| Useful informations |
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| Budapest has a temperate continental climate. Seasons are usually well defined, with July and August the hottest months (28-30° C, 82-86° F) and December and January the coldest, when temperatures may fall to -15° C or just +5° F. Average sunshine from April to September is in excess of eight hours a day. |
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| Getting here |
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| Budapest (Ferihegy) International Airport is ten miles south-east of the city centre. It has two terminals: Terminal One is currently closed for refurbishment and is expected to reopen in September 2005; Terminal Two is divided into two, with Terminal 2A the departure and arrival point for flights of Malév Hungarian Airlines and Terminal 2B... |
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| Budapest public transport |
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| Budapest's network of public transport services includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, underground trains (Metró) and over ground suburban trains (HÉV). Buses, trams and trolleybuses run daily from 4.30 a.m. until 11.0 p.m. All three Underground lines connect at Deák tér Station, and service frequencies range from 15 minutes late in the... |
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| Currency exchange, post offices |
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| All visitors are advised to exchange currency only at accredited places. It is both risky and illegal to attempt to do so in the street. The majority of banks have 24-hour ATM's some of which can also exchange foreign currency. Individual banks and travel agencies are free to set their own rates (based on those advertised by the Hungarian... |
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| In emergency case |
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| Budapest's pharmacies (gyógyszertár in Hungarian) are well stocked and can provide medicaments for most common ailments. |
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| What to see in Budapest |
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| The Houses of Parliament |
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| After long discussion the construction of Parliament began in 1885 according to plans by Imre Steindl. Completed in 1904 it is one of Europe's most splendid Parliament buildings, reflecting its designer's taste and the nation's demands for representation. At the same time it is one of the landmarks of the capital. The neo-Gothic palace is 268 m long and its dome is 96 m high. The outer walls are decorated with statues of Hungarian monarchs and military commanders. |
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| Buda Castle |
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| This was the residence of Hungarian kings. The fortification system and palace, built in the 13th century following the Mongol invasion, was destroyed and rebuilt many times, and being renewed from time to time symbolizes the country itself. Built on medieval foundations, the Renaissance structures were destroyed by the Turks. Later, the Baroque Palace burned down, then its reconstructed buildings were damaged during the War of Independence (1848). In the late 19 th century Miklós Ybl oversaw the reconstruction and enlargement of the Palace, which was completed in the neo-Baroque style by Alajos Hauszmann. |
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| Matthias Church |
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| This was the coronation church of Hungarian kings since King Matthias. The records of 1247 first mention this church as the main church of Buda Castle. The originally French building in early Gothic style has been consistently enlarged and rebuilt over the centuries. In 1526, when the Turks conquered Buda, the church was transformed into a mosque. After the reconquest of the city (1686) the church belonged to the Franciscans and later to the Jesuits. Between the years 1874 and 1896, Frigyes Schulek completely reconstructed the Church of Our Lady in the neo-Gothic style. |
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| Fishermen's Bastion |
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| As part of the expansive plans for the reconstruction of Castle Hill in the late 19th century was that segment of the city-wall that stands behind Matthias Church. |
| Between 1901 and 1905 the existing parts of the fortress were connected by neo-Romanesque corridors, terraces and towers following designs by Frigyes Schulek. The Fishermen's Bastion has become one of the capital's landmarks, offering a panoramic view of Pest. |
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| The Chain Bridge |
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| In 1832, count István Széchenyi, "the greatest Hungarian" began to organize the construction of the bridge. While travelling in England, Széchenyi became personally acquainted with William Thierney Clark, who was commissioned to draft the plans for the bridge, and his namesake Adam Clark was asked to direct the construction , which was finished in 1849. The retreating German troops blew up the Chain Bridge in January 1945. This vital element of Budapest's cityscape was restored on the 100 th anniversary of its inauguration. |
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| Váci Street (Váci utca) |
