FIRST EDITION
THE ESSENTIALS
GUIDE BUDAPEST W WW.NOR DAN GLIA.COM /B UDAPEST
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THE ESSENTIALS
GUIDE BUDAPEST W W W.NOR DAN GLIA.COM /B UDAPEST
THE ESSENTIALS
GUIDE BUDAPEST W W W.N OR DAN GLIA.COM/BU DAPEST
Essentials Guide Budapest 1st Edition Copyright Š Nord Anglia 2011 All Rights Reserved Chief Editor - Travis Murray Primary Design - Valle DMG Secondary Design - Travis Murray Primary Copywriting - William Lower Secondary Copywriting - Susan Jefferies Copyediting / Proofreading - Aelred Doyle While every possible effort has been taken to ensure that the facts contained within this guide are accurate, Nord Anglia cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that this guide may contain. No part of this guide may be reproduced or distributed, by electronic means or any other, without the prior permission of Nord Anglia Ltd.
TABLE OF CONTENTS PREPARING TO GO Introduction p 8 History p 20
Money and Banking p 58 Getting Connected p 60 Health Care p 64
Culture p 24
Temporary Accommodation p 68
Geography and Cityscape p 28
Finding Housing p 74
Demographics p 29 Country Map p 30 Language p 32 Climate p 33
Getting Settled p 80 Culture Shock p 82 Education p 87 Education Supplement p 94
Regional Map p 34 Administrative Preparations p 36
LIVING IN BUDAPEST
Address, Phone and Finances p 38
Health and Wellness p 136
Embassies p 40
Eating and Drinking p 138
Books, Films and Music p 44
Shopping p 148
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Neighbourhood Descriptions p 154
Landing p 50
Conclusion p 162
Getting Around p 52
helpi ng others thrive www.nordanglia.com/budapest
Education and learning have always been our focus and our area of expertise. Our people and the people we work with all have a good understanding of what this means to us. We aim to provide students with the opportunity to be the best they can be.
Introduction
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oving to Budapest? If so, you’re about to call one of the most beautiful cities in the world home. It’s also home to one of the world’s most challenging languages, which may seem daunting at first. However, most Hungarians recognise their mother tongue’s complexity and don’t expect foreigners to learn much more than the basics. The most important phrase in any language? “Thank you.” Koszonom!
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When you first arrive you’ll likely be swept away by the city’s architectural beauty. You may also find that Hungarians are more formal than we’re accustomed to in the West. For the most part, they’re very polite; that may even catch you off your guard at first. You’ll get used to it. Some expats have said that after being in Budapest for some time and then returning to the West, the first thing that strikes them is how rude everyone seems.
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here are two main groups of expats in Budapest: those here on a posting or transfer for an average of three years, and those who have moved here on a more permanent basis. The latter group often comprises expats married to Hungarians. However, don’t be surprised to hear some expats say things like “I came here for three weeks ten years ago.” Such can be the allure of Budapest.
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hether here to work, study or both, living in Budapest will not only add spice to your life (literally, as the paprika capital of the world), it will undoubtedly add spice to your CV. Although it’s a small country of only 10 million, many of its educational institutions are world-renowned. It’s also a cultural cornucopia, with everything from world-class opera and folk art to a thriving visual arts community. Of course, as with living anywhere, there are challenges.
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To the newcomer, the bureaucracy may feel on one day comedic, on the next crippling. You won’t be the only one to recognise this. Most Hungarians do too. But it’s improving.
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his Essentials Guide Budapest was created and designed to help you prepare for your move and to provide assistance with the essentials once you arrive. The expat community in Budapest is strong and close and readily embraces newcomers. Budapest is culturally rich and home to exceptional international schools, and you’ll have access to all Western-style amenities. Since it’s literally the centre of Europe, there’s no better place to explore not just a new country, but an entire continent.
