Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. Home to some 1.8 million inhabitants, it is the country's commercial and administrative center.
Districts
Although Budapest is administratively divided into 23 numbered districts, always written in Roman numerals, it can most simply be divided into the two cities of which it is comprised (Buda and Pest) and one historic district:
Understand
Regarded by many as one of world's most beautiful cities, Budapest (the "Paris of the East" and the "Queen of the Danube") has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Vienna, Kraków and Prague. Millions of tourists visit the city every year. Located on both sides of the Danube River and featuring both the rolling hills of Buda (on the west bank) and the organized, gridlike layout of Pest (east bank), these two very different cities united by convenience into one city offer the traveller a Viennese-style aura at half the price. But Budapest (pronounced "BOO-dah-pesht") is still very much its own city. The people are charming, and for the most part very helpful. They are proud of what this ancient capital has to offer, and proud of their contributions to European culture, especially in the field of music, a universal language one doesn't need to speak to appreciate.
History
Budapest first appeared on the world map when the Romans founded the town of Aquincum around 89 AD in what is today Óbuda. It soon became the capital of the province of Lower Pannonia, and the Romans even founded a proto-Pest known as Contra Aquincum on the other side of the river.
The Romans were eventually driven out by the Bolgars from present-day Bulgaria, who left behind the name Peshta (today's Pest), but were replaced around 900 by the Magyars, who went on to found the kingdom of Hungary. The Mongols dropped in uninvited in 1241, but the Magyars bounced back and built the royal castle that still today dominates Buda in 1427.
In 1541, Buda and Pest fell to the Ottomans and stayed in the hands of the Turks until 1686, when the Austrian Habsburgs conquered the town. Now at peace, both sides of the river boomed, and after an abortive Hungarian revolution in 1848–49 the great Compromise of 1873 made Budapest the united capital of the Hungarian half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
Budapest emerged from World War I battered, but now the capital of an independent Hungary, and its population reached one million by 1930. Air raids and a terrible three-month siege towards the end of World War II resulted in the death over 38,000 civilians, and 20-40% of Budapest's Jewish community of some 250,000 were murdered during the Holocaust.
After the war, the city recovered and became a showcase for the more pragmatic policies of Hungary's relatively mild Communist government. Today's Budapest is by far the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in Hungary and increasingly popular with tourists. In 1987, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue.
Official Tourism Information
Quality of life
Homeless people are fairly commonly seen in some of the inner city metro stations and sleeping in doorways in both Buda and Pest.
Get in
By plane
Ferihegy International Airport ( , Ferihegyi Nemzetközi Repülőtér; pronounced "Ferry-hedge") is the country's largest airport and the hub of the Hungarian national carrier Malév. It has two terminals a few kilometers apart, imaginatively entitled Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, often mentioned as Ferihegy-1 and Ferihegy-2, respectively.
Terminals
The small but renovated Terminal 1 (gates 1-10; originally opened May 7, 1950) is being used by discount air companies. There are numerous low-budget airlines serving Budapest; most important are EasyJet (from Germany, Great Britain and Switzerland), SkyEurope (from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands and Spain) and WizzAir (from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden). Other low-fare companies also operate regular flights to/from Budapest: AirBerlin (from Germany), Blue1 (from Finland), Germanwings (from Germany), Jet2 (from Great Britain), Meridiana (from Italy), Norwegian Air Shuttle (from Norway), SmartWings (from Czech Republic and Spain) and Sterling (from Denmark and Sweden).
Note that RyanAir currently only flies to Balaton Airport () in Hungary, about 180 km from Budapest but Ryanair has announced in May 2007 that they will launch a new flight between Ferihegy, Budapest and Bristol from November.
The more spacious Terminal 2 (which opened November 1, 1985) is further split into terminal 2A and 2B. Terminal 2A (gates 20-30) is used by MALÉV Hungarian Airlines and its partner airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Carpatair, ČSA Czech Airlines and Moldavian Airlines. Terminal 2B (gates 11-19) is used by the major international carriers.
It is always wise to double check your arrival and departure terminal; while Terminal 2A is within a short walking distance from 2B, the distance between Terminal 1 and 2 is sizable, a trip takes 6-8 minutes by car or 12 minutes by bus.
Connections
Budapest is connected with the major European cities and most of the EU countries by direct flights. There is scheduled service between Budapest and North America, operated by Malév and Delta Airlines. The city is connected with some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.
