Budapest Guide for Interrailers

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Culture Compass Etwins

An Interrailer´s Guide to Budapest

Pic source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDfLfpA_kWk/UZYgAVw6PoI/AAAAAAAAB_s/EPCnVna0VxU/s1600/Budapest+17.05.2013.jpg

Hungary Country Info Hungary is a country in Central Europe. Its capital city is Budapest. Hungary has about 10 million inhabitants.

https://www.picsnaper.com/p/Szeged-Ungarn-Karte-hanzeontwerpfabriek

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Numbers Area 93,030 km2 Foundation of Hungary 895 Recognized as Christian kingdom 1000 Current 3rd republic 23 October 1989 Joined the European Union 1 May 2004 Language Hungary's official language is Hungarian.

Landscape The highest mountain is Kékestető 4 ; i the orth- east. There are also mountains along the Slovakian border. The River Danube flows through Hungary. It is one of Europe's longest rivers. West from the Danube is a hilly landscape and many small villages and towns.

The large flat area in the eastern part is called the Great Plains. It is a large and flat area.

Lake Balaton is Central Europe's largest lake and a popular holiday resort.

Climate In Hungary there is the continental climate and the oceanic climate. This means that the weather is very changeable.

Industry automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals & medical technology, ICT, food industry, tourism Agriculture wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, sunflower seeds. Grapes and wine, paprika Livestock production: cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry Important livestock products: milk, meat, butter, eggs, wool, salami, goose liver Sports Football is very popular, also swimming, fencing, athletics (track and field), table tennis, weightlifting and rowing. Golf and tennis become popuar, too.. Many international sports events took place in Hungary and there are many successful sportsmen.

World Heritage There are 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hungary. Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue (1987)  Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae) (2000)  Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (2001)  Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta (1999)  Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment (1996)  Old Village of Hollókő a d its Surrou di gs  Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape (2002)  Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (1995) Sources: Wikipedia, Simple English Wikipedia, http://eugo.gov.hu/key-facts-about-hungary/main-industries https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/Hungary-AGRICULTURE.html https://everything-everywhere.com/unesco-world-heritage-sites-hungary/

Budapest: Where to stay Hostels i Budapest are ot e pe si e, the cheapest o es i a dor itor cost €, a d there are a lot hich cost u der €.You can also book a double room, but that is more expensive.

Baraka Hostel , Erzsébet krt. 1-3, 1073 Hungary in a dormitory € a ight free Wi-Fi check at booking.com https://www.booking.com/hotel/hu/baraka-hostel.de.html

The biggest hostel in Budapest with some good critiques: Wombat's CITY HOSTEL Budapest B Király u. 20, 1061 dor pri es starti g at a out https://www.wombats-hostels.com/budapest/

€, pri ate dou le roo

http://www.budapest-hotel.net/data/Photos/767x460/7169/716992/716992936.JPEG

http://www.budapest-hotel.net/data/Photos/767x460/7169/716992/716992936.JPEG

Avenue Hostel Budapest, Oktogon 4, 1067 Hungary Pri ate roo s ore expe si e, dor € 7/ ight duri g the eek/ Good homepage: http://avenuehostel.hu/

eeke d €

https://edge.media.datahc.com/HI532091711.jpg https://thesavvybackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/best-hostels-budapest-avenue-hostel.jpg

5€

Budapest : What to eat and where to eat  

What to eat in Budapest Hungarian Food

The food/lunches in Budapest o Lángos (The fried dough topped with sour cream and shredded cheese) is delicious. o The Sour Cherry Strudel at Ruszwurm Cukrászda is one of many desserts available at Budapest cafes. o Half chicken at Kispiac Bisztro is a prime example of the Hungarian food available in Budapest. o This restaurant also serves the Hungarian Bean Soup. You can find the more typical goulash served at many Budapest restaurants. The smoked sausage in the soup is from a butchery at the Belvárosi Piac market.

Buddies Burger: Budapest has lots of cheap eats options including hamburgers like this Mexican style burger shop.

Retro Bufe serves traditional Langos.

Vegetable stall at Budapest’s Central Market Hall.

Image by Holger Leue / Lonely Planet Images / Getty Images

Kispiac Bisztro is a small but bustling bistro in Budapest. It has only 20 seats and locals and tourists come here because of the fair prices and good portions. They also serve good Hungarian dishes. https://www.2foodtrippers.com/budapest-restaurants/

Budapest Shopping for food:

You find familiar names even in Budapest, like Aldi, Lidl, Coop, Tesco, Penny and also Rossmann and dm-drogerie market.