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| The heart of Budapest is Váci Street between Vörösmarty Square and Elizabeth Bridge. The street gained its status in the mid-19 th century when the original small buildings and shops were replaced by neo-Classical and Eclectic apartments, department-store, international trade-centre and hotel located here, making Váci Street another Symbol of Budapest. |
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| Vörösmarty Square |
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| This square has been one of the central spots in downtown Budapest since the early 19 th century. Originally called Promenade Square, it was renamed Theatre Square after the German Theatre which was situated there, and later it became Gizella Square. Since 1908 the square has been called Vörösmarty Square, after the great Hungarian poet of the 19 th century. An Eclectic-style palace houses the famous Confectionery "Gerbaud". |
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| The Central Market Hall |
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| The building, raised in 1895-97 according to plans by Samu Petz, was long the biggest Market-Hall in the city. Today it attracts shoppers for its spaciousness and architectural decor. At the end of the last century several Market-centres were built with similarly decorative ironwork and huge glass surfaces. They combined function and aesthetics at the highest technical level of the time. The Market Halls operate even today. |
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| The Millenary Monument |
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| The spectacular ensemble of statues erected to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the Magyar Conquest is situated at the end of Budapest's most beautiful avenue (Andrássy Street). The monument was designed by Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Herczog. Many of the statues representing Hungarian Monarchs and Princes of Transylvania were made by György Zala. At the center of the Monument there is a column surrounded by seven figures - leaders of the seven Hungarian tribes. |
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| The Opera House |
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| The construction of the Opera, completed in 1884, was executed according to plans by Miklós Ybl. An ornate interior and exterior in the neo-Renaissance style serves the needs of the metropolis. Fine art works from leading Hungarian artists decorate the building. The technical equipment was supplied by the Austrian Asphaleia Company. The Opera House was renewed on the occasion of the 100 th anniversary of its opening. |
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| St. Stephen's Basilica |
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| Though Budapest's biggest cathedral is not a basilica in the architectural sense tradition and the authority bestowed by the Pope have earned it this denotation. Its construction was begun in the neo-Classic style but later modified by Miklós Ibl according to architectural models from the Italian Renaissance. Dedicated in 1905, with a dome 96 m high Basilica holds up to 8500 persons. St. Stephen's statue of Carrara marble by Alajos Stróbl stands in the Sanctuary. |
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| The Synagogue in Dohány Street |
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| The Synagogue of Pest is one of the most beautiful and largest in Europe. The Austrian Ludwig Förster was commissioned to design the building which was erected between 1854 and 1859, and displays Romantic and Morisco motifs. The three flat-celling halls of the Synagogue are of equal height. The celling and women's gallery are supported by cast-iron columns, testifying for the structure's advanced technical level. Heroes' Chapel was raised behind the Synagogue in 1931, and the Jewish Museum in 1932. |
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| Danube Embankment |
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| Construction of the quay at the Pest end of the Chain Bridge began in the 1860s, when sandy and shoaly sections of the quay were embanked. Eclectic-style hotels were erected here not much later. With the new promenade (Korzó) the former neo-Classical city-scape was changed. Together with most of the hotels the Korzó was destroyed in 1944-45. The only surviving hotel was the Bristol, which in 1969 was replaced by the Hotel Marriott. To the north the Intercontinental Hotel was raised in the early 1980s. |
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| Pest Concert Hall |
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| On the site of today's Vigadó in Pest the Redoute-building once stood, the first and very significant work of Mihály Pollack, the architect of the Hungarian National Museum. Between 1848 and 1849, at the time of the War of Independence, the first Chamber of Deputies sat in this building which drove General Hentzl, the commander of the Austrian troops in Buda, to destroy this beautiful palace. Between 1859 and 1864 Frigyes Feszl reerected the Redoute in the Romantic style. It is one of the finest pieces of Romantic architecture in Europe. |
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| The Hungarian National Museum |
