Budapest is a really child-friendly place, but only if we are paying attention to some important details. This historical metropolis that is beloved by 4 million tourists each year, is a perfect choice for families as it offers many exciting activities for kids and it is easy to navigate in it thanks to the extended and well-organized transport system.
We have gathered you the most important informations, the best programs, and a Cheat Sheet to make unforgettable moments at Budapest with kids!

Budapest is a nice place to visit with kids and here are the top reasons why:

• Kids will love summer outdoor activities
• Pools and aqua parks provide opportunities for the whole family to relax
• Cave tours and labyrinths will amaze kids
• Budakeszi Anventire Park and Budapest Zoo are ideal for children
• Indoor activities like minipolisz, circus and tropicarium will entertain kids even in bad weather

Public transport with kids

There are four metro lines and dozens of tramlines and bus routes across the capital that serve the passengers from dawn till night. Even there is a regular, direct bus line from the airport to the city centre. All stops of Metro line no. 4 and most of the buses and trolleys are accessible for buggies. Please check out the website of the public transport company for details. Tickets and travel cards are also available at main metro stations or at the bus stops that are equipped by ticket machines.

If you are looking for a budget sightseeing tour, go and get a ride with Tram no. 2, which goes along the embankment of Pest and let you admire the main sights of the city, including the Parliament, the Castle, the Promenade and Gellert Hill just for a price of a ticket. The kids will love the old-fashioned trams.

Budapest Card for Budapest city breaks

If you do not want to spend your precious time counting the remaining tickets or if you are looking for a smart choice, check out the Budapest Card, the best travel card that allows you not only to use public transport anywhere in Budapest for 24, 48, 72, 72+ 98 or 120 hours, but provides you free access to a range of museums and art galleries, guided tours, entry to the Lukács Thermal Bath and the Buda Castle, discounts at certain restaurants.

Summer outdoor activities with kids

Beaches, thermal baths and aqua parks

If the sun is baking you, get outdoors and splash in one of the lidos or open-air baths awaiting your family. Palatinus Strand at the heart of the city, in Margaret Island can be a good option as it offers ten different pools, including children’s pool, wave pool or thermal pool. The Rudas Thermal Bath with Turkish origin lies near Gellert Hill and offers a unique opportunity for the whole family to relax. Hot water baths, steams, saunas and rooftop pool with panoramic view are included in the tickets, but children are not allowed to use the thermal hot water. Or if you look further for a less crowded, and more exciting experience, spend a day in the Aquarena, the famous spa and aquapark in Hungary. It has a unique atmosphere, an almost 1 km slide system , Jacuzzis, sunshades and many more. Your kids will just love it!

Cave tours

There is another option to cool you down: plunge in the depth! Budapest is full with caves and grottos. 16 metres down from the surface the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle provide not only a unique exhibition for adults, but action-packed events for kids that include treasure hunts and creative games. For the bigger ones Harry Potter parties, for the little ones Pirate parties are organised. For a more serious cave visit, see the Szemlő-hegyi barlang that was discovered only in 1930. The mineral deposits, the crystals and calcite plates with their beauty will mute the visitors, who enter to another world under the capital. There are guided tours, but the cave can be visited individually as well. Even with baby buggy! Don’t forget to take your sweaters and jumpers, as the temperature is 12 degrees constantly.

Going to the nature

From March to October the Budakeszi Adventure Park definitely makes the day of your kids with no age limits. Zip lining, petting zoo and other rope activities can be experinced in the forests of Buda, just 30 minutes away from the buzz. If you want to explore the nature near to Budapest why not you try the Children’s Railway, which is running regularly only in summer between Széchenyi-hegy and Hűvösvölgy? Kids from 10 to 14, who not only print tickets and keep the passengers informed, but run the signals and switches, operate the unique railway line.

The jolly-joker spot of the summer is the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, with its 150-year-old history. The Zoo is opened throughout the whole year, but summer is the high season. With curiosities from the seven continents it presents a huge range of species of the animal kingdom, from ring-tailed lemurs, rhinos, hippos, lions and polar bears to piranhas and at least hundred types of butterflies. Besides, almost 2000 types of plants (including rare tropical ones) can be seen in the Botanical Garden.

Visiting the City Park in Budapest is a great choice for all ages, especially if you’re traveling with children. The park is located in the heart of the city next to the Heroes’ Square and the Zoo. This 100-hectare park offers a wealth of attractions and cultural activities every day of the week. Highlights include Vajdahunyad Castle, the boating lake, and the House of Music. Kids will particularly enjoy the Balloonfly experience, and there’s also a large playground in the center of the park for younger children. If you’re feeling hungry during your exploration, there are several bistros and restaurants to choose from. For those looking to stay active, Sportliget offers various sports fields, gyms, ping-pong tables, and running tracks.

Indoor activities with kids

Museums and playhouses

Few miles away from the Zoo, the Hungarian Railway Museum can steal the heart of the kids, especially the boys. This is an interactive park, packed with old locomotives, steam engines, and different cars, even handcars. Kids can try lots of engines and cars, like the rail cars, horse trams or turntables. The main building displays the history of the railways and railway stations in Hungary and there is a building for model railways. From April to October vintage diesel shuttles run between the museum and Nyugati Railway Station.

The MiniPolisz is not a typical indoor playground, but real life environment with shop, beauty salon, post, police station and hotel. The Danubius miniHotel, the smallest hotel in Hungary, with its 25-square-metre total territory is child-friendly, fully furnished and equipped hotel that has everything we expect from a top hotel: lobby, reception desk, bar, counter, corridor, bedroom and shower. The children can be staff of the hotel, but guests as well, so they will feel adult themselves for a while. No matter if they are tired and thirsty, the bar is having a selection of drinks, while they are watching fairy tales on the telly! Danubius miniHotel welcomes guests on five , from Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm at the MiniPolisz children’s city.

For teenagers and adults the Centre of Scientific Wonder offers a great fun, while it helps to understand the science by doing experiments. On 5000 square metres more than 250 games are waiting the families, including magnetic field, Newton’s apple garden, logic station, illusion chamber and escape room. Besides the various kinds of physical experiments take a journey in the Solar System in 5D, or try the billiards soccer and table soccer!

Children under 6 every day, and all visitor under 26 on the first Sunday of each month can attend the Natural History Museum near Nagyvárad tér for free. Its vast collection displays not only the species and history of Hungary and the surrounding, the Carpathian Basin, but it gives an overview about the geo- and biodviersity of the planet, highlighting the importance of the environment protection. The most interesting attractions of the museum are the dinosaur and the mineral exhibitions.

In the suburb, near the border of the city another breathtaking experience is drawing the attention: the Tropicarium Budapest, the largest saltwater aquarium in the region. Hundreds of animals and a lush vegetation are promising a unique amusement within the walls of this magical world. Sharks, alligators, squirrel monkeys and tortoises are just some of the many species that can be seen in this extraordinary place, 30 minutes away from the city centre. If your kids have the guts, let them check out the shark feeding programme on Thursdays.

Theatres and circuses

Next to the Zoo that works around the clock the Capital Circus is surely a good choice either for gloomy or sunny days and cheers up the youngsters and their parents as well. This traditional circus, where jugglers, acrobats, clowns and animal trainers are entertaining the audience, hosts International Circus Festivals regularly, when famous masters of the genre take the floor.

And what about going to the theater with children? We suggest you to have a look at the repertoir of the Budapest Puppet Theater in the downtown! Their shows are addressed to all age group from 1 to 18. Though most of the programmes are performed in Hungarian, there are some in English as well. The theater uses handmade puppets in the plays, carfeully tailored to the stories. Classical tales such as Bambi or The Nutcracker are on the stage likewise Hungarian fables and fairies.

Relaxing and culinary experiences with kids

Sometimes it is better not to organise anything just enjoying the flow of the city. In Budapest you still have plenty of options to do that. Such as having a walk around the Parliament, cycling and picknicking at Margaret Island, gazing at the city from the top of the Castle or from the Statute of Liberty on Gellert Hill, or just hanging around in the streets of Buda, the wharves, or walk along the Andrássy Road.

Eating a traditional spicy goulash is a must, and there are plenty of restaurants that have this soup on their menu. But not all of them are child-friendly. According to the local parents the best restaurants, which provide excellent services for families are the Gundel Restaurant, the Kiosk, or the Vak Varjú. After a long walk or just to put a smile on the face of your kids, take them at one of the well-known pastry-shops, like the Szamos or the Auguszt.

Feeling peckish? Craving a snack? Or perhaps you’re in need of a good cup of coffee?
Enjoy our Yellow Bistro located in the lobby of Danubius Hotel Helia, offering a range of seasonal dishes, a wide variety of salads, cakes, pastries, drinks, and a unique selection of teas and coffees. Additionally, on the terrace, you’ll find the Yellow Food Truck serving delicious street food options and cocktails in a green area at the heart of the city.

Accomodation with kids

At last but not least the importance of where to stay is just as relevant as where to go or what to visit. To avoid nightmares and unpleasant surprises a well-prepared, child oriented hotel could be a good solution. The Danubius Hotels Group provides great accomodations for families at prime locations of Budapest with guaranteed best price. We kindly ask you if you decide to book a room in our hotel to let us know how many kids you will bring and with what age, so our colleagues can prepare to welcome you and provide you the best service. We have cots and highchairs in our hotels!

Cheat sheet

When to go?

Anytime of the year Budapest has plenty to do, but the best interval is from springtime until late autumn. Winter can be chilly, especially in January and in February, and late summer is very hot sometimes, with 33-35 degrees in July and in August. Before you go out for a walk with your kids in the warm weather, apply suncream to prevent sunburn.

Where to stay?

Hundreds of hotels and thousends of private appartments are hosting tourists throughout the whole year in Budapest. But just some of them offer comfortable place for couples with children. Danubius Hotels have a huge range of rooms in the city with affordable prices, starting from 52 euros per room.

Where to go?

Budapest is rich in attractions, and it is easy to reach any destinations with kids. Either you choose to visit the Zoo, the Capital Circus, the Miniversum, the Normafa, the Children’s Railway in Buda Hills, you can be relaxed that your kids will enjoy the programmes. Don’t miss the beaches and caves during the summer and the ice skating rink on winter!

What to avoid?

Budapest is basically a child-friendly, safe place, even if you are with toddlers. But there are some destinations, where are higher risks to be robbed or attacked and it is better to be aware of them. Like parts of the 7th district, which is known as the party district („bulinegyed”), where during the evenings drunken people celebrating their weddings or birthdays. Crowdy places can be dangerous as well, especially buses or trams, like the tram no. 4-6, the busiest tram line in the city. To prevent unlikely event, please keep your children close to you at all time and take care of your belongings.

Extra tips for families with children

Visiting Budapest with kids is an ideal plan for a long weekend regardless of the weather. But if you have time to stay a bit longer, it is worth to visit the countryside as well. Just two hours away from the capital towards the west Lake Balaton is a source of recreation and joy during the whole year. Or the mountains, like the Bükk or Mátra in the northeastern part of the country gives great chances to organize further outdoor activities: excursion, skiing, camping and many more. Szentendre, where suburban railway goes regularly from Batthány Square in Budapest, besides its charming ambience, host of an open-air museum, where old farm houses, the rural lifestyle and the whole traditional cultural heritage of Hungary can be seen. Or if your kids feel lazy to move out from the capital, take them to a boat trip along the Danube River! These thrilling moments will definitely cheer them up!

Budapest’s tourism has been on the rise for years making more and more people around the World want to visit our beautiful capital. One of the most frequently asked questions is what budget they need to spend a long weekend or a whole week here. Budapest is thought to be a “cheap” destination, but this, of course depends on your needs. The city is more affordable than most European cities, offering a very wide variety of fun things to do to the budget traveler as well as the luxury jet-setter.

Prices

Budapest is still one of the cheapest cities to travel in Europe, partially because Hungary is not part of the Eurozone, and the Forint, the Hungarian national currency has decreased in value in the past years to increase the attractiveness for companies to start open up businesses in Hungary.

Hungarian currency

Hungary’s official currency is Hungarian Forint (Ft or HUF). 1 Euro is usually between 380 to 400 Ft (currently 395 HUF, as of June 2024) depending on current economics. 1 GBP is usually between 460 to 470 Ft

However, shops and restaurants in the city centre commonly accept EUR and US Dollar, but typically at a higher exchange rate, so you end up paying more than you would in local currency. For this reason, it is better to exchange local currency and always keep some Forint on you.

Popular tourist places like Vaci Street sometimes have people on the street offering to exchange your foreign money to Forints – they most probably offer you a fake exchange rate, so be careful with giving them money. We recommend you always use the official Exchange Offices that are found all over the city, especially at the airports, train stations and popular tourists destinations.

On the other hand, even in small shops and restaurants you can pay by debit card so you don’t need to exchange a lot of cash.

Accommodation

As every big European city, Budapest offers a wide variety of accommodations. Danubius Hotel’s an excellent place to start as the group has plenty to offer from 3 start hotels up to high end luxury just like the Hilton hotel Budapest in the Castle District. But you can also stay in the city centre for less money. Should you wish to extend your search, the best available Budapest city break deals are right here waiting for you.

The best hotels for your budget

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre, and enjoy the modern comfort of a hotel? Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The hotel is located just a few steps from the beautifully lit up Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment. Rooms available from 97 EUR per night.

Hotel Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to stay close to the city centre as it is only a 5-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue, the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street. Rooms are available from €95 per night.

Average Daily Costs for food

Depending on your needs, Budapest can be extremely affordable. If you’re on a budget you can visit the city with just as little as 30 EUR a day, excluding accommodation. You can have lovely local or international food the whole day on a tight budget and it would be still one to remember! Hungary’s a great place to eat and drink well on any budget.

Example of a day of food on a budget:

Breakfast pastry 300-480 HUF (around €1,2)

Easy lunch: 2300 HUF & (small beer) 470 HUF (€7)

Dinner: 3400 HUF & (small wine) 700 HUF (€10)

However, of course the city has a touch of luxury hidden between its walls so you can live like Kings and Queens for a couple of days. There are lovely, high end restaurants waiting for you all over the city.

Cooked breakfast with a large latte: 4000 HUF per person (€10.5)

Lunch in a restaurant 6000 HUF &  glass of wine 1.500 HUF (€20)

Fancy dinner in the city centre (two courses) 12.000-15.000 HUF per person & bottle of wine from 5.900 HUF (€50)

Restaurant prices

Budapest’s food scene is technically a metaphor of the city itself: authentic, spicy and sprinkled with plenty of surprises as a new generation of Hungarians turned the traditional cuisine into an avant-garde dining experience whilst staying true to real local flavors. Hungarian food will take you far away from what you know by serving you unexpected flavors and hearty, quality wines.

As most things, how much you spend on your dining experience can vary based on your taste and preference. Hungary, especially Budapest is one of the good Heavens of Europe and as the exchange rate works for your favor, even luxurious or more expensive restaurants are more affordable than anywhere else in Europe.

Restaurants for the best value for your money

Our recommendations go from low to high price, based on our Hungarian standards, however the dining experience can still remain between €15 to €40 per person.

Danubius Hotel Helia’s  Yellow Bistro serves not only hotel guests, but also the general public, so that anyone can drop in any time for a pleasant gastronomic adventure.

Yellow Bistro & Bar’s selection includes healthy and quick meals, delicious sandwiches and pastries, but also a great soft drink and wine selection, specialty coffees, and for those with a sweet tooth, the newly introduced bright Yellow Cake. In the summer season, you can also enjoy an evening with friends on the terrace of the Bistro by the bank of the Danube. Tasty coctails, local dishes, a large selection of street food and perfect summer vibes await you!

Prices vary from 1700 HUF (~€4,5) for Snacks and Sweets to 7.400 HUF (~€19) for Grilled salmon steak asparagus risotto. Average price for dessert is 1.400 HUF (~€3.5).

Zsolnay Cafe is a little oasis on the busy Teréz körút, located in the Radisson Blue Béke Hotel. It’s the perfect place for a warm-up hot drink, a romantic bottle of champagne or even a late-night cocktail with friends. The pastry assortment takes the place to another level which also includes lactose- and sugar-free options. Just recently refurnished the café with a gorgeous interior is open from 10 am to 10 pm, catering for all meals and drinks of the day.
If you plan a romantic dinner come and immerse yourself in the joys of our candlelit dinner offering three-course of seasonal dishes. Or try the Classic English afternoon high tea we serve for two in stylish handmade Zsolnay porcelain.

Modern and elegant, the stunning Lang Bistro and Grill embraces the future and yet pays homage to the history of the Royal Castle District. Icon has introduced a contemporary décor of warmness to create a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere located in Hilton Hotel in a truly premium location right next to Matthias Church. Featuring an upscale 240-seat restaurant with a private saloon and 16 panoramic windows, guests of the Icon can choose from a distinctive Hilton breakfast to an extraordinary a la carte lunch and dinner menu as well as a sumptuous weekend brunch. Appetizers from 4.490 HUF (~€11), soups from 2.990 HUF (~€7,5) or you can go for delicious meat right off the grill, Angus steak for 17.490 HUF (€45).

Tipping

In Hungary gratuities are appreciated but the general tipping etiquette is not set in stone. People will appreciate it if you tip them for good service, but there won’t be the expectation like there is in the USA for example. You should know that many venues have door and bathroom attendants and tipping these people is good practice, usually 100-200 HUF which is less than a €1.

Tipping in hotels

Again, tipping at hotels is not expected, but it is appreciated. So, if the bellhop helps bring your luggage to your room from the front desk, it is normal to tip him around 500 HUF. Similarly, housekeepers will not mind if you don’t tip them, but will appreciate it if you do. It is common for foreign travelers to tip housekeepers 200-300 HUF each day of their stay at the hotel. If you decide to sign up for the hotel’s concierge services, it will be normal if you tip your concierge 1000 HUF for the services offered.

Tipping in restaurants

When you talk about sit-down eateries in Budapest, the standard tip rate for a good service is 10% of the bill and 15% for an exceptional service. However, many restaurants in Budapest charge an avarage of 10-13% service charge on the total bill. So, you don’t need leave anything extra. But it is important that you never leave your tips on the table when you decide to leave. Always tip your waiter directly or drop it in a tipping jar.

Sightseeing

Budapest is rich in attractions and most of them are free which makes your budget even lower. However, if you do decide to visit some museum or exhibitions, calculate with €3-10€ each average.

• Thermal Baths: 3.600-12.000 HUF(€10-30)
• Hungarian National Gallery: 4.800 HUF (€13)
• Museum of Fine Arts: 5.400 HUF (€12)
• House of Terror Museum: 4.000 HUF (€10,5)
• Escape room for 2 people: from 9.000 HUF (€23)

Travelling

Most of Budapest’s inner city and historic districts are best to explore by foot. There are pedestrian precincts in downtown Pest and traffic is restricted on Castle Hill, so walking is probably the best way to get around. Great news, however that the city is very well connected by public transportation, too. Budapest has a fast and efficient metro system as well as many trams (streetcars), trollies and buses. Outer suburbs are served by the local suburban railway called HÉV.

Ticket prices and ticket prices

If you’re visiting the city for a couple of days your best option is to purchase a 72-hour or a 7 day pass, even a Budapest card which will give you plenty of benefits when visiting attractions in the city as well. You can of course always decide to go with the single tickets which are valid for one single journey and cost 450 HUF. The official ticket prices are available on BKK’s Official website.

Budapest card

Budapest Card is an excellent option if we you wish to have unlimited travel and planning to visit some attractions as well. Cards can be purchased with 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, 96-hour or 120-hour validity and all of them come with great additional benefits. All cards include unlimited travel on public transportation, free entry to several museums, two free walking tours, and 10%-50% discounts at baths, museums, restaurants and spas.

Taxis

Taxis can be fast in the city, especially late at night when there is limited public transportation. Taxis can be hailed on the street, but it is cheaper to call ahead of time. All taxis must have a yellow registration plate, as opposed to the white background on regular car plates. All taxameters are equipped with a receipt-printing function, displaying the fares charged and identification of the driver.

Base fare: HUF 1100

Price per minute: HUF 110

Price per kilometer: HUF 440

How much money you need for 3 days in Budapest?

Depending on your needs and taste, the minimum budget you need for visiting Budapest is €40-€55 including all meals of the day and at least one attraction. From here the limit is the sky as the city is offering luxurious accommodation, dining and sightseeing options. With a 72 hour Budapest card (€53) and a comfortable room in one of Danubius Hotels cosy hotels (€60-€120/day), your budget should end up around €330 for one person.

Visiting Budapest will be always the one to remember. So much to see and experience which gets even better with the great exchange rate and affordable prices in one of the best cities in Europe. The young buzz, that cool Eastern European spirit, amazing food, excellent wine paired up with low costs and a great, ever-changing atmosphere. Do you want to have it all? Yes, Budapest is the place to be.

How much forint do you need for a day in budapest?

Depending on your needs, Budapest can be extremely affordable. If you’re on a budget you can visit the city with just as little as 10.000 forints a day excluding accommodation. From this budget you will get access to public transportation and have some simple, but delicious Hungarian meals.

Are you thinking of popping over to the Hungarian capital for a stag party? Looking for a place to dance the night away? Are you ready to explore the busiest Budapest nightlife area or would you prefer to chill out in a bar with some live jazz playing in the background? Stay with us for some top tips on how to get the most out of Budapest’s buzzing nightlife!

Time Out in Budapest

Even when the museums, churches, thermal baths and other sights are closed, there’s still plenty to do in Budapest. Going boating on the Danube, hanging out in some of the city’s famous ruin pubs and bars, getting down on the dance floor or just sitting by the river with a glass of wine and chatting with friends are just some of the many great ways to spend your night in this happening city.

The Old Jewish Quarter (District 7) has become the beating heart of the city’s nightlife. Over the last decade, a host of bars and pubs have sprung up in the area between Deák Ferenc Square and Erzsébet Boulevard. Let’s start our trip at the square, which is at the intersection of three metro lines (M1, M2 and M3).

Erzsébet Square

Coming out of the Metro station you’ll soon find yourself in Erzsébet Square, which is directly adjacent to Deák Square. The Budapest Eye, which dominates the horizon, is impossible to miss from here. This large Ferris wheel is a great starting point for exploring the city during the night. It is open until 11 pm. every day, except Friday and Saturday when it’s open until midnight, and gives you a spectacular view of the capital. At the foot of the wheel, the Akvárium Klub is a must-have for partygoers, with live music and dancing almost every day. A star-studded line-up of internationally famed acts, from the Eagles of Death Metal through Sasha and Passenger to Fritz Kalkbrenner, John Mayall, and many more such as: Milky Chance,The Dead South, Kodaline, Metronomy have graced its stage in the past few years. Besides the concert hall, it also boasts a huge terrace with an open-air cocktail bar and a bistro with delicious street food. 

Gozsdu Udvar

Five minutes from Deák Square, at the beginning of Király Street, Gozsdu Court is open to visitors all night. Its passages and alleyways are packed with bars and great restaurants, serving high quality foods and drinks for guests. A host of wine bars, cafes, wok and tapas bars and pizzerias offer tempting treats to suit all tastes. It’s worth checking out the entertainment in the bars, too, as many DJs regularly perform in Gozsdu!

Kazinczy Street and its neighborhood

Deep in the Old Jewish Quarter, Kazinczy Street is one of the most bustling parts of the city for staying out all night. Before heading for this nightlife sanctuary, it’s worth stopping in at the Léhűtő pub, which offers the biggest selection of craft beers in town. If you’re having trouble choosing what to try, just ask the barkeeper, who will help you find the ale that best suits your tastes. When you get to Kazinczy Street itself, you’ll find that there’s a pub, restaurant or nightclub on every corner, but the main attraction is Szimpla Kert, which is the oldest ruin pub in the area. Ruin pubs came into fashion around the turn of the millennium, when disused old buildings were rented and turned into pubs, with their interiors decorated with an eccentric array of vintage furnishings. Szimpla was the pioneer of this movement that breathed new life into these formerly neglected parts of the city. Not far from Szimpla is the Karaván, which has many street food trucks and a unique atmosphere.  There are vegan alternatives, international dishes such as Mexican or Italian. Of course you can choose something from the Hungarian cuisine too.  A few steps away, in Akácfa Street, Instant-Fogas Complex is another great example of the ruin pub movement, but with an artistic twist. To this day, it is also used as a creative space for local artists and artisans. This party complex is never boring, so if you want let your hair down, put on your dancing shoes and go to the Instant-Fogas. For LGBT people, the Alterego Club could be a good choice of venue, although it’s situated a little farther away, close to Nyugati Railway Station.

The Boulevards

The main boulevards of Budapest encircle the inner districts of the town. They have the heaviest traffic, but also the most buzzing nightlife. The No. 4 and 6 trams run along the boulevards night and day, linking up various nightspots of the city. There are plenty of cheap bars and coffees on these boulevards, which are especially popular among stag and hen parties, although local youth also like to hang out here. The bars can get very crowded, especially in weekends, so beware of pickpockets!

The Embankment and its Surroundings

Take the No. 4 or No. 6 tram, which run all night and day, towards District 9 and get off at Boráros tér. From here there are several ways to go. You could take the No. 2 tram for three stops to Vágóhíd, and walk across the road to Budapest Park. In the summer, this 11,000 m² open-air venue hosts outdoor concerts, exhibitions, parties and other performances by a variety of artists representing different styles and genres. Just mentioning some great names from the past years: 5 Seconds Of Summer, Tash Sultana, Gary Clark Jr., Pet Shop Boys. In wintertime the park transforming into an ice sckating rink, where you can partying with your skates on, of course skate renting is available. 

If you’re feeling thirsty after a concert and want to try another craft beer house on the way back to the centre, the Élesztő is definitely the place for you. The first cask ale bar in the region offers 21 quality Hungarian craft beers on tap, but often also hosts guest beers from foreign breweries. Besides the beer, it has a wine bar, coffee shop and high-class kitchen. On the opposite side of the Boulevard, Ráday Street has become a fashionable place in the last decade after being pedestrianised and restaurants began springing up in the area. Nowadays it is a popular destination for those seeking gastronomic adventures, but even jazz fans won’t be disappointed! A fashionable venue is the If jazz café, which hosts live sessions every day, while its huge selection of wines and craft beers will leave you spoiled for choice. Nearby, down by the river, a park and the Bálna provide a good time-out. The park is busy with children during daytime, as it has a large playground as well as a basketball court. Then in the night, young couples and groups of friends take over the place to chill out, enjoy a drink, chat and enjoy the spectacular views of the river and Buda. In the nearby building, named “The Whale” (Bálna) after its shape, fancy bars await the night owls among us. Unfortunately, these bistros are a bit overpriced, so be prepared to dig deep in your pockets.

Buda nightlife

If you take one more stop on the tram from Boráros Square, on the other side of the river you’ll find the A38 boat moored alongside the embankment. Although it’s a popular venue for concerts throughout the year, it also regularly holds film screenings and other cultural events. This is one of the most important performance spaces for bands from abroad, especially underground bands both famous and obscure, regardless of genre.

The Buda side is less busy than Pest during the night, but if you’re looking for some trendy coffees and bars that open until late, search for Bartók Béla út, between Móricz Zsigmond Square and Gellért Square, and you’ll find plenty of places to sit down in, such as Szatyor or Kelet.

Night Bathing

Budapest is famous for its thermal baths, fed by the many hot springs beneath the city that were first used by the Ancient Romans, and revived later by the Turks during their occupation of the country in the 16^th Century. The geothermal water is good for your health, as it is rich in minerals that help to rejuvenate your body. The hot spring waters are especially beneficial for sufferers of back pain and rheumatism. During the day, all the famous baths in Budapest are a great place to visit. For more information, see our detailed article about the best thermal baths in Budapest. But some of the well-known baths also open at night, with special attractions to ensure a unique and unforgettable experience, like the “sparties” held at Széchenyi Baths every Saturday night. Here you can get into the groove while immersing yourself in the unique atmosphere of the country’s biggest thermal bath. Or if you are looking for a more laid-back spa experience, check out the Rudas Thermal Bath on Fridays and Saturdays, from 11 pm. The rooftop of the bathing complex commands a stunning view of the city, especially in winter when it is snowing. Don’t miss it!

Messing About in Boats

Boating on the Danube at night is a spectacular and unique way of seeing Budapest, and there are many ways to do it. The official cruise operator is Mahart Passnave, which offers scheduled, 55-minute-long cruise trips at a fair price. However, if you’re looking for a more extreme experience, check out the party boats that depart  every Friday and Saturday from the heart of the city, the 2 hour party cruise runs between the Margit bridge and Lágymányosi bridge. This is one trip you’ll be sure to share on Instagram! If you’d like to spend some romantic moments at the river, the BOATanic Terrace&Bar is the answer. Besides of the unique menus, you can enjoy the breathtaking views of Buda Castle even if it is wintertime because you can rent a whole igloo on the top of the boat. 

Sziget Festival

Once in a year, in August, Óbuda Island becomes the hottest party spot in the whole region. Budapest’s biggest musical event hosts some of the most famous bands from all over the world, and attracts thousands of young people. The island is in the northern part of the city, half an hour from the centre. Not to be missed!

Eating and Drinking

If you’re getting ready for a long night out, it’s best to start with a good dinner. All the places mentioned above offer a variety of good restaurants, serving an exciting mix of traditional and contemporary cuisine. For vegetarians and vegans, the Hummus Bar chain comes highly recommended. It has 13 restaurants in various locations around the city. For lovers of Italian cuisine, there is the Pomo Doro, the Toscana, the La Coppola, the Il Terzo Cerchio, Ape Regina or the Venezia. For Jewish meals check out the Macesz bistro, the Kosher Hanna, or the world-famous Rosenstein. If you’d like to sample some traditional Hungarian dishes, check out the Gundel, the Gettó Gulyás, the Kiskakukk, the Pozsonyi, the Hungarikum Bistro, or the Nagy Fa-tál Konyhája. If your in the city don’t miss out the delicious craft burgers all over the downtown such as: Bamba Marha, Zing Burger, Simon’s Burger, or the Kandallo pub. However, most restaurants close at around 23:00, with only a few staying open until midnight. But don’t worry, if you stay out late and are feeling peckish, there are kebab shops and pizzerias to be found all over the city, as well as all-night grocery stores in most areas.

Best city-centre hotels for the Budapest nightlife

If you’re a night owl who’s planning to stay out late, it’s important to live close to the city centre, because nobody likes to spend a long time travelling back to the hotel once the party’s over. Choosing a downtown hotel will allow you to have a shower and get off to sleep in no time at all.

Danubius Hotels offers 5 city-centre hotels in Budapest: the Hotel Astoria City Center, Hotel Erzsébet City Center, Hotel Hungária City Center, Radisson Blu Béke Hotel and Hotel Gellért. All the hotels are fully air-conditioned and pet-friendly. Check out on a map: Best Area to Stay in Budapest for Nightlife

Hotel Astoria City Center – A four-star hotel in the heart of Budapest

Hotel Astoria is within walking distance of Gozsdu Court or Kazinczy Street, so you won’t need to worry about getting a taxi or night bus back. Astoria is within walking distance of Erzsébet Square, Gozsdu Court, Kazinczy Street and the surrounding ruin pubs.

Radisson Blu Béke Hotel – A city centre hotel near Nyugati Station

Hotel Radisson Blu offers a stylish, peaceful place to stay on the bustling Grand Boulevard. It’s a stone’s throw away from the bars on the Grand Boulevard, and very close to Kazinczy Street and the heart of the city’s nightlife area.

Hotel Hungaria City Center – A modern hotel near Keleti Station

Hotel Hungaria is next to the busiest railway station in Pest, but still close to the centre. It is situated only two stops away from the night spots and bars of District 7, and the No. 24 tram takes you directly to the Budapest Park concert venue.

Hotel Erzsébet City Center – The best choice for shopping and business travel

Hotel Erzsébet City Center is a modern hotel within easy reach of the River Danube, Deák Square or the Bálna.

Cheat Sheet

How to get around

It’s easy to get around Budapest, thanks to its well-organised public transport network. A regular bus service from the airport to Kálvin and Deák Square runs every 7-10 minutes every day, during the day and every 30-40 minutes at night, between midnight and about 3:30 in the morning . This is the cheapest direct transfer from Liszt Ferenc Airport. In the centre, the fastest way to travel is the metro. There are four metro lines and four suburban light railway (HÉV) lines, which operate until late in the evening. If you stay out after midnight, you can use the scheduled night bus services that run all over the city. Tickets are available at main metro stations and ticket machines. On the night buses, you can buy the tickets from the driver. For further information, visit the website of the transport company. Taxis are more expensive, and not always available at busy times. Beware of unlicensed taxis that may charge excessively. If you decide to take taxi, it is better to use licensed cabs from reputable companies like 6×6 taxi, CityTaxi or Bolt. In Hungary it is better to order a taxi by phone rather than just flag down a car, to avoid being ripped off by an unlicensed driver. In the main squares there are also tax ranks. Cycling is another way of getting around Budapest, as there are plenty of bike routes and lanes to ride on. Public bikes are available everywhere in the city centre, at a very reasonable price. Also, you can rent  an electric scooters almost everywhere in the streets. Search for a Lime, a Tier or a Bird. Nevertheless, bear in mind that some car drivers may drive aggressively, which can lead to accidents. So always take care when riding a bike or useing a roller!

When to visit

Although Budapest is exciting every night of the week, the biggest parties are on Fridays and Saturdays, so coming for a long weekend will allow you to make the most of your trip. The peak season for tourism is the summer, but there are plenty of indoor and outdoor programmes at the other times of the year. Prepare yourself for the extreme weather! In summer, the temperature can rise above 34-35 degrees Celsius, while in winter it may fall below -10 degrees. Summer storms can bring heavy downpours. So we advise you to dress appropriately for the season!

What to avoid

Like all capital cities in Europe, Budapest has its own risky and high-crime areas, but compared to other cities in the world it is relatively safe at night. Violence and homicides are rare, as are rapes or unprovoked attacks. However, thefts and pickpocketing are quite common, so please take care of your belongings at all time, especially in busy places, like bars, trams and buses. Avoid badly lit streets and stay close to your friends if you are tired or drunk. If you are the victim of a crime, or if you see an incident, call 112 and tell to the operator that you need help. The main squares and streets in the downtown area are under CCTV surveillance.

How to exchange currency

Most establishments accept credit and debit cards, including restaurants, bars, shops and taxis. Street vendors or small shops may insist on cash only. The national currency is the Hungarian forint (HUF), which you can get at bureaux de change. However, there are huge differences between the rates offered by money changers. The worst rates tend to be offered at the airport, the railway stations and in banks. The best policy is to exchange currency in a larger bureau such as Northline or Correct Change. Avoid people in the streets offering better rates than the licensed bureaux, as they are most likely out to scam you.

It’s hard to think of a long weekend in Budapest without mentioning those ever famous ruin bars. In the long span of the city’s history, these pubs are just a blip in its historic lifetime, but even in the last 15 years Budapest’s ruin bars have evolved into an attraction that is almost as popular  today as Fishermen’s Bastion or Buda Castle. They are often considered the best bars in town with probably the most affordable drink menus you can not miss whilst enjoying Budapest nightlife.

History of Ruin bars

In the early 2000s, the inner part of the 7th District was full of abandoned buildings. Once the site of the Jewish ghetto, the historic Jewish Quarter became dilapidated in the decades following World War II, after the deportation of some 10,000s Jews. In 2002, the people behind a placed called Szimpla opened up the very first venue in Kertész utca – where you still find Szimpla Café today. However, the real hit happened in 2004, when Ábel Zsendovits and his friends decided to gamble on a building complex in Kazinczy street, which marked the official start of the legendary ruin bar era the World knows so well by now.

Szimpla began as a small experiment, a bar set up in an abandoned, ran-down factory building offering affordable drinks for the creative crowd in the city. Szimpla became a bohemian hub after the crumbling building got spruced up with local design and vintage, mismatched furniture. Its chaos and eclecticism has turned into a trend and inspired and keeps inspiring an entire generation of people.

Evolution of Ruin bars

As ruin bars very quickly became an iconic part of the cityscape, people started to come to Budapest specifically to have a drink or two in these now iconic buildings. More bars popped up following the concept of the ruin bar look and feel, like the legendary Instant-Fogas Complex , which is the collaboration of the Instant and Fogas Ház. While places like Fogas Complex and Szimpla were meant to be alternative cultural hubs, they eventually changed direction to cater for party crowds, whilst places like Instant with their surreal decor spanning an entire apartment block, offered places for pure hedonism.

The look and feel

As mentioned above, ruin bars have been around since the foundation of Szimpla Kert that has been the mecca of the ruin bar era. These bars are primarily found in Budapest’s 7th District (the old Jewish quarter) and its neighbouring areas in the old ruins of abandoned buildings, factories, warehouses, stores or lots. This district was left to decay after World War II, creating a perfect place to develop an underground bar scene. (Not so underground)

From outside these bars look like normal Budapest townhouses. They don’t have large signs leading the way, you don’t hear any loud music, and there’s no queue of people outside waiting to get in. But once you walk into the inner courtyard, you find yourself in the middle of a hip, artsy, and funky place bustling with crowds chatting, dancing, and enjoying a very unique, laid-back atmosphere.

In a ruin bar you feel like you’re drinking at your local thrift store. None of the furniture matches. They are old and eclectic. You may also feel like you’re visiting your grandmother’s house. The ceilings are all designed differently. The building purposefully haven’t been renovated, there are still holes in the walls and visible pipes everywhere to keep the look and feel eclectic, authentic and full of history of the last century.

Popular as a night out in Budapest, ruin pubs also offer a range of activities during the day, with many functioning as community spaces and live music venues. Szimpla Kert holds a weekly farmer’s market on Sunday mornings, or occasionally a vintage clothes market, while Anker’t screens films and holds markets.

Drink prices in ruin pubs

You’ve probably heard urban legends about how affordable Hungary is so you might be wondering how much a pint of beer or a glass of wine costs. In Budapest, tourists can purchase both a glass of wine and a bottle of lager for less than €4 – wine can cost less than 2€, whilst a bottle of lager is around €2-3 – while cocktails, such as a Mojito or Cosmopolitan, the most expensive drinks in the city, were priced at €5 A round of ten different drinks comes to about €24 in total.

The coolest ruin pubs in central Budapest

Szimpla Kert for creative, environment friendly vibes

The opening of Szimpla Kert in 2002 was a milestone in the alternative life of Budapest. Converting an old factory into a huge open-air cinema and pub, they created a unique framework for hosting concerts, theatre shows and many different cultural events. Szimpla defines itself as a ’cultural reception space’, indicating the intention to embrace genres and performers off the mainstream, presenting them in an informal atmosphere. With constantly supporting initiatives for urban sustainability, Szimpla has been serving as an ultimate incubation house of green ideas from the very beginning, too.

The Szimpla lifestyle is brought to life by culture, creativity and constant change day by day. Everybody and anybody can make themselves at home, have a rest or have fun when visiting Szimpla in Budapest. Right from the beginning, their main mission is to shape the environment and make it more liveable and human friendly. Searching for the cultural treasures of both Hungary and the World, introducing and managing creative talents and their products as well as implementing and operating models that help sustainable development in many walks of life are all the things Szimpla lives by. 

Kazinczy u. 14, szimpla.eu –  Open 15pm-4am on Mondays until Thursdays, 12pm-4am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9am-5am on Sundays.

Instant & Fogas Complex for the biggest parties in the city

The immense club kingdom of Instant and Fogas is concentrated into 2 neighbouring buildings in 49 Akácfa street and offer inexhaustible amount of fun in all aspects on almost every single day of the year. Intant and Fogas ház used to be two separate ruin pubs, but they have recently decided to unite their forces to create the kingdom of ruin pubs in the heart of Budapest.

When looking for places to go out in the evenings or to spend the whole night somewhere a bit wild, one has to contemplate a handful of factors to make sure all needs would be fulfilled. Fortunately, you get to skip this planning-thinking-deciding phase, by having all facilities together that a party fiend might possibly desire. Instant & Fogas have 8 bars altogether to keep you fuelled until the end of your stay, but there is also a bunch of solutions to ease your hunger. For complete courses and fine treats accompanied with top quality wines and spirits you should definitely check out Liebling, but as long as you are satisfied with a small nibbles, quick grilled snacks and pizzas are also available. Just follow the delicious scent of freshly cooked food and you’ll easily find where to get them.

They also have 1,200 square meters dedicated to hosting music events from a wide range of genres separated properly from each other. While this isn’t a brand new concept for Instant or Fogas, by establishing the complex and forming new rooms the entire idea manifested on a whole new level.

Budapest VII, Akácfa u. 49-51., instant-fogas.com – Open every day 6 pm – 6 am

Mazel Tov for an upscale ruin bar experience

 This is one of Budapest’s newest ruin bars. Mazel Tov (located in the old Jewish quarter) is a community centre and restaurant serving traditional Jewish cuisine by day. At night, the courtyard is a party with DJs and live entertainment entertaining guests.  Head to Mazel Tov if you like the ruin bar concept in theory, but prefer things more upscale. This Middle Eastern restaurant inside Budapest’s buzzing Jewish Quarter does have a disintegrating facade like other ruin bars, but the inside is a different story: Cheap drinks have been upgraded to cocktails, ham & cheese sandwiches to mezze plates, self-service to hostesses, and cheap furniture to a thoughtfully designed, industrial-chic interior with sleek wood paneling.

