill the tallest building in Budapest.

Hungarian Parliament Building

St. Stephen's Basilica: It is a Roman Catholic basilica named inhonour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary. The mummifiedright hand of St. Stephen is kept in the chapel. It has a 96 meterhigh dome that can be seen from anywhere in the city.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Dohány Street Synagogue (Great Synagogue): Budapestwas home to one of the largest Jewish community in Europebefore the war. The Great Synagogue, opened in 1859, is thelargest and certainly among the most beautiful ones in Europe,recently restored to its former grandeur. Aside from the GreatSynagogue, the complex consists of the Heroes' Temple, thegraveyard, the Holocaust Memorial and the Jewish Museum.Dohány Street itself, a leafy street in the city center, carriesstrong Holocaust connotations.

Inside the Dohány Street Synagogue

Gellért Hill: It overlooks the Danube and is part of the 1st and11th districts. It was named after Saint Gerard who was thrownto death from the hill. While here, do not forget to pay a visit toits notable landmarks. The famous Hotel Gellért and the GellértBaths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill, nextto Liberty Bridge. The Gellért Hill Cave is located within the hill,facing toward Hotel Gellért and the Danube. At the top of thehill, you can find the Citadella (citadel), from which a view isavailable down both directions of the Danube.



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Inside the Gellért Hill Cave

Gellért Hill

Chain Bridge: This was the first permanent bridge across theDanube in Budapest and was opened in 1849. At the time ofits construction, it was regarded as one of the modern world'sengineering wonders. It has asserted an enormous significancein the country's economic, social and cultural life. It became asymbol of advancement and national awakening.

Chain Bridge At Night

Heroes' Square (Hősök tere): This is one of the major squaresof the city rich with historic and political connotations. Its icon-

ic statue complex, the Millennium Memorial, was completed in1900. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue with which it com-prises part of an extensive World Heritage site.

Heroes' Square

State Opera House: It is a neo-Renaissance opera house locat-ed on Andrássy út. It is home to the Budapest Opera Ball, a so-ciety event dating back to 1886. Today, it is the largest operabuilding in the whole of Hungary.

State Opera House

Aquincum: It is the biggest and the most important Romanruin in Hungary. It was a city in the Roman times and its re-mains were turned into a great open-air museum, situated inthe Óbuda district of Northern Buda.

Roman Bath Ruins, Aquincum


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Aquincum Ruins

Do

Explore the Park

City Park (Városliget) is a must visit place for the varied activitiesit offers especially if you are visiting Budapest with your chil-dren. Here, you can ice skate at Central Europe's largest ice sur-face during winter, check out the fairytale-like building of theVajdahunyad Castle, explore the zoo and if you want to reallydestress and relax, you may head off to Széchenyi Spa. There iseven an amusement park on site suitable for both adults andchildren.

City Park's Ice Rink with Vajdahunyad Castle at the background

Enjoy the Arts

Aside from a renowned music scene, Hungary has a surpris-ingly rich theatre and art scene. Not surprisingly, Budapest isthe epicenter of it. Performace season begins in the middleof September and ends in June. Productions range from clas-sic dramas, traditional operas to post modern dance perfor-

mances. If you want to enjoy Hungary's outstanding display oftalent, it is best to pay a visit to any of the following venues:

State Opera HousePalace of ArtsTheatre MadáchBudapest Operetta TheatreTrafó House of Contemporary ArtsBudai Vigado (Hungarian Heritage House)

Watch A Movie

In spite of increasing funding difficulties, quality cinema hasremained alive in Budapest. For ontemporary non-main-stream European and Hungarian titles, it is advisable to turn toBudapest’s excellent art house movie chain, Art Mozi. Most ofits branches are provided with a café or pub, offering a pleasantatmosphere to spend your evening. A few selected cinemas ofthis chain are the following:

Uránia National Movie Theatre: It combines mainstream Eu-ropean artistic movies with new Hungarian films, the latterones sporadically subtitled in English.Cinema Puskin: It is the most mainstream among the arthouse movie theatres in Budapest. It is an elegant, decorat-ed multiplex offering quality, but generally easy-to-watchHungarian and foreign films.Cinema Művész: This is probably the most popular movietheatre from the Art Mozi chain in Budapest. Many Hungar-ian movies are shown with English subtitles. Just inquire atthe desk.

