Hungary 4 days. Trip to Budapest on your own, prices and plan. Cultural program in Budapest
Budapest is one of the most popular tourist cities among tourists from all over the world. Most travelers fly to the capital of Hungary for 2-3 days, which is enough to see the main attractions of the city, visit 1-2 baths and go to several museums. We will tell you how to spend these days profitably, what to see, where to stay, where to go, where to eat, where to swim.
The cheapest and easiest way is air tickets from WizzAir. The cheapest tickets are sold only on the airline's official website. WizzAir flies to Budapest from Moscow and St. Petersburg. If you are flying from another city, we recommend searching for tickets through Aviasales. Search either directly to Budapest, or to Moscow\St. Petersburg, and separately on the WizzAir website to Budapest. Compare which is cheaper.
During sales periods, WizzAir offers the cheapest tickets from 20 euros one way. This price is for club members only. Annual membership to the club costs 30 euros per year and pays for itself on your first flight. If you are traveling together, you don’t need to buy one for everyone. Standard membership - you +1 travel companion, if you have a large family or many friends - group membership costs 60 euros per year - club member + 5 travel companions. There is no need to purchase a membership in advance. You can add when booking
Most cheap ticket WizzAir suggests: only hand luggage weighing up to 10 kg and measuring 55*40*23 (do not exceed these dimensions), choice of seat - no, assigned by the system, mandatory electronic registration for your flight and printing your boarding pass in advance (registration at the airport costs extra money). Everything is like a regular low-cost airline.
To travel to Hungary, citizens of the Russian Federation need and.
By the way, our cozy editorial staff constantly uses it when traveling - gigabytes of the Internet are very cheap!
Where to stay in Budapest
The city is divided by the Danube into 2 parts - Buda and Pest. Pest is the part of the city where most of the attractions are located. The Hungarian Parliament building, Heroes' Square, St. Stephen's Basilica and others are located in Pest. Buda is Gellért Mountain, Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion. Most hotels, cafes, pubs and restaurants are located in Pest.
The best hotels in Budapest with amazing views
This expensive hotels, category 5*. If you are used to choosing the best, focus on these hotels: Sofitel, Intercontinental, Marriott.
Cheap hotels with good location
You will find many inexpensive hotels, hostels and apartments in the Erzsebetváros (former Jewish Quarter) area. This good area both in terms of sightseeing - the main objects are 1-2 km on foot or can be reached by bus, tram, metro - only 1-2 stops, and evening entertainment - in this area there are most bars, cafes and restaurants for every taste. Here are the famous ruin bars and discos.
Or you can stay in the Terezváros area, which borders Erzsebetváros. The Opera, Andrássy Avenue, Oktogo, everything is here.
Well, naturally, the closer you are to the Danube, the more expensive the hotels will be. This is the Belvaros district. There are very expensive hotels here, but you can also find budget options, there are also many hostels located here. We recommend that you not limit yourself to hotels only, but also consider apartments. In most cases, tourists prefer to stay in private apartments in the city center.
The advantage of living in this area is that you most likely won’t need public transport. All attractions can be reached on foot.
We stayed several times at an inexpensive hotel in the very center - Silver Hotel Budapest. Large rooms, the renovation is of course so-so, but everything is very clean, great location and most importantly, everything is nearby - both transport and walking can be reached.
We recently discovered a very good 4*, inexpensive hotel, also in the center and with good location— Atrium Fashion Hotel. The rooms are large, comfortable, the renovation is relatively new, everything is as in the photo on Booking.com. Killer breakfasts - Buffet. A stone's throw from a metro and bus stop. 20 minutes walk to all attractions. There are a lot of delicious restaurants and bars in the area.
Sights of Budapest
Basic tourist sites Budapest is located quite compactly. On the map you can see the main attractions.