In winter (Dec-Mar) Malév's Budapest Winter Invasion offers discounted fares for international flights to Budapest, and its 45 partner hotels provide 4 nights accommodation for the price of 3.
Airport transfer
For travelling between the airport and the city center the best options are taxi or public transport; taxi is the fastest, public transportation is the less expensive way to get in.
=Taxi=
In 2006 a taxi company named Zóna Taxi +36(1)365-5555 won monopoly for the right to take passengers from the airport. The company has received good reputation from the clients. You will have to first queue up at the stand, where you will get a receipt stating the price, and you pay the driver directly at the destination. This system eliminates any rip-off. The fare varies according to the zone you go. A trip to Budapest costs HUF 3000-4300 (EUR 14-20); a Terminal 1/Terminal 2 transfer is HUF 1600 (EUR 7). From the city to the airport the same company tends to be the cheapest and their fares are actually lower going that direction - HUF 3000-3500 (EUR 14-16). If you get the hotel to order the taxi for you, make absolutely sure they call the right company; they will often have a specific company they tend to use.
The fare can be paid in Euro as well as in HUF, so if you have Euros you don't need to worry about changing money in the airport. Of course it is a good idea to have exact change.
Unless you have a pre-ordered taxi from a different company, do not accept any offer from taxi drivers waiting in the terminal main hall or around the entrance. For further information read also Safety section.
=Bus=
The less expensive way to Budapest from Terminal 2 is bus 200; from Terminal 1 is bus 200 or bus 93 to Kőbánya-Kispest metro station (terminus of metro 3). Buses leaving for Budapest stop outside the terminal buildings. The same bus stop serves Terminal 2A and 2B.
Vehicles on the line 200 are modern, low floor buses equipped with a reliable display and sound information system and spacious luggage holding facilities. The trip to the metro takes 26-30 minutes from Terminal 2, or 15-17 minutes from Terminal 1. Buses run every 8-20 minutes from 04:55 to 00:15 from Terminal 2, and from 05:05 to 00:25 from Terminal 1. The last four departures are connected to the night buses 914 and 950 which replace the metro. There is no night bus service between the airport and the city.
Bus 93 operates only on weekdays, it is slower and less frequent, being intended mostly to serve residential areas between Terminal 1 and the metro.
Public transport tickets are available in the main terminal halls for HUF 230. On bus 200 the driver sell them for HUF 260.
When travelling from the city to Terminal 1 on bus 200, pay attention to get down in time, since terminal building is not visible from the main road where the bus stops.
=Minibus service=
If you travel alone, it is worth considering using the Airport Minibus service, a shared taxi like operation that rounds up passengers going in the same direction and will take you to or from anywhere in Budapest for HUF 2300 per person. Join the queue at the airport and you'll be on your way in 15 minutes; for the trip back, call the center (at least 24h beforehand) and they'll be there to pick you up.
=Railway=
If your final destination is an East Hungarian city like Debrecen or you intend to proceed to Romania, from Terminal 1 you can reach Szemeretelep railway station walking. The distance is not more than 800 m, but do not expect directions on your way. Train staff will sell you a ticket without any extra fee - Szemeretelep is not served by a ticket office or a vending machine. Otherwise it is easier to get to Kőbánya-Kispest metro-railways station by bus or by taxi, and catch your train there. Find your connection at Hungarian Railways timetable.
According to the latest news, the completion of a new railway station for serving Terminal 1 is expected to Autumn 2007.
Duty Free Shopping at Terminal 2
Duty free stores are operated by Travel Value . Be advised that Customs authorities in German airports may not allow you to bring duty-free items purchased at the airport in Budapest through Germany.
Among dedicated brand shops, there are only Hugo Boss and Swarowsky.
The traditional alcohol-tobacco-sweets assortment shop has a decent choice of local wines, mainly by Gundel.
The local souvenirs shop has particularly useless stuff.
Airport cafes
Terminal 2B pre-boarding area has half a dozen of cafes.
By train
Due to its ideal location in Central Europe, Budapest is easily reachable by train from other European countries; there are daily connections to/from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine; Budapest is also well connected to other Hungarian cities.
The city is also an ideal starting point to visit The Balkans, Russia or Ukraine by rail. Trains coming from Austria and Western Europe are clean and safe, the ones arriving from other countries tend to be shakier. Night trains coming from The Balkans and Romania are supposed to be less safe; take normal precautions.
