SEKAI Explorer Guide Budapest (2011)

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Table of Content:

• Districts

Buda

Castle Hill

Pest

• Understand

History

Official Tourism Information

Quality of life

• Get in

By plane

Terminals

Connections

Airport transfer

By train

Train stations

By bus

Bus stations

By boat

• Get around

Orientation

On foot

Public transport

Tickets and passes

Metro

Tram

By bus

Trolley-bus

Suburban rail

Other

Night services

By car

By taxi

By bicycle

By Skateboard

• See

Gallery

• Do

Festivals

Performing arts

Cinema

Baths

Traditional public baths

Modern baths

Others

Active Leisure

Caving

• Learn

Work

• Buy

Non-speciality shopping

• Eat

Coffeehouses

Restaurants

Ship Restaurants

Chains

VegetarianorVegan

Grocery Stores

Kosher

Others

• Drink

• Sleep

• Contact

Phone

Internet

Wi-fi

Wifi Networks

Internet Cafes

• Stay safe

Crime

By night

Tourist traps

Money

Important phone numbers

Embassies

• Get out

Districts

Although Budapest is administratively divided into 23 numbered districts which are always written in Roman numerals, it can most simply be divided into the two cities of which it is comprised (Buda and Pest) and one historic district:

- Buda - The hilly West side of the Danube (Districts I-III, XI-XII, XXII).

- Castle Hill - District I of Buda, the oldest part of the city containing the eponymous Castle and many of Budapest's best-known attractions (Fishermen’s Bastion, Labyrinth and Mathias Church)

- Pest - The flat East side of the Danube, covering the modern commercial core of the city(Districts IV-IX).

Understand

Travelers are quickly recognising the appeal of Budapest, with tourism accounting for approximately 20 million visitors per year. Consisting of two very different cities, Buda on the West bank of the Danube River and Pest on the East bank, Budapest (pronounced "BOO-dah-pesht") offers travelers Viennese romanticism at an affordable price. However, Budapest is unique in its own right. Hungarians are proud of what this ancient capital has to offer and its contributions to European culture, especially in the field of music, a language one doesn't need to speak to appreciate.

History

Budapest first appeared on the world map when the Romans founded the town of Aquincum around 89 AD, in what is today Óbuda. It soon became the capital of the province of Lower Pannonia, and the Romans even founded a proto-Pest known as Contra Aquincum on the other side of the river.

The Romans were replaced around 900 by the Magyars, who went on to found the kingdom of Hungary (Magyarország). The Mongols dropped in uninvited in 1241, but the Magyars bounced back and built the Royal Castle, which still dominates Buda, in 1427.

In 1541, Buda and Pest fell to the Ottomans and stayed in the hands of the Turks until 1686, when the Austrian Habsburgs conquered the town. Now at peace, both sides of the river boomed, and after an abortive Hungarian revolution in 1848–49, the great Compromise of 1867 made Budapest the united capital of the Hungarian half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

Budapest emerged from World War I battered but now the capital of an independent Hungary. Its population reached one million in 1930. Air raids and a terrible three-month siege towards the end of World War II resulted in the death over 38,000 civilians, and up to 40% of Budapest's Jewish community were murdered during the Holocaust. A total of 400,000 Jews in the area were murdered by the Nazis and their Nyilas sympathizers. One man noted in history was Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish humanitarian sent to Hungary under a diplomatic cover, who tried to make a difference by distributing Swedish passports to as many Jews as possible.

After the war, the city recovered and became a showcase for the more pragmatic policies of Hungary's hard-line Communist government. It was, however, site of the 1956 Hungarian uprising against unpopular policies such as collectivisation. The revolution against communist rule only ended when the Soviets sent in the tanks as they felt Hungary slipping out of their influence and control.

Today's Budapest is by far the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in Hungary and is increasingly popular with tourists. In 1987, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue.

Official Tourism Information

- Tourism Office of Budapest [3], 1056 Budapest, Március 15. tér 7., tel: +36 1 438-8080. You can get some very good and free brochures. amongst it: map of Budapest, a map of hungary with all the youth hostels and prices, a very complete brochure about the northern part of Hungary (available in many languages).

- Tourism Info Center 1051 Budapest, Sütő utca 2 (Deák Ferenc tér)

Quality of life

Homelessness is a big problem in Budapest. People who are homeless are commonly seen in the inner city metro stations and sleeping in doorways in both Buda and Pest.

Get in

By plane

Budapest Franz Liszt International Airport (IATA: BUD) [4], Budapest Liszt Ferenc Nemzetközi Repülőtér; (pronounced "list-ferents") is the country's largest airport, located about 16 km (10 miles) southeast of the city center. The airport’s central telephone number for information is: +36-1 296-9696 or on +36-1 296-7000. Luggage services can be contacted on +361 296-5449 in connection with flights into and out Terminal 1 and +36-1 296-5965 for Terminal 2.

Terminals

The airport has two terminals. It is wise to double-check your arrival and departure terminal. While Terminal 2A is within a short walking distance from Terminal 2B, the distance between Terminal 1 and 2 is quite sizable - the trip takes 6-8 minutes by car or 12 minutes by bus.

- The small, renovated Terminal 1 (gates 1-10; opened in 1950) is used by low-cost airlines (such as WizzAir and EasyJet ) both from Schengen and Non-Schengen destinations.

- The more spacious Terminal 2 (opened in 1985) is divided in two: Terminal 2A (gates 20-30) serves all Schengen Area destinations. Terminal 2B (gates 11-19) serves all Non-Schengen Area destinations. Terminal 2 is the hub of the Hungarian national carrier, Malév [5].

Duty free stores are operated by Travel Value [6]. Customs authorities in German airports may not allow you to bring duty-free items purchased at the airport in Budapest through Germany. In Terminal 2, Hugo Boss and Swarowski are the only dedicated brand shops. The alcohol-tobacco-sweets assortment shop has a decent choice of local wines, mainly by Gundel. Several cafés are present. There are Caffè Ritazza [7] eateries on Terminal 2A. One is in a pre-checkin area; another is in the boarding area, after passport control. Terminal 2B pre-boarding area has half a dozen of cafes. The cafe on the second floor of terminal 1 (outside of the security area) offers computers with internet access.

Connections

MALÉV, the Hungarian national flag carrier is [8] operates direct flights between Budapest and major European cities and some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. Hungarian discount airline Wizz Air operates flights between Budapest and 21 European cities. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines operate direct flights between Budapest and New York City. Many discount airlines also operate service to/from Budapest.

Between December and March Malév's Budapest Winter Invitation [9], offers discounted fares for international flights to Budapest, and its 45 partner hotels provide 4 nights accommodation for the price of 3.

As of 2009, the following discount airlines operate to and from Budapest (using Terminal 1 unless otherwise stated):

- Aerlingus [10] (from Ireland) - Terminal 2b;

- Air Berlin [11] (from Germany) - Terminal 2A;

- EasyJet [12] (from France, Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland);

- Germanwings [13] (from Germany);

- Jet2 [14] (from Great Britain);

- Norwegian Air Shuttle [15] (from Denmark and Norway);

- RyanAir [16] (from Germany, Great Britain and Ireland);

- SmartWings [17] (from Czech Republic and Spain) - Terminal 2A;

- Turkish Airlines [18] (from Turkey);

- Vueling [19] (from Spain);

- WizzAir [20] (from Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain and Sweden).

Airport transfer

- Taxi. Főtaxi [21] is the only legal taxi operator from Liszt Ferenc airport. Depending on your destination, a trip to Budapest costs between HUF 3900-5700. The fare is slightly more expensive if paid in Euros. Queue at the taxi stand to receive a written quote for your fare, then pay it when you arrive at your destination. This system is designed to eliminate unjustified price hikes. IMPORTANT: unless you have pre-ordered a taxi from a different company, do not accept offers from taxi drivers waiting in the terminal or near the terminal entrances. This is for your own safety. On your trip into town you might receive a business card from Főtaxi quoting cheaper fares bound to Liszt Ferenc airport (i.e. €16 from Pest). Reserve a car by phone and quote the offer to save some money.

- Minibus service. If you travel alone, consider the Airport Minibus service [22], a shared taxi operation that collects passengers going in the same direction and will take you to or from anywhere in Budapest for HUF 2,990 per person or HUF 4,990 for a round trip. Join the queue at the airport and you will be on your way in 15 minutes. For the trip back, call the center at +36-1 296-8555 at least 24 hours beforehand and Airport Minibus will pick you up.

- Bus. From either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, Bus 200E takes you to to Kőbánya-Kispest metro 3 station. Buses stop outside the airport terminals. The journey to the metro station takes approximately 26-30 minutes from Terminal 2 or 15-17 minutes from Terminal 1, if there is not too much traffic. Buses run every 8-20 minutes from 5:00AM to midnight. There is no night bus service between the airport and the city, but the last four departures of bus 200E are connected to the night buses 914 and 950, which replace the metro. Note that if there is a lot of traffic, the journey can take an extra 10-15 minutes. You can also take Bus 93 from Terminal 1. It will also bring you to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, but it's considerably slower.

Note that the buses stop outside terminal 2A, which is 50 meters to the left after you exit terminal 2B. Before exiting terminal 2B, be sure to buy some bus tickets from the newspaper vendor.

Bus tickets are available in airport terminals for HUF 320 at the newspaper vendors, or HUF 400 if you purchase directly from the bus driver. Note that a single ticket is only valid on a single bus. If you transfer to the metro, you need to buy a new single ticket. You will be better off buying 2 tickets from the airport, one for the bus and one for the metro, as the automatic machine in the metro station only takes coins.

The bus ticket has to be validated inside the bus, while the metro ticket will be validated in the orange machine at the entrance in the metro station.

- Railway. There is a railway station called Ferihegy (the original name of the airport) connected to Terminal 1 via a covered bridge. Passengers from Terminal 2A or 2B can also reach it by taking the 200E bus to the stop called "Ferihegy vasútállomás" (8 min). Frequent suburban train services run westwards to Budapest Nyugati station via Kőbánya-Kispest and eastwards to Vecsés, Üllő, Monor, and Cegléd, with additional services to Abony and Szolnok during peak hours. Note that although these trains are suburban trains, they are operated by the Hungarian rail operator MÁV, and by no means included in the HÉV network. The service to Monor (called Személy) normally has 2 trains per hour while the Cegléd service (called Zónázó) has 1 train per hour (2 during peak hours, 1 of which continues to Szolnok). The travel time to Budapest is 20 min with a Zónázó train and 23 min with a Személy train, which is due to the Zónázó running fast from Ferihegy to Kőbánya-Kispest. A single ticket to Budapest costs 365 HUF and can be bought at the information desk at the airport or from the ticket vending machines at the station. Local transport passes are also valid. [23]. For timetable information, check the Hungarian Railways website [24]. Use the words "Ferihegy" for the airport and "Nyugati" for the city center.

Long-distance trains called Intercity or Gyors also operate from Ferihegy to destinations such as Kecskemét, Szeged, Püspökladány, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Miskolc and Záhony at the Ukrainan border. You may also encounter Intercity trains with Budapest-Keleti station as the destination, BUT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER SHALL YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING THIS TRAIN IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUDAPEST. It will take you to Budapest, yes - in 5 h 45 min, through Szolnok and Debrecen and Miskolc and everything in between (to clarify, this is a ring line which starts at Nyugati and goes through Ferihegy and eastern Hungary before terminating at Keleti, and the other way around). Using long-distance trains to Nyugati is not recommended either, as this will require a seat reservation, and this might be expensive.

By train

Hungary’s rail system is operated almost entirely by the Hungarian State Railways [25] (Magyar Államvasutak, MÁV). For services, discounts, schedules and on-line booking check Hungary#Get_around.

If you want to have a comfortable trip, use the InterCity trains (additional fee applies, seat reservation compulsory). Local trains with older coaches can look interesting, however many old coaches were replaced. When travelling late at night, expect that some trains operated on not very frequented lines can be completely empty.

Budapest has direct rail connections with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and various Hungarian cities.

Train stations

The main railway stations (pályaudvar) are Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station) and Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station). The stations are not named for their geographic location in the city, nor for the direction of the destinations served by each (trains to Vienna, for example, leave from Keleti). The stations are well connected to each other and to the rest of the city. Keleti and Déli Railway Stations are located on Metro 2, Nyugati Railway Station is on Metro 3. A transfer should take less than 15 minutes during peak hours, slightly more on weekends and evenings. Depending on where you are coming from, some outer stations can be useful to you; trains arriving from Vienna, Bratislava, Lake Balaton or other western locations stop at Budapest Kelenföld station, which is a good public transport hub for Southern Buda. Trains arriving from Romania, Ukraine and Eastern Hungarian cities regularly stop at Kőbánya-Kispest station, a good place to get to Eastern Budapest or to Ferihegy Airport.

Train stations in Budapest are not up to Western quality standards; they are hard to access for people with disabilities and their facilities are very limited. Be prepared for long queues at the ticket office. English is rarely spoken. Do not expect luggage trolleys or clean toilets. Food or a coffee purchased at the stations is unlikely to give you a gastronomic buzz; it is also difficult to find a good nearby cafe if you didn't research in advance. Do not accept any offers from taxi drivers waiting around the station entrance. For further information read also Stay safe section.

By bus

Budapest has a dense bus network, which also connects the agglomeration and suburban zones with several metro and train stations and the city center. Numbering system is now easy to understand. Numbers below 299 indicate regular bus routes. Numbers with an added 'E' (for example 7E or 173E) indicate express services that don't stop at all stops. Numbers with an added 'A' have shorter routes than their regular counterparts (for example bus 30 has a longer itinerary than 30A). Numbers above 900 indicate night services. (Numbers between 800 and 899 are suburban services provided by Volán company, BKV tickets and most tourist passes are not valid on them.)

Particularly useful lines for tourists include:

- Bus 7, 73, 7E, 173E, – all connect Keleti railway station with Blaha Lujza square (Blaha Lujza tér, junction with tram 4, 6), Pest city center and many points of interest in Buda.

- Bus 16/16A/116 go to Buda Castle from Moszkva square (Moszkva tér).

- Bus 200E runs to Ferihegy Airport from Kőbánya-Kispest Metro 3 station.

Be aware that in September 2008 many lines have been provided with new numbers.

Bus stations

Budapest’s long distance bus stations are located outside the city centre, but are very well connected 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 Western Hungarian destinations arrive and depart here. It is a fairly modern station with reliable facilities. Do not forget to check-in if you travel abroad.

- Stadion Bus Station (Stadion autóbuszállomás, formerly known as Népstadion autóbuszállomás, metro 2 Stadionok station). This is the biggest hub for Eastern Hungarian destinations, quite modern but somewhat dirty station built underground.

- Árpád Bridge Bus Station (Árpád híd autóbuszállomás, metro 3 Árpád híd station). This is a smaller station for some Northern destinations and suburban traffic; use it to and from Szentendre, Esztergom or Visegrád.

- Etele tér Bus Station (Etele téri autóbuszállomás, bus 7E, 173E). This is a newly built station next to Kelenföld Railway Station, at the future terminus of metro line 4. Useful for getting to Statue Park and some suburban destinations.

By boat

Mahart, +36-1 484-4000, [29] operates a scheduled hydrofoil service on the Danube to and from Vienna and Bratislava between early April and early November.

Hungaria Koncert 00361 317 1377 hunkonc@ticket.info.hu [30] operates cruises with lunch or dinner daily at 14:00, 19:00 and 20:00. This service is 90 minutes with hot buffet lunch or dinner. During the cruise, the Parliament, Chain Bridge, Royal Castle, Palace of Arts etc. can be seen.

Get around

Orientation

Orientation is not a big problem in Budapest. River Danube splits the city in two areas: Buda and Pest. Aside from the very center, the city's structure is quite logical. Landmarks in Buda as the Royal Castle or Citadella Castle also help you to find your way. Besides the Danube itself, the best reference points for orienting yourself are the bridges crossing the river. From North to South, they are:

- Árpád Bridge (Árpád híd), A modern bridge linking to Northern Margaret Island. The longest bridge in Budapest at 973 meters.

- Margaret Bridge (Margit híd), Easily identified thanks to its distinctive shape: it makes an approximately 35 degree turn half way across, at the southern tip of Margaret Island. Trams 4 and 6 cross the Danube here.

- Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd), Completed in 1849, the oldest, arguably most beautiful and certainly the most photographed of Budapest's bridges, floodlit at night.

- Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd), Completed in 1903. Its original chain structure was destroyed in World War II, and was eventually substituted by a modern cable bridge opened in 1964.

- Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd), Elegant but simple, opened in 1896; it connects the Gellért Baths (Gellért fürdő) in Buda with the Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) in Pest. Recently renovated.

- Petőfi Bridge (Petőfi híd), For a long time the southernmost bridge, it links the inner ring road (Nagykörút) of Pest with Buda.

- Lágymányosi Bridge (Lágymányosi híd), The newest bridge in Budapest, with modern architecture and a spectacular lighting system where mirrors reflect the beam of the upward facing floodlights. Built very next to a railway bridge on its southern side.

On foot

Many of Budapest's highlights are easy to approach walking, and in the center you find more pedestrian zones from year to year. Car drivers tend to respect pedestrians and often give advantage on a cross-walk even if there is no traffic light. Due to the lack of bike lanes, cyclists have to weave around pedestrian traffic; be prepared. Don't wear high-heeled shoes in the downtown as there are lots of stone pavements, especially in the Castle Hill.

Public transport

A new bus and tram numbering system has recently been introduced in Budapest. Various tram and bus lines have now new numbers and many routes have been reestablished or modified. Don't believe your guide book and map edited before September 2008 or you will inevitably get lost.

You'll find several points of interest within walking distance, but Budapest is a sizable city, so unless you drive your own car, you will inevitably use some form of public transportation. The good news is that the urban area is well covered by three metro lines, blue urban buses, yellow trams and red trolley-buses, and the whole system is easy to understand. The bad news is that the schedules are less than reliable, vehicles are not always clean, and tickets have become increasingly expensive.

Public transportation in Budapest is run by Budapest Transport Limited Company (BKV) [31], which has a useful English-language site including current schedules and fares. Vehicles run from around 5AM to 11.30PM. After that an extensive night bus network is available.

Metro 4 – Favourite Worst Nightmare

When the government decided in the early 70's that a new metro line should connect South Buda with Central Pest by 1978, no-one thought that it would become a synonym for incompetence and perpetual lack of money. Everything had been at a standstill until 2007, when works finally began after endless political debates. Is everybody now happy? Of course not. The Metro 4 construction is widely criticised for its high cost and supposedly failed and obsolete trace. Officials say it won't be completed by the official deadline (2010), and construction keeps the city paralysed, which is locals' favourite conversation theme for now.

If you only visit Budapest for a few days as a tourist, you may find the following lines particularly useful:

- Metro 1, 2, 3 connect the suburbs with the biggest transport hubs, numerous touristic highlights and central hotels.

- Tram 2 runs along the river Danube on Pest side.

- Tram 4, 6 follow Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road.

- Bus 7, 7E, 173 and 173E connect Keleti railway station with the city center and many points of interest in Buda and Pest.

- Bus 16, 16A and 116 go to Buda castle.

- Bus 105 connect Hősök tere (Hero's Square), goes up and down Andrássy boulevard to Deák square/Erzsébet square before it goes across the Chain Bridge to Buda and passes by Déli pályaudvar (Southern railway station).

- Bus 200E serves the airport.

If you stay longer, it's worth to buy a public transportation map at any BKV ticket office. You can also find detailed public transport maps in some tram stops, especially along the 4-6 tram lines.