- Heroes Square. Millennium Column
- Art Museum
- City Park. Szechenyi Bath. Transport Museum. Vajdahunyad Castle
- Andrássy Avenue. Museum of Terror. Octagon. Budapest metro
- Opera theatre. Franz Erkel and Franz Liszt
- Basilica of St. Istvan. Freedom Square
- Parliament of Hungary
- Lajos Kossuth Square. Monument to Imre Nagy
- Ethnographical museum
- Roosevelt Square. Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Vörösmarty Square. Vaci street
- Szechenyi Bridge
- Buda Castle. Matthias Corvinus Fountain. Labyrinth
- Fisherman's Bastion. Museum of History
- St. Matthias Cathedral
- Church of St. Anne
- Margaret Island. Margaret and Arpad Bridges
- National Museum
- Mount Gellert. Citadel and baths
- Erzsebet Bridge
How to see Budapest on your own
Download the izi.travel smartphone app. In it you will find several audio guides in Russian with ready-made routes. For example, here is the most complete excursion - Hungarian Walk with Audio Guide. You will need to not only download izi.travel, but also add this excursion to the “downloaded” in the application itself, then this excursion will be available offline, otherwise you will need a constant Internet connection.
The application is very convenient, we ourselves have been using it for a long time different countries. You arrive at the starting point of the route, launch the application, put headphones in your ear and just listen. You follow the route, as soon as you reach the next point, the application determines where you are and starts a description of the attraction nearby.
The excursion route given in the example is 11 km. For one day this is quite a lot and tiring, unless your goal is to gallop through everything without looking anywhere. Split this route into 2 days.
On the first day, leisurely explore Pest (points 1-11), go to the Museum visual arts on Heroes' Square, relax in St. Stephen's Cathedral. By the way, entrance to the Cathedral is free, the box at the entrance with the indicated amount is only a recommendation for donation, in fact, as much as you want, do not pay any attention to the man next to you and his possible lamentations about the amount, you don’t have to throw anything at all. Go to the market, try goulash in the cafe on the 2nd floor.
Closer to sunset you can walk to the top of Mount Gellert to the Citadel. It offers one of the best views of Budapest. There is no public transport to the Citadel. You will need to climb uphill. You can climb from two sides - from the Erzsebet Bridge or from the Liberty Bridge. We recommend going up from the Erzsebet Bridge and going down to the Liberty Bridge.
Dedicate the second day to the Buda part. It’s better to start your inspection from the Fisherman’s Bastion. Getting there is very easy - bus 16, 16A, 116. You can go up to the Buda Castle by funicular. But the cost, in our opinion, is unreasonably high. For a trip of a few minutes you will pay 1200 forints (about 4 euros), and for a round trip 1800 forints. Therefore, take the bus to the Fisherman’s Bastion, then go to the fortress and walk down to the Chain Bridge. From the side of the Buda Castle they also open best views to Budapest.
Tourist bus in Budapest
You can see a large number of tourist buses, working on the hop-on-hop-off principle. In order to use it, you need to buy a ticket, which can be valid for 1 or 2 days. You will be given headphones on the bus, and there is an audio guide in Russian. The bus travels in circles to the main attractions. And you just sit and listen, like on a regular excursion.
The bus makes a stop near each object, you can get off, take a walk, return to the stop, wait for the next bus of the same company and continue the trip. You can leave, enter and continue the tour an unlimited number of times within 1 or 2 days (depending on which ticket you bought). There is Wi-Fi on the bus, you can immediately post photos to your favorite social network.
You can buy a ticket for such a bus immediately before boarding. Walking around the city, you will 100% see these stops or boys and girls on Segways who invite tourists.
Tours of Budapest
If you prefer an individual tour of the city in the company of a guide, it is worth finding such a tour in advance. In Budapest, no one will come up to you on the streets with the offer “Hey, is the excursion expensive?” Tourist offices offering excursion service in Russian you have to search, which will also take quite a lot of time. It is better to book excursions in advance, for example on or.
Where to eat in Budapest
All tourists eat on Vaci or Raday streets :) It just so happens that these are the best places when walking around the city. In the Buda part, near tourist sites, there are not very many cafes and restaurants.