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CONTENTS
PREPARING TO GO INTRO
Preparing to go will be as much a mental journey as it will be a practical one. Understanding more about the culture you are about to encounter will help prepare you for the experience. You can read a book or watch a movie we recommend or you can engage in your own research. Either way, the process will reward you. The practical aspects of preparation are, of course, vital to ensuring that your journey begins on a positive note. This section will help you prepare on both fronts.
History p 20 Culture p 24 Geography and Cityscape p 28 Demographics p 29 Country Map p 30 Language p 32 Climate p 33 Regional Map p 34 Administrative Preparations p 36 Address, Phone and Finances p 38 Embassies p 40 Books, Films and Music p 44
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HISTORY History
Hungarians are incredibly proud people with a memory as long as their history.
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odern Hungary was formed on June 4, 1920 – and no Hungarian will ever let you forget it. These are incredibly proud people with a memory as long as their history. The result of the Paris Peace Talks of 1919, the Trianon Treaty, saw Hungary lose two thirds of its land mass, and millions of Magyars become citizens of foreign states overnight. That treaty played a significant role in shaping the events of 20th-century Hungary. It was a century that was not kind to this nation. In just a few short decades, Hungary went from being a wealthy and powerful member of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to an impoverished and humiliated state. It has been a thousand years since the Magyars, renowned and feared mounted warriors, thundered out of Asia and across the steppes. Little stood in their way, because they brought with them a device that gave them a distinct military advantage: the stirrup. They could outmanoeuvre their enemies, and the speed and accuracy of their mounted archers was deeply feared. You may be familiar with the term ‘parting shot’; it perhaps came from these highly skilled warriors. At full gallop, they would unleash their rapid, accurate airborne assault and, after turning to ride away, pivot in their saddles and fire again with equal and deadly accuracy. You may also be familiar with one of their early, much-maligned leaders of around 400 AD, Attila the Hun. While Hungary’s history is fascinating, intriguing and colourful, for your purposes knowing some of Hungary’s 20th- and 21st-century history may be the most helpful. As skilled as the Magyars were at the parting shot, they’ve also shown a great talent for shooting themselves in the foot. If you’re a history junkie, you may find Paul Lendvai’s The Hungarians: A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat fascinating. Incredibly well researched, it makes sense out of events that seem, on the surface, to lack any sense at all.
Attila the Hun
Let’s start our journey into Hungarian history at the Paris Peace Talks. In an effort to impress the allies with Hungary’s new-found liberalism and forward-thinking ways, Hungary sent a prominent feminist to Switzerland to contact the Allies in hopes of preventing the dissection of the
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HISTORY
Bela Kun country. Unfortunately, the conservative Swiss were nothing but alarmed by her and everyone bore witness to her public and constant arguing with her staff. Another forward-thinking Hungarian, Bela Kun, overthrew the government in 1919 to form a communist, Soviet sphere state. That did Hungary no favours in the eyes of the Big Three (England, the US and France) during the talks. Although Hungary’s experiment with communism was brief, enough damage was done in Paris to convince the delegation that Hungary had to be contained. Following that brief communist period, Hungary was declared a monarchy, led by an admiral in a land-locked country with no navy. The inter-war years saw banks collapse in 1931, followed by mass unemployment. Despite pressure from Germany, Hungary initially remained neutral at the onset of World War II. In fact, they refused passage to German convoys and opened the borders to 100,000 Polish refugees after the fall of Poland. (There remains a strong affinity between the Poles and the Hungarians.) But the promise of regaining territories lost after the Trianon Treaty was powerful, and in 1940 Hungary joined the Three Power Pact (Japan, Germany and Italy). It didn’t take long for Hungary to seek a peaceful resolution. In 1942, Hungary quietly tried to arrange contact with the United States and Great Britain, and in 1943 it was in secret negotiations with the Allies about changing course. In 1944, Admiral Horthy made a public radio address seeking a ceasefire with the Soviet Union. Hitler was of a different mind and had Horthy’s son kidnapped, summoning Horthy to Berlin while sending German troops to occupy Hungary. A puppet Nazi government under Arrow Cross, Hungary’s Nazi party, was established and a reign of
Hungary joined the Axis powers in the hope of regaining territory lost in the signing of the Trianon Treaty.