Mazel Tov’s Israeli and other Mediterranean dishes are reliable and arrive without delay, to ensure that tables turn over quickly in this wildly popular restaurant.  Reservations are an absolute must as the place gets mobbed by people every day of the week. Instant and Fogas is next door in case you want to compare and contrast.

Akácfa u. 47, www.mazeltov.hu/en. Open every day 12:00 pm.-0:00 am.

Szatyor Bar and Cafe for the posh Buda crowed

Filled with colourful, eclectic furniture, Szatyor Bar looks like your typical ruin bar, but it’s actually different from those swarming Budapest’s party district on the other side of the Danube. This being in Buda, instead of scruffy students sipping low-priced beers, Szatyor draws an over-25 crowd where shirts and skirts outnumber hoodies and backpacks. Duck confit and sous-vide venison leg are rarely part of the ruin bar culinary repertoire, but here, you will find them alongside pricey craft beers.

This updated ruin bar is situated on the fashionable Bartók Béla Boulevard in 11th District, where middle-class Buda residents wind down in the evenings, who are more discerning drinkers and eaters than the tourist-heavy partygoers in Pest. Attached to Szatyor Bar is a classically-furnished café, Hadik, which has earned a place in Budapest’s collective memory as a legendary haunt of bohemian writers and poets in the 1920s. It shuttered after WWII, but was finally revived in 2010 after a long hiatus.

Budapest, Bartók Béla út 36, table reservation: reservours.com/szatyorbar/tablereservation/en , open Monday-Wednesday and Sunday 12 pm – 23 pm, Thursday-Saturday 12 pm – midnight

Wherever you decide to spend the night, any of these places will guarantee an unforgettable time. Ruin bars are now par t of our culture and the era they created keeps inspiring the younger generation of people to stay creative and re-create the cityscape in our beloved city.

Our city-centre hotels for visiting the Best Ruin Bars in Budapest

If you’re a night owl who’s planning to stay out late, it’s important to live close to the city centre, because nobody likes to spend a long time travelling back to the hotel once the party’s over. Choosing a downtown hotel will allow you to have a shower and get off to sleep in no time at all.

Danubius Hotels offers 5 city-centre hotels in Budapest: the Hotel Astoria City Center, Hotel Erzsébet City Center, Hotel Hungária City Center, Radisson Blu Béke Hotel and Hotel Gellért. All the hotels are fully air-conditioned and pet-friendly. Check out on a map: Best Area to Stay in Budapest for Nightlife

Hotel Astoria City Center – A four-star hotel in the heart of Budapest

Hotel Astoria is within walking distance of Gozsdu Court or Kazinczy Street, so you won’t need to worry about getting a taxi or night bus back. Astoria is within walking distance of Erzsébet Square, Gozsdu Court, Kazinczy Street and the surrounding ruin pubs.

Radisson Blu Béke Hotel – A city centre hotel near Nyugati Station

Hotel Radisson Blu offers a stylish, peaceful place to stay on the bustling Grand Boulevard. It’s a stone’s throw away from the bars on the Grand Boulevard, and very close to Kazinczy Street and the heart of the city’s nightlife area.

Hotel Hungaria City Center – A modern hotel near Keleti Station

Hotel Hungaria is next to the busiest railway station in Pest, but still close to the centre. It is situated only two stops away from the night spots and bars of District 7, and the No. 24 tram takes you directly to the Budapest Park concert venue.

Hotel Erzsébet City Center – The best choice for shopping and business travel

Hotel Erzsébet City Center is a modern hotel within easy reach of the River Danube, Deák Square or the Bálna.

Budapest is one of a kind in every season, however autumn may be the ideal one to discover the Hungarian capital! Enjoy the lovely autumn weather and the vivid colors of the hills of Buda. Experience the vibrant cultural life with so much to explore in the city: culinary and art festivals, outdoor leisure activities, sport programmes, exhibitions, concerts and much more!
Whether you plan to stay for the weekend or for a midweek break you will surely find some things why the city is worth visiting.  Here are some of our top tips for this season to make the most out of your stay.

Budapest weather in autumn

One of the biggest reasons for visiting Budapest during autumn is the weather that allows you to spend plenty of time in the city enjoying the warm rays of sunshine. While it isn’t as hot as the summer, autumn is a great time for a holiday to Budapest if you prefer fewer crowds and cooler weather that’s perfect for sightseeing.

Temperatures are usually mild and pleasant during the daytime with an average high over 20°C which comes down to 14°C by the end of October. However the weather can change very quickly in this season so you may face some rainfalls during your stay. But don’t worry about rain ruining your plans since we also gathered some indoor activities to choose from.

Top things to do in Budapest in autumn

Sightseeing in the city

Sightseeing is a perfect outdoor programme during autumn time. Budapest is full of good spots where you can take great pictures or just enjoy the view. Under the following points we have listed some of the best places you don’t want to miss this autumn.

Gellért Hill

Take a good hike to Gellért Hill, the highest but easily reachable point of Budapest!
You can start your trip at Liberty Bridge and climb all the way up to the Liberty Statue. The route will offer you varius spectacular photo opportunities where you must take a break and admire the city.

If you want to take a smaller trip you can choose the other side of the hill and climb up just a few stairs from Erzsébet bridge to reach the waterfall and the St. Gellért Statue

Városliget

Városliget (City Park) is one of the biggest parks in Budapest and since it is located in the middle of the city it is the most beloved place for locals as well.

Due to the Liget Budapest project, the whole area has been renewed to provide higher quality environment and services. They established new institutions (like the House of Music and the Museum of Ethnography) offering endless opportunities for leisure and cultural activities. You can spend hours just wandering around the park without noticing. Visit Vajdahunyad Castle, rent a boat on the boating lake, or go on a picnic!

Margaret Island

Margaret Island (Margit-sziget) is also a beautiful public park where locals spend their weekends or afternoons doing sports, relaxing, or simply enjoying the good weather.
This island is also a good option if you’re visiting the city with children because there are several playgrounds, fountains, and a small zoo where you can feed the animals.

Find out more about Margaret Island!

Upcoming events, festivals and exhibitions

Budapest Chocolate Festival

Sept 30- Oct 02, 2022

Officially known as the Sweet Days Chocolate Festival, the Budapest Chocolate Festival is a dessert connoisseur’s dream come true. While the event started out as a celebration of all things chocolate, over the years it has grown to include a variety of baked goods including cakes, donuts, and even wine and coffee. During 3 days the festival is waiting for the sweet lovers in front of the Basilica on St Stephen’s Square. The entry is free of charge.

Budapest Restaurant Week

Oct 06-16, 2022

Dining in a high class restaurant may be an expensive matter – except during the Restaurant Week! DiningCity Restaurant Week is held 2 times a year, every autumn and spring, when many top restaurants in Budapest and in the countryside of Hungary offer a 3-course exclusive menu for a uniform-fixed price. This autumn Restaurant Week will last 11 day: from 6th until 16 of October.
The participant restaurants offer their menus for only 4,900 HUF (appr. €13), premium menus for 6,900 HUF (appr. €18) and exclusive menus for 9,900 HUF (appr. €25). (Bookings can only be made through DiningCity Restaurant Week website.)

Check out Zsolnay Café’s 3-course menus and reserve your table for free!

Sport events

Budapest Marathon

Oct 8-9, 2022

The 37th SPAR Budapest Marathon is part of a 2-day festival all about running. Participate in the running-sightseeing tour of the beautiful Budapest!
The course runs through the heart of city by the banks of Danubie, crosses several bridges and passes the most famous sites of the city like the Statue of Liberty, Buda Castle and Margaret Island.

You are not an experienced runner? Do not worry! You can choose from shorter distances as well (ranging from 400 m to 42 km), or you can complete the run in a team of 2 or 4! Challange yourself and take part in the running festival.

UEFA Nations League

Sept 21-27, 2022

The 2022–23 UEFA Nations League is the third season of the UEFA Nations League, an international association football competition involving the men’s national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA.
The 2nd part of the league phase is held in September when the League A will compete for the Qualification for Nations League Finals held in June 2023 to determine the champions of the competition.

Matchdays 5&6 are going to be very important matchdays for Hungary since our national team managed to compete in the League A and could secure place in the UEFA Nations League finals June 2023.

• 23rd September: Hungary vs. Germany
• 26th September: Hungary vs. Italy

The two significant matches will take place at Puskás Arena.

World Press Photo Exhibition Budapest

Date: Sept 23 – Oct 30, 2022 – Hungarian National Museum Budapest

World Press Photo Exhibition is one of the most well-known photo exhibition on its world-wide tour showcasing the stories that matter with photography from the 65th annual World Press Photo contest. The winners were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 64,820 photographs entered by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries.

Visiting hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday: 10.00 -18.00
Friday – Saturday: 10.00 – 20.00

Henri Matisse – The Colour of Ideas Exhibition

Until Oct 16, 2022 – Museum of Fine Arts Budapest

Visitors are invited on a chronological journey through Matisse’s almost sixty-year-long oeuvre, which can be described as a series of renewals.
The exhibition is based on the masterpieces of the Centre Pompidou (Paris) and it is the first show featuring Henri Matisse’s art in Hungary.
Visitors can admire a selection of more than 150 pieces of the artist’s most important works throught his Fauve period all the way to his late gouache paper cut-outs.
The exhibition catalogue contains studies by foreign and Hungarian authors as well as a selection from Matisse’s writings.

Art Market Budapest

Date: Oct 6-9, 2022 – Bálna Budapest

Art Market Budapest is an internation contemporary art fair and exhibition that raises awareness of Central and Eastern European art and artists. It is also a unique art platform, which provides thought-provoking new impulses for both the European and the global art scene.

Art Market Budapest will be held at Bálna Budapest where visitors can not only spectate exhibitions but also participate in events, programs and workshops.

The INSIDE ART – International Art Industry Conference is also held among the Art Market this year where the focus is on Serbia and the serbian contemporary arts. Moreover Art Market Budapest is also honored to host MOST.SERBIA Festival with the main goal of the event is to make the treasures of Serbian culture and the cultural cooperation between Hungary and Serbia palpable for the public.

You can enjoy the first day of the fair (October 6) for free and buy you tickets for the following dates.

City breaks in Budapest

Plan your perfect autumn break to Budapest and find great accommodation at any area at reasonable price in one of our centrally located hotels in Budapest! Check out our special Budapest city break offers.

Recommended hotels in the city center

If you like to experience the real metropolitan buzz of the city we recommend you to stay at Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center or Danubius Hotel Erzsébet City Center.

Both of them are situated in the middle of bustling District 5, just a few minutes away from the  prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe), Great Market Hall, Váci utca (Budapest’s iconic shopping street), and also the Danube. These two hotels have a very different style: while Hotel Astoria has its own legendary and historical character, Hotel Erzsébet is a smaller, atmospheric hotel.

If you want to spend a more relaxing holiday, choose Danubius Hotel Helia, our wellness hotel that offers you a wide range of fitness and spa services. This hotel is located just 15 minutes away from the city centre, next to the beautiful bank of the Danube.

Are you visiting Budapest for a concert or conference? Danubius Hotel Arena is the nearest option for you to stay right in the neighbourhoods of Papp László Budapest Sports Arena, Puskás Ferenc Stadium and the BOK Sports and Conference Centre.

And last, but not least you can stay at Hotel Hungaria City Center which is an ideal base both for tourists and business visitors. The hotel is located next to Keleti railway station from where you can reach Budapest’s main attractions by taking the metro M2 and M4.

20th of August is always a very special celebration in Hungary. Think of it as huge summer closing party which has been extremely precious for the locals for thousands of years.  It’s one of our oldest national holidays, when we celebrate the foundation of our state, the state’s founder Saint Stephen, and the “festival of new bread”. It’s not only a national holiday, but also a state occasion, so numerous official events also take place on this day. The swearing-in of new military officers, water and air shows, ceremonial speeches and the spectacular firework show are all among the traditional programmes; but more recently, a number of other festivals have come to be associated with this red-letter day.

What do we celebrate on 20th August?

The 20^th of August: Saint Stephen’s day, when we commemorate the foundation of the Christian Hungarian state more than a thousand years ago. During his reign, Stephen I declared 15th August the Day of Our Lady. It was on this day that he offered up the country to the Virgin Mary, and it was also on this day in 1038 that the king himself died. The date of the celebration was moved to August 20th by the king Saint Ladislaus, because on this day in 1083, with the blessing of Pope Gregory VII, the relics of Stephen I – the Holy Crown and the Holy Right Hand – were raised to the altar in the Basilica at Székesfehérvár, an act that was equivalent to canonisation.

From the reign of King Louis the Great onwards, 20th August continued to be observed as a religious festival. But later, when Pope Benedict XIV reduced the number of church celebrations in 1771, Saint Stephen’s day was left out of the liturgical calendar. Later, Maria Theresa ordered the reinstatement of Saint Stephen’s day, and even had it added to the calendars as a national holiday. After the crushing of the 1848 revolution, 20th August was not allowed to be held as a national celebration for a long time, as Saint Stephen was a symbol of the independent Hungarian state. After the 1867 Compromise, the day regained its former special status, and in 1891 it was declared a public holiday. It remained a national day until 1945, when it was abolished, although continued to be publicly celebrated as a religious festival until 1947. The communist regime did not officially recognise the religious and national associations of the occasion, so it was renamed the “festival of new bread”. Between 1949 and 1989 it was celebrated as Constitution Day. After 1989, the old traditions were revived, the procession of the Holy Right Hand was held again, and Saint Stephen’s Day became an official state celebration of the Republic of Hungary.

Official programmes of 20th August 2022

The official state celebrations start in Kossuth Square in the morning, culminating in a spectacular water and air show. The afternoon is given over to joyful family programmes and the ceremonial holy mass and procession at the Basilica, while the highlight of the evening (literally) is the fireworks display.

8:00 – 9:00 am Kossuth Square ceremony

9:00 – 10.00 am Hungarian Military Air Parade over the Danube – Lower and upper quays in Pest and Buda

10.00 – 18:00 pm Viewing of the Holy Crown in the Parliament Building

17:00 – 18.00 pm Festive Mass and Procession of the Holy Right in St. Stephen’s Basilica

21:30 pm  „The game of fire and lights” – Fireworks and light parade over the Danube (in the lower and upper quays in Pest and Buda)

Festival programmes on 20th August in Budapest

Although this year Saint Stephen’s day falls on a Saturday, we can celebrate Hungary’s birthday during 4 days between 18 and 21 August.

There are countless colourful and exciting family programmes, culinary and musical festival events to choose between. The festive programme series are held in various venues of the city and the participation is free of charge at every event (however some events may require previous registration).

Here are some of the main events you must visit during the festive days:

Street of Hungarian flavours in Várkert Bazár

August 19th – August 21st

Held alongside the Saint Stephen’s Day celebrations of 20th August, the Street of Hungarian Flavours is sure to be one of the most popular gastronomic events of the year. This free food festival is where this year’s National Cake and the Saint Stephen’s Day bread will be presented, and countless culinary treats from every region of the country and the Carpathian Basin will be on show: fish soup from Baja, mutton stew from Karcag, a cornucopia of excellent handcrafted products, ginger-spiced sausage, a selection of pálinka (schnapps) varieties, Hungarian fish specialities, craft beers, traditional stuffed cabbage from Szatmár County.

The event showcases the diverse gastronomic culture of the Carpathian Basin, exclusively from vendors who make their products from high-quality, local ingredients. A good many traditional small farmers and numerous traditional food producers will also be represented here, selling a variety of treats such as jams, fruit juices, craft beers, meat products and cheeses.

It is also here that the new National Cake of Hungary debuts every year! In 2022, the title was awarded to “Huncut szilva herceg” (Prince Naughty Plum), created by pastry chef Orsolya Karikó of the Vanília & Gelaro Handcraft Confectionary in Nagykőrös.

The main characters of the country’s cake are the red wine of Eger and our favourite Hungarian fruit, plums. The caramelized chocolate-cinnamon crunchy layer, the spiced plum chocolate mousse and the cranberry-plum jelly with red wine create a harmonious flavors for the cake.

This year, László Gyuris from Szeged’s Virág Confectionary and Café won the Sugar-free cake of the Year competition with his creation called “Nagyi kedvence” (Grandma’s Favorite).

The cake has several delicious layers including raspberry, mascarpone mousse and white chocolate pistachio crunch. One slice contains 11,9 grams of carbohydrates and 233,8 calories only, therefore it is an excellent choice for people with diabetes, as well as for people trying to be conscious of the ingredients in their food.

The cakes will be available for tasting at hundreds of pastry shops all over the country from August 19.

Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle

August 19th – August 21st

Hungary’s greatest folk art event, will take place in the Buda Castle District of Budapest for the 36th time this year from August 19th through August 21th.

Every year, the Festival of Folk Arts workshops – where masters present special craft tricks and practices – draw a great deal of interest during the St Stephen’s Day celebration series.
Visitors are able to observe unique knowledge rooted in centuries of generational experience, immense humility and love. During the event, tradesmen move their workshops to the Buda Castle so that whoever would like to can try their hands at the many crafts.

These four days are indeed a celebration of masters and crafts, a borderless event that is the most significant meeting place for masters living in Hungary and abroad. The Festival is famous not only for its dance and music programmes, introductions of craftsmen, but for the folk market, where visitors can buy handcrafted products during the whole time of the event.

Csárda Festival

August 18th – August 21st

The gastronomic adventures start on 18th of August at Vörösmarty square.
In the Csárda Festival visitors can sample delicious food from the Carpathian Basin, watch folk dance shows, listen to lively folk music and experience the classical Hungarian traditions.

Street Music Festival and Food Truck Show

August 19th -August 21st

If you like to listen to music of all kinds and taste the best street food of the city, the Szabadság square will be the perfect place for you.

Promenade of Cities

August 19th -August 21st

For 3 days you can visit the Promenade of Cities – a remarkable installation of hundreds of flags next to the Hungarian Parliament Building.
Learn more about the history and traditions of Hungary with each flag that tells us a little about the town they represent.

Where will I get a good view of the 20th August fireworks?We say Hilton!

That’s a very important question! The quays on the banks of the River Danube are always full of huge crowds, so it’s better to find a spot further away with an magnificent view of the river. For the perfect experience, you need to go to the Hilton Budapest. There are still rooms with panoramic views of the Danube available, so you’ll be in the perfect place to enjoy the time of your life during the holiday weekend, within easy reach of all the programmes in the Castle. Book a room for a fascinating overnight stay at elegant Hilton Budapest.

Experience the firework display next to the Fisherman’s Bastion!

Avoid the crowds in town, celebrate at Hilton Budapest on 20th August!

The LÁNG Bistro & Grill is located right next to the Fisherman’s Bastion right across from the Parliament Building. From there you can admire the amazing fireworks of the year from a truly exclusive location. Enjoy a festive dinner at LÁNG Bistro & Grill and watch the fireworks from the Hilton Budapest’s outdoor venue, the Babits Promenade!

Programme price: 30.800 HUF / person – which includes special buffet dinner, unlimited sparkling wine, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee and 10% service charge.
The event runs from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Book your table online.

While there’s hardly a meat that cannot be prepared Stroganoff style, have you ever tried the vegetarian version? It’s filled with loads of mushrooms and the distinctive flavours of sweet pickles, smoked paprika, and red wine. And while you’re at it, why not try adding a bit of heat?

Ingredients:

500 g mushrooms (common and brown field mushrooms, oyster mushrooms)

• 1 large onion
• 3 large pickles
• 1 bell pepper
• olive oil
• 1 dl red wine
• 1-2 chilli pepper
• salt, smoked paprika
• 1 dl vegetable broth
• 1-2 Tbsp. sour cream

Begin browning the sliced mushrooms in a small quantity of olive oil. Cut the pickles and the bell pepper into strips and add them to the mushrooms. Add the finely diced onion and the wine and allow to boil. Season with salt, add the chilli pepper, then sprinkle with the smoked paprika. Add the broth and, when it has boiled enough to blend the flavours, stir in the sour cream.

Tip: You can use heavy cream, or, where a lactose-free version is desired, even a vegetable substitute in place of the sour cream.

Pumpkin cream soup is a staple of the autumn-winter season. This special version of the dish features a spicy, distinctive flavour that is a guaranteed immediate winner!

Ingredients:

• ½ pie pumpkin
• ½ red kuri squash
• 1 onion
• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• small quantity of rapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. Thai curry paste
• 200 ml vegetable broth
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 pinch each ground curry powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and smoked paprika

Peel and cube the pumpkin, squash, and potatoes. Finely chop the onion, then sautée in a little rapeseed oil. Add the pumpkin, squash, and potatoes, season with curry paste, and cover with vegetable broth. Simmer until soft, in the meantime adding the coconut milk and spices. Finally, purée with an immersion mixer. Serve with fresh coriander.

Tip: This can naturally be made with any single type of squash, or the ratio of squash/pumpkin to potatoes varied, as desired.

For cooler days, we offer you this vegetarian soup, elevated to something truly special with the addition of delicious, autumn-ripened chestnuts.

Ingredients:

• 70 g red lentils
• 50 g brown lentils
• 150 g chestnuts
• 2 lemons
• 1 onion
• 0.5 l vegetable broth
• 20 g butter
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1 tsp. brown sugar, salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric, Madras curry, fresh chives

Finely chop the onion, squeeze the lemon, and coarsely chop the chestnuts. Brown the onions in the butter, add the lentils, chestnuts, and spices, then cover with the broth. Cook for around 40 minutes until soft. Add the lemon juice and cream. Bring to a boil. Serve with fresh chives.

Tip: This soup can be made with fresh or frozen chestnuts. To shell fresh nuts, incise the shell of each nut, then toss into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. The shells will peel off easily.

What are the best Thermal Baths in Budapest?

1. Gellért Bath – our recommendation
2. Széchenyi Bath
3. Király Thermal Bath
4. Irgalmasok Veli Bej Thermal Bath
5. Rudas Medicinal Thermal Bath
6. Rác Bath
7. Lukács Bath

This list was provided by our local experts, but we recommend reading the whole article to find out which one fits you the best!

What is a Thermal Bath?

The thermal bath is a series of indoor thermal pools where temperatures range from warm to hot, steam rooms, saunas, ice-cold plunge pools and rooms for massage.

Water is the source and the cradle of life – the most essential of elements. Beyond drinking it, we can bathe, splash, and swim in it, and thus take advantage of its beneficial effects on body and spirit. Thermal water, medicinal water, hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and hydropinic therapy are all words that crop up frequently in modern parlance. But what do we know of the roots of spa culture? How much of it is still with us today? And why is Budapest considered the City of Baths? Let us show you the Best Thermal Baths in Budapest!

The custom of bathing was already widespread among cultures of a certain level of development during ancient times, while in places like Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and the Indus Valley, baths also played an important role in religious ritual. Regular, purposeful bathing – what might be called “bathing culture” – first grew out of Eastern ritual hygienic practices during the times of the Greeks and – to an even greater extent – Romans, who were additionally acquainted with the waters’ power to treat certain illnesses. It was also the Romans who constructed the first large-scale public bath houses, which, headed by doctors, were where much of Roman public life was conducted. Large numbers of baths were located not only in Rome, but also in other cities of the Empire. In fact, the Romans generally built their cities over hot springs, such as those at Aquincum, the capital of Pannonia, which now lies within the Budapest municipal limits.

The choice of sites was no accident: Hungary’s special balneological features make it extraordinarily rich in mineral and medicinal waters. In fact, it is the fifth richest country in the world, after Japan, Iceland, Italy, and France, in sources of thermal water. In Japan and Iceland, spa waters are extremely warm, but low in mineral content, while in Italy and France, it is the other way around, they are high in mineral content but water temperatures fail to even approach to those enjoyed in the Carpathian Basin. Hungarian thermal waters are simultaneously high in temperature and mineral content, making the country’s thermal resources unique in the world. In no other region does one find high-quality thermal and medicinal waters that can treat or prevent so many different illnesses.

The country boasts approximately 150 warm-water medicinal thermal baths, 36 of them containing special substances (radioactive components, sulphurous acid, salts, bromine, carbonates, or iodine), including 19 official sources in Budapest, a city below which one finds both caves and, erupting from them, hot springs.

The History of Budapest’s Medicinal Thermal Baths

Bathing culture was first introduced in Budapest by the Romans. Archaeological excavations in Aquincum have unearthed nearly 20 private and public baths, including elements typical of both cold- and hot-water pools. Written sources show that bathing culture continued to flourish in the Middle Ages during the time of King Matthias, when bath houses, frequented the king himself, were dubbed “royal baths,” and even peasants and viticulturalists enjoyed regular use of the warm waters that collected in the holes around springs. These baths gained renewed popularity during the 150-year period of Ottoman Occupation, when the bath houses were among the most renowned and valued buildings in Buda. The Turks, who distinguished between natural thermal baths and what are known as steam baths (constructed using man-made heating systems), founded eight new bath houses in Buda along the right bank of the Danube. Of these, the Rudas on the Danube bank (formerly known as the Green-Columned Bath), the Rác (the “little bath”), the Király-fürdő (or Royal Bath, constructed by Mustafa Sokollu in the second half of the 16^th century), and the Császár-fürdő (formerly the Veli Bej Bath, also constructed by Mustafa Sokollu and once the most elegant of all the bath houses in Buda) are still in operation today. With the end of the Ottoman Occupation, the high age of bathing culture faded and the condition of the baths themselves fell into decline. The third great flourishing of the Buda bath houses arrived with the Enlightenment, when the facilities drew appreciation for both their hygienic and recreational uses, though their therapeutic potential had also come to light. The year 1812 was the first for which information on the healing properties of thermal springs – data used to draft the country’s first hydrography – was gathered.  In the second half of the 19^th century, Budapest again experienced a resurgence in bathing culture, one that brought with it the drilling of new wells, the construction of new bath houses and the renovation of existing ones, the foundation of societies and associations for the popularisation of medicinal waters, and the development and promulgation of the practice on a larger scale.

How do medicinal waters exert their effects?

It is common knowledge that immersion in water makes one feel lighter and allows the limbs to move more freely. This is particularly noticeable to those with damaged, worn, or diseased joints. As one moves, the water exerts a soothing, massaging effect. If the water is tepid or even pleasantly warm, it causes tightened muscles to relax and arteries to expand, improving circulation. Beyond these physical effects, thermal and medicinal waters also exert various chemical effects due to the dissolved mineral substances they contain. These mineral salts are absorbed through the skin to enter the blood circulation, which carries them to within proximity of every cell in the body. Once there, they strengthen the immune system, replenish substances that are essential to healthy muscles and joints, benefit the body’s ability to react, and promote various self-healing processes.

One of the most important physical properties of medicinal waters is temperature. Tepid baths of 21-31°C act to calm the nervous system, while warmer waters of temperatures ranging from 32 to 37°C prompt the blood vessels in the skin to expand, increasing cardiac and respiratory rates. In medicinal baths, this heat expands the pores in the skin as well, allowing the mineral substances in the water to enter the bloodstream, where they strengthen the immune system, promote lymphatic circulation, and in this way, initiate healing processes in the body. The warm water helps release painfully cramped muscles, alleviate joint aches, and speed the excretion of wastes.

The warmest thermal bath in Budapest is found at the Rudas (42°C). Of pools intended for swimming, the coldest is the outdoor men’s pool at the Lukács (22°C), and the warmest, featuring medicinal waters of 29°C, is the Rudas’ indoor medicinal pool.

The best medicinal thermal baths in Budapest

Of the baths constructed in locations formerly occupied by the Ottoman Empire, most of the ones in original or near-original condition are found in Buda. The Király, the Irgalmasok Veli Bej, and the Rudas Medicinal Bath, for example, are all still in operation and welcome bathers in Budapest, while the Rác is set to reopen its doors in the future. Constructed near natural heat sources, these baths have all remained open with only intermittent breaks since Ottoman times, and despite the necessity of occasional renovations, have remained faithful to their traditional Turkish external and internal designs.

Irgalmasok Veli Bej Thermal Bath

One of Budapest’s oldest baths and part of the venerable Császár Bath complex, the Irgalmasok Veli Bej Bath is currently operated as a unit of the Irgalmasrendi (Order of Saint John) Hospital. It is one of the most beautiful Turkish baths in Budapest, whose traditional Turkish section consists of 5 pools: an octagonal central pool with water of 36-38°C, and four additional smaller pools of various temperatures located in four adjacent bathing cabins.  Given the speed with which the medicinal waters flow into and out of the central pool, the water quality remains constant and does not require the addition of chemicals. A brand new wellness section is also open to visitors, offering a Jacuzzi, two steam cabins, Finnish and infrared saunas, hydro massage units, an ice machine, hydroxeur and underwater jet tubs, a Kneipp course, a swimming pool, and massage services.

The bath is closed by tradition from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The spa’s medicinal waters are recommended for problems of the joints and spine, osteoporosis, neurological pain, superficial injuries, and post-operative rehabilitation.

Rudas Medicinal Thermal Bath

The construction of the Rudas Bath is linked to Mustafa Sokoli, Pasha of Buda, whose project was so successful that the bath, whose construction began in 1566 and completed in 1572, have been in continuous use ever since, the latest renovations having finished in 2014.  At the core of the building is a Turkish octagonal bath set in a room of highly unusual construction, whose eight columns are topped by a hemispherical dome pierced by minute skylights.

Even today, the Rudas adheres to the tradition of different bathing days for men and women:  in the Turkish section, women may bathe on Tuesdays, while men are accorded Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with coeducational bathing permitted only on Thursday from 1 p.m., on Friday from 11 am and on weekends. In addition to the five medicinal pools, three hot dry air rooms, a camomile-scented steam room, soap-and-water massage area, and all-original architecture of the Turkish baths, the Rudas naturally offers a wellness section as well, replete with its own medicinal waters and a variety of saunas. Those prohibited by gender from entering the Turkish bath can relax and unwind in the wellness area.

The waters at the Rudas contain sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate, chloride, and a significant quantity of fluoride ions, all recommended for the treatment of problems of the joints and locomotor functions.

Protected baths in Budapest

The city of Budapest boasts three bathing complexes – the Lukács, Gellért, and Széchenyi Medicinal Baths – that enjoy protection as historic buildings. Though not directly linked to the Turkish tradition, all are notable both for their architecture, and their history.

Lukács Bath

In the 12th century, the area where the Lukács Bath is now located was occupied first by nursing and patient-caring members of the Order of Saint John, then by the Knights of Rhodes and Malta, who constructed baths as part of their monastic holdings. Though still in operation at the time of Ottoman rule, it was found that the energy from the area’s springs could be applied to greater advantage to produce gunpowder and grind grain. The choice to operate a mill at the site meant that no authentic Turkish bath was ever constructed there. It is claimed, however, that the 30-metre-deep mixed thermal waters of János Molnár Cave offer the highest quality of any bath in Budapest. Its healing effects are enjoyed by visitors to the domed thermal baths of the Lukács complex, which offer three pools, hot dry air and steam rooms, and – for the refreshment of body and spirit – a variety of wellness services, as well.

Széchenyi Bath

While in Buda, the tradition of medicinal bathing has been enjoyed since the time of Ottoman rule, the inhabitants of Pest were forced to do without until as late as 1913. Though the south-east wing of Győző Czigler’s stunning building overlooking Budapest’s City Park was constructed in Neo-Classical style, its elements also bear the marks of the Neo-Renaissance. The swimming and poolside areas added when the building was enlarged in 1927, moreover, display features of the Renaissance style, and while the bath – despite its two-phase construction – gives the overall impression of architectural unity, taken as a whole, the style is essentially eclectic and historicising. A water theme suffuses the building’s decorative elements: stylised water monsters, shells, fish, and mermaids crop up everywhere, making the bath – one of the largest such complexes in Europe – unique from an aesthetic perspective, as well.

The medicinal waters of the Széchenyi Bath derive from Budapest’s second deepest source, the 1246-metre-deep Saint Stephen’s spring, and register a temperature of 76°C as they reach the surface. The thermal waters contain sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate, and significant traces of fluoride and metaboric acid and are recommended for wear-and-tear type deficiencies of the joints and spine, chronic articular inflammation, orthopaedic post-operative and post-traumatic rehabilitation, spinal injuries, neurological pain, and osteoporosis.

Inside the bath are eleven different medicinal pools with steam rooms and showers, while the outdoor grounds surrounded by the buildings offer three swimming pools, a hydro fun pool, and a shallow “sitting” pool.

Gellért Bath

The complex of the Gellért Medicinal Bath is a masterpiece of Hungarian Art Noveaux, or “Secession” architecture. The windows of its great hall – ten in all – were designed by Miksa Róth around scenes from The Death of King Buda, an epic poem by Hungarian literarian János Arany. At the back of the entrance hall is a statue of Venus by Adolf Huszár. Both the men’s and the women’s areas of the complex are decorated in Zsolnay porcelain.

The earliest written records of “miraculous springs surging forth” from the territory where the Gellért now stands date to the 15^th century. The waters were a favourite of the Ottomans, who found them both warmer, and more abundant than those of other baths in Buda. During the 17^th century, the bath went by the name Sárosfürdő, or Mud Bath, due to a fine silt born from the depths of the spring that settled on the bottoms of its pools.

The Gellért Medicinal Bath and Hotel first opened its doors in 1918, adding an adjacent outdoor area with a wave pool in 1927 and a Jacuzzi in 1934. The bath’s thermal water is drawn from a catchment constructed around natural springs within the heart of the mountain and contains sodium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate chloride, and significant traces of fluoride ions, making it singularly suited to the treatment of degenerative articular diseases, spinal maladies, chronic and subacute joint inflammation, spinal disc complaints, neuralgia, constricted blood vessels, and other circulatory disorders. The Gellért additionally boasts an inhalatorium, used to alleviate asthma and other chronic bronchial complaints.

The bath has been coeducational every day since 2013, with five interior thermal pools and two immersion pools, and a swimming pool for those with sporting ambitions or a need for exercise. The open-air section offers both a wave pool, and an additional thermal bath.

Today the bath, the swimming pools, and the clinic are operated by the Budapest Gyógyfürdői and Hévizei Zrt.

As capital of the 5th largest medicinal water superpower in the world, Budapest has been known as the “city of baths” since 1934, and it was here, at the first international balneology conference of 1937, that Gellért Thermal Bath was chosen to serve as the headquarters for the International Balneology Association. In explaining its decision, the congress provided the following deliberation, “…there is no other city that would have greater claim to this honour than Budapest. Nature has, with fantastic generosity, provided it with excellent thermal waters and unparalleled natural beauty, which, paired with high-level medical expertise, marvellously well-equipped therapeutic institutions, and advanced levels of scientific inquiry, make Budapest the ideal choice of location for managing international balneological affairs.”

What you should know about medicinal bathing

• Medicinal baths are “watery monasteries,” where visitors are expected to rest and relax in silence
• The recommended length of a single bathing session is 20 minutes
• It is important to shower both before, and after immersion
• Bathing should always be followed by a rest period
• The thermal waters are not recommended for children under 12 or 14
• When undergoing treatment, it is generally better to bath at the same time each day
• Bathing is not recommended on a full or an empty stomach
• Prior medical examination should establish whether there are any contraindications to bathing
• Adverse reaction! On the fifth or sixth day of treatment, some bathers may experience clinical deterioration, headaches, fatigue, or elevated pain. Such symptoms will generally subside following the omission of one or two sessions, in which case the course may be continued. Adverse reactions are not inevitable, but are more frequent with waters that are warmer or higher in mineral content.
• The baths should not be used by those with irregular or abnormally fast heart rate, coronary artery disease, insufficient heart function, high blood pressure, or advanced arteriosclerosis, or during the three-month period following a heart attack.
• Therapeutic bathing should not be prescribed to individuals with acute inflammation or who are in the advanced stages of certain other illnesses, including acute locomotor or systemic diseases (tonsillitis, gastritis, gastro-enteritis), colds, flu, or acute multiple sclerosis. Arthritis sufferers should not bathe while symptoms are present, i.e. when joints are swollen.

Visiting Budapest

Looking for amazing weekend and short break deals to Budapest?
Check out our Best Budapest City Break deals!

New Year’s Eve is when festivities reach their zenith as people dance and celebrate the New Year. You can attend several carnivals and concerts already on the 30th December – see, Hungarians love to party so the earlier you start, the better. On the 31st December, a masked ball is held at the Opera House and there are lots of exciting parties and gala dinners held across the city. Even though Budapest is rather grey and cold in winter the end of December undoubtedly brings back all the colours and excitement to people’s lives.

Things to do before NY’s Eve in Budapest

The Christmas markets are still open

Christmas market by St Stephen’s Basilica

Set in the most stunning part of Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica’s Christmas Market is the one not to miss. At half past 5 from Monday to Sunday 3D festive lights are projected on the walls of the Basilica with accompanying melodies. This year special 3D glasses with which you can view the animation are available on the market. (The show can be enjoyed without wearing 3D glasses.)

Enjoy a (unique) mug of mulled wine alongside with roasted chestnut and warm and hearty street foods (beyond sausages) and enjoy the lights and the flavours.

The market opens 23rd November and remains open until 1st January 2020.

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00,

Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 22:00,

December 24.: 10:00 – 14:00

December 31.: 10:00 – 22:00

Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market

The Vörösmarty Square Christmas market is the oldest and richest of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1st January 2020. There are about 100 stalls waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From gulash to grilled sausages there is an endless selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate the Festive season.

The market is free to visit, and it is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Special opening hours apply on the following days:

Dec 24: 10:00 – 14:00

Dec 25: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 26: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 31: 10:00 – 22:00

Jan 1: 14:00 – 22:00

For more information about all the festive activities in Budapest, visit our previous article, Budapest Christmas Guide for a perfect holiday.

Visit top sights in the city

Hungary is geographically blessed with 4 seasons and winter is one of the most wonderful ones. Although December and January are the coldest months of the year, they are also the snowiest ones: snow up to 15 inches on a single day has occurred in the past. The famous city landscape gets a winter wonderland takeover with crisp snow covering the roofs over the city and the thin layers of ice mirroring the bridges on the frozen surface of the Danube. If you thought Charles Bridge in Prague was the real deal, forget it – we guarantee you won’t find a more picture-perfect place during December and January than the Hungarian capital.

City of 11 bridges

A unique proposition that the capital is split into two by Europe’s second longest river. To unite the capital Budapest has 11 bridges of which at least 4 of them will take your breath away. For a historical moment cross the city’s first ever stone bridge, the now renewed Chain Bridge. For a very special and stunning view, face Elisabeth Bridge on the Buda side.

Visit Buda castle

When you arrive at Buda Castle history will surround you immediately. Head to Fishermen’s Bastion first for the most breath-taking view in Europe (and the best view in Budapest) to enjoy that unbeatable feeling of being above the city. The Parliament Building stretches alongside the Danube on the opposite side which will absolutely blow your mind… especially at night time with both the Parliament and Buda Castle magically lit up and mirrored on the smooth surface of the river.

If you’d like to find the most beautiful places in the city, don’t go any further. We have listed them all for you here: The best itinerary for 3 days in Budapest

Go ice-skating

Until winter lasts Budapest is always a go to destination for ice-skaters. Wherever you stay in the city you’ll find a great ice rink nearby where you can slide, glide or perform your favourite stunts!

Müpa Ice Rink

The Müpa Ice Rink right by the Palace of Arts on the Pest side where you can do laps while listening to the two channels of Müpa Radio, Easy and Symphony. The onsite bar serves great mulled wine and hot chocolate to warm you up whilst a whole tent of cultural attractions awaits you after your skating session. The rink is open until 27th January 2020.

Csepel Ice Corridor

Csepel is a suburban area that is rarely visited by tourists as it’s outside of the city centre (Budapest’s 21st district to be exact which can be accessed by suburban train (HÉV) from Boráros tér). With the coolest ice rink in the city the Csepel Ice Corridor is well worth the travel for a fun winter experience. The rink welcomes all levels, whilst the ice corridor is suitable for racing and showing off your Tonya Harding skills. The onsite wooden huts serve hot drinks and cinnamon-scented nibbles. What a treat!

City Park Ice Rink

City Park Ice Rink has a unique proposition offering Europe’s largest outdoor ice rink to everyone who’s up for some skating fun. Located in Budapest’s City Park and enhanced by the beauty of Vajdahunyad Castle this place is a real gem. Skate in a historic setting on 15,000 square meters of artificial ice whilst admiring the surrounding historic monuments. You can rent skates on site together with Bobby the Seal to make sliding less of a hard work.

Top things to do on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Best parties on New Year’s Eve

Hungarian wine and champagne await you with all their qualities, after a nice dip in one of the city’s best thermal baths.

There are many types of parties you can choose from whatever your preferences are: an elegant gala dinner, a small group celebration in a cozy bistro or crowded parties in high end nightclubs? Budapest nightlife is famous for its diversity and New Year’s Eve brings no exceptions.

You usually must book well in advance, especially in popular places. If you have no reservation, go early and pray to get in. Most places serve a substantial dinner that includes special dishes with a glass of champagne that is often included in the price.

New Year’s Eve in Gellert Hotel

In addition to a culinary surprise dinner on New Year’s Eve 2019, Danubius Hotel Gellert will once again entertain its guests with great stars and a spectacular show at the country’s largest home party. At half past nine in the evening, we drop into a mega house party and sing, dance and party to the biggest hits of our star performers until dawn. At the historic hotel, with the recommendation of Gábor Müncz, the chef of the hotel, guests can choose from three different dinner options when purchasing tickets. Holiday, VIP and Super VIP dinners are a must-have for everyone.