You can have a snack with dener (aka gyros, aka shawarma if you are from Moscow or shawarma if you speak the St. Petersburg dialect). Cost about 600-700 forints. It's very filling and tasty.
Goulash soup, depending on the establishment, in the center, will cost you 1200-1800 forints. If you see in an advertisement that goulash costs 600 forints, most likely this is half a portion. But for some people this is enough. The second is about 2500-4500, this portion is enough for two.
There is a special menu of the day or a tourist menu - these are two courses plus dessert at a fixed price - from 2500 forints
Beer is available both local and from neighboring countries, for example Czech. The cost of a mug is from 600 forints. Wine is cheapest to buy in stores. Cost from 600 forints per bottle. Ice cream - one scoop 300 forints.
It is also worth noting that restaurants include 10-15% service by default! That is, tips are already included in the price. Don't puncture or leave any excess. Also remember that in small cafes it is better to take coffee with you, it will be cheaper, and you can drink it on the nearest bench.
99.9% of establishments accept cards for payment.
Ruin bars of Budapest
The Jewish Quarter of Erzsebetváros is one of the must-see places in the Hungarian capital. But this place is popular not because of the synagogue. Here, on several streets, there are three dozen ruin bars - fashionable establishments with cool eclectic interiors, hidden behind the facades of emergency buildings.
The Erzsebetváros region looked extremely deplorable 15 years ago. The former Jewish quarter with pompous buildings and many shops and cafes was turned into a ghetto during World War II, from where tens of thousands of Jews were deported. After the end of the war, the abandoned houses were occupied by gypsies. In the 90s, the gypsies left their houses, and they stood boarded up until the early 2000s, making people sad local residents and the municipality, which had no money for restoration and no ideas on what to do with several streets of abandoned buildings in the very center, led by Kazinczi Street.
The city's restaurant business was also in crisis. There were two types of establishments in Budapest: pompous, expensive restaurants that many could not afford, and Soviet canteens.
In 2002, several students took a fancy to the two-story house. They took down old “garage” furniture there, installed a bathroom (after sawing it in the middle so that you could sit), dragged in a cabin from a Trabant - it turned out to be a table. Absolutely the entire exterior was collected from garbage dumps and old apartments from all over Budapest. And they began pouring beer for friends and local residents. No advertising, no website or social networks, no signs.
The place was called Szimpla. Szimpla from Hungarian means “simple”. The state of disrepair of the buildings turned trips to “Simpla” into real extreme sports, and if you didn’t like the concept, you could turn around and leave.
Szimpla was a pioneer of the area. Then several more similar “ruin bars” opened in the neighborhood. 5 years after the opening of the first such institution, the municipality acquired money and decided to demolish the ugly buildings that spoiled the appearance of the center. The Hungarians quickly formed the Protest organization and explained to the developer and the authorities that there was no need to touch the bars.
Now Simpla is included in the Top 10 most interesting bars in the world according to Lonely Planet.
The best time to visit Simpla is in the evening. On Google maps and in the Maps.me application (if you don’t have it yet, download, for free, offline maps of any country) Szimpla is called Szimpla Kert. Most tourists come here to drink beer and continue their tour of the bars in the area. Some people just come in to take a look and take photos and leave. Do the same if you don't like the noisy atmosphere. Around you will find many pubs to suit every taste.
Gellert- this is the most pathetic and luxurious bathhouse in Budapest. There are much fewer swimming pools here than in Section, but you will spend much more time here looking at the Art Nouveau interiors, wandering along the corridors and cursing the creators for such a layout.
The cost of a whole day on weekdays is €15, on weekends €16.
How to get there: Szent Gellért ter metro station, the baths are located right next to the entrance.
Opening hours: daily from 6 to 20
Rudas- the bathhouse was built in the 16th century by the Turks, in the 19th century it underwent significant changes - pools and saunas were added to it. The best thing about this bathhouse is the rooftop Jacuzzi pool, which offers views of Mount Gellert, the Danube and the Erzsebet Bridge.