Tickets and passes

If you intend to travel a lot (and you probably will), travel cards are far less expensive than single tickets. As of 2009 most useful tickets and travel cards for tourists include the following:

- Single ticket (vonaljegy): Valid for one journey, transfer not allowed on buses and trams, but one transfer is allowed between metro lines (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 320. HUF 400 if purchased from the driver (available on designated lines).

- Transfer ticket (átszállójegy): Valid for one journey, one transfer allowed. HUF 470.

- 10 single ticket book: 2800 HUF (April 2010)

- One-day travel card (napijegy): Valid for 24 hours after purchase (not only on the day of purchase - a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 1550.

- Three-day travel card (háromnapos turistajegy): Valid for 72 hours after purchase (not only on the day of purchase and the two following days - a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 3850.

- Seven-day travel card : Valid on the day when purchased and on the following six days. HUF 4600.

- Fourteen-day pass (kétheti Budapest-bérlet): Valid for 14 consecutive days with a photo pass (take a passport size photo to the ticket office). Valid also on MÁV trains and suburban yellow Volán buses (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 6200.

- One-month pass (havi Budapest-bérlet): Valid for 30 or 31 consecutive days with a photo pass (take a passport size photo to the ticket office). Valid also on MÁV trains and suburban yellow Volán buses (a new rule introduced in January 2009). HUF 9400.

- Monthly pass for students : Valid for 30 consecutive days, with a Hungarian student ID, HUF 3850. You will be able to buy one without a Hungarian student ID, but if you are stopped, you will probably be fined, even if you have ISIC, or other student ID.

- Budapest card (Budapest kártya) [32] allows you unlimited free travel in the city, and also gives you discounts at museums and restaurants. Two-day card HUF 6300, three-day card HUF 7500.

Sooner or later, you WILL run into ticket inspectors, especially on Sunday in trams and buses, and they are posted daily at almost every single metro entrance and exit. They have a notoriously bad reputation with the locals, often being rude and curt (when they are not deep in conversation amongst themselves). They rarely speak English and sometimes pick tourist out of the pack banking on their lack of knowledge of the public transit system. If you happen to get caught for "blitzing" (commuting without paying), you will be asked to pay a fine on the spot of HUF 6000 but they may threaten you to pay HUF 12,000 by saying they will call the police. Don't be afraid as the police usually never come. They can also try to make you feel as though they are doing you a favor by only asking for 6000 if you don't ask for a receipt. Ticket control inspectors can, but don't actually have a legal right to, ask for any type of ID (passport, ID cards, etc.) as they are not considered peace officers under Hungarian law. Therefore, you are not required (and you should not) give them any of your IDs, passports or credit cards as they have NO RIGHT to ask for them in the first place. Don't even show them you have ID on you or they may try to grab these from your hands. If you do pay on the spot, ask for a receipt to prevent them from pocketing the money. To have a care-free trip throughout Budapest, you should always have a pass/ticket with you at all times. If you feel threatened or in trouble, call the police or your Consulate in Budapest (some locals may also help you to get away), but the best way is to have a Budapest Card, or any unlimited travel pass. Keeping in mind that ticket inspectors are not considered peace officers, and since they have no legal right of arrest, detention or even of asking for your ID documents, if you are stopped on a tram for not having a ticket, once you get off the tram and are standing on the open street platform, you are free to JUST WALK AWAY! This only works for trams and buses where you have an escape path (i.e. outside the encapsulated subway system). Once you disembark completely from the public transit vehicle, simply keep walking. Again, it should be re-emphasized, that if you want a care-free time in Budapest, just pay the fare or get the day/week/monthly pass or the Budapest Card and you won't have to worry about validating a ticket all the time or the inspectors.

Most major subway stations check your tickets/passes on entrance and exit, especially at major stations.

Metro

Budapest's underground network is an excellent way to get around, it connects the suburbs with railway and autobus stations, several centrally located hotels, museums and sights. The system consists of three lines, crossing at Deák tér station (Deák square, in Pest center).

- Metro 1 (yellow line) connects Mexikói út (Mexikói road, a transport hub in Central-Northeast Budapest) with Vörösmarty tér (Vörösmarty square in Pest's commercial and touristy center), and also passes the Opera and Hősök tere (Heroes' square). It was built to commemorate the 1000th year of Hungarian nationhood in 1896 (thus often called Millennium Subway). It was the first underground built in the Continental Europe and second in the world after London. Although the vehicles are not original, the beautifully rebuilt, tile covered stations are a gorgeous historical memory of Budapest's richest period (1880-1910).

- Metro 2 (red line) connects Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station, in Central Buda) with Örs vezér tere (Örs vezér square, the biggest transport hub of Eastern Pest), and also takes you to Moszkva tér (Moszkva square, Buda's biggest transport hub), Kossuth tér (Kossuth square, around the Parliament in Pest center) and Keleti Pályaudvar (Keleti Railway Station, in Pest). Although the construction started in the 50's, the line was only opened between 1970 and 1972. Having been completely rebuilt since 2004, its stations seem brand new, but trains are still the old, Soviet-style ones.

- Metro 3 (blue line) goes from Újpest-Központ (residential area in Pest's Northern suburbs) to Kőbánya-Kispest (transport hub in Central-Eastern Pest, terminus of bus 200 to the airport), passing Nyugati Pályaudvar (Western Railway Station) and different stations in central Pest. Opened between 1976 and 1990.

All the metro lines are well represented on maps scattered on platforms.

There is one important fact for Senior Citizens resident in the EU. For EU Residents, over the age of 65, travel on the Metro, Buses and Trolley Buses is Free, but an Identity Document must be carried proving the above to Inspectors if requested. This also applies to some train journeys.

Tram

Budapest's 25 tram lines are a tourist-friendly way of getting around. They are slower, but more scenic than the subway and particularly useful on the nearly subway-less Buda side of the river. Be careful about doors, they open on different side of the tram on different stops.

Particularly useful lines for tourists are:

- Tram 4 and 6 both run along Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road, providing access to all three metro lines at multiple stations, and crossing over to Buda on Margaret Bridge (Margit híd) – another beautiful view. Although technically two lines, 4 and 6 only diverge for their last two stops that the tourist is unlikely to visit.

- The two lines running along the Danube river (19 in Buda and 2 in Pest) are considered a part of the cityscape. Both offer beautiful view of the opposite side.

By bus

Budapest has a dense bus network, which also connects the agglomeration and suburban zones with several metro and train stations and the city center. Numbering system is now easy to understand. Numbers below 299 indicate regular bus routes. Numbers with an added 'E' (for example 7E or 173E) indicate express services that don't stop at all stops. Numbers with an added 'A' have shorter routes than their regular counterparts (for example bus 30 has a longer itinerary than 30A). Numbers above 900 indicate night services. (Numbers between 800 and 899 are suburban services provided by Volán company, BKV tickets and most tourist passes are not valid on them.)

Particularly useful lines for tourists include:

- Bus 7, 73, 7E, 173E, – all connect Keleti railway station with Blaha Lujza square (Blaha Lujza tér, junction with tram 4, 6), Pest city center and many points of interest in Buda.

- Bus 16/16A/116 go to Buda Castle from Moszkva square (Moszkva tér).

- Bus 200E runs to Ferihegy Airport from Kőbánya-Kispest Metro 3 station.

Be aware that in September 2008 many lines have been provided with new numbers.

Trolley-bus

Budapest's 13 trolley-bus lines run in Northeast and Central Pest. Unless you are a trolley buff, you're unlikely to use them frequently. However, some of them pass through the City Park (Városliget) and cross Andrássy avenue (Andrássy út), giving you beautiful views while using this eco-friendly mode of transport. Line 70 from Kossuth square (Kossuth tér, next to the Parliament) to City Park (Városliget) also passes through the lively Nagymező utca, Budapest's "Broadway".

Suburban rail

Green suburban railway lines (called HÉV) connect central Budapest with several suburbs, but most of them are of little use to visitors. Note that your tickets and travel passes are valid only within the city boundaries, otherwise you should purchase a supplementary ticket (kiegészítő jegy) at a ticket office.

- Line Batthyány tér–Szentendre goes upriver to the picturesque village of Szentendre. The same train takes you to Sziget Fesztivál [33], Central Europe's biggest summer music festival. It connects at Batthyány tér with metro 2, at Margit híd (Margaret bridge) with tram 4/6.

- Line Örs vezér tere–Gödöllő takes you to the beautiful royal castle of Gödöllő from Örs vezér tere metro 2 station.

Other

Some other means of public transport can be useful if you get tired of regular buses and trams, or if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle to the lush green hills surrounding Budapest.

- Cogwheel railway (Fogaskerekű vasút) is a tram-like railway running from Városmajor terminus (two stops from Moszkva tér metro 2 station by tram 59 or 61) to Széchenyi hill (Széchenyi hegy), Buda's popular picnic, excursion and sledging place. BKV tickets and passes are valid.

- Boat. Budapest currently has only one regular boat service, theoretically running around five times a day from May to September, from Boráros tér (South-Central Pest) to Rómaifürdő (Northern Buda), making 8 intermediate stops. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid.

- Buda Castle funicular (Budavári sikló). This handsome, short funicular line takes you from Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) Buda end to Buda Castle. Built in 1870, completely destroyed in World War II, rebuilt only in 1986. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid. As one might expect, it is relatively expensive and touristy.

- Széchenyi Hill Children's Railways (Széchenyi-hegyi Gyermekvasút) it's a narrow gauge line, operated partly by children. The 11,2km long line is running on the Buda Hill's, giving a beautiful look at the nature around Budapest. You can reach the endstation "Széchenyi hegy" by the Cogwheel railway or the other one "Hűvösvölgy" by taking the tram or bus number 56 from "Moszkva tér". Before using it, you should take a look at it's home page for the timetable at [34]. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid.

- Zugliget Chair-lift (Zugligeti libegő) It's a chair lift, taking you from "Zugliget" to "János hegy". You will have a nice view while traveling. BKV tickets and passes are NOT valid. [35]

Night services

Budapest is covered by 34 night bus lines. Numbers are triple-digit, starting with '9'. Buses run every 15-60 minutes from around 11PM until 4AM. The main linking points of the night bus network are Moszkva square (Moszkva tér) tér in Buda and Astoria (junction of Kossuth Lajos utca–Károly körút) in Pest. Daytime tickets and passes are valid.

Most useful night buses are:

- 923 – Running along the Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road, basically as tram 4 and 6 do during the day.

- 907 – Substitutes daylight bus 7.

- 914, 950 – In the city center substitute metro 3.

On line map and schedule are available on BKV's home page [[36].

On Friday and Saturday nights ticket inspectors gather around the stops and don't let you hop on the bus without a valid ticket or pass. They also sell tickets for HUF 350.

By car

Apart from the summer holiday, Budapest has heavy traffic with long-lasting traffic jams in the morning and in the afternoon. If you don't want to spend your visit to Budapest in a traffic jam, leave your car in the hotel's garage, and use the public transport.

If you drive across downtown, plan your journey, otherwise you can get into tough situations. For example you cannot turn left in most of the crossings of the inner ring road (Nagykörút) or on the main avenues like Andrássy út, Váci út, Üllői út or Rákóczi út.

By taxi

Budapest's taxi drivers are not always prepared for English speaking clients, but it does not necessarily mean that they intend to overcharge their foreigner guests – use one of the major taxi companies with English speaking switchboards to avoid problems. All of them have flashy home pages, but currently only City Taxi is available in English. If you wish to call any of the following phone numbers from abroad, use the +36-1 (Hungary-Budapest) code before the numbers.

- Budataxi, [37] +36-1 233-3333.

- City Taxi, [38] +36-1 211-1111.

- Főtaxi, [39] +36-1 222-2222.

- Taxi 2000, [40]+36-1 200-0000.

- Tele 5 Taxi, [41] +36-1 555-5555.

- Zóna Taxi,[42] +36-1 365-5555.

- 6x6 Taxi, [43] +36-1 266-6666.

- Budapest Taxi, [44] +36-1 433-3333.

- Mobil Taxi, [45] +36-1 333-1757.

- Radio Taxi, [46] +36-1 777-7777.

- Taxi Plus, [47] +36-1 888-8000.

Do not accept offers from taxi drivers waiting in the airport terminals or railway stations. Use your common sense, sit only in taxis logoed by bigger companies. If possible, as stupid as it may sound, try to pick a taxi with the meter in a place where the driver can't fiddle with it while driving. While the fare per kilometer stays the same, apparently it's possible to "bump" the price by adding extra basic fee's. Also note that most taxis parked in the downtown areas do not belong to radio taxi companies and charge much more than the usual HUF 200+ per km. Ask about their price in advance or call any of the taxi companies above.

Please note that any of the above companies will take you for less than the taxis they book for you in hotels.

By bicycle

Budapest may be one of the most exciting places of Europe, but it's still not a cyclists' paradise. There are bikeways separated from automobile roads in the downtown, but unfortunately often used as car-park or pedestrian zones. Generally, the city is not prepared for cyclists' presence, but the situation is slowly changing. Budapest has been home to Europe's biggest cycling demonstration, Critical Mass [48], where in 2008 more than 80 000 people participated.

If you are ready, renting a bike is not a problem, but still not cheap. Expect to pay around HUF 2000-3000 for a day.

Budapest offers a variety of bike rental companies. Some of them are:

- Budapest Bike, [49] +36-30 944-5533. Rent a bike starting at 2,000 HUF for 6 hours.

- Yellow Zebra Bike, [50] +36-1 266-8777. Rent a bike starting at 1,500 HUF for 1-5 hours.

- Bikebase, [51] +36-1 269-5983. Bike rentals available for 2,000 HUF for 24 hours.

Cyclists are not very patient, so be aware while you are walking, if you hear a shout, be prepared to get out of the way quickly. This is because a bell is something people haven't really heard of (both cyclists and pedestrians alike) so using one while cycling might not result in people moving to the side; they might not even react at all! Also, beware of pedestrians wandering onto marked bicyclepaths.

By Skateboard

Pest is ideal for skateboarding. Sidewalks are wide and smooth without too many pedestrians to avoid. Police won't pay you any attention as long as you are using your skateboard for transport and not trying to do tricks. Longboards are ideal because of their stability and bigger wheels.

See

Individual listings can be found in Budapest's district articles

Most of Budapest's famous sights are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways.

The main sights on Castle Hill are:

- The Royal Palace (Királyi palota). The most popular attraction on the hill. Home to the:

- National Gallery (Nemzeti Galéria) [52]. Inside the Royal Palace wings B, C and D houses an astounding collection of paintings.

- The Fisherman's Bastion and lookout terrace (Halászbástya). For impressive views across the Danube to Pest.

- Matthias Church (Mátyás templom, aka Church of Our Lady). Dominant neogothic church crowning Budapest's cityscape - nowadays is under reconstruction.

Other museums on the Castle Hill:

- The Historical Museum of Budapest [53]. Exhibition of medieval Budapest and history of the Royal Palace.

- The Music Museum. Includes a collection of musical instruments and the Bartok archive.

- The Military Museum [54]. Uniforms, weapons, maps and other Hungary-related military objects from 11th century until nowadays.

- Marzipan Museum.

- Pharmacy Museum. Collection of pharmaceutical objects from the Renaissance and Baroque eras.

- Museum of Medieval Judaism. Presents the medieval jewish objects of Buda.

The Danube Bridges (see Orientation above), especially the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) are really attractive and make it worthy to promenade along the river bank. Lánchíd (pronounced “laance heed”) means chain bridge and the suspension structure of the bridge is made of chains whose links are huge dog-bone shaped metal bars linked by pins at their ends.

You can have a superb glimpse over the bridges from the Citadella on the top of Buda's Gellert Hill (Gellérthegy).

Riding a boat is ideal as you can enjoy both riverbanks at the same time. For romantic views of the city, go at night.

Margaret Island (Margitsziget) and its large parks (see Buda) are a very pleasant place to relax and wander. Perfect for a sunny afternoon.

Downtown (Belváros) of Pest is the administrative and business centre of Budapest and the whole of Hungary. The main sights here are:

- The Parliament Building (Országház). A neogothic jewel, beautifully situated overlooking the Danube. It is very much worth going inside, but you can only do that during guided tours, which are FREE for inhabitants of European Union (ignore those trying to pick you up outside the Parliament). Tickets for guided tours can be obtained each day from 8AM. It is recommended to do it in advance because the tickets can be sold out quickly in the morning. You will have to go in front of the Parliament and queue at the ticket line. Again, ignore those that ask you if you want a guided tour. Just pick up your ticket inside and come back at the hour on the ticket. Guided tours in English are held each day at 10, 12 and 14.

- St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent István Bazilika) [55]. The main church of Budapest is an important example of neoclassical architecture, recently renovated. The mummified right hand of Hungary first king, St Stephen is kept in the chapel. The 96 meter high dome can be seen from anywhere in the city and inside is decorated with mosaics.

- Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum (Dohány utcai Zsinagóga) [56] The biggest Synagogue in Europe, and the most impressive in the world. Next to the Synagogue is a small but impressive museum. In the rear of the Synagogue is a memorial for victems of the Shoah. The synagogue was recently restored to its former grandeur. A block away you'll find a smaller, but nearly identical synagogue built long before the Great Synagogue. The plaque in front explains that this was used as some sort of assembly grounds for those persecuted during the Holocaust before they were deported. It has not been renovated, and you can see through the boards on the outside how decrepit it still is. A chilling sight. , an open-air cultural garden that has musical performances as well as food.

Museums in at the city centre:

- Museum of Ethnography [58].

- National Museum [59].

- Museum of Applied Arts [60].

- Natural History Museum [61] Mainly minerals at display.

- Ludwig Museum of Modern Art [62].

- Holocaust Memorial Centre [63].

- Museum of Transport.

- Jewish Museum at the main synagogue [64].

- Bible Museum.

The Andrássy út boulevard in Pest stretches from Downtown (Belváros) to the City Park (Városliget). It is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and has some important sights along it, including:

- The State Opera House This is one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. The main staircase was an important element of the building in the 19th century for ladies to show off their new gowns.

- The House of Terror (Terror Háza) [65]. Housed in the secret police headquarters of the communist era, this museum objectively documents the terror of the Nazi and Communist eras. Visiting is hard work, but essential for anyone wishing to understand Hungary's recent past.

- The Hopp Museum of East Asian Art [66]. Collection of 20,000 pieces from China, Japan, India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia. Nearby is another similar collection, namely Gyorgy Museum.

- Ernst Museum [67]. Contemporary Hungarian art.

- The City Park (Városliget) is at the far end is probably the most pleasant of Pest's districts and features several interesting if low-key attractions which are often overlooked:

- Heroes' square (Hősök tere) - with the Millennium Monument.

- Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) [68] has an incredible range of European artwork from Greek and Roman times to the present. Especially valuable is its collection of Spanish Baroque painting.

- Vajdahunyad Vára is a castle on a little island on a lake built for the 1898 World Fair. In the winter, the lake is turned into the city's biggest ice rink. Nowadays it houses an agricultural museum.

On Buda side there are:

- Aquincum [69] was a city in the Roman times, its remains are turned into a great open-air museum. It's situated in the Óbuda district of northern Buda. There are some ruins of thermal baths, made by stones and decorated with mosaics and paintings. Visiting these places was social events for Romans.

- Gül Baba Türbéje [70] is the shrine where Gül Baba (literally Rose Father, from whom the Rózsadomb (Rose Hill) was named) lies.Offers a nice view and the little street which leads down the hill from there contains more houses that won the "House of the Year" award.

- Kassák Museum at the Zichy Castle shows works of the modern Hungarian artists as well as modern Hungarian art.