Hungary’s rail system is operated almost entirely by Hungarian State Railways (Magyar Államvasutak, MÁV). If you arrive to Budapest from another Hungarian city, you can choose among a wide range of services. Travelling by Intercity is more expensive but vehicles are much cleaner and faster than regular trains (2nd class price sample as of May 2007: Győr-Budapest Intercity, 1h 26 min, HUF 2560; regular train 1h 45 min, HUF 2040). Always check if your train is subject to compulsory reservation; for prices and further information check MÁV’s timetable. It is wise to reserve your Intercity tickets for national holidays, Friday and Sunday evenings beforehand. It is still NOT possible to buy rail tickets via Internet.
Note that EU citizens under 26 years get 33% discount on trains between Friday 22.00 and Sunday 24.00; EU citizens older than 65 years travel for free on every train on second class. On Intercity trains extra fare is applicable. Discounted rates are NOT available on international rails. For your international travel plan check Deutsche Bahn's European Timetable.
Budapest has a number of railway stations (pályaudvar), the main ones being Keleti pályaudvar (Eastern Railway Station), Déli pályaudvar (Southern Railway Station) and Nyugati pályaudvar (Western Railway Station).
The stations are not named for their geographic location in the city, nor for the direction of the destinations served by each; trains to Vienna, for example, leave from Keleti. The stations are well connected to each other and to the rest of the city.
Keleti and Déli Railway Stations are located on metro 2; Nyugati Railway Station is on metro 3 (you can change metro lines at Deák tér station). A transfer should not take more than 15 minutes at peak hours; slightly more on weekends and evenings. During the night Keleti Railway Station is served by 907, 908 921, 931, 956 and 973 night buses; Nyugati Railway Station is covered by the service of 906, 923, 914 and 950 lines; Déli Railway Station is available by 921 and 960 buses.
Major Budapest stations are still are not up to western quality standards; they are hard to access for people with disabilities and their facilities are very limited. Do not expect luggage trolleys or clean toilets. Having food or a coffee at a Budapest railway station is unlikely to give you a gastronomic buzz; it's also difficult to find a good nearby cafe if you didn't research in advance. Be prepared for long queues at the ticket office; English is rarely spoken.
Depending on where you are coming from, some outer stations can be useful to you; trains arriving from Vienna, Bratislava, the lake Balaton or other western locations stop at Budapest Kelenföld station, which is a good public transport hub for Southern Buda. Trains arriving from Romania, Ukraine and Eastern Hungarian cities regularly stop at Kőbánya-Kispest station, a good place to get to Eastern Budapest or to Ferihegy Airport.
If you intend to use taxi on your way from the station, do not accept any offer from drivers waiting around the station entrance. For further information read also Safety section.
By bus
While many travellers leave out this possibility, arriving to Budapest by bus can be an easy and painless option. The city is connected to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine by direct lines. Although most of connections are not as frequent as they were before the low-fare airlines revolution, they still run two or three times a week; from Austria and Slovakia daily. Prices tend to be slightly lower than train fares, but higher than a discount air ticket. Travelling by bus is a very competitive option if you catch your bus to Budapest in a city not covered by budget airlines. All the international lines are logoed by Eurolines , whose site offers a good way to check prices, timetables and book your ticket. Some special discounts may not be available via Internet.
Hungary’s national bus network is operated by 28 state run companies, united in Volán Association . If you arrive to Budapest from another Hungarian city, bus is often the best option. Connections are frequent, prices are identical to those on non-Intercity trains. Long-distance buses are clean and safe, but often subject to delays. Buy your ticket at the station ticket desk before boarding; if you do not take your bus at a main station, purchase a ticket from the driver. It is a good idea to reserve your tickets for national holidays, Friday and Sunday evenings beforehand.
Budapest’s main bus stations are very well connected to the rest of the city, although they are located in outer zones. All of them are safe and (relatively) clean. Use your common sense and sit only in taxis logoed by bigger companies. Most useful bus stations for travellers are following:
By boat
There is a scheduled hydrofoil service on the Danube to and from Vienna and Bratislava daily between early April and early November operated by Mahart .
Get around
Public transportation in Budapest is run by BKV, which has a useful English-language site. As of 2007, single tickets cost HUF 230 (HUF 260 if you buy them on board - note that tickets are sold by the driver only on selected routes). If you intend to travel a lot, it's a better option to get a one-day travel card (HUF 1350) or a discount coupon book (10 tickets for HUF 2050, 20 tickets for HUF 3900) or a three-day (HUF 3100) or seven-day (HUF 3600) travel card. Information about tickets and prices can be found on BKV's ticket and pass information site. One ticket is good for only one journey; anytime you take a new vehicle, you should validate another ticket.