A ticket costs €9.9 on a weekday, €10.1 on a weekend. The rooftop pool costs €5.8 separately. Combined ticket €12.2.
I have a very hard time with flying, so when choosing another route to Montenegro, we decided to take the train. Since just driving is boring, it was decided to make several stops along the way and explore the capitals of Ukraine, Hungary, and Serbia. If it was more or less clear with Ukraine and Serbia - we had been to these countries more than once, then Hungary was almost a blank spot on the map. I didn’t know anything about the country at all, except that their language is Hungarian. As a result, it was decided that we would visit Budapest, and allocated 4 full days for this.
It seemed that 4 days was quite enough, but when I started looking for information about the city, I had to work hard to clearly allocate the time. We lived on the outskirts of Budapest, more precisely its Óbuda district. This made it possible to save significantly on accommodation, and the presence of nearby trains solved the issue of moving to the city - only 15 minutes. Based on the place of residence, a plan was drawn up:
Day 1 - exploring the Obuda area.
Day 2 - visit to the Buda area.
Day 3 - walks around Pest.
Day 4 - visit to the baths, trip to the Tropicarium.
Looking ahead, I will say that I managed to visit everything on the list, but the time spent visiting the museums had to be reduced. I’ll tell you briefly in order where we visited and what we tried.
Day 1. Obuda.
There are not many attractions here, but the area is ancient. I read that this is where the settlement began. What is worth visiting here is Aquincum. This is a Roman settlement, and in fact, a huge park with ruins. At Aquincum there is a small museum where things found during excavations are exhibited. Entrance to Aquincum cost 4 euros, which includes a visit to the museum. However, if you want to photograph the museum exhibits, you need to pay another 2 euros; in the park, you can take photographs for free. The ruins themselves are interesting; in many places only the foundation remains, in some places part of the walls and columns. In several places throughout the park there are special posts with “binoculars” (I don’t know what to call them correctly), where you can see a diorama of what it was like here during the Roman times and compare it with what remains.
Next to the museum (across the road and to the right) there is no large amphitheater. Now there is a walking area, but once the number of performances, mostly theatrical, tripled. There is also a large amphitheater in the same area, near Florian Square (Flórián tér), where more serious battles have already been fought. Visiting the amphitheaters is free.
In addition, in the Óbuda area it is worth checking out Fő tér Square, it is very cozy and beautiful. Although, honestly, there are many such cozy squares in Budapest. This one is notable for its sculpture of a Girl with Umbrellas and beautiful architecture buildings on the square.
Day 2. Buda.
This is the “heart” of the city; if you are short on time and need to choose just one thing, I advise you to go here. The most beautiful sights of the city are located on Buda Hill, and those located in another part from here are clearly visible (for example, parliament, market, St. Stephen's Cathedral). Once inside the Buda Castle, you just need to have time to look around - everything is beautiful here: from small houses, funny shops, door handles to magnificent palaces, museums, temples. We started our walk from the Vienna Gate, and then admired the variety of shapes and colors. Pay attention to the roof of the Military History Museum - it is covered with the famous Zsolnai tiles. Then you will recognize her everywhere, she is so unique. There are only 7 buildings in Budapest covered with such tiles (we found them all). The ruins of the Church of Mary Magdalene are amazing; I can imagine how magnificent the cathedral was. You can wander around the Buda Castle for hours - it is small, but on every street, on every house there is something interesting.
One of the things I definitely recommend visiting is Matthias Church. It is magnificent on the outside, although it has been restored for several years, but on the inside it is simply amazing. The church is strikingly different from everything it has seen before. Admission, however, is paid, but the price is not comparable to the pleasure of visiting it (about 5 euros).
Nearby is the Fisherman's Bastion, interesting for its shape, and the Marzipan Museum. The museum is quite small, although it is surprising that it is possible to create such sculptures from nut paste. We went there out of curiosity (3 euros), although the second time will definitely not be interesting.