Please book your table through: Wolner Bernadett, bernadett.wolner@danubiushotels.com, Tel: + 36 1 889 552, gellertszilveszter.com

New Year’s Eve in Astoria Hotel

The magnificent 105-year-old Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center awaits its guests with a sparkling show and a 6-course gala dinner.  After the gourmet dinner, the stormy retro party begins, where DJ Polt Zoltán mixes the music until three in the morning.

Astoria Standard: 34.950 Ft +10% service charge

Astoria Deluxe: 40.950 Ft +10% service charge

New Year’s Eve in Episode Restaurant

Danubius Hotel Helia’s New Year’s Eve programs take place at the revamped Episode restaurant. Celebrating close to Danube River is the perfect choice if you want to start 2020 with a splash of live music, entertainment, star performers and a mouth-watering dinner. A laser show and an ice bar, popular performers and an elegant plate service dinner are on table for an unforgettable night.

New Year’s Eve Episode price: 41,900 Ft / person, which includes New Year’s Eve dinner, midnight buffet, beverage package, all taxes and 10% service charge.

Table reservations and ticket sales have already begun for the event: e-mail: restaurant.helia@danubiushotels.com, telephone +36 30 663 6503.

New Year’s Eve in Hilton             

For those who wish to say goodbye to the old year in spectacular surroundings of the Buda Castle Palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, we recommend Hilton Budapest‘s New Year’s Eve programs. The hotel thinks of everyone when organizing a New Year’s Eve party. For those who are looking forward to the arrival of 2020 in a gentle, exclusive environment, and for those who wish to dance until dawn. The LÁNG Bistro & Grill’s New Year’s Eve buffet dinner is for the former, and the Hilton Ballroom’s Dancing Queen Show is for the latter.

Book your table for any of them on Andrea.Kadar@hilton.com, m: +36 70 459 8843, between 9h-15h Mon to Fri.

New Year’s Eve in Gundel Restaurant

Looking for a peaceful, pleasant evening on New Year’s Eve? Would you like to be served in a stunning art deco setting? Talking to your partner and friends next to a menu with harmonious flavors? Gundel New Year’s Eve is for you!

The eight-course gala dinner is prepared by executive chef Zsolt Litauszki, and during the culinary evening Gundel‘s orchestra performs famous film music, musical tunes and unforgettable classical Gypsy music.

Eight-course menu with wine, welcome champagne, mineral water, coffee, midnight champagne: 72,500 Ft. (The price includes VAT and service charge.)

The menu has been created by Zsolt Litauszki executive chef, matching Hungarian wines selected by Kitti Koór sommelier.

Dinner starts at 7pm. Get in touch for more information: +36 1 889 8111, info@gundel.hu

New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner with Concert & Ballroom Party

Experience a New Year’s Eve to remember in Downtown Budapest and watch a gala concert of classical music at one of the city’s most distinguished theatres. Head to the Duna Palota on the Danube Promenade. The building was where the mayoralty of the 3 main parts of the city declared unity.

As a program starter, you are invited to the Gala Dinner at 6:30 PM. Enjoy a full-service dinner in the beautiful restaurant hall of the Danube Palace. The 5-course meal has been selected and prepared exclusively for the event. Feast on cold and warm appetizers, soup, a main course, and dessert. A different glass of premium wine will be served for each course from a carefully selected assortment.

Then, take your seats for the 2-hour Gala Concert at 10:00 PM. Greet the coming year with music from composers known worldwide. The Danube Symphony Orchestra will lead the grandiose concerto in cooperation with professional ballet dancers. Hear traditional Hungarian folk instruments and multiple solo performances.

Then, raise your glass after midnight at the midnight reception. Celebrate the arrival of the New Year with your friends and family in the ballroom atmosphere. Swap stories with fellow travellers. Sip unlimited champagne and multiple wine options from the open bar!

PRICES: Price of the Budapest NYE Gala Event is HUF 57,300 (€179).

You may book the event on the following site: RESERVATION of NYE Gala Event.

Try a “sparty” in one of our traditional thermal baths

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Book here for the best sparties in Budapest.

Watch the midnight fireworks

New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be real without stunning fireworks. As the Danube mirrors the colours on its surface the fireworks are just wonderful to look at both on the sky and on the water.

The best places to watch the fireworks is either close to the river (don’t forget to bring warm clothes) or on a river course, but Fisherman’s Bastion in the Castle District also provides an excellent panorama of the city.

Soak up in a thermal bath

Hungary is famous for its thermal water and spa culture that the country inherited from the times it was part of the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation.

For a comprehensive overview of our thermal baths please read on here: The best thermal baths in Budapest.

What to eat on New Year’s Eve in Hungary?

Our food is full of tradition – especially on special occasions. Following the traditions, of course the NYE dinner also needs to tell a story.

Lentils – they symbolize the wealth and happiness in the new year. So, every Hungarian needs to eat at least a spoon of lentil soup, or pottage.

Pork – roasted pork brings fortune and luck. But you must eat from strange pork parts, like nose, knuckle, ears, tails. Moreover, from the weirdest Hungarian dish, called kocsonya, which is a jellied broth with pork parts.

Sausages, frankfurter – easy to cook and eat at a house party too with ketchup, mustard and white bread.

Deviled egg – hard-boiled eggs with yolk mixed with mayo and mustard. It’s an appetizer, a normal party food.

For the best restaurant in Budapest read on here: The ultimate list for the best restaurants in Budapest

Where to stay to be close to the Christmas attractions

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The hotel is located just a few steps from the beautifully lit up Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment.

Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to stay close to the city centre as it is only a 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue, the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.

Built in wonderful Art Nouveau-style and opened in 1918, the impressive Gellért hotel shares the building with the world-famous Gellért Spa, located on the Danube riverbanks, at the foot of Gellért Hill, which was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The hotel can be found in Gellért Square next to Liberty Bridge. Metro line M4 stops right next to the hotel, at Szent Gellért Tér, while the city centre is also reachable in a 10-minute walk.

In December Budapest is all dressed up in lights and traditions. From Christmas to New Year’s the city is your playground to explore, mingle, celebrate and make lots of memories whether it is a special meal, an unforgettable party, learning to say “cheers” in Hungarian or getting a gentle shiver after your first taste of Palinka. Hungary inspires and we promise: it will never be forgotten.

It wouldn’t be a traditional Hungarian Christmas without bejgli! The delicious pastry log is a favourite with everyone – especially when the filling is generous and the pastry thin.  If the wish is to pamper your guests with something other than the usual poppy seed or walnut varieties, this chestnut – dried fruit version will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

Pastry:  (2 logs)

• 300 g flour
• 3 g salt
• 30 g powdered sugar
• 120 g butter
• 90 g milk
• 6 g yeast
• 1 egg yolk

Filling:

• 400 g chestnut paste (flavoured with rum and powdered sugar to taste)
• 160 g finely chopped dried fruit

Combine the ingredients for the pastry thoroughly, then place the dough on a board in two identical mounds.  Wrap in plastic foil and allow to rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  In the meantime, prepare the filling, removing the pastry dough from the refrigerator one half hour before use.  Combine the chestnut paste with a small quantity of rum and powdered sugar, as desired.  Finely chop the dried fruit.

Roll out the pastry dough into two rectangles.  Spread the chestnut filling over the dough and sprinkle with the dried fruit pieces.  Folding the edges of the dough up carefully, roll the bejgli into two logs.  Brush with egg yolk and allow to rest, then brush with egg white.  Once the egg is dry, bake for 35 minutes at 180 degrees.

Tip:
Bejgli should always be made with clean hands and the resting time for the dough copiously respected!  To give the surface that shiny, marbled look, brush first with egg yolk, allow to dry, then brush with egg white, placing the pastry in the oven only when the glaze has dried completely.

With its frequent and gentle December snowfall, conditions for a perfect white Christmas in Budapest couldn’t be better. The eclectic Budapest offers a unique Christmas for visitors. Brimming with bars and thermal baths, you can spend days hopping from one to the other. When you’re done, immerse yourself in the festive spirit of the Christmas markets or take the magical Christmas tram in the city center.

Some of Europe’s finest Christmas Markets

Goulash served in a huge, hollowed-out bread roll, pigs’ knuckles with potato dumplings or fresh flat bread in garlic sauce, sour cream and grated cheese (langos) is precisely the sort of heartening fare that will accompany your Christmas market experience in magical Budapest.

Christmas market by St Stephen’s Basilica

Set in the most stunning part of Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica’s Christmas Market is the one not to miss. At half past 5 from Monday to Sunday 3D festive lights are projected on the walls of the Basilica with accompanying melodies. From last year on 3D glasses with which you can view the animation are available on the market. (The show can be enjoyed without wearing 3D glasses.) Enjoy a (unique) mug of mulled wine alongside with roasted chestnut and warm and hearty street foods (beyond sausages) and enjoy the lights and the flavors.

Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market

The Vörösmarty Square Christmas market is the oldest and richest of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1^st January 2020. There are about 100 stalls waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From goulash to grilled sausages there is an endless selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate the Festive season.

Óbuda Christmas Market

The Advent Fair in Obuda (Old Buda) is a lesser known, but beautiful Christmas Market in Budapest held during the Advent weekends, where you will find lots of locals but very few tourists. If you prefer to visit off the beaten track, secret Budapest events, non-touristy places on your Budapest visit, head to Old Buda by the Arpad Bridge on the Buda side. The historical Fo Square in Obuda definitely has a small town feeling and is well worth the detour to join the Christmas events and activities, especially if there is a superb concert given by one of the best Hungarian bands. There are special programs (concerts, puppet shows, etc.) at the 4 Advent weekends. The programs usually start after 1 pm and are until 6-7pm.

The Home of Thermal Spas

Hungary is famous for its thermal water and spa culture that the country inherited from the times it was part of the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath

Housed in a neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Bath is Europe’s largest thermal bath complex. Built in 1913, the spa is home to 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools of different temperatures – which you explore even during the cold winter months. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs with average temperature of 74°C and 77°C. It is open year-round, and you might catch some of the locals play chess on floating boards at the edge of the pool come rain, sunshine or even snow.

Gellert Spa

Gellert Spa is in the historic Hotel Gellert where the bath offers a wide range of healing treatments such as gentle and stronger massage, thai massage, sauna, steam rooms, pedicure, and several outdoor and indoor swimming and thermal pools of various sizes, an outdoor wave pool and hot tubs. The hotel guests can purchase tickets to the spa for half price. The bath complex was built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style but was damaged during World War II. References to healing waters in this location are found from as early as the 13th century. A hospital was also located on this site during the Middle Ages, then during the reign of the Ottoman Empire baths were also built on this particular site. The “magical healing spring” was used by the Turkish during the 16th and 17th centuries. The bath was called Sárosfürdő (“muddy” bath), because the mineral mud settled at the bottom of pools.

Király Baths

Király Bath or Király fürdő was first built in Hungary in the second half of the sixteenth century, during the time of Ottoman rule. It still retains many of the key elements of a Turkish bath, exemplified by its Turkish dome and octagonal pool. Király Thermal Bath had no direct hot water base, nor has it any today. The Turks built the Bath far from the springs to ensure the opportunity for bathing even in the case of an eventual siege, within the walls of the castle. Its water was supplied at that time, and is being supplied now, from the surroundings of the current Lukács Bath. Kiraly Baths have 4 pools on site. You can take a virtual tour of the spa here.

“Sparty” like there’s no tomorrow

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Hungarian food is amazing

Budapest’s food scene is technically a metaphor of the city itself: authentic, spicy and sprinkled with plenty of surprises as a new generation of Hungarians turned the traditional cuisine into an avant-garde dining experience whilst staying true to real local flavors. Hungarian food will take you far away from what you know by serving you unexpected flavors and hearty, quality wines.

Traditional dishes at Christmas

The most typical Hungarian dish for Christmas is halaszlé, a fish soup spiced with paprika paste or powder. Others may serve a magyar favorite, stuffed cabbage, but it’s increasingly common to serve up a mix of fish, chicken, and pork with a variety of sauces, vegetables, and rice. For dessert it’s not uncommon to see the ubiquitous chocolate log or gingerbread cakes and biscuits, but a more Hungarian speciality is bejgli (bay-glee), a rolled sweetbread filled with poppy seeds (mákos), walnuts (diós), or both.

All this is combined with a lot of drinking, from strong homemade pálinka—or fruit brandy—to a variety of Hungarian wines and beers. If there’s one thing that remains true of Christmas in any culture, it’s the love of excessive eating and drinking.

Restaurants that are open on Christmas Eve

Festive Buffet and Christmas Brunch in Gellert Hotel

Each ticket includes a lovely Festive Buffet Dinner at the Panoráma Restaurant with unlimited food and drink consumption (wine, champagne, beer, soft drinks, and coffee). Children under 12 can choose from a variety of tasty brunch foods for half price, while children under 3 eat for free.

Purchasers of online tickets for our Festive Buffet Dinner do not need to book tables additionally, as buying online automatically guarantees a table reservation.

LÁNG Bistro ＆Grill in Hilton Budapest

Enjoy a cosy Christmas dinner buffet in the beautiful Hilton Budapest located in Buda Castle with unlimited sparkling wine, wine, beer and soft drinks.

Price: 26.900 HUF / person + 10% service charge

50% discount for kids between 6-12 years, free for kids under 6 years

Full, non-refundable prepayment is required at the time of booking.

The most beautiful Christmas tramway in the World

For a unique and fairy-tale-like way to explore the city hop on tram line 2 which will be one of the highlights of your stay.  The tram is lit up from the early afternoon, around 4 pm with over 35.000 white and blue LED lights that creates a stunning visual experience as the tram slowly strolls alongside the Danube. The journey is available with regular public transport tickets and passes, and in addition to tram line 2, several other lines across Budapest will be lit up, including tram 4, 14, 19, 47, 50, 56A, and 59.

Tram 2 is the most popular amongst all as it operates along the Danube Promenade on the Pest side with the most beautiful sites of the city.

What do people do on Christmas Eve?

Before 24 December, people decorate their houses and start cooking and baking – with the previously explain food culture in Hungary you can now expect that Christmas in Hungary is all about food. It’s 24^th December when people start decorating the tree with colourful ornaments and put the wrapped presents under it. As opposed to most European countries, in Hungary the gift-giving happens on Christmas Eve when young children are waiting for the arrival of Baby Jesus. The family exchanges gifts after the dinner and after singing carols around the tree.

On Holy Night, Hungarians listen to holiday songs such as “Silent Night” and sing or attend Christmas mass. As an old tradition we also burn candles on the Advent wreath during the four weeks before Christmas, lighting up one more new candle each Sunday.

Plan ahead to get the most out of your stay

December weather

December is one of the coldest months of the year in Budapest so expect cold weather conditions and occasional frosty biting wind. Snowfall is frequent but not too heavy – enough to make the landscape absolutely beautiful.

What to Pack

Cold urban destinations in Eastern Europe will introduce you to a different kind of winter where a very warm jacket, a chunky scarf, a hat and some warm gloves are crucial besides making sure you wear plenty of layers. You’ll be spending time visiting outdoor fairs and markets and it may be freezing out on the streets, so you always want to keep warm. However, in museums and cafes you might want to lose some layers and feel nice and cosy.

Where to stay in Budapest?

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The hotel is located just a few steps from the beautifully lit up Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment.

Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to stay close to the city centre as it is only a 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue, the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.

Built in wonderful Art Nouveau-style and opened in 1918, the impressive Gellért hotel shares the building with the world-famous Gellért Spa, located on the Danube riverbanks, at the foot of Gellért Hill, which was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The hotel can be found in Gellért Square next to Liberty Bridge. Metro line M4 stops right next to the hotel, at Szent Gellért Tér, while the city centre is also reachable in a 10-minute walk.

In December Budapest is all dressed up in lights and traditions. From Christmas to New Year’s the city is your playground to explore, mingle, celebrate and make lots of memories whether it is a special meal, an unforgettable party, learning to say “cheers” in Hungarian or getting a gentle shiver after your first taste of Palinka. Hungary inspires and we promise: it will never be forgotten.

A delicious, juicy duck breast is truly worth the time it takes to prepare! Don’t be intimidated by the trendy-sounding name: the word “confit” refers to a time-honoured food preservation technique in which meat is cooked at length in fat, a process that helps preserve the meat’s original flavour, while leaving it perfectly tender and juicy. And don’t worry: though the fat prevents the meat from becoming too dry, the dish itself is not actually fatty!

Ingredients:

• 400 g duck breast
• 1 kg duck fat
• salt, pepperIf possible, the breast’s own fat should be used. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place it in a pan and cover the meat in fat. Allow to cook slowly at constant temperature (about 70 degrees) for three hours. Remove, place in a frying pan with a small amount of the grease, and brown on both sides. Serve with spaghetti and vegetables, braised cabbage, braised fruit, pumpkin purée, or beets.
  Tip: The same process can be used to prepare duck leg, goose, or even pork.

The Hungarian capital is teeming with tinkling market stalls and majestic architecture, so you’ve really got it all at your fingertips during a Budapest Christmas market break. Enjoy a cup of mulled wine, a bite of sweet chimney cake and a dash of festive cheer. 

We have hand-picked the best Christmas markets in Budapest for you. When visiting the city, you don’t want to miss:

• Christmas market by St Stephen’s Basilica
• Vörösmarty Square Christmas market
• Óbuda Christmas Market

Let’s see them and all the necessary information you need to have before you plan your break.

Best Christmas markets in Budapest

Christmas market by St Stephen’s Basilica – the 2nd Best Christmas market in Europe

Set in the most stunning part of Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica’s Christmas Market is the one not to miss. At half past 5 from Monday to Sunday 3D festive lights are projected on the walls of the Basilica with accompanying melodies. From last year on 3D glasses with which you can view the animation are available on the market. (The show can be enjoyed without wearing 3D glasses.)

Enjoy a (unique) mug of mulled wine alongside with roasted chestnut and warm and hearty street foods (beyond sausages) and enjoy the lights and the flavors.

The market opens 23^rd November and remains open until 1^st January 2020.

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00,

Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 22:00,

December 24.: 10:00 – 14:00

December 31.: 10:00 – 22:00

Skating Rink at the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Enjoy the artificial skating rink right in the middle of the Christmas Market at the Basilica in Budapest downtown. Skating courses also available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The age range of the course is 4-14 year old children. The price is not a question: they may join the free skating training on the nicely decorated rink at the center of the market.

Size of Skating Rink: 200 square meters

Entry Fee: Free of Charge for Kids aged 4 – 14

Opening Hours: daily (weekend skating classes scheduled, see below)

From the beginning of the Basilica Advent market, you can use the skating rink.

Skating Class Hours: Friday from 2-8 pm, Saturday from 10am-6 pm and Sunday from 10am-6 pm.

Free Skating Classes for children aged 4 – 14 years old. Wrap them up in warm clothes and let them enjoy the Advent Market in Budapest!

Vörösmarty Square – Christmas Market on a Classy Promenade

Considered one of Europe’s best as well, Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market is embellished with nativity scenes, handicrafts and a giant Christmas tree. Wandering the stalls is a feast for the senses, as the scent of cinnamon drifts from steaming cups of wine while you enjoy warm Hungarian honey cookies.

The Vörösmarty Square Christmas market is the oldest and richest of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1^st January 2020. There are about 100 stalls waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From goulash to grilled sausages there is an endless selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate the Festive season.

The market is free to visit and it is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Special opening hours apply on the following days:

Dec 24: 10:00 – 14:00

Dec 25: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 26: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 31: 10:00 – 22:00

Jan 1: 14:00 – 22:00

Location: Vörösmarty tér, district V., M1 underground (yellow line), M1, M2, M3 metro lines: Deák tér station or tram 2 Széchenyi tér stop: a couple of minutes walk from both stops.

Óbuda Christmas Market – away from the tourists

The Advent Fair in Obuda (Old Buda) is a lesser knownbut beautiful Christmas Market in Budapest held during the Advent weekends, where you will find lots of locals but very few tourists. So, if you prefer to visit off the beaten track, secret Budapest events, non-touristy places on your Budapest visit, head to Old Buda by the Arpad Bridge on the Buda side.

While most tourists and locals flock to the Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square, or to the St Stephen’s Basilica Christmas Market, both in the heart of Budapest, many locals will head to the Christmas market in Old Buda (District III of Budapest) to avoid the crowds, tourists, and feel the Advent market atmosphere as if visiting the Fair in a small town.       

The historical Fo Square in Obuda definitely has a small town feeling and is well worth the detour to join the Christmas events and activities, especially if there is a superb concert given by one of the best Hungarian bands. There are special programs (concerts, puppet shows, etc.) at the 4 Advent weekends. The programs usually start after 1 pm and are until 6-7pm.

Free ice-skating rink

An artificial skating rink awaits visitors at the Advent market in Obuda. You can use it free of charge. Skates can be rented at a very affordable price (approx. HUF 600 for adults and HUF 400 for children)

Crafts fair

Browse and buy some handcrafts at the Obuda Christmas Market.

Opening Hours:

Monday – Thursday 2pm – approx. 9 pm
Friday – Sunday 10am – approx. 10 pm

Closed on Dec 24

Óbuda is the old part of Buda town established by the Romans as a border town. Aquincum, the Roman ruins of Old Buda can still be seen, and its museum is worth a visit if you like history, antiquity and the Roman era. It takes approx, 20-30 min to get to the Xmas Fair in Obuda from the city center of Budapest. The Christmas Market will take place in the nice Main Square (Fő tér) of Obuda, which is a short ride from downtown Budapest.       

What can I buy as a Christmas gift in Budapest?

There are many gifts you can take home from Budapest from your Christmas visit or winter holiday in Hungary. Some of the Hungarian Christmas gifts or souvenirs from Budapest could easily be bought at any of the Christmas fairs in Budapest, e.g. handcrafted bags, jewels, Christmas mugs, or handmade Christmas tree decor, traditional Hungarian chocolates, like the Christmas fondant candy in Hungary (szaloncukor), a roll of Beigli (sweet cake roll with walnut, poppyseed or chestnut, from the best Budapest confectioneries), etc. You can also visit the Budapest Central Market (not open during the Christmas holidays and on Sundays), or look at the Budapest Shopping Map for more ideas and information.

What to drink at Budapest Christmas markets?

The staple drink of winter in Budapest is the mulled wine with soul-warming spices. Typically, it’s made of red wine, but you can find the white version of it as well. Be careful and try to get the kind made of higher quality wine.  When it is cold you might feel like sending down something even stronger. There are two kinds of Hungarian shots. For those who don’t mind the bitter herbal taste, try Zwack Unicum made of more than 40 kinds of herbs, made since 1790. There’s a lighter version of it made with plums, the Unicum Szilva if you like sweeter notes.

What to eat at Christmas markets in Budapest?

Alongside mulled wine chimney cake (kürtős kalács) is a true Hungarian legend that makes people addicted for hundreds of years. Chimney cake has a perfect crisp exterior and a soft inside making the most delicious dessert for the cold winter evenings. What’s even better it is coated in cinnamon and sugar.

Winter weather in Budapest

The weather is cold in Budapest in December, often with chilly winds, temperatures below zero degrees Celsius (0°C). December and January can be both cold and snowy. While the snow gets quickly cleaned up, it can be about 15 cm thick in the parks or more, which is ideal for those who love snow, or have children to enjoy building snow men. The average temperature is between -1°C and +4°C in Dec, and Jan traditionally gets colder with an average temperature of -4°C and +1°C in Jan.

What to pack for visiting Budapest in December?

A very warm jacket, a chunky scarf, a hat and some warm gloves are crucial besides making sure you wear plenty of layers. You’ll move around a lot spending time outdoors and it may be freezing on the streets and you always want to keep warm. However, in museums and cafes you will want to lose some layers and feel nice and cozy. Your packing list should include your essentials for winter conditions:

•    Long sleeve jumpers
•    A very warm coat
•    Hat or beanie with a warm scarf
•    Gloves
•    Warm shoes or boots

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebration in Hungary

Before 24 December, people decorate their houses and start cooking and baking. It’s 24th December when people start decorating the tree with colourful ornaments and put the wrapped presents under it. As opposed to most European countries, in Hungary gift-giving happens on Christmas Eve when young children are waiting for the arrival of Baby Jesus. The family exchanges gifts after dinner and after singing carols around the tree.

On Holy Night, Hungarians listen to holiday songs such as “Silent Night” and sing or attend Christmas mass. As an old tradition we also burn candles on the Advent wreath during the four weeks before Christmas, lighting up one more new candle each Sunday.

Do Christmas opening hours differ from standard opening times?

They do, so please consider the below information before making your plans:

• Dec 24: Most things are closed in the afternoon and evening on Dec 24, with a few exceptions. The morning opening hours on the day of Christmas Eve are generally as usual in most places in Budapest, up until noon or 2 pm.
• Dec 25: Most things are still closed on Christmas Day on Dec 25, with a few exceptions.
• Dec 26: Many places, like restaurants, are back on track with the Sunday opening hours on Dec 26, but museums are still typically closed on this day.

Budapest, with its delicious flavors and fruity wines, its breath-taking views and rich history has become the beating heart of Eastern Europe and continues to be the new must-seen destination of the fun-seeking Europe traveler. Why people love Budapest beyond its true beauty and history is obvious:  everyone at any age, gender, relationship status or nationality finds what they look for in a city.

Planning to visit Budapest for the first time? Check out our recommendations for spending 3 days in Budapest.

Budapest weather in November

You may expect some frosty nights when visiting the city in November. Both the average high and low temperature drop in the course of the month. The daytime highs decrease to 5°C and the night-time lows fall from 3°C to -1°C. Needless to say; for a holiday in Budapest in this month, pack warm clothes and plenty of layers – BUT don’t forget about your swimwear to warm up in one of our gorgeous thermal baths.

Is Budapest sunny in November?

The air in November is brittle and clear, however it gets darker during the day. Luckily there are sunshine hours throughout the month, but the sky is typically darker during November.

Is it rainy in Budapest in November?

The total amount of precipitation this month is about 60mm, which is spread out over 13 days with precipitation. The chance that precipitation occurs increases in the course of the month, from 53% in the beginning of the month to 63% at the end.

Does it snow in Budapest in November?

Snow does fall in November, in the form of moderate snow and light snow, respectively observed on 15% and 8% of the days with precipitation.

What to pack for Budapest in November?

November and the winter months are particularly cold, so pack warm layers, a coat, gloves, a warm hat and scarf, and to keep your feet warm pack boots with a water-resistant sole. A furry lining or trim will keep you even cosier. It is a dry cold here too so make sure you take good care of your skin with plenty of lip balm and skin lotion.

Best things to do in Budapest in November

Christmas markets are now open!

Budapest’s Christmas markets are an absolute delight–festive, beautiful, and full of lovely crafts and delicious treats.  Add in the setting of regal Budapest itself in the background, and you have the ingredients for a perfect Christmas celebration.

The famous Christmas fair on Vörösmarty Square is the oldest, richest and the most spectacular of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1^st January 2019 – perfect for a New Year’s Day cure and a last sniff of Christmas. Around 100 stalls are waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From gulash and stuffed cabbage to grilled sausages there is a wide selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate any occasion.

Explore the Instagram-worthy views in the Royal District

Squeeze into the Castle Hill Funicular and climb slowly to the pedestrianised district of old Buda. Wander around the Royal Palace to step in the footstep of the Royals celebrating Hungary’s incredibly rich history of royals and ruling houses. Rebuilt in the 18th century by the Habsburgs, the Royal Palace today houses the Hungarian National Gallery and features Fishermen’s Bastion that will spoil you to one of the most breath-taking views in Europe.

No crowd

Budapest’s Christmas markets are increasingly popular and well-known (as are most European Christmas markets), which does draw some visitors, however in November, your visit will fall before most of the Christmas market tourists arrive, and after the bulk of Budapest’s other tourists have left for the year. Queuing anywhere in the city is quick and easy in November.

Budapest’s coffee culture

The coffee culture in Budapest has recently grown into a lifestyle so stopping for a coffee or hot chocolate in one of the artfully decorated cafes is a must. It is also a great way to retreat from the cold streets and warm up before continuing your journey. Zsolnay Café is a little oasis on the busy Teréz körút, located in the Radisson Blue Beke Hotel. It’s the perfect place for a warm-up hot drink, a romantic bottle of champagne or even a late-night cocktail with friends. The pastry assortment takes the place to another level which also includes lactose- and sugar-free options. Just recently refurbished the café with a gorgeous interior is open from 8 am to midnight catering for all meals and drinks of the day. What’s even better is they offer 50% discount during Sunday lunchtime!

It’s ice-skating season!

Ever wanted to go ice skating in front of a castle? In Budapest, you can! Each winter, Budapest opens an ice rink directly in front of Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park, creating a picture-perfect winter wonderland. Budapest is geographically blessed in many ways, but this is perhaps one of biggest ones: once the freezing cold is settled in, the City Park’s boating lake freezes over and turns into Europe’s largest ice skating rink. What a treat that is! However, there is even more to it: the magical surrounding of the baroque Vajdahunyad Castle will swipe you off your feet. Literally.

In its official name, City Park Ice Rink’s (Városligeti Műjégpálya) skating area has been expanded to 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) and it has a standard ice hockey rink as well. The skating rink was home of the 2012 European Speed Skating Championships.

The opening hours of the ice rink can change day by day in the winter season, so the following hours are an average general guide for the opening times.

Monday – Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, break, then reopens from 5 pm to 9 pm Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, break, then reopens from 4 pm to 9 pm

Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm, break, then reopens from 4 pm to 8 pm

And now soak up in a thermal bath, too!

Hungary is the most famous for its thermal baths so you’re at the perfect place to spoil yourself and warm up in the cold winter. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation. Housed in a neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Bath is Budapest’s largest thermal bath complex. Built in 1913, the spa is home to 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools of different temperatures – which you explore even during the cold winter months. It is open year-round, and you might catch some of the locals play chess on floating boards at the edge of the pool come rain, shine or snow.

Gellert Spa is located in the historic Hotel Gellert where the bath offers a wide range of healing treatments such as gentle and stronger massage, thai massage, sauna, steam rooms, pedicure, and several outdoor and indoor swimming and thermal pools of various sizes, an outdoor wave pool and hot tubs. Besides these facilities you can also enjoy yourself at the bathing terrace with a beautiful view on the surrounding Gellert Hill with a beer or a glass of wine or champagne in your hands.

Escape!

They are becoming more and more popular, so why not get stuck into one of Budapest’s many escape rooms on a colder November afternoon? The deal is pretty simple: you’re locked into a room. You and your friends have to work together as a team, use logic, wit and common sense to escape from the room that’s filled with taxing puzzles and questions that you’ll have to solve in order for the room to become unlocked. To make it even more exciting you will be given a time limit which is usually 45 minutes to 1 hour. The highest rated Escape room in Budapest has 6 different themes you can choose from, all of them will give you the chills.

Events in Budapest in November

St. Martin’s Day Wine Festival – 9-12th November

The city’s biggest St. Martin’s Day celebration is the indoor wine festival at the Danubius Hotel Gellert, happening between November 9th and 12th. During the celebratory gathering, some of the country’s best wineries fill the hotel’s spacious halls, where sampling tickets provide unlimited tasting options of the fine libations. Savory snacks and street-food treats accompany reds, whites and rosés over the weekend, including Hungarian cheese specialties, sausages, and goose dishes. To enjoy full sit-down meals, renowned Hungarian chefs and Bocuse d’Or participants Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló take guests on an epicurean adventure. Tickets to many of the accompanying gastronomy events have already sold out, so hurry up to secure your spot at the festival. Ticket info is found here.

St. Martin’s Day Goose Festival – 10-12th November

Taking place between November 10th and 12th along the promenade alongside the Allee shopping center (Budapest 1117, Október huszonharmadika utca 8-10), the three-day outdoor extravaganza highlights Hungarian traditions with local meals and drinks in the spotlight. Visitors can devour goose dishes and sip intoxicating drinks provided by local producers, including an assortment of Hungarian wines, Magyar-made craft beers, and traditional fruit-based pálinka brandy. Attractions include plenty of free things to do for children, such as a goose petting zoo, and handicraft workshops where kids can make their own lanterns, among many other creative activities.

WAMP Design & Gastro Fair – 25th November

WAMP, Budapest’s monthly design market, features creations by contemporary Hungarian designers. WAMP is held on Sundays. In November, WAMP changes its theme for the holiday season and the Christmas Design and Gastro Fair features many great gift ideas. WAMP is a great place to find one-of-a-kind gifts or just browse around and surprise yourself with some uniquely designed clothes and accessories. WAMP also offers interactive handicraft workshops for kids.

New Wine and Cheese Festival – 28-29th November

Two-day festival, with winemakers from all over Hungary introducing their tipples alongside artisanal cheeses over the last weekend in November. The 2000Ft day pass includes a tasting glass and entry to the Agricultural Museum.

Magical bath parties (Sparties)

Sparty Budapest is a unique and very popular bath party series, actually the 5th biggest event in Hungary with 50 thousand people attending yearly. The parties are mostly sold out, because only a limited number of people can attend, to make the experience more special. Sparties are awaiting party-goers on most Saturdays throughout the year. Here guests can enjoy great electronic dance music and unforgettable visuals while partying in the pools of Budapest’s most beautiful bath complex, Széchenyi Thermal Bath. Sparty has an older sibling called Cinetrip (launched in 1998), which is a more ecstatic, more upbeat version of bath parties, held twice a year (once in Summer, once in Winter), based on an ever-changing theme.

Budapest is an ever-changing city that somehow always remains the same: with history and culture it always has a good story to tell. Whatever you need a Budapest city break for: to relax, to explore, to get away from your daily problems this is where you will fall in love with life again.

Bar cakes can be made with almost anything: apples, cherries, plums, or even fresh cheese. Why not try this version with flavourful pumpkin? Just make sure you have enough filling left for the cake, as most people cannot resist snacking on the honey-sweetened purée as they go…

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 250 g butter or margarine
• 300 g flour
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• salt

Filling:

• ½ kg pumpkin
• 150 g honey
• 2-3 pieces star anise
• salt

First, prepare the pumpkin filling. Warm the honey and add the star anise and finely cubed pumpkin. Salt lightly, then bake until soft. Make the dough: knead together the flour, powdered sugar, eggs, softened butter, and a little salt. Divide the dough in two. Roll into two circles. Place one of the circles over the bottom of a round spring-form or pie pan and bake for a few minutes. To prevent the dough from rising too much, cover with a piece of baking paper and weigh down with ceramic baking beads. When it is clear that the crust has dried somewhat, remove from the oven, remove the weights, fill with pumpkin, and cover with the other dough circle. Trim the edges, puncture the dough with a fork, and brush with beaten egg. Drizzle the top with a small quantity of honey, place in an oven pre-heated to 150 degrees, and bake 20 minutes until done.

Tip: If you don’t have ceramic baking weights available, dried beans work just as well!

With so much to explore in the city, you need to time your visit to enjoy the things you like the most. Budapest has a unique proposition to provide fun and plenty to do all year round. October could be the ideal month to visit if you enjoy cooler weather for sightseeing as well as indoor activities such as thermal spas, museums, galleries, escape rooms or art cinemas. Let’s see how you can celebrate autumn in Budapest in October!

Budapest weather in October

October enjoys sunny days with some rain in Budapest. If you travel towards the end of October, make sure you pack plenty of layers for dropping temperatures. The weather can be sunny with temperatures as high as 16°C in the afternoon, or see the temperatures drop to 7°C at night with high chances of rain.

Is October a good time to visit Budapest?

The high temperatures of the summer months drop to some extent in October, but early October is still a perfect time to take a trip to Budapest. Both the average daytime temperatures and night time temperatures decrease in the course of the month. As autumn is in full swing, the days keep on getting shorter and shorter throughout the month. October 1 is the longest day with 11.40 daylight hours, while October 31 is the shortest with 10.01 hours of daylight.

Sunshine Hours

On average, a day in October has 10 hours of sunshine. This is two hours fewer than the average September day, but considering the number of daylight hours, it is still very sunny.

Rainfall

As in many places in Europe, autumn brings more rainfall. The probability that precipitation occurs on any given day in October increases from 44% to 53% in the course of the month.

What to wear in Budapest in October?

During typical autumn time in Europe you always need comfy shoes to walk around. Ankle boots are the perfect choice in October and work well with jeans or a more dressed-up outfit. When it gets nippy, keep a scarf that add warmth. The key is to dress in layers to be comfortable and prepared for the changing weather in Budapest during October.

You can’t go wrong with jeans, long-sleeved shirts, knitted sweaters and a lightweight jacket like denim or leather. If you are going towards the end of October, a leather jacket could be switched out for a lightweight padded one. If you have a short trench coat with a hood, that’s a good alternative and useful for rainy days.

City breaks in Budapest

Budapest is perfect for a city break all year round. Whether you plan to stay for the weekend or for a midweek break, you will find great accommodation at any area at reasonable price in one of our centrally located hotels in Budapest. Choose one our hotels for an unforgettable Budapest city break.

Don’t know where to start your planning? Check out our guide for The Best itinerary for 3 days in Budapest.

Things to do on a rainy day

Soak up in a thermal spa

Hungary is famous for its thermal water and spa culture that the country inherited from the times it was part of the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation.

Housed in a neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Bath is Europe’s largest thermal bath complex. Built in 1913, the spa is home to 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools of different temperatures – which you explore even during the cold winter months. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs with average temperature of 74°C and 77°C. It is open year-round, and you might catch some of the locals play chess on floating boards at the edge of the pool come rain, sunshine or even snow.

The baths can be reached by public transport, metro line 1 (yellow line) from Vörösmarty square. (It is also a station of the yellow M1 (Millennium Underground) line of the Budapest Metro) or the trolleybus 72. From downtown, the bath is a few hundred metres beyond Heroes’ Square.

“Sparty” like there is no tomorrow

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Go Hungarian Wine Tasting

Faust Wine Cellar is part of the vast labyrinth system winding beneath Buda Castle. Gábor Nagy, owner and wine sommelier at Faust Wine Cellar, travels throughout Hungary’s 22 wine regions regularly in search of only the best to supply their cellar with. The cellar is such a relaxed and romantic setting and you’ll be sure to leave your tasting with a rich understanding of Hungarian wine. Cozying up with wine in the atmospheric cave is especially one of the best choices for things to do in Budapest during the colder months.

Have lunch at the Central Market Hall

Built in the 19th century, the Central Market Hall is the largest indoor market in Budapest and the focus is on typical Hungarian products. The first floor is the food hall with vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables to Hungarian sausages and Hungarian paprika to Hungarian wines. The market is a great place to visit several vendors for an inexpensive lunch of traditional Hungarian foods and is simply a must do in Budapest. The second floor is full of vendors selling wares like souvenirs and traditional Hungarian embroidery.

Gastro festivals in October

Budapest Restaurant Week

Date: October 7 – 13, 2019

In many top restaurants in Budapest and in the countryside a 3-course exclusive menu is available from 7th until 13th October, for a uniform-fixed price. Half of the participant restaurants offer their menus for only 3,900 HUF (appr. €13) and the other half offer premium menus for 4,900 HUF (appr. €16) & exclusive menus for 5,900 HUF (appr. €19). Service charge is always included in the menu price. Restaurants that serve premium or exclusive menus are marked a red “DiningCity Star” icon (you can find this icon on the restaurant-list page of the Restaurant Week website.) Bookings for the Restaurant Week can only be made through www.etteremhet.hu. 

Chimney Cake Festival

 Date: Oct 11 – 13, 2019, City Park

Budapest’s new gastro festival, the Chimney Cake Festival, promises to be a fun and delicious event. Visitors can learn everything about the sweet, spiral-shaped ‘kürtőskalács’, a traditional pastry, that is so popular in Hungary. The festival offers a wide variety of chimney cakes, prepared over charcoal or fried in oil, plain or rolled into various toppings. There will be drawing contests for kids, magic shows, baking contests and lots of live music.

Sausage and Palinka Festival

Date: Oct 2 – 4, 2019, Buda Castle

The Sausage and Pálinka Festival, held annually in autumn, is an attraction to fans of the combination of food, good drinks and authentic folklore. The festival takes place in Buda castle in Budapest. During the three days of the festival, more than twenty Pálinka distilleries join the best sausage producers. Dance and music Hungarian folklore shows accompany the taste of the sausages and drinks.

The best  art events and exhibitions in October

Art Market Budapest

Date: Oct 8 -11, 2019

Art Market Budapest is an exhibition and art fair that aims to bring attention and awareness to contemporary Central and Eastern European art and artists. Art Market and its programs are designed to help bring the public and the artists closer together. In addition to the exhibition, special programs and art presentations help highlight the uniqueness of art in Central and Eastern Europe.

Art Market Budapest will be held at Millenáris, a ‘Europa Nostra’ awarded complex and one of best equipped cultural centers in Central & Eastern Europe. Art Market Budapest extends into Art Week Budapest, a series of related events, programs and workshops with the participation of various art groups and cultural communities.

Budapest Design Week

Date: 4 – 13 October, 2019, multiple venues (Museum of Applied Arts, Apartment Restaurants in Budapest, Galleries, Parks, etc.)

BDW attempts to visualise design as a set of innovative tools and approach, which would harmonically meet the functional and social demands and produce an indispensable device for the creation of products and services. To support this aim, the events include programs both for the public at large (inaugurations of exhibitions, programs for children, thematic tours, workshop visits) and for the profession (round table discussions, professional lectures, conferences, prize winning galas, etc.), and other elements that would explicitly support the work of economic policy-makers (investors’ meetings, introduction of case studies, lectures, workshops).