The Budapest Card is an excellent discount card for travel in the city. There are 2 and 3 day versions, and besides allowing free travel on all public transport, it gives you discounts at museums, restaurants, etc. The 2-day card costs HUF 6450, the 3-day card is HUF 7950.
You might get lost in Budapest or be unable to find a bus or tramline using the maps found in some foreign published guidebooks. Many tourists experience this problem. Buy a map of Budapest published in Hungary, which may help prevent problems. You can get them at Budapest bookshops (könyvesbolt or könyváruház in Hungarian) for about HUF 1000-1300.
By foot
Car drivers generally respect pedestrians and give advantage on a cross-walk even if there's no traffic light. However, do be a bit more wary of bicyclists, as they tend to weave around pedestrian traffic at great speeds, sometimes passing within inches of you.
Don't wear high-heeled shoes in the downtown as there's lots of stone pavements, especially in the Castle Hill.
By metro
Budapest's metro, consisting of three main lines M1 (southwest-northeast) from Mexikói road, to Vörösmarty square; M2 (east-west) from Southern railway station, to Örs vezér square and M3 (north-south) from Újpest-city center, to Kőbánya-Kispest. It's in good condition, not overcrowded and an excellent way to get around the city.
The yellow M1 line runs shorter trains and sometimes still uses old wooden metro cars--a fun change from the ordinary, Soviet-style steel metro cars seen on the red M2 line and the blue M3 line. M1 stations are also surprising, like as you find a tram in a normal pedestrian underpass.
Sometimes called the Millenium Metro, because it was built to celebrate the thousandth year of Hungarian nationhood in 1896 along with the Millenary Monument, the yellow line was recently renovated for its hundredth anniversary. The line is a historical memory of Budapest's richest period (around 1880-1910). It is the first underground in the Continental Europe (and the second in the world, after London; Paris was only the 3rd -- and Hungarians are really proud of having the oldest continental subway). The stations covered in white and dark brown-red ceramic tile signs are the originals. Be aware that your ticket is not used to allow you entry to the platform, but you must carry one if you board the metro.
Be careful of ticket inspectors who prowl the platforms and stations of Budapest's metro really frequently and seem particularly keen to target tourists. You must have a ticket for each trip or interchange on the metro; pleas of ignorance will go unheard. If you're issued with a fine by one of these blue-green arm banded officers, it is cheaper to pay on the spot (HUF 5,000) than later by mail (HUF 10,000 if paid within 30 days). The transit authorities have no power to arrest.
The ticket inspectors usually speak enough English, German or Russian to get their point across.
The city council started to build the M4 from the Kelenföldi railway station to Bosnyák Square. The Kelenföldi railway station-Eastern railway station fare stage should be done by 31 December 2009 and the Eastern railway station-Bosnyák square fare stage in one more year. The path will connect south Buda, and northeast Pest (southwest-northeast line).
All the metro lines are well represented on maps scattered on platforms. A midlet for Java enabled mobile phones is also available here.
By tram
Trams are a tourist-friendly way of getting around, slower but more scenic than the subway and particularly useful on the nearly subway-less Buda side of the river. Be careful about doors--they open on different side of the tram on different stations.
The two lines serving along the Danube (no. 19 on Buda and no. 2 on Pest) are considered a part of the cityscape. Let yourself ride the yellow trams and enjoy the view from them.
Tram lines 4 and 6 are supposed to be the most useful vehicles by many tourists. Both follow Nagykörút, Pest's inner ring road, providing access to all three metro lines at multiple stations, and crossing over to Buda on the Margaret Bridge - another beautiful view. Although technically two lines, 4 and 6 only diverge for their last two stops, which the tourist is unlikely to visit.
In 2006 the world's longest trams started their service on lines 4 and 6.
By bus
Where the trams don't go, there are buses. Budapest has a dense bus network, which also connects to the surrounding cities. (Note: you have to validate an extra ticket if you leave Budapest.) In some case there are red (rapid) and black (normal) lines; they can be hard to distinguish as red lines are sometimes only marked with a framed number. An "A" marker means a slight difference between the "black" (normal) bus path, and an "E" marker means that it has only 2 stations: the starting and final station.