And one more place that did not leave me indifferent - the labyrinth (address: Úri u. 9). This is part underground caves, excursions and performances are organized here, but a regular visit is also possible (9 euros). We doubted for a long time whether it was worth going here. The history of Budapest (or Hungary) is briefly told here, but presented in such an unusual form that it will be remembered for a long time. If there free time, visit - you won't regret it.
And of course, get to Royal Palace, look at the Section Bridge, admire the panorama of the city. We still had a little time left, and we reached the neighboring hill - Mount Gellert, but to be honest, we didn’t like it much here, except that the beautiful views open up, and the church in the rock is interesting.
Day 3. Pest.
This side of the city is somewhat different - it is still located on a flat surface. Here, first of all, we went to Parliament. We have already seen the parliament building itself; to describe it we would like to use words of praise in a superior form. He is truly incredibly handsome. Here there is a small difficulty: it took more than an hour to buy tickets. You should arrive much earlier than the ticket office opens. Visiting groups are allowed every half hour, but are divided by language, the cost is 14 euros, you can take photographs for free. There was only one Russian-speaking group and at some inconvenient time (either 16.30 or 15.00), it turned out that it was ruining our day, so we asked to join the English-speaking group. I will say right away that the excursion was difficult for me - it was difficult to concentrate on looking at the interior and listening to the guide, poorly understanding the language. But what we saw was quite enough for us.
There are many different beautiful temples in this part of the city, architectural monuments, unusual sculptures. I won’t list everything we went to, I’ll just tell you what was particularly impressive. 3 things are somewhat sad: boots on the embankment (right behind the parliament), a weeping willow (in the Jewish Museum at Dohány u. 2.) and the house of terror (Andrássy út 60). The first two are dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust, the last - to a comparison of totalitarian regimes.
Part of our walk went along Andrássy Avenue - we left it and then returned. It was on one of the side streets that we became acquainted with Hungarian cuisine: it is relatively inexpensive, but the aromas are stunning; lunch cost us 60 euros for two. Here I was surprised by the oldest metro line, going underground, you find yourself feeling like a hundred years ago - sweet, touching, amazing. The opera house was impressive; you can even go inside on a tour (about 10 euros).
And at the end of the avenue magnificent area Freedom, behind which there is an amazing zoo (entrance 7 euros), as well as the Vajdahunyad Fortress (entrance free) - a collection of several buildings in different styles Hungarian architecture. Having walked around enough, we returned to the Danube embankment, walked to the market, looked into the basilicas and churches along the way. The evening ended night excursion along the Danube (departure at 21.00, price 18 euros, audio guide provided).
On this day we first went to the Tropicarium. It is located in the Campona shopping center, it’s almost an hour’s drive from the center. There is an amazing aquarium-tunnel here; walking through it you can see sharks, stingrays and other marine life. Actually, it was because of him that we went so far. In addition, there are rooms with various fish, frogs, crocodiles, chameleons and birds. Entrance 8 euros.
After returning from the Tropicarium, we headed to the Széchenyi Baths. There are 2 types of tickets for the whole day and half. Price 10 euros per day, 6.5 for half a day. It was great here: 3 outdoor pools, many baths with different temperatures, saunas, baths, you can (for a fee) get a massage, relax in a cafe. We stayed here for 4 hours, tried everything we could and, to be honest, we were tired, so there was still a little time left to walk around Pest.
Of course, we didn’t visit many museums, only had time to relax in one bathhouse, and didn’t walk through many parks, but we got a certain impression about the culture of the country. There are very friendly people here who tried to help us without knowing either Russian or English. There are magnificent, sometimes incomparable cathedrals and monuments here, there is a lot of greenery and flowers. We may not have had time to see everything, but we know for sure that we will definitely come here again.