Relax at the Baths

Széchenyi Baths


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Gellért Baths

Thermal baths or spas in Budapest are popular tourist attrac-tions as well as public comforts for the city's residents. One ofthe reasons the Romans first colonized the area immediatelyto the west of the Danube is so that they could utilize and en-joy the thermal springs. There are still ruins visible today of theenormous baths that were built during that period. The newbaths that were constructed during the Turkish period (1541–1686) served both bathing and medicinal purposes. Some ofthese are still in use to this day. Budapest gained its reputa-tion as a city of spas in the 1920s, following the first realiza-tion of the economic potential of the thermal waters in draw-ing in visitors. In 1934, Budapest was officially ranked as a "Cityof Spas". Some of the city's baths are the following: SzéchenyiBaths, Rudas Baths, Lukács Baths, Gellért Baths and Király Baths.

Traditional Public Baths (Gellért Baths and SzéchenyiSpa):Traditional public baths used to have a slightly outdat-ed but nowadays improving service and admission system, al-lowing an authentic bathing experience with the locals aroundyou. At the cash desk, you sometimes have to select treatmentsin advance as they are often offered in distinct places of thebuilding. Bathing time is not restricted and depending on thesystem, if you are finished earlier, part of your fee is repaid.Towels and sometimes bathrobe can be rented either at theentrance or inside. Changing clothes can be done either in acommon area with lockers which are gender segregated or incabins which may come in different sizes thus, highly usefulfor families. Note that in swimming pools, swimming caps aresometimes obligatory and often available for sale or rent.

Caving

The city is world renowned for its spas. However, it should al-so be known for its caves. Budapest has approximately 200caves of which some are open to the public. Caving in Budapestranges from the well lit and renovated Szemlőhegyi Cave tosome of the more extreme tours in Pálvölgyi Cave. There areEnglish guided tours available. The tour includes the safetygear such as the helmet with headlamp plus the overall. It isadvisable to wear warm clothing with good hiking boots.

There is a joint ticket for both Pálvölgyi and the Szemlőhegyicaves as the caves are walking distance to each other. You canjust ask for a map from either cave ticket office. There are areaswhich are are easily accessible and well-lit, making them bet-ter for the slightly claustrophobic among us. However, to reallyenjoy the true beauty of the caves, you must go on the longermore strenuous tours. Due to the times that the tours start, youare better of starting at Szemlőhegyi then taking the 15 minutewalk to Pál-völgyi.

The Pálvölgyi Cave is recommended for the adventuroustourist who wants a taste of authentic caving instead of themore tourist friendly version. There, you are expected to climbladders and squeeze through long and very narrow passagesthus, not advisable for young children and the physically chal-lenged.

How to Get There:

Szemlőhegyi Cave: Take the number 29 bus from Kolosy térand get off at the Szemlőhegyi barlang stop.Pálvölgyi Cave: Take the number 65 bus from KolosySquare. You have to step off at the fifth bus stop, named Pál-völgyi cave.

Pálvölgyi Cave


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Szemlőhegyi Cave

Buy

Vaci Utca

Váci Utca (Váci Street) is one of the main pedestrian thorough-fares and perhaps the most famous street of central Budapest.It features a large number of restaurants and shops cateringprimarily to the tourist market. While the big name stores aresafe enough not to get ripped off, the smaller shops and cafesare not averse to overcharging tourists.