A local supermarket is called CBA

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/03/CBA_alsonemedi_store.jpeg/220px-CBA_alsonemedi_store.jpeg

You also have to visit the great market hall. The Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok)was built in 1897 and is the most beautiful of all Budapest market halls. There are three floors andyou can get fruits, vegetables, dairy products, salamis, pickles, fresh fish, Hungarian paprika, Tokaj wines, various souvenirs, and even home style meals, or Hungarian snacks like Langos.

The market is open from Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays.

http://budapestmarkethall.com/budapest-central-market-hall-opening-hours/budapest-central-market-hall-opening

Budapest Attractions – what to see Castle Hill is a large limestone plateau where you'll find many of Budapest's most important historic sites and tourist attractions.

Today, the most prominent building is Buda Castle which dominates the hill and offers views over the river Danube. You can go up by a funicular. https://www.planetware.com/photoslarge/H/hungary-budapest-castle-hill.jpg https://www.voucherwonderland.com/reisemagazin/bud apest-sehenswuerdigkeiten/

Parliament Building: One of the most famous sights of the Hungarian capital is certainly the magnificent Parliament building in Budapest. The huge building with its dark red domes and a fascinating facade is located on the banks of the Danube on the Pest side.

Address: Budapest, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, 1055 Hungary Opening hours: May to 30 September Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 08:00 to 16:00, Sunday from 08:00 to 14:00, October to 30 April from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00, Saturday from 08:00 to 16:00, Sunday from 08:00 to 14:00.

Heroes' Square ( Hősök te e) is the "gate" to the City Park, which is behind the square. The construction of the monument to the heroes of Hungary was decided in 1896 for the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian conquest. Only in 1929, the place was completed.

There are statues of great personalities, e.g. famous tribal princes and kings, the millennium monument, the colonnade and many pillars. The Millennium Monument in the center of the square rises 40 meters high. On the top is an image of the Archangel Gabriel, who ordered King Szent István to convert the Hungarians to Christianity.

The City Park is a popular park in Budapest, district XIII. The enchanting Vajdahunyad Castle with the City Lake at its foot.

The simplest way is to take the M1 Millennium u de g ou d li e a d get off at He oes’ S ua e Hősök te e o at Széche yi Fü dő statio s. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum b/6/6b/Heroes%27_Square_in_Budapest.jpg/220pxHeroes%27_Square_in_Budapest.jpg https://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-citypark.html

Budapest is known for its healing water springs.

There are 10 thermal baths with mineral-rich water.

The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the largest thermal bath in Europe and a popular attraction among locals or tourists. It was also the first thermal bath of Pest.

Another well-known bath is the Gellert Bath. http://www.szechenyibath.hu/ http://www.gellertbath.hu/

The Great Market Hall i ce t al Budapest is Budapest’s most famous marketplace. It is popular with locals and with tourists.

You can find locally grown fruits and vegetables and local meat on the lower floors, and in the upper floors you can buy souvenirs Upstairs there are also food stalls where you can try homemade goulash and langos.

If you want to go there, take Streetcars 2, 47 or 49 to Fővá té .

http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/central-market-hall/

An excursion: Szentendre is situated on the banks of the Danube, 20 km from the centre of Budapest. Szentendre, a picturesque artists´ town, is well visited because of its interesting museums and good atmosphere, colourful baroque buildings and winding cobbled streets with many cultural values and sights. It’s easy to visit Szentendre from the capital city by ferryboat or commuter train. https://welovebudapest.com/en/toplists/we-love-budapests-visitor-guide-to-szentendre/

More info: https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-budapest/ https://www.budapest.com/city_guide/attractions/world_heritage_sites.en.html http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-top-10/ https://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-attractions.html https://welovebudapest.com/en/

Getting around Budapest If you need information, check https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/prices/ You must buy your ticket/pass in advance. You must validate your ticket at the start of your journey.