The weather is also always pleasant. This is especially felt in the spring. At the beginning of April it is still cold in Moscow and you can get caught in the snow. You board a plane wearing a jacket, but in Hungary you carry this jacket out of the plane not on you, but in a backpack, and then you completely forget it at the hotel. This happened to me, and on April 10 in Moscow I was very cold and it seems I caught a cold. I haven’t retuned since Budapest, and I wasn’t even wearing a jacket.
Baths
The main thing in Budapest is, of course, the baths. In this regard the only place comparable to Budepest - apparently Iceland (in general as a country, there is also a place to swim on every corner, although only Blue Lagoon). There are baths in Budapest in every district. Whatever you take - the most famous and popular. It’s good that there are a lot of them, otherwise there would be pandemonium. It already exists in some way, especially on weekends. Out of all of them, we singled out a couple for ourselves, and it was them that we visited. This is probably the TOP 2 baths, at least judging by travel books and websites. Gelert - located right inside the huge Gelert hotel at the foot of the mountain of the same name. They are perhaps the most exquisite. They resemble either a palace or a train station. In general, if you swim in the hall of columns, you will feel like you are in great place for ridiculous money - then here. And if there is variety, then to the second place we visited: Széchenyi. There are several types of sauna and water aerobics, and there are more pools and each has its own water temperature (from 16 to 38 with an interval of 2 degrees). The area of the Széchenyi Baths is also larger (but there are more people packed here), and in April it is open and open pool(closed in Gellert). It’s a little less chic and pompous, but the interior decoration of the halls is compensated by the appearance of the Széchenyi baths, with their delicate yellow buildings. And of course, famous chess players floating in the water and moving black and white pieces. This is certainly not chessbox, but something close to it, and with much more more history(The Szechenyi Baths are obviously older than chessboxing).
The photo is not mine. This is REUTERS/Bernadette Szabo. We didn’t have a camera with us in Szechenyi.
In general, it’s somehow not convenient to take pictures and swim, and steam in a sauna, and look after a baby at the same time. They sacrificed photography art.
Regarding caps in baths. At first it turned out that it was some kind of setup. When I eat somewhere and suspect that swimming in the waters is possible, I take maximum care of swimming trunks (sometimes also a towel). Hats are also needed. But firstly, of course, they are sold in numerous kiosks, and secondly, it turned out that they are in demand only in the main pool itself. That is, the largest, sometimes even with swimming lanes, or at least an adjustable direction of movement (counterclockwise). I always didn’t understand why swimmers in these pools move counterclockwise and that’s the only way, why athletes and just students run at the Physics and Technology stadium. Buddhists walk the other way around, clockwise! Well, this is a lyrical digression. In all other pools, warm and cold, you can wear no cap. And everyone there without a hat. The keepers watch only the most important things and blow a whistle when they see a swimmer’s uncovered hair. It was not possible to find out whether bald people without a hat whistle.
It doesn't seem easy to figure out at first. All the signs around the cash register are in Hungarian. But gradually it becomes clear, and the cashier always speaks English. You can take either a box (+ chip for entry) or a booth (+ chip for entry). The cabin is certainly more comfortable (you can change clothes there normally) and not much more expensive. One ticket (chip) is valid all day. Swimming ends at eight in the evening (don’t believe some guidebooks! They end earlier).
Family selfie in Gellert
A couple of tips for exploring Budapest
It’s difficult, of course, to call yourself an expert on the Hungarian capital, especially since it left more mysteries than it revealed its secrets. But after my first visit I somehow came up with a set of hints and recommendations.
1) Dial cards at the hotel. Similar stands hang in all hotels. I also saw them in Moscow, but never used them. I saw it here and started using it. Discount in the Rubik's Cube store, discount in the Zoo, in the Labyrinth. Well cool, I love discounts. And at the same time, you can not prepare for the trip at all and see what these cards offer. Quite an adequate overview of Budapest. On the reverse side they have the location of the object. Very comfortably. Either find it, or immediately kill it, as we did with the Tropicana (some kind of aquarium with crocodiles and sharks on the outskirts of Budapest).