Inside the Great Market Hall

Facade of the Great Market Hall

Paprika Stall

Located at the end of Váci utca, you should definitely visit theGreat Market Hall (aka Central Market Hall). It is the largest andoldest covered market of the city. This is the right place to buya hungarian souvenir or to eat traditional food. You will seehere various produce, meats, pastries, candies, spices and spir-its aside from eateries and shops selling souvenir items. Pricesfor the same items vary a lot between sellers and are not fixedso be sure to compare and bargain.


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Shops along Andrássy Avenue

Aside from Váci Utca and the Great Market Hall, another mustvisit spot is the Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út) especially ifyou want to shop for more high end items. Andrássy Avenueis an iconic boulevard dating back to 1872. It links ErzsébetSquare with the Városliget. Lined with spectacular neo-renais-sance mansions and townhouses featuring fine facades and in-teriors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002. It isalso one of Budapest's main shopping streets, with fine cafes,restaurants, theatres and luxury boutiques.

Opening Hours: Generally, majority of the shops in the cityare closed on Sundays. Only the bigger supermarkets are openon Sundays. Particularly in Pest, there are many conveniencestores selling basic items such as alcohol, cigarettes, drinks andsnacks that are open 24 hours.

Payment and Taxe Refunds: Although the large shops acceptcredit cards, it is best to have cash at hand when shopping insmall shops and markets. The value added tax (VAT) is normal-ly included in the price of the commodities and services. Re-funds are available on most purchases that normally exceedapproximately €200. You can ask the sales assistants to helpyou with the necessary documents (receipt, seperate receiptshowing the VAT amount and VAT reclaim form). You can getyour refund from the IBUSZ Agency located in the Ferenc LisztInternational Airport

What to Buy: embroidery, pillowcases, pottery, porcelain andother Hungarian folk-art souvenirs, absinthe liquor, paprika

Souvenir Shop

EatRestaurant Screne: Hungarian cuisine and restaurant experi-ences are happily remembered by visitors even if the Hungari-an diet may seem rather meat-based to many western visitors.The city has a large variety of great places to eat at prices quitereasonable for Western Europeans. Here, you are expected toshell out around €4 for a budget lunch and around less than€15 for a nice evening meal in a mid-range restaurant. A mealabove €20 per person is definitely considered expensive. How-ever, there are enough lavish places above this price range forthose looking for something special. Such top-notch restau-rants will normally charge a wide range of prices.

Boat Restaurant

Tourist Trap: Like in some other cities, a number of restaurantssee tourists as scapegoats. It is a good idea to avoid restau-rants in the heart of the most tourist oriented areas like Váciutca, especially if all customers seem foreigners. In such cases,you are more likely than not to be served with mediocre foodwith a corresponding high bill padded with number of bizarrecharges. In some restaurants, anything you do not explicitly askfor but appears on your table, is likely not to be free.

Recommended Areas: Simply strolling the more central areas,such as near Nagykörút or the Pozsonyi út, will be enough tobump into nice places to test local cooking skill but not neces-sarily with a menu available in English though. Walking alongthe Danube on the Pest side, you will see a lot of restaurant andbar boats. Most of them serve traditional Hungarian and inter-national dishes. Some of them function more as bars. Thanksto the beautiful panorama across the Danube and the castle,these places provide an unforgettable experience.

Local Cuisine: Local specialities often revolve around meat(pork, beef, veal or poultry) and usually utilizing the liberal useof paprika (not necessarily of the hot kind) as well.

Traditional Staples

Gulyás: a filling meat soup, usually beef, with potatoes andpaprika among other ingredients. It is served as a main dishor as a heavy starter.