If you aren't using a recently published city map, be aware that some bus lines used by travellers has been subject to number or name changes.
By trolley-bus
There are 13 trolley bus lines in north-east and central Pest (mainly in the XIV, VI, VII districts). Some of them pass through the Városliget (City Park) and cross Andrássy Road, giving you beautiful views while using this eco-friendly mode of transport.
Nightbuses
Budapest has a good night transportation system. Night bus line numbers are triple-digit, starting with number '9'. Buses run every 15-60 minutes from around 11 p.m. until 4 a.m.; you need the same kind of ticket that you do during the daytime. You can find a night line in any touristy part of the city. The main linking points of the night bus network are Moszkva tér in Buda and Astoria in Pest. It's a good idea to buy a map of the nightbus network (available at BKV ticket offices), as there are 33 lines leaving for several districts of Budapest. Don't expect to see ticket inspectors on night buses frequently.
You can also use BKV's online map and schedule for checking the lines.
By train
HÉV suburban railways connect central Budapest to several suburbs but are of little use to most visitors, with the notable exception of the line to scenic little upriver Szentendre. The same train takes you to Sziget Fesztivál, Central Europe's biggest summer festival. Connect from Batthyány tér on the subway red line.
By car
Apart from the summer holiday Budapest has a heavy traffic with long-lasting traffic jams in the morning and in the afternoon. If you don't want to spend your visit to Budapest in a traffic jam, leave your car in the hotel's garage, and use the public transport.
If you drive across downtown, plan your journey otherwise you can get into tough situations. For example you cannot turn left in most of the crossings of the Great Boulevard (Nagykörút) or on the main avenues like Andrássy út, Váci út, Üllői út or Rákóczi út.
By taxi
Use one of the taxi companies with English speaking switchboards, e.g. City Taxi - these are efficient and reasonably priced. When you call from a telephone box, they may be able to tell your location from the number, which saves having to work out how to pronounce "Nagymezo".
Taxis hailed on the street and at taxi ranks often charge foreigners inflated prices.
: See also: Hungary#By taxi.
By bicycle
Bikeways separated from automobile roads are all around the downtown and, possibly, in the outskirts as well. There are many cyclers on the streets even in winter time. Renting a bike doesn't seem a problem also, even in winter time.
Orientation
Aside from the river itself, the best reference points for orienting yourself are the bridges crossing the river. From north to south, they are:
See
This section only highlights the most important attractions in the city. See the Buda, Castle Hill and Pest articles for details on each of them, and for listings of local sightseeing.
Most of Budapest's famous sights are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways.
The main sights on Castle Hill are:
Other museums on the Castle Hill:
The Danube bridges (see Orientation above), especially the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) are really attractive and make it worthy to promenade along the river bank. Lánchíd (pronounced “laance heed”) means chain bridge and the suspension structure of the bridge is made of chains whose links are huge dog-bone shaped metal bars linked by pins at their ends.
You can have a superb glimpse over the bridges from the Citadella on the top of Buda's Gellert Hill (Gellérthegy).
Riding a boat is very recommended since you can enjoy both riverbanks at the same time - they are very spectacular at night.
Margaret Island (Margitsziget) and its large parks (see Buda) is a very pleasant place to relax and wander. Perfect for a sunny afternoon!
Downtown (Belváros) of Pest is the administrative and business centre of Budapest and the whole of Hungary. The main sights here are:
Museums in at the city centre:
The Andrássy út boulevard in Pest stretches from Downtown (Belváros) to the City Park (Városliget). It is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and has some important sights along it, including:
On Buda side there are:
Music related Museums:
Additional Museums:
Do
Theatre and opera
Hungary has a surprisingly rich theatre scene and, not surprisingly, Budapest is the epicentre of it. Season begins in mid-September and ends in June. Productions range from classic dramas and traditional operas to post-modern performances. There is much to discover around Budapest theatres, even if you don't speak Hungarian; the following venues can be particularly interesting for non-Hungarians. Tickets are bookable about one month beforehand at Interticket, the Hungarian theatres' official booking engine for a small (10% + HUF 50) booking fee.
Cinema
Budapest’s cinema life has developped around malls. Since the shopping center revolution in the late 90’s, more than two third of the city’s cinema screens are run by international chains and franchises. Mainstream cinemas mainly show subtitled Hollywood films and Hungarian romantic movies. For contemporary European and Hungarian titles turn to Budapest’s excellent art house movie chain, Art mozi – most of their branches are provided with a café or pub and offer pleasant atmosphere to spend your evening.