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HISTORY
Budapest endured the second-longest siege of World War II, after Stalingrad.
Admiral Horthy
terror began. In 1944, even with defeat clearly inevitable, the ruling Arrow Cross thugs still managed to export almost half a million Jews and other “undesirables” to Auschwitz. Hitler wanted to save Vienna at all costs, and the cost was Budapest. He refused to allow the German or Hungarian armies to attempt to break out, and Budapest endured the second-longest siege of World War II, after Stalingrad. The Soviets captured Budapest, and so began the second reign of terror. Following the death of Stalin and Khrushchev’s famous denunciation of him in the Kremlin, many believed that reforms would be, if not embraced, at least tolerated. This did not prove to be the case. There was a popular uprising in 1956, started by students. The determined, inventive and courageous Hungarians faced tanks with rocks, a few single-shot rifles, home-made petrol bombs and an unending supply of ingenuity. That week, October 23-29, there was every appearance of a Hungarian victory. The Soviets withdrew. However, a week later they returned with 2,000 tanks to suppress a basically unarmed city of less than two million people. October 23 remains one of the most important national holidays in Hungary. An estimated 200,000 Hungarians fled to the West in 1956, arguably one of the world’s greatest brain drains. Those who did not flee and were accused of participation in the revolution faced either imprisonment or execution.
Heroes’ Square, Budapest
A satellite Soviet state through the cold war, it wasn’t until the 1980s that significant change began to take place, not just in Hungary but in Poland and other countries as well. In 1989, democracy returned to this noble nation. Today, Hungary is a member of NATO and the EU and her democracy is active, animated and very much alive.
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HISTORY
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CULTURE Culture
Hungary has produced more Nobel Prize winners per capita than any other nation.
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ungarians are a fascinating people. Reserved and somewhat formal, it sometimes appears that the twentieth century, with its relaxation of social niceties, passed them by. Social interactions are extremely polite and vigorous handshaking or kissing on both cheeks are common practices, as is a deference to older people, although this is slowly eroding with the onslaught of Western influences. Hungary has a highly educated society and, according to the World Factbook, it has a higher literacy rate than Canada, the US or the UK. The people are prolific readers and 65 percent of the population have completed secondary school, while 10 percent have a university education. There are 20 state-funded universities in the country and Hungary has produced more Nobel Prize winners per capita than any other nation. In addition to being well educated, Hungarians are highly cultured, with the arts an integral part of everyday life. The government ensures they are accessible to all and it’s not uncommon to see people of all age groups and socio-economic backgrounds at the opera. Theatres, museums and art galleries can be found throughout the city and are all well-attended. Hungarians have a tendency towards melancholy and even their national anthem attests that they are a people “torn by fate”. The fact that they have one of the world’s highest suicide rates would seem to confirm this inclination to gloom and despair, a characteristic of which they are well aware. They are fiercely proud of their heritage and to this day bemoan the loss of two-thirds of their country almost a century ago. National holidays include 1848 Revolution Day (March 15), Saint Stephen’s Day (August 20) and the 1956 Uprising Memorial Day (October 23). These are significant events, and wreaths are laid at the feet of statues, which are everywhere, or at prominent sites throughout the country.
Hungarians are fiercely proud of their heritage and to this day bemoan the loss of two-thirds of their country almost a century ago.
Hungary is predominantly a Roman Catholic country but, as in many Western countries, church attendance is in decline. Easter is the most important religious holiday, followed by Christmas and Whit Monday. The ball season lasts from early January through to Ash Wednesday, and Carnival Season (Farsang) celebrates the end of winter throughout February. An interesting outing on November 1 is to go to a cemetery, as graves are decorated with flowers and candles on the Day of the Dead – a far cry from the trick-or-treating which takes place in the UK and North America. While birthdays are recognised, name days are much more important celebrations in Hungary.