Budapest Budapest · Eat

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Gulyás

Paprikás Csirke (Paprika Chicken): chicken cooked in de-licious creamy non spicy paprika sauce

Paprikás Csirke

Pörkölt: a stew with sautéed onions and paprika. It is similarto what is served as 'goulash' abroad.Halászlé: fishermen's soup served differently depending onregionTöltött Káposzta: stuffed cabbage with the cooked cab-bage filled with meat and in a paprika sauce and served withsour cream

Töltött Káposzta

Gyümölcsleves: cold, creamy and sweet fruit soup con-sumed as a starterSomlói Galuska: a dessert with biscuit dough, cream andchocolate sauce

Somlói Galuska

Gundel Palacsinta: crepe with filling prepared with rum,raisin, walnuts and lemon zest, served with a chocolatesauce


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DrinkBudapest offers plenty of places to drink, from cool and ul-tra-hip to rowdy and down-market. If you are in the mood fora particularly Hungarian experience, visit a borozó (wine pub).These offer cheap yet tasty Hungarian wine on tap at very lowprices if you manage to find one outside the tourist circuit.

Hungary is famous for its wines produced at Balaton areaand Eger. Among red wines, the best are Kékfrankos and EgriBikavér. For white wines, the Szürkebarát and Chardonnay arepopular. You should try not to miss out on the Hungarian spirit,palinka which is made from fruits such as plum, apricot, cherryor williams pears. For unique Hungarian soft drinks, try TraubiSzoda (a white grape soda) and Márka (a sour cherry soda).

Coffee House

Coffee houses (kávéház) are part of the traditional Budapest in-stitution somewhat resembling Viennese lifestyle. Visit to oneshould be on every tourist's agenda. Aside from coffee andcakes, the pricier ones would even serve meals as well.

Apricot Palinka

SleepBudapest offers a wide range of accommodation in all priceclasses. Here, you will find hostels, small cheap pensions anda variety of hotels. The costs of staying in Budapest is notablyhigher than elsewhere in Hungary. Apartments is a viable alter-native for those making extended stays.

The most expensive lodging options are around the Castle Hillarea. Eventhough it is cheaper to stay in Pest with the numer-ous reliable backpacker hostels, Buda has better air quality dueto the closeness of the hills and the forests lying to the westfrom the city.


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Variety of Lodging Options

Lounge inside the Wombats City Hostel

Tourist Reminder: Arriving trains are often met by touts andlocals offering free rides to hostels or their apartments forrent. Try to figure out exactly where you are going before youchoose. Researching ahead of time is recommended.

Stay safeCrimes: Violent crimes are very rare and racism or xenophobiaagainst tourists, practically unknown. As a visitor to any oth-er big city, pickpocketing is the most common crime againsttourists. Still, the rate of pickpocketing is relatively low by West-

ern European and North American standards. You are unlikelyto have any problem if you follow basic common sense. Justmake sure that you have your belongings in your line of sightwherever you go. Specifically, wear your backpack infront orplace your wallet in your front pocket if you are in dense ar-eas or onboard public transportation. Wearing flashy jewellryshould be avoided as well.

Police: Although Hungarian policemen rarely speak English,tourists have no reason to be afraid of them unless breakingthe law. During the peak tourist season, police patrolling majortourist areas are accompanied by bilingual or multilingual stu-dents who assist with problems or complaints. Police have alsoopened a 24/7 tourist information office located at Suto Street2 in District V. The office renders assistance in English and Ger-man.

Exploring During the Night: Mostly, there is no reason to haveconcerns about Budapest by night. In practice, the whole cityincluding all the tourist frequented areas, Pest within the in-ner ring road (Nagykörút) and Buda are safe even before dawn.Most locals avoid walking alone by night in outer zones of 8thand 9th districts in Pest. The subway at Nyugati tér collects dif-ferent types of people thus, it is generally not risky because ofthe heavy traffic day and night. Still, avoid looking lost. Even-though beautiful during the day, bigger public parks are bet-ter avoided at night. Do not go to the dark paths alone aroundCitadella in Gellért Hill at night.

Avoid homeless people asking for money or selling somethingin the big underpasses. Night buses and the tram number 6passing through the city center can be very crowded at peaksocializing times on Friday and Saturday nights. You may comeacross aggressive drunk youngsters on the vehicles or at thestops although major night lines are now guarded by securitystaff. It is best to keep a low profile.