World Press Photo Exhibition Budapest

Date: Sept 19 – Oct 23, 2019, Museum of Ethnography Budapest

You can now visit the World Press Photo Exhibition 2019 on its world-wide tour showcasing the stories that matter with photography from the 62nd annual World Press Photo contest. The winners were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 78,801 photographs entered by 4,738 photographers from 129 countries.

Contemporary Art Festival

Date: Oct 4 – 20, 2019, multiple venues (theatres, film theatres, galleries)

From contemporary music to theatre premieres, from popular music and jazz to dance and visual art, the art of our times will again be highlighted in the Hungarian capital during the seventeen days of the event series, which is realised in cooperation between Müpa Budapest, the Budapest Festival and Tourism Centre, and the Hungarian Tourism Agency.

The events will be hosted, among others, by Müpa Budapest, Liszt Academy, BMC, Akvárium Klub, A38 Ship, the Várkert Bazár (Castle Garden Bazaar), Pesti Vigadó, Uránia National Film Theatre and the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts.  

23rd October – Commemoration of the Hungarian Revolution 1956

October 23 is a Hungarian National Holiday that commemorates the 1956 Hungarian revolution and is marked by a range of national events. A number of events will commemorate the day from free exhibitions to an open day at the Hungarian Parliament. The date is when, in 1956, Hungarians began to rise up against Soviet occupation. On this day peaceful protests calling for free elections and a free press started what would become a weeks-long bloody freedom fight in which thousands would die. In the end, in early November, the revolution was crushed and Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest and a Soviet controlled government was reinstated. Despite this the revolution of 1956 is an important event in Hungary’s history and many pay their respects to the people who fought for Hungary’s freedom – especially the many young men and women who gave their lives – or their own personal freedom – for the cause.

Recommended Hotels in the city center

Hotel Astoria ****

The legendary Hotel Astoria Budapest opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. And its location: a 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe), the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street. Furthermore, if you want to venture further, the metro station and tram line are just a few steps away.

Hotel Hungaria City Center ****

The Hotel Hungaria City Center – with an illustrious history stretching beyond 100 years – is renowned for the high standard of its services and its excellent location. The hotel is an ideal base both for tourists and business visitors, with Budapest’s main attractions within easy reach on the M2 and M4 metro lines or by bus from just outside the hotel, and Keleti train station just a few minutes’ walk away.

Hotel Erzsebet City Center ***

Whether you plan to do some sightseeing, browse the shops or go out for a special meal, Hotel Erzsébet City Center is a great starting point.
This modern, atmospheric hotel – occupying a recently pedestrianized street in the city centre – is popular among both business travellers and tourists exploring Budapest. It’s situated in the middle of bustling District 5, which is the capital’s business, commercial and cultural heartland. Váci utca, Budapest’s most famous shopping street, is only a few steps away, and it’s not much further to the Danube Promenade and the legendary Great Market Hall. This neighborhood is full of sights to see, shops, cafés and excellent restaurants.
Numerous buses stop nearby, and the M3, M2 and M4 Metro lines are also within easy reach.

October is a fantastic time to visit Budapest if you like cooler weather and enjoy arts and gastronomy. Don’t let the changing autumn weather put you off as the city is still full of fun: from the coolest exhibitions to annual festivals you find everything in Budapest in October.

CHEAT SHEET

Getting around Budapest in October

One of the best ways to discover a city is by taking public transport and Budapest has a very reliable public transport system. You can get to any area on either side of the Danube using buses, trams, boats, metro, trolleybus, and suburban railways. Public transport is available 24/7 in Budapest with two separate categories of transport for daytime and nighttime. There are bicycles available on rent as well across various docking stations in the city. If you’re planning on using public transport extensively, we would recommend opting for a convenient travelcard. Get more tips on Getting around Budapest.

How to exchange money?

Most places accept credit and debit cards, including restaurants, bars, shops and taxis. Street vendors or small shops may insist on cash only. The national currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF), which you can easily exchange from any currency at bureaux de change. However, there are huge differences between the rates offered by money changers. The worst rates tend to be offered at the airport, railway stations and in banks. The best policy is to exchange currency in a larger bureau such as Northline or Correct Change. Avoid people in the streets offering better rates than the licensed bureaux, as they are most likely out to scam you.

Hi there, welcome to our beautiful city! Are you feeling a bit lost? Don’t worry, it is normal. If it’s your first time in Budapest looking for some fun, our guide to getting around the city will help you understand the public transport system, list lots of alternatives from the airport to the city and guide you through all the essentials from planning your trip to purchasing and always validating (!) your ticket. No matter if you arrive here with your kids or are after the best nightlife destinations, getting around in Budapest is easy and affordable.

There are several ways how to get around in Budapest!

• taxi
• shuttle bus
• car
• tram
• trolley
• funicular
• bus
• metro
• ferry service
• river boats
• suburban train (HÉV)
• local bicycle rental system

This list might be long, so let’s see what’s the best for you!

Arriving in Budapest

Budapest Airport

Budapest’s only airport, Liszt Ferenc International Airport is located about 40 mins from the city centre. Budapest Airport is the second largest airport in the new EU member’s states. Having invested over 325 million EUR in a substantial upgrade and expansion program of the airport, the show piece SkyCourt passenger terminal is winning many awards for its design, efficiency and passenger experience. It’s quick and easy to get thru customs and passport control, collect your luggage and off you go to explore the hidden gems of the city. There are several easy ways to continue your journey to downtown Budapest from taking a taxi to hopping on public transport.

Taxi

On the way out of the airport un-licenced taxis might try to offer you a ride to the city centre, however it’s recommended you always choose the airport’s official partner, Főtaxi, the oldest taxi company in the country.

Taxi drivers speaking at least one foreign language are in service with large, category ‘A’ cars. Reservations can be made in person at the Főtaxi booths located at the exits at Terminals 2A and 2B. At the taxi rank in front of the stands, taxis are parking continuously waiting for passengers. A one-way ride to the city centre should not cost more than 9000 HUF (25-30 EUR) and takes about 3o to 40 minutes. All cars accept card payment.

More information on the airport’s official website.

 Shuttle service

MiniBUD provides comfortable and fast transfer solutions for passengers wishing to travel from the airport to the districts of Budapest, and from the city to the airport.

miniBUD CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail: info@minibud.hu

Web: www.minibud.hu

miniBUD call center: +36 1 550 0000

Car hire

There are plenty of internationally trusted and well-known car hire companies located at the airport building giving you an easy and comfortable access to rent a car. You can book online prior to your arrival so you would spend only a couple of minutes more at the airport to pick up your car.

The complete list of the car hire companies operating at Liszt Ferenc International Airport is found on the  airport’s official website.

Public transport

Arriving at the aiport and choose to travel on with public transport, look out for Customer Service Points of BKK Centre for Budapest Transport at Liszt Ferenc International Airport’s Terminal 2A (daily 8:00-22:00) and Terminal 2B (daily 9:00-21:00). English-speaking attendants will be at your service with useful information on transport and tourism. Almost all types of tickets and passes are available for purchase at the airport including the practical 24- or 72-hour travelcards especially designed for tourists.

As of 7 July, a direct bus line connecting the airport with the city centre was introduced which was long awaited: bus line 100E takes passengers directly to Deák tér (Deak Square). The first bus leaves from the airport each morning at 05:00, and the last one at 0:30. Bus 100E stops between the two terminals on the arrival level.

Important that a special ticket must be purchased which costs 900 HUF (2,5-3 EUR) – other tickets or season tickets are not valid on this service.

Front-door boarding only policy is now in place on bus 200E serving Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Single tickets are available at the following locations:

• BKK Customer Service Points at the arrivals level of airport terminals 2A and 2B
• ticket offices at the bus terminus next to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station:
  • near the exit of metro line M3, in the corridor leading to the MÁV Hungarian State Railways station
  • near the passenger drop-off site of bus 85

Public transport in the city

Most of Budapest’s inner city and historic districts are best to explore by foot. There are pedestrian precincts in downtown Pest and traffic is restricted on Castle Hill, so walking is probably the best way to get around. Great news, however that the city is very well connected by public transportation, too. Budapest has a fast and efficient metro system as well as many trams (streetcars), trollies and buses. Outer suburbs are served by the local suburban railway called HÉV.

Getting around in Budapest is so super easy. Whilst walking is your best bet, tramline 2, 4 and 6 as well as the three subway lines are also good options to get to most places in the city centre.

Subway (Metro) – Budapest has four subway lines that connects most of the city’s most important areas.

M1 or Millennium Underground (yellow line) – runs under Andrássy Avenue in Pest, between Vörösmarty tér and Mexikói út. By using this line you’ll feel like time travelling as line originally opened in 1896 and kept many of the aspect of the era.

M2 (red line) – runs east to west, between Déli pályaudvar and Örs vezér tere

M3 (blue line) – runs north to south in Pest, between Újpest-Központ and Kőbánya-Kispest

M4 – the latest metro line that runs between Kelenföldi pályaudvar and Keleti pályaudvar

The main junction where three subway lines meet is at Deák Ferenc tér in the city center.

Trams – Budapest has a vast system of trams or yellow streetcars. The most useful routes across the city centre are:

No. 2 – runs along the Pest riverfront connecting Margit hid and Petőfi hid.

No. 4 – runs on the Grand Boulevard connecting Széll Kálmán tér (formerly Moszkva tér) and Október 23. utca

No. 6 – runs also on the Grand Boulevard connecting Széll Kálmán tér and Móricz Zsigmond körtér in Buda

No. 19 – runs along the Buda riverfront connecting Batthyány tér and Gellért tér and continues on to Kelenföld

No. 49 – runs between Buda and Pest connecting Kelenföldi Pályaudvar in Buda and Deák tér in Pest

If you ride streetcars 4 or 6 from the first to the last stop in either direction, you will have taken the world’s longest streetcar ride.

Buses – The majority of people in Budapest travel by bus. There are over 200 routes, and express buses with red number signs serve the busiest routes in the city. They travel along the same route as the regular buses with black number signs, but make fewer stops.

Trolley Buses –  Trolley buses are electric buses that draw power from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Trolley bus service is available on 13 routes in Pest only. Interesting fact that trolley buses are numbered starting from 70 because the first route began operations on Stalin’s 70th birthday in 1949.

Danube River Ferry Service – a passenger boat service is available in Budapest between Újpest and Millenniumi Városközpont. The route provides a beautiful commute for locals as well as a great way to get around and see the city from the Danube for visitors.

Riverboats – from May to September, the Budapest Transport Company (BKV) also operates riverboats between Boráros tér and Pünkösdfürdő, with stops including Petőfi tér, Batthiány tér, Jászai Mari tér, Margaret Island and Rómaifürdő.

HÉV (Suburban Railway) – serving the outer districts of Budapest and nearby towns, like Szentendre and Gödöllő.

Public transportation in Budapest ends between 11pm and midnight, when the metro, trams and trolley buses stop operating. There are night buses running (marked with “É”) to make sure you get home from anywhere in the city.

Planning your trip

Hardly anything beats Google Maps or Ways, but if you want to rely on the local knowledge, the Budapest Transport Company, BKK has its own Journey Planner for you to plan your trip ahead. Available both in English and Hungarian.

Purchasing your ticket

 Tickets are valid for the metro, buses, trams, trolley buses, the Cogwheel Railway and the suburban HÉV lines and are available to purchase at any subway station. To avoid long queues you can buy tickets from street stands, news agents or ticket machines in any tram or metro stops. Important to note that the basic ticket is valid for one trip only; if you transfer, you will need to validate a new ticket or use a transfer ticket. Be sure to validate your ticket using the orange or red ticket-punching machines as controllers may ask to see your ticket, and will fine you for not having a valid ticket.

Ticket types

There are single tickets and transfer tickets available to purchase or you can get a discount with a 10-trip coupon book which contains 10 single tickets. Day and tourist passes offer a great deal for visitors, as they allow unlimited use of the public transportation system and are often packaged with free admission to many museums and attractions. For more details please visit the official website of BKK.

Budapest card

Budapest Card is an excellent option if we you wish to have unlimited travel and planning to visit some attractions as well. Cards can be purchased with 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, 96-hour or 120-hour validity and all of them come with great additional benefits. All cards include unlimited travel on public transportation, free entry to several museums, two free walking tours, and 10%-50% discounts at baths, museums, restaurants and spas.

Always validate your ticket

You must always validate your ticket as soon as you board. On the metro network, stamp your ticket with the validating machine before you enter the station. (No need to validate travelcards or passes.)

To use the old-school, manual validator, insert your ticket into the opening on top and punch it by pulling the black frame of the slot towards you. Keep your ticket until the end of your trip. Inspectors will issue a penalty fare to you if you travel without a validated ticket. You can pay in cash on the spot or you can also pay with a bankcard at designated customer service centres.

MOL Bubi Public Bike System

The MOL Bubi public bike system is an environmentally friendly public transport mode ideal for short rides to explore the city on two wheels. The first 30 minutes of each trip are free with a ticket.

When buying a ticket, a deposit of 25 000 HUF per bike will be temporarily blocked in your bank account. Please check MOL Bubi for fares and more information on the terms of use. MOL Bubi is for short rides so rides for over 30 minutes usage fees apply and will increase with time.

Budapest Taxis

 Taxis can be fast and cheap in the city, especially late at night when there is limited public transportation. Taxis can be hailed on the street, but it is cheaper to call ahead of time. All taxis must have a yellow registration plate, as opposed to the white background on regular car plates. All taxameters are equipped with a receipt-printing function, displaying the fares charged and identification of the driver.

• Base fare: HUF 450
• Price per minute: HUF 70
• Price per kilometer: HUF 280

The following are the phone numbers of reliable taxi firms charging fair rates, not ‘tourist tariffs’ (operators are English-speaking).

Citytaxi: (+36-1) 211-1111

Főtaxi: (+36-1) 222-2222 – the officially appointed taxi company to service the airport.

Budataxi: (+36-1) 233-3333

Tele5 taxi: (+36-1) 355-5555

Rádiótaxi: (+36-1) 377-7777

Budapest’s Main Railway Stations

Keleti Pályaudvar or Eastern Railway Station is the largest railway station in Budapest. Located on Baross tér in District 8, Keleti is accessible by subway (M2) and buses No. 5 and 7. Key destinations from Keleti include: Budapest-Győr-Vienna, Budapest-Hatvan-Miskolc, Budapest-Békéscsaba-Arad and Budapest-Kelebia-Beograd.

Nyugati Pályaudvar or Western Railway Station is one of the oldest railway stations in Budapest. Located on the Grand Boulevard at Teréz körút 55-57 in District 6, Nyugati is accessible by subway (M3) and tram line No. 4 and 6. Key destinations from Nyugati include: Budapest-Esztergom, Budapest-Danube Bend, Budapest-Vác and Budapest-Szeged.

Déli Pályaudvar or Southern Railway Station is the main railway station in Budapest. Located in the vicinity of Castle Hill at Krisztina körút 37 in District 1, Déli is accessible by subway (M2) and by streetcars No. 18, 59 and 61. Key destinations from Déli include: Budapest-Pécs, Budapest-Győr and Budapest-Lake Balaton.

Book your hotel with the greatest transport links

Staying close to public transport is always a good idea when visiting a city. Danubius Hotels Groups make sure that you’re always in a convenient location that is easily accessible.

The city’s 4 metro lines provide with great links to most part of the city therefore it may be a good idea to choose one of our lovely hotels on the line M2: Danubius Hotel Astoria, Hotel Hungaria or Hotel Erzsebet; M3: Radisson Blu Beke Hotel, Danubius Hotel Helia and Hotel Erzsebet or the latest metro line, M4: Danubius Hotel Flamenco, Danubius Hotel Gellert or Hotel Hungaria.

The hotel group’s website has an excellent overview of each hotel’s location with all the nearby transport links. If you’re just planning your visit, our Budapest City Breaks page is here to help you find the best hotels with the greatest locations in the city!

Getting around Budapest is super easy with a well-connected transport system, many form of public transport from subway to trolley buses as well as eco-friendly bike rentals. Enjoy your time in Budapest and take long walks around the city centre knowing that there is always a really easy way to get home from anywhere.

Tender, juicy lamb ribs flavoured with herbs and spices are a culinary experience any day of the week. Make this classic dish seasoned with rosemary on a bed of light, colourful vegetables for your holiday meal and bask in the praise!

Ingredients:

• 50 dkg lamb ribs, sliced
• fresh rosemary
• fresh parsley, chopped fine
• garlic
• salt and pepper
• vegetables, as desired, cut into pieces: baby carrots, zucchini, shallots, fennel, tender pea pods, bell peppers
• 1 dl water

Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub with fresh rosemary and olive oil and allow to marinate for a few hours. In a frying pan with a little oil, sear the ribs thoroughly on both sides until the meat is cooked through. Remove the meat when completely done. In the remaining fat, brown the chopped garlic. Add fresh rosemary, parsley, water, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until flavours combine. Braise the tender, chopped vegetables in a little oil, flavoured with salt and wine.

Tipp: Sage is another herb that complements the distinctive flavour of lamb.

We all love an easy drop-by dinner, don’t we? Eating out doesn’t always mean posh restaurants and four course meals. On busy days, late after work, even later after a night out or simply when we don’t feel like cooking, but would love something quick and delicious, food coming from a truck is always an option in Budapest.

The traditional meaning of the term “street food” is slightly misleading as today not only food that is sold on the street is considered street food. A drop-by, quick, easy, delicious dinner from the local corner food bar would do just fine. We have found the best of these places, so let’s see where you can find the best street food in Budapest.

Best Hungarian street food

They say the easiest way to explore a new place is through its food. We all love restaurants, in fact we know all the best restaurants in the city, however the real deal is definitely on the streets. Grandma’s recipe fusing Hungarian flavours with real traditions is everything.

Spicy, rich and an extravaganza of different flavours, Hungarian cuisine is a delicious and surprising discovery for many travelers. Developed over thousands of years of the country’s history, traditional dishes continue to be part of a proud and extremely rich heritage. Not surprising at all that all these traditional Hungarian dishes could be found on the streets. Gulyás

Goulash is the ultimate Hungarian dish, but what most people don’t know is that Gulyas is a soup, not a stew. It’s hearty and full of flavour, on cold days it feels like a long, warm hug. You’ll find lots of take away places with different menus that sometimes feature the classic soup.

Gulyás Tunkoló Büfé, a tiny hole-in-the wall on Kazinczy street also specialises on the iconic Hungarian Goulash. But more than just the classic paprika spiced beef soup, you’ll find various traditional Hungarian stews on the menu, along with a selection of pickles. Get a slice of bread to dip into the rich paprika sauce and enjoy traditional home-cooked Hungarian food a modern way.

Leves

When you’re out and about, especially on a cold autumn or winter day, a cup of soup is a good way to warm up on the go. Leves (soup) is the classic street food place named after the meal Hungarians start a traditional 3-course with: soup, main, dessert. You’ll find tasty soups that are freshly made on site and served up in a cup you can either eat on the stand outside or take with you.

Főzelék

Főzelék is a Hungarian stew-like staple (creamier than a simple soup) you can eat with fresh bread and freshly fried meat. For a healthy version, head over to Hokedli in 10 Nagymező utca. (The most traditional varieties are made of spinach, tomato and cabbage or potato – but it is the place for trying out new ideas).

Sausages – Hurka and kolbász

As we’ve learnt, traditional Hungarian food is meat-heavy, so if you’re in the mood to explore the world of sausage, here’s where you can start: the simplest and probably best version is sült kolbász (Bratwurst or grilled sausage). A slightly more sophisticated version and just as popular is hurka, which is a boiled sausage. Hurka comes in two different types: májas (liver sausage) or véres (blood sausage) and the main ingredients are liver or blood plus rice and spices.

You can of course buy both kolbász and hurka at street stalls with fresh, crusty bread and delicious, juicy pickles. You can try something more modern at Kolbice that is found at the Karavan Street Food Court. For a more traditional route, check out Kurucz Hentes és Lacipecsenye in Klauzál Tér market for a variety of Hungarian sausages. Another excellent alternative is Vágódeszka (chopping board) that will definitely make you realise how great the famous Hungarian sausage can be.

Lángos

This deep fried savoury dough topped with garlic, grated cheese and sour cream is the ultimate Hungarian street food. You may want to walk the entire city after eating just one to get rid of the calories, but it’s totally worth it. You can get lángos all over the city, even on beaches and poolsides during the hot summer months. Central Market Hall and Karavan Street Food Court is a great place for lángos.

Kürtőskalács

Also known as chimney cake, this sweet brioche type bread glazed with sugar is cooked over coals or over an oven before being rolled in cinnamon, nuts or cocoa. It’s more of a seasonal treat, you’ll find it in all the Christmas markets, but you can still try it off season. Molnár’s Kürtöskalács on Váci street is perhaps the easiest place to spoil yourself to true Hungarian sweetness.

Budapest Street Food Festivals

International Street Food Festival – 21-22th September 2019

International street food cavalcade from Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road to Opera, with over 50 food trucks on car-free day.

Taste the world through the hands of Hungarian chefs this unforgettable gastro weekend. The organizers look forward to welcoming you on Saturday and Sunday all day on the Andrássy Avenue gastronomic promenade.

Opening hours:

9:21. Saturday: 10am – 2pm

9:22. Sunday 10am – 10pm

Cuisine from all over the World

Food court for global and local cuisine  

Karavan Food Court

This is a super cozy outdoor place with wide selection of street food options like burgers, tortillas, sausages, ice-creams, pancakes, coffee and Hungarian specialties, all in one place. Centrally located, in a buzzing neighbourhood, right next to the famous Szimpla ruin pub. No matter if it is dinner or lunch time, if you fancy some local street food, head to Kazinczy street and enjoy delicious dishes in the food court of Karaván.

ASIAN

Ngon Street Food

A street-food joint on Kőbányai út, Ngon focuses on Vietnamese-Thai fusion dishes, authenticity evoked by the fresh ingredients sourced from their own grocery store. Instead of offering the traditional phô soup, they have a variety of curries and wok dishes that you can hardly find anywhere else in Budapest.

Funky Pho

Who said street food has to be unhealthy? Funky Pho offers great Vietnamese pho, made with fresh and tasty ingredients, like ginger chicken or beef, rice noodles, fresh vegetables all served up with a hot spicy broth and topped with coriander leaves. You’ll also find Vietnamese spring rolls, salads, noodles and even craft beer on offer here.

Wan Hao

Located in the heart of the Chinese quarter, Wan Hao restaurant is awaiting you with delicious and healthy Chinese and Cantonese gourmet meals. Try Wan Hao’s finest Cantonese dim sums and enjoy the authentic flavours of Baozi, Jiaozi and stir-fried rice noodles in the fresh air. With several delicious low-fat and vegetarian dishes on their menu, Wan Hao offers diet-friendly delicacies to support your spring revival. Take a culinary journey to China with a taste-bud impressing experience.

Padthai Wokbar

Heavenly noodles, fried rice and spice-infused toppings are born in Padthai’s show kitchen, where guests can follow the process how these Asian specialties are prepared over blazing flame, behind a thick glass wall. Besides the delicious treats, guests can pick up refreshing teas or lemonades, while sugar-free refreshments are also available.

Dang Muoi

To savor authentic Vietnamese meals head to any of Dang Muoi’s locales, spread citywide (including Nagymező Street and Veres Pálné Street in central Budapest), offering delicacies such as fried goat meat, Vietnamese spinach salad, or fried rice pasta with beef. 

INDIAN

Punjab Tandoori

With a menu based on Punjabi gastronomy, this unpretentious restaurant serves some of the best Indian dishes in Budapest, where besides the meaty treats, such as Tandoori chicken or lamb korma, the menu presents an abundant selection of vegetarian meals, such as palak paneer or crispy vegetable samosas.

BAGELS AND BURGERS

Bors

For excellent street food made with high quality ingredients, you’ll want to try Bors GasztroBár for their daily specials of soups and baguettes. Their unique recipes and gourmet take on simple dishes, like a simple soup or a tasty sandwich, makes it the place to go for some high-quality street food.

Zing

Delicious burgers made with prime cuts of beef and served up with high quality ingredients by Zing Burger. You can either visit their restaurant in Kiraly utca or various food trucks around the city. You can even get burgers made with Angus beef served with unique house-made sauces.

Paneer

If you love cheese, you’ll love Paneer. You’ll find various fried cheeses from cheddar and camembert to Hungarian cheeses like trappista and Maci, but even better are their “Real Cheese Burgers”. Fried cheese in a ciabatta bun with their own steak sauce and fried or dried onions and salad is the perfect meat-free alternative.

ITALIAN

Pizzica

When it comes to pizza, Italians do it best, and this small place on Nagymező utca is run by Paolo who makes authentic Italian style pizza. The thin base pizza is served straight from the oven and cut up with scissors. Try Pizzica’s delicious classic pizza made with torn up bits of fresh mozzarella and rocket or the pizza topped with potato and drizzled with truffle oil.

2 Spaghi

With an abundant selection of fresh pastas prepared here every morning, 2 Spaghi is a true Italian-style dining destination found in two distinct locales in central Budapest. Meals are not only available for eat in, but guests can pick a box of raw pasta of many varieties for takeaway.

KEBAB

Gyradiko           

With its traditional tavern-vibe Gyradiko is an ideal locale for those who are fond of great Greek food and have limited time. From palatable goat-cheese cream, to hot and cold Meze platters, to aromatic souvlaki, this District III locale is worth a trip outside Budapest’s downtown zone.

Szeráj

Offering a mix of Turkish and Hungarian cuisine, Szeráj, located between Margaret bridge and Western Railway station is a happening spot day and night, selling substantial portions of gyros, falafel, alongside various meat and vegetable dishes at fair prices. The place is open until the late-night hours when it’s often filled with the post-party crowd.

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN

Hummus Bar

As a revered hummus hotspot in multiple locales citywide, the menu here boasts a combination of healthy vegetarian and meat-infused meals. Try any of the hummus offers with various toppings and soft pita bread, or a plateful of flavorful Shakshuka.

VegaCity

Just a stone’s throw away from always busy Kálvin tér and Astoria, a friendly vegan restaurant awaits the health-conscious with a continuously varying lunch menu and a range of breakfast options in the heart of the city. Besides the finely prepared warm cooked meals, there are tasty homemade hamburgers, gluten and sugar free desserts, sandwiches, freshly squeezed juices or smoothies. Try the Gandaburi, their gluten free, vegan hamburger or their special cake, sweetened by banana and date, also made of chickpea flour without gluten. From 9 AM to 7 PM on weekdays, VegaCity is one of the healthiest alternatives, but it’s worth dropping by the neighbouring BioABC and VitaminABC, too.

Rukkola

Rukkola is where everything on the menu is named after the colours of the rainbow. Baross utca’s tiny salad shop is the favourite spot for locals and foreigners who fancy a tasty, filling (and healthy) meal, a juicy smoothie or a heart-warming soup around. Their offer is tasty and affordable. All of their delicious sandwiches are under 1000 HUF and the creative, zesty salads are also available within an acceptable price range. With ingredients like cashew nut, pesto, tuna, spinach, pasta, chicken breast, iceberg salad, dried tomato or arugula, Rukkola creates an incredible experience for your taste buds.

Vegan garden

Vegan Garden is the world’s first plant-based food yard, inspired and motivated by veganism and sustainability. Offering, fast, fresh and healthy food choices the food trucks in this yard provide an alternative dining experience to some of the other food vans around the city. You can find this piece of plant-based goodness that lives side by side at Rácskert, Dob Utca, in Budapest’s vibrant Jewish District. Popular with both locals and tourists enjoying the gardens relaxed atmosphere, the Vegan Garden offers more than just an al fresco eating experience. With recyclable cups, trays and cutlery the garden promotes a sustainable and eco-friendly approach.

Budapest is a paradise for foodies and everyone who is looking for a unique culinary experience. The locals are driven by food and like all good Eastern-Europeans: love to eat. Street food is part of culture now which further embraces what we learnt from our parents: enjoy life through true flavours.

Rich soups are always in season. 

Ingredients:

• 40 dkg lamb (shoulder) cubed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 10 dkg each carrots, parsley root, celeriac, and zucchini
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dl olive oil
• 3 dl heavy cream
• salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley
• tarragon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon wheat or rice flour (gluten-free)

Cut the vegetables and meat into cubes of equal size. In a little oil, brown the chopped onion, adding the garlic at the end. Season with salt and pepper before adding the bay leaves and cubed lamb.  Allow to become slightly browned, then add vegetables and water to cover. Thicken with flour mixed with cream and cold water. Sour with tarragon and tarragon vinegar. Add fresh parsley for that final touch before serving.

Tip: The broth left after boiling a smoked ham can be substituted for the water, but in that case, go easy on the salt!

August is one of the favourite times of the year to visit Budapest. Long summer days followed by even longer summer nights cooled down by a gentle breeze that is trying to remind us of the approaching autumn. Budapest is blooming and celebrating life to its absolute best. Budapest is one of a kind. A love affair. A never ending date night with the best tunes, food and the fruitiest wine. Let the city show you its kindest, most lovable side: it’s unforgettable August.

August weather in Budapest

Budapest weather in August is extremely enjoyable with high temperatures lasting throughout the month and into September. There might be a chance of rain, but showers tend to be light and fast, so it won’t get in the way of your holiday.

August has an average temperature of 21°C with highs of 27°C – however, regularly staying in the 30’s in recent years. You can expect cooler weather at night when winds help to bring temperatures down to a comfortable level so make sure you always have an extra layer of clothes with you. Great news that you’ll have 13 hours of sunshine each day and humidity levels remain low, although there can be some cloud coverage towards the end of the month and on rainy days.

Budapest enjoys a continental climate which means the region gets cool weather in the winter and quite a lot of annual rainfall. Thunderstorms are more common in the summer because the rainfall is heavier and rising temperatures seem to fuel the storms. However, strong winds and heavy downpours can be avoided with a visit to the museum or a shopping spree in the local shopping centre.

What to wear in August

As briefly mentioned above you need to have enough breathable clothing for the Hungarian summer. If you choose to do a lot of walking, pack comfortable walking shoes and a small water bottle that you can carry around. Don’t forget to apply a generous amount of sunscreen as the Sun can get burning during the hot summer days. Most importantly pack your swimsuits for your day at one of the thermal pools or the sensational outdoor lidos either on Margaret Island or other parts of the city. However, since raining is not uncommon, carry waterproof jackets or at least an umbrella. Because Hungarian weather is mainly consistent, but can come with surprises, we would recommend to check the weather forecast before you start packing.

Get more tips for The best itinerary for 3 days in Budapest.

Cheap flights to Budapest in August

All major airlines fly to Budapest on daily, but at least on weekly basis. You can catch the best deals on Google Flights by looking and booking 2-3 months before you’d like to travel.

City breaks in Budapest

Budapest is perfect for a city break in August and all year round. Whether you plan to stay for the weekend or for a midweek break, you will find great accommodation at any area at reasonable price in one of our centrally located hotels in Budapest. Choose one our hotels for an unforgettable Budapest city break.

Our favourite reasons to visit Budapest in August

1. Chill out at the best outdoor pools in Budapest

Budapest lies on the geological fault separating the Buda Hills from the flat Great Plain, and more than 30,000 cubic metres of warm to scalding (21°C to 76°C) mineral water gush forth daily from some 123 thermal and more than 400 mineral springs. As a result, the city is a major spa centre and ‘taking the waters’ at one of the city’s many spas or combination spa–swimming pool complexes is a real Budapest experience.

Palatinus

Located on Margaret Island, in a beautiful setting, Palatinus water park is a popular place in the summer, especially during the weekends. There are 11 pools, including two thermal pools, two children’s pools and two swimming pools, among others.
Location: Margaret Island, District 13
Opening hours: Summer only, open from May to September (weather permitting), 9 am to 8 pm daily

Római

Római, or the Roman, outdoor pool is located in the oldest part of Budapest. Archeological finds from the area date back to the Roman times, thus the name. Római houses three pools, including a swimming pool and a children’s pool.
Address: Rozgonyi Piroska utca 2
Location: Óbuda, District 3
Opening hours: Summer only, open from May to September (weather permitting), 9 am to 8 pm daily

Paskál

Built in 1989, Paskál is one of the youngest open-air pools in Budapest. There are two pools, one of them is a children’s pool.
Address: Egressy út 178/F
Location: Pest, District 14
Opening hours: Summer only, open from May to September (weather permitting), 9 am to 8 pm daily

Aquaworld

Aquaworld Budapest is a large indoor water park, open all year around. It has 17 pools, including a swimming pool, a wave pool and a surf pool, besides 11 slides. There is a separate area for small children with pools and playhouses. In the summer there are additional outdoor facilities on a fully landscaped beach area.
Address: Ives út 16
Location: Pest, District 4
Openig hours: year-round, 6 am to 10 pm daily

Dagály

The history of Dagály Baths dates back to the 1940’s, when the first pool was built. Since the 1970’s Dagály Bath gets its water supply from the same thermal spring as Széchenyi Baths, elevating its status to a thermal bath. There are ten pools, including two swimming pools, a thermal pool, a wave pool and a children’s pool.
Address: Népfürdő utca 36
Location: Pest, District 13
Opening hours: year-round, 6 am to 8 pm daily

2. Enjoy World famous Summer Festivals

August is all about outdoors and celebrations. The Best Budapest Summer Festivals are awaiting you with World-class music, food and drinks.

3. Sziget Festival – 7-13th August

The famous Sziget Festival, Hungary’s most popular summer music festival to date is held every August in Northern Budapest on Óbudai-sziget (“Old Buda Island”), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube.
The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile student event in 1993 to one of the prominent European rock festivals, with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, especially from Western Europe. In addition to music, the festival offers a plethora of other activities including cinema, dance, theatre, tattooing, Internet access, volleyball, tennis, football, indoor rowing, rock climbing, bungee jumping and a life-sized foosball. The island is located in the city of Budapest allowing trips to the city centre during the day.

In 2011, Sziget was ranked one of the 5 best festivals in Europe by The Independent. The festival is a two-time winner at the European Festivals Awards in the category Best Major European Festival, in 2011 and 2014.

You can choose from endless choices of daily tickets and passes from simple tickets (€75) to Citizen (€289) and Moving-in passes.

4. Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle – 17-20th August

Every year, the Festival of Folk Arts workshops – where masters present special craft tricks and practices – draw a great deal of interest during the St Stephen’s Day celebration series. Visitors are able to observe unique knowledge rooted in centuries of generational experience, immense humility and love. During the event, tradesmen move their workshops to the Buda Castle so that whoever would like to can try their hands at the many crafts. These four days are indeed a celebration of masters and crafts, a borderless event that is the most significant meeting place for masters living in Hungary and abroad. It is truly a festival of crafts!

5. Bath party series in Szechenyi Bath – all month

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Szechenyi bath parties are held in the hot summer months, late at night after the official closing hours from 10:30pm to 3:00am.
What should you wear? A stylish fashion show piece with stiletto, a dancing queen dress, or should you just be bare naked? No, all you have to bring along is nice swimwear, whatever that may be: bikini is just as good as a one piece, besides speedos, long trunks, surf style swim shorts are all welcome. A towel would be very useful, too.
Beers, wines, cocktails, juices and more can be bought on site with your special waterproof party card: there is no cash payment, but you can top up your Party Card with cash or card. The Party Card has a string attached so you can keep it safe with you in the water (around the neck or arm).
On top of the regular Sparties, the spectacular Cinetrip Pool Party is on twice a year: the first one is in August, around the Sziget Festival date, (the other one is normally on 30th December pre-NYE Party). These parties are awesome. No wonder Cinetrip editions are always the greatest hits of the summer season, as they are even more spectacular than the regular weekly bath parties with their own fireworks show.

Buying your party tickets online includes a locker (or a private cabin in the bonus tickets), too. You can book your ticket in advance here.

6. Need for speed? You’ll love F1 Hungarian Grand Prix – 2-4th August

The Hungaroring Circuit was built in 1985, located a few kilometres north-east of the Hungarian capital. The track is in a huge 110 hectare natural valley making the views as spectacular as the racing.
With the exceptional natural advantage of being situated in a natural amphitheatre, almost 70 percent of the racetrack is visible from any point and this makes the circuit a fan favourite.

A favourite with the drivers and teams for the excellent facilities, the circuit has also cemented itself as a fan favourite too. Located so close to a major city, there is no shortage of accommodation, restaurants, entertainment and tourist attractions.
The Hungaroring Circuit meets the highest technical requirements and is regarded to be one of the safest race tracks in the world, while still playing host to exciting racing.

7. Celebrate Hungary’s birthday on St Stephen’s Day – 20th August

August 20th is the greatest national holiday for Hungarians, celebrated with day-long festivities followed by spectacular fireworks throughout the country. August 20th commemorates the foundation of the Hungarian state, it’s like Hungary’s 4th of July. Also called St. Stephen’s Day, remembering Stephen I, the first king of Hungary and founder of the Kingdom of Hungary, who was canonised on August 20th, 1083 by Pope Gregory VII.

Festivities usually start already on 18th August with the spectacular fireworks closing the holiday on 20th. A series of state ceremonies launch the holiday programs in the morning on 20th August to commemorate the Foundation of the Hungarian State.
The main venues of the state programs are held in Kossuth Square in front of the Hungarian Parliament, and in Heroes’ Square. Besides the state celebrations, a wide range of other programs welcome visitors both in the morning and in the afternoon ensuring a wonderful time for the whole family.

Read more on 20th August Fireworks and family events in Budapest.

8. Where will you get the best view of the fireworks?

Views from both Buda Castle and the Danube River bank are spectacular. If you want to reserve your seat in the first raw we recommend staying in one of our amazing hotels and let us spoil you for a special weekend.

Hilton Budapest

The Hilton Budapest is one of the Hungarian capital’s most iconic hotels, and staying here is a matchless and unforgettable experience – on top of which the view of the fireworks will take your breath away. It’s no coincidence that the guest book is filled with the signatures of heads of state, international film stars and celebrities. In the heart of the Buda Castle District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the luxurious hotel offers its guests breathtaking panoramic views of the Danube both from their rooms and from their tables in the stylish LÁNG Bistro & Grill.
The building of the Hilton Budapest, a member of the famous Hilton chain of hotels, is a unique feat of architectural bravado: a modern hotel interior melded with elements of the 13th-century Dominican monastery that once stood here. The historic Dominican Courtyard is a popular venue for open-air events, concerts, receptions and weddings.
The magic continues as you step outside the hotel. With its cobbled streets in the shadow of Buda Castle, Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion, this is an area of Budapest that will steal your heart forever…

Hotel Gellért

The Art Nouveau style Danubius Hotel Gellért first opened its doors in 1918, and has long been an iconic Budapest landmark that has even featured in Hollywood films. Its stately building, at the foot of the Gellért hill, also houses the world-famous Gellért Baths, which include an outdoor pool with the original wave-generating device installed in 1927.

Over the years, some famous names have stayed at the Gellért – including American presidents and European royalty – and the hotel retains the elegant atmosphere of a bygone age. Guests can enjoy superb cuisine at the Panoráma Restaurant or Gellért Brasserie, and take advantage of wellness treatments and medical programmes at the adjacent Gellért Baths. Furthermore, the hotel is the perfect base for exploring, located next to one of Budapest’s most beautiful bridges and a short walk from Pest’s Great Market Hall and shopping streets.

Budapest in August is hot and extremely busy. From celebrations to summer festivals, there is something to do for everyone. If you enjoy burning sunshine, good music, late nights and lidos, Budapest is all you need.

Cheat sheet

How to exchange currency

Most places accept credit and debit cards, including restaurants, bars, shops and taxis. Street vendors or small shops may insist on cash only. The national currency is Hungarian Forint (HUF), which you can  easily exchange from any currency at bureaux de change. However, there are huge differences between the rates offered by money changers. The worst rates tend to be offered at the airport, railway stations and in banks. The best policy is to exchange currency in a larger bureau such as Northline or Correct Change. Avoid people in the streets offering better rates than the licensed bureaux, as they are most likely out to scam you.

Getting Around Budapest in August

Most of Budapest’s inner city and historic districts are best to explore by foot. There are pedestrian precincts in downtown Pest and traffic is restricted on Castle Hill, so walking is probably the best way to get around. Great news, however, that the city is very well connected by public transportation, too. Budapest has a fast and efficient metro system as well as many trams, trollies and buses. Outer suburbs are served by the local suburban railway called HÉV.

There are two separate categories of transport, divided based on time. The daytime transport is available from 04:30 AM to 11:50 PM and the night transport is available from 11:50 PM to 4:30 AM. To make getting around the city easier, there are many travel cards you can pick from including a 24-hour travelcard, a 72-hour travelcard and even a 7-day travelcard.

Read more about Getting around Budapest.

What to avoid

Budapest has its own higher crime areas, however the city is relatively safe at night compered to another capitals. Thefts and pickpocketing could be quite common in certain parts of town, so always keep an eye on your belongings, especially in busy places, like bars, trams and buses. Avoid poorly lit streets and stay close to your friends if you are tired or had a couple of drinks. If you are the victim of a crime, or if you see an incident, call 112 and tell to the operator that you need help. The main squares and streets in the downtown area are under CCTV surveillance.

If you are excited about visiting Budapest in August then see more here: 3 days in Budapest itinerary.

Most people eat crêpes with jam, cocoa, or sweetened cheese curd, but have you ever tried them with mascarpone? Fresh fruit and a delicious creamy filling transforms these crêpes into a dish fit for a king… A dessert of Royal proportions! 