2) City maps. We start recruiting directly from the airport. In Europe, all city maps are always free. In Budapest, the most intelligent and faithful ones also turned out to be at the airport. For example, they had the fourth (green) metro line. Recently built and absent from all other maps.
3) Excursion bus. Many cities have it. Useless in many places. But in Budapest it is very relevant. There are no traffic jams in the city, there are many wide avenues passing through the center, and in fact one of the trump cards of Budapest is its pompous architecture. There are several companies, we used it seems the most common: HOP ON HOP OFF. Actually, we left the hotel, and he drove right by. This is the peculiarity of the routes: they pass through all the attractions and the main hotel places. You can make a different circle by listening to the instructions, and then get out at the attraction you are interested in. And then drive it to the next one. The ticket is valid for two days, and is applicable to three routes: red and yellow around the city, blue - boat along the Danube. At bus stops you have to wait for a maximum of 15 minutes. But the boat is less common; it is better to familiarize yourself with its schedule in advance. Schedule - of course on free maps, distributed on the bus.
4) When going for a walk in the morning, take your swimming trunks and a towel with you. It is unknown where everything will end, but the probability of ending up in one of the baths is very high.
This is the type of voice recorder switch found on buses. Choose any language and listen. We found. that it may be even better to ride on the first floor of the bus (they are two floors). Firstly, people travel there less often, these voice recorders are not very used and the contacts are normal. And secondly, it doesn’t blow so much. The second floor is often simply without windows, for example!
Geopolitics
Where would we be without this now? Geopolitics in Hungary turned out to be a little strange, not quite the expected European one. Yes, at first a large number of young people with yellow-bloc symbols were noticed. It is fashionable to support the independence of a young small country that is being attacked by an aggressor. True, as it turned out, half of these people speak Russian and are Ukrainian tourists. The Hungarians themselves experienced all this a hundred years ago. The collapse of its great Austro-Hungarian Empire, the loss of 70% of the territory, constant memories of past greatness and revanchist sentiments that were drowned in the banal weakness of the state. The older generation, and I talked to them, says that after the euphoria of joining the European Union, which lasted two years, a retreat began. Having collected orders from Hungarian production, the Europeans after a couple of years refused all of them, and already had time to quarrel with the East. And in the same East, for example, a fair share of Ikarus routes were taken over by Mercedes. And two years later, the Hungarians, who in the 80s felt themselves at the forefront of world Socialism, felt themselves on the margins of capitalism. In the European Union, it seems only Greece looks poorer, not even Romania. The city is full of beautiful houses, even on the main streets, that are under construction (in fact, slowly falling apart) and for sale. Budapest is full of real homeless people, this was a revelation even for me. That is, it would seem such a beautiful and sublime city, but homeless people are sleeping in the passage. Another feature of similarity with St. Petersburg (although there are probably more of them in St. Petersburg, and even more so in Moscow). I haven't come across them anywhere else in Europe.
Very unexpected even foreign policy. There is a widely known case of how an Azerbaijani hacked to death an Armenian colleague with an ax at a NATO military training camp in Hungary. The Hungarians, of course, condemned the Azerbaijani and even tried to imprison him, and then suddenly they took him and handed him over to Azerbaijan (they say that in exchange for some kind of oil contract). In Baku, he was released and awarded as a national hero right at the airport, on the plane. And the Hungarian embassies were besieged by pro-Armenian demonstrations for a long time. Or now, there was a PACE session, a completely unclear body, why and what for. But, as expected, he gathered for the next session and unanimously condemned Russia for the annexation of Crimea. And suddenly a Hungarian deputy burst into the microphone, suddenly declaring Hungary’s claims to Transcarpathia. Well, yes, this is a small part of the 70% of lost territory. As I remember now, in the summer of 1998 we walked along the Carpathian ridge - the path wound between the border posts marked as Poland and Austria-Hungary. But the columns were installed a long time ago, and the deputy spoke now, shocking the rest of the European deputies.