Baths
Budapest is a famous spa city, so go "bathing".
The baths are really the last vestige of Turkish culture in Budapest, left over from their occupation of the city. Budapest does not have a large Turkish culture the way a city like Berlin or Munich does: instead the Hungarians have modified and molded this tradition into something of their own.
All baths are built around hot springs, and their central part is one or several thermal pools. They are usually complimented with several steam baths, saunas and massage services.
Tourist mix: after locals, Russians seem to be most frequent in Budapest's baths; Italians and Americans come next (and for many Americans, baths are the main reason for visiting Budapest).
Traditional public baths
Traditional public baths (like Gellért, Széchényi) have quite complicated navigation and soviet-time service and admission system, but it's worth going through to experience authentic bathing with locals around you. At the cash desk at the entrance, you are expected to select treatments / areas to access in advance. Time to spend in baths is not restricted, but if you're finished earlier, some part of your payment may be returned. The only thing that can't be paid at the entrance is rental of towels and bathrobe (and/or deposit for it)--it should be paid inside, right where they are given. There're two types of place to change clothes: a common room with lockers is cheaper (male/female-separate, of course); cabins can be used by families and may differ in size (2 or 3 persons). For cabins, you're handed a token with a number, which is also written on a chalkboard inside as a security code; you need to remember cabin number. To open your cabin, show your cabin and a token to attendant, and s/he'll check it against the number inside. In swimming pools, swimming caps are recommended (and are available for rent), although this is not always strictly enforced.
:Changing: Besides individual lockers and family cabins, there's some number of signle-person changing rooms in both men-only and women-only area.
:What's inside: Common area for men and women has only a 50m(?) swimming pool and a soaking pool with massage bubbles, both with 36..38°C water. Using swimming caps in the swimming pool is prescribed by signs, but not enforced at all. There are separate Turkish-style thermal baths for men and women, which encompass several different areas: two soaking pools (one with 36°C, another with 38°C), the showers, the dry sauna and Turkish steam bath, and the cold pool (designed to scare the living daylights out of one's body after it's been happily lounging in the warmth). Besides swimming pools and separate areas, there's a large open-air complex of pools (open only in summer time). The young massage therapists mean business.
:Specialities: In shower area, there're also a strange stool without a seat, with a stream of water from the bottom (bidet?)--not used by anyone, though.
:Visitors mix: Many locals; among tourists, no country seem to have a majority.
:Overview: Built in 1909 in the present-day City Park, this is the largest spa in Europe and its waters are reputedly capable of healing pretty much anything, particularly gynecological, dermatological, nervous system and digestive system problems.
:Outdoors: Two soaking pools and one swimming pool are all open-air (even in winter), and form the center of the baths. In the swimming pool, swimming caps are mandatory and strictly enforced. All facilities are shared by men and women (except shower and toilets, of course). There's a swimming tube (a whirling corridor): round- (outdoors) or rectangle-shaped (indoors) pool with artificial flow; a unique feature that can't be found elsewhere. Another specialty is a tradition to play chess while sitting in the water--even in winter. One or two cafes/juice bars are available directly from the swimming area, near the cabins; around the year.
:Indoors: Several saunas, one steam bath. Every sauna has a small cold-water pool near it. Northern part of indoors baths is more modern and clean.
:Entrance: There's a number of safe boxes available (very up-to-date, with digital codes)--they can fit a notebook bag or attache case, but hardly a notebook backpack.
Modern baths
There're also very modern baths (like Danubius Grand Thermal Hotel) which are usually called spa, although their central component are thermal pool and multitude of steam baths/saunas, which is not always typical for spas in the rest of the world.
:What's inside: Two body-temperature soaking pools and a cold-water corridor with stones on the floor; one swimming pool; separate steam baths; common sauna. There's a drinking fountain with mineral water extremely rich in minerals--find on a way from baths to the gym.
:Changing: Towels are handed at reception--without fee or deposit. Also, there seems to be bathrobes available for rent--ask at the reception. For changing clothes, only lockers are available, without attendant--you have a key. There's no cabins (as families typically live in the same hotel). Every shower cabin have a curtain, and there's some liquid soap available.
:Visitors mix: Almost no locals; in New Year season (and 1-9 of May?) about 80% are Russians who are also residents of the hotel.