Ingredients:

• Crêpes
• Mascarpone
• Mint
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla
• Lime juice and grated lime peel
• Orange peel
• Strawberries

For the filling, mix the mascarpone with the vanilla, fresh mint, brown sugar, grated lime and orange peels, and lime juice. Spread filling over each crêpe and fold into a triangle. Serve with caramel sauce and strawberries.

Tip: Basic crêpes recipe:  beat 2 eggs, 35 dkg flour, a pinch of salt, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ litre of milk, and 2 dl carbonated mineral water until smooth. Allow to stand a few minutes, then fry in a lightly oiled, hot crêpe pan on both sides until golden brown.

Whether you’re soaking it up in the famous thermal spas around the city, bar crawling through the ever-popular ruins pubs or admiring the city from above – no one could deny that Budapest is a city everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.
This is especially true for fun seekers and party lovers as summer festivals in Budapest are definitely bucket-list worthy.  During the hot summer months, the city is filled with amazing music festivals, summer festivals, cultural and art events that will keep just about everyone happy. Let’s whizz through the upcoming events to see what’s Budapest Summer Festivals holding for you in 2019.

Summer weather in Budapest

Summer in Budapest lasts for about 3.5 months. The climatic conditions during summer resemble those of the Mediterranean environment which makes the country a great tourist destination. The city sees lots of daylight averaging 9 to 11 hours every day with temperatures hovering around 25°C.
Summer (May, June, July, and August) is a favourite time to tour the city. Though it may sometimes get considerably hot during the day, the city gets crowded as most tourists come to see the brimming World Heritage Sites and enjoy summer festivals. Weather conditions are pleasant for more fun due to longer days and night walking in the warm evenings.

Music Festivals

Sziget Festival – 7-13th August

Venue: Budapest, Óbudai-sziget

The famous Sziget Festival, Hungary’s most popular summer music festival to date is held every August in Northern Budapest on Óbudai-sziget (“Old Buda Island”), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube.
The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile student event in 1993 to one of the prominent European rock festivals, with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, especially from Western Europe. It also has a dedicated “party train” service with resident DJs that transports festival-goers from all over Europe. By 1997, total attendance surpassed the 250,000 mark, reaching an all-time peak in 2016 with 496,000 visitors from 95 countries (the daily capacity having been raised to 90,000).
It is now being increasingly labelled as a European alternative to the Burning Man festival due to its unique features (“an electronically amplified, warped amusement park that has nothing to do with reality”).
In 2011, Sziget was ranked one of the 5 best festivals in Europe by The Independent. The festival is a two-time winner at the European Festivals Awards in the category Best Major European Festival, in 2011 and 2014.
In addition to music, the festival offers a plethora of other activities including cinema, dance, theatre, tattooing, Internet access, volleyball, tennis, football, indoor rowing, rock climbing, bungee jumping and a life-sized foosball.
The island is located in the city of Budapest allowing trips to the city centre during the day.

You can choose from endless choices of daily tickets and passes from simple tickets (€75) to Citizen (€289) and Moving-in passes.

Summer Bath Parties – 7-13th August

Venue: Szechenyi Bath

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Szechenyi bath parties are held in the hot summer months, late at night after the official closing hours from 10:30pm to 3:00am.
What should you wear? A stylish fashion show piece with stiletto, a dancing queen dress, or should you just be bare naked?
No, all you have to bring along is nice swimwear, whatever that may be: bikini is just as good as a one piece, besides speedos, long trunks, surf style swim shorts are all welcome. A towel would be very useful, too.
Beers, wines, cocktails, juices and more can be bought on site with your special waterproof party card: there is no cash payment, but you can top up your Party Card with cash or card. The Party Card has a string attached so you can keep it safe with you in the water (around the neck or arm).

On top of the regular Sparties, the spectacular Cinetrip Pool Party is on twice a year: the first one is in August, around the Sziget Festival date, (the other one is normally on 30th December pre-NYE Party). These parties are awesome. No wonder Cinetrip editions are always the greatest hits of the summer season, as they are even more spectacular than the regular weekly bath parties with their own fireworks show.
Buying your party tickets online includes a locker (or a private cabin in the bonus tickets), too.

Cultural and Art Festivals

St Stephen’s Day

Venue: All around Budapest and the country

August 20th is the greatest national holiday for Hungarians, celebrated with day-long festivities followed by spectacular fireworks throughout the country. August 20th commemorates the foundation of the Hungarian state, it’s like Hungary’s 4th of July. Also called St. Stephen’s Day, remembering Stephen I, the first king of Hungary and founder of the Kingdom of Hungary, who was canonised on August 20th, 1083 by Pope Gregory VII.

Festivities usually start already on 18th August with the spectacular fireworks closing the holiday on 20th.

A series of state ceremonies launch the holiday programs in the morning on 20th August to commemorate the Foundation of the Hungarian State.
The main venues of the state programs are held in Kossuth Square in front of the Hungarian Parliament, and in Heroes’ Square.
Besides the state celebrations, a wide range of other programs welcome visitors both in the morning and in the afternoon ensuring a wonderful time for the whole family.
The celebration starts with the raising of the Hungarian flag on Kossuth Square in the morning.

Street of Hungarian Flavours

A Gastro Promenade on the Danube Bank in Buda, between Várkert Bazaar – a beautiful, refurbished series of buildings built at the end of the 19th century – and  Döbrentei Square in Buda (north of Chain Bridge). Visit the Street of Hungarian Flavours (Magyar Ízek Utcája) to taste traditional Hungarian food and drinks as part of the St Stephen’s Day celebration series.

Cake of the Country

Each year a special cake is prepared to celebrate our country’s foundation. Prior to St Stephen’s Day the National Guild of Hungarian Confectioners selects the best recipe submitted by confectioners from all over Hungary which is then announced during the celebration.
You can first taste it – along with the healthy version torte during these couple of days celebrating St Stephen’s Day.
Following the event all major confectioneries all over the country will offer the cake for a full year.

The 20th August Fireworks and family events in Budapest is a great experience for everyone who’s after a fun day.

Festival of Folk Arts – 17-20th August

Venue: Buda Castle

Every year, the Festival of Folk Arts workshops – where masters present special craft tricks and practices – draw a great deal of interest during the St Stephen’s Day celebration series. Visitors are able to observe unique knowledge rooted in centuries of generational experience, immense humility and love. During the event, tradesmen move their workshops to the Buda Castle so that whoever would like to can try their hands at the many crafts. These four days are indeed a celebration of masters and crafts, a borderless event that is the most significant meeting place for masters living in Hungary and abroad. It is truly a festival of crafts!

Jewish Summer Festival

The Jewish Summer Festival started 17 years ago with the purpose of introducing the Jewish culture and heritage. Over the years it grew bigger and bigger, now people come here from all over the World to experience the traditions and the unique vibe of the Jewish Quarter.
One of the three main event sites is the Dohány Street Synagogue where the biggest concerts are held. Among the performers you can find the Budapest Klezmer Band – a world famous group of musicians that plays traditional Jewish music, The Dohány Symphonic Orchestra, The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and so on. The second one is the Rumbach Street Synagogue that is hosting modern jazz, blues-rock jazz concerts and the Independent Theatre, performing Caligula’s Eparch.
The third venue is Goldmark Hall, where the Independent Theatre also performs the Fourth Gate and the Dohány Street Sheriff amongst others. These plays are strongly connected to the Jewish traditions and destiny.
This festival offers a great insight to this vast culture and community, it introduces wonderful artists, actors with almost thirty different programmes and performances, in the beautiful centre of Budapest.

The Night of the Museums – 23rd June 2019, 2020

Have a sleepover with history; spend the night in Budapest’s museums and find out if museums really do come to life after hours. Museums open their doors to visitors until 2:30 am for this annual event.
Participating museums include famous museums and galleries, like the Hungarian National Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Budapest History Museum, the House of Terror Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Natural History Museum.
Unique museums with quirky collections are also on the list, such as the Hospital in the Rock Museum, the Underground Railway Museum, the Museum of Electrotechnics, the Postal Museum and the Museum of Transport.
There are more than 1,000 programs offered, all of which can be visited with one single ticket; including bus transfer between main venues.
Admission: Armbands cost HUF 1,500 (cca. €5) for adults and HUF 600 (cca. €2) for children (ages 6-18, free entry for kids under 6) and are valid from 6:00 pm until 2 am on the dedicated days each year. Armband includes free transfer between venues on the ‘Museum Bus’, as well as usage of the public transport system from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am. Get your armband at the museum of your choice and explore some of the collections at over 100 museums and galleries in Budapest. For more info and a complete list of participating museums visit the official website.

Budapest PRIDE – 3-12th July

Budapest Pride is the biggest annual LGBT event in Hungary. Smaller than most Western Prides, the main Budapest Pride march is more of a political demonstration. You can also celebrate the month of Pride with film festivals, exhibitions, picnics, concerts and parties, all in this beautiful and romantic city. The entire Budapest Pride Festival lasts over a month, so plan your schedule accordingly and don’t miss out on all the fun.
The march of Budapest Pride proceeds though the main street of Andrássy Avenue (between the City Park and Elizabeth Square). Following the colourful parade people can enjoy an alfresco Rainbow Party in the eclectic Budapest Park.
Hosted by Funhouse, the extravagant Rainbow Party welcomes top DJs and live performers, creating a truly fun and enjoyable ambiance. All of this is wrapped up with an impressive fireworks show.
While Budapest may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of Pride destinations in Europe, its annual celebrations certainly puts on a lively show which enables the local LGBTQ community to embrace their pride in significant proportions.

Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Festival – 2nd July – 3rd August

Venue: City Park – Vajdahunyad Castle

The Vajdahunyadvár Summer Festival is a festival of classical music, swing, klezmer as well as traditional Hungarian gypsy music. The courtyard of Vajdahunyad Castle, built in Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles, provides a beautiful and romantic background for this annual event.
Performances are usually scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays and start at 8:30 pm.

Sport Festivals

Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix

Venue: Hungaroring, Mogyorod

The Hungaroring Circuit was built in 1985, located a few kilometres north-east of the Hungarian capital. Under the impetus of Bernie Ecclestone, who wanted an Eastern European venue for the F1 Championship, the construction took only 8 months. The track is in a huge 110 hectare natural valley making the views as spectacular as the racing.
With the exceptional natural advantage of being situated in a natural amphitheatre, almost 70 percent of the racetrack is visible from any point and this makes the circuit a fan favourite.
The constantly improving circuit, with its excellent infrastructure, meets the strictest requirements for F1 racing. It is praised by the FOM and FIA and it is a popular venue for testing, with the summer F1 testing taking place here.
The Hungaroring Circuit meets the highest technical requirements and is regarded to be one of the safest race tracks in the world, while still playing host to exciting racing.
A favourite with the drivers and teams for the excellent facilities, the circuit has also cemented itself as a fan favourite too. Located so close to a major city, there is no shortage of accommodation, restaurants, entertainment and tourist attractions.

Whatever sets your soul on fire this summer, Budapest will get you covered. From dancing in the moonlight on a hot summer night to getting your heart rate up with speedy race cars, Hungary has the best of the best summer can offer.

This delicious dessert is prepared differently from household to household. We think our fruit-enriched variation will quickly became a favourite of yours, or even an idea for rejuvenating your grandmother’s own recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 15 dkg sugar
• pinch of salt
• 40 dkg rice cooked in milk, cold
• the scraped out interior of 1 vanilla bean
• 25 dkg fresh strawberries, chopped
• butter, breadcrumbs

Separate the eggs, beating the yolks with half the sugar until frothy. Beat the whites with the other half of the sugar until stiff.  Flavour the rice, previously cooked and cooled, with vanilla. Carefully add the egg yolk mixture, folding in the fruit, followed by the stiffened egg whites. Pour into a buttered baking mould sprinkled with bread crumbs. Bake at 160 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.  Check for doneness with a toothpick. Serve with raspberry sauce and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Tip: Raspberries, blackberries, or whortleberries may be used in place of the strawberries. Where a softer soufflé is preferred, add 5-6 dkg of butter to the egg yolks.

Have breakfast like a king! – we say often, however we can only keep our well-known wisdom during our less busier days, can’t we? During long weekends, family vacations, sightseeing or romantic holidays, we have more time to enjoy a long, lovely breakfast. That’s when those, who usually miss the first meal of the day on busy weekdays would also join us at the table instead of picking up a quick coffee on the way. Breakfast can be a truly culinary experience.  In this article we would like to show you our favourite breakfast places and the best breakfast options in Budapest so you are confident where to go for breakfast depending on your individual taste.

Traditional Hungarian breakfast

It can vary depending on seasons or whether we fancy cold or hot breakfast. A delicious pastry with a nice artisan coffee is always a great option, but cured meets, toast, jams, cheeses, many different forms of eggs are all on the list of the locals’ favourites.

If you are staying in a hotel during your visit in Budapest, your booking usually includes breakfast. The long buffet tables offer cold and hot breakfast options, cured meets, egg dishes, sausage and salami, French toast, cheeses, jams, vegetables and fruits, but a good  selection of breads and pastries, crispy croissants is also a must. Oatmeal, yoghurts and muesli, naturally with seeds, dried fruits and gluten-free and lactose-free products represent a healthy breakfast. Breakfast must also include juices, teas and coffee, whilst in some places you can even enjoy unlimited champaign during breakfast.

Such an abundant breakfast buffet usually makes us return to the buffet several times so we could stay filled up until the end of the day till dinner time, which is also available in a classic hotel half-board service.

It may happen that your hotel room does not include breakfast automatically though, in which case you are entrusted with where and how you would like to have breakfast. The good news is that Budapest is full of great options from top restaurants to individual craft bakeries. Here is the list of our top breakfast tips:

•  A la carte breakfast on the Danube: Like all Danubius hotels, Danubius Hotel Helia also offers an a la carte breakfast, not only for hotel guests but also for visitors who are not staying in the hotel. On the terrace of Episode restaurant, if the weather allows us we can have our royal breakfast in a cozy environment. We can not even complain in cooler weather, as the hotel offers a recently refurbished restaurant with an eye-catching interior and ultramodern buffet. We may spend hours and hours eating and chatting, experiencing every bit of this culinary experience.
• The Legendary Hilton Breakfast: There is the day, when we want to celebrate breakfast in the Buda Castle. In this case, the best thing we can do is walk into Hilton Budapest’s wonderful LÁNG Bistro & Grill restaurant, taking up the huge window that opens to Fishermen’s Bastion and just enjoy the moment. You can choose from a rich breakfast buffet with unlimited champagne or continental breakfast, but if you only want to have a delicious omelette or fruit salad from the menu you will also have the opportunity to do so. As a sweet pampering, French toast, emperor dumplings or pancakes are waiting for you to start your day in a beautiful way.
  
• Morning at Cafe Astoria: the atmosphere of Budapest, Vienna, Paris and London can be recalled in the breakfast menu of Cafe Astoria. Hungarian delicacies of Budapest (salami, sausage, boiled eggs, fresh vegetables, homemade bread), Vienna’s crisp white sausage with fresh buns and mustard, horseradish, Parisian cinnamon – bread with honey, fresh fruits and London’s barbecue sausage, chilli beans, fried eggs unite in the breakfast offer accompanied by delicious breakfast drinks, of course.
• Breakfast at the Market Hall: The Fővám Square Market Hall, built in the late 1800s, is not only a breakfast place in Budapest, but also a cultural experience. It is a beautiful architectural monument and an exciting, busy, huge marketplace where you can spend some hours curiously contemplating, while tasting delicious delicacies such as lángos, grilled sausages, chimney cake, croissants or home-made strudel, cheeses, scones.
• Brinner by Zsolnay: Can you imagine anything better than an all-day breakfast? Brinner, a.k.a breakfast for dinner, offers a themed variation of coloured ingredients any time of the day, besides omelettes, snacks, salads and sandwich creations are also available. Zsolnay Café’s atmosphere speaks for itself, offering a peaceful experience in the bustle of the Grand After finishing the gorgeous brinner, it is so easy to get tempted by a slice of delicious Zsolnay cake, too…
• Fast-food breakfasts: If you trust the well-known global chains, you might want to try McDonalds or Starbucks, where you can enjoy a tasty sandwich or coffee. If you are looking for a truly Hungarian experience, you can choose from a selection of pastry, sandwiches or a cocoa-cinnamon-pizza swirl that is already a classic breakfast from Lipot Bakery.

Walking down the streets of Budapest, you will come across small craft bakeries, cozy cafés and health-conscious breakfast buffets any time. If you fancy something truly unique you can always check out the best restaurants in Budapest, too. It is worth experimenting, discovering new flavours and playful takes on the classical breakfast. Budapest is a Culinary Heaven, so keep you mind and heart open and get ready for a truly heavenly experience wherever you choose to eat.

Don’t let spring get by you without serving some fresh asparagus!  Though this vegetable has near-zero calories (only 17 kcal/ 100 g), its nutritional value is in the clouds. Asparagus contains vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C, as well as calcium, phosphorous, iron, sodium, potassium and beta carotene.

Ingredients:

• 50 kg green asparagus
• 4 dl water
• 5 dl heavy cream
• salt
• nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon rice flour
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sesame seeds

Finely chop the asparagus. Brown in a little oil with added salt. Add water and cream and simmer thoroughly until soft, about 15 minutes.  Flavour with a little balsamic vinegar and ground nutmeg and thicken with rice flour. When ready, purée using an immersion mixer. Garnish with drops of balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds.

Tip:  Use green asparagus, which is thinner and tenderer and will not require peeling. When selecting, make sure the tips are closed, the stalks are rigid (not rubbery) and of uniform thickness (if they are too thick, the texture may be woody), and the cut ends are not inordinately dry.

To really get to know a city and its atmosphere also requires that you experience the range of cuisines it has to offer. In Budapest, the tastes of the city can be sampled in haste – by grabbing a bite to eat between sights – or by way of the city’s more comfortable, elegant venues, where the setting dazzles and every meal is an exercise in indulgence. When planning your trip to the Hungarian capital, a Sunday brunch – whether for two, or for the entire family – is something worth making time for, not in the least because special lunch buffets are a standard of iconic restaurants situated in some of the most beautiful locations around the city.

What does a Sunday Brunch entail?

In essence, a Sunday Brunch is an event held at lunch time on Sundays (regularly or nearly regularly), from approximately 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., for a fixed price per person. The food itself is served either as a buffet, or from a special menu. In Budapest, seating for a brunch must be reserved in advance due to a growing interest on the part of families in this more festive form of Sunday meal. And indeed, how glorious it is to wake up on a lazy Sunday morning and, following a light, sparing breakfast, stroll into a restaurant of your choosing, dressed to suit the venue and occasion, to partake of…. No, not “brinner,” but a real, multi-course Sunday family lunch eaten not in haste, but with the intent of indulging your taste buds with special culinary delights.

At the best of Budapest’s brunch restaurants – the Hilton Budapest, Gundel Restaurant, Danubius Hotel Gellért – guests are greeted by a buffet table that is truly extravagant. The format is, of course, “all you can eat,” allowing you to sample everything and consume as much as you like. And, not least importantly, unlimited food is accompanied by unlimited drinks from a selection offered specially for occasion.
As for the brunch dishes themselves, each establishment – without exception – serves an abundance of choices guaranteed to have you standing up from the table full and satisfied. All foods are prepared using the latest in culinary technology according to the most recent gastronomic trends. Menus are put together under the supervision of the hotels’ noted chefs with a mind to providing a gastronomic experience that is truly unforgettable.

Is Sunday Brunch Less Expensive than Choosing à la Carte?

The answer here is yes: compared to selecting and paying for your tempting entrées and accompanying beverages separately, the Sunday brunch’s unlimited food and drink format is one that goes light on your wallet. It is worth noting that in Budapest, Sunday Brunch events are geared toward families, with children receiving substantial discounts and – at restaurants like the Gellért – the services of a special children’s program coordinator. Restauranteurs know that children cannot sit quietly at a table for hours: that most will finish their meal in ten minutes, then want to play. In such cases, the entertaining programs and creative craft opportunities furnished by a children’s entertainer can be an enormous help, permitting children to spend time in quality pursuits while their parents enjoy a relaxed lunch and animated conversation over a glass of wine or cup of choice coffee.

Where is Sunday Brunch Served in Budapest?

In choosing a place for Sunday Brunch, you should not wait until the last moment, but make preparations a few days in advance: survey possible locales, check prices and menus, and – most importantly – reserve a table or purchase online admission to ensure that the elegant restaurant you have chosen will be able to accommodate you.
Though most Danubius hotels in Budapest offer Sunday Brunch deals, presented in detail here are the three most popular. The all-you-can-eat buffets of these illustrious restaurants are ones we are happy to recommend, and because their respective locations – the Buda Castle, City Park, and Danube Waterfront areas – are among the most beautiful in the city, a Sunday family lunch at any one of them can be combined with a stroll, outing, cultural event, or nature program.

Sunday Brunch at the Gellért

With its elegant terrace and stunning view of the Danube, the Gellért’s Panorama Restaurant is an arresting location for a lunch with your family or significant other. Every Sunday, the Panorama serves its lunch guests a rich array of dishes made from premium ingredients in a variety of tastes. Playing a key role is the concept of seasonality, including an emphasis on the use of fresh herbs and spices. Home-made cakes and pastries and warm Hungarian desserts are also a perpetual feature.

Brunch at the Gellért is a treat for the whole family! Offered as an accompaniment to brunch at the Gellért are a variety of professionally led, interactive programs featuring a different range of themed games, quizzes, and prizes each week.

Brunch is served from 12:00 until 3:00 p.m. at a cost of HUF 7,400 + 10% service charge per person and includes unlimited consumption of food and drinks (champagne, wine, beer on tap, soft drinks, and coffee). Children under 12 eat for half price, while toddlers under the age of 3 enjoy the full selection free of charge.

Ticket purchases and table reservations for Gellért’s low-priced Sunday Brunch special may be made comfortably online via the Gellért Webshop.

Sunday Brunch at the Gundel

If your goal is to have Sunday lunch in a truly elegant setting, then Gundel Restaurant, with its centuries-old tradition, posh decor, and delicious signature dishes, is a perfect choice. At Gundel, the menu includes a variety dishes to please both meat lovers and those seeking lighter vegetable fare. Though the Sunday buffet selection at Gundel varies from week to week, certain mainstays, including Hungarian classic and cream soups and traditional Hungarian meat dishes, are a permanent feature.

The buffet is open from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and costs HUF 9,800 (+12.5% service charge). Guests receive a glass of champagne and an orange juice upon arrival, after which they may choose at will from a selection of hot and cold foods of both Hungarian and international origin, finishing their meal with dessert. The cosy atmosphere is rendered even more pleasant by the restaurant’s offering of live piano music.

Here, too, consideration is given to children, who until the age of 4 enjoy lunch free of charge. Children under 12 partake of the buffet’s diverse array of tempting dishes for the discount rate of just HUF 4,900 per child.

Sunday Brunch at the Hilton

Another location worthy of consideration for your weekend meal is the Buda Castle district: specifically, the Hotel Hilton’s newly renovated LÁNG Bistro & Bar. Here, the regular Sunday smorgasbord, bearing the name “All You Can Eat,” invites families to enjoy unlimited consumption from its buffet table between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. for the price of HUF 10,900 per person. Included are not only unlimited food, but also unlimited drinks from a selection of champagne, beer, wine, soft drinks, mineral water, coffee, and tea. At the Hilton it is not only the unparalleled view of the historic Castle District that makes brunch memorable: the experience is also elevated by an accompaniment of pleasant jazz and swing music.

Children under 4 lunch for free, while those between 4 and 14 enjoy a 50% discount. Here, too, a children’s corner is provided to help keep the younger family members occupied while their elders take advantage of a Sunday lunch rife with all the flavours, aromas, and special culinary fare the Hilton has to offer.

Bon appetit!

The episodes of a hotel stay that matter the most – topping even sleep or room quality – are the ones that have to do with restaurant service and culinary experience. What we eat and where we eat it – whether for breakfast or at any other time of day, as private guests or event attendees – is a matter of tremendous significance. We remember the things that did not appeal to us and talk about those that did long after we leave and grant our continued patronage to the places that meet or exceed our expectations.

It is with this in mind that the Danubius Hotel Helia, following a recently completed complex renovation project, has renamed its restaurant The Episode. As names go, the choice is an expressive one, serving both to draw in, and compel to stay; to arouse curiosity, and incite to exploration; to reflect something that we all long for: episodes that take us away from everyday life, fill us with new experiences, and give us something pleasant to remember.

What scene lies in store, then, at the Helia’s new Episode? An extension of the atmosphere of its trendy Yellow Bistro&Bar? One that exploits the beauty of the nearby Danube Waterfront? How are the numerous hotel guests and major conference attendees handled? And in general, what role does the restaurant play in hotel life?  What clientele are permitted to dine there?

Fortunately, though the questions are many, we need not look far for answers. All it takes is a step or two from the cheerful, radiantly dressed Yellow Bistro&Bar into the freshly renovated lobby for The Episode’s atmosphere to begin providing them. The world that presents itself from behind the venue’s elegant glass doors is the creation of Spanish interior designer Nathalie Rottenburg, who has carried the strikingly dynamic, yet clean colours and forms of the lobby artfully over into the spacious restaurant. The result is the very pinnacle of functionality, coupled with eye-catching decor, intriguing lighting fixtures, and a specially designed room divider. Light floods in through the enormous windows, and while the traffic outside hums pleasantly, indoors there is only palpable tranquillity. In bright, comfortable, exquisite spaces like these, dining becomes a true experience.

The first thing we notice as we enter are the great variety of tables and chairs, and indeed, whether our plan is for a quick breakfast, a casual, chatty dinner, or a modern business lunch, the restaurant offers the appropriate seating for every occasion.  The trendy high tables equipped with electrical outlets invite use by patrons wishing to charge their devices or work on tablets or laptops while they eat. The comfortable sofas and armchairs are perfect for those seeking casual conversation. The majority of space, however, is occupied by classic tables for two or four, as it is these that best serve the crowds that attend the hotel’s breakfast buffets and events. In total, The Episode can accommodate up to 308 guests simultaneously.

After the seating, our attention falls next to a curtain of yellow beads that partitions the room, rendering its spaces more intimate without closing them in. The result is that parts of the interior feel elegantly, translucently protected, making them perfect for cosy moments and private encounters.

The most distinctive components of the interior are its buffet islands, claimed by Chef Zoltán Tóth to “know more than you may think”. Visible here are the latest in technological solutions, such as buffet tables and show kitchen hot-and-cold display cases that function at temperatures from -4 to +140 degrees, to highlight just one of many.  The entire restaurant merits the description “user-friendly” from the perspective of diners and servers alike.

Having looked our fill at the variously formed lamps, the deep green moss nestled inside them, and the modern decorations adorning the walls, we then step out onto the terrace. Guests who have not done so before will doubtless find their eyes widen and a smile play across their lips upon first sight of this oasis – its graceful pergolas, classic garden furniture, and intermittent view of the Danube. Also on view are a green grass-covered walkway, the blue stripe of the Danube River, and – directly opposite – Budapest’s own Margaret Island. Perhaps from now on we’ll be taking our breakfast here, as well, or catching a summer live music event or two:  both feature among the hotel’s plans for the future.

The Episode at Danubius Hotel Helia awaits diners with open doors – and not just those visiting the hotel for an event or vacation. All are welcome to drop by for breakfast on the terrace or a favourite dish from the restaurant’s à la carte menu!

In the market for an event venue? Now you can take a tour more enjoyable than any you’ve experienced before. Seat yourself comfortably in your office or home workspace and grab yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea. Set aside your “business look,” your dress shoes…. You don’t even need a car. To tour 10 Budapest conference hotels, just click here and… you’re off!

Danubius Hotels now offers cutting-edge virtual tours of 10 of its Budapest hotels to aid and inspire conference planners in preparing for events. Following several years of large-scale renovations and the introduction of its danubius me: conference sub-brand, the hotel concern has just completed an online project that gives organisers a spectacular, interactive, 360-degree virtual panoramic look at the inner and outer spaces of its metropolitan hotels.

The perfect conference begins with event planning that is carefully geared toward occasion, theme, and attendance figures, a process in which the task of choosing a venue represents the greatest investment of time and patience. Danubius Hotels’ latest innovation gives event planners serious planning support, allowing them to inspect venue spaces quickly and comfortably from their own laptops or mobile devices located anywhere in the world, and see the conference facilities of the company’s Budapest hotels for themselves.

A Virtual Trek from Hotel to Hotel, Room to Room

The tour’s superior-quality panoramic photographs offer a realistic look at each hotel’s individual halls, rooms, and common areas. The virtual space it creates give planners the opportunity of assessing the advantages and disadvantages of various rooms with their own eyes, and of reviewing their actual dimensions on building blueprints. The program’s easy navigation system allows for the exploration of hotel entrance ways, lobbies, and balconies, and – not leastwise – provides a thorough look at available types of rooms. It even presents some creative decorating ideas.

The Danubius 360-degree interactive virtual tour is a well-structured, English-language application used for inspecting the concern’s 10 Budapest conference hotels. The app opens with the hotel logos displayed on an aerial photo or Google map. After each tour is complete, a simple click within the menu system returns the user to the central opening image. By selecting another hotel, the user is transported as far as from Buda to Pest, virtually, in a matter of just minutes. The tour includes panoramic images of various Budapest landmarks presented in the form of a modest pedestrian sightseeing jaunt.

Taking Event Planning to the Next Level

Just as danubius me: brand services serve to raise the standard of events held at Danubius’ Budapest hotels in a manner that meets customers’ highest needs and expectations, so the 360-degree virtual conference tour offers event planners more effective support – from inspiration to implementation – than do traditional photo galleries and personal site inspections.

With its winning new perspective, the 360-degree interactive tour offers special walk-throughs of the Danubius Hotel Helia, Danubius Hotel Gellért, Danubius Hotel Arena, Danubius Hotel Flamenco, Hilton Budapest, Radisson Blu Béke Hotel, Hotel Hungaria City Center, Hotel Budapest, Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center and Hotel Erzsébet City Center that take event planning to a new dimension.

http://360tour.danubiushotels.com/

The traditional Hungarian boiled smoked ham is prepared for Easter in a variety of ways.  These ham slices tenderised with special spices and baked with a piquant glaze are delicious hot or cold.

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked boneless ham
• 1 orange peel
• 4 slices ginger
• 1 large onion
• several cloves, star anise, whole peppercorns, bay leaves
• 5 dl cider

For the honey-mustard glaze:

• 2 T honey
• 2 T mustard
• 2 T cider

Retie the ham, then place in pot with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then add the spices.  Simmer for approximately 3 hours until soft.  Remove from the water and while still hot, remove the string.  For the glaze, combine the honey, mustard, and cider.  Place the ham in a baking pan and pour the glaze over the top.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180˚C (with convection ovens 160˚C) for 30 minutes

Tip:  The ham will be more flavourful if you cook it in a pot, rather than a pressure cooker.  It is important that the water covers the ham completely and that it cooks slowly at a simmer, not a boil.

Have you ever slept at the Hilton Budapest?  Whatever your answer, it’s worth knowing that the spectacular hotel flanking Fisherman’s Bastion now holds an official paper certifying that those who sleep there, sleep well. Earning this recognition is not due to its magnificent view, though that is certainly no small thing, but to its newly installed custom-made beds and sleep-promoting environment. For World Sleep Day 2019, the Hilton Budapest has received the SLEEP-FRIENDLY HOTEL award. Here’s our story!

Why a World Sleep Day?

It is commonly known that people are sleeping less and less these days and are increasingly restless when they do. Yet sleep is an essential biological process that impacts how our bodies function, with consequences that affect our mental processes and ability to work and even mark the surface of the skin. Sleep disorders disrupt our biorhythms, sever the harmony of body and soul, and erode health.

For years, World Sleep Day has been drawing attention to the importance of sleep. On this day, doctors, researchers, therapists, and civil servants from 65 different countries unite to give voice to a particular point: that sleep deprivation is an increasingly serious public health problem, and that its prevention and management should command considerably more attention.

This year, World Sleep Day was celebrated on 15 March 2019, its resonant slogan – “Sleep well, live long!” – underscoring the important prevention-oriented activities of domestic and international organisations that have lined up behind it.

Sleep Tight and Pleasant Dreams in a Regal Setting!

When it comes to location, the Hilton Budapest is in an extremely fortunate position. Situated on tranquil heights above the city, the hotel provides an exclusive experience for travellers who choose to lodge there. The full-scale renovations the Hilton Budapest has conducted over the past four years have devoted considerable energy toward enhancing guests’ sleep experience. Thus, in designing the hotel’s new spaces, planners considered not only matters of aesthetics, but also criteria associated with environmental protection, technology, and ergonomics. A fundamental improvement from the point of view of restfulness, for example, was delivered by acoustic and heat insulation achieved by replacing doors and windows throughout the entire premises. Ensuring fresh air circulation, furthermore, is a newly renovated ventilation system and windows that can be manually opened and closed.

A Home Away from Home

Entering one of the rooms of this modern-classical hotel, the visitor is welcomed by a feeling of hominess mixed with the sort of elegance one expects from a historic setting. These characteristics are evident in the choices of materials and harmony of colours provided by award-winning English interior design office Goddard&Littlefair. The plush wall-to-wall carpet that covers the rooms and wood-effect tiling in the entranceways and bathrooms serve only to enhance the feeling of intimacy.

Once inside, the focus of attention is directed – beyond the breath-taking view – to the room’s central feature: its snow-white linen-covered bed. Symbolic of cleanliness, this whiteness is rendered cosier by the colourful wall-panel headboard, and by the warmth imparted by the soft textiles, the leather and velour.

Providing stability to the bedframe is a custom-manufactured wooden platform available in three different sizes throughout the hotel – the largest 200×200 cm in double rooms, the 100×200 cm in twin rooms, and an additional 150×200 cm size found in family rooms – to meet the needs of all guests.

The Secret Recipe behind the Mattress

An idea the Hilton chain has made a priority, and even expressed in terms of standards, is that adequate sleep requires the right mattress. For this reason, each room is furnished with a luxury mattress manufactured specially for the Hilton by Serta, an American company of wide recognition and use in the hotel industry.

The three key ingredients in Serta’s secret recipe:

• Continuous Support® innerspring – custom-manufactured continuous coils that ensure adequate spine support
• Total Edge® foam encasement that guarantees the edges of the mattress do not curl upward in time and ensures longer mattress life.
• Head-to-Toe spiral construction that enables adequate damping of vibration from movement, providing a uniform degree of comfort over the full mattress surface.

The quilted covering, too, is made using special upholstery technology, and as an extra feature, the 30-centimetre-high mattresses are furnished with a flame-retardant outer layer. The comfort level is further enhanced by the addition to every bed of a “Super Topper” mattress pad that covers the entire surface and ensures guests sleep comfortably and quietly. During the manufacturing process, Serta pays particular attention to the use of green solutions to reduce waste production and guarantee energy is used economically. The steel used in making the springs consists of 95% recycled materials, while the wood comes from sustainably managed farms.

Pillow Fight

That eternal question: big pillow or small, soft or hard? To satisfy all its guests, the Hilton Budapest crowns its beds with custom-sized pillows, including one hard and one soft pillow per person. These are filled with an optimal mixture of down and feather, or are available in a hypoallergenic version if requested. With an eye to hygiene, the pillows are also covered in an absorbent, washable protective casing to keep them clean. Of course, a good night-time experience is a matter not only of mattress and pillow choice, but also of comforter quality. At the Hilton, we use an eiderdown equal to the size of the bed, filled with the same mix of down and feather, over exclusively white, impeccably clean, cotton-blend linens. In accordance with our commitment to the environment, linens are normally changed every three days, with daily service available on customer request.

Extra Solutions to Enhance Your Experience

In addition to the priority on beds, renovations also included the introduction of a number of novel comfort-enhancing technological solutions. One of these was the placement next to each bed of an immediately accessible light switch equipped with a smart solution for discrete bathroom lighting after dark. LED reading lamps installed in the headboard offer additional directed lighting that enables partners to sleep in peace. The curtains in the hotel’s suites are electronically controllable, allowing guests to gaze out over the city immediately upon waking. The Hilton has also replaced its traditional door-handle “Do Not Disturb” signs with an electronic solution, permitting sleepers to rest care-free. In place of the uncomfortable, bulky folding cots, the hotel has provided sofas that can be made into a bed for the room’s third occupant. And for that extra, tiny courtesy, guests can have in-room telephone service suspended whenever they wish to avoid being disturbed.

If you, too, would like to partake of the Hilton sleep experience, book now: enjoy the marvellous view, have a gourmet meal at the LÁNG Bistro & Grill, and find out for yourself what a good night’s sleep can do!

The Astoria Hotel in downtown Pest first opened its doors in the spring of 1914. Before that, the site had been home to a busy inn and stagecoach stop for over a century. The building that replaced it was designed in French Empire style and named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. Elegant both inside and out, the Astoria Budapest, with its cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracted numerous international stars and cinematic productions.

Kálmán Latabár, Pál Sándor, Dezső Garas, István Szabó, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Péter Andorai, Brian Gibson, Lynn Whitfield, Rubén Blades, Sir Michael Gambon, Elemér Ragályi, Andy Vajna, András Kern, John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Menno Meyjes, Luca Zingaretti, Eszter Ónodi, Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Dominic Cooper, Rowan Atkinson, Susannah York, Wim Wenders, Jiri Menzel, Peter Greenaway, Larry Hagman, and Franco Nero are just some of the many stars to have made appearances there.

In films, the building has doubled for sites in Budapest, Berlin, London, Munich, New York, and Paris, a range of cities that testifies to the Astoria’s special atmosphere, now both a legend, and a concept among filmmakers. Follow us, then, on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of domestic and international films history in this very special hotel.

The first major motion picture to feature the Astoria building was the comedy Állami Áruház (State Department Store). Shot in 1952, the film commenced with a scene staged in front of the hotel, including opening sequences with actor Kálmán Latabár, the Hotel building, and Budapest tram and pedestrian traffic that offer an intriguing glimpse of the city at that time in history.

In the 1970s, filmmakers began using the hotel with increasing frequency. During this period, the opulent and venerable building was the setting for numerous legendary films and became an important destination for metropolitan film tourism.

In 1973, for example, the main entrance and Empire-style restaurant crop up in Pál Sándor’s Football of the Good Old Days, whose writers dedicated an entire burlesque-style scene to protagonist Dezső Garas’s getting stuck in the building’s revolving door. This door has since been removed in one of a continuous series of renovation projects.

The next production in our tour is István Szabó’s classic film, Mephisto, for which footage was shot in the Astoria in 1980. Szabó’s work, which won him an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, includes a scene featuring the hotel as a Berlin venue, with Klaus Maria Brandauer in the role of the film’s protagonist.

Cinephiles will already have become accustomed to seeing certain locations pop up repeatedly in Szabó’s films, and so it is with The Prophet shot in 1988, in which the director not only returns to the Astoria’s restaurant, but, interestingly, forays even further into the realm of déjà vu. The setting is again the Berlin of the 1930s, with Klaus Maria Brandauer again sitting at one of the restaurant’s tables: indeed, even one of his companions in the scene is portrayed by the same actor, Péter Andorai, who had worked with Brandauer before in Mephisto.

A few years later, the hotel was to become the setting for yet another film, this time a made-for-television piece by HBO. In The Josephine Baker Story, director Brian Gibson, with the utmost casualness, portrays the Astoria’s restaurant and reception – and even, for a fleeting moment, the hotel kitchen – as a venue in New York City. In the story, Josephine, played by leading actress Lynn Whitfield, is seated at Martyns Restaurant (in reality the Astoria lobby) with her mentor, played by Rubén Blades. Though Gibson and Whitfield were husband and wife at the time of their stay in Budapest, their brief, two-year marriage ended in divorce shortly after the film’s premier. Louis Gossett Jr. fared considerably better, winning a Golden Globe for his role in the production.

In 1992, Sir Michael Gambon in the role of Inspector Maigret filmed a total of twelve episodes of the second season of the crime drama, shot largely in Hungary, specifically in Budapest. Known primarily for his work in theatre, the fifty-two-year-old actor had not yet had a cinematic breakthrough. The series, marked by the presence of the now-world-famous British actor, was photographed by Elemér Ragályi. The Astoria, for its part, appeared as a Paris hotel in the episode entitled Maigret on the Defensive. The series’ creators actually rechristened the hotel for the purpose, so that it appeared to viewers as the “Hundred Keys Hotel”.

The next memorable film to be shot in the Astoria was the work of producer Andy Vajna, whose comedy Out of Order premiered in 1997 and featured the Astoria as the main venue of the film. A successful film from the outset, Out of Order garnered larger audiences than any other Hungarian film in recent decades, crediting Vajna, his colourful cast of actors, protagonist András Kern, and their film crew with having produced a true classic.

In 2001, international celebrities again turned up in the hotel restaurant for the filming of the cinematic drama Max, starring John Cusack and Noah Taylor. The story for the film, directed by well-known Dutch screenwriter Menno Meyjes, takes place in 1920s Munich. The hotel restaurant appears in the film’s parallel-edited closing scene. Meyjes had previously written screenplays for such legendarily successful adventure films as Steven Spielberg’s 1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

In 2002, the main facade, stairwell, and one room of the hotel were featured in the opening scene of the two-part wartime television drama Perlasca: the Courage of a Just Man, starring Luca Zingaretti. In the film, Eszter Ónodi plays a chambermaid who helps Perlasca make his escape. The choice of location was no coincidence: during the Nazi era, the reluctant diplomat and heroic saviour had, in fact, kept an office on the Astoria’s sixth floor at a time when the Gestapo occupied the greater part of the building.