What can I say, if there are two flags flying proudly over the Parliament building, solemnly guarded by sentries, on two giant flagpoles. Hungarian and mysterious like this:
As a flag connoisseur, I have long tried to understand what the mysterious Pacific territory of Nauru has to do with Hungary. Known for easily (for money) recognizing independence (for example, Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and signing agreements with them on mutually beneficial cooperation (I wonder how many Abkhazians have visited Nauru and vice versa). Then I realized that this was not Nauru. It turned out that this was the flag of the Székelys. That is, Hungarians living in Romania. They demand autonomy, but the Romanian government is pressing them. But the Hungarian supports it. Essentially, it’s as if, even before the annexation of Crimea, in Moscow, next to the Russian flag, the Crimean or Transnistrian flag was suddenly hung over the Kremlin. The political leader of Hungary, Viktor Orban, playing on nationalist sentiments, won the next election, right on that weekend (April 5-6) when we were visiting Hungary. This is how difficult this country is, in general.
Hungarian cuisine
Of course, this is one of the countries that deserves such a chapter in its description. For example, I can hardly imagine Swedish, Swiss, Dutch, Belgian cuisine. I don't feel like they've left a significant mark on world cooking. No, of course they left it, but the words “Swedish cuisine” don’t make your mouth water, even if you’ve dined at least a thousand times at Ikea. And at the mention of “Hungarian cuisine”, not only does the mouth water, but the stomach begins to growl, or vice versa, some incredible interest and anticipation are awakened. I would boldly put it on a par with the original and inimitable Georgian, Chinese, and Italian cuisines.
The hot pepper, paprika, quickly became a symbol of the cuisine, and at the same time simply of Hungary. Although there are plenty of symbols. There’s probably no need to photograph them; we were somehow more focused on consuming them. completely forgetting about the Instagram “if you didn’t take a photo, you didn’t eat.” Goulash, lecho, perkelt are all Hungarian words. I was amazed by the sausage there; I have never eaten such a delicious one anywhere else (it just melts in your mouth). Goose liver is consumed throughout Budapest. This is a strange delicacy, with a history almost like that of olives. The first acquaintance is that this is an incomprehensible disgusting thing, and then you gradually realize that it is incredibly tasty and please give me another piece. It is also prepared in an unusual way. Geese are stuffed with corn. They take a hose with the food mixture supplied and forcefully shove it down the throat of the goose, it overeats and its liver acquires especially delicate flavor aromas. Throughout civilized Europe, animal rights activists have already protected geese and banned goose liver from the menu. But Hungary continues to go its own way. Banning the production of goose liver there is the same as banning vodka in Russia or lard in Ukraine.
Just like in the film “The Grand Hotel Budapest,” the real Budapest also has its own Mandel, before whom everyone melts, from the tough bandits in prison to the guards guarding them. Only it is called Gundenl. In general, it seems to me that Mandel was a parody of Gundel))
Photowalk
Probably stop writing. Let's go for a walk. Budapest is Buda and Pest. Two different cities that once merged into one. Therefore, some tourist trip have to be divided. The first day, while still full of strength, we went to Buda. This is the mountainous (or rather hilly) right bank of the Danube. Here on one mountain is the Buda Fortress with the Royal Palace, on the other is the Franz Josef Citadel. We started with the Royal Palace.
Bird Turul. Very important for Hungarians. There are two main legends. First: Emese (mother of Almos, father of Arpod, considered the ancestor of the Hungarian kings) became pregnant in her sleep when this bird took possession of her. The second, more decent, although also sleepy, tells that the leader of the nomadic Hungarians dreamed that their horses were attacked by eagles. Then the Turul bird flew in and scattered the eagles, which was interpreted as a reason to continue wandering until the same bird showed the place where to stop. This is how the Great “Finding of the Motherland” happened. The stories do not contradict each other, so both probably happened.
Here