- Kiscelli Museum [71] - The Budapest Picture Gallery.

- Statue Park - Rather than smash the statues of the Communist era, the Hungarians arranged them with a twist of irony in this park to the south of Buda.

- Victor Vasarely Museum shows many works of the famous Hungarian-born post-modern painter Vásárhelyi Győző (1908-1997).

Music related Museums: Music lovers, beware that all four museums are closed in August.

- Kodály Museum.

- Liszt Museum. Home of Ferenc Liszt, most famous Hungarian composer. Collection of his personal objects and instruments can be visited.

- Bartók's House.

- The Music Museum. Includes a collection of musical instruments and the Bartok archive.

Additional Museums:

- Fashion Museum.

- MEO Budapest's art fair.

- House of the Future [72].

There are several travel agencies, tour operators offering city tours or walking tours, if you don't have much time, you can use one of them and you can visit the main sights within 3 - 4 hours.

Gallery

Do

- Experience an opera at Budapest's spectacular State Opera House or a performance of forklore or classical music at any of Budapest's many concert halls.

- Buda Hill Labyrinth. The Labyrinths are accessible by two points on the Buda hills. Originally parts were formed from hot water springs and then during WW2, they were linked with some of the cellars on the hill to create an air raid shelter for up to 10,000 people and a military hospital. The labyrinth is now a popular tourist attraction. It is a bit cheesy, but would be good for families travelling with children.

- Walk around and look at the market stands and the entertainment on some of the bridges in the evening.

- And the best of all: get a map, circle the things you want to see, divide up your time and see the city by yourself. Locals are always ready to help and they even tell you what to see and what is better to stay away from. They even guide you for a short time to keep up their English by having a good conversation. Don't hesitate to ask questions!

- With your children go to the City park. Great fun can be made here. Walk arround the lake and feed the ducks. See statue of Anonymus in a fairytale-like building, the Vajadahunyad Castle. Next to the lake the Széchenyi Spa is really enjoyable for kids as well, or a performance with international artists in the Great Capital Circus or adventure in the fun Fair. As a finish of the day more than 800 special animals can be visited in one of the oldest zoos in the world.

- Rent a bike and go round the city (~1600 HUF for half a day), it's lovely! You can easily go outside the city as well. Szentendre is a 2hrs ride max from the center and you get to see nice places like a lake when you follow the river.

- Take a bike tour. A great way to start your visit. 2 1/2 hours gets you some exercise and introduces you to the local geography. Staff at Buda Bike [underground garage at the plaza in front of St. Stephan's Basilica] are very friendly. They also rent bikes.

Festivals

- The Sziget Festival at Óbudai Island (=Sziget) [73] attracts rock fans, world music hippies and the usual festival crowd every year in august. With cheap beer, great acts and a multitude of cultural, culinary and musical offers, it's definitely a good deal. Day tickets cost €45 and festival passes, inlcuing camping privileges cost €170 if purchased before April 15th and €200 thereafter. Festival passes without camping privileges cost €30 less. Sleeping in a tent under the open sky instead of a hotel room gives the complete festival feeling. Be careful with your personal belongings though - you should leave them in the safe boxes.

- Spring Festival - around the end of March

Performing arts

Hungary has a surprisingly rich theater scene and, not surprisingly, Budapest is the epicenter of it. Season begins in mid-September and ends in June. Productions range from classic dramas and traditional operas to post-modern performances. There is much to discover around Budapest theaters, even if you don't speak Hungarian; the following venues can be particularly interesting for non-Hungarians. Tickets are bookable about one month beforehand at Interticket [74], the Hungarian theaters' official booking engine for a small (10% + HUF 50) booking fee.

- Hungarian State Opera House, Magyar Állami Operaház [75], 1061 Andrássy út 22, metro 1 station Opera, tickets HUF 300-10,900. One of Europe's architectonically most breathtaking opera house's company performs traditional opera and ballet. The quality of its huge repertoire is not always up to international standards, but if you don't expect too much, you will spend a decent night here. Cheaper tickets offering reduced visibility are a good deal if you don't want to pay HUF 2500 for the official guided tour [76] to the building. The company also performs at Theatre Thália, (Thália Színház 1065 Nagymező u. 22-24, metro 1, tram 4, tram 6 station/stop Oktogon, tickets HUF 2900-4900), [77], while Theatre Erkel, the Opera's chamber theater is closed due to reconstruction.

- Palace of Arts, Művészetek Palotája [78], 1095 Komor Marcell utca 1, tram 2 stop Millenniumi Kulturális Központ, tickets HUF 700-9,800, standing tickets for students are available for HUF 200 one hour before every show, (be sure that your student card is valid, otherwise you won't get in). This modern, power plant-looking building hides an excellent modern art museum, a festival theatre and the marvellous Béla Bartók National Concert Hall (Bartók Béla Nemzeti Hangversenyterem), which offer great concerts from classical, jazz and world music to Hungarian and international pop, special children programmes and the best opera performances in Central Europe. The annual Wagner festival in June is a must. Spectacles are held all around the year. Book your tickets at the Palace of the Arts home page without additional booking fee.

- Theatre Madách, Madách Színház [79], 1073 Erzsébet körút 29-33, metro 2 station Blaha Lujza tér, tram 4, tram 6 stop Wesselényi utca, tickets HUF 500-8900. If you want to see the Hungarian version of blockbuster musicals like The Phantom of the Opera or Producers, this is your place. Madách is widely popular among musical fans, and some of their recent shows have been critically acclaimed, so book well in advance.

- Budapest Operetta Theatre, Budapesti Operett Színház [80], 1065 Nagymezõ utca 19, metro 1, tram 4, tram 6 station/stop Oktogon, tickets HUF 950-15000. Grandmothers' eternal favourite, the Operetta Theatre performs old-fashioned operettas for the nostalgic hearted and tries to be Madách's main rival in musicals.

- Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Trafó Kortárs Művészetek Háza [81], 1094 Liliom utca 41, metro 3 station Ferenc körút, tram 4, tram 6 stop Üllői út, tickets HUF 1000-2500, 25% discount for student card holders. In a renovated transformer building, Budapest's most important contemporary cultural center presents Hungarian and international experimental dance, theatre and music performances. A disco hall in the cellar and a lively bar upstairs also serve your entertainment.

- Millenáris [82], 1024 Fény utca 20-22, metro 2 station Moszkva tér, tram 4, tram 6 stop Széna tér, tickets HUF 1000-6000. This huge cultural center, formerly called "Jövő Háza" (House of the Future) has been built around former factory buildings. The complex includes a park, a small artificial lake, cafés, an interactive museum and a theatre which hosts music, theatre and sometimes great contemporary opera performances. You could book your ticket at their home page, but it's available only in Hungarian.

- Merlin International Theatre, Merlin Nemzetközi Színház [83], 1052 Gerlóczy utca 4, metro 1/2/3 station Deák tér, tickets HUF 600-2000. Merlin, within stone-throwing distance of Váci street, Budapest touristy and commercial heart, is a hub for some Hungarian alternative companies and also for performances in English.

- National Dance Theatre, Nemzeti Táncszínház [84], 1014 Budapest, Színház utca 1-3, bus 10, bus 16, stop Dísz tér, tickets HUF 1100-3500. The main dance theatre of Hungary hosts a wide range of local and international performances. Although not always revolutionary modern, it's always worth to check the program.

- Experidance Company [85]. This popular company performs Hungarian popular dances in modern conception.

- MU Theatre, MU Színház [86], 1117 Kőrösy J. utca 17, tram 4 stop Fehérvári út, tickets HUF 1500, for student card holders HUF 1000. MU, one of the well-known Budapest dance theatres hosts contemporary dance performances.

- Central European Dance Theater, Közép-Európa Táncszínház [87], 1071 Bethlen Gábor tér 3, metro 2 station Keleti Pályaudvar, tickets HUF 1200, for senior citizen HUF 700, for student card holders HUF 800. CEDT's company performs renowned contemporary dance theatre.

- Theatre Szkéné, Szkéné Színház, 1111 Műegyetem rakpart 3., Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)'s theatre hall, bus 7, bus 73, stop Szent Gellért tér – during the construction of metro 4 station in Szent Gellért tér use temporary stairs next to the river for reaching the building, [88]. Szkéné hosts, among others, Béla Pintér and Company [89] (Pintér Béla és Társulata, tickets HUF 1500), many alternative theater goers' favourite. Their 2006 autumn premier, ”Korcsula” (Korčula – the name refers to a Croatian island), a Central European black commedy, is subtitled in English. Book your ticket by email.

- Danube Palace (Duna Palota), 1051 Zrínyi u. 5 (5 minutes walk from Deák Ferenc tér), [90]. Folklore perfomances every day at 20:00. 3,600-6,400 HUF, discounts available for students.

Cinema

Budapest’s cinema life has developed around malls. Since the shopping center revolution in the late 90s, more than two thirds of the city’s cinema screens are run by international chains and franchises. Mainstream cinemas mainly show subtitled (or not) Hollywood films and Hungarian romantic movies. For contemporary European and Hungarian titles turn to Budapest’s excellent art house movie chain, Art mozi [91], most of their branches are provided with a café or pub and offer pleasant atmosphere to spend your evening.

- Most centrally located mall cinemas are Palace Westend [92] in Pest (in Westend City Center, Váci út 1-3, metro 3, tram 4, tram 6 station/stop Nyugati pályaudvar) and Palace Mammut [93] in Buda (in Mammut Center, Lövőház utca 2-6, , metro 2 station Moszkva tér, tram 4, tram 6 stop Széna tér); Palace MOM PARK in Buda, which is the "ORIGINAL LANGUAGE MOVIE" in Budapest, so you can watch all the foreign movies here with subtitles too. check Palace’s web site [94] for programme and booking. Tickets cost HUF 1250, for student card holders HUF 990, on cheap days HUF 800.

- Corvin [95] (Corvin köz 1., metro 3 station Ferenc körút, tram 4, tram 6 stop Üllői út). One of the oldest, although completely modernised cinema in the city--gives multiplex feeling for those tired of malls. On Corvin's wall memorial tablets and reliefs are reminescent of the 1956 revolution’s heavy fightings around the building; the memorial itself is worth a visit. Tickets HUF 1150, before 16.00 HUF 950, on Wednesday HUF 750.

- Uránia National Movie Theatre [96],(Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház, Rákóczi út 21, metro 2 station Blaha Lujza tér, tickets HUF 890-990). Combines mainstream European artistic movies with new Hungarian films, the latter ones sporadically subtitled in English.

- Cinema Puskin(Puskin Mozi, Kossuth Lajos utca 18, metro 2 station Astoria, metro 3 station Ferenciek tere, tickets HUF 800-1050). “Pushkin” is the most mainstream among the art house movie theatres in Budapest, an elegant, decorated multiplex offering quality, but generally easy-to-watch Hungarian and foreign films. Its café is recommended.

- Cinema Művész (Művész Mozi, 1063 Teréz körút 30, metro 1, tram 4, tram 6 station/stop Oktogon, tickets HUF 920-1050) is probably the most popular “Art Mozi” theatre in Budapest. Many Hungarian movies are on show with English subtitles; ask for them at the desk.

- Movie Museum Örökmozgó (Örökmozgó Filmmúzeum, 1073 Erzsébet krt. 39, tram 4, tram 6, stop Király utca). “Perpetual motion” (that’s what the name means) is your best choice if you’re in mood to see a movie from the times when Leonardo DiCaprio was a child. Most of the oldies speak their original language and are subtitled in Hungarian.

Baths

Budapest is a famous spa city, so go "bathing". The baths are really the last vestige of Turkish culture in Budapest, left over from their occupation of the city. Budapest does not have a large Turkish culture the way a city like Berlin or Munich does; instead the Hungarians have modified and molded this tradition into something of their own.

All baths are built around hot springs, and their central part is one or several thermal pools. They are usually complemented with several steam baths, saunas, massage services and other therapies including drinking cures. Unlike in some Scandinavian or German baths, at Budapest baths almost all places require you to wear your bathing suit to the sauna too!

Tourist mix: After locals, Russians seem to be most frequent in Budapest's baths; Italians and Americans come next (and for many Americans, baths are the main reason for visiting Budapest).

Traditional public baths

Traditional public baths (like Gellért, Széchenyi) have quite a complicated navigation and Soviet-time service and admission system, but it's worth going through to experience authentic bathing with locals around you. At the cash desk at the entrance, you are expected to select treatments / areas to access in advance. Time to spend in baths is not restricted, but if you're finished earlier, some part of your payment may be returned. The only thing that can't be paid at the entrance is rental of towels and bathrobe (and/or deposit for it)--it should be paid inside, right where they are given (with the exception of Gellért - towels, etc are paid for at the entrance). There are two types of place to change clothes: a common room with lockers is cheaper (male/female-separate, of course); cabins can be used by families and may differ in size (2 or 3 persons). For cabins, you're handed a token with a number, which is also written on a chalkboard inside as a security code; you need to remember cabin number. To open your cabin, show your cabin and a token to attendant, and s/he'll check it against the number inside. In swimming pools, swimming caps are recommended (and are available for rent), although this is not always strictly enforced.

- Gellért Baths, Buda, Kelenhegyi utca 4 (Gellért Hotel at the base of Gellért Hill), (36-1) 466-6166, [97]. 6.00AM-7.00PM weekdays; 6.00AM-5.00PM on Sat and Sun (between Apr 30 and Sept 30).. While the Kiraly baths may be a more authentic Turkish bath experience, those at the Gellért can't be beat for style--and they are equally popular among locals and tourists. This is probably the finest Art Nouveau pool in Europe, and the baths are beautiful as well as relaxing. The entrance fees and deposits can be quite confusing, as well as where to go and how to get around once you get in. Ask the information desk to clarify if you're not sure about how to proceed.

- Prices: The full entrance price to both the swimming pool and the man and woman thermal facilities is 3500 HUF, which also includes a cabin rental, where you can change clothes and a towel (bed sheets style). At weekdays this ticket is 4050 HUF Ticket and 30 minute massage can be reserved in advance.

- If you rent a towel or a bathrobe, you are charged a deposit as well as a fee for the rental. You get the deposit back at the front desk when you leave, upon presenting the original receipt ticket you received when paying upon entrance. You'll need to get your receipt ticket back from the attendants inside when you return your item, otherwise you forfeit your deposit. Unfortunately, the managers are quite unforgiving in this matter and won't believe you if you try to collect your deposit without your item or a receipt. Consequently, its recommended that you bring your own towel or bathrobe, as the rental "towels" are more like bedsheets.

- The massage therapists mean business. Prices: from 2500 HUF for Refreshing, 15 min. to 3800 HUF for Powder, 30 min.

They also offer very good Tai massages. 1h is 11500 HUF and 1.5h is 15500 HUF (march 2010)

- Changing: Besides individual lockers and family cabins, there's some number of single-person changing rooms in both men-only and women-only area.

- Indoors: Common area for men and women has only a 50m(?) swimming pool and a soaking pool with massage bubbles, both with 36..38°C water. Using swimming caps in the swimming pool is prescribed by signs, but not enforced at all. There are separate Turkish-style thermal baths for men and women, which encompass several different areas: two soaking pools (one with 36°C, another with 38°C), the showers, the dry sauna and Turkish steam bath, and the cold pool (designed to scare the living daylights out of one's body after it's been happily lounging in the warmth).

- Outdoors: A large open-air complex of pools (open only in summer time).

- Special Note: For the separate male/female baths, if you are uncomfortable sitting in a giant tub of water with other naked people of the same sex, this will not be your scene. You will notice tourists unfamiliar with this environment are a bit taken aback when they first encounter this, and either leave immediately or simply adapt to local culture. The men area requires bathing suites or a little towel that hide the front part in the pools, though nudity is still common in the changing area.

- Széchenyi Spa (Széchenyi Fürdő), Pest, Állatkerti krt. 11 (right next to the Zoo; metro: Széchenyi fürdő, M1 yellow line), [98]. Indoor part open daily from 6AM to 7PM; outdoor 6AM-10PM in winter; summer-time hours may be different.. Built in 1909 in the present-day City Park, this is the largest spa in Europe, and probably the nicest one in Budapest. A vast bath complex amidst beautiful architecture, it contains 3 outdoor pools including a large lap pool, at least 3 sauna rooms, and several indoor pools at different temperatures.

- Prices: 3,100 HUF entrance fee, includes rental of a locker (locked by an electronic wristband which also acts as your admission ticket) or 3,400 HUF entrance fee, includes rental of a changing cabin (locked by a key). 300 HUF refund for leaving within 2 hours. It is recommended not to store valuables in these lockers -- use the safe boxes. Signs warn they are not responsible for losses except for safe boxes.

- Safe boxes are available for 500 HUF (well worth the peace of mind). The boxes are approximately 5" high x 12" wide x 18" deep (13cm x 30cm x 46cm). The attendant will ask you to write a "code" word on a piece of paper; this paper is placed in the box along with your valuables, and you will be given a physical key. When retrieving your items, the attendant will ask you for the "code" and check it against the paper in the box. These safe boxes can be used if the larger locker or changing room is not required.

- Its recommended that you bring your own towel or bathrobe, as the towels available for rent are more like bedsheets.

- Outdoors: Two hot soaking pools (30 degrees C and 38 degrees C) and one swimming pool (26-28 degrees C) are all open-air (even in winter), and form the center of the baths. All facilities are shared by men and women (except shower and toilets). There's a swimming tube (a whirling corridor): round- (outdoors) or rectangle-shaped (indoors) pool with artificial flow, a feature difficult to find elsewhere. Another specialty is a tradition to play chess while sitting in the water - even in winter. One or two cafes/juice bars are available directly from the swimming deck, near the cabins, year-round.

- Indoors: Several saunas, one steam bath. Cold-water pool, hot tubs, aqua-gym pool with weights. Northern part of indoors baths is more modern and clean.

Modern baths

There are also very modern baths (like Danubius Grand Thermal Hotel) which are usually called spas, although their central component are thermal pool and multitude of steam baths/saunas, which is not always typical for spas in the rest of the world.

- Danubius Grand Hotel/Thermal Hotel Margitsziget, (northern end of the Margaret Island (Margitsziget)), +36(1)889-4700 (resind@margitsziget.danubiusgroup.com, fax: +36(1)889-4939), [99]. until 9:30PM. . High-level and modern baths and spa also offers a great choice of medical treatment. Admission fee (5,700 HUF weekdays, 7,000 HUF weekends) doesn't limit your time inside, and gives access to all spa facilities including a great gym (remember to bring your fitness suit). Solarium and medical treatments should be paid separately, remember before entering the changing rooms (1,300 HUF for 10 minutes).

- What's inside?: Two body-temperature soaking pools and a cold-water corridor with stones on the floor; one swimming pool; separate steam baths; common sauna. There's a drinking fountain with mineral water extremely rich in minerals--find on a way from baths to the gym.

- Changing: Towels are handed at reception--without fee or deposit. Also, there seems to be bathrobes available for rent--ask at the reception. For changing clothes, only lockers are available, without attendant--you have a key. There's no cabins (as families typically live in the same hotel). Every shower cabin have a curtain, and there's some liquid soap available.

- Visitors mix: Almost no locals; in New Year season (and 1-9 of May?) about 80% are Russians who are also residents of the hotel.

- Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal Spa, Erzsébet körút 43-49, +36(1)479-4000 (royalres@corinthia.hu, fax: +36(1)479-4333), [100]. A symbol of history, culture, architecture and the tradition of hospitality opens its doors in all its original splendour. The Royal Spa has been beautifully restored to its original splendour and now offers the latest state-of-the-art spa facilities and treatments. The Royal Spa is one of the most expensive in Budapest costing 10,000 HUF for a day pass. It is a spectacle of opulence and luxury in the amazing art deco setting. Included in the price is bath robe, towels, lockers, hydromassage, fruit juices and water. Although expensive it is a truly unforgettable experience .

Others

Halal food is uncommon in Budapest, as are kebabs: although they are becoming popular, they are still not often on sale. You can buy gyros instead, which are very similar, but of Turkish origin and originally called "Döner" (c.f. Döner Kebab). In addition to the Turkish meaning, Gyros is also a Greek word for "round". This is because the meat is being cooked while it is rotated around the fire. This has been available in the market for more than 35 years. One excellent Turkish Halal restaurant is Szeráj. To get there, take the metro (blue-line) to Nyugati which is the same station where WestEnd mall is located. Then walk west along Szt Istvan and its a big restaurant on your left. Self-service with lots of varieties of starters, kebabs, sweets and refreshments. You can find another Szeráj inside WestEnd too.

Active Leisure

- If you live a sporty life you should not have a break during your holiday. Wide variety of health clubs, yoga & pilates clubs, riding schools, swimming pools and squash and tennis courts give sporting opportunity. On Margaret Island you will find joggers, and swimming opportunity in the Hajós Olympic Pool. Practicing the mentioned sports is cheap in Budapest.

Caving

- Note that caving in Budapest ranges from well lit and renovated Szemlőhegyi cave, where you can even go to parts of the cave in a wheelchair, to some of the more extreme tours in the Pál-völgyi–Mátyás-hegyi cave system, where you have to squeeze through several meters long passages with no room to spare.

- Szemlőhegyi cave, 1025 Pusztaszeri út 35 (Take the No. 29 bus from Kolosy tér, and get off at the Szemlőhegyi barlang stop.), +36 1 325 6001. Wed-Mon 10:00 AM to 4.00 PM.

- Pál-völgyi–Mátyás-hegyi cave system, (Take the No. 65 bus from Kolosy square. You have to step off at the fifth bus stop, named Pál-völgyi cave.), +36-20-9284969 (info@barlangaszat.hu), [101].

- There is a joint ticket for the standard tourist areas of the Pál-völgyi and the Szemlőhegyi caves. The caves are walking distance to each other - ask for a map from either cave ticket office. These areas are easily accessible and well-lit making them better for the slightly claustrophobic among us, though to enjoy the true beauty of the caves you must go on the longer more strenuous tours. Due to the times that the tours start, you're better of starting at Szemlőhegyi then taking the 15 minute walk to Pál-völgyi. This way it is possible to not have a very long wait between your caves, and the outdoor area at Pál-völgyi is far more pleasant in nice weather than the Szemlőhegyi cave museum.

The Pál-völgyi–Mátyás-hegyi cave system is recommended for the adventurous (and non-claustrophobic) who wants a great taste of "proper caving" instead of the more "tourist friendly" alternatives. The tours lasts between 2.5-3 hours and much of the time is spent crawling or climbing, so some degree of physical shape is needed. The guided tour includes a helmet, headlamp and overall so bring good shoes! Guides are very professional. English guided tours are usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays late in the afternoon, but can be pre-booked by groups at other days as well. For booking you need to be with at least 4 people.

Please do not litter, write your name on the cave wall or damage the cave in any other way! Part of the experience is the feeling of being in unspoiled nature.

Learn

- Central European University [102] offers a small undergraduate business program and an extensive graduate program in a wide variety of subjects.

- International Business School (Nemzetközi Üzleti Főiskola, IBS-NÜF) [103] offers numerous undergrad and postgrad programs, mostly providing Oxford Brookes University and Hungarian Degrees in English and/or Hungarian languages.

- Budapest University of Technology and Economics [104], B.Sc. and M.Sc. Offers engineering courses available for foreigners in English, French and German language at the International Education Center of the university.

- Eötvös Loránd University [105]. The oldest University in Hungary, B.A, B.Sc., M.A, M.Sc. and Ph.D level programs are available in English language.

- Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music [106]. World-famous music academy in the heart of the city.

- Debrecen Language School [107] offers Hungarian language classes year round at all levels in Budapest, Debrecen and Sopron.

- Corvinus University of Budapest [108] also known as Közgáz: Offers Bachelor and Master courses in many languages.

Work

- Teaching English is a popular profession for travellers and people moving to Budapest.

Generally speaking, finding a full-time job is fairly difficult unless you speak Hungarian. You should also be prepared that Western standards at job interviews regarding personal life and diversity issues do not always apply. Do not be surprised if you are asked about your smoking habits. Also, companies are not always prepared to fully understand and accept people from diverse backgrounds.

Buy

Most of the visitors from far away end up shopping in Pest in the middle of the city: Váci utca and nearby. It is historically the most expensive part of the city. You'll find Hungarian linens and lace, pottery, and other items, in souvenir shops.

You definitely want to visit the Great Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok) at Fővám tér the recently renovated markethall with essential atmosphere (it's at the south end of Vaci). Prices for the same items vary a lot between sellers and aren't set in stone so be sure to compare and bargain.

Non-speciality shopping

Also, chain stores can be found along the Váci utca (C&A, H&M, Clinique, Estee Lauder, New Yorker, etc).

The "Plazas" are usually good for buying clothes, but prices may vary wildly even in shops next to each other. For electronics, the cheap supermarkets like Electro World and Media Markt are good targets, but the quality is on par with the prices.

Absinthe is available for purchase at common liquor stores, a must-have purchase for the European traveler. Many brands available in the Market Hall and liquor stores are of poor quality (or not even "real" Absinthe).

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Budapest's district articles

Local specialties include paprikás, gulyás, Lake Balaton pike-perch (fogas), pörkölt (a goulash-like stew with lots of onions), halászlé (fishermen's soup served differently by regions), stuffed cabbage, and liberal use of paprika. There is also a great variety of wonderful pastries, many of which you will recognize if you are familiar with Viennese pastries. As in other spheres, the Hungarian approach to food combines pride in their own traditions with a readiness to accept outside influences. The result is a vibrant restaurant scene where an Asian-Hungarian fusion restaurant may well be of genuine interest.

Remember, though, that "goulash soup" is indeed a soup, not the "goulash" that visitors may be familiar with. To order that, you want "pörkölt".

Coffeehouses

Coffeehouses (kávéház) are a Budapest institution and a visit to one should be on every traveller's agenda. As the name implies, these are places for a cup of coffee and a delectable pastry, not a full meal.

The two most well-know, landmark coffeehouses are

- Gerbeaud (Vörösmarty tér 7-9) Website

- Müvész Kávéház (Andrássy út 29) Website

Restaurants

Budapest has many great places to eat, but an unfortunate number of tourist traps as well. Avoid restaurants in touristy areas like Váci utca, especially if the customers are all foreigners, or you'll more likely than not be served mediocre food with an exorbitant bill padded with all sorts of bizarre charges. In other restaurants too, note that anything you don't explicitly ask for, but appears on your table anyway, is likely to be charged for. Don't take restaurant tips from anyone on streets, do it at your hotel.

Top-notch quality food (1st category restaurants) charge a wide range of prices (from starters around 1000 HUF, main courses around 3,000-10,000 HUF, and menus from 5,000 HUF).

Ship Restaurants

Walking next to the Danube on the Pest side a lot of excellent standing restaurant and bar ships can be found. Most of them serve traditional Hungarian and international dishes. Thanks for the beautiful panorama of Danube, these restaurants provide unforgettable dining experience. Between them are some great place to drink also.

Chains

Only cross-district chains are listed here; see district articles for individual restaurants.

- Wasabi [109]. Excellent Japanese and Korean food. Lunch 3790 HUF (11AM-5PM weekdays).

- Pest. Podmaniczky ut 21 (close to Nyugati station) 11:30AM-11PM weekdays.

- Buda. Szépvölgyi ut 15 (train station Szépvölgyi ut) 11AM-11PM.

- Trófea Grill [110]. The best among all-you-can-eat (buffet) and all the alcohol you can drink. Best to book a table in advance. Has 4 locations:

- near Nyugati Train Station (Visegrádi u. 50A)

- at the final station of Metro line 1 (Erzsébet királyné út 5)

- downtown by Margaret Bridge (Margit körút 2)

- in the XIth district (Hauszmann Alajos / Szerémi út).(flagship outlet)

Gundel does a good value Sunday all you can eat brunch.

- Leroy Cafe, Pest (5 locations), Buda (3 locations). Mid to high-priced restaurant chain that offers Hungarian classics with other Italian and European cuisine. Very fashionable interiors and popular with the well-paid white collar crowd. Reservations are recommended during traditional peak times. When eating here, always make sure that you won't be slapped on an extra 100% service charge. Read the menu before entering the restaurant carefully and insist on talking to someone who speaks english.

VegetarianorVegan

- Govinda Great vegan/vegetarian restaurant in Budapest. You can choose from different menus everyday or you can just try separate dishes. All of them are moderately priced. Be aware that when you are entering the restaurant you have to go down on the stairs and you can easily hit your head, especially if you are really hungry and want to go down as fast as possible.. You can find two Govinda restaurants Check out the map[111]

- Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4[112] | Central Pest

- Mon – Fri 11:30 – 20:00, Sat 12:00 – 21:00

- Edeni Vegan Cafeteria style restaurant, large portions, relatively cheap. Food may vary depending on day, time, and dishes chosen. Tofu goulash recommended. Staff is very helpful at explaining the dishes so ask what they are if you don't know. Note: CASH ONLY. There is an ATM at the bank across the street.

- Iskola Utca 31, 1011 -- Located in Buda, 1 block from Batthány tér metro station.

- +36 6203 0775 75

- Open Mon-Thur 8-21, Fri 8-18, Sun 11-19, closed Saturday.

Grocery Stores

There are hypermarkets like "Auchan", "Tesco" [113],"Cora" where the food is cheap, and they offer an usually wide range of goods (If you want to take some paprika or sausage home as a souvenir, buy it here--it's much cheaper). Around the downtown areas, you will find smaller grocery chains such as GRoby, Spar, Plus and CBA.

Kosher

Hanna's Kosher Kitchen Features classic Hungarian food, but Kosher. VII., Dob utca 35. Tel.:+361 342-1072.

Kinor David VII. Dohany utca (next to the big Dohány Temple) Tel. (+361) 413-7304 or 5.

Salamon glatt kosher restaurant (Next to King's Hotel)1072 Budapest, VII. Nagydiófa u. 27 Tel: (++36-1) 413-1487, 413-1488 Cell: (++36-30) 743-6938, (++36-20) 966-6160.

Rotschild Supermarkets (located throughout the downtown) offer Kosher goods too.

Others

Halal food is uncommon in Budapest, as are kebabs: although they are becoming popular, they are still not often on sale. You can buy gyros instead, which are very similar, but of Turkish origin and originally called "Döner" (c.f. Döner Kebab). In addition to the Turkish meaning, Gyros is also a Greek word for "round". This is because the meat is being cooked while it is rotated around the fire. This has been available in the market for more than 35 years. One excellent Turkish Halal restaurant is Szeráj. To get there, take the metro (blue-line) to Nyugati which is the same station where WestEnd mall is located. Then walk west along Szt Istvan and its a big restaurant on your left. Self-service with lots of varieties of starters, kebabs, sweets and refreshments. You can find another Szeráj inside WestEnd too.

Drink

Individual listings can be found in Budapest's district articles

Budapest offers plenty of places to drink, from cool and ultra-hip to rowdy and down-market. If you are in the mood for a particularly Hungarian experience, visit a so-called borozó (wine pub). These offer cheap yet tasty Hungarian wine on tap at outright hilariously low prices if you manage to find one outside the tourist circuit. Hungary is famous for its wines produced at Balaton area and Eger. Among red wines the best are Kékfrankos, Egri Bikavér „Bulls Blood” and white wines the Szürkebarát and Chardonnay are popular. You should try not to miss out on the hungarian spirit, palinka, made from fruits such as, plum, apricot, cherry or williams pears.

Be sure to try Traubi Szoda and Marka. These are unique Hungarian soft drinks available only in Hungary. Traubi is a white grape soda and Marka is a sour cherry soda.

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Budapest's district articles

Budapest offers a wide range of accommodation in all price classes from the hostels which start at €9 per night, to small cheap pension, to the luxurious 5-star hotels, although the costs of staying here are notably higher than elsewhere in Hungary.

Arriving trains are often met by touts offering free rides to hostels, as well as little old grannies offering their apartments for rent. Try to figure out exactly where you're going before you choose - or, better yet, visit any of the many travel agencies to browse the many options in a more comfortable environment.

The most expensive digs are on or near Castle Hill,dozens of reliable backpacker hostels are mostly across the river in Pest. However, Buda has better air quality due to the closeness of the hills and the forests lying to the west from the city.

Apartments may be a cheap alternative for those making extended stays.

Contact

Phone

Mobile phones work in the metro, even in tunnels between stations.

Some phone booths take coins (including euro coins), but others only take pre-paid cards. The posted number for credit card calls will lead to unexpectedly high charges (1USD for a one minute call to the US) and is to be avoided. Unfortunately, you cannot trust T-mobile to charge reasonable prices on their pay phones.

Internet

Wi-fi

Budapest is one of the most Wi-Fi enabled cities in Europe. You can find hundreds of free WiFi hotspots all over the city - in cafes, restaurants, shopping malls and hotels, or even parks or busy streets.

In VII district (Erzsébetváros), which is surrounded by Károly körút, Király utca and Rákóczi út, free WiFi is provided by the government all over the district - in the cafes, shops, in the streets.

Wifi Networks

However, there are still some hotels and restaurants using offering paid wi-fi usage, including the following:

- HotSpotSystem.com, [114]. Has both Free and paid (Pro) types of service--chosen by operating (restaurant, hotel etc.). For paid access, internet time can be purchased by credit card right from your browser at the point of connection. Prices are set by operating business but can be like this (example taken from Hotel Astra [115]) 1hr =600ft, 2hrs =960ft, 24hrs =1950ft. Time can not be purchased in other slots, and should be used at once (you can't pause it, nor to use it in several intervals during several days). For Pro access, speed is: 384 / 128 kbit/s incoming/outgoing traffic, and unlimited traffic within paid time. And the time left is only shown in popup that opens right at the start of connection--if you close it, you can't check how much is left.

Internet Cafes

There are many internet cafes throughout the city. Prices average 200 HUF/hour.

Stay safe

Váci utca – dos and don'ts

This narrow street begins at Fővám square (Fővám tér) in front of Central Market (Nagyvásárcsarnok) and ends at Vörösmarty square (Vörösmarty tér). Supposedly being one of the main tourist attractions of the city, Váci Street is visited by all the tourists arriving to Budapest. Enjoy this lively place, shop in its fashion stores, buy Hungarian and foreign literature in its great bookshop, eat in the American fast food restaurants if you intend to, but avoid being victimized by its many tourist traps and scams:

- Avoid its eateries and bars, mainly between Vörösmarty sq and Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd). Most of them offer mediocre food at exorbitant prices.

- Whatever restaurant you go, always always see the prices on the menu.

- Never enter its erotic/topless bars. It would cost a hundred times more than you can imagine in your worst dreams and you will have to pay anyway.

- Don't try to pick up girls. There are many great places to meet Hungarian women, but Váci Street is not one of them.

- Change money only in exchange offices. Though not as frequent as it used to be be ten years ago, Váci Street still has street money changers waiting for you. Don't use their service.

See details in Tourist traps section below.

As a general rule, you find better quality and prices outside Váci utca.

Crime

As a visitor to any other big city, having your pockets picked is the most common crime against tourists. The rate of picked pockets is relatively low by Western European and U.S. standards, and you're unlikely to have any problem if you follow some basic rules you wouldn't forget in Paris, Brussels or Vienna. The most important rules are that you never wear a backpack or purse on your back in public transportation or other places with a lot of people, and make sure that you have your wallet in one of your front pockets.

Hungarian policemen rarely speak English. Tourists have no reason to be afraid of them unless breaking the law.

During the peak tourist season, police patrolling major tourist areas are accompanied by bilingual or multi-lingual students who assist with problems or complaints. Police have also opened a 24/7 TourInform office in one of Budapest's busiest areas. It is located at Suto Street 2, District V, and they are able to receive complaints and render assistance in English and German.

Luckily, Budapest has no off-limit zones, particularly not in the touristy areas or nearby. As a traveller, you should take only normal precautions: don't show off your money and don't wear flashy jewellery. Magyars tend to be friendly with foreigners; racism or xenophobia against tourists is practically unknown. Violent crimes are rare, and the main concern for locals is to protect their home against break-ins rather than worry about having their purse robbed.

By night

Mostly there's no reason to have concerns about Budapest by night. In practice, the whole city, including all the touristy areas, Pest within the inner ring road (the line of Szent István körút–Teréz körút–Erzsébet körút–József körút–Ferenc körút, popularly known as Nagykörút), and Buda are safe even before dawn. Most locals avoid walking alone by night in outer zones of districts 8th and 9th in Pest, as these are shady, though not particularly dangerous areas. Areas in 8th district behind Népszinház utca - József körút can be a bit risky, although the district is CCTV monitored by the police. If you don't have special thing to do there, try not to have a walk at night at Lujza, Dankó, Magdolna Streets and their surroundings: also, it's not a very attractive area. Népszinház utca itself is not a very nice place after dark but usually not risky.

Some big panel areas outskirts of the city (parts of Újpest and Kőbánya) are also not the best places to have a walk without knowing where to go. Area of Keleti pályaudvar is also not very friendly, but usually nothing happens. Avoid homeless people asking for money or selling something in the big underpasses. The subway at Nyugati tér collects different types of people; it is generally not risky because of heavy traffic day and night, but try not to look very "lost" there.

Bigger public parks as Városliget, are surely to be avoided. Don't take a healthy walk at Népliget after dark. The famous 'chill-out' place at Római part (3th district) can be deserted especially after 1AM and in the winter season, although it's usually safe. Don't go to the dark paths alone around Citadella at night.

Night buses passing through the city center, notably line 906 along the inner ring road, can be very crowded at peak socialising times on Friday and Saturday nights. You may come across aggressive drunk youngsters on the vehicles or at the stops. Keep a low profile or avoid the public transportation system on weekend nights. Major night lines are now guarded by security staff.

If you are arriving at night using public transport from the airport, be aware that the last station of Metro 3 at Kőbánya-Kispest is also not very friendly after dark, because of reconstruction work.

Tourist traps

Like in several cities of the world, in Budapest the major scams for the inexperienced tourist are taxis and restaurants.

Taxis used to be a traveler's nightmare, mainly for those arriving from or going to the airport. Luckily the situation is slowly getting better: Zóna Taxi, a company with exclusive right to wait for passengers at the airport terminals, is reliable and works according to advertised prices; for details read the Airport transfer chapter. Sometimes scam taxi drivers will solicit services in the terminal to take you for a ride with a very hungry meter. Zóna Taxi has a stand outside the terminal, so unless you, like some locals do, have called for a cab from a different company to pick you up, do not accept a ride with any other taxi drivers. (As of 2011, however, Zóna taxi was kicked out of Ferihegy Airport due to reasons behind the scene, which usually means more money demanded by airport which was rejected by the taxi company. They lost their stand and possibly you cannot find them there anymore. This is an ongoing battle, and the situation utilises its habits to get worse again.)