Others
:The baths have a main pool with adjoning very small pools, steam room and dry sauna. The emphasis is more on relaxing and enjoying the waters rather than swimming.
Budapest or Buda-Pesth (pronounced ˈbudɑpɛʃt), (approximate pronunciation Boo-duh-pesht), is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation center. The official language spoken is Hungarian.
Budapest had 1 697 343 HCSO inhabitants in 2005 (with official agglomeration 2 421 831), down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda (Ofen in German) and Óbuda (Old Buda or Alt-Ofen) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.
History
Budapest's recorded history begins with the Roman town of Aquincum, founded around AD 89 on the site of an earlier Celtic settlement near what was to become Óbuda, and from 106 until the end of the 4th century the capital of the province of lower Pannonia. Aquincum was the base camp of Legio II Adiutrix. The area of Campona (today's Nagytétény) belongs to Buda as well. Today's Pest became the site of Contra Aquincum (or Trans Aquincum), a smaller sentry point. The word Pest (or Peshta) is thought to originate from the Bolgar language, (thought to be a Turkic language, not related to modern Bulgarian, which is a Slavic language) because at the time of the reign of the Bulgarian Khan Krum (approximately 796-814), the town was under Bulgar dominion. The area then became a homeland for the Avars and some Slavic peoples.
The area was occupied around the year 900 by the Magyars of Central Asia, the cultural and linguistic ancestors of today's ethnic Hungarians, who a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary. Already a place of some significance, Pest recovered rapidly from its destruction by Mongol invaders in 1241, but it was Buda, the seat of a royal castle since 1247, which in 1361 became the capital of Hungary.
Matthias Corvinus was 15 when he was elected King of Hungary. Matthias was educated in Italian, and his fascination with the achievements of the Italian Renaissance led to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural influences in Hungary.
His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the Vatican Library.
The Ottoman Empire's conquest of most of Hungary in the 16th century interrupted the cities' growth: Buda and Pest fell to the invaders in 1541. While Buda remained the seat of a Turkish pasha, and administrative center of a whole vilayet, Pest was largely derelict by the time of their recapture in 1686 by Austria's Habsburg rulers, who since 1526 had been Kings of Hungary despite their loss of most of the country.
It was Pest, a bustling commercial town, which enjoyed the faster growth rate in the 18th and 19th century and contributed the overwhelming majority of the cities' combined growth in the 19th. By 1800 its population was larger than that of Buda and Óbuda combined. The population of Pest grew twenty-fold in the following century to 600,000, while that of Buda and Óbuda quintupled.
The fusion of the three cities under a single administration, first enacted by the Hungarian revolutionary government in 1849 but revoked on the subsequent restoration of Habsburg authority, was finally effected by the autonomous Hungarian royal government established under the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich ("Compromise") of 1867; see Austria-Hungary. The total population of the unified capital grew nearly sevenfold in 1840–1900 to 730,000.
During the 20th century, most population growth occurred in the suburbs, with Újpest more than doubling between 1890–1910 and Kispest more than quintupling in 1900–1920, as much of the country's industry came to be concentrated in the city.
The country's human losses during World War I and the subsequent loss of more than two thirds of the former kingdom's territory (1920) dealt only a temporary blow, leaving Budapest as the capital of a smaller but now sovereign state. By 1930 the city proper contained a million inhabitants, with a further 400,000 in the suburbs.
Towards the end of World War II in 1944 Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. The following siege lasted from December 24 1944 to February 13 1945, and major damage was caused by the attacking Soviet and defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridges were disrupted by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the fighting.
Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross genocide during 1944 and early 1945. , Despite this, Budapest today has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.
On January 1, 1950, the area of Budapest was significantly expanded: new districts were formed from the neighbouring cities and towns (see Greater Budapest). From the severe damage during the Soviet siege in 1944, the city recovered in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming to some extent a showcase for the more pragmatic policies pursued by the country's communist government (1947–1989) from the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the capital has shared with the country as a whole in increased emigration (mostly to the agglomeration) coupled with natural population decrease.
Politics
From 1990 the mayor of Budapest is the liberalist Gabor Demszky.
The capital city is the center of all political affairs, with most countries' embassies located in the city.
Districts
Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. On 1 January 1950 Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22. At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.