Important Hotlines: 107 (Police) and 105 (Fire)

Although some may have been mentioned in the other chap-ters of this guide, for your convenience, please see the summa-ry of important tourist reminders below.

General Tourist Reminders

Fototaxi is the official airport taxi company and generally re-liable in terms of sticking with the advertised rates. Taxis inrail and bus stations are unfortunately not regulated thus,never trust the taxi drivers hanging around just outside suchstations. It is best to call a major cab company ahead of time.Do not befriend the girls hanging around Váci utca. Neveraccept any invitation for a drink from them. A small conver-sation with them will likely result in you footing hundreds ofeuros worth of drinks at the end.Most of the erotic bars in Budapest are tourist traps. Current-ly, the standard trick is to produce a modified menu present-ed only when you are already asking for the bill. The usualtrick employed is for the menu to have a small print at the


Budapest Budapest · Stay Healthy

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bottom, stating the exorbitant cost of the first drink and thatits consumption is mandatory.If you see people gambling on the streets, usually in populartourist destinations like Buda Castle, stay away! Such gamesare normally rigged with cohorts working together to lureunsuspecting tourists to place a wager. Alltough it may ap-pear fair, it is not.Whatever restaurant you go specficially in Váci utca, alwayssee the prices on the menu. Every restaurant is obliged toput its full menu with prices outside the restaurant. If youcannot find this, the place is most likely to be very expensive.

Stay HealthyHealth Situation: The biggest health threat in the city is air pol-lution and it gets worse during the summer months.

Smoking: As of 2012, Hungary has prohibited smoking in pub-lic places including restaurants.

Water: Tap water is generally safe to drink.

Toilet Facilities: Except for the malls, you will unlikely find apublic toilet in Budapest. You can however use the toliet facili-ties located inside the cafés, fastfood chains and restaurant fora fee. It is best to always have a few hundred forints with you.

Pharmacy and Medical Assistance: There is approximatelyatleast one pharmacy in every district. Normally, if a pharma-cy is closed, it will have an accompanying note with the loca-tion of the other nearest pharmacy. If you need any medicalassistance, there is an English speaking hotline with an Englishspeaking doctor available upon request as well.

English Speaking Medical Assistance Hotline: (+36-1)200-0100

Important Hotlines: 112 (General Emergency/ English Assis-tance) and 104 (Ambulance)


Restaurants Restaurants · Top Best Restaurants

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Restaurants

Restaurants

Top Best RestaurantsOnyx Restaurantcuisine Continental, Fusion, Dinerprice $24 - $133place Vorosmarty square 7-8. Entrance from theHarmincad Street, Budapest 1051, HungaryComme Chez Soicuisine Italianprice $49place 1051 Budapest, Aranykez u. 2 ., Budapest, HungaryArany Kaviarplace 19 Ostrom Utca, I, Budapest, HungaryCarat Restaurantplace Hegyalja 14, Budapest 1016, HungaryHunyadi Etterem Restaurantcuisine Hungarianprice $8 - $30place Hunyadi J. u. 17 | 1011 Budapest, I. district.,Budapest, HungaryRistorante Kriziaprice $22 - $27place Mozsar utca 12., Budapest 1066, HungaryTaverna Dionysoscuisine Greekprice $6 - $55place V. Belgrad rakpart 16 | 1056, Budapest, Hungary50Barcuisine Fusion, Hungarianprice $3 - $19place Frankel Leo ut 48, Budapest 1023, HungaryBorsso Bistroplace Kiralyi Pal u. 14, Budapest 1053, HungaryPaprikacuisine Eastern Europeanprice $22 - $31place Dozsa Gyorgy ut 72, Budapest 1071, HungaryFausto'scuisine Italianplace Szekely Mihaly utca 2., Budapest 1061, HungaryTigrisprice $10 - $29place Merleg u. 10., Budapest 1052, HungarySpirit Restaurant & Clubcuisine Café, Hungarian, International, Steakhouseprice $9 - $99Cafe Jubilee Budapestcuisine Café, Italian, Mediterraneanprice $11 - $13place Szent Istvan Krt. 13., Budapest 1055, HungaryLa Pampa Steakhousecuisine Argentineanprice $21 - $51