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CULTURE Approximately two-thirds of Hungarians now live in towns or cities, but traditional culture continues to be celebrated and folk arts and crafts continue to be available. Hungary has one of the richest folk art traditions in Europe, excelling in weaving, embroidery, pottery, woodcarving and furniture making. Although old customs are inevitably losing some of their allure with younger generations, these crafts can be found at every festival and at tourist attractions throughout the city. For the most part, Hungarians meet their friends and entertain outside the home in cafes and restaurants. Being invited to dine at a Hungarian’s home is a compliment and often a more formal affair than in many Western countries. Flowers, chocolates and wine should be given as gifts, and be prepared for a plentiful meal, as hospitality is often measured by the amount of food consumed. Drinking plays an important role in Hungarian social life, with wine and palinka (fruit brandy) the most popular beverages. Per capita alcohol consumption is only exceeded by Ireland and Luxembourg, but alcoholism is not that evident, even though it has been estimated to affect almost 10 percent of the population. Hungarian men can still be quite sexist in their attitudes, but many expats note that Hungarian women are strong and often seem to rule the roost. Lesbians and gays are protected from discrimination but keep a low profile, especially outside Budapest, as they are often the target of harassment, even within the capital.
Per capita alcohol consumption in Hungary is only exceeded by Ireland and Luxembourg.
Left - Traditional Hungarian Hussar uniforms Next page - Inside Hungarian parliament
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GEOGRAPHY AND CITYSCAPE Geography and Cityscape
Budapest is at the geographical centre of Europe, making it an ideal spot from which to explore the rest of the continent.
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he Republic of Hungary occupies the Carpathian Basin and its capital, Budapest, is at the geographical centre of Europe, making it an ideal spot from which to explore the rest of the continent. Budapest is a large yet livable city, covering 525 square kilometres. It’s divided in two by the Danube River (Duna), with Buda, comprising one-third of the city, on the western bank and Pest, comprising the other two-thirds, on the eastern. Their geography couldn’t be more different – Buda sits on nine hills while Pest is completely flat, lying on the western edge of the Great Plain. There are also a number of islands in the Danube which are part of the city; the main one, Margit Island, has been turned into a beautiful park, complete with its own thermal pools, petting zoo and jogging trails criss-crossing the island. Buda is the preferred home of most expats with children, with private homes, villas and small residential buildings sprawling over the tree-
1. Obuda 2. Pesthidegkut 3. ObudaBekasmegyer 4. Ujpest 5. BelvarosLipotvaros 6. Terezvaros 7. Erzsebetvaros 8. Jozsefvaros 9. Ferencvaros 10. Kobanya 11. Ujbuda 12. Hegyvidek 13. Angyalfold 14. Zuglo 15. Rakospalota 16. Matyasfold 17. Rakosmente 18. PestszentlorincPestszentimre 19. Kispest 20. Pesterzsebet 21. Csepel 22. Budafok-Teteny 23. Soroksar
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DEMOGRAPHICS covered, rolling hills. Pest, on the other hand, contains the downtown urban core and tends to attract young, childless couples and emptynesters, lured by the abundance of restaurants and cultural attractions. The city is divided into 23 districts, each with its own local government. Similar to Paris’ arrondissements, the districts are numbered clockwise in widening circles. They’re named with Roman numerals (I-XXIII). The lower the number, the closer to the city core; the higher the number, the further out the district. The two sections of the city are linked by a total of nine bridges, with two ring roads linking the main bridges in the centre of the city and defining central Pest. In Pest, the main thoroughfares radiate out from the Danube, crossing the ring roads, with the streets in between in a grid pattern. In Buda, main roads tend to follow the valleys between the hills, with winding streets in the upper reaches. Remember that the same street name can be found in many different districts (and in cities throughout the country), so be sure you always know the district of your destination.