The alternatives to Zóna Taxi are to call for another trusted cab, saving €5-10 on the trip, or to use the Airport Minibus service. Airport Minibus has a booth inside the terminal and they will allocate you to a minibus with several other travellers who are going to the same area of town depending on your luck you will be the first destination otherwise the bus may go to a couple other destinations before reaching your destination. If you travel the other way around (from the city to the airport), pre-order your taxi on the chosen company's phone number or call for the Airport Minibus.

Unfortunately, the situation around railway and bus stations is still not regulated. The worst is probably Keleti Pályaudvar: never trust drivers hanging around the arrival side; rather, pre-order a car. If that's not possible, take only taxis with a logo of the bigger companies, and with a proper sign on the roof and taxi licence plate. As a general rule, make sure the taximeter is on (and not set to the special "extortionate rate for unwary tourists") or agree the price with the driver beforehand. Many cases have been reported in which taxi drivers have extorted hundreds of Euros from unwary visitors. Smaller crimes include being given change in worthless, obsolete Romanian or other currency, which is not instantly recognizable by tourists as non-Hungarian currency.

Similar abuses have also happened in restaurants and bars, almost all of them in the vicinity of Váci utca in the touristy heart of Pest. You should avoid the eateries and bars of the zone. However, the majority of restaurants and pubs in Budapest are reliable. In Hungary it's compulsory to put the menu card outside the entrance; if it's not the case, don't enter. Eat only where locals eat, drink where locals drink.

Don't take any tip on the streets, especially if the person is apparently a gift from heaven and is being very, very nice to you.

Don't befriend the girls hanging around Váci utca, and never accept any invitation for a drink from them: you can be sure that they will lead you to fake Champagne, but you will be left only with the bill, and it's unlikely that a small conversation with them will be worth the hundreds of euros. You'll find the same sort of girls in erotic and topless bars; avoid them unless you're ready to pay your monthly salary for a glass of wine. Currently the standard trick is to produce a menu with small print at the bottom stating that the first drink costs HUF 15,000 and consumption is compulsory. This modified menu might be produced only when the bill is presented. Most of the erotic bars in Budapest are tourist traps. As of December 2009, this scam is still happening on a daily basis.

A common scam[116] now (06/2008) is for attractive women to walk up to men and ask for directions to a particular bar. If you respond "I don't know", they will ask you if you have a map and say "let's go together" they commonly tell you a story such as "I just got in from Bratislava and am just looking for a good place to get a drink..."

The most popular scam [117] involves a blond girl and a shorter girl with dark hair. They always act together and ask for a cigarette or the time. Next, they invite single men for a drink, in a bar at Váci utca only accessible by an elevator from the street. Once there, each drink costs around €50, but you only find that out at the end when you receive the €500 bill. So never go to the elevator bar (Városközpont) at Váci utca.

The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of blacklisted erotic-clubs and restaurants: [118].

If you don't want to pay more, have your forints ready at restaurants even if they accept euros as well. The conversion rate they use is usually way worse than the rate you can get forints for at exchange offices. If possible, avoid using exchange offices of airports and railway stations, those in the center of the city offer a much better exchange rate.

If you see people gambling on the streets, usually in popular tourists' destinations like Buda Castle, stay away! The modus operandi usually involves a guy playing the classic game of "hiding the ball". This involves covering the ball (or small trinket) with either a bottle cap or a match box and swirling it around with two other bottle caps asking people to guess the position of the ball. The game is set in a way that you can easily see the ball's position. This is done to lure the unsuspecting person into placing a wager. There are usually two main players and, between them, they will lose and win money back and forth to give the appearance that it is a fair game: do not be tricked! They are from the same gang. Once you get greedy and get lured in, you will surely lose your money! The person in control of the bottle caps will remove the ball from their position through sleight of hand and you will never see your money back. Besides the two or three other players involved, there are usually at least two lookouts: one on each side of 'stage'.

Check out a video of the gang in action trying to lure tourists: [119]

Money

Currently used coins: 5 HUF, 10 HUF, 20 HUF, 50 HUF, 100 HUF, 200 HUF

Currently used banknotes: 500 HUF, 1,000 HUF, 2,000 HUF, 5,000 HUF, 10,000 HUF, 20,000 HUF

Be sure when receiving change that all 1,000 HUF notes contain a vertical silver strip. Older notes without the strip are no longer valid.

Also, when receiving change from a taxi journey, make sure that the money is actually Hungarian. Some taxi drivers have been known to give unsuspecting passengers obsolete Romanian banknotes (lei).

Important phone numbers

Police 107 Fire:105 Ambulance: 104 Central Emergency: 112 Making phone calls: Calling outside Budapest press city code (Budapest is 36-1) or mobile (06 -30/ 70 /20 ) Calling international press 00 + country code + area code + local number (Hungary country code is 36)

Embassies

- Canada, [120].

- Croatia, Munkácsy Mihály u. 15, 1063 Budapest, +36 1 354 1315 (vrhbp@mvpei.hr), [121]. M-F 9AM-5PM.

- Israel, [122].

- Macedonia, Andrassy ut 130 1, em 1-2, 1062 Budapest, +36 1 336 0510, [123].

Finland, [124].

Norway, [125].

Poland.

Sweden, [126].

Australia, +36 1 457 9777.

United Kingdom, (36) (1) 266 2888, [127].

Italy.

Germany.

France.

- Romania, [128].

Get out

- Eger - small and charming town

- Esztergom - Site of the biggest basilica (church) in Central Europe.

- Gödöllő (30km east) - A town full of parks, and home to Grassalkovich Kastély (Grassalkovich Palace), formerly a Royal Palace. This palace was the occasional residence of Sisi, Habsbourg Empress Elizabeth. The great royal park became specail with its old trees which could see Sisi in the 18. century. (Reach from Budapest by MÁV suburban rail – Keleti pályaudvar.[129]

- Szentendre (19km north) - Home of the Hungarian Open-Air Museum, a huge site with many ancient buildings brought from all parts of the country, including barns, outbuildings, and even churches.

- Vác - (32km north) Baroque style main square, Cathedral, Triumphal Arch, mummies of the Dominican church (Memento Mori).

- Visegrád - Famous for its former royal palace partially rebuilt in Renaissance style, medieval residential tower, and impressive citadel.

District Buda Table of Contents

• Get in

• Get around

• See

Castle Hill

Western Buda

Southern Buda

Northern Buda

Buda Hills

Museums

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

Restaurants

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Get out

Get in
toc

Only Metro line 2 (red) crosses the Danube from Pest to the Buda side at present. (A fourth line linking Buda and Pest is currently under construction.) It stops at three major transport hubs: Batthyány tér (gaze at the view to the Parliament before changing to the HÉV suburban train for Szentendre), Moszkva tér (gateway to the Castle Hill) and Déli pályaudvar (southern railway station).

You can take trams (no. 4, 6, 47, 49) from Pest all these lines (except no. 4) cross at the southern hub Móricz Zsigmond körtér, south of Gellérthegy. Trams 4 & 6 now run modern Siemens Combino trams in contrast to some of the other rolling stock in use. Tram 47 and 49 run from Deák tér (the central hub for Budapest metro lines) through Szabadság Híd (Freedom Bridge) to South-Buda.

Clark Ádám tér is at the western end of the Сhain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd), which is considered to be the most beautiful of the bridges over the Danube. The tér is also home to the zero statue that signifies the start (or end) point of jourenys from the capital as shown on the roadsigns on major roads.

Buda has two railway stations: Déli pályaudvar, already mentioned, is the terminus of metro line 2 (red). Situated in the outskirts, Kelenföldi pályaudvar is becoming more and more important. (Many trains leaving from Keleti pályaudvar stop here.)

Get around
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A convenient tram (no. 19, currently under construction) goes along the Buda bank of the river. There is also a bicycle route in parallel to it.

Bus number 7 (or the red 7/153 service) is a very frequent service running via Buda to Keleti (eastern) Station in Pest and is a very easy and convenient way to get around.

See
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Castle Hill
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See details in the Castle Hill article. You can walk around in the old romantic streets of the hill or see the great view of Pest from there.

Western Buda
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- Elizabeth Lookout (Erzsébet kilátó) is Budapest's highest peak with its 527 meters. One possible 'vehicle' to reach it is the chair lift [1] (Libegő), starting out from the terminal of bus 158. Open hours of the Chair-lift: between 15th of May and 15th of September: 9AM-5PM, between 15th of September and 15th of May: 9:30AM-4PM. A single ticket costs HUF 500 and and a return ticket HUF 1000.

Southern Buda
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- Citadella, the former fortress on top of Gellért Hill (Gellérthegy), offers a superb panorama over Central Budapest including bank of the Danube River, Buda Castle and Pest city. To get good views up and down the Danube, take the steps going down in front of the Liberty Statue in front of the Citadella. There are several outposts offering good photo opportunities (or the chance of a breather if you're walking up the hill!). Catch bus 27 from the end station of tram 6 ('Morics Zs. Korter').

- Gellért Hotel and Bath at Szent Gellért tér is a very popular spa among tourists. Worth seeing even if you don't intend to swim (in summer, the outdoor part is open to visitors; entrance to indoor part is paid). See the Baths section in Budapest for details.

- Rock Church (Sziklatemplom) at the southeastern edge of Gellért Hill. The church was created from a natural cave system, following the Lourdes cave as sample in 1926. To reach the church, go to Gellért tér, turn towards Gellért Hill and look for the big white cross or the statue of King Saint Stephen - you can find the church below the cross and next to the statue.

- Statue Park, (at the corner of Balatoni utca and Szabadkai utca), (36-1) 227-7446, [2]. Daily, 10AM-16PM. Rather than smash the statues of the Communist era, the Hungarians arranged them with a twist of irony in a park to the south of Buda. Visitors may well interpret this as an assertion that the Hungarian spirit is stronger than communism. The Statue Park, was first conceived by the literary historian László Szörényi in 1989 when he suggested the various Lenin statues from all over Hungary could be gathered into one "Lenin garden." According to Ákos Eleőd, the architect: "This park is about dictatorship. And at the same time, because it can be talked about, described, built, this park is about democracy. After all, only democracy is able to give the opportunity to let us think freely about dictatorship." Possible souvenirs are t-shirts which poke fun at communism, German Trabant car models, CDs of Hungarian communist fight songs, reproduction Hungarian Communist Party membership booklets and kitschy postcards of old communist advertisements. The park is in a badly-kept state, signs are in Hungarian only. Buy a booklet in English. Get there from the blue metro line station Ferenciek tere; take the 7-173 red-blue bus to Etele tér, then the yellow suburban bus called "Érd, Diósdon át" to Szoborpark Múzeum stop; buses run every 10-30 minutes; buy your ticket at the desk before boarding. 1500 forints (1000 for international student card holders)..

Northern Buda
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- Museum of Victor Vasarely at Szentlélek tér. -- Take HÉV from Batthyány tér and get off at Árpád-híd stop. The museum entrance is just next to the square where many buses stop. The museum contains the work of Vasarely, a figure of 'op art'. The works are excellent and are fun to watch.

- Margaret Island (Margitsziget). Margaret Island is connected to the city by Árpád Bridge to the north and Margaret Bridge to the south. You can stroll for hours in its large parks.

- On Hajógyári-sziget Island on the Danube, Budapest hosts the Sziget fesztivál every August. It is Central Europe's most popular summer festival attracting more than 300,000 visitors. Young and old, Hungarian and foreigner can find his/her entertainment. Take HÉV from Batthyány tér and get off at Filatorigát stop. Follow the crowd.

Buda Hills
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- The Children's Railway (Gyermekvasút) and Cog Railway (Fogaskerekű vasút) in the Buda Hills. A great escape from the city. The Cog railway leaves from near Moscow Square (take tram 56 for two stops) and climbs through the wooded Buda Hills. At the top, take the Children's Railway through the hills and take the tram back down from the far end. Note: if you have an old map, you're supposed to find Pioneers' Railway (Úttörővasút) instead of Children's Railway in it, which is the former name of the railway from the soviet era.

Museums
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- Museum of Aquincum [3] - The remains of Aquincum the former capitol of Pannonia Inferior, built by the Romans.

- Tomb of Gül Baba and Rosegarden [4] - Built around 1548 by the turkish occupants of the city. It is the northernmost place of muslim pilgrimage. The beautiful view and the peacefulness of the place makes a visit worth.

- Béla Bartók Memorial House [5] - The final home of one of the greatest Hungarian composers. Located at a very beautiful place and has a big garden.

- Foundry Museum [6] - A foundry from the 18th century in the very heart of the city, preserved as a museum.

- Semmelweis Medical History Museum [7] - The most important museum and archives on the history of medicine in Hungary

- Museum Kiscell [8] - A beautiful complex of baroque style buildings originally built for Trinitarian monks. The museum exhibits fine arts and items of modern history.

- Museum of Óbuda [9] - A museum of the local history in the Zichy Castle.

Do
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- Cave walking in the Buda Hills. Another way of passing a few hours is to visit the Caves on the Buda hills. The caves in Buda have special origin, they where not formed by cold waters from the outside, but formed by warm springs. Some of the caves are still active and filled up with thermal water, like the Molnár János cave, which contains the largest known water filled cavity in Europe and feeds the nearby spa "Lukács". The caves of the area have special kinds of formations rarely seen in other places. There are 2 caves open to visitors, Pálvölgy Cave and Szemlő Hill Cave. Some of the guides do not speak any English but they give a free English pamphlet for the tour.

- Rent a bike or a tandem on Margaret Island (Margitsziget). (You will need to deposit some kind of a document for that). There's also plenty sports facilities on the island--and air is really clean.

See also: New Year holidays in Hungary.

Buy
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- FONÓ Music House XI. district, Sztregova u. 3. Tel.: 206-5300, 203-1752. Fax: 463-0479 (Take tram no. 18, 41 or 47 southward from Móricz Zsigmond körtér and get off at Kalotaszeg utca stop. Walk backwards 2 minutes and take the first street on the right.) Fonó provides a high quality selection of Hungarian folk, etno and world music. They offer concerts, folkdance performances as well dance houses called táncház in Hungarian. Every Wednesday evening they have Hungarian dance club which is a perfect place to see how young Hungarians revitalize traditional culture.

Eat
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Restaurants
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Budget
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- Granny's pancakes (Nagyi palacsintázója). 24/7. Sweet and salt pancakes with various fillings for a quite low price. They have two restaurants in Buda: one at Batthyány tér at the stop of Metro line 2 (red line), the other at the corner of Hattyú utca and Csalogány utca, next to Moszkva tér.

- Marxim, Kisrókus utca 23 (15 minutes walk from Moszkva tér. Follow the 4/6 tram tracks and find Kisrókus utca on the left after a big ugly office building. Look for the Red Star.), 316-02-31. An athmospheric pub-like restaurant. It is rather smoky and usually packed with local youngs but the post-communist interior is a must. You can have pizzas like "Usonka" or "Lenin's favourite" (around 1000 Ft).

- Megnyilt Ildiko Konyhaja, I.Kerulet, Fo utca 8 (Use bus 16 to get to the station near Buda hill tunnel, head north approximately 500 meters.). Sunday-Friday 11:30-17:30, Sabbath 11:30-16:30, Closed on Saturdays. A lovely and cheap restaraunt where you can eat traditional Hungarian food. The menu includes Goulash and Pancakes.

Mid-range
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- Szent Jupát Söröző & Étterem restaurant, Retek utca 16 (''near Moskva ter metro''), 212-29-23. A well-known restaurant serving tasty and authentic Hungarian food, but the service leaves a little to be desired.

- Kisrablo, Zenta u. 3 south of Gellert Hotel. While the pirate ship decor says 'pub', the Duck in Orange Rosemary Sauce says 'restaurant'. Excellent service, great creme brulee, and exceedingly reasonable 5 puttonyos Tokaji. A winner when you want something other than gulyás.

- Mongolian Barbecue, XII district; Marvany utca 19/a, 212-1859 (fax: 212-3743). All-you-can-eat format. Fantastic restaurant which is not far from the Déli Train Station; unlimited beer and wine included.

Splurge
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- Seoul House, Fo utca 8 (Near the Chain Bridge), 201-9607. Some of the most authentic Korean food this side of Seoul, helped in no small part by the presence of the South Korean embassy right next door. On the expensive side (2.000 Ft and up), but as usual in Korea ordering a single main course also gets you a vast array of side dishes.

Drink
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- A38 boat. Turned into a music club from an old Ukranian stone-carrier ship, A38 is floating on Danube river and considered as one of Budapest's best quality party places (and one of Europe's coolest clubs). Hosts various music performances. 3 minutes walk southwards from Petőfi bridge, Buda side.

- Dokk Beach +36 20 91 999 91(Hajógyári sziget, district III) Open-air club that's a popular hang out for locals and foreigners alike. It is an island in the middle of the Danube that has been converted into a club that makes you feel like you're in the middle of a music video. With 6 different themes including a beach club, a club on the bridge, a club with a bed theme, a club with nothing but dancers in their underwear, and a rave club below the boat themed club, attendance can reach 10,000.

- Zold Pardon Open-air bar offering "almost-free" live concerts every night. Open: from late April until middle of September. Right next to Petőfi bridge, southern side.

- Belgian Brasseie Henri, 1011 Budapest, Bem rakpart 12, 2-144 711, [10]. 12:00 - 24:00. A popular among locals beer house with a marvelous choice of beers.

Sleep
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Budapest Accommodation Statistics

- Total number of hotels:

- 3 star and below price range: $22 - $127

- 4 star price range: $32 - $252

- 5 star price range: $90 - $328

Price in US Dollars. Statistics aggregated from over 30 major hotel reservation databases. Updated Aug 2008.

Budget
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- Buda Guesthouse Budapest, Budakeszi út 57, +36 (20) 262-7387 (fivestar@freemail.hu), [11]. Opened in 2002, this hostel is in the hills of Buda and 10 minutes from center. The Rege and Europa Hotel 50m from the hostel. private rooms from €34.

- Grand Hostel Budapest, Hüvösvölgyi út 69, +36 (1) 274-1111 (info@grandhostel.hu), [12]. Opened in 2005, this hostel is located right beside the lovely hills of Buda and 10 minutes from downtown. The unique and colourful design of the Grand Hostel was created by an renowned artist. dorms from €10, private rooms from €24.

- Tiger Tim's Place, 58 Terez Korut, Buzzer 64, +36 20 292-8320, [13]. This hostel is like staying at your cool friend's house with dozens of his other buddies. Tim will probably greet you at the door and walk you around and introduce you to the place. Tim organizes an outing every night to a different place and everyone is welcome. It's a bit tough to find because they're in a historical building and aren't allowed to put up a sign. But the address and buzzers are clearly enough marked. Well worth the trouble of looking. ~4000HUF.

- The Backpacker Guesthouse, Takács Menyhert Utca 33, +36 (1) 385-8946 (backpackguest@hotmail.com), [14]. A highly recommended backpacker favourite. This small-to-mid size hostel is laidback and extremely friendly and personable. Kitchen access, inexpensive beer for sale, a great lounge with lots of (free) movies to watch, hammocks in the backyard, a grocery store nearby, in a residential neighborhood near the 51/53 tramline. dorm 3000-3500HUF, double 4500HUF.

- Diáksport Hostel. The flagship of Budapest's largest hostel chain. Huge and impersonal, but a good way to meet other backpackers.

- Travelers' Hostel Schönherz, Irinyi út 42, District XI. Mainly functions as the student hostel for Budapest University of Technology and Economics, but has some rooms for travellers (off the academic period there are more rooms). Easily accessible with tram No. 4 (stop Budafoki út), and easily noticeable, because it's an 18 story high building.