Top Older couplesOnyx Restaurantcuisine Continental, Fusion, Dinerprice $26 - $131place Vorosmarty square 7-8. Entrance from theHarmincad Street, Budapest 1051, HungaryComme Chez Soicuisine Italianprice $49place 1051 Budapest, Aranykez u. 2 ., Budapest, HungaryArany Kaviarplace 19 Ostrom Utca, I, Budapest, HungaryCarat Restaurantplace Hegyalja 14, Budapest 1016, HungaryHunyadi Etterem Restaurantcuisine Hungarianprice $8 - $30place Hunyadi J. u. 17 | 1011 Budapest, I. district.,Budapest, HungaryRistorante Kriziaprice $22 - $29place Mozsar utca 12., Budapest 1066, HungaryTaverna Dionysoscuisine Greekprice $4 - $53place V. Belgrad rakpart 16 | 1056, Budapest, Hungary50Barcuisine Fusion, Hungarianprice $5 - $19place Frankel Leo ut 48, Budapest 1023, HungaryBorsso Bistroplace Kiralyi Pal u. 14, Budapest 1053, HungaryPaprikacuisine Eastern Europeanprice $22 - $29place Dozsa Gyorgy ut 72, Budapest 1071, Hungary

Top ItalianFausto'splace Szekely Mihaly utca 2., Budapest 1061, HungaryComme Chez Soiprice $49place 1051 Budapest, Aranykez u. 2 ., Budapest, HungaryCafe Jubilee Budapestprice $9 - $13place Szent Istvan Krt. 13., Budapest 1055, HungaryTrattoria Toscanaprice $11 - $27place Belgras Rakpart 13 | 5th District, Budapest H-1052,HungaryPomo D'Oroplace 9 Arany, Budapest 1051, HungaryFausto's Osteriaplace Dohany utca 5, Budapest 1072, Hungary


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Vapianoprice $8 - $14place Becsi u. 5. | I. kerulet, Budapest, HungaryTerzo Cerchio (il)price $16 - $24place Dohany utca 40, Budapest 1077, HungaryCaffe GianMarioprice $5 - $13place Bajcsy-Zsilinszky ut 35, Budapest 1065, HungaryMillennium da Pippoprice $14 - $22place Andrassy ut 76., Budapest 1062, Hungary

Top AsianKarma Cafe & Restaurantcuisine Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Seafood, Fondueprice $8 - $29place Liszt Ferenc ter 11, Budapest, HungaryBangkok Thai Restaurantcuisine Thaiplace 1056 Budapest, So u. 3., Budapest 1056 , HungaryBaraka Restaurant & Loungecuisine Asian fusionplace Andrassy u. 111 | Andrassy Hotel, Budapest 1062,HungaryLeroy Bistrocuisine European, Hungarian, Japanese, Sushiprice $8 - $28place Alkotas ut 53, Budapest 1123, HungaryPapirtigriscuisine Asianprice $4 - $14place Veres Palne 22., Budapest 1052, HungaryRickshaw Restaurant & Sushi Barcuisine Asianprice $20 - $40place Erzsebet krt 43-49, Budapest 1073, HungaryFuji Japanese Restaurantcuisine Japaneseprice $31 - $39place Csatarka ut 54., Budapest 1025, HungaryParazs Preszocuisine Hungarian, Thaiprice $7 - $17place 1067 Budapest Szobi utca 4, Budapest 1067,HungaryDaikichicuisine Japaneseplace Meszaros utca 64, Budapest 1015, HungaryThai Buddha Etteremcuisine Thaiplace V. kerulet, Terez Krt., Budapest, Hungary