The crew of the motion picture Being Julia, directed by none other than István Szabó, also utilised the Astoria. Here, the hotel doubled as an establishment in London, while the line-up of stars included Annette Bening, Sir Michael Gambon returning to Budapest, and Jeremy Irons – who all but lived in the city at the time – in its three leading roles. Bening in particular was to win a Golden Globe for her portrayal in the film. Irons, who was a great admirer of Budapest, was a repeat guest of the hotel during this period.

Featuring next in the Astoria’s impressive cinematographic history are two more Hungarian films. The first, a big-screen version of Zsigmond Móricz’s classic novel Relatives, premiered in 2006 and represented the return to the hotel by István Szabó.  The second, the 2010 film Kolorádó Kid, was set during the Hungarian revolution of 1956 and featured the Astoria lobby as the Viennese meeting place for Hungarian dissidents.

In recent years, the array of international stars to distinguish the hotel with their presence has continued unabated. In an example occurring in 2013, a British crew arrived in Budapest to film a mini-series on the life of world-famous writer Ian Fleming. Though Fleming was known primarily as a novelist, his own life is said to have been nearly as adventurous as those of his characters. The first James Bond story, released to the world as the novel Casino Royal, was written on Fleming’s honeymoon. The scene in which the Astoria is portrayed as an upper class London restaurant shows off the hotel’s striking interior as early as the series’ first episode. Playing the lead in the series was none other than Dominic Cooper, star of the Mamma Mia films.

In 2016, the same decorative venue was to welcome yet another global star, Rowan Atkinson, who dined at the Astoria restaurant for the British TV film Maigret’s Night at the Crossroads. This time, the location doubled as an elegant restaurant in Paris.

Stars Who Stayed at the Astoria

Though we have already seen that British film star Jeremy Irons has roomed at the hotel on several occasions, he is far from the only one. Other guests have included Susannah York, Wim Wenders, Jiri Menzel, Peter Greenaway, Larry Hagman, and Franco Nero. The Hungarian Feature Film Festival, too, has frequently lodged international guests there when holding events and film screenings at various downtown cinemas. Indeed, it is a feature of the hotel’s film tourism appeal that two of Budapest’s most popular motion picture theatres, the Puskin and the Uránia, are located in the immediate vicinity. If you, like the stars, would like to stay at the Hotel Astoria, click here: Danubius Hotel Astoria

Romantic Tip:  Out of Order Room

If you would like to stay in the room where the popular comedy’s underclothes scenes were shot, ask for room 411. The full experience includes dinner in the Astoria restaurant, perhaps at a table formerly occupied by some world-famous screen personality. The cast party following the premier of the Hungarian spoof was also held here.

One of Budapest’s Most Elegant Restaurant Interiors

The Astoria restaurant has earned a special place for itself in the Hungarian film tourism industry. To survey the productions of the past few decades with the eye of a cinephile is to see that the venue boasts one of the most clearly Western style interiors and classical atmospheres of any dining spot in the city. Indeed, it is a setting equally accommodating to American, British, French, and German tastes. Yet there is another aspect of the interior that adds to its appeal as a cinematic location; specifically, that it is flanked on one side by a raised gallery with extra tables and on the other by a stairway leading to a second hall, interior heights that offer filmmakers an easy and excellent way to display the entire room in its full splendour for the benefit of viewers.

One final point of interest involving the restaurant: for decades, the Hungarian National Radio used the gallery, where cameras have frequently been positioned, for its live broadcasts of the classical music quiz show, Who’s Today’s Winner? Fun and Music in Ten Minutes.

If you, too, would like to partake of the restaurant’s unique atmosphere and enjoy the Astoria’s “traditional with a 21st-century twist” cuisine, click here: Café Astoria Restaurant.

For additional details and photographs, visit the Hotel Astoria Web site.

If you are curious to find out what Madonna, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Lawrence have in common, read Part 1 of our Danubius hotels in famous films series on the Hotel Gellért.

The world focusses on Budapest from 5 to 22 April 2019, when the Budapest Spring Festival, the largest cultural event in Hungary, takes place in 23 venues all over town. Culture lovers will enjoy around 100 exciting events in more than 20 categories.

This year’s Budapest Spring Festival is already celebrating its 39th birthday! The Budapest Spring Festival was created in 1980 with the honourable intentions of using high-quality productions to stimulate the Hungarian capital’s spring tourism. The initiative was so successful that the series of events won the 2005 European Cultural Award. Famous artists, and also amateurs, consider it an honour and distinction to perform at this prestigious, all-encompassing arts festival. At the beginning of the year, many culture lovers in Hungary as well as increasing numbers of tourists hungry for cultural entertainment when visiting Hungary, eagerly await the details of the Budapest Spring Festival. It’s a good idea to check out the programme and reserve tickets in advance as the majority of productions sell out in minutes. Particularly good news this year is that the festival partially overlaps Easter and spring break, allowing attendees to spend an extended holiday weekend in Budapest with quality entertainment.

The festival’s special allure is further heightened by its inclusion of not only the greatest Hungarian performers, but also big international stars.  Joseph Calleja, Jordi Savall, the Theater Basel Ballet company, Ferenc Snétberger, Jurij Basmet and the Moscow Soloists, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Eric Whitacre, Ji, Kristjan Randalu with saxophone legend David Liebman, Judith Hill, GoGo Penguin, and Goda Gábor and the Artus are just a few of the many performers at the 18-day all-arts festival.

A much anticipated event each year, the Budapest Spring Festival holds pleasurable moments for devotees of all branches of the arts, offering free family programmes that will draw even the youngest concert-goers effortlessly and playfully into the enjoyment of music and dance.

What’s the Budapest Spring Festival 2019 all about?

Nowadays, the BSF doesn’t only present the world-class stars of Hungarian culture to a curious audience, the stages of Budapest attract cutting edge artists from the international cultural world, and, in a similar cultural mission, the BSF provides a space to introduce young talent, too.

If you haven’t already got your tickets, click on the Budapest Spring Festival’s official website, where you can find out all the information about ticket purchase.

https://www.facebook.com/BudapestiTavasziFesztival/videos/10155545397292849/

Festival Locations

As in previous years, events in 2019 will take place in multiple locations, the festival’s distinguished programme sites include Müpa Budapest, the Music Academy, Erkel Theatre, Uránia National Cinema, Vigadó Concert Hall, the Castle Garden Bazaar (Várkert Bazár), the Budapest Music Center, Akvárium Klub, and A38, among other of Budapest’s many theatres, cultural institutions, and museums.

The dozen or so locations include several of particular interest, such as Terminal 1 of Ferenc Liszt International Airport, which will host a concert by Kristóf Baráti (violinist) and the Kodály Philharmonic of Debrecen.  Also of note are the festival’s Bauhaus walking tours, which offer a sampling of some of the tastier morsels from Budapest’s architectural heritage.

For a complete listing of locations and programmes, consult the Budapest Spring Festival website. 

Spotlighted Themes from This Year’s Budapest Spring Festival: Liszt and Russian Culture

Every year, Budapest Spring Festival programmes are constructed around a number of specific themes. One such theme that returns year after year, the art of Franz Liszt, will again be occupying a key position in 2019.  On 11 April, Kirill Gerstein, Zsolt Hamar, and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Liszt’s Faust Symphony; Klára Kolonits and Bálint Zsoldos will enchant audiences with a selection of the composer’s songs at the Budapest Music Centre concert hall; and the Stuttgart Philharmonia Choir will also offer a special Liszt concert of its own.  On 16 April the Symphonic Orchestra of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music accompanied by pianist Fülöp Ránki will perform Liszt’s Orpheus and Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major

Each spring, the festival programme additionally spotlights the art of a particular country:  in 2019, this honour will fall to the great art and artists of Russia, with Russian classics, contemporaries, and living legends bringing Russian music and fine arts closer to enthusiastic audiences in the Hungarian capital.  Events in this vein will include Mussogorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, reworked for saxophone and piano, Tschaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and a number of Prokofiev compositions, in addition to Budapest Art Week’s exhibition of some of the most exciting works of contemporary Russian fine art.

Special Appearances and Global Stars at the Budapest Spring Festival

Visitors to the 39th Budapest Spring Festival will find no shortage of international attractions to occupy their attention.  The impressive reconstructed interiors of the Museum of Fine Arts, for example, are certainly worthy of up-close inspection, while an exhibition dedicated to the sketch art of Italian Renaissance genius Michelangelo also promises to draw large crowds to Budapest’s Square of the Heroes.

Also arriving in Hungary will be Malta’s star tenor Joseph Calleja, along with the excellent guitarist Ferenc Snétberger, who, drawing inspiration from flamenco, jazz, Romani, and classical music, will perform on the stage of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall.

The young, but extravagant South Korean piano virtuoso Ji, whose been on the rise ever since becoming – at just ten years old – the youngest ever winner of the New York Philharmonic’s young artists competition, will be performing Bach’s iconic Goldberg Variations.

Another concert centred on Bach will feature Balázs Szokolay and the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra with their complete performance of the composer’s solo concertos for harpsichord:  seven works and six movements in total.

Popularising choral music in Budapest will be one of the most popular musicians of our day, the Grammy Award winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, whose compositions are performed by hundreds of amateur and professional choirs, and whose global virtual choir project has drawn collaborators from 110 countries.  Accordingly, the composer’s 12 April concert at the Academy of Music promises to be truly special event.

Debut acts in Budapest this year will include the astounding voice of Japanese-American soul singer and Prince protégé Judith Hill, while visitors to A38 will be treated to a new album of material by the specially talented Austrian composer/singer Anja Plaschg, stage name Soap&Skin, whose music infuses classical music with elements of electropop.  Also premiering a brand new album will be Wigama Lekko, the brand new formation of Róbert Hrutka and Dániel Viktor Nagy, while at the Béla Bartók International Concert Hall, the Manchester trio GoGo Penguin will demonstrate the unmistakeable sounds of their own special rock-jazz-electronic fusion.

Lovers of dance, too, may begin the countdown to spring, as festival treats for them include a performance of the full-length ballet Tevye by the Theater Basel Ballet, the premier of A szél kapuja [The Wind’s Gate] by Artus, led by the emblematic Hungarian dance figure Gábor Goda, and – in yet another premier – an appearance by Rita Góbi, internationally successful member of Hungary’s younger generation of dancer-choreographers.

An unmissable event on the festival’s colourful palette is PONT Festival at Castle Garden Bazaar, known for its presentation of traditions, customs, dances, and tastes from UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.  PONT events this year will focus on the treasures of the Balkans, including an open air costumed carnival parade on 12 April, and – to make a visit to the Castle Garden Bazaar really worthwhile – on 13-14 April, an entire array of free family programmes and concerts.  Among them, Vilmos Gryllus’s spring greeting songs, the interactive musical storytelling by Hangoló, and a variety of drum, dance, and handicrafts workshops, folktales, and films hold entertainment possibilities for every member of the family.

Spring Festival Ticket Sales

• Online Tickets
• at the Müpa ticket office: 1095 Budapest, Komor Marcell utca 1.; Telephone: +36 1 555 3300, +36 1 555 3301; e-mail: jegypenztar@mupa.hu; Hours: daily from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., on performance days until the first intermission;
• The publicity service of the  Budapest Festival and Tourist Centre: 1052 Budapest, Bárczy István utca 1–3.; Telephone: +36 1 269 0470; e-mail: jegy@fesztivalvaros.hu; Hours: Monday 12:00 – 6:00 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., closed weekends; closed 28 February for technical reasons.

Budapest Accommodations

The best way to enjoy both the wonderful atmosphere of spring, and the quality cultural programmes of the Budapest Spring Festival is to spend a few days relaxing and sightseeing in the city.  For this, the Danubius hotels in Budapest, one on either bank of the Danube and a third on dazzlingly beautiful Margaret Island, are a high-comfort option.

After all those heavy winter dishes, a little crisp-baked fish with vegetables makes the body feel good.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece filleted pike-perch per person
• shallots
• asparagus
• pea pods
• bell peppers
• whole chilies
• fresh parsley
• olive oil
• salt, pepper

Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper, then pan-sear the slices in the oil, turning several times.  Remove the fish, and add the vegetables.  Brown until crisp, seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Tip:  Excellent when accompanied by new potatoes with parsley!

The rejuvenation of a restaurant is an event that always occurs amidst a swirl of exciting questions. The whys as to name, chef, menu, ingredients, concept and – naturally – decor are typically many. In the case of the Budapest Hilton, therefore, we trusted nothing to chance, but took in the hotel’s newly renovated restaurant personally.

It is in the spring sunshine, beside the well-known, perpetually impressive buildings of the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church that we, filled with expectation, stroll into the recently remodelled Budapest Hilton. At the outset, our footsteps are perceptibly slowed by the bedazzling atmosphere of the international-prize-winning interior of the lobby, but from there, our attention is quickly drawn to that particular view of the Danube that pops into view behind the wide-open door of the restaurant – the one extolled by many thousands of posts on social media.

Taking our seats in the elegantly reserved, warm atmosphere of the restaurant, we immediately sense the comfort of the locale and mindfulness of its staff. Thanks to moveable walls, the new restaurant, the work of English interior designers at Goddard Littlefair, accommodates large-scale breakfasts attended by hundreds as easily as smaller, more intimate lunches and dinners for 80-100 or the hotel’s popular Sunday brunches. There is even room for a modern show kitchen and elegant wine bar to enhance the dining experience. The interior does not, however, distract from what is certainly the best view in Budapest, but rather permits the blue swath of the beloved Danube and the archways of the Fisherman’s Bastion to peer through the windows. Exclusively comfortable furniture and warm sandy colours, too, help us to take in and enjoy the experience that LÁNG Bistro & Grill has to offer.

LÁNG Bistro & Grill. The reason behind the choice of name grows ever clearer. Láng = Flame, as in fire, renewal, passion. Flame that offers both warmth and a welcoming presence to sit around. The arrival of Executive Chef Imre Maráczi and his menu, a dynamic selection built around knowledge, experience, and an abiding love of good food, is flame itself. Maráczi speaks of ingredients from the best places with torrential enthusiasm, a feeling he similarly exudes when recounting his ties to Vas and Zala Counties, which – in offerings such as his Chef’s “Zala Crayfish Cappuccino” or Home-Made Őrség Goat Cheese – have naturally left their mark on the menu, as well. The chef believes it important that a menu be clear, and that it be able to be taken in at first reading.  In putting his selection together, Maráczi strives for seasonality, a proclivity from which one can already surmise that with the coming of spring, the Bistro’s menu, too, will take a lighter, more colourful turn.

Imre Maráczi, who first arrived at the Budapest Hilton on 17 August 2018, now fills the position of both Hilton Executive Chef and Corporate Executive Chef for the entire Danubius Hotels Group, while also assisting corporate-level kitchen and restaurant work as Corporate Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage. Maráczi came to the castle from the Budapest Marriott, where he had been directing the hotel’s culinary and Food & Beverage groups as head chef since returning from abroad in 2015, and where he had the distinction of having been selected Marriot’s best chef in Europe in 2017.

The Budapest Hilton’s new, modern, bistro-like restaurant is characterised by a clean, honest kitchen in which traditional gastronomy is invested through creative touch with a light, trendy, international quality. Its domestic take on international ingredients – one which witnesses scallops and blood sausage keeping good company on the same plate – gives the familiar elements of Hungarian cuisine new meaning.  Naturally, the menu also includes old Hungarian favourites in a classic, but fine-tuned form, like Grandma’s Chicken Paprikash, cooked sous-vide and served with buttered dumplings in a little red cookpot, with a side of sour-cream cucumber salad. And as one scoops up from the bottom of that little red pot that very last, freshly cut dumpling, still dripping its mellow, creamy paprika gravy, the steeple of Matthias Church peers in through the window. It is, in short, an authentic, old-fashioned gastronomic experience in Budapest’s iconic Castle District, where every day, thousands of tourists come to gape, eyes open wide.

The trendy, single-leaf Hungarian-English menu devotes a separate section to foods from the “grill,” which diners can pair at will with a variety of side dishes and free sauces, from Tuscan tomato to Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. Naturally, LÁNG Bistro & Grill’s own signature dish is the LÁNG Burger prepared with a secret sauce, and which commands a size, appearance, and orgy of flavours to instantly appease any burger lover. A notable feature of this dish is that each and every part is made in the Hilton kitchens!

The desserts, too, hold at least one surprise in store: the Terka torte, subtitled “Pándi cherry nibbles”. “Aunt Terka” was a legendary figure in hotelier circles; and that her pure chocolate, almond-flour miracle cake, with its fresh, variously textured Pándy cherry accoutrements, should have made its way from the staff’s canteen to the plates of the Hilton’s guests is a striking example of the establishment’s honest, traditionally based yet creative cuisine.

To view the full menu, click here:

Sunday Brunch at LÁNG Bistro & Grill

Currently enjoying unbelievable popularity are the restaurant’s revamped Sunday brunches, for which an early reservation is strongly recommended. The “All You Can Eat” buffet lunch offers unlimited consumption of sparkling wine, beer, wine, soft drinks, mineral water, coffee, and tea for a total price of 10,900 HUF per person, including service. Children are kept entertained in special play corners, while adults enjoy pleasant live music. Children under 4 eat free of charge and those between 4 and 14 receive a discount of 50%!

LÁNG Bistro & Grill, with its seasonal, á la carte menu, is open for lunch from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., and for dinner from 6:00 p.m.

This undeniably iconic Hungarian dish has been around since at least the late 19th century, when it inspired writers and poets with its heartiness, fragrance and flavour.  With a little patience, it can be made with ease even at home.

Ingredients:

• Half a hen
• 200 g carrots
• 200 g parsley root
• 200 g celeriac
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ bunch parsley
• 6 button mushrooms
• 30 g peppercorns
• a pinch of saffron
• salt

Thoroughly clean and dress the hen.  Peel the vegetables and cut into largish pieces.  Fill a large soup pot with cold water, add all the ingredients, including the spices, and bring to a boil.  Once the soup has begun to cook, skim the foam from the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer until done.  Allow to stand a little, then strain.  Cut the meat and vegetables into strips.  When serving, enrich with boiled peas and vermicelli.

Tip:
This soup cannot be prepared quickly.  Give it time to achieve that golden colour and perfect flavour.  If making it with a whole hen, first put the hen on to simmer, adding the vegetables only later to prevent them from becoming mushy.

The beauty of Hotel Gellert has reached Hollywood! The gorgeous hotel has inspired many producers since it’s been one the favoured destinations of the movie industry from the 1960’s. The Stile Florelae-style building has hosted many World-famous actors and housed many movie productions. In this article we list the best movies that made this stunning building a favourite destination of the movie industry.

Without mentioning every single one of them, the list of the most famous actors that were once stayed with us in Hotel Gellert goes from Anthony Perkins, Catherine McCormack, Charles Durning, Eddie Murphy, Famke Janssen, James Belushi, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Pryce, Julian Sands, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Kovács Kati, Lynn Whitfield, Madonna, Miguel Ferrer, Ornella Muti, Owen Wilson all the way to Éva Ruttkai.

Between the two World Wars the hotel was already one of the favourite destinations of foreign movie industry professionals working in Budapest. Since the 1960’s Gellert has constantly been hosting movie makers and famous faces.

The first ever mega success that was shot in Hotel Gellert was made by no other than the legendary Tarzan movie producer, Richard Thorpe. The Hungarian-American co-production, The Golden Head was made in 1963 in which British youngsters in Budapest attempt to catch the thieves of the golden bust of Saint László. In the movie we can see the old reception area that was used until the 1960’s, as well as the old cobbled Gellert Square outside the hotel.

A hamis Izabella (The Fake Isabelle) was shot in 1969 in which the two most famous ladies of the era, Eva Ruttkai and Kati Kovacs both played significant roles. The bar and the lobby of the hotel are seen many times throughout the movie.

In the 70’s Hungarian producers started to explore the hidden gems of the hotel. The 5-episode Hungarian series, A Kantor (The Clerk) shows the hotel’s first floor apartment where the two jewellery smuggler, Istvan Bujtor and Rudolf Somogyi are having a casual chat.

Kojak in Budapest, a Hungarian spin-off of the American crime story aired in 1980. Laszlo Inke, who was originally Telly Savalas’ Hungarian voiceover in the well-known Kojak series, played the famous detective. The hotel, which was already one of Budapest’s most famous landscapes appears in the movie many times.

Csontvary, an astonishing movie about the painter genius Csontvary came out in the same year where the hotel lobby is shown.

The Oscar-winning production, Mephisto was made in 1981 and featured the gorgeous building many times in its pictures. Klaus Maria Brandauer stayed in the hotel for months whilst shooting the movie. The Austrian celebrity returned to Gellert several other times after the shooting was finished.

The stunning view of the Danube from the balcony is one of the key features of the hotel so no surprise that many movies took advantage of this outstanding opportunity. In the Italian production, Me and my sister (Io e Mia sorella) the leading lady, Ornella Muti is shown with her hands on her hips stood on one of the enchanting balconies.

1988 brought a very busy year in the hotel’s history as 4 different productions were made in the building. To start with, a low-cost thriller with Anthony Perkins, The Edge of Sanity was shot in here. In the ballet-themed thriller, The star, Gellert represents Jennifer Connelly’s Budapest residence. Another Hollywood star, Charles Durning also appears here as he is taking part in an auction in the hotel lobby. Lastly, a Hungarian-American co-production, Eroltetett menet tells the story of a famous Hungarian writer, Miklos Radnoti’s life.

In the Costa-Gavras movie, Music Box we see Jessica Lange, the Oscar winning actress arriving in the hotel as an American layer. In the screenplay which was originally Hungarian, written by Joe Eszterhas, we are a part of a World War drama’s engaging storyline.

Do you remember Madonna starring in the outstanding movie called Evita? Believe it or not the hotel appears as an Argentinian building in the Oscar and Golden Globe winning super-production, too.

In 2001 many more celebrities visited the hotel. The shooting of I Spy with Eddy Murhy, as well as Owen Wilson and Famke Janssen’s appearance were an absolute sensation. The producers took advantage of the beautiful Budapest landscape therefore all famous venues such Chain Bridge or the Royal Palace were featured in the movie. Of course the stunning Gellert was no exception.

The Moon and the stars was shot in 2006 directed by John Irvin. Catherine McCormack and Jonathan Pryce were both outstanding the movie. The hotel is present as a Roman hotel and hosts the closing scene of the movie.

In recent years movie tourism has been booming which had a great impact on Danubius Hotel Gellert. In 2017 we were hosting many more celebrities and famous faces. National Geographic’s Genius: Picasso features the hotel as Manhattan venue as we can see the French actress, Clemence Poesy in one of the inner restaurants in the 10th episode of the series. In the same year Jennifer Lawrence is questioned by a CIA agents about Russia in the hit movie, Red Sparrow.

Grand Hotel Budapest Inspiration

Film crews often visit different cities, World-famous places to find the perfect location for un upcoming blockbuster. Wes Anderson admitted that he visited Gellert, however he later picked another venue in Germany for his recent hit, Grand Hotel Budapest.

What caused the touristic boom?

Hungarian motion pictures has gone through an enormous improvement thanks to the recent international productions taken place in the country. Different film crews visit Budapest and book thousands of nights in several hotels across the city whilst World-famous actors and actresses come and go on a weekly basis. This has an outstanding affect on Hungarian tourism as not only the movie industry professionals, but the fans often visit the city to see their favorites, too.

Stay with us and enjoy the company of World-famous celebrities whilst relaxing in the World-class Gellért Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda.

This article was supported by the fabulous team of Film Destination Budapest.

This dessert is a favourite with Hungarian children.  In some families, its enjoyment is restricted to the winter holidays, while in others it is happily consumed almost every week.  There are many variations, but when made correctly, it is always soft, sweet, creamy, and packed with poppy seed flavour.

Ingredients:

• 10 crescent rolls
• 200 g ground poppy seeds
• 200 g powdered sugar
• vanilla-flavoured sugar
• lemon rind
• a pinch of salt
• 1 l milk
• 4 egg yolks

For the vanilla custard:

• 2 egg yolks
• 20 g vanilla pudding mix
• 50 g powdered sugar
• half a vanilla bean
• ½ l milk, scalded and still hot
• 2 egg whites
• 50 g sugar

Combine the dry ingredients.  Scald the milk with the egg yolks, add to the dry ingredients, and mix well. To make the custard, first, scald the milk.  Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff.  Combine the egg yolks with the powdered sugar, the vanilla pudding mix, and the scraped out flesh of the vanilla bean.  Carefully add the hot milk to the pudding, bring to a boil, and then fold into the egg whites.

Tip:
Use drier rolls to better absorb the milk.  If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding ground walnuts to the poppy seeds.

As the Christmas fairy-tale is now over all the festive magic has gone back to storage boxes until next December. But the Hungarian capital will never slow down: January is an excellent time to visit for real winter lovers, foodies with serious cravings, instagrammers searching for the next big thing and everyone who loves a bit of chill (out).

Reasons to visit Budapest in January

We have numerous reasons that will get you inspired for your stay. Whether you’re not convinced yet or you’ve already booked your trip, this list will give you all the essentials you need to know before you leave for your adventure.  From all the fun winter can offer to cafes,  restaurants, museums and spas Budapest has endless reasons for you to stay and never want to leave again.

All the winter fun

The most instagrammable winter view

Hungary is geographically blessed with 4 seasons and winter is one of the most wonderful ones. Although January is the coldest month of the year, it is also the snowiest one: snow up to 15 inches on a single day has occurred in the past. The famous city landscape gets a winter wonderland takeover with crisp snow covering the roofs over the city and the thin layers of ice mirroring the bridges on the frozen surface of the Danube. If you thought Charles Bridge in Prague was the real deal, forget it – we guarantee you won’t find a more instagrammable place during January than the Hungarian capital.

If you’d like to find the most beautiful places in the city, don’t go any further. We have listed them all for you here.

Winter sale

In January people usually hold back their spendings, however Budapest is a great place to save some extra budget for. The Winter Sale is on until the end of January so you are down for a treat with a favourable exchange rate and lots of generous discounts. Budapest has several shopping centres, so you can hide away from the cold and plan a whole day indoors with great shopping, excellent food, cinema or bowling. We have collected all the details about the best shopping centres in Budapest in our previous article about 10 unique reasons to visit Budapest in December.

Sledging and snowball fights

Sledging and good old snowball fights are one of the most entertaining activities with friends or family during the colder winter months. Budapest is blessed with many surrounding hills and green areas that remain untouched when it snows…for a very little while. Those locations will very quickly become the new playground of rosy-cheeked children ever so excitedly pugging their next snow weapon joined in by their parents in an epic snow fight.

Normafa

For the best sledging experience head to Buda and explore the gorgeous hilly area of Normafa. The snow is stuck here easier due to higher altitude so the fun is always guaranteed. Normafa being a popular sledging destination, is usually very busy at the weekends. To avoid the crowd choose a weekday for your visit and stop by Anna-ret where the hill provides an excellent sliding experience.

Gellert Hill by the end of Rezeda street

Another popular destination chosen by people from the area. With a perfect steepness and a long sledging track it is perfect with little ones as well.

City Park – Kiraly Domb (Royal Rise)

Easily accessible by bus this rise in the park is located in the city centre and provides great conditions for an unforgettable experience. We love it because of its many slopes with different steepness and it is suitable for both adults and children. The downside is that parking is free only on Saturdays and Sundays.

The best ice rinks in Europe

Until winter lasts Budapest is always a go to destination for ice-skaters. Wherever you stay in the city you’ll find a great ice rink nearby where you can slide, glide or perform your favourite stunts!

Müpa Ice Rink

A great ice rink right by the Palace of Arts on the Pest side where you can do laps while listening to the two channels of Müpa Radio, Easy and Symphony. The onsite bar serves great mulled wine and hot chocolate to warm you up whilst a whole tent of cultural attractions awaits you after your skating session. The rink is open until 27^th January.

Csepel Ice Corridor

Csepel is a suburban area that is rarely visited by tourists as it’s fairly outside of the city centre (Budapest’s 21st district to be exact which can be accessed by suburban train (HÉV) from Boráros tér). With the coolest ice rink in the city the Csepel Ice Corridor is well worth the travel for a fun winter experience. The rink welcomes all levels, whilst the ice corridor is suitable for racing and showing off your Tonya Harding skills. The onsite wooden huts serve hot drinks and cinnamon-scented nibbles. What a treat!

City Park Ice Rink

City Park Ice Rink has a unique proposition offering Europe’s largest outdoor ice rink to everyone who’s up for some skating fun. Located in Budapest’s City Park and enhanced by the beauty of Vajdahunyad Castle this place is a real gem. Skate in a historic setting on 15,000 square meters of artificial ice whilst admiring the surrounding historic monuments. You can rent skates on site together with Bobby the Seal to make sliding less of a hard work. The opening hours can vary depending on the weather so always check the opening times here.

The best museums and exhibitions to visit this January

The newly renovated Museum of Fine Arts

After a long 3-year renovation the stunning Museum of Fine Arts has reopened with a stellar collection on show. New exhibition halls, one of which is dedicated to da Vinci, have been created, the Roman Hall that was closed for 7 years has reopened its doors and Hungarian paintings from the National Gallery arrived to bring real masterpieces into the famous collection.

Address: Dózsa György út 41.

The Invisible Exhibition

This permanent exhibition is a unique journey, guided by a blind or partially sighted person, giving an unforgettable insight into their lives. The idea of the Invisible exhibition came from a German man who wanted to experience how his blind wife lives. The tour lasts for 1 hour in total darkness, in 7 different rooms where all you can rely on is your senses: touching, hearing and smelling.

The rooms represent our daily life: street, where you have to cross the road; a bar, where you try to pay for a drink or a museum with statues.

Address: Kis Rókus u. 16-20.

Bacon, Freud and The School of London

In collaboration with Tate Britain, a National Gallery exhibition brings The School of London to Budapest for the first time. This exhibition works with art from post-war artists from the same social circle who were pursuing different forms of figurative painting as opposed to avant-garde styles. Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff are the highlights.

Address: Szent György tér 2.

The Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition

In the newly renovated Museum of Fine Arts Leonardo da Vinci has a special  place with the dedicated Michelangelo room on the first floor. The exhibition hall has 10 original Leonardo drawings and the famous bronze statue that was the subject of decade-long debates, but now commonly acknowledged to be a creation of da Vinci himself.

Address: Dózsa György út 41.

Wellness and recreation

Hungary is famous for its thermal water and spa culture that the country inherited from the times it was part of the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation.

Szechenyi Thermal Bath

Housed in a neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Bath is Europe’s largest thermal bath complex. Built in 1913, the spa is home to 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools of different temperatures – which you explore even during the cold winter months. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs with average temperature of 74°C and 77°C. It is open year-round, and you might catch some of the locals play chess on floating boards at the edge of the pool come rain, sunshine or even snow.

The baths can be reached by public transport, metro line 1 (yellow line) from Vörösmarty square. (It is also a station of the yellow M1 (Millennium Underground) line of the Budapest Metro) or the trolleybus 72. From downtown, the bath is a few hundred metres beyond Heroes’ Square.

Gellert Spa

Gellert Spa is located in the historic Hotel Gellert where the bath offers a wide range of healing treatments such as gentle and stronger massage, thai massage, sauna, steam rooms, pedicure, and several outdoor and indoor swimming and thermal pools of various sizes, an outdoor wave pool and hot tubs. The hotel guests can purchase tickets to the spa for half price.

The bath complex was built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style but was damaged during World War II. References to healing waters in this location are found from as early as the 13th century. A hospital was also located on this site during the Middle Ages, then during the reign of the Ottoman Empire baths were also built on this particular site. The “magical healing spring” was used by the Turkish during the 16th and 17th centuries. The bath was called Sárosfürdő (“muddy” bath), because the mineral mud settled at the bottom of pools.

The Gellert Baths were originally separated for ladies and men. From 2013 January, all the pools are mixed, so at last people can enjoy every section together, although it still has the two different parts.

Király Baths

Király Bath or Király fürdő was first built in Hungary in the second half of the sixteenth century, during the time of Ottoman rule.

It still retains many of the key elements of a Turkish bath, exemplified by its Turkish dome and octagonal pool. Király Thermal Bath had no direct hot water base, nor has it any today. The Turks built the Bath far from the springs to ensure the opportunity for bathing even in the case of an eventual siege, within the walls of the castle. Its water was supplied at that time, and is being supplied now, from the surroundings of the current Lukács Bath. Kiraly Baths have 4 pools on site. You can take a virtual tour of the spa here.

“Sparty” like there’s no tomorrow

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Whilst reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Weather in January

The good news is that Budapest is slightly warmer than other Eastern European destinations, with an overall average temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degree Celsius), but it is still frigidly cold throughout January. Please don’t let this scare you away as the city has been designed for the different seasons so you’ll find lots of indoor activities, quality indoor shopping, hot thermal spas, not to mention that queues will be shorter everywhere.

What to pack

A very warm jacket, a chunky scarf, a hat and some warm gloves are crucial besides making sure you wear plenty of layers. You’ll move around a lot spending time outdoors and it may be freezing on the streets and you always want to keep warm. However, in museums and cafes you will want to lose some layers and feel nice and cosy. Your packing list should include your essentials for winter conditions:

• Long sleeve jumpers
• A very warm coat
• Hat or beanie with a warm scarf
• Gloves
• Warm shoes or boots

Budapest is an ideal urban destination all year round catering for all weather conditions or any occasions. Winter brings snow and crisp, frosty mornings with a slower pace of life. Visit Budapest in January if you’re ready to get lost in pure beauty, enjoy fun outdoor activities and breathe in real culture.

If you’ve already chosen Budapest to celebrate Christmas and New Year in 2018 we have good news: there are so many Christmas and NYE festivals to get yourself into the long-awaited Festive mood! Don’t miss the traditional Christmas Markets, they are the absolute highlights during this magical month. Just to name a few of the most festive activities, you can also go ice-skating on the largest natural ice rink in Europe as well as watch The Nutcracker in a beautifully decorated art theatre. For a complete list please read our article 10 unique reasons to visit Budapest in December.

CHRISTMAS IN HUNGARY

The Christmas and gift-giving season starts relatively early compared to other European countries. In early December a Santa-like figure, Saint Nicholas (Mikulas) traditionally visits the homes of Hungarian children to celebrate the tradition of Saint Nicholas Feast Day.

Hang on…so what’s happening on the 6^th December?

Although the role of gift-giver on Christmas Day itself is assigned to the Christ Child, on 5^th December Hungarian children traditionally clean a boot and place it on their windowsill waiting for Mikulás to come by and fill it with treats. Mikulás often comes with an assistant called “Krampusz”. He represents the Devil who punishes naughty children.

The morning of 6^th December is the official start of the gift-giving period, although Hungarians don’t until the 24^th December.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Before 24 December, people decorate their houses and start cooking and baking – with the previously explain food culture in Hungary you can now expect that Christmas in Hungary is all about food. It’s 24^th December when people start decorating the tree with colourful ornaments and put the wrapped presents under it. As opposed to most European countries, in Hungary the gift-giving happens on Christmas Eve when young children are waiting for the arrival of Baby Jesus. The family exchanges gifts after the dinner and after singing carols around the tree.

On Holy Night, Hungarians listen to holiday songs such as “Silent Night” and sing or attend Christmas mass. As an old tradition we also burn candles on the Advent wreath during the four weeks before Christmas, lighting up one more new candle each Sunday.

ALL THINGS CHRISTMASSY

Visit the Christmas markets to get into the Festive Mood

Vörösmarty Square

The Vörösmarty Square Christmas market is the oldest and richest of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1^st January 2019. There are about 100 stalls waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From gulash to grilled sausages there is an endless selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate the Festive season.

The market is free to visit and it is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Special opening hours apply on the following days:

Dec 24: 10:00 – 14:00

Dec 25: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 26: 10:00 – 18:00

Dec 31: 10:00 – 22:00

Jan 1: 14:00 – 22:00

Location: Vörösmarty tér, district V., M1 underground (yellow line), M1, M2, M3 metro lines: Deák tér station or tram 2 Széchenyi tér stop: a couple of minutes walk from both stops.

St Stephen’s

Set in the most stunning part of Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica’s Christmas Market is the one not to miss.

At half past 5 from Monday to Sunday 3D festive lights are projected on the walls of the Basilica with accompanying melodies. This year special 3D glasses with which you can view the animation are available on the market. (The show can be enjoyed without wearing 3D glasses.)

Enjoy a (unique) mug of mulled wine alongside with roasted chestnut and warm and hearty street foods (beyond sausages) and enjoy the lights and the flavours.

The market opens 23^rd November and remains open until 1^st January 2019.

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00,

Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 22:00,

December 24.: 10:00 – 14:00

December 31.: 10:00 – 22:00

Mulled wine and Chimney cake is an absolute must

During your visit, tasting mulled wine is unmissable. This heart-warming drink has become one of the must-haves of the Christmas markets that await with a wide variety of mulled wine selection (white, red or even rose!). For a little deposit you’ll get a customised annual addition mug which you can refill with your choice of drink. You can keep the mug as a piece of memory of the Hungarian Christmas market or you can decide to return the mug and be refunded with the deposit.

Alongside mulled wine chimney cake (kürtős kalács) is a true Hungarian legend that makes people addicted for hundreds of years. Chimney cake has a perfect crisp exterior and a soft inside making the most delicious dessert for the cold winter evenings. What’s even better it is coated in cinnamon and sugar.

Hop onboard the magical winter tram

For a unique and fairy-tale-like way to explore the city hop on tram line 2 which will be one of the highlights of your stay.  The tram is lit up from the early afternoon, around 4 pm with over 35.000 white and blue LED lights that creates a stunning visual experience as the tram slowly strolls alongside the Danube. The journey is available with regular public transport tickets and passes, and in addition to tram line 2, several other lines across Budapest will be lit up, including tram 4, 14, 19, 47, 50, 56A, and 59.

Tram 2 is the most popular amongst all as it operates along the Danube Promenade on the Pest side with the most beautiful sites of the city.

The Winter Tram runs from early December to late January. Important that there is no service on December 24th and 31st.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION

New Year’s Eve in Hungary

New Year’s Eve is when festivities reach their zenith as people dance and celebrate the New Year. You can attend several carnivals and concerts already on the 30^th December – see, Hungarians love to party so the earlier you start, the better. However, please be careful celebrating early as New Year’s Eve will still await with lots of awesome places to go to! On the 31^st December, a masked ball is held at the Opera House and there are lots of exciting parties and gala dinners held across the city. Even though Budapest is rather grey and cold in winter the end of December undoubtedly brings back all the colours and excitement to people’s lives.

No housework or arguing: The best Hungarian traditions on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

In Hungary New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traditions have interlocked with the aim of bringing health, wealth, fortune and happiness to the next year by doing magic.

Many people make a scone-like cheesy cake (pogácsa) and hide a coin in it. The one who gets the piece with the coin will be very fortunate next year. People also made garlic calendars to forecast the next year’s weather. They put salt on the 12 cloves that represent the 12 months. The clove that gets the dampest represents the rainiest month of the upcoming year.

Girls tried to foretell who’s going to be their future husband by putting names into dumplings. They then cooked them in boiling water, and the one that first came to the surface contained the right name.

Housework and arguing were forbidden on this day because it meant misfortune. Eating poultry is bad luck because hens scratch backwards. You should be careful with fish as your luck might drift away with it.

What should you eat on New Year’s Eve?

Our food is full of tradition – especially on special occasions. Following the traditions, of course the NYE dinner also needs to tell a story.

Lentils – they symbolize the wealth, and happiness in the new year. So every Hungarian needs to eat at least a spoon of lentil soup, or pottage.

Pork – roasted pork brings fortune and luck. But you have to eat from strange pork parts, like nose, knuckle, ears, tails. Moreover, from the weirdest Hungarian dish, called kocsonya, which is a jellied broth with pork parts.

Sausages, frankfurter – easy to cook and eat at a house party too with ketchup, mustard and white bread.

Deviled egg – hard-boiled eggs with yolk mixed with mayo and mustard. It’s an appetizer, a normal party food.

How to spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day?

With parties

Hungarian wine and champagne awaits you with all their qualities, after a nice dip in one of the city’s best thermal baths.
There are many types of parties you can choose from whatever your preferences are: an elegant gala dinner, a small group celebration in a cozy bistro or crowded parties in high end nightclubs? Budapest nightlife is famous for its diversity and New Year’s Eve brings no exceptions.

You usually have to book well in advance, especially in popular places. If you have no reservation, go early and pray to get in. Most places serve a substantial dinner that includes special dishes with a glass of champagne that is often included in the price.

Celebrate in class and style in Gellert Hotel

Hotel Gellert is where all the magic happened for centuries – stunning exterior, prime location and astonishing style will treat you to an outstanding experience. This year they will bring all the joy and celebration by throwing a stylish gala dinner to say goodbye to 2018. Dinner will be served from 7 pm with the recommendation of Gabor Muncz, the hotel’s master chef. At 9 pm the dance floor will open with star guests who will guarantee an unforgettable night. For prices and more details check out Gellert Szilveszter.