Mid-range
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- Astra Hotel, Vám u. 6, +36 (1) 214-1906 (info@hotelastra.hu; hotelastra@euroweb.hu, fax: +36 (1) 214-1907), [15]. High/low season: single €97/€84, double €112/€99, suite €139/€129, family suite €145/€165. Don't expect any views, but beyond that, standard rooms are charming. Furniture is bit old-style but quite simple and fully functional. Bathroom equipment is more or less up-to-date, but not more than that.

- Art Deco Apartment, Zápor utca 2/B, +36 (20) 426-3990 (info@apartdeco.hu), [16]. A self-catering, well-equipped, 78 sqm vacation rental apartment close to Margaret Island, on the 2nd floor of a Bauhaus-style building. Comfortable for 1-6 people, with a quiet garden-side balcony. The apartment is furnished in art deco style. The Lukács Bath is only 4 tram stops away.

- Buda Panzió, Kiss Áron u. 6. Quiet surroundings, guaranteed rest. Located in a residential area. Pleasant caretakers. Pricing in low season, €40 to €55. Unless you are driving, assume €7 for taxi ride into Buda or Pest.

- Grand Hotel Margitsziget, Moszkva Ter. The 164 rooms are elegantly furnished in classical style softly blending historical atmosphere and modern comfort. It is in a picturesque surrounding on Margaret island, yet in the heart of Budapest, in a natural park. Direct connection through corridor to the spa therapy center of the neighboring Danubius Thermal Hotel Margitsziget--see Baths section in Budapest for details.

- Kalmar Pension B&B, Kelenhegyi út 7-9. 3-star historical pension on Gellert Hill. e-mail: kalmarpension@gmail.com Web: www.kalmarpension.net

- Luna Hotel, Vegyész utca 17, tel. 204-6868. A 3-star hotel built in 2001, the major downside to this otherwise pleasant place is the inconvenient location far to the south of town, twenty minutes from the center by tram line 47. On the plus side, rooms start at €49 including breakfast, and there's a fair selection of "real" Hungarian restaurants, bars and stores nearby with prices far below those in the city center.

Splurge
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- Danubius, Szent Gellért tér 1., 1111, +36-1-889-5500, [17]. is one of the most traditional hotels in Budapest and Hungary. Located at the foot of the Gellért Hill, on the bank of the Danube, is ideally situated for both business and leisure travellers. Located within walking distance to Budapest's most fashionable shopping and business district with one of the most beautiful sights of Budapest, the Liberty Bridge. The hotel has one of the most famous baths, see the Baths section in Budapest article.

- Novotel Budapest Congress, Alkotás u. 63-67, tel. 372-5400. A conference hotel close to the city centre with good transportation facilities to the spectacular places.

Get out
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District Castle Hill Table of Contents

• Understand

• Get in

• Get around

• See

• Do

• Buy

• Eat

Coffeehouses

Restaurants

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Contact

• Get out

Understand
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Castle Hill, known as Várhegy in Hungarian, was first settled in the thirteenth century, after a Mongol attack led Buda's citizens to seek a more easily defended neighborhood. The royal Hungarian court also decided to move, to the southern end of the hill. By the fourteenth century, there were an estimated 8,000 residents in Buda. After a long (1541-1686) period of Turkish rule, a 75-day siege left Buda in ruins, and Austrian authorities counted a mere 300 people left. This would not be the last heavy attack on Castle Hill. In 1849 and 1945 the Baroquified area once more came under attack. A completely surrounded German force held out for almost a month in January 1945, in the thirty-first siege of the city.

Get in
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As private cars are not allowed to enter the zone, your only options remain public transport, walking or taxi.

Moszkva tér, Buda's main transport hub (station M2), makes the most convenient entry point to the Castle District. You can walk upon the hill (it takes about 20 minutes) or take the bus 16 or 16A. When you come up from the subway station look for the outdoor stairway leading to a pedestrian bridge over the trolley tracks. Up the steps, over the tracks, cross the street to the mid-block bus stop.

It's also pleasant to walk by Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) from Pest and walk up by the narrow streets or paths (as Király lépcső or Kemál Atatürk sétány). Walking from Pest is likely to be faster than public transport or taxi on peak hours.

The spectacular but very touristy and pricey cable car (funicular) called Budavári Sikló (HUF 800/1400 one way/return, children HUF 400/750) climbs up Castle Hill from Chain Bridge's Buda side to Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya). As the cable car is rising up the hill you get a beautiful view of Pest across the river. Alternatively you can check the view from one of the two small pedestrian bridges over the cable car way - for free.

Get around
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Buda Castle is small enough to discover it on foot. However, if you get tired, you can jump on bus 10 (formerly known as Várbusz) which has several stops inside the Castle District. Overpriced horse carriages are also waiting for taking you on a tour.

See
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- Royal Palace (Királyi palota). Probably the most popular attraction on Castle Hill. It is unusual in that it has never actually been occupied by the Hungarian Royal family, and is more of a pseudo-historical mishmash, like the Mátyás-templom.

The first palace, in Gothic style, built and added onto over 300 years, was destroyed by the Christian army that liberated Buda from the Turkish occupation in 1686. In 1715 work started on a completely new, smaller Baroque palace, but over the years more and more space was added to the palace until it reached its current length (304 meters). The palace, in neo-Baroque style, had many added wings (which now house the National Gallery, among other treasures--see below). Reconstruction after the various indignities suffered during rebellions of the nineteenth century finished in 1904. This reconstruction, by Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann, was undone by German troops holding out at the end of WWII. The roof fell in entirely and most of the furniture was destroyed.

A Baroque façade which had never existed before and a real dome (there had previously been a faux dome with attic space beneath) were added to the building. Today the building houses three large museums (see below) and the National Széchényi Library [1].

The statue of Hussar general András Hadik, a favorite of Empress Maria Theresia is well known to local students. The statue, designed by György Vastagh Jr. was presented to the public in 1937. The general is on horseback; take a close look at the horse's testicles. They are shiny yellow, unlike the patina on the rest of the statue. Engineering students have for years polished the horse testicles on the morning of difficult exams, supposedly for luck.

- Mary Magdalene Tower (Mária Magdolna torony), on the corner of Országház utca and Kapisztrán tér is the part of a 13th-century Franciscan church used by Hungarian speakers. Under Turkish rule, this was the only church allowed to remain Christian: all others were converted into mosques. The chancel was destroyed in World War II and has not been rebuilt except for one stone window, as a memento.

- Vienna Gate (Bécsi Kapu) at the northern end of Castle Hill. This was the market for non-Jewish merchants in the Middle Ages, and is where all four streets that run the length of the hill converge. The Vienna Gate inspired a typical Hungarian parental retort for children who talk back, they will be scolded with "Your mouth is as big as the Vienna Gate!" The gate is not really large or extraordinary, but you can climb over it anyway.

- Buda Castle Labyrinth (Budavári Labirintus), Úri utca 9, [2]. An underground labyrinth, which stretches under Castle Hill. Today, there is a tour that takes visitors through four halls covering different periods (some of them are fictional but funny). It's a bit cheesy, but it would be good for families with children, or those seeking a hour of absurdity. Guided tours in four languages start out every 10-20 minutes. For the brave (and their children), there's The Labyrinth of Courage where you have to walk in the total dark following a rope, until finding (and releasing) a sun. The Labyrinth Gallery is an exhibition of historical labyrinth pictures (from the very ancient times), find it in the Lovas Street entrance. Performances and special programs are frequently held--check their listings if you travel around a major holiday (New Year, St. Valentine's Day etc).

- Matthias Church (Mátyás templom). The rococo spire of this church is one of the easily seen landmarks of the var.

- History: Originally the Buda German community's parish church, its official name is the "Church of the Blessed Virgin". The popular Hungarian king, Mátyás, held both of his weddings here, and so it is known as the Matthias Church. Today an eclectic mix of styles, the church was started in the thirteenth century. The main apse, which ends in a seven-sided polygon, is in French style and is the earliest extant section. The central section was built about 100 years later. During the Turkish occupation of Budapest, all the furnishings were removed and the painted walls whitewashed to cover art unacceptable to the Islamic eye. Once returned to the Catholic community, it was Baroquified (i.e. covered with Baroque ornamentation that obscured the original style like many other Central European churches were), and the rose window was bricked up. In the last century, between 1873 and 1896, Frigyes Schulek began a major renovation and restoration of the Matthias Church.

- The interior is sumptuously decorated in a style which is on the one hand art deco and yet evokes the medieval predecessors of this structure. As you enter the church turn to the right and proceed down the right hand aisle to the front of the church. For a small fee you can visit the underground treasury which includes a replica of the Crown of St. Stephen -- the real crown (a 12th century object even though Stephen was a 10th century king) is on display in the parliament building. Also take a look at the opulent chapel at the rear of the church (around the corner to the left of the entrance. Be aware that this is a functioning church and you may find that at times it is closed to visitors for church activities or concerts.

- To the left of the neighboring Hilton Hotel is what looks like the wall of a medieval church with a monument set into it. In fact it is a copy of a monument located in Belsen, Germany (near Dresden). The copy was erected by the ilton Company. It portrays King Mátyás (15th century), the most beloved of Hungarian Kings.

- In front of the Matthias Church is a tall column decorated with many statues – this is a “plague monument” erected by thankful survivors.

- Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya). This is the large white tower and lookout terrace complex you see hanging over the side of Castle Hill beneath the Mátyás Church. It was built between 1890-1905, and is named after both the medieval fishmarket once nearby and the Guild of Fishermen who defended this section of the wall during past wars. The story is that different trades were responsible for defending different parts of the castle walls and that this section of the defenses was raised by the fishermen’s guild. In fact, the structure is a late 19th century fantasy built to add class to the area. That this is an invention does not detract at all from the attractiveness of the structure, nor from the impressive views of the river and Pest on the opposite side. The mounted statue between the bastion and the church is King Stephan (Istvan in Hungarian) the first king of Hungary (crowned about 1000.) He was declared a saint for his efforts in bringing Christianity to Hungary. He carries the apostolic cross with two crossbars – a symbol granted him by the Pope. In tourist season there is an admission charge of about $1 to climb on the bastion. In the daytime around the year, the bastion is the place most overcrowded by tourists in the Castle Hill, mainly brought in here by buses.

- The sculpture of a Turul bird just outside the cable car station is not, as you might think, an eagle, but the mythical turul bird (which is believed to be a kind of falcon). This bird is a part of the story of how the Magyars settled the Hungarian homeland. This bird appeared in a dream to the wife of the Magyar leader Ügyek and told her that she would be the founding mother of a new nation.

- The National Gallery (Nemzeti Galéria, in palace wings B, C and D) houses an astounding collection of paintings. For those interested in Hungarian artists, this is the museum to visit. The exhibition of nineteenth-century Hungarian paintings is most notable.

Do
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Buy
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Eat
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Coffeehouses
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- Café Miró - Cozy coffeehouse in the Castle District, just 50 metres from St Matthias Church, but the waitresses are extremely impolite.

- Ruszwurm Cukraszda (Confectionery), Szentháromság utca 7 (right across the street from St. Matthias Church), (36-1) 375-5284. Open daily 10AM-7PM. This tiny coffeehouse in the Castle District is the oldest continually operating café in the city; probably one of the best pastry shops in Budapest. As a coffeehouse it dates to the 1820s, and its original furnishings are still intact. Because the furniture is original, this may be one of the only non-smoking cafés in the city. On a historical note, this location has sold sweets of some kind or another since the Middle Ages, when it was a gingerbread shop. The same family has been operating Ruszwurm since the early years of this century, and all the cakes are made on-premises.

Restaurants
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Budget
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Mid-range
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- Rivalda, Színház u. 5-9, +36(1)489-0236, [3]. 11.30am-11.30pm. One of the only restaurant travel guides recommend on the Castle Hill. Mains around €15. Classic-style luxury interior. Dilled Wild Boar Ragout Soup is good; Linguine with Duck Confit is very unusual (combines pasta, pumpkin, feta and ruccola); hot chocolate is quite thick cocoa drink.

Splurge
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Drink
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- House of Hungarian Wines (Magyar Borok Háza), I. Szentháromság tér 6, [4]. daily 12 PM to 8 PM. For a reasonable price (presently around 3500 ft) you get to wander around their cavern and taste selections from over 55 different kinds of wine. A great place to get a sampler before you go shopping for wine. You even get to taste a variety of the divine Tokaji dessert wines, and will get a souvenir glass at the end. Use your Budapest Card for extra discounts.

Sleep
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Don't expect cheap accommodation in the Castle Hill area. Consider staying in Buda instead.

Budget
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- Buda Castle Apartment, Iskola utca 34, 1th District. [5], tel: +36(309)547 851, email: rentinhungary@yahoo.com. €36.60/night for apartment, depending on season and duration. The apartment is very close to Fisherman's Bastion, to the Chain Bridge and Danube river, there is perfect public transportation. See also Rent in Hungary in the Apartments section of Budapest for details on this operator.

Mid-range
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- Carlton Hotel is situated at the foot of the famous Fishermen`s Bastion and the romantic castle quarter, just a few steps away from the city`s central business and shopping districts and the Chain Bridge.

Splurge
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- Hilton Hotel. Excellently located to the north of the Mátyás Templom. You can decide if the modern architecture with mirrored windows is a triumph of commercial design or a hideous blight.

Contact
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Get out
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District Pest Table of Contents

• Get in

• Get around

• See

Downtown

Andrássy út

City Park

Museums

• Do

Ice Skating

Bicycling

• Buy

Markets

Malls and department stores

Small shops

• Eat

Coffeehouses

Restaurants

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Drink

Bars & Clubs

Wine tasting

• Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Apartments

Camping

Kosher

• Get out

Get in
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Get around
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The metro network does a pretty good job of covering the Pest side of the river, with all three lines meeting up at Deák Ferenc tér in the center of the city. The trams running along the east bank fill in a useful gap.

See
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- Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden, Állatkerti krt. 6-12, +36(1)273-4900 (info@zoobudapest.com), [1]. Feeding hippopotamus is one of the main attractions in the zoo.

Downtown
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- Parliament (Országház), Kossuth Lajos tér. The Hungarian National Parliament building is the largest in Europe, designed by architect Imre Steindl for the 1896 millennial celebrations, and built 1880-1902. It is based on England's Parliament building, and supposedly is one meter wider and longer than that august building, just a little bit of architectural conceit. The building is so immense, the weak alluvial soil along the Danube had to be reinforced with a 7-foot-deep concrete foundation. Not surprising, as the building is 300 yards long and 140 yards wide, with 691 rooms and 12.5 miles of corridors. The lacy white Gothic froth covering the building is actually educational: 88 statues representing Hungarian rulers, princes and military commanders. These statues are small and cannot be readily distinguished from the ground, but they are there.

Under the Parliament's cupola the Hungarian crown jewels are exhibited. After World War II, the medieval crown (last used in 1916) was taken out of the country by escaping Hungarian fascists, ending up in the United States. President Carter returned the crown to the Hungarian state in 1978, accompanied by a large American delegation. It was exhibited in the National Museum until 2000 when it was moved to its present location.

The only way inside the building is with an organized tour. The tour lasts ~30 minutes and is free if you are an EU citizen, so bring your passport to prove it. Tours only run on specific times during the day, and you have to get your ticket in advance for a timed slot, you have to use the ticket the day you get it. Tickets are sold out by about 11AM, so arrive early at 8AM when the ticket office opens. Getting to the ticket office is bizarrely confusing and time consuming. Queue up by the security fence where you see the "buy ticket" sign, this is by the front of the Parliament at gate X (the opposite side to the river). There will be no sign of a ticket office or anyone selling tickets. It will seem like you are queueing up in front of a fence. Do not panic - this is OK. There may be people in a separate queue, these may be Hungarians who can visit more frequently, or indeed tourists in the wrong queue - you won't be told where to go or what to do, so it is common for people to wander about. The security guard will open the security fence (there is no gate) and you should walk towards the doorway with an X above it, inside is the cash office and you can get your ticket here. Be warned, there are no signs or explanations anywhere of what to do. They only let 2 people at a time in the cash office, and it can take 2-3 minutes per person to get a ticket. Come back at the specified time on your ticket and join the "with tickets" queue to the right, where, again, you will be left with no one to greet you or explain what's going on, until 1 minute before your tour time, when a guide will appear (not in a uniform)and you can go through the fence and get security screened before starting. The tourist information gives tour times for the various languages (e.g. English is 10AM, 12PM and 2PM), your ticket may have a different time on it, like 10.15AM, this is because there is more than 1 tour around the times listed, so you will not join the 10AM tour, but the 10.15 tour. The end result of this system is that at first glance, there are people standing in a very slow moving queue, with occasional tourists wandering into an unmarked door in the corner of the building. Suddenly, a large group of people will appear and jump the queue and wander through the security fence (this is a timed tour starting), the guards are not tour advisors and will not tell you if they are sold out of tickets, or if a tour is starting, or that you are in the wrong queue. Parliament is in session Monday and Tuesday, but tours still operate. For the time of your language tour get the slip of paper from a tourist information office. Non EU Admission: 800 ft adults, 300 ft children.

- St. Stephen (István) Cathedral (the Basilica). Though often called "the Basilica" for short due to its clerical rank as a basilica minor, it actually is shaped like a Greek cross, with two steeples and a dome on top. Designed by Miklós Ybl and József Hild, and built 1851-1905, it is as high as the Parliament building -- it's the highest church in Budapest. Walking in the main entrance, after climbing a series of stairs, the viewer is first greeted with a relief of St Stephen, then a mosaic of Christ's resurrection. There are many notable mosaics in this church, especially those within the dome designed by Károly Lotz, best known for his ceiling frescoes in the State Opera and Ethnographic Museum. While designed here, the mosaics were made in Venice. The foremost Hungarian artists of the day designed the artworks within St Stephen's, among them Bertalan Székely, Gyula Benczúr and two men also known for their work in the Opera, Mór Than and Alajos Stróbl. Here Stróbl contributed the central statue of St Stephen on the main altar. In the left hand chapel is the "Chapel of the sacred right hand" this is pretty surreal as St Stephen's surviving hand in a glass box, lovely. For a fee, you can also climb to the very top of the Basilica to get a wonderful view of the city.

- Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum, Dohány ut. 2-8. This synagogue is unique both because of its size, and its two onion-shaped domes, which are forty-three meters high. Onion domes are typically found on Catholic churches, and Hungary is a very Catholic country. Perhaps Ludwig Förster, the architect, meant for it to blend in a bit.

- Ethnographic Museum (Néprajzi Múzeum), Kossuth Lajos tér 12 (across from Parliament). Sometimes said to resemble the Reichstag (parliament) building in Berlin, the white neo-Renaissance façade complements the Gothic-style Parliament building just across the square. Do not miss the richly decorated interior, including the ceiling frescoes by Károly Lotz (who also frescoed the State Opera's ceiling). The building was originally used to house the Supreme Court and chief public prosecutor's office, explaining some of the motifs used in the frescoes.

- LightEvolution, [2]. Lightpainting exhibition of Dóra Berkes. A mix of abstract paintings is projected onto walls of several buildings in the square--through a unique projection installation. Pictures change every day, show starts right after sunset, accompanied with a DJ music and artistic performances on the square, and providing a cafe with hot wine, some other drinks and even declared gulyas. Was held at Március 15 square from Dec 18 to Jan 1 in 2006/2007--and probably a regular event (in June 2005, there was a similar event in Szentendre). See web sites of organizators (Dora Berkes [3], LimeLight [4]) for dates of future shows.

- little princess monument, (on bank of Danube, somewhere near Vigado ter).

- Shoes on the Danube memorial, (Danube bank, right at the end of Szechenyi u.--about 300m south of the Parliament).