Top VegetarianGovindaplace V. ker. Vigyazo Ferenc utca 4., Budapest, HungaryIcon the restaurantprice $15 - $33place Hess Andras ter 1-3, Budapest 1014, HungaryGorilla Vega Bufet

Macska Restaurantplace 23 Berkocsis u. | 8th district, Budapest, HungaryEdeni Vegan Etteremplace 1011 Budapest, Iskola u. 31, Budapest, HungaryBirs Bisztroplace 1092 Budapest | Raday Utca 49, Budapest, Hun-garyFalafelplace Paulay Ede u 53, Budapest, Hungary


Useful info Useful info · Sunrise/Sunset

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Useful info

Useful info

Sunrise/SunsetSun will rise at 06:49:40 and will set at 17:06:55 in local time.

Currency

The currency from Hungary is the Forint (HUF).

1 HUF costs:

Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 EURUnited States Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 USDYen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.45 JPYPound Sterling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 GBPCzech Koruna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.09 CZKDanish Krone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.02 DKKForint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.00 HUFLitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.01 LTLNew Zloty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.01 PLNSwedish Krona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.03 SEKSwiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 CHFNorwegian Krone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.03 NOKCroatian Kuna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.02 HRKAustralian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 AUDCanadian Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.00 CADYuan Renminbi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.03 CNYHong Kong Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.03 HKDRupiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.45 IDRRepublic of Korean Won . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.70 KRWRinggit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.01 MYRNew Zealand Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.01 NZDPhilippines Peso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.20 PHPSingapore Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.01 SGDBaht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.14 THBRand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.05 ZAR

Useful phrases

English HungarianWelcome ÜdvözletHello Jó napot kívánok / Szervusz / SziaHello(on phone) HallóGood morning Jó reggelt (kívánok)Good afternoon Jó napot (kívánok)Good evening Jó estét (kívánok)Good night, Night night, Nighty Night, Good night, sleep tight,hope the bedbugs don't bite!

Jó éjszakát (kívánok)

Goodbye Szia / Viszlát (inf) Viszontlátásra (frm)How are you? Hogy vagy? (inf) Hogy van? (frm)Reply Köszönöm, jól. És Ön?


Useful info Useful info · Passport and Visa

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English HungarianLong time no see Rég nem találkoztunk! Rég nem láttalak! (see) Rég nem hallot-

tam rólad/felőled! (hear)What's your name? Mi a neve?My name is ... A nevem ...Where are you from? Hová valósi Ön?I come from ... Én ...ból/ből vagyokPleased to meet you Örvendek / Örülök, hogy megismertelekGood luck Sok szerencsét kivánok!Cheers! Bottoms up! Down the hatch! Mud in your eye! Kedves egészségére! Egészségedre! (sg) Egészségetekre! (pl)

(to your health)Bon appetit! Enjoy your meal! (frm) Enjoy! Tuck in! Get stuck in!Eat already! (inf/slang) Happy eating! Get your laughing gearround this! (inf/slang)

Jó étvágyat!

Bon voyage / have a good journey Jó utat kívánok!Excuse me Elnézést!Sorry Bocsánat!How much is this? / How much does this cost? Ez mennyibe kerül? Mennyibe kerül ez?Please KéremThank you Thank you very much Thank you kindly Thanks a lotMany thanks Thanks Cheers Ta (used mainly in northen Eng-land)

Köszi / Köszönöm Köszönöm szépen

You're welcome Don't mention it My pleasure No problem Noprobs Not a problem No worries No big deal

Szívesen Nincs mit

Where's the toilet / lavatory / bathroom / restroom / powderroom / gents/ladies? Where's the loo / bog / dunny / little boys'/girls' room? (inf/slang)

Hol van a mosdó?