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| The Museum was built in 1847 according to plans by Mihály Pollack. Treasures of Hungarian history, including the coronation insignia are displayed here. The staircase of the Museum is adorned by the frescoes of famous Hungarian painters. In the garden, besides the statues of eminent representatives of Hungarian culture, are ancient relics, such as the column from the Forum Romanum. The museum is also one of the symbols of the War of Independence of 1848-49. |
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| The Museum of Fine Arts |
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| To the left of the Millenary Monument stands the Museum of Fine Arts by architect Albert Schickedanz. The neo-Classical building was raised in 1906 and is one of the last great structures in the Hungarian Historic style. The Museum was founded with donations of collections, foremost from the Eszterházy family. The Museum later enlarged its collection with further acquisitions. Most notably, the "Old Picture Gallery" holds masterpieces by Spanish painters like Murillo, El Greco and Goya. It contains also a special Egyptian exhibit. |
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| City Park |
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| In the Middle Ages, this former marshy region was notable for the Diets held there on St. George's Day. The drainage of the swamp and the building up of this territory began in the 19 th century, and soon the park became a popular resting-place. This park lived its most glorious days during the Millenial Exhibition in 1896 commemorating the Magyar Conquest. The "Castle of Vajdahunyad" was built for the Millennial Exhibition by Ignác Alpár to illustrate the most beautiful buildings in the history of Hungarian architecture. |
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| Zoo |
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| The Zoo, established and opened in 1866, was enlarged in 1912, when many new animal-houses were built, which today are still the Zoo's most significant pieces of architecture. The main entrance and the elephant-house, richly decorated with ceramics, were made by Kornél Neuschloss. Károly Kós, the outstanding writer and architect who was one of the most important representatives of Hungarian Art Nouveau, also designed some pavilions here. The hippopotamus "Dynasty" living in a thermal pond, is known throughout the world. |
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| Széchenyi Bath |
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| The largest thermal bath of Budapest. The neo-baroque baths were built in 1913. Its thermal springs were discovered in 1879 - they are the deepest and warmest thermal wells in Budapest. It is a vast complex of indoor and outdoor pools, the premier medicinal bath of Pest, situated in the middle of the City Park. |
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| Gellért Bath |
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| The best-known and most prestigious thermal bath and swimming-pool of Budapest with its famous sparkling bath, open-air pool with artificial wawes and full medical services. It was built in 1918, near Gellért Hill and the Szabadság Bridge. The Art-Nouveau main hall is topped by a vaulted glass roof. The gallery surrounding the pool is supported by monumental Roman-style columns. The spa is decorated with a wealth of original Art-Nouveau furnishings, artistic mosaics, sculptures, and stained glass windows. |
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| Margit Island |
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| This two-and-a-half kilometer long island, one of the popular resting-places in Budapest, got its name after Princess Margaret who lived here in a convent in the 13 th century. The island was inhabited from the 12 th century. Dominicans and Franciscans established monasteries here. From the late 18 th century it became a summer resort for aristocrats and later for the upper middle-class. Medicinal thermal baths and fine restaurants attract thousands of tourists each year. |
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| Inner City Parish Church |
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| This is the oldest building in Pest, located just nearby the Elizabeth Bridge. The original 12 th century Roman-style church was largely destroyed in the Tartar invasion. Its 14 th century Gothic replacement was seized by the Turks and it was used as a mosque. Following a fire it was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1723, but the interior has also neo-Classical features. |
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| Citadel |
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| It is a white-stoned fortress from the 19 th century on the top of Gellért Hill, crowned by the 14 m tall Liberation Monument, a striking statue of a woman holding a palm leaf of victory. The fortress was built in 1851 by the Austrians as a symbol of their power over the Hungarians after the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. The Monument was raised by the Russians in 1947. You can enjoy from here a wonderful panorama of the whole city. |
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| National Theater |
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| The old National Theater (1837) was destroyed in the 2nd WW. During a long period a "temporary" building served as a national theater. In March 2002 the new extravagant and eclectic theater opened its gate for the public. It has a wonderful garden. |