Andrássy út
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This boulevard was built emulating Paris' Champs-Élysées. It connects the Erzsébet tér in V. District and Hősök tere in City Park. It crosses the körút at always-busy Oktogon square, which got its name from its shape.

- Millennium Subway. The recently renovated metro 1 line goes along under the boulevard (see Budapest:Get around:By metro for background). A convenient way to reach the outer areas of City Park. Normal ticket needed, but unlike other public transport, this it is only good for thirty minutes after the ticket is validated.

- State Opera House, Andrássy ut 22. Built between 1875-1884 by the premier Hungarian architect of the day, Miklós Ybl, who also worked on nearby St Stephen's Cathedral.

Cheapest Opera on the planet-a full blooded production costs E1.50 in the "gods"

- House of Terror (Terror Háza), Andrássy út 60 (a few hundred metres from Oktogon), [5]. The building in the block of "Andrássy út 60." was used both by Nazis and and the communist-led Political Police/State Security Police as headquarters. In the basement a labyrinth of prisons was created. Many people were jailed and starved or beaten to death here. 2002, the "house of fear" was converted into a stylish but depressive museum about Nazi and communist terror which helps to understand Hungary's 20th century. This museum is displayed for the enlightenment of Hungarians, so one must get an English-language audioguide at the front desk for an extra fee.

City Park
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At the end of Andrássy út City Park (Városliget) is probably the most pleasant of Pest's districts and houses a number of interesting if low-key attractions often skipped by the package tour companies. The area is easily accessible with the yellow subway line (nearest station M1 Hősök tere) and entry into the park, including the castle grounds, is free.

- Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) - with the Millennium Monument in the middle and two museums on the two sides:

- Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum). 41 Dózsa György útca, tel. (36-1) 1429-759. Open daily except Mondays 10a-6p. Has an incredible range of European artwork from Greek and Roman times to the present. It is best known for its Spanish collection, the largest accumulation of Spanish paintings outside Spain. There is a large Greek and Roman collection, an Egyptian collection, much Italian (also French, German and Dutch) sculpture, including a statue of a man on horseback by da Vinci, and a very large collection of 10,000 drawings and 100,000 engravings rivalled only by similar collections in Berlin.

- Műcsarnok [6]. An "art hall" showcasing exhibitions of modern art by Hungarian and international artists. If you're nearby it's always worth taking a look to see what's happening today. Open 10AM to 6PM daily except Monday, admission varies from exhibition to exhibition.

- Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad vára). While loosely modelled after a Transylvanian fortress of the same name, the building is not really a castle at all: it's a full-scale model built for Hungary's 1896 millenial celebrations. The structure has three distinct wings, one Gothic, one Romanesque and one Baroque, making it quite a bizarre sight when seen from a distance. But sneak up closer and its magic will be revealed: thanks to the moat, the trees and the carefully laid footpaths, you can usually only see one section at a time. The attention to detail (all copied from real sites around the country) has been painstaking, so it's like seeing three extraordinarily pretty castles rolled into one. The structure was originally supposed to be only a temporary one, but Budapest's people liked it so much that it was rebuilt to last. Located on an island in the middle of the park's lake.

- Hungarian Agricultural Museum. Housed in Vajdahunyad Castle's baroque wing, this is the only part open to the public and it now houses the exhibits on breathtaking topics like cattle breeding and fishing. But at 50 ft a throw for students it's worth seeing just for the architecture. 50 ft.

- Next to the chapel is the statue of Anonymus, a hooded monk representing the unknown historian who recorded the annals of the early Magyars in the time of the mighty King Béla. (He is unknown partly because the King Béla he dedicated his work to could be any of 3 or 4 during the 12 and 13th centuries.) Hungarian writers still trek to the statue to touch his quill for inspiration.

- Walking about 300 metres from Hősök tere south-eastwards on Felvonulási tér you can see the striking ING office building designed by Dutch architect Eric van Egeraat. It is located along the busy Dózsa György útca.

Museums
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- National Museum (Nemzeti Múzeum), Múzeum körút 14/16, +36-1-338-2122, [7]. Tue-Sun 10a-6p Mar-Oct, 10a-5p Nov-Mar. Not to be confused with the Hungarian National Gallery (Nemzeti Galéria), located in Buda Castle. Founded in 1802 by Count Ferenc Széchenyi, whose manuscript, map, numismatic and print collections formed its initial core holdings, the Hungarian National Museum was designed and built by the popular architect Mihály Polláck between 1837-1847. When it opened, it was the fourth largest museum in Europe. However, it was far enough from the city proper that sometimes loose cattle from the weekly Kálvin tér market wandered into the museum. Before entering, take note of the museum's exterior, a fine example of neoclassical architecture, with an exceptional portico. Eight Corinthian columns support a frieze with an ornamental cornice and a large pediment. The pediment features the allegorical figure of Pannonia (Pannonia was the Roman name for the Hungarian lands) sitting with the Hungarian coat of arms on her shield, surrounded on either side by Science and Art. The exterior of the museum is also significant for what has taken place there. During the 1848 revolutions that swept through Central Europe, on 15 March, Sándor Petőfi (perhaps Hungary's most famous patriotic poet) recited his emotionally gripping poem called "National Song" to a large crowd from the left pillar of the National Museum's exterior staircase. This poem pleaded with the nation to liberate Hungary from the Habsburg oppression. Not everyone was impressed. The director of the museum recorded in his diary that a noisy mob had gathered outside the building that day, disturbing his work so much that he left for home. Major acquisitions and collections donated by the Kubinyi, Pyrker, Marczibányi and Jankovich families rapidly expanded the museum's holdings. Late in the 19th century some collections were separated from the general holdings to form new specialized museums such as the Museum(s) of Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Natural Science and Ethnography. Today the museum's five major divisions (archaeology, Middle Ages, modern era, numismatics, historical paintings), two permanent exhibitions, and archaeological library (with over 100,000 volumes!) make it one of the richest museums in Central Europe.

Do
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- You don't want to miss a boat trip on River Danube! Then you can enjoy both riverbanks and the bridges at the very same time. It is especially spectacular at night. Boats leave from Vigadó tér.

- State Opera. 22 Andrássy út. [8] Actually the guided tours - every 3PM and 4PM - are more expensive (1000ft) than a ticket to the opera(from 700ft). Buy the second cheapest to be able to see the stage as well. But even if tickets are expensive you will enjoy the performance even if you're not an opera buff. You can get cheaper tickets during the summer when there often are opera festivals. Most operas are in Italian, but at the State Opera they subtitle the entire perfomance in Hungarian. The hall is beautiful and in its original state. On the balcony surrounding the hall they have put the name of every classic opera performed there into the wood. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated. For a real treat, purchase seats in the kabin or box seats ranging upwards of 5000 to 8000ft. Appropriate dress - suits or sport coats for men, dress or skirt/blouse for women (although tuxedos to backpacker wear is seen during the week).

- City Park's lake offers boating in the summer. There're also open-air tables for ping-pong nearby.

Ice Skating
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Open-air skating rinks: (only during winter)

- City Park's lake, Olof Palme sétány 5.. Mon-Fri 9-13, 16-20; Sat-Sun 10-14, 16-20. Rink entrance: Mon-Fri morning 600ft, Fri evening-Sun. Skate rental available (look for Roces sign further from the Heroes Square); deposit 15.000ft or a photo document; rental hour is 600ft..

- Roosevelt ter. No skate rental available; glintwein and variety of sweets and snacks is sold in a cafe tent.

- you can do several things in Budapest: caving under the city, paintball, gokarting, kayaking / canoeing on river Danube.

Bicycling
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Unfortunately, there are few bicycle lanes and many dangerous drivers. However with organized groups such as Critical Mass [9] operating in the city, things are slowly becoming more bicycle friendly. Pest is very flat and excellent for bicycle riding - just make sure to keep your wits about you, as drivers can be somewhat careless.

There are several places in Pest to rent bicycles:

- TreeHugger Dans [10] - Used english bookstore, bicycle rental and coffee shop. Smoke free and the staff is very friendly even if the book prices are extortionate. A good place to pick up a local city map with fresh recommendations.

- Yellow Zebra Bikes [11] Rents bicycle and also provides bicycle tours of the city

Buy
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Váci utca is Hungary's premier shopping street and consequently very expensive. In general however, prices for big-name goods in Budapest tend to be at least the same as in Western Europe, but rarely cheaper. Much of this due to the relatively higher rate of purchase tax (VAT), which in Hungary is set at 25%.

Markets
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- Great Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok). Fovám tér. A grand old three-level market hall, with a modern supermarket in the basement, small stalls selling mostly gourmet food items on the ground floor (more paprika and goose liver than you can shake a stick at) and handicrafts on the second floor. It is very touristy these days but still worth a visit, haggling and comparison-shopping recommended.

Malls and department stores
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- WestEnd City Center [12]. Váci út 1-3, tel. 238-7777. The largest shopping mall in Central Europe with over 400 shops, and one of the newest in Budapest. Pop into the pleasant roof garden for a break. At the southern end of Váci út, nearest station M3 Nyugati pu..

- Further malls in the city include Mammut 1&2 (metro2, Moszkva tér [this is on the Buda side]), Árkád (metro2, Örs vezér tere), Duna Pláza (metro3, Gyongyosi utca), Europark (metro3, Határ ut) and some others that are not in direct reach with the subways. Mammut and Árkád are rather new and popular, although every mall was built since the early 90s.

Small shops
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- Hollo Muhely. (from Gerloczy Cafe next to Váci út, walk down a side street and you'll find this small shop. Be intentional about looking for it because it's easy to pass by) There are nice painted eggs, wooden boxes and candlesticks, and even furniture there. If you are in town for a while, have the man there personalize eggs or jewelry box with your name--it's free.

Eat
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There are two areas packed with cafés, restaurants and disco clubs:

- Liszt Ferenc tér (next to Andrássy út, between Opera and Oktogon) has several trendy restaurants and bars popular with tourists and locals; it's a nice place to stroll around while choosing

- Ráday utca (starting from Kálvin tér), which is filled with restaurants.

- Trofea - reasonable buffet - all you can eat and drink (beer, wine, champagne) for 5000 Huf (€ 10).

Coffeehouses
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- Anna Cafe, Váci utca 5 (or 7?), 266-9080 (or 318-2016?). Decent place for coffee and cake with mid-range prices, much like Starbucks. Anna is a chain of at least two cafes (both at Váci u.), maybe there are more. The one near Vörösmarty tér is always full of visitors even in winter time, however once a waiter was caught adding extra meal to a bill (Jan 2007)--just check your bill carefully. Latte is bit smaller than usual; by default there's little milk. Good selection of leaf teas; served in kettles about 2 cups in size. Free wifi internet access.

- Centrál Kávéház, Károlyi Mihály utca 9, +36(1)266-2110, [13]. Centrál Kávéház is a very famous high-end coffeehouse. Recently renovated.

- Gerbeaud, Vörösmarty tér 7, +36(1)429-9000, [14]. Budapest's most famous cafe, an incredibly ornate Rococo confection dating to 1858 and lavishly restored in 1997. It's also priced to match, but still reasonable value as the pastries, desserts and ice cream remain excellent. Hot chocolate is well worth a try.

- Gerloczy Cafe, Gerlóczy utca 1, +36(1)235-0953, [15]. Off of Vaci, away from the river, you'll find a small cafe, which is a nice place for coffee. During the warmer weather, have a meal at one of the outside tables.You can select your own two or three course menu from the daily specials; from appetizers, soups, main courses and desserts. This is available from Monday to Thursday from 12 noon to 3PM. 2 courses 1275 Huf, 3 courses 1600 Huf. On Fridays the Chef presents his seafood specialty while on other days of the week and weekends the Chef prepares a variety of daily selections. Live guest musicians, harp and accordion in the night time. In the daytime: fine jazz music, old and new school latin and mediterrian themes, a hint of bossa nova and samba. Free WiFi access.

- New York Kávéház, Erzsébet körút 9-11, +36(1)322-1648, [16]. 9AM - Midnight. This is the complete opposite of Buda's Ruszwurm: absolutely over the top ornate, shiny, dazzling. The New York has been a writer's haven for years -- before WWII writers would often come to "work" first thing in the morning, buy some coffee and write in the café all day until it was time to go home. This café was rammed by a Russian tank in the 1956 Hungarian uprising, and the damage has still not been repaired! Obviously, the Russians knew what would sting the most -- damaging a popular coffeehouse! A lengthy renovation was completed in 2006 and it's now back in business.

Restaurants
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Budget
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- Colombo's, (district VI). Colombo's (after the American TV character of the same name). The restaurant offers very good quality food for cheap (500ft-2.000ft). It's off of Vorosmarty Utca in district VI, a block north of the subway station of the same name & two blocks south of Nyugati. This is a very small, dingy smokey bar and not very friendly or accommodating towards tourists in November 2007 500ft-2.000ft.

- Govinda-Klub, Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4 (from the Chain Bridge exit into Pest, turn left into Apáczai u. then take the second right), +36(1)234-2388. weekdays from Noon - 9PM. Aaah, Hare Krisna, the saviour of vegetarians and budget-conscious travellers across Eastern Europe. Get your fill of tasty and very reasonably priced Indian and Italian dishes, ranging from soups (350 ft) to lasagna (500 ft) or sample a bit of everything with the set menu (1200 ft). The staff are helpful and some speak English. Highly recommended.

- Pasta Dost, (Downtown, under 57 Street Rákóczi, near the Keleti Train Station), [17]. All-you-can-eat concept

- Kiskakukk. Pozsonyi út 12, near Margaret bridge, between Katona Jozsef and Radnoti Miklos. Phone=1/4500-829 www.kiskakukk.hu Price=HUF 7000 for 2 courses including beer and good house wine. Traditional Hungarian cuisine, wonderful ambience - very friendly staff, excellent menu, good english spoken, wireless internet. Warm old bookshop/library feel but patrons of all ages. A must-go. It is only 2 minute walk from the eastern end of Margaret Bridge. Stuffed cabbage excellent as were the meat dishes. Large portions

- Pozsonyi kisvendéglő, Radnóti Miklós utca 38 (near Margaret bridge, corner of Pozsonyi út and Radnóti utca). Traditional Hungarian cuisine, cosy atmosphere - friendly staff, cheap and excellent menu. A must-go, considering it's only a 10 minute walk from the Parliament. Beware: HUGE portions; no normal human being can eat two courses here. (800 - 1800HUF)

- Stex Alfred, Jozsef korut 55-57 (at the corner of Street Baross and Boulevard Jozsef). Pub, restaurant and casino). Try for a good-quality, low-budget (1.000-3.000F) food. 1.000-3.000F.

- Hummus Bar, Kertesz u. 39 (from Blaha Lujza Ter take the Yellow tram to Kiraly utca. Kertesz is two blocks east (left)). daily 12.00-23.30. Best Falafel in Budapest, Vegan Friendly, english menu and staff. They also have a second location at V. Alkotmany Ut. 20 600 - 1500 HUF.

- Arriba! Taqueria, Terez Krt. 25 (One block northeast from Octogon), +36 1 374-0057, [18]. An expat's dream, a decent taqueria in Budapest! 500 - 1500 HUF.

Mid-range
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- Avocado Music Cafe & Restaurant, Nyáry Pál u. 9, +36(1)266-3277 (avocadomusiccafe@mail.datanet.hu, fax: +36(1)267-0748), [19]. opens 10:30AM; closes: 1AM on Su, M-Tu, 3AM on W-Th, 5AM on F-Sa; restaurant works till midnight; becomes music cafe after midnight. Lounge-style interior place mainly for 30s-40s. Easy-listening music background, a good selection of Newby teas. Pasta ~2000ft, mains around 2000-4000ft and higher.

- Bagolyvár, Allatkerti u. 2, +36(1)468-3110 (fax: +36(1)363-1917), [20]. Mid-range sister of famous Gundel. Claims to be the only Hungarian restaurant where women cook and serve food. Soups can be served either in a small tureen, which is better for a company to give everyone a try of several soups. Grilled сheese with caramelized walnut and fruits (1450ft) is a must-try, ideally with a semi-sweet Tokaji wine. Wien schnitzel is huge-sized, be careful. Wine soup sound promising, but not everyone likes it. Creamy wild game soup with croutons is really good. Teas (Impria brand) are quite average; cocoa is really good. To buy a take-away bottle of wine you liked in Bagolyvar, head to 1894 Food & Wine Cellar to save half a price. Tourist mix: many locals, but tourists still prevail; Russians/Ukrainians and Austrians can be frequently seen there. Mains 2000-4000ft; 12% service charge is included into bill.

- Berliner Pub, district IX, Ráday utca 5 (near Kalvin ter metro), 217-6757 (info@berliner.hu), [21]. 12PM-12AM. Try for high-quality, medium-budget food. Excellent service, fresh beer, huge meals. Recommended (Jan 2010). Mains up to 2600ft (Feb 2007).

- Fatál, Váci utca 67, 266-2607. Possibly the one place worth going to on Váci utca. Popular with tourists and locals alike, although advanced travellers report it's too touristy. Located in an atmospheric cellar, the foreboding name means "wooden platter" in Hungarian, and refers to the plates that the ridiculously huge portions are served on — an order of goose with dumplings, for example, will lead to an entire goose being deposited on your plate. Takeaway bags are provided on request if you can't finish it all. In solidly meat-eating Hungary, this is also one of the few places where you can sample vegetarian versions of dishes like goulash. Reservations are essential for lunch- or dinner-time visits. Prices have risen but remain affordable (main course 1500-2500 ft).

- Lugas, Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 77, +36-1 225-3690. A nice, small, comfortable restaurant located on a main street in the II District. Close to the St. Istvan cathedral. A nice main course, a side, and a glass of beer runs around 2250 HUF.

- Firkasz, (near Nyugati station). Small and cosy with great atmosphere (including walls cutely decorated with objects associated with the newspaper trade) and excellent Hungarian food and wine.

- Iguana, (Between Parliament and the American Embassy, off of Szabadsag ter). Mexican food, pretty decent, but but don't look for Southern California standards. Recommended that you reserve a table in advance.

- Magdalena Merlo restaurant, Király u. 59/b (near Academy of Music), +36(1)322-3278 (info@magdalenamerlo.hu), [22]. 10AM-midnight. Nice interior and good-looking visitors are promising enough to give it a try. Unrated by wikitravellers yet. mains are under €10.

- Indigo, Jokai utca 13 (around the corner from the Opera House). Has excellent Indian food, with great options for vegetarians.

- Múzeum, Múzeum Körút 12 (near National Museum), +36(1)267-0375. Great place to try Hungarian cuisine and wines, although quite expensive. Old-style interiors, looks very much like a museum. Tourist mix: half are locals in evening dresses, another are tourists (even backpackers) driven here by travel guide books. Although service charge is already included on bill, waiters, piano player and even cloakroom attendant all expect tips and hint it heavily--at least from tourists unaccompanied by locals; possibly locals in your company can change their attitude.

- Signo, Pozsonyi ut 4 (near Margaret Bridge and the terminus of Tram 2/2A), 238.0825 (signo@signocafe.hu), [23]. Excellent little restaurant serving amazingly well cooked and presented food for around 2000-3000 HUF for mains, drinks well priced and starters and deserts equally good. Seemed to be a bit of a well kept secret for locals but had very friendly English speaking waiters. Lovely modern decor and very clean.

Splurge
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- The Gresham Palace: see Sleep:Splurge section for details.