Demographics
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he population of Hungary is just under 10 million, with Budapest, at around 2 million, home to 20 percent of the nation’s citizens. Over 90 percent are ethnically Magyar (Hungarian) and other minorities include Germans, Serbs and other South Slavs, Slovaks and Romanians. Roma constitute about 7 percent of the population and their integration is an ongoing challenge for Hungary, as it is for many nations in Europe. The expat population of Budapest is estimated to be over 200,000.
The expat population of Budapest is estimated to be over 200,000.
Crowd in central Budapest
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LANGUAGE Language
Hungarian is said to be one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, and is only spoken by approximately 14 million people worldwide.
Most Englishspeaking expats don’t take the time to learn Hungarian, as it will probably never be used elsewhere.
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ungarian is in the Ugric group of the Uralic family of languages and differs dramatically in vocabulary and structure from Indo-European languages. It’s very distantly related to both Finnish and Estonian, but only in terms of grammar structure – vocabulary is completely different. It’s said to be one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, and is only spoken by approximately 14 million people worldwide. It’s very poetic and some literal translations bear a resemblance to 18th-century English. Hungarians consider it the most beautiful language in the world. Hungarian has 44 letters, with 14 vowel sounds and 25 consonant sounds, many not found in English. The sounds remain consistent, so if you take the time to learn them you’ll almost always be able to pronounce a word. The accent is always on the first syllable, but there may be another if the word is a compound one – these are numerous and can present a challenge when you try to locate them in the dictionary. To give you an idea, the longest word in Hungarian is reputed to be legeslegmegszentsegtelenittethetetlenebbjeitekkent. While not used in regular conversation, it’s easily understandable by Hungarians. Most English-speaking expats don’t take the time to learn Hungarian, as it will probably never be used elsewhere. The one benefit of the difficulty of the language is that it tends to make the expat community much tighter. People have a greater need to rely on one another for information and assistance that they cannot obtain from locals; unfortunately, they’re also less likely to establish significant social relationships with Hungarians. Remember you’re a guest in this country; apologise for not speaking the language before asking if someone speaks English (angol). Learning the most common everyday phrases is a good idea, and most Hungarians are very appreciative when one attempts to converse with them. Pronunciation can be exceedingly problematic, so don’t be surprised if you’re met with a blank stare or a broad smile when you speak – many of the sounds are quite unlike anything in English! As ever, practice makes perfect. There are many language schools, but if you choose not to study, you’ll still get by. You’ll gradually learn to recognise common words in supermarkets, shops, restaurants and the transit system, and carrying a pocket dictionary can also be helpful. There’s usually at least one staff member who speaks good English in expat shops, and usually someone with a little English just about everywhere in Budapest. German is the next most common second language, with Italian, Spanish and French much rarer. In the countryside, English-speakers become much rarer. Don’t forget that dictionary!
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CLIMATE Climate
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ungary has a temperate climate and Budapest lies in the Atlantic climatic zone, one of three in the country. Winters are generally not too severe, with temperatures seldom dipping below -10 Celsius and averaging -3 to +3 from December through February. Snowfall varies but is generally pretty minimal in Pest and melts fairly quickly, while the Buda Hills can see significant accumulation. Winter does tend to be very damp and grey, with sunny days few and far between.
September is usually a gorgeous month, with temperatures in the mid-teens to low twenties.
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Millimetres of Precipitation
Average Daily High in ºCelsius
By March the temperature is beginning to climb, with an average high reaching 12 degrees, and by May Budapest is into the 20s. Early spring is a beautiful season but late spring (May and June) sees the most rainfall. Summers are quite hot but are not particularly humid, with average highs ranging from 25 in June to 27 in July and August, with temperatures in the mid-30s not uncommon. September is usually a gorgeous month, with the least precipitation and temperatures in the mid-teens to low twenties. October is also quite pleasant, but by November the clouds and rainfall return and highs average 8 degrees.
Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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