Islands
Seven islands can be found on the Danube: Hajógyári sziget (literal translation: Shipyard Island), Margit-sziget (Margaret Island), and Csepel sziget (this island is a separate district of Budapest, the XXI., while the other islands are parts of other districts, the III. and XIII. respectively), Palotai-sziget (in fact, it's a peninsula today), Népsziget (connected to the above, but mostly surrounded by water), Háros-sziget and Molnár-sziget.
Notable islands:
Landmarks and monuments
Panoramic view points
Sights and historic places
:(The below sights are grouped by location.)
Shopping
Budapest has the most shopping centers in Europe, including WestEnd City Center, the largest shopping centre in Central and Eastern Europe until just recently, and the biggest Tesco and Auchan hypermarkets in the world. The Great Market Hall is a large indoor market and a major tourist attraction.
All luxurious brands can be found, on the high streets, such as Andrássy Avenue and Váci utca.
Transportation
Airport
Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, which has 3 different passenger terminals: Ferihegy 1, which tends to serve the many discount airlines now flying to and from Budapest, Ferihegy 2/A and Ferihegy 2/B. Terminal 2/C is planned to be built. The airport is located to the east of the centre in the XVIII. district in Pestszentlőrinc.
Malév (Hungarian Airlines) began to change its aircraft in 2003, and by 2005 owned the most modern fleet in Europe.
Roads
Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus; all the major highways end there. Between, the city Street names were reverted from the names given under Soviet occupation back to their late-19th century names. Budapest is also a major railway terminus.
Ring road M0 around Budapest is currently under construction.
Commuting with public transport
Budapest public transport is mainly provided by BKV, the company operates buses, trolleybuses, trams, suburban railway lines, the metro, boats and many other special vehicles. Budapest's tramline is the busiest traditional city tram line in the world, with 50-metre long trains running at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time and usually packed with people. Night traffic service is outstandingly good.
Special vehicles
Beside metros, suburban rails, buses, trams and boats, there are a couple of less usual vehicles in Budapest:
The latter three vehicles run among Buda hills
Image:Erzsebet korut villamos.jpg|Line 4-6
Image:Funibud.jpg|Budapest Funicular
Image:M2batyi.jpg|Batthyány tér
Image:Mfavground.jpg|Millennium Underground old phase at Heroes' Square
Railway
Hungarian main-line railways are operated by MÁV. There are three main railway termini in Budapest, Keleti (eastern), Nyugati (western), and Déli (southern), operating both domestic and international rail services. Budapest was one of the main stops of the Orient Express until 2001, when the service was cut back to Paris-Vienna.
There is also a suburban rail service in and around Budapest, operated under the name HÉV.
Waterways
The river Danube flows through Budapest on its way to the Black Sea. The river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a major commercial port (at Csepel). In the summer months a scheduled hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to Vienna.
International schools
Many embassies and transnational companies are located in Budapest. They bring many expatriate foreigners and their families to town, creating demand for private and international schools. These schools are usually quite expensive and are attended by the expatriates as well as some richer Hungarians.
International schools:
There is also a language school:
Sister cities
Some of the city's districts are also twinned to small cities or districts of other big cities, for details see the article
List of districts and towns in Budapest.
Gallery
Image:sandor palota.jpg|The Alexander Palace
Image:Budapest chain bridge pillar by night.JPG|Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Image:Budapestferenciektere100.jpg|Square of the Franciscans
Image:Budapestgreshampalace100.jpg|Gresham Palace
Image:Magyarorszag-036.jpg|Fisherman's Bastion
Image:Iparmuveszeti.jpg|Museum of Applied Arts
Image:Budapest-vigszinhaz-viennaphoto at.jpg|Comedy Theatre
Image:Budapestklotildpalace100.jpg|Klotild-mansion
Image:Budapestmariamagdolnatower100.jpg|Mária Magdolna-tower
Image:Matthias Church.png|Matthias Church
Image:Budapest Etnographical museum1.JPG|Museum of Ethnography
Image:Budapestnewyorkpalace.jpg|New York Café
Image:New York-palota 01.jpg|New York Palace
Image:Budapestparliament100.jpg|Hungarian Parliament
Image:Budapestlion100.jpg|Lion of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Image:Budapestbudacastle106.jpg|Castle District, Buda
Image:Budapestbudacastle105.jpg|Castle District, Buda
Image:Budapestchurch101.jpg|Saint Elisabeth church
Image:Budapestszechenyibad100.jpg|Széchenyi Medicinal Bath
See also
exhibition street
External links
General information
Information for tourists