- Gundel, Állatkerti út 2, +36(1)468-4040 (info@gundel.hu, fax: +36(1)363-1917), [24]. A main part of a large gastronomic holding including Gundel restaurant, 1894 Food & Wine Cellar, own wine brand (and possibly even wineries), a line of delicacy products (cheese, goose liver, palinkas and paprika). Jackets are mandatory for gentlemen in evening time, and dinner clothes are recommended. On Sundays, the restaurant serves a buffet brunch (11:30AM to 3PM, 5800 with drinks, 5000 without, +12% service charge - reservations recommended.) This is worth the price for the amazing dessert buffet alone.

- Képiró, V. Képiró utca 3, +36(1)266-0430, [25]. open weekdays from midday - 3PM, 6PM - midnight, Saturdays 6PM - midnight. Very modern Hungarian haute cuisine with some exotic influences. Excellent wine list, exclusively with Hungarian wines. The staff are very helpful, friendly and speak excellent English. Be aware that if asked for advice, they will unashamedly recommend their most expensive. Highly recommended, the food is delicious.

- Leroy Cafe. See detailed review in Chains section of Budapest article.

- Sas utca 11 (near the Basilica), +36(1)266-5248.

- Liszt Ferenc tér 10, +36(1)411-0915.

- Ráday útca 11, [26].

- Visegrádi utca 50/a, +36(1)340-3316.

- Váci út 1-3 (inside the WestEnd City Center mall), +36(1)411-0915.

- Arany János utca (In the square in front of St. Stephen's Basicila.). The jewel piece of the chain. Often plays live music.

- Mátyás Pince, Március 15. tér 7, +36(1)266-8008, [27]. Tourist trap alert! Mains 2800-4500ft and more (Feb 2007).

Drink
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There are dozens of romkocsma (literally translated: ruin-pubs) in city centre (V.-VI.-VII. districts). These inhabit ruined courts of old houses, therefore they are hard to be found. Ask locals for hints and go for the unique post-socialist atmosphere!

- Kuplung (Clutch (English translation), Király utca 46, [28]. An underground bar located in an old garage, hence the name Kuplung, which means "clutch" in English. Has dancing, frequent live music, friendly bartenders, and decent drink prices. The walls are decorated with graffiti. Usually busy, especially later in the evening. Also, as with most Hungarian bars, has a few foosball (cso-cso) tables which are almost always occupied. Challenge a Hungarian to a game but be prepared to lose. Frequented by Hungarians and a few travelers; Carpe Noctem hostel brings their group there a few times a week.

Bars & Clubs
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- Action Bar, Magyar utca 42, +36(1) 266 91 48. One of Budapest's gay bars. Located in basement bar. Shows Friday nights. Not easy to find: There is a separate door to the cellar with a A on the door. You'll get a consumption card after you've entered the place. Pay at the bar before you leave. More listings for gay bars, clubs, saunas, but also gay organizations and events can be found at the webpage budapest.gayguide.net.

- Beckett's Irish Pub [29], Bajcsy Zsilinszky út 72, +36(1)311-1035. Claims to be Budapest's only authentic Irish bar and restaurant. Open noon to 1AM weekdays, to 2AM weekends; closed on Sundays. This place is renowned for its pricey but potent drinks.

- Fat Mo's Music Pub. Nyári Pál u. 11, [30]. Apparently has live music most nights of the week.

- For Sale Pub, Vámház körút 2, A country-style pub located at the bridgehead on Szabadság Bridge. Though small, it has two floors. They serve good food and many kinds of beers and have live music. Shelled peanuts come free with the beer and you can have fun throwing them around; as litering the place is officially allowed. This, over 10 year old pub, has bills, currencies, business cards etc. of their visitors ornamenting their walls; and don't miss to stick yours while you are there! Staff is unfriendly.

- Fregatt, V. Molnár u. 26, 318-9997. A British-style pub that's popular with foreigners. The interior is styled after a frigate.

- Gödör Klub, Erzsébet tér, downstairs, under the piscine. In the very centre of Pest, right next to metro hub Deák ferenc tér, this bar and cultural centre is a pleasant spot to enjoy drinks on the outside terrace, sit on the stairs and listen to music, chill out - day or night. It offers concerts on the outside stage during summer, inside the rest of the year. Nice park above it.

- Morrisons English Pub (District VI; Revay utca, 25 / Andrássy út 20). +36(1)269-4060. Morrison's is an underground pub that has a dance floor and offers kareoke. Its a fun place to go with friends and they have cheap beer. You'll find a lot of travellers and local Hungarians.

- Cafe Negro, Szent István tér 11, +36(1)302-0136. A popular and trendy hang out for ex-pats and locals; also a restaurant. Unprecedented view to a square with St. Stephen's Basilica, especially in the night time. Great drinks, DJ with energetic carefully-chosen music, and beautiful women make this one of the major stops for anyone looking to fall in love with the city. For mass-hangout holidays, reservation is essential. Paid WiFi internet access operated by T-Com (see Budapest#Contact for prices).

- Szimpla Kert/Mozi, District V; Kayinczy ut. 14, [31]. Apart from the huge ruin-like bar/club/cinema that is frequented by Hungarians and foreigners as well, "Szimpla" is also the name of a project to support alternative culture on a profit oriented basis. The place is definitely worth visiting: good atmosphere, good music, great people and a very interesting location.

- Szóda, Wesselényi u. 18, 461-0007 (szoda@vnet.hu), [32]. Another place to go out. By day it's a cafe in the old Gettho; close to the Shul, but by night it is a strangly unique bar for dancing and enjoying Budapest! Check out this real Hungarian place.

- Instant Bar/Club, District VI; Nagymező utca 38. An alternative backyard bar spanning across multiple houses. Good for drinks and music in the cellar but no food served besides hot dogs.

Wine tasting
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- Gundel 1894 Food & Wine Cellar, Állatkerti ú. 2, +36(1)468-4044 (borvendeglo@gundel.hu, fax: +36(1)363-1917), [33]. Mon-Sat 6PM-11PM; happy hours 5PM-7PM (30% discount for wine by glasses). Preferred place for buying wines from Gundel wineries; 2 times cheaper than in Bagolyvar restaurant (and possibly more than in Gundel restaurant). Offers a series of wine-tasting courses; very serious about rare vintages. Some soups and mains are also served. There were several huge free wine tasting facilities on Buda Hill, these are now closed though still listed on many sites. One new one is in a catacomb at the cliff at the end of the main street on the hill. You pay a fee for the tour based on how many and which wines you will taste at the end of it.

Sleep
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Budget
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Pest has a huge number of backpacker hostels.

- Astorihostel [34]. Karoly korut 16. Tel. +36-20-588-5556. Also near the metro station astoria and the Danube river Hostel and separated apartments with bathroom and kitchen.

- Acehostel [35], Vaci utca 46. Tel. +36-20-565-8794. Private rooms , one corner from the walking street and second block from Danube. Small hostel and apartments surrounded by pubs and restaurants.

- 1 ST Hostel [36] +36-20-915-1029. Cheap hostel, central location, for special request large groups accepted even for 8-15 person

- Basilicahostel [37], +36-20-915-1039. Cheap , central, private. Private ensuites near St. Stephan cathedral

- Budapest Museum Central [38], +36-1-266-7868. Central, view onto the National Museum, all rooms with private bathroom. Some rooms with jacuzzi.

- Calypso Chillout Hostel Rakoczi ut 53, doorbell 22. Tel. +36-30-723-3203, [39]. Brand new hostel with friendly atmosphere where you can chill out. Spacious dorms and fun staff who show you around Budapest. Walking distance from the Keleti train station. If the hostel is full, staff will make you a cup of tea or coffee and let you use the internet to find another hostel.

- Carpe Noctem Hostel Szobi utca 5. Tel. +36-20-365-8749, [40]. Carpe Noctem is the perfect hangout and base for single travellers and young, sociable people who want to be part of an interactive and lively hostel experience as well as maximising the city in the day time and seizing the night when the sight seeing has ended.

- Diamondhostel [41] +36-20-565-8794. Cheap hostel, near the walking area.

- Origohostel [42]. Nador utca 34. Tel. +36-20-265-05-78. Near the metro station Kossuth square, Parliament and the Danube river. Cosy, clean budget accommodation for up to 14 persons

- Jump In hostel [43] +36-20-554-2273. Cheap prices, central location.

- Home to Home Hostel [44] Tel: 003620/546-2942 Affordable prices, very clean and a great place to stay: excellent location - near the chain bridge, comfortable beds and helpful owners.

- Imperio Max hostel. 13/a Lonyay utca. Tel. +36-612-162-816. Inexpensive backpacker accommodation starting at €6 per night (in off season, €12 in peak), central location near all major attractions, free internet, cable television, no curfew or lockout, fully equipped kitchen, huge selection of DVDs, friendly staff, and lots of fun.

- easyHotel.com [45] Eotvos utca 25/a. Cheap hotel, with all the basic facilities, near the Oktogon square. Close to metro station Oktogon and to the Terror House Museum.

- Peppermint Hostel Dohány utca 47, +36 30 851-5510, Free WiFi, free laundry, free computer usage, and is one of the cleanest hostels in Europe. It was opened only in 2008, and a dorm room is only about €7. It has a great location and great atmosphere. The owner, Hyun, will help you in any way you need.

- Aboriginal hostel. Bródy sándor utca 46. Tel. (+361)2668646, [46]. Next to the National Museum in the city centre. Staff very helpful and speak very good English.

- Amigo hostel, tel. +36-20-332-6322, [47]. Offers cheap, quality accommodation in the heart of Budapest, Hungary. Prices from €10 person/night. Private ensuite rooms. Take look at the hostel’s design & low prices.

clubs, bars, and restaurants. The manager is very helpful with giving information about points of interest.

- Come Inn hostel, 1132 Váci út, 32, 1st floor. The come inn is located across from Westend shopping centre and just down the street from the western railway station. This place provides free coffee and tea all day long. There are free lockers in the room. Internet access is available. Laundry on site for a fee. Access through a courtyard, but be quiet out there at night.

- Diáksport hostel, dózsa györgy út 52, tel. 340-8585. Flagship of budapests largest hostel chain. Huge and impersonal, but a good way to meet other backpackers. Dorm beds expensive at 3000 ft, tiny private rooms better value at 3300 ft and up (per person). Nothing much to see nearby, but near m3 Dózsa György út station.

- Friends Hostel Budapest, Haris koz 2. (at Vaci street) (3rd floor) (5th district) [48]. Very well located small hostel in a walking street. Cheap prices: dorm from: 2 000 HUF (8 euro)/person/night, dbl from: 3.000ft /person/night; clean, well equipped, friendly staff, highly recommended!

- Lemon Joe Hostel and Guest House has three different locations. Standard studio apartment in downtown starts from €30 and up. Free wi-fi, cable TV, linen, and towels.[49]. Tel: +36 20 595 1905.

- Locomotive light hostel, Baross ter 2. [50]. The hostel is in the downtown area, just a stone throw from the main international train station called keleti pu. Surrounded by lots of pubs, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, a post office and 24 hour grocery shops.

- Manzard, (manzard@ohb.hu), [51].

- Central Hotel 21, Mária utca 10, 8th district center side [52]. In a quiet, renewed area of Budapest near to Blaha Lujza tér (metro station). The centre can be reached in 5 minutes walking.

- Mellow mood Marco Polo hostel in Nyar utca [53] staff not particularly welcoming or helpful. Very clean and well maintained. Expensive compared to other hostels in the area. Easy to find. Internet access was very expensive (250ft/half hour) in the portal. Excellent buffet breakfast included. You do not have to stay: the breakfast can be purchased on its own for 460ft per person.

- MyPlace Bed 'N More, Katona Josef utca 17, Very helpful staff, amazing atmosphere, reasonable prices. Near the train station.

- Red bus hostel, v Semmelweiss utca 14, 1st floor. Spacious dorm rooms with comfortable beds, a full kitchen where you can cook your own food. Dorm beds go for about 2700ft. Red bus also has another location farther north, it can be reserved from the main building.

- Station guesthouse, near Keleti train station, [54]. This happening joint sees a constant stream of backpackers from around the world; a small bar and a common area with a pool table and couches mean that every night has the potential to become something of a party. If you don’t mind the noise, the friendly staff and guests will likely make your stay very enjoyable. Accommodation includes 4 and 8 bed dorm rooms with generous locker space and balconies.

- Unity hostel kirali utca, district 5 from E8 per night, free cheapo yellowpack cereal bread jam coffee breakfast, next to music college-enjoy concerts free from tiny rooftop terrace. good place- a bit cramped but clean,central, cheerful,safe and cheap.lockers and kitchen.24 hr admission.has sister hostel on lake balaton.

- Aventura Boutique Hostel, 1132 Visegrédi str.12. Door bell:5! [55], tel: 0036-1-239-0782, info@aventurahostel.com, [56], checkin/out is flexible, 14-18EUR. Uniquely designed, intimate, cosy environment focusing on those demanding travelers who are looking for cultural discovery and a relaxing stay!Great place to stay. From here most of the sites are within walking distance, otherwise metro and tram are just a few minutes walk away. Very enthousiastic and helpful staff, clean and nicely decorated rooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Good breakfast and free internet.

- 2night Hostel [57]. 22. Szt. Istvan krt. Tel. +36-30-388-7116. Direct train access from airport Terminal 1. Big rooms, no bunkbeds, free breakfast, free Internet. Formerly known as 2night Home or 2night Privates hostel. Offers spacey double rooms and dorms.

- Astoria City Hostel [58]. Rakoczi ut 4.. Tel. +36-1-266-13-27. Right at the metro station Astoria in the hearth of Budapest offering dormitories, private rooms and apartments.

Mid-range
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- K+K Hotel Opera (K+K Hotel Opera), Révay utca 24, 1065 Budapest, Hungary, +36-1-269 02 22 (kk.hotel.opera@kkhotels.hu, fax: +36-1-269 02 30), [59]. The location is exceptional: like most of the city’s other tourist attractions, the shopping and pedestrian zone “Váci utca” is just a short walk away, while the “Opera” underground station is right next door to the hotel.

- Leo Panzió, [1053 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos u. 2/A, tel: (36-1) 2669-041, fax: (36-1) 2669-042. Centrally located near Váci utca, this is a small, friendly and modern three-star hotel. It has air conditioning essential in summer. Take time to savour the ancient and ornate lift. Rooms €49 and up.

- Radio Inn, Benczúr u. 19, tel. 142-8347, [60]. Small 3-star apartment hotel in a quiet upscale neighborhood, within easy walking distance of City Park. Rooms €43.00 and up.

- ABC [61]. Karoly korut 16. Tel. +36-20-565-87-94. Near Astoria metro station ,central, clean budget accommodation

- Deak [62]. Asboth utca 17. Tel. +36-20-478-14-23. Only 100 m from metro station Deak 2 star.

- Lion's Garden Hotel Budapest [63]. Cházár András utca 4. Tel. +36-1 / 273-2070. The hotel has a large wellness area. From € 69 pp.

Splurge
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- Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace is a stunning reconstruction of this Art Noveau masterpiece. Located in central Pest, it faces the beautiful Chain Bridge, the Danube and the Castle Hill. Its restaurant and cafe are amongst Budapest's finest, and well worth visiting in their own right.

- Grand Hotel Royal and SPA. A symbol of history, culture, architecture and the tradition of hospitality opens its doors in all its original splendour as Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal. First opened in 1886, the Royal Spa has been beautifully restored to its original splendour and now offers the latest state-of-the-art spa facilities and treatments.

Apartments
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See also Budapest#Apartments for listing of cross-district apartment providers.

- Apartment Sinko [64] Nice and cheap, 2 bedrooms apartment with balcony in the centre of Budapest, in the historical VII. district, for 1-4 persons with free Internet access and with cheap/free parking. Cycle friendly accommodation.

- Stefi Apartment [65] One-bedroom holiday rental close to City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Baths and downtown. Short term rental up to 4 people for low budget.

- 7Seasons Apartments, Budapest, Király utca 8. 6th district, downtown Budapest, near to Andrássy Boulevard and Deák Ferenc Square, Tel: +36 20 258 2293, [66]. Quality one and 2-bedroom apartments right in the city centre, close to the most famous touristic and world heritage sites with free broadband Wi-Fi internet access, TV, DVD and every amenities a traveler would need whether exploring Budapest as a tourist or visiting the city on business.

- Apartment St.Michael, Janos utca 75, 16th district, Tel: +36-20-9459-401, [67]. High-standard 90 square meters apartment with garden, free Internet access and air-conditioning. Family friendly place with toys. Prices: 29-79 EURO/apartment/night (2-6 people, price depends on number of guests)

- Arcadia Apartment, Eotvos ut, 6th District. Near Nyugati train station and Oktogon. tel. +36-30-612-5826, fax. (36-1)302-3548, service@arcadiaapartment.com [68] Spacious, comfortable accommodation in some of Budapest's best central locations. Broadband internet connection in each room and satellite TV, DVD, washing machine, Jacuzzi. Air conditioning. 45-60 EUR/night. Be advised they may arbitrarily change their policy on the security deposit they require and insist you pay them more even after you already booked and paid a deposit.

- Budapest Apartment 4, Kertesz utca , 30, 7th District, [69]. Near Nyugati train station and Oktogon. tel. +36-30 894 2069, , jonesinv@enternet.hu. Budget accommodation in the city center, in a nice two bedroom apartment. &eur;15/person.

- BudapestApartman.extra.hu, 33 Kinizsi str, +36-1-216-3584, [70]. An inexpensive but fully-equipped one-room flat at the Museum of Applied Arts. There are fridge, washing-machine, microwave oven, kitchen equipment, bed linen, towels--but no phone/TV. Ideal for 1 - 3 persons, however they are able to receive 5 persons. The price is 40 - 50 EUR for the whole flat, depending on the number of guests. Owners live right next door and are extremely helpful.

- Budapest Apartments with WiFi and A/C [71], Iranyi str. 21, 5th district. Available for short term rent from €50 apt/nt. +36-20-332-89-52.

- Golden Stars Budapest Apartments [72], Vaci Utca 84, 5th district, downtown Budapest, steps from the river Danube and Old Market Hall. ☎ +36-70-419-38-84. Accommodation price is from €50 apt/nt.

- Hercegprímás apartment, Budapest [73], Hercegprímás street 9. 5th district, downtown Budapest, steps from the St. Stephen (István) Cathedral. Accommodation price is only €32 / night. Tel: +36 30 267 32 79.

- Locust Tree Apartment, Akacfa utca 12, +36 70 394 2651 (City center, close to Blaha Lujza ter station) [74] Warm, cozy 3 bedroom apartments located in the city center. All flats are fully furnished, with kitchen, TV, shower, 2 separate rooms and can accommodate up to 4 people for 45 eur / night.( Skype : search4.hu ), (Messenger: hungarian33@hotmail.com)

- Szikra House, 1044 Budapest Tomori u. 5, +36-20-33-73-398 (info@szikra2005.hu), [75]. checkin: 14.00; checkout: 11.00. A nice private pet friendly apartment with free Internet access. 2 bedrooms, free parking. 40 €.

Camping
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- Camping Bikercamp, Benyovszky Móric utca 40, +36 1 3337059 (info@bikercamp.hu, fax: +36 1 3034438), [76]. 2 double bedroom, and 1 triple bedroom. Run by a biker since 1991, the campground is near the M3 subway station of Népliget. Offers showers, a pub, and laundry service. Free parking. €10/person, free/tent, free/car and bike.

Kosher
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King's Hotel. A Glatt Kosher hotel in the heart of the Ghetto. Nagydiofa u. 25-27 Budapest, 1074 Hungary. Rates: €60 ($72) double; €50 ($60) single. Rates include breakfast [78]

Get out
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