Gala Concert and Dinner in the Danube Palace

The impressive building of the Danube Palace in central Budapest traditionally hosts an exclusive New Year celebration where you can enjoy a 5-course dinner with the best selection of local wines, beers, champagne alongside a 2-hour classical concert with dance and ballet performance.

Midnight Fireworks

New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be real without stunning fireworks. As the Danube mirrors the colours on its surface the fireworks are just wonderful to look at both on the sky and on the water.

The best places to watch the fireworks is either close to the river (don’t forget to bring warm clothes) or on a river course, but Fisherman’s Bastion in the Castle District also provides an excellent panorama of the city.

Open-air Festivals

Vörösmarty Square: December 31st is the final day of the city’s favourite Christmas Market so saying goodbye to 2018 will also mean the official end of the Festive period. The square will be busy with both locals and tourist taking the last sip of mulled wine of the year.

Gellért Hill: If you’re feeling active on New Year’s Eve why not climb up to Gellert Hill to say goodbye to the year with one of the most iconic views of the city? A prime spot to watch the fireworks too!

Nyugati Square: the heart of the city is the perfect place to mingle. This place guarantees the buzz and the loudest cheer for the New Year.

New Year’s Day Concert in the Danube Palace

The concert hall of the Danube Palace (Duna Palota) hosts two wonderful concerts on 1st January starting. You can enjoy a 70-minute performance by the Danube Chamber Orchestra which celebrates this special day with timeless classical pieces by Mozart, Liszt or Gershwin.

At 20.00 a 90-minute Concert & Dance Show comes alive on the stage presented by the Danube Symphony Orchestra, the soloists of the Budapest Operetta Theatre and gypsy folk artists.

New Year’s Day Cruise & Dinner on the Danube

Celebrate the New Year on a sightseeing cruise on the Danube – Reward yourself and your family with a wonderful evening that includes a splendid five-course dinner, live music by the Hungarian Folk Ensemble & Orchestra, and the enchanting sights of illuminated Budapest that you can see on a 2-hour trip.

The New Year’s Day boat excursion is hosted on the spacious and elegant Europa Ship.

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When to go

Shorter days and longer nights, crisp mornings and freezing evenings are expected as Budapest slowly turns into a fairy tale winter wonderland in the end of November. To feel the Christmas spirit and get festive the Hungarian capital is the perfect place even after New Year’s Eve.

Celebrating the New Year in Budapest you can enjoy the steadiness until the end of January. It is an ideal time to go as there are less tourists and the city is just waking back up from the festive period. If you’re lucky there is even snow, lots and lots of snow so you can enjoy sledging down the Buda hills as well as the absolutely picture-perfect scenes around the capital.

December weather

December is one of the coldest months of the year in Budapest so expect cold weather conditions and occasional frosty biting wind. Snowfall is frequent but not too heavy – enough to make the landscape absolutely beautiful.

What to Pack

Cold urban destinations in Eastern Europe will introduce you to a different kind of winter where a very warm jacket, a chunky scarf, a hat and some warm gloves are crucial besides making sure you wear plenty of layers. You’ll be spending time visiting outdoor fairs and markets and it may be freezing out on the streets, so you always want to keep warm. However, in museums and cafes you might want to lose some layers and feel nice and cosy.

Where to stay to be close to the Christmas attractions

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The hotel is located just a few steps from the beautifully lit up Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment.

Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to stay close to the city centre as it is only a 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue, the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.

Built in wonderful Art Nouveau-style and opened in 1918, the impressive Gellért hotel shares the building with the world-famous Gellért Spa, located on the Danube riverbanks, at the foot of Gellért Hill, which was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The hotel can be found in Gellért Square next to Liberty Bridge. Metro line M4 stops right next to the hotel, at Szent Gellért Tér, while the city centre is also reachable in a 10-minute walk.

In December Budapest is all dressed up in lights and traditions. From Christmas to New Year’s the city is your playground to explore, mingle, celebrate and make lots of memories whether it is a special meal, an unforgettable party, learning to say “cheers” in Hungarian or getting a gentle shiver after your first taste of Palinka. Hungary inspires and we promise: it will never be forgotten.

Variations on strudel can be sweet or savoury, and may even feature ingredients like cheese and bacon.  This tasty variety is rich enough to be served as a separate course.

Ingredients:

• 1 package strudel dough
• 1 leek
• 1 package bacon
• olive oil

For the filling:

• 1 package cow’s milk curd
• 1 package soft goat cheese
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T sour cream
• 1 grated lemon peel
• 1 grated lime peel
• salt, pepper

Cut the bacon into strips and brown.  Mix the ingredients for the filling, adding one third of the bacon.  Lay a sheet of strudel dough out on a damp kitchen towel and sprinkle with oil.  Spread the filling over the dough, sprinkle with finely chopped leek and bacon, then repeat the process to form a second layer before rolling into a log.  Bake at 180˚C for 30 minutes or until crispy.

Hungarians would tell you that there are only 3 essential styles of cooking: French, Chinese and Hungarian. This, of course, might be a unique opinion of the locals, however Hungarian cuisine has undoubtedly been the shining star in Central and Eastern Europe in the past years. Also, we do have one thing in common with French and Chinese: we are driven by food.

For whatever reason you are visiting the Hungarian capital from spending a long weekend to searching for the best nightlife spots in the city there is a restaurant for you to kick start your stay with delicious local food you will love. Our extensive list of restaurants showcases places for the ones who’d like to try the traditional flavours, who like a bit of cheekiness, the wine and gourmet-lovers and for the ones who long for a Michelin-star experience.

Hungarian cuisine and its revolution

Budapest’s food scene is technically a metaphor of the city itself: authentic, spicy and sprinkled with plenty of surprises as a new generation of Hungarians turned the traditional cuisine into an avant-garde dining experience whilst staying true to real local flavours. Hungarian food will take you far away from what you know by serving you unexpected flavours and hearty, quality wines.

In recent years a younger generation of chefs and food lovers transformed Hungarian food into a creative art form, exchanging the carbs- and meat heavy traditional dishes into healthier alternatives, exploring unexpected ingredients and flavours. Cool restaurants in Budapest await with incredible chefs’ remarkable fusions, traditional Hungarian food or Hungarian with a modern twist.

Traditional dishes

Duck-breast, goose liver and grilled sausages are the key players on the city’s food scene where you also find World-famous cafes and wallet-friendly Michelin-star restaurants. Traditionally meat heavy, but both vegan and vegetarian options are spreading like wildfire.

Goulash, the most commonly known Hungarian dish, is actually not eaten very frequently, it’s a traditional food. Other famous Hungarian meat stews include paprikás, a thicker stew with meat simmered in thick, creamy, paprika-flavored gravy, and pörkölt, a flavorful Hungarian stew with boneless meat (usually beef or pork), onion, and sweet paprika powder, both served with nokedli or galuska (small dumplings). In old-fashioned dishes, fruits such as plums and apricots are cooked with meat or in piquant sauces/stuffings for game, roasts and other cuts. Various kinds of noodles, dumplings, potatoes, and rice are commonly served as a side dish. Hungarian dry sausages (kolbász) and winter salami are also an integral part of Hungarian cuisine.

To find out more about Hungarian dishes or willing to try some of them yourself check out our latest selection of local recipes.

Traditional Hungarian restaurants

Gundel Restaurant

Tradition and evolution at Gundel Restaurant could stand for the history of modern Hungarian gastronomy and hospitality. You can discover the country by its unique taste invented by a Bavarian born genius Károly Gundel who tamed the Hungarian cuisine. Gundel is the restaurant where you can find traditional dishes based on original recipes, served in an exceptional ambiance.

Whilst creating the menu, newly appointed Executive Chef, Zsolt Litauszki aimed to keep the 120 years old recipes true to their traditions founder Karoly Gundel created. Goose liver in all its variations, The Gundel Pancake that is well-known around the Globe, a traditional Goulash or Hungarian fish soup are all on the menu for you to experience the taste of real Hungary.

Click here to reserve your table at Gundel Restaurant.

Where to find them? Gundel K. út 4., 1146 Budapest,

Phone: +36 1 889 8111, +36 30 603 2480

E-mail address: info@gundel.hu

Café Astoria Restaurant

Café Astoria Restaurant brings the classical coffee house back to life where the offer includes a quality à la carte menu. Café Astoria has become a restaurant where the guest can simultaneously enjoy the comfortable atmosphere of a café in a place that it is also suitable for social events and experience the tempting culinary adventures of a restaurant. During the day they welcome guests with their special Astoria Breakfast, Astoria Snacks, Astoria Afternoon Tea and Astoria A la carte offers. It is worth dropping in here any time of the day!

Where to find them? Kossuth Lajos u. 19-21., 1053 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 6022

E-mail address: astoria.restaurant@danubiushotels.com

The Gellert Brasserie

One of Hungary’s most famous hotels, Hotel Gellert has been accommodating guests since 1918. The hotel houses the newly refurbished Gellert Brasserie that has been serving generations since its own separate kitchen opened in 1960. Full of tradition this place is everything you need after a long day.

The chef truly believes that the ingredients speak for themselves, so the food always has true character. They offer handcrafted beer, the best Hungarian wines and a creative cuisine for old and young who crave a bit of history.

Where to find them: Szent Gellért tér 2., 1114 Budapest

Vakvarju Restaurant

The word Vakvarju literally means „blind crow” in Hungarian and it is the common name of a simple yet delicious country food (oven-baked flatbread with a wee bit charred, serrated black edges). You will find this delicious statement snack on the menu which is perfect for a hot summer night to accompany a pint of ice-cold beer. If you prefer more sophisticated, more elaborate dishes, you are in the best place too: browsing through the menu you will come across specialities that you would not find anywhere else. You are also made sure you will find the right selection of wines, to make every mouthful even more delicious.

The Head Chef has always got something to come up with that will make you go WOW. His creativity is unlimited, his skills are devilish, and his dishes are delicious. It may be Halloween, St. Martin’s Day, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, he always succeeds to design something new or elevate something traditional to a new level.

Vakvarju has different locations all around the city, so simply follow the link to find your preferred location.

Bistros – The ones with an attitude

Yellow Bistro & Bar

Danubius Hotel Helia’s new Yellow Bistro serves not only hotel guests, but also the general public, so that anyone can drop in any time for a pleasant gastronomic adventure.

Yellow Bistro & Bar’s selection includes healthy and quick meals, delicious sandwiches and pastries, but also a great soft drink and wine selection, specialty coffees, and for those with a sweet tooth, the newly introduced bright Yellow Cake. Additional choices include coconut-prawn soup, pumpkin pappardelle, Norwegian salmon fillet, and the recently re-invented cottage cheese pockets, to name just a few of the tastes

The bistro is found in the lounge area on the ground floor where you can stretch out on comfortable sofas and armchairs whilst being served by the very kind and professional staff.

Where to find them?  Kárpát u. 62-64, 1133 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 5800

Deryne Bistro

Chic, sexy, cosmopolitan, yet utterly local – Déryné opened on a street market, far away from the tourist crowds in the heart of a quiet Buda neighbourhood on the summer of 1914. It has been the café to hang out and the spot to be seen ever since. Artists, authors, movie stars, designers, ballerinas, the rich and famous shared the space with local crowds over coffee, drinks, food and the decadent magic lingering around its walls ever since.

This bustling corner of the city attracts hedonists, foodies and a cool young clientele with charm, smile and amazing food. They serve morning café, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and snacks till late. There is even a bakery on the premises, just to make sure the sourdough is always fresh and crunchy. Deryne is the place where you can start the day in style with a glass of prosecco.

Where to find them? Krisztina tér 3., 1013 Budapest

Reservation line: +361 225 1407

E-mail address: friends@deryne.com

Zsolnay Bisztro

Zsolnay  is a little oasis on the busy Teréz körút, located in the Radisson Blue Beke Hotel. It’s the perfect place for a warm-up hot drink, a romantic bottle of champagne or even a late-night cocktail with friends. The pastry assortment takes the place to another level which also includes lactose- and sugar-free options. Just recently refurbished the café with a gorgeous interior is open from 8 am to midnight catering for all meals and drinks of the day. What’s even better is they offer 50% discount during Sunday lunchtime!

Where to find them? Teréz körút 43., 1067 Budapest

E-mail address: sales.budapestradissonblu.com

 Spiler Bistro

Spíler is Baltazár’s little adventurous brother, a guy from a Guy Ritchie movie – a ladies’ man, a joker with many stories, with style but using his fist if needed. Like James Bond mixed with Johnny Quid. Spíler was born some time at the end of the 19th century in Budapest and is still one of the go to places to kick off a Friday night with a real cool atmosphere, flirty waiters and the one of the best burgers in town.

This iconic gastropub offers high-quality street food, excellent wines and a wide variety of local beers served in a laid-back urban locale in Gozsdu Udvar in downtown Budapest. It’s the great pub menu that sets Spíler apart – each dish is expertly made from scratch from super-fresh ingredients, like grilled chicken sausages, perfect cheeseburgers, and potato jackets loaded with delicious toppings.

Where to find them? Király utca 13., 1075 Budapest,

E-mail address: booking@spilerbp.hu

Wine bars for the gourmet lovers

St. Andrea Wine and Gourmet Bar

St. Andrea Wine Bar is bringing a little piece of the vineyards, the colours, the emotions, the thoughts to downtown Budapest to convey what Dr. Gyorgy Lorincz and his family truly represent, while also letting the land and the grape speak for itself.

They provide an outstanding service to their guests in a comfortable, warm but also elegant environment. The wine list features specific wines and champagne that are only available in the Bar, while also providing delicious gourmet snacks to complement the vintage.

The Bar opened its doors in Eiffel Palace, in one of the most prominent locations in the heart of Budapest, reflecting its significance both in terms of architecture and oenology.  Dr. Gyorgy Lorincz, the estate manager and wine maker of the St. Andrea winery, strongly believes that the Eiffel Palace and the St. Andrea brands perfectly complement each other, as their core values are based on common beliefs. Today, both names are synonymous with prestige, superior quality, respect for historical values, the celebration of the joyful present and future care.

Where to find them? Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 78., 1055 Budapest

E-mail address: info@standreaborbar.hu

Doblo Wine Bar

Doblo is the most beautiful wine bar in Budapest, they say. Not only beautiful but serves the best wines from Hungarian wineries. The large assortment offers sparkling wines, Prosecco and Champagne too, so everyone can find what they like. If you’re adventurous you can taste Pálinka, Hungary’s no1 weapon – also known as the local’s favourite fruit brandy/spirit.

To complement the wine assortment, they serve a traditional selection of meats such as ham, sausage, salami and even crispy goose skin as well as home-made cheeses, breads and pickled zucchini offering the best downtown cold plate experience.

Where to find them? Dob utca 20., 1072 Budapest

E-mail address: doblo@budapestwine.com

The ones with a touch of luxury

ICON Restaurant

Modern and elegant, the stunning Icon Restaurant embraces the future and yet pays homage to the history of the Royal Castle District. Icon has introduced a contemporary décor of warmness to create a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere located in Hilton Hotel in a truly premium location right next to Mattias Church.

Featuring an upscale 240-seat restaurant with a private saloon and 16 panoramic windows, guests of the Icon can choose from a distinctive Hilton breakfast to an extraordinary a la carte lunch and dinner menu as well as a sumptuous weekend brunch.

Hilton Budapest offers complimentary parking within the Castle District for its guests and offers a secure, 24-hour underground car park with check-up and manual cleaning services available for a small charge.

Where to find them? Hess András tér 1-3, 1014 Budapest

Phone: +36 1 889 6757

Kollazs Brasserie and Bar

Vibrant and inspiring, yet casual and affordable, KOLLÁZS – Brasserie & Bar is a contemporary brasserie in a landmark Budapest location, overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Danube River.

The Hungarian word for “collage,” Kollázs highlights creative combinations in all aspects of the dining experience. The interior design and décor are a fusion of old and new, luxurious and simple, representing the history of Budapest. The menu features a blend of local and international flavours, as well as traditional and modern dishes. The service is relaxed for the casual diner and professional for the formal diner. In addition, a timeless selection of music ranging from French, Hungarian, international songs, exclusively selected for Kollázs – completes this unique experience.

The interior was designed by the San Francisco based interior architecture and design company, EDG. The space represents the artistic era of the 1910s and ’20s, the coffee house culture, as well as the Art Nouveau style. Artwork is contemporary and consistently changes, complimenting and balancing the historic interior design.

As Budapest begins to emerge as a modern city without forgetting the past, Kollázs will complement the city perfectly and allow it to be defined by the needs of the guests that enter.

Where to find them? Széchenyi István tér, 1051 Budapest

Borkonyha – Winekitchen Restaurant

Winekitchen is a Michelin-star blend of a French-style bistro and a contemporary family restaurant offering the best of Hungarian cuisine. The name Winekitchen speaks for itself. The concept is based on the wide and diverse wine list, the delicious food and the personal and relaxed service.

The wine assortment includes 200 different, mostly Hungarian wines that represent not only the well-known wineries, but also small and yet-to-be-discovered cellars. They offer 48 wines by the glass at a time and have a temperature-controlled wine shelf with 1200-bottle-capacity so that you could buy wine by the bottle at a reasonable price for either take-away or drinking it on spot.

Their cuisine is based on fresh, even daily purchased ingredients and on the weekly-fortnightly changing offers written on the black board. Head Chef Ákos Sárközi has been with the owners from the first moment and he’s highly appreciated for his knowledge and genuineness, professionalism showed while working in Restaurant Alabárdos, his continuous success in the Tradition and Evolution competition, and the experiences he gained as a stage in the Portuguese two-Michelin-star Restaurant Villa Joya.

Where to find them? Sas utca 3., 1051 Budapest

E-mail address: borkonyha@borkonyha.hu

Hungary is a paradise for foodies and everyone who is looking for a unique dining experience. The locals are creative and ambitious and as all Hungarians, love food. We express our love and care through our flavours so don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new when visiting the Hungarian capital.

After all those heavy winter dishes, a little crisp-baked fish with vegetables makes the body feel good.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece filleted pike-perch per person
• shallots
• asparagus
• pea pods
• bell peppers
• whole chilies
• fresh parsley
• olive oil
• salt, pepper

Season each piece of fish with salt and pepper, then pan-sear the slices in the oil, turning several times.  Remove the fish, and add the vegetables.  Brown until crisp, seasoning with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.

Tip:  Excellent when accompanied by new potatoes with parsley!

What a picture-perfect scene: the rosy-cheeked locals rush down the beautifully lit up streets in carefully layered clothes and warm tea in their hands enjoying the time of the year when everything slows down a bit. The crisp air is filled with the unmistakable aroma of winter spices cooked into poppy seed rolls and chimney cakes. And Budapest in december does what it does best: promising you an unforgettable experience of festivals, ice-skating in a fairy-tale setting, Christmas markets and magical tram rides that only this city can offer.

Whilst Hungarian summers are long and hot, winters could be crisp and snowy, however life in the capital never stops. There is still plenty to do during the winter months when the city shows a completely different side of itself. Ready, steady, go and get ready for a magical experience in the Hungarian capital.

What to explore during December

1. Be enchanted by the magically lit streets

Big cities like Budapest start celebrating the festive period with lighting up the streets and turning their inner city into a little fairy-tale village and Budapest is no exception.

From the first day of Advent for an entire 6 weeks the city is lit up by over 1 million tiny lightbulbs from the 5^th district across the old town.  The most important and most beautiful routes you want to take to experience the magic of the streets is Vörösmarty Square (that also accommodates the most famous Christmas market in Budapest), Váci utca and the surrounding smaller streets, Erzsébet Square, Parliament Park, Andrássy Avenue between Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street and Oktogon, Liszt Ferenc Square, as well as Batthyány and Clark Ádám squares.

2. Warm up in a World-famous cafe

The coffee culture in Budapest has recently grown into a lifestyle so stopping for a coffee or hot chocolate in one of the artfully decorated cafes is a must. It is also a great way to retreat from the cold streets and warm up before continuing your journey.

Zsolnay Café is a little oasis on the busy Teréz körút, located in the Radisson Blue Beke Hotel. It’s the perfect place for a warm-up hot drink, a romantic bottle of champagne or even a late-night cocktail with friends. The pastry assortment takes the place to another level which also includes lactose- and sugar-free options. Just recently refurbished the café with a gorgeous interior is open from 8 am to midnight catering for all meals and drinks of the day. What’s even better is they offer 50% discount during Sunday lunchtime!

New York Café has lived through many eras, political systems and historical turning points. Still, it has always been reborn, sparkling and occupied by those who longed for its comforts: artists, members of the nobility and commoners alike. At the turn of the 20th century the New York Café was the most beautiful and the most beloved coffee house in Budapest. Today both the café and the famous New York Bar is open for guests to enjoy a coffee with their loved ones, a cosy get-together with friends or just to hide-away from the crowded city centre.

Despite Bedő house is in the heart of the city, just a stone-throw away from the Parliament, only a few people know about it which makes it a lot less touristy than other popular places. This house, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful one of all, and the little café inside will totally enchant you with its 1900’s décor and art nouveau architecture. Stop here for a coffee to escape not only the weather but the whole century.

3. Don’t miss the Christmas markets

The famous Christmas fair on Vörösmarty Square is the oldest, richest and the most spectacular of all the Christmas markets in Budapest. The Crafts Market is open from 9th November all the way to 29th December after which the food stalls remain open until 1^st January 2019 – perfect for a New Year’s Day cure and a last sniff of Christmas. Around 100 stalls are waiting for you to visit them, set around the Christmas tree that is decorated with different colours each year. From gulash and stuffed cabbage to grilled sausages there is a wide selection of local food you can enjoy. Not a surprise that the market puts a great emphasis on food and wine which is truly Hungarian way to celebrate any occasion.

The market is admission free and it is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

Special opening hours apply on the following days:

Dec 24: 10:00 – 14:00
Dec 25: 10:00 – 18:00
Dec 26: 10:00 – 18:00
Dec 31: 10:00 – 22:00
Jan 1: 14:00 – 22:00

Location: Vörösmarty tér, district V., M1 underground (yellow line), M1, M2, M3 metro lines: Deák tér station or tram 2 Széchenyi tér stop: a couple of minutes walk from both stops.

We would be holding our big guns back if we didn’t mention the local’s favourite market. Set in the most gorgeous part of the inner city, St Stephen’s Basilica’s Christmas Market is the one not to miss.

At half past 5 from Monday to Sunday 3D festive lights are projected on the walls of the Basilica with accompanying melodies. This year special 3D glasses with which you can view the animation are available on the market. (The show can be enjoyed without wearing 3D glasses.)

Grab your unique mug of mulled wine alongside with roasted chestnut and warm and hearty street foods (well beyond sausages) and enjoy the lights, the tastes, the spirit.

The market opens 23^rd November and remains open until 1^st January 2019.

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00,
Sat – Sun: 10:00 – 22:00,
December 24.: 10:00 – 14:00
December 31.: 10:00 – 22:00

4. Keep the mulled wine mug

 When in Hungary, tasting mulled wine is unmissable. This heart-warming drink has become one of the must-haves of the Christmas markets where you’ll be almost overwhelmed with the wide variety of mulled wine selection (white, red or even rose!). For a little deposit you’ll get a customised annual addition mug which you can refill with your next choice. A great little touch that you can keep the mug as a piece of memory of the famous Hungarian Christmas market (or if you decide to return the mug you’ll be of course refunded with the full deposit).

On top of all this, Budapest is such a cool city it even offers Mulled Wine Tasting River Cruises for €25.

5. Take the magical winter tram

Hop onboard tram line 2 during the festive season for a unique and fairy-tale-like way to explore the city. The streetcars are lit up from the early afternoon, around 4 pm with over 35.000 white and blue LED lights that creates a stunning visual experience as the tram slowly strolls alongside the Danube. Even better that the journey is available with regular public transport tickets and passes, and in addition to tram line 2, several other lines across Budapest will be lit up, including tram 4, 14, 19, 47, 50, 56A, and 59.

Tram 2 is the most popular amongst all as it operates along the Danube Promenade on the Pest side with the most beautiful sites of the city.

The Winter Tram runs from early December to late January. Important that there is no service on December 24th and 31st.

6. Go ice skating at Europe’s largest natural ice rink

Budapest is geographically blessed in many ways, but this is perhaps one of biggest ones: once the freezing cold is settled in, the City Park’s boating lake freezes over and turns into Europe’s largest ice skating rink. What a treat that is! However, there is even more to it: the magical surrounding of the baroque Vajdahunyad Castle will swipe you off your feet. Literally.

In its official name, City Park Ice Rink’s (Városligeti Műjégpálya) skating area has been expanded to 12,000 square metres (130,000 sq ft) and it has a standard ice hockey rink as well. The skating rink was home of the 2012 European Speed Skating Championships.

The opening hours of the ice rink can change day by day in the winter season, so the following hours are an average general guide for the opening times.

Monday – Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, break, then reopens from 5 pm to 9 pm
Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, break, then reopens from 4 pm to 9 pm
Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm, break, then reopens from 4 pm to 8 pm

Christmas Opening Hours

December 24: Closed
December 25: Open as usual (10 am – 2pm, 4pm – 8pm i.e. with a break between 2 pm and 4 pm)
December 26: Open as usual (10 am – 2pm, 4pm – 9pm i.e. with a break between 2 pm and 4 pm)

 7. Try the classic chimney cake

 Have you ever heard of a barbecued dessert? Yes, that’s right.

Chimney cake (kürtős kalács) is a true Hungarian legend that makes people addicted for hundreds of years. Chimney cake has a perfect crisp exterior and a soft inside making the most delicious dessert for the cold winter evenings. What’s even better it is coated in cinnamon and sugar. Yummy.

Hungary has recently experienced a culinary revolution and the famous chimney cake is no exception: the pastry is now available with an unlimited variety of sweet and savoury fillings or toppings.

In the 13^th district Töltött Kürtős reimagined the pastry as a giant ice-cream cone and filled it with vanilla-flavoured ice-cream.  Meanwhile,  Street Cakes on Andrássy Avenue is there to make everyone dream come true and create chimney cakes according to each customer’s individual cravings.

8. Warm up in thermal water

If you’re really struggling to warm up even after your well-deserved mulled wine or coffee, we know where to go. Hungary is famous for its thermal water so you’re at the perfect place to spoil yourself and warm up in the cold winter. Thermal water is high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate and is best to ease joint pain and arthritis and improve blood circulation.

Housed in a neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park, Széchenyi Thermal Bath is Budapest’s largest thermal bath complex. Built in 1913, the spa is home to 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools of different temperatures – which you explore even during the cold winter months. It is open year-round, and you might catch some of the locals play chess on floating boards at the edge of the pool come rain, shine or snow.

Gellert Spa is located in the historic Hotel Gellert where the bath offers a wide range of healing treatments such as gentle and stronger massage, thai massage, sauna, steam rooms, pedicure, and several outdoor and indoor swimming and thermal pools of various sizes, an outdoor wave pool and hot tubs. Besides these facilities you can also enjoy yourself at the bathing terrace with a beautiful view on the surrounding Gellert Hill with a beer or a glass of wine or champagne in your hands.

The hotel guests can purchase tickets to the spa for half price.

Party in a thermal spa? = Sparty!

While California dreaming comes with pool parties, Budapest nightlife takes this to another level: taking advantage of its natural features the city turns the thermal baths into the best party venues. Apart from reforming our thousand years old bathing culture, the aim with the combination of Hungarian bathing and party-culture is to create a unique musical and visual world that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Sparty event series has been running for more than twenty-two years and now it is one of the most frequented events of the Hungarian capital with 50-55 thousand visitors annually from 165 different countries. Sparties are held almost all weekends all year round in either Lukacs or Szechenyi Bath.

9. Enjoy the Nutcracker in Hungary’s largest theatre

As the Hungarian State Opera House is closed for renovation until 2019 all their performances, including the Christmas favourite Nutcracker is taking place in Erkel Theatre.

Opened in 1911 originally, the Erkel Theatre is Hungary’s largest theatre building. Its history is intertwined with the golden age of Hungarian opera performance, with such luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Grace Bumbry all having graced the stage of a building whose acoustics are considered the stuff of opera legend.

10. Get your Christmas shopping sorted

Budapest has a great selection of shopping centres making shopping easy and comfortable. If you don’t feel like walking store by store outside in the cold, shopping centres are perfect for you. Depending on your budget and preferences you can choose from a premium shopping experience to more everyday options, as well as combine shopping with social activities such as cinema or bowling. Taking advantage on the exchange rate you’ll most probably spend less on your purchases in Hungary than anywhere else in Europe.

Arena Plaza

Arena Plaza is the largest shopping plaza in Budapest at a size of 200,000 m². On November 15, 2007, Arena Plaza opened at the site of an old horse racing track. Arena Plaza has a great number of fashion shops selling designer clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.

Address: 1087 Budapest, Kerepesi út 9.

Getting there: From Keleti Railway station, M2 and M4

Corvin Plaza

One of the newest centres in Budapest with a lovely promenade built around it for casual walks or nice dinners. On top of a great and very wide shopping experience the plaza also offers parking, free wifi, phone charging, baby and mum room suitable for nappy changes or feeding or even a playground for kids. It’s also a pet friendly place.

Address: Futó utca 37-45., Budapest 1083, district VIII.

Getting There: M3 (blue) metro, or trams 4, 6 Corvin negyed stop.

WestEnd City Center

One of the easiest to access is Westend City Center, located right behind Western Railway Station on the Pest side, just 2 mins walk from the Nyugati Palyaudvar tram stop (line 4 and 6). Many shops, cafes, restaurants, a cinema, even an ice rink is waiting for you here so you can easily spend a whole afternoon hunting for great Christmas gift, have lunch, dinner or watch a movie.

Address: 1062 Budapest, Váci út 1-3

When to go

From early November on the weather takes a full turn and changes into proper winter. Shorter days and longer nights, crisp mornings and freezing evenings take over, then in the end of November Budapest turns into a fairy tale winter wonderland. To feel the Christmas spirit and get festive the Hungarian capital is the perfect place from early November to end of December.

You can also celebrate the New Year in Budapest in style and enjoy the steadiness until the end of January while there are less tourists and the city is just waking back up from the festive period. If you’re lucky there is even snow, lots and lots of snow so you can enjoy sledging down the Buda hills as well as the absolutely picture-perfect scenes around the capital.

Weather in December – What to Pack

Cold urban destinations in Eastern Europe will introduce you to a different kind of winter where a very warm jacket, a chunky scarf, a hat and some warm gloves are crucial besides making sure you wear plenty of layers. You’ll move around a lot spending some time visiting outdoor fairs and markets and it may be freezing out on the streets, so you always want to keep warm. However, in museums and cafes you might want to lose some layers and feel nice and cosy.

Where to stay to be close to the Christmas attractions

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The hotel is located just a few steps from the beautifully lit up Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment.

Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. The location of the hotel is perfect if you want to stay close to the city centre as it is only a 10-minute walk from prime Budapest attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue, the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.

Built in wonderful Art Nouveau-style and opened in 1918, the impressive Gellért hotel shares the building with the world-famous Gellért Spa, located on the Danube riverbanks, at the foot of Gellért Hill, which was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The hotel can be found in Gellért Square next to Liberty Bridge. Metro line M4 stops right next to the hotel, at Szent Gellért Tér, while the city centre is also reachable in a 10-minute walk.

Hungary is blessed to have true 4 seasons and this makes Budapest a perfect city break destination all year round. A new generation of locals keep raising the bar to incredible levels when it comes to authenticity, art and food culture. They create the buzz, they are the beating heart of the city – they organise Spa Parties and re-invent a thousand-year-old recipe of the chimney cake. In December, the whole city, old and young, celebrate the festive season together which creates this unmistakable vibe around the capital. And you are most welcome to join the hype – you wouldn’t want to miss it, anyway.

If you are excited about visiting Budapest in December then see more here: 3 days in Budapest itinerary.

What do Otto von Habsburg, Richard Nixon, Yehudi Menuhin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Vilmos Zsigmond and Maximillian Shell have in common? They all have a suite named after them in the Danubius Hotel Gellért, and stayed there many times. This September marked the centenary of one of the most beautiful hotels in Budapest.

A whole host of monarchs, religious leaders, international politicians, prominent statesmen, renowned scientists and world-famous artists were frequent guests at the Gellért Hotel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Built in the elegant, Art Nouveau style typical of the grand hotels of the early twentieth century, the Gellért remains one of the most spectacular buildings in Hungary’s capital today, and is among the most visited hotels in Budapest. One of its many attractions is its opulent, 20th-century ambience that has survived the ravages of history and witnessed the intellectual advances of the era spanning a broad arc from the last Habsburg ruler to the Oscar-winning Vilmos Zsigmond.

It was on 24 November 1918, on the feast day of Saint Gerard (Szent Gellért in Hungarian – hence the name), that the Gellért Hotel first opened to the public. Barely a month had passed before it got caught up in the events of history, as in October 1918 it was requisitioned for military purposes during the “Aster Revolution”, and later served as the headquarters of the Regent Miklós Horthy after the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic. After the First World War, however, its original function was restored and it became a hub of the capital’s social scene with its sumptuous interior spaces and the stunning views from its terraces.

It was also during this period that the hotel became known for its excellent cuisine. Its restaurants were rented out to acclaimed restaurateurs from the city from the very beginning, but from 1927 the concession was awarded to none other than Károly Gundel. It was due in no small measure to his work over a period of twenty years that the Gellért Hotel was elevated to the ranks of the world’s grand hotels, and its prestigious events were reported in newspapers all around Europe. As recorded in the official history of the hotel, it was in the Gellért that Károly Gundel invented three of his most famous dishes: Zander à la Rothermere, Bakony Gomba and Pittsburg Veal Rib. And while we’re on the subject of gastronomy, the Gellért is also famous for two desserts: one is Posztobányi Pudding (Gellért Pudding), which is made with dried fruits marinated in alcohol, and the other is the Gellért Roll, which comes stuffed with chocolate cream and rum-soaked sour cherries.

“When the Gellért Hotel was built – in 1918 – in addition to the upmarket restaurants, a simpler eatery was also planned, to serve day-trippers in the summer and local residents during the winter. The establishment, housed in the corner of the building closest to Gellért Hill – with its own entrance – was cheaper than the elegant upstairs halls and salons, and it offered much plainer fare. The quality of the food, however, must have been the same, as it did not yet have its own kitchen. The waiters brought everything down from the kitchen upstairs. This meant that the hotel’s chefs prepared the orders using the same ingredients as for the other dishes, and in the same quality”, according to the official history of the Gellért. Károly Gundel developed the public bar into a popular restaurant aimed at the middle classes, opening up its terrace in front of the building.

The Gellért takes the credit for many important hospitality-industry innovations.  It was the first establishment in the country where guests could pay in their own national currency, and where the first airport transfer car went into service; and it was also here that the first mini bars were installed in the rooms. The Gellért Hotel Bar and Restaurant was the first to use ‘plate service’ as the means of serving food to customers.

But what better sign of a hotel’s popularity could there be than its hall of fame? Since its establishment, the Gellért has seen a stream of well-known guests, including – in addition to those already mentioned – Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky, the Nepalese king Reza Pahlavi sah, the Dalai Lama, Antony Quinn, Kirk Douglas, Marina Vladi, Jane Fonda, Pablo Casals, Igor and David Ojsztrah, Arthur Rubinstein, and the list goes on. Two outstanding Hungarian actors, Ida Turay and Antal Páger, lived in the hotel for months, and their memory is honoured by the suites that have been named after them. As a gesture of appreciation, the Gellért has also named rooms after its past and present regular guests Otto Habsburg, Richard Nixon, Yehudi Menuhin, Maximilian Shell, Andrew-Lloyd Webber and Vilmos Zsigmond.

To this day, the hotel remains faithful to the catering traditions inherited from the master himself, Károly Gundel. The hotel’s Panorama Restaurant offers excellent cuisine to match the fantastic view over the city. The Sunday family lunches put on by the Gellért’s executive chef are popular social occasions. The craft beers and seasonal dishes on offer at the Gellért Pub & Brasserie are served up by a young and creative team. The Gellért Café, meanwhile, offers a tempting selection of coffee specialities, home-made pastries and cakes in a nostalgic setting to the accompaniment of live piano music.

Naturally, the legendary Gellért Baths (which is one of the best thermal baths in Budapest) are also a major attraction for guests. The spa, swimming pool and medical facilities are operated by Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt., but guests have discounted access to the medicinal thermal spa and covered swimming pool, the open-air wave pool and sun terrace during their stay at the hotel. The Hotel Gellért provides its guests with a 50% discount off the price of entry to the Gellért Baths.

A brief history of Gellért Hill, the Gellért Baths and the Gellért Hotel

Danubius Hotel Gellért is one of the oldest hotels in Budapest. The hotel’s location is particularly good, as it stands in a picturesque setting at the foot of Gellért Hill overlooking the River Danube. It’s easily accessible, with only a bridge – Szabadság Híd, one of the capital city’s most beautiful bridges – separating it from the city centre.

‘Szent Gellért’ – AKA the Bishop Saint Gerard

Encyclopedias, travel guides, history and prayer books all mention the name of the Venetian Benedictine who lived at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries, and was martyred in 1046. It is after him that both Gellért Hill and the Gellért Hotel are named. His memory is also preserved by the statue that has towered above the waterfall, facing the foot of Elisabeth Bridge, since 1904.

Gerard was born into a wealthy family in Venice, Italy, some time around the year 980. The Benedictine monk became well-versed in the sciences of the day. According to some sources, Gerard was on his way to the Holy Land, but Providence brought him to Hungary at the invitation of a Hungarian Benedictine monk. Other sources have it that he travelled to Hungary to win over souls at the request of King Stephen. Later, he became the tutor of King Stephen’s son, Emeric. Then from 1030, as the Bishop of Csanád, he founded the diocese and monastery in that town. After King Stephen’s death in 1038, Gerard lived the life of a hermit. Legend has it that in 1046 he was placed in a barrel and thrown off the hill that would later bear his name, into the Danube, by pagan Hungarians rebelling against Christianity. Bishop Gerard was canonised in 1083 along with King Stephen and his son Prince Emeric.

Gellért Hill

Gellért Hill is among Budapest’s most characteristic landmarks, commanding one of the most beautiful views of the city. The 235 m high hill in the 11th District is a popular destination for day trips, offering an abundance of history and natural treasures to explore and enjoy. Often referred to as the jewel in Budapest’s crown, Gellért Hill and its nature reserve have been a listed World Heritage site since 1987.

One of the most famous historical sites on Gellért Hill is the Citadel, which has its origins in the revolution of 1848-49. The fortress was built after the revolution was suppressed, between 1850 and 1854, on the orders of the Austrian general Julius Jacob von Haynau, to keep watch over the city and the rebellious Hungarians. Today it is a tourist attraction. The other significant historical landmark is the Liberty Statue, which commemorates liberation from Nazi rule. The statue was made by Zsigmond Kisfaludy Stróbl.

Gellért Hill is home to many protected natural resources. Its geological importance is also outstanding, as the fault lines running the length of its base have led to the formation of numerous hot springs, such as the Mátyás, Rákóczi and Árpád springs. Its protected caves include Saint Ivan’s Cave and its chapel, as well as the caves containing the hot springs that feed the Gellért and Rudas baths.

The church in Saint Ivan’s Cave, also known as the Gellért Hill Cave, is one of Budapest’s national shrines. It consists of two parts: the upper, ancient natural cave (Saint Ivan’s Cave and Lourdes Cave), and a lower network of man-made cavities in the rock, located in the interior of the hill. The temperature is 21C° in summer and winter. The chapel of Gellért Hill Cave was established by the only order of monks to be founded in Hungary, the Paulines, in the passages of the natural cavities accessible from the southern foot of the hill. In 1926, it was converted into a church modelled on the one at Lourdes, France, based on the designs of Kálmán Lux. The communist administration, however, disbanded the monastic orders at the end of the 1950s, and sealed off the entrance to the church. In its place, they established a karst water monitoring station, and the monastery was used as a hall of residence by the State Ballet Institute. On 27 August 1989, the church and monastery were reopened. The monastery, where Béla Ferenc’s beautiful wood carvings can be seen, is accessible from the church via Saint Stephen’s Chapel. The church in Gellért Hill Cave is where the Pauline order’s most precious relic, the shin bone of Paul of Thebes, is kept. The church’s altar was made in the Zsolnay porcelain factory in Pécs.

History of the Gellért Hotel and Spa

Very little is known about the bathing culture of the Magyars who settled here after their long migration. According to some chronicles, the hot springs of Buda were already known about in the age of the Árpád Dynasty. According to data from 1178, the Johannite religious order founded a hospital at the foot of Gellért Hill.

The second golden age of Buda’s spa culture was during an otherwise dark time in the country’s history, the 150-year period of Turkish occupation. At that time, the Gellért Spa was known as “Acsik ilidzsa”, an open-air hot spring bath. According to other traditions, the Turks referred to this place as Aga’s bathing place, or the baths of virgins. After the period of Turkish rule, the spa changed ownership many times. A German travel guide published in 1827 mentions accommodation facilities at the spa, and in 1832 the construction of the first genuinely large-scale hotel and bathing complex got under way.
In the 19th century it was referred to as “Sárosfűrdő” (Muddy Baths), and reportedly was a pleasant spa and hotel building, in good condition. It got its name from the healing mud found here, which surpassed that of all the other baths in Buda both in quantity and purity, but has unfortunately run out since then.