The most important info: Tickets o Single ticket HUF 350 o Single ticket bought on the spot HUF 450 o Block of 10 tickets HUF 3 000 o Short section metro ticket for up to 3 stops HUF 300 o Single ticket for public transport boat HUF 750 You can buy single tickets here: o ti ket offi es at the us ter i us e t to Kő á a-Kispest metro station: o near the exit of metro line M3, in the corridor leading to the MÁV Hungarian State Railways station Daily tickets Budapest 24-hour travelcard HUF 1 650 Budapest 24-hour group travelcard (for 1-5 passengers traveling together) HUF 3 300 Online Maps: Ticket Offices: https://www.bkk.hu/pontkereso/ Public transport network in Budapest: https://bkk.hu/apps/docs/terkep/belvaros.pdf Map of the metro and suburban railway in Budapest https://bkk.hu/apps/docs/terkep/metro.pdf

Advice: You will easily get to any sight and attraction by travelling on one of the four metro lines or the major tram lines (No. 4, 6 and 2).

The bus and trolley bus service go quite often, too. https://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-public-transport.html Most cashiers speak only Hungarian so it’s est to go to the ashier ith a pie e of paper on hi h you’ e ritten down in Hungarian what type of ticket you want to buy. https://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-public-transport.html#Buyingtickets On this site you can also read at which stations you can buy tickets.

It’s not so expensive in Budapest when you go around by public transport. In Hungary you pay ith Forint. € are a out 3.239 Forint.100 Forint are about 0,30 €.

Metro Lines

https://dailynewshungary.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/transport-budapest.jpg The Metro li e 1 ellow li e is the it ’s oldest etro li e and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See also: https://welovebudapest.com/en/venue/millennium-underground-2/ You need to take the funicular to go up to the castle.

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Our trip to Budapest How many nights ?

4

Where ?

In the Baraka Hostel, dorm per night 3820 huf / Private/double rooms start at about , huf /

€ €

Food per day?

We go to the Buddies Burger from 1500 huf/ 4, drinks in supermarkets.

€ to 2000 huf/ ,

€ or we buy food and

Public transport?

Single ticket Price: HUF 350, Block of 10 tickets HUF 3 000 / 9. € Budapest 24-hour travelcard HUF 1 650/ 5,18 € Budapest 24-hour group travelcard (for 1-5 passengers traveling together) HUF 3 300 / You can take buses, trolley buses and tram.

Entrance fees?

You can go to the Hungarian National Museum (Budapest, Múzeum krt. 14, 1088 Hungary Open 10:00–18:00 Monday Tuesday –Sunday. Full Price Ticket 1600 Huf / € Buda castle Budapest, Szent György tér 2, 1014 Hungary , it is free to visit the district If you want to visit a museum or a building you pay an entrance fee.

Budapest budget: about 83 €

,

€

Café Culture in Budapest Legendary grand cafés of Budapest Hungarians like to start their day with coffee, usually a super strong espresso, followed by more throughout the day. Coffee-to-go and American-style drip coffee are not very popular and traditional coffee houses are still preferred over chains. (…).

Cafés (kávéház) have a long tradition in Budapest. The coffee culture began as early as the 16th century during the Turkish occupation and it flourished during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century, when there were over 400 coffee houses in the city. Ever since, Budapest has always had many cafés where people sit and chat. Some of the coffee houses are famous for their history, while others used to be the center of intellectual life. In recent years many of the grand cafés were restored to their original splendor keeping the coffee culture very much alive. So, in a milieu like this, why would anybody want coffee-to-go in a paper cup?

Read more here: http://visitbudapest.travel/articles/cafe-culture-in-budapest/

Hungary and its coffee houses have almost as long a history as in Vienna.            

Thanks to the Turks, coffee making is an integral part of Hungarian culture.

The first coffee arrived in Buda in 1579, addressed to a Turkish merchant named Behrám.

The Hungarians called the beverage fekete leves (black soup) – since the middle of the 17th century Kávé.

Under the influence of Austria during the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy a mature coffee house culture developed.

From the beginning of the 19th century onwards, intellectuals, artists and, above all, literati resort in the elegant coffee houses.

In Budapest there were more than 500 cafes per inhabitant – more than in Paris.

The license to open a coffee house in Budapest was only given to restaurateurs who could prove that they were not running a bordello.

But they were allowed to open 24/7 and became like a second home for many Budapest.

Today, the atmosphere of the noble 600 cafes reminds one of the lifestyle of the famously bohemians.

Unfortunately, only a few originals from the 19th century have survived the change of time or have been revived after a decade-long break.

For a cozy cup of coffee, a piece of Hungarian Dobos cake or a serving of Somlauer Nockerln can not be missed.

But also followers of the Third Wave movement are at home in Budapest.

In the summer (2017) the coffee world championships took place here.

https://bunaa.de/en/hungary/