1. Budapest

2. Geographic Location
Budapest is a capital city of Hungary.
Despite many thinks that Hungary is located in Eastern Europe, it is actually situated in Central
Europe, in its eastern part. It borders with Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia and
Ukraina.
Climate
The city has a temperate, transitional climate - somewhere between the mild, snowy weather of
Transdanubia, the variable continental climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east and the
almost sub-Mediterranean weather of the south.

3. How to get there?
By Air
If you decide to visit Budapest, you can choose from an array of low-cost airlines, or the national
carrier, MALÉV.
By Rail
Budapest has direct railway links with 25 European capital cities, and there are over 50
international trains departing daily.
By Car
Of the five motorways and four main roads in Hungary, eight start from Budapest (exception: main
road No. 8). Motorway stickers are compulsory on M1, M3, M5, M6 and M7.
By Coach
View information on coach services to Budapest. International and domestic bus services depart
from and arrive to the Népliget bus station. Tel: (+36-1) 382-0888.
By River
Between April and October, a hydrofoil service operates between Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava.
All three international piers are in the heart of Budapest, on the river Danube.
Main sites
Gellert Hill
Gellert Hill is part of Budapest’s Ist and XIth Districts, named afterthe saint thrown to his death
from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellertand the Gellet Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the
foot of the hill, next to Liberty Bridge
Budapest Great Synagogue
he Dohány Street Synagogue or Great Synagogue in Budapest is the largest synagogue in Europe
and the second largest in the world. It seats 3,000 people and is a centre of Neolog Judaism.
Városliget
Városliget or City Park is a public park (302 acres or 1.2 km2 a rectangle 0.9 mile by 0.6 mile, or 1.4
km × 900 m) in Budapest close to the city centre, behind Heroe's square.
Váci utca
Váci utca (Váci street) is one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares and perhaps the most famous
street of central Budapest. It features a large number of resturants and fashion outlets catering
primarily to the tourist market
St. Stephen Basilica
The largest Catholic church in Budapest, where the most important relic of the Hungarian
Catholicism, the Holy Right of King St. Steven is kept.The panorama terrace offers a great view of
the city.
Heroes' Square
The momumental square at the end of Andrássy Avenue sums up the history of Hungary. The
millenium memorial commemorates the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of the Hungarians in
the Carpathian Basin. Heroes' Square is the biggest square in Budapest

4. Fishermen's Bastion
The Castle District in Buda is the ancient kernel of the capital's right-bank settlement. The Royal
Palace houses different museums and exhibitions. The castle District is one of the most visited
tourist attraction in Budapest.
The Parliament
The monumental building of the Parliament is one of the biggest attractions of Budapest. Inside,
you can see crown jewels, frescoes, paintaings and statues of the historical figures of Hungary
Museum of Applied Arts
The Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest was the third museum to be built in Europe after fellow
institutions in London (1857) and Vienna (1864).
The Art-nouveau palace of the museum itself worths a visit. The collection embraces eastern
carpets, treasury of the Esterházy family, Italian majolica, art-nouveau glass works, Zsolnay
ceramics, French furniture, etc.
Gallery of Art
The largest exhibition hall in a great classical building. Temporary exhibitions of modern and
contemporary artists.
Museum of Fine Arts
Hungary’s premier gallery of non-Hungarian works of art from early times right up to the present
day.
Permanent exhibitions:
Antique collection:
Mainly Greek and Roman works of Art : marble sculptures, more than toushand works of plastic
art, bronze works, vases with red and black figures painted by famous painters.
Egyptian collection:
Sculptures from all Egyptian Ages, including some outstanding works, painted mummy coffins,
plastics.
Antique picture gallery:
This is the most significant collection of the Museum. The gallery introduces the development of
Europian painting from 1300 to 1800. In this respect the Museum is one of the best ordered
collections in Europe.
Antique sculpture collection:
Works of Italian sculptue from the 4th century to the 18th century and of French, English, German
and Holland sculpture from the 13th century to the 18th century. A famous masterpiece is the
horseman sculpture made by Leonardo da Vinci.
Graphical collection:
The collection - which contains 10000 drawings and 100000 engravings - is not open to the public
all the time because the works of art are highly sensitive to light
Modern collection:
Contains paintings and sculptures from the 19th and the 20th century.
Hungarian National Galery
The museum shows the development of hungarian art selected by the main styleages.

5. Permanent exibitions:
Medieval and Renaissanse stone exhibition (11th - 16th century)
Gothic wood sculptures and pictures (14th - 15th century)
Late Gothic oltars (15th - 16th century)
Renaissance and Baroque Art (1550-1800)
Paintings, sculptures, medals from the 19th century
Paintings, sculptures, medals from the 20th century
Arts today
Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian National Museum is said to have been founded in 1802 when Count Ferenc
Széchényi set up the National Széchényi Library. In 1846 it moved into the fine neo-Classical
building designed by Mihály Pollack where it has been ever since.
Permanent exhibitions:History of Hungary from the foundation of the state to 1990 Middle Ages,
Modern and Contemporary History, Scholar Hungarians who made the 20th century, History of the
people of the Hungarian lands from 400.000 BC to 804 AD, The coronation mantle, Medieval and
Early Modern Lapidary, Roman Lapidary
Sightseeing
Private guide tours
If you are not short of money, the best way to see most of the Budapest and to learn about its
history, culture and life is to take private guide tour. Private guide tours are organized for small
groups of tourist (usually 1 to 6 persons) and are accompanied by licensed tourist guide and
professional driver. They will show you everithing what is important in Budapest and the tour can
be tailord to your personal interests. The prices for such a tours are between 120 and 250 euro
(150 and 300 USD) per tour (for all persons together), depending on number of persons and
length of the tour. You will be picked up at your hotel on time of your choice.
Sightseeing by bus
If you don't have enough time, or you are not ready to walk a lot, than the bus sightseeing tour
could be solution for you. The bus tours are not expensive, and tourist information are available
on many languages. A lot of offers are starting on Deak Ferenc square or Andrassy street or Chain
bridge. Tours are usually 2-3 hours long and you will see most of the Budapest tourist attractions.
Prices are somwhere between 25 and 35 euro/person (30 to 45 USD / person), depending of the
length of the tour.
Sightseeing by boat
In 1987, Budapest was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and
architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube and the Buda Castle Quarter.
The Danube flows through Budapest from north to south; within the city boundaries its widest
part (640m) is in the north of the city . The river is at its narrowest (283m) below Gellért Hill; here
it is about 9m deep.
Many Budapest attractions and monuments are located at or near the Danube banks. On the
north there is a Margaret Island. It is 2,5 Km long and up to 500 m wide. On both of its ends are
bridges: Arpad bridge and the Margaret bridge. In the Middle Ages cloisters were built on the