In 1894, construction of the Franz Joseph (today Liberty) Bridge commenced, and with it the reconstruction of Gellért Square. Construction of the Gellért Hotel and Spa began in 1911, but the works were delayed by the First World War. The hotel, built in the elegant, Art Nouveau style typical of the palace hotels of the early twentieth century, opened in September 1918.

The venerable hotel, with its decades of history, remains one of Budapest’s most colourful architectural features to this day. The building was designed by Ármin Hegedűs, Artúr Sebestyén and Izidor Sterk, who were all greatly influenced by the works of Ödön Lechner. Above the hotel’s characteristic entrance are arrangements of reliefs by Aladár Gárdos, while the Spa’s main entrance is decorated with Jószef Róna’s large scale statues symbolising healing.

When it was opened, the four-storey hotel had a total of 176 rooms. The suites had bathrooms with piped mains water, hot spring water and carbonated water on tap. Not long after the Gellért Hotel and Spa (mixed thermal baths) were completed, on 31 October 1918 the Aster Revolution broke out and the hotel was requisitioned for military use until the end of 1919.

Once the political and social situation returned to normal, the Hotel and Spa regained its original function, and opened its doors to the general public again. Between the wars, with its sumptuous interior spaces, terraces and pools, the hotel soon became a hub of social life in Budapest. On 1 October 1921, the International Congress of Hoteliers was held in Budapest. The guest book began to fill with the names of global celebrities. Besides the Hungarian ruler and members of successive Hungarian governments, the scions of Europe’s royal families, mayors, maharajahs, artists and millionaires all stayed in the hotel. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands even spent her honeymoon here.

In 1927 the wave pool was built to the designs of Artúr Sebestyén, and 60 new rooms were also completed. To this day the wave pool uses its original machinery to produce pleasant, rolling waves to the delight of the bathers. In 1933 work got under way to convert the hotel’s conservatory, and one year later the whirlpool bath was also opened.

The hotel’s restaurants were rented out to acclaimed restaurateurs from the city from the very beginning. In 1927 the concession was awarded to Károly Gundel. It was due in no small measure to his work over a period of twenty years that the Gellért Hotel was elevated to the ranks of the world’s grand hotels, and its prestigious events were reported in newspapers all around Europe. It was in the Gellért that Károly Gundel invented three of his most famous dishes: Zander à la Rothermere, Bakony Gomba and Pittsburg Veal Rib.

Unfortunately, the Second World War inflicted severe damage on the hotel’s building. The Danube side was completely gutted by fire and the hill-facing side partially damaged. The reconstruction began in 1946 on the side facing the hill, then in 1957 renovation work started on the Danube side as well. The Duna Room, the Márvány Room, the Gobelin Room and the Tea Salon, as well as the Café, gained their present form during their conversion in 1960.

The hotel was once again receiving world famous guests, and the list was virtually endless. The virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin was the first famous hotel guest after the war, and enjoyed the Gellért’s hospitality on a number of occasions. Statesmen such as Richard Nixon, the Austrian chancellors Julius Raab and Bruno Kreisky, the Iranian shah Pachlavi and his family, the Dalai Lama, the Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Agostino Casarolli, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg, American medical researcher Albert Sabin, the world-famous actors Kirk Douglas, Antony Quinn, Marina Vlady, Alberto Sordi and Jean Fonda, the cellist Pablo Casals, the violinist Isaac Stern and pianist Arthur Rubinstein, the conductors Carlo Zecchi, Gábor Carelli and Roberto Benzi, the violinists Igor and David Ojsztrah, the operatic tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, the Soviet film director Grigory Naumovich Chukhray, composer Dmitri Shostakovich, and, more recently, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Hungary’s own Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmost Zsigmond have all stayed at the Gellért.

Until the 1970s, the Gellért Hotel represented the state of the art of Hungarian tourism. During these decades, the hotel also led the way in the training of professionals, and introduced numerous hotel and restaurant services that were pioneering in post-war Hungary. It was in the Gellért that guests were first able to pay in their own national currency, and where the first airport transfer car went into service, and it was also here that the first mini bars were installed in the rooms. The Gellért Hotel Bar and Restaurant was the first to use ‘plate service’ as the means of serving food to customers.

The hotel is also famous for two special desserts. One is known as Posztobányi Pudding (Gellért Pudding), and is packed with dried fruits, and the other is the Gellért Roll, which is stuffed with rich chocolate cream. Many have tried to copy the secret recipe of the latter, but you’ll still have to visit the Hotel if you want to sample the real thing!

The Gellért Hotel and Spa today

Today’s Gellért Hotel has 234 rooms, of which 13 are suites, 38 superior double rooms, 94 standard double rooms, 49 single rooms with a bath and 40 single rooms with a shower. Some of the rooms are located on the main facade overlooking the Danube, and these have balconies and beautiful views of the river.

Today the Hotel and the Spa are operated by two separate companies. The Hotel is owned by Danubius Zrt. The spa, swimming pool and medical facilities are run by Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt., which recently completed the reconstruction of the spa, which retains its unparalleled beauty. A thermal water pool has been added to the open-air wave pool and terrace.

The Gellért is one of the best thermal baths in Budapest, and one of the most visited by tourists. Striking features include the tiles manufactured by the Zsolnay factory, the ornamental cladding of the pillars in the whirlpool bath, and the colourful Maiolica statues. The Gellért Spa offers virtually the full range of medical spa services (balneotherapy, mechanotherapy, electrotherapy, mud packs), and also has a complex physiotherapy department and inhalatorium.

Guests have discounted access to the medicinal thermal spa and covered swimming pool, the open-air wave pool and sun terrace during their stay at the hotel. The Hotel Gellért provides its guests with a 50% discount off the price of entry to the Gellért Baths.
For guests who only want to take advantage of the treatments and massages, however, there’s no need to purchase a daily ticket for the Gellért Baths.

Budapest is history, food and culture all melt into one unforgettable experience. While the art cinemas, refined baths, old-fashioned cafés with their avant-garde food and coffee selections will sweep you off your feet, the traces of Goulash and wine will add extra spice to your stay. Why people chose Budapest over big European cities beyond its true beauty is the fact that it has plenty to offer all year round to anyone from families, singles, leisure and pleasure-seekers, foodies and vegans, coffee and wine-lovers to fashionistas, festival-lovers, hipsters or outdoorsies.

The city remains affordable, with the more desirable hotels and restaurants attainable on most budgets. In this article we would like to show you how to spend 3 days in Budapest in style and comfort making the most out of your stay yet find time to relax.

Day one – Explore Buda

Have breakfast in style

Start the day in style and fall in love with Hungarian hospitality. To start exploring Buda book your table in one of the city’s most famous cafes and celebrity hotspots: Café Deryne. A place with 100 years of heritage, designed with a classy but magical interior that immediately makes you feel that this place is something special. Deryne is one of the first institutions to grant a 24/7 coffehouse status in the city, with a French bakery and patisserie right on the premises, live music, fresh international papers and a lively terrace.

For more details check out bistroderyne.com

Explore the Royal District

Squeeze into the Castle Hill Funicular and climb slowly to the pedestrianised district of old Buda. Wander around the Royal Palace to step in the footstep of the Royals celebrating Hungary’s incredibly rich history of royals and ruling houses. Rebuilt in the 18th century by the Habsburgs, the Royal Palace today houses the Hungarian National Gallery and features Fishermen’s Bastion that will spoil you to one of the most breath-taking views in Europe.

Walk through the little cobbled streets to find Matthias Church, the coronation place of old kings, with a multicoloured roof and elegant, renaissance walls looking over the royal castle.

Today the castle is a residential area where people live within the historical walls and marble signs on the buildings commemorating war heroes, famous poets, politicians or even Olympic Champions. Watch out for them for the easiest way to get to know the rich history of the streets.

Have lunch in old Hungarian Style

Don’t leave Hungary before trying out at least one of our signature dishes: Gulash, Beef Stew or Fisherman’s Soup. Any of the restaurants in the castle will serve you our famous traditional meals and you shouldn’t be afraid to try a unique flavour you probably never tasted before.

Walk the walk to Statue of Liberty with the best free attractions on the way

The full hike up to Gellert Hill only takes 20 minutes and covers lots of free sights with a combination of both history and beautiful views, including the most instagrammable places in the city. So, get your comfortable shoes on and leave the busy streets behind!

The Gellert Hill Tour starts in St Gellert Square through Liberty Bridge and leads to the most stunning sights in of the city.

For me information on the best things to do in Budapest please read our previous post about Fun things to do in Budapest.

Day Two – Express your inner bohemian in Pest

After a historical day in Buda you’re now familiar with all our Kings and Queens, and hopefully feel relaxed after a good night sleep in one of our hotels. However, on Day Two, get ready for something very different. Open your heart, your eyes and all your senses because Pest will take you back to careless teenage years when everything was possible.

To start with the historic sites first, spend the morning and early afternoon with a comfortable stroll across Pest’s most famous streets.

Parliament

We, Hungarians, firmly believe that our Parliament building is one of the most beautiful of all – and it was indeed selected as a World Heritage site as a central element in the Danube panorama in 2011. Proudly facing the Royal Palace on the opposite side of the Danube, the Parliament also guards the Hungarian Holy Crown.

Click for all information about visiting the Parliament.

St Stephen’s Basilica

Stroll further into Pest, taking in St Stephen’s Basilica and the Hungarian State Opera, before hopping onto one of Europe’s oldest metro lines, the M1 (opened 1896).

Andrassy Avenue

This is where you find haute-couture from Louis Vuitton to Armani.
From St Stephen’s you have a straight easy walk down to Heroes’ Square across Andrassy Avenue that is home to Budapest’s major exhibition halls, fine architecture and museums, including the famous House of Terror.

Gozsdu Courtyard

By their tagline Gozsdu is where happy people meet – and yes: the past couple of years Gozsdu Courtyard has been the place where the night began. With food, drinks and good company both locals and visitors feel at home here.  It is a meeting point that connects gastronomy, culture and entertainment. Choose between Divino’s famous selection of wines, Spiler’s dirty burger and cheeky waiters or Pad Thai Wokbar’s Asian menu amongst many other restaurants serving delicious food in a great atmosphere. Then let the night take you to anywhere – the best clubs are all just a stone-throw away.

Ruin Bars

Budapest’s first “ruin bar”, opened in an abandoned building in the city centre (Szimpla Kert – szimpla.hu) and since then ruined bars have been spreading like wildfire around the city and now represent an entire generation of youngsters who challenge the status-quo and are committed to make their voice heard. Mismatching furniture, brick walls, old toys, even an old Trabant car from East-Germany could be part of your best night in one of Budapest’s signature ruin bars across 7^th District’, the famous Jewish Quarter.

Day Three – Winding down

After a busy 2 days you have plenty of options to wind down and enjoy your last day in Budapest. By now you’ve been walking enough so why not embark a boat to see even more of the city.

Get on a cruise to Margaret Island

Explore more hidden gems directly from the Danube by taking a short cruise, including an audio history of the sights along the riverbanks. Legenda (legenda.hu) has 70-minute trips costing £10 for adults.
Disembark at Margaret Island for a stroll where the wooded island park is home to an overgrown chapel, Franciscan ruins and a fountain that dances to music. It is the best place for a leisurely walk or a picnic in fresh air after the 2 days of buzz in the city. Devote half a day to explore and enjoy the serenity on Margaret Island.

Spoil yourself to a luxury thermal spa experience

Hungary is famous for its thermal water so you’re at the perfect place to spoil yourself. Gellert Spa is located next to the historic Hotel Gellert where the bath offers a wide range of healing treatments such as gentle and stronger massage, thai massage, sauna, steam rooms, pedicure, and several outdoor and indoor swimming and thermal pools of various sizes, an outdoor wave pool and hot tubs. Besides these facilities you can also enjoy yourself at the bathing terrace with a beautiful view on the surrounding Gellert Hill with a beer or a glass of wine or champagne in your hands.

The hotel guests can purchase tickets to the spa for half price.

Where to stay in Budapest

Buda

Budapest is an easy city to navigate, with the river at its heart. Cross one of the eleven bridges to Buda where the leafy hills hide natural hot springs and offers incredible views of the inner city and the surrounding natural wonders.

If you wish to spoil yourself to a unique luxurious experience Hilton Budapest will do the job the for you. It will take you back to the ages of Kings and Queens right up in the heart of Buda Castle Royal District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The luxurious hotel offers its guests breath-taking panoramic views of the Danube both from their rooms and from their tables in the stylish ICON Restaurant.

In case you needed a slightly more down to Earth option yet keeping a little bit of heaven, Hotel Flamenco is a perfect solution. It offers a rare proposition of being close to the centre of Budapest yet surrounded by beautiful parkland. This four-star hotel near the so-called “Bottomless Lake” in Budapest’s 11th district has its own garage and rooftop car park, although it’s also easily accessible by public transport with metro, bus and tram stops a short walk away.

Pest

On the opposite side of the gently rolling Danube there is Pest, the Eastern city. Hiding behind the gothic Parliament building that stretches alongside the river bank, Pest is where you can express your inner bohemian exploring attractive boulevards and the Jewish quarter, which has seen an avant-garde drinking scene develop around ran-down courtyards styled with modern art and mismatching flea market furniture.

Wishing to stay close to the beating heart of the city centre Radisson Blu Béke Hotel is an ideal choice for everyone who wants to explore the rich cultural life of the capital. The theatres, museums, restaurants and cafés located nearby guarantee that those interested in high-end entertainment will not be bored for a moment.
The hotel is located near Western (Nyugati) Railway Station, just a few steps from Andrássy Avenue, and easily accessible by car or public transport.

Another 4-star gem is Hotel Astoria City Center that opened in 1914 as one of the city’s most elegant hotels, and – over a century later – it stays true to that original character. Guests have always been attracted by its sublime fin-de-siècle architecture and comfortable rooms. And its location: a 10-minute walk from prime attractions like the Hungarian National Museum, the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe), the Danube promenade and the famous Váci Street.

To further tighten the budget there are great 3-star options in the heart of the city such as Hotel Erzsebet. Whether you plan to do some sightseeing, browse the shops or go out for a special meal, this place is a great starting point. This modern, atmospheric hotel – occupying a recently pedestrianised street in the city centre – is popular among both business travellers and tourists exploring Budapest. It’s situated in the middle of bustling District 5, which is the capital’s business, commercial and cultural heartland.

Whichever side you fancy being part of, Danubius Hotel Group will get you coered with an extensive selection of 3,4 and 5 star Budapest hotels around the city. With best price guarantee you’re also ensured you find the best value for your money regardless of your budget.

Cheat Sheet

How to get to Budapest city centre

From European countries most airlines fly directly to Budapest’s only airport, Liszt Ferenc International Airport. It’s quick and easy to get thru customs and passport control, collect your luggage and off you go to explore the hidden gems of the city. There are several easy ways to continue your journey to downtown Budapest from taking a taxi to using public transport.

Taxi

On the way out of the airport un-licenced taxis might try to offer you a ride to the city centre, however it’s recommended you always choose the airport’s official partner, Főtaxi, the oldest taxi company in the country.

Taxi drivers speaking at least one foreign language are in service with large, category ‘A’ cars.
Reservations can be made in person at the Főtaxi booths located at the exits at Terminals 2A and 2B. At the taxi rank in front of the stands, taxis are parking continuously waiting for passengers.

A one-way ride to the city centre should not cost more than 9000 HUF (25-30 EUR) and takes about 3o to 40 minutes. All cars accept card payment.

More information on the airport’s official website.

Shuttle service

MiniBUD provides comfortable and fast transfer solutions for passengers wishing to travel from the airport to the districts of Budapest, and from the city to the airport.

miniBUD CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: info@minibud.hu
Web: www.minibud.hu
miniBUD call center: +36 1 550 0000

Car hire

There are plenty of internationally trusted and well-known car hire companies located at the airport building giving you an easy and comfortable access to rent a car. You can book online prior to your arrival so you would spend only a couple of minutes more at the airport to pick up your car.

The complete list of the car hire companies operating at Liszt Ferenc International Airport is found on the  airport’s official website.

Public transport

As of 7 July, a direct bus line connecting the airport with the city centre was introduced which was long awaited: bus line 100E takes passengers directly to Deák tér (Deak Square). The first bus leaves from the airport each morning at 05:00, and the last one at 0:30. Bus 100E stops between the two terminals on the arrival level.

Important that a special ticket must be purchased which costs 900 HUF (2,5-3 EUR) – other tickets or season tickets are not valid on this service. Tickets can be purchased at the transport company, BKK’s customer service points, at the post office, the newsagents (Relay) and from ticket machines at the bus stop.

Best time to go

All year round.

Eastern European countries have a unique proposition with their geographic location that offers a 4-season experience from hot long summers to snowy winters. At any time during the year you fancy a long weekend Budapest always has something to offer.

Spring and Summer

If you are all about the hot weather book your trip from March to early September. Spring is absolutely gorgeous with the blooming trees and the waking nature – besides all the outdoor events the city is famous for, open-air bars and theatres as well as some of Europe’s coolest festivals (Sziget Festival is one of the biggest events of the year attracting people from all over the World). To avoid the heatwave choose late March to mid June, otherwise get ready for a “hot” experience.

Autumn and Winter

The trees remain clothed in green until the beginning of October and then all of a sudden, green turns to rusty brown and pale yellow… Autumn in Budapest is beautiful. The air is cooler with a tincture of earthiness – just a hint that brought to mind the cosy evenings and warm soups to come. All the summer events will go back inside again and the days slowly become shorter and shorter to get ready for the cold and snowy winter.

From November to beginning of January don’t miss the Christmas market by St Stephen’s where you can fill up your mugs again with mulled wine and feel the unreplaceable taste of winter spices. If you’re well into the Festive Spirit you can book different tours from Christmas market tours to Wine, Craft Beer or Mulled Wine Tasting.

http://budapestchristmas.com/

Budapest is an ever-changing city that somehow remains the same: with history and culture it will always have a good story to tell. Whatever you need a Budapest city break for: to relax, to explore, to get away from your daily problems this is where you will fall in love with life again.

Think you already know everything there is to know about this popular dish?  Watch our video and make it as never before!

Ingredients:

• ½ filleted chicken breast
• 1 onion
• olive oil
• paprika
• salt, pepper
• 2 dl chicken broth
• 1 tomato
• 1 pepper
• 4 t flour
• a small quantity of water
• 2 T sour cream
• 0,5 dl cream

crepe batter:

• 400 g flour
• 2 eggs
• salt
• 1 dl milk
• 3 dl soda water
• oil

Slice the chicken breast thinly, pound flat, and season with salt and pepper.  Brown both sides in olive oil until slices are cooked through.  Remove from the frying pan.  Begin preparing the sour cream – paprika sauce by sautéing the coarsely chopped onion in olive oil.  Add the chopped pepper and tomato, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with paprika, then pour in the chicken broth.  Cook thoroughly, then strain. Return the resulting liquid to the heat and carefully blend in the sour cream and cream.  Use a thin paste of flour combined with water to thicken.

Prepare a standard crepe batter using salt, but no sugar, then, after a brief rest period, make the crepes, using a large biscuit cutter to create perfect circles.  To serve, layer the crepes with the sauce and chicken pieces.  Finish by covering the entire stack with sauce and garnishing with sour cream.

Tip:  Be generous with the sauce, spreading each crepe completely and saving plenty for the top, making the entire dish deliciously creamy.
To save time, make the crepes a day in advance.

As soon as you arrive in Budapest you are immediately surrounded by this unmistakable feeling that something out of the ordinary is just around the corner. Budapest, with its delicious flavours and fruity wines, its breath-taking views and rich history has become the beating heart of Eastern Europe and continues to be the new must-seen destination of the fun-seeking Europe traveller.

The two-sided city that is split into halves by the mighty Danube represents two very different characters of the capital. The historic castle district in Buda offers medieval streets and adorable houses, museums, caves and Roman ruins whilst its little brother, the playful Pest gives you the ultimate urban experience with its famous ruin bars, riverside promenade, lots and lots of food and all the fun places to go with your friends. Why people love Budapest beyond its true beauty and history is obvious:  everyone at any age, gender, relationship status or nationality finds what they look for in a city break.

Best fun things to do in Budapest for Couples

When you think of Budapest, think of a never-ending date night. The city tells an inspiring story of a marriage between two cities of contrast that are joint by iconic bridges of iron and stone. Bringing people together and celebrate togetherness is all around you, and it seems the history of the city hints that Budapest was custom-made for romance.

Let the love story with Hungarian Cuisine begin

We Hungarians love our food. We express our love, care and pride thru food and hospitality; if we want you to stay, we give you more to eat. (if you don’t want more, we get offended)

In recent years a younger generation of chefs and food lovers transformed Hungarian food into a creative art form, exchanging the carbs- and meat heavy traditional dishes into healthier alternatives, exploring unexpected ingredients and flavours. Cool restaurants in Budapest await with incredible chefs’ remarkable fusions, traditional Hungarian food or Hungarian with a modern twist.

To start this never ending – trust us – love affair spoil yourself to a romantic meal in Gellert Brasserie, in Hungary’s most famous hotel, Hotel Gellert (where Eddie Murphy’s I spy was shot in 2002!), hid between the towering Gellert Hill and the Danube.

http://www.gellertsorozo.hu/en/

Get your temperature up

Budapest can make a claim to be one of the most relaxing cities in Europe, thanks to a secret buried beneath its beautiful architecture. The capital alone has 118 hot springs to boast (which delivers 70 million litres of therapeutic water each day) therefore no couples should come to Budapest without their swimsuits. The spa culture is a perfect mix of natural wonder and ancient history as the Turkish baths of Budapest are an everlasting memory of the Ottoman rule during the 16^th and 17^th century.

Szechenyi Bath with its ridiculously beautiful architecture houses the only spa on the Pest side and remains one of the biggest thermal spas in Europe. As going to a swimming pool is one of the best things to do in Budapest during the hot summer months, the spa provides you with a great place to sunbathe and cool down. However, jumping into the outdoor thermal pool in December offers you a very unusual and unique experience and something that would certainly cool you down even more.

http://www.szechenyifurdo.hu/

Budapest, XIV. District, Állatkerti körút 9-11.

Phone: (36-1) 363-3210 (Between 8-18), E-mail: szechenyi@spabudapest.hu

You can read more here about the best thermal baths in Budapest.

Ride the ancient Funicular to Buda Castle

While you can walk or ride a cab to Buda castle, it’s hard to rival the appeal of the 18th-century Buda Castle Funicular (one of the many structures that was restored after WWII bombing). Arrive early to avoid the long queue, so you can experience a scenic and stress-free trip to the castle. A return ticket costs 1,800 HUF (6 EUR).

On a side note, the view of the Danube embankments and the Buda Castle District has been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Lists since 1987. So you know what you can expect.

https://www.bkv.hu/en/en/buda_castle_funicular_

Walk in the steps of Kings and Queens

 When you arrive at Buda Castle history will surround you immediately. Head to Fishermen’s Bastion first for the most breath-taking view in Europe (and the best view in Budapest) to enjoy that unbeatable feeling of being above the city. The Parliament Building stretches alongside the Danube on the opposite side which will absolutely blow your mind… especially at night time with both the Parliament and Buda Castle magically lit up and mirrored on the smooth surface of the river.

You can walk around for hours and hours on the cobblestone paths and discover the tiny little mews hidden between buildings. The Promenade is located at the back of the castle and offers a unique view of Buda Hill. Stroll along the leafy pavement, take a break and sit down on the cannons in front of the iconic country yard of the Museum of Military History or have a drink in the sunset for the perfect finish of the day.

When you’re single

Get ready to mingle because the city never lets you down. It’s so easy to fall in love with (and in) Budapest, you will literally wish you’d never have to leave. Young adults, students, urban athletes and people full of love for life are giving Budapest its very heart beat and create this special atmosphere where no one ever feels alone.  The city is your playground. Go have fun.

Prepare your own lunch at Budapest Makery

If sitting in a restaurant on your own is not your thing then Budapest Makery gets you covered. At this 7^th district restaurant guests cook for themselves. After choosing your dish on the menu you will be provided with all the ingredients and a food preparation video to help you prepare your meal. With a promising 4,7 ratings on Google Budapest Makery is the first DIY restaurant in the World.

http://www.budapestmakery.hu/

Bookings from Tuesday to Sunday on +36 1 614 3001

Catch a movie in an art theatre

There are lots of art theatres around the city and they can be best explored alone. On top, English-friendly movies are played now all year round so you’re all set for a cosy movie night out. Urania, where our dads’ generation spent Saturday evenings, with its beautiful architecture still houses many of the ground-breaking art movies and is one of the coolest cinemas to go with friends or on you own.

Full-price ticket for regular shows

HUF 1,500 – Main Hall ground floor

HUF 1,600 – Main Hall box seats

https://urania-nf.hu/en

Grab and go – Cycle around Budapest with BuBi

What a fun way to explore a city and have fun on your own! Eventually Budapest has picked up on the Grab and Go trend so short-term bike rentals, called BuBi (short for Budapest Bikes) are now available at 76 docking stations around the city. 1,100 apple-green coloured bikes are there to grab all year round, 24 hours a day. The entire system is operated under the Budapest public-transportation system and docking stations are located at no less than 500 meters from each other. The rental costs 500 HUF per hour (1,5 EUR).

https://molbubi.bkk.hu/

Grab one and cross Chain bridge at night for a one of a kind view of the two sides of the city, or cycle down to Margaret Island after breakfast. Currently a 200 km long cycle path is available across the city which makes Budapest the 13^th most bike-friendly cities of the World. What’s even better is there are bike-friendly cafes all around the city too! Our favourite is dynamobake & dynamobike which offers delicious home-made cakes and located close to Central Market.

Find the way out of the Maze

If you’re up for a bit of adventure and like pumping up your heart beat or hunting vampires, visiting the Buda Castle Labyrinth must be on your list. It is a series of caves some 16 meters under Castle Hill that once imprisoned Vlad the Impaler, better known as Count Dracula. The 1200 km long labyrinth, including a tunnel where you’re confronted with total darkness, is now open to the public to tell the story of a tale that was once reality. Or was it?

         A single adult ticket costs 2,500 HUF (8 EUR).

http://labirintus.eu/en/

Fall in love with wine

Hungary is located between the 46th and 49th parallel which is actually the same latitude range as many of France’s top wine regions from Northern Rhône to Champagne. Its rolling hills are rich in volcanic soils and limestone – idyllic soil types for fine winemaking. Hungarian wine has always been an underdog, but since the government has started investing money in wine tourism the industry has been blooming. Many of the best vineyards opened their own wine bar or supply their statement drinks for restaurants or wine hotels.

If you’re seeking a lush experience, choose St Andrea Wine and Gourmet Bar which has a luxury set-up and delicious food. On a hot summer day don’t forget to go up to the skybar which brings you an incredibly beautiful view of the inner city.

http://standreaborbar.hu/

For a more casual glass of wine, try one of Budapest’s first wine bars, DiVino, either by St Stephan’s in a historic surrounding, or head to Gozsdu Udvar where Budapest nightlife begins! After your glass of wine the night can take you anywhere.

http://gozsdu.divinoborbar.hu/en/

Put your best clothes on, ask for a glass of their most popular wine (red or white) and smile. You’re in Budapest and life is beautiful.

Best things to do in a stag or hen do

If New York is the city that never sleeps, I’m not sure what Budapest is. There is no such thing as bed time in a city of endless restaurants, bars and clubs that all awaits you to concur them. Budapest is one of the best places to find the best fun for groups, stag or hen-does.

Check out our guide about the Best Area to Stay for Nightlife in Budapest.

Escape!

They are becoming more and more popular, so why not get stuck into one of Budapest’s many escape rooms with your mates or girlfriends? The deal is pretty simple: you’re locked into a room. You and your fellow stags and hens have to work together as a team, use logic, wit and common sense to escape from the room that’s filled with taxing puzzles and questions that you’ll have to solve in order for the room to become unlocked. To make it even more exciting you will be given a time limit which is usually 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you like it playful this is the perfect ice-breaker before painting the town red!

The highest rated Escape room in Budapest has 6 different themes you can choose from, all of them will give you the chills.

https://escaperoom-budapest.com/

Home of the ruin pubs

Ruin pubs were born when people found authenticity in old, ran-down yet original places. The same way Shoreditch in London was lifted by artists, ruin pubs were created for everyone hungry for the cool, the authentic and denies everything fake. And the real story is, back in 2001 a bunch of young men were looking for cheap places to drink and so the story goes. And from their shallow pockets some of the most stylish places in Budapest were born.

Szimpla Kert is the first of its kind, still blooming today. If the downtown craziness of Kazinczy street and the Jewish quarter, the wilfully mismatched furniture and an old Trabant car, that doubles as a table and chairs from former East-Germany, sounds too hipster, don’t worry. People from 16 to 70 are all there ready for some pre-party drinks. Besides, it regularly hosts a farmers’ market and a flea market as well as live music and movie screenings.  There is no such thing as too hipster anyway.

http://szimpla.eu/

Bubble football for the boys

I bet most of you love football with the boys so it’s the perfect way to take it to another level and have the best fun ever. You will be thrown on a giant inflatable and transparent spheres (it has an open top) and take part in a series of fun and challenging games. But without having to use your hands to help you balance, you will discover how difficult it is to play this beautiful game with your feet only.

39 EUR per person for 2 hours.

http://www.hungaryforfun.com/activities/zumo-bubble-football

Cocktail making for the hens

Learning to make cocktails in Budapest is the perfect activity for the ladies that love the more sophisticated drinks. The good news is that you’ll be able to drink all your own creations once you’ve made them! You will be provided with an expert’s top tips to measuring, mixing and shaking your way to perfection, before pouring into a glass for the epic finish. Expect to learn a mix of all those classic cocktails – you’ll be able to take your new skills home with you to show your friends what you learnt in Budapest.

From 25 EUR per person.

https://partybookersbudapest.com/activities/cocktail-making-lesson

The best free attractions to see

The city is so pretty you can literally spend hours admiring its beauty and authenticity without spending any money. All the hottest spots are there for you to concur them all year round.

City of the 11 bridges

Quite a unique proposition that the capital is split into two by Europe’s second longest river. To unite the capital Budapest has 11 bridges of which at least 4 of them will take your breath away. For a historical moment cross the city’s first ever stone bridge, the now renewed Chain Bridge, where you can also have a picnic during the greatest national holiday for Hungarians that commemorates the Foundation of the Hungarian State on 20^th August (it’s like Hungary’s 4^th July). For a very special and absolutely stunning view, face Elisabeth Bridge on the Buda side – strictly during sunset. You’ve been warned.

Margaret Island

One of Budapest’s many little gems, Margaret Island needs to be on your list to visit. You either decide to run it or walk it, the island with its rich history and natural beauty will give you the ultimate relaxation. Locals love it, especially during the hot summer months as it has 2 outdoor swimming-pool complexes on site, parks, fountains and open-air bars.

One of the most beautiful spots however is the Japanese garden on the northern side of the park. It’s a serene environment with smooth paving, and calm waters replete with lilies and a grand waterfall that quietly trickles down into the central pond.

Gellert Hill Walking Tour

While you can take Bus 27 all the way up Gellert Hill, the full hike up only takes 20 minutes and covers more free sights with a combination of both history and beautiful views, including the most instagrammable places.

The Gellert Hill Tour starts in St Gellert Square through Liberty Bridge and leads to the most stunning sights in of the city. Some of the highlights are:

Saint Gellert Monument: This multilevel monument spans an artificial waterfall and is capped by a statue of Bishop Gellert holding a cross while boldly looking over Budapest. You can walk along all three levels of the monument gaining better and better views.  Directly across the Danube River from the Gellert Monument you can see the twin towers of the Inner City Parish which was built over the grave of Saint Gellert in 1046 A.D.

Citadel: The best things at the Citadel today are not only the spectacular and very unique view of Budapest, but outdoor exhibits of both Saint Gellert and Soviet Artillery Guns, besides the Citadel Museum  with its 3 levels of bunkers, prison yard, and a 1944 wax museum.

Liberation Monument: Sitting high above Budapest, the 46 foot tall Liberation Statue stands on a 84 foot tall pedestal while lifting a palm leaf toward the city as a symbol of peace.  The monument was built in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during World War II.

To complete list of Budapest attractions on the walking path visit https://en.funiq.hu/3421-a-scenic-walk-on-gell%C3%A9rt-hill.

Budapest welcomes everyone regardless of age, gender, money or relationship status. It will spoil you with its beauty, its wonderful food and wine, long walks and even longer summer nights.

Get ready for a serious love affair – the one you’ll never forget.

This simple but superb dish is a favourite of adults and children alike and, done right, can be prepared and consigned to the oven in next to no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg boiled potatoes, sliced
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 200 g bacon, cut into strips
• 1 smoked Hungarian paprika sausage, sliced
• 5-6 dl sour cream
• salt, pepper
• shredded cheese

Layer the ingredients in a buttered baking pan so that the potatoes are at the bottom.  Cover with sour cream.  Layer with sausage, eggs, and bacon, as desired, each time topping with more potatoes and sour cream and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cover the top in shredded cheese.

Bake at 200˚C for one hour.  Serve hot.  The casserole can be plated with additional sour cream or, for an excellent accompaniment, served with pickles such as the Hungarian yeast-fermented variety.

Tip:  Because potato casserole is particularly susceptible to drying out, be sure to be generous with the sour cream, possibly adding a few spoonsful of melted fat to ensure the right degree of juiciness.

This traditional peasant dish is known by a variety of Hungarian names – bandurák, bere,  cicedli, cicege, hadi rántotta,  krumplibaba, lapcsánka,  lepkepotyi,  macok,  pacsni, recsege,  rösztike, tócsi… – and appears in at least as many variations.

With courgettes:

• 1 large courgette (shredded)
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T flour
• salt, pepper,
• basil

With potatoes:

• 4 large raw potatoes (shredded)
• 1 egg
• 2-3 T flour
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients and brown on both sides in a small amount of oil until crispy.

Tip:  Served with a little salad or ketchup, this dish makes an excellent stand-alone supper or an accompaniment for stewed vegetables.

Producing a good fisherman’s soup is a bit like carrying out a ritual.  You buy the fresh fish, you give the soup base its proper time… you enjoy the experience.  The Hungarian Christmas table has always held a place of honour for dishes made with fish, including fisherman’s soup.  Did you know that the scales of the fish symbolise the money to come in the New Year, and that people once wished their families that they might make their way through the coming year as a fish makes its way through water?

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ kg fish bones
• 800 g onions
• 100 g sweet banana peppers
• 100 g tomatoes
• 1 hot pepper (optional)
• 100 g sweet paprika
• 600 g carp
• salt

Place the fish bones, diced onion, paprika, and tomatoes in a soup pot, add enough water to cover, season with salt, and put on to simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours.  Remove from heat and wait for the fat to rise to the surface, then sprinkle with paprika and cook for another 20 minutes.  Cut the carp into cubes.  Pass the broth through a strainer to remove bones, return to heat, add the carp, and cook until done.

Tip:
Optionally, fisherman’s soup can be enriched with fish roe or milt or even matchstick noodles.

Situated between Buda and Pest in the embrace of the blue Danube lies beautiful Margaret Island, a must-see destination for every visitor to Budapest.  Though a place whose special mix of towering ancient trees, shady footpaths, expansive lawns, spas, and entertainment venues are sure to inspire love at first site, the island is actually much more than just a treat for the eyes.  In fact, Margaret Island is also an exciting historical and cultural spot, whose past encompasses virutally all important eras of Hungarian history; commemorating the footsteps of the most famous of Hungarian poets and writers, while also harbouring valuable medicinal waters that spring forth from the depths of the earth.

The History of Margaret Island

Margaret Island is 2800 m long, 500 m wide at its widest point, and covers a total area of about 96.5 hectares.  Though it may be difficult to imagine now, the island once comprised several smaller islets formed of material deposited by the river.  For a long time, its shape was continually changing, until finally, Middle Island, Bath Island, and Painter Island all merged to form the single island seen today.

Margaret Island has borne a number of different names over the years:  Isle of Lords, Isle of Rabbits (Latin: Insula Leporum), Saint Andrew’s Island, Blessed Lady Island, Maiden Island, Kvsadasi (its Turkish name), Isle of Buda, and Palatinus Island.  Its current name, however, commemorates 13th-century Árpád Dynasty princess Margaret, daughter of King Béla IV, whose life and miraculous abilities occupy a special place in Hungarian history.  The story of Margaret’s life, together with her eventual beatification and canonisation, are collectively remembered as the Legend of Saint Margaret.

Though the history of Margaret Island traces back to Roman times, the first written record of it stems from a document dating to 1225.  The island has been home both to Árpád Dynasty kings, and to members of the Premonstratensian, Dominican, Hospitaller, and Franciscan Orders.  In 1790, it was gifted by the Hungarian Parliament to Archduke Alexander Leopold of Austria, who initiated its development on the model of the gardens of Schönbrunn.  Following Alexander as Palatine of Hungary was his younger brother Joseph.  Eminently cultured and well known for his love of gardening, Joseph set out to remake the island, finding in young head gardener Károly Tost, scion of the noted gardeners’ dynasty of Schönbrunn, an ally worthy of helping him realise his dreams; and indeed, the design that transformed the island into a place of enduring beauty stands to his eternal credit.  Joseph also had a summer residence arranged for his wife, Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, on the island.  Eventually, the Hungarian state purchased the island from Joseph’s great-great-grandson under Act XLVIII of 1908.

For centuries, the island was accessible only by boat, until in 1901 the connecting roads from Margaret Bridge – which had been opened for traffic in 1876 – were finally completed.   Árpád Bridge, which passes over the northern peak of the island and was completed during the Second World War, was connected in 1950.  Until 1919, visits to Margaret Island were subject to the payment of an admission fee.

Thermal Waters on Margaret Island

In late-1866, mining engineer Vilmos Zsigmondy, an eminent scholar of Hungarian artesian waters and medicinal springs, began drilling an artesian well along the island’s western bank.  In May of 1867, at a depth of almost 1200 metres, he struck medicinal waters of 43°C.  The discovery led to plans to develop the island into a spa.  Archduke Joseph engaged architect Miklós Ybl to devise a project that would extend to the entire island, resulting in the construction of a bathing complex, two restaurants, several villas, a (Lesser) Hotel, an engineering facility, and a Neo-Renaissance Grand Hotel.  It was also at this time that the artificial cliffs and waterfall, fed to this day by Zsigmondy Spring, were installed.

Today, the temperature of the waters below Margaret Island is 70°C.  Hotels, including the hydrotherapy units of the Danubius Hotel Helia, cool the inflow with its full mineral content to temperatures of 34°C, 36°C, and 40°C prior to use.  The island’s thermal waters are particularly effective in treating locomotor diseases, muscular and nervous complaints, peripheral circulatory disorders, and digestive problems.

5 legendary sites on Margaret Island

To stroll about Margaret Island is to take a walk back in time.  Once acquainted with the island’s centuries-old history, you are sure to find its oldest constructed monuments, sculptures, and buildings all the more impressive.  Grab a map and discover the island’s legendary sights!  Peek inside, climb up, go in, walk the distance, have a listen….

• Ruins of the Dominican convent and Saint Michael (Mihály) Church: See the place where the Árpád Dynasty princess, Saint Margaret, for whom the island was named, made her home, and spend a little time at the Romanesque chapel named for 12^th-century Saint Michael.

• Water Tower: You’ll spot this sight from far away!  Constructed in 1911 on the designs of Szilárd Zielenszky and Rezső Ray Jr., the tower rises high above the island’s venerable trees to form an integral part of both the Budapest cityscape, and the profile of the island as a whole.  The octagonal tower with its symmetrical layout was originally created to supply water to all greenery in the zone.  As the oldest and largest water tower in the country, it is a true tourist attraction, offering a uniquely stunning 360-degree view of the capital, its buildings and sights, and the hills of Buda.  The structure, a protected monument, also houses an exhibition that brings Water Tower history to life, while also exploring key events in the development of Hungarian radio and television through contemporary recordings, photographs, displays, and media history artefacts.

• Artists’ Promenade: Take your time and have a good, leisurely look at the likenesses that line Artists’ Promenade!  The earliest of these bronze and stone statues of Hungarian cultural greats originally stood in the City Park, but were moved to their current positions under the leafy canopy of Margaret Island between 1966 and 1968.  Since then, many others have been added, so that visitors walking the promenade from the Water Tower to the Grand Hotel are accompanied by such figures as Milhály Csokonai, Bálint Balassi, Franz Liszt, János Arany, who dedicated his life to the island, Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and the poet Attila József.

• Japanese Garden: A place where one can be in harmony with nature.  Located on the northern part of the island, the Japanese Garden was constructed in the 1970s and was most recently renovated in the autumn of 2014.  The garden is accessible by a small wooden bridge, followed by paths edged in centuries-old plants leading further in.  Awaiting you inside, among other things, is a delicately cascading waterfall.  The garden’s reservoirs and channels form a system of small ponds in which goldfish, turtles, wild ducks, and water lilies all live out their tranquil lives.  Adorning the centre of the fishpond since 1954 is a statue known as “The Little Mermaid of Budapest,” the work of Imre Csikász.

• Bodor Fountain: A separate sight from the much-talked-about musical fountain near Margaret Bridge, Bodor Fountain is a work of historic import found at the northern end of the island, near Árpád Bridge.  A faithful reproduction of a creation of Transylvanian gadgeteer Péter Bodor constructed in Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mureş, Romania) in 1820-1822, but dismantled in 1911, the fountain harbours hidden speakers that play turn-of-the-century music every hour, on the hour.