Have a nice day Szép napot!Get well soon JobbulástWould you like to dance with me? Szeretne táncolni velem? (frm) Szeretnél táncolni velem? (inf)I love you SzeretlekI don't understand Nem értemPlease say that again Megismételné?Please speak more slowly Tudna lassabban beszélni? (frm) Tudnál lassabban beszélni?

(inf)Can you please write it down? Írja le, kérem! Leírná, kérem?How do you say ... in english? Hogyan mondjam magyarul ... ?Do you speak english? Beszél magyarul? (frm)Beszélsz magyarul? (inf)Yes, a little Igen, egy kicsitLeave me alone! Hagyjon engem békén!Help! Segítség!

Passport and Visa

Passport required Return ticket required Visa requiredAustralian Yes No No/3

British Yes No No/2Canadian Yes No No/3Other EU 1 No No/2

USA Yes No No/3


Useful info Useful info · Emergency numbers

27

Passports:

To enter Hungary, a valid passport is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above, except EU nationals (1) holding a validnational ID card.

Visas:

Visas are not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.

EU nationals (2) staying longer than 90 days need to register with the immigration department.

Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA (3) staying in Hungary for longer that 90 days need to apply for a long-stay visa.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements for Hungary.

Visa note:

(a) Visitors are not entitled to take any gainful employment. Non-EU visa-exempt nationals need to secure a work permit and workingvisa in advance.

(b)Those wishing to apply for a visa to visit Hungary are required to make an appointment in advance. The only exceptions are fam-ily members of EEA and Hungarian nationals, and diplomatic missions in the UK, who may submit their applications without priorappointment.

(c) Family members of EEA citizens, who hold a blue coloured residence documentation in their passports with the document type'Residence card of a family member of an EEA national' are not required to have a visa in order to travel to Hungary.

Types and cost:

All types of visa for Hungry cost £51. A fast-track service is an additional £24.

Working days:

Waiting time for an appointment at the Embassy varies between 10 and 30 days. The processing time after appointment is a minimumof 5-15 working days.

Passport and visa note:

Hungary joined the Schengen Agreement on 21 December 2007 for overland entry points and seaports, and on 29 March 2008 forairports.

Emergency numbersPolice: 112Medical: 112Fire: 112

Notes: Police – 107; Ambulance – 104; Fire – 105.


Maps Maps ·

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Maps

Maps


Maps Maps · Map index

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Map index


Maps Maps · A0

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A0


Maps Maps · A1

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A1


Maps Maps · A2

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A2


Maps Maps · B0

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B0


Maps Maps · B1

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B1


Maps Maps · B2

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Maps Maps · C0

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C0


Maps Maps · C1

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C1


Maps Maps · C2

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C2


Maps Maps · D0

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Maps Maps · D1

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Maps Maps · D2

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References References ·

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References

References Reasonable care has been taken in creating this personalized travel guide by combining information from the sources identifiedunder the section 'references'. However, the information is provided 'as is' and there is no warranty about the information in the guidebeing accurate, complete or up to date. To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, all liability arising from the use ofthis guide will be denied. Verifying critical information (like visas, health and safety) before you travel is recommended.

Budapest data is from Wikitravel, urls:

– http://www.wikitravel.com

This page was last edited at 21:38, on 9 July 2011 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Rudolf Sárdi, Peter Gervai,Denis Yurkin and Stefano Rivera, Wikitravel user(s) Ikan Kekek, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

City info data is from Wikipedia, urls:

– http://www.wikipedia.com

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use fordetails. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Weather data is from Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation yr.no, urls:

– http://www.yr.no/place/Ungarn/Budapest/Budapest/

Sunset data is from Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation yr.no, urls:

– http://www.yr.no/place/Ungarn/Budapest/Budapest/

Currency data is from Xavier Finance Api, urls:

– http://finance.xaviermedia.com/

Maps data is from Yahoo Local Maps, OpenStreetMap, Qype, urls:

– http://maps.yahoo.com– http://www.openstreetmap.org– http://www.qype.com


Notes

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Notes

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Documents

Budapest guide