6. "Rabbits' Island", as it was then called. At the beginning of the nineteenth century members of the
royal family living in Buda transformed it into a landscape garden. By the turn of the century it had
become a health resort owing to its therapeutic springs. Today the island is one of Budapest's
most popular places for walking, bathing, amusement and sports.
On the Pest side there is a monumental building of the Parliament, one of the biggest attractions
of Budapest. Souther, near the Chain Bridge (first bridge to connect Buda and Pest, built 1849),
there is a Grasham palace and the Hungary Academy of Since. Near the Lagymanyosi bridge there
are two new buildings worth to see: the National Theater and the Palace of Arts.
On the side of Buda you can find Fisherman's bastion and the Royal Castle, both of them very
popular tourist sites. Between the Erzsebet bridge and the Liberty bridge there are the Gellert Hill ,
the Citadel and the Liberation Monument. The famous Gellert Spa Baths with Gellert Hotel are
located near the Liberty Bridge.
All of this attractions are best seen from the river Danube. There are many boat sightseeing tours
available, several of them are combined with dinner or visit to the Parliament. If you have enough
time, take one tour on day, and one on night, eventaully combined with dinner. It will be really
unforgetable expiriance.
Gastronomy
Hungarian Cuisine
Hungary is known for its exotic, tasty and spicy food and delicious wine.
The traditional Hungarian dishes abound in piquant flavors and aromas. Dishes are flavourful,
spicy and often rather heavy. People with a sensitive stomach, should be careful.
Flavours of Hungarian dishes are based on centuries old traditions in spicing and preparation
methods. The exquisite ingredients are produced by local agriculture and husbandry.
Paprika and garlic is to be found everywhere, and sour cream is often used to soften flavour.
The first thing that people recall about Hungarian cuisine is goulash, which is, contrary to popular
belief , not a stew but an artistically prepared thick soup.
You must try fish soup, chicken paprika, good home-made pörkölt (stew) and the excellent fresh-
water fishes: grilled pike-perch, trout with almond. Also compulsory isgoose liver. Whether fried
or grilled, cold or hot, it is simply unforgettable.
Drinks
Pálinka
Hungary produces excellent, powerfull fruit brandies (pálinka): barack from
appricots, cseresznye from cherries, körtefrom pears, alma from apples and szilvafrom plums. And
there is Unicum, a bitter panacea made from a secret herbal recipe.
Wine
The choice of good wine is available in Hungary has increased dramarically over the past few
years.
Louis XIV, the Sun King, was such an admirer of world famous Tokaj wine that he termed it the
"Wine of kings, the King of Wines". Wine of the Balaton region, the full-bodied Villány-Siklós, the

7. famous wines of Eger and the Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood) in particular also enjoy a wide
international reputation.
Recomended:
House of Hungarian Wines is located in the Castle District on the Buda side of Budapest. It is
located across from the historic Hilton Hotel in the old town at Szentháromság ter 6. The House of
Hungarian Wines sells wines made from 22 different wine regions in Hungary, and includes
information about each of the different wine regions. For about $20 USD individuals can tour the
wine cellar and sample 50 different Hungarian wines.
Things to do
Organ concerts
The St. Anne Church makes home for organ concerts. The St. Anne Church is one of the most
beautiful baroque buildings of Budapest (picture gallery ). The construction of the church started
in 1740, according to the plans of Kristóf Hamon, and was completed by Mátyás Nepauer in 1761.
In the next 200 years the church suffered from wars, floods and earthquakes, even it was planned
to be demolished, owing to the construction of the metro network. Fortunately this plan was not
realised, and the church was reconstructed between 1970-1984.
The program of the concert was adapted for the organ of this church by Gábor Lehotka, professor
of the Academy of Music in Budapest. Anasztázia Bednarik, Miklós Teleki and László Attila Almásy
regularly give concerts in Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
Symphony concerts
Hungarian classical music has long been an "experiment, made from Hungarian antedecents and
on Hungarian soil, to create a conscious musical culture [using the] musical world of the folk
song". Although the Hungarian upper class has long had cultural and political connections with
the rest of Europe, leading to an influx of European musical ideas, the rural peasants maintained
their own traditions such that by the end of the 19th century Hungarian composers could draw on
rural peasant music to (re)create a Hungarian classical style. For example, Béla Bartók and Zoltán
Kodály, two of Hungary's most famous composers, are known for using folk themes in their music.
Bartók collected folk songs from across Eastern Europe, including Romania and Slovakia, whilst
Kodály was more interested in creating a distinctively Hungarian musical style. Other famous
Hungarian composers are Franz Liszt and Ferenc Erkel.
Budapest has been an important part of the music of Hungary. It is a home of few of the world
famous hungarian symphony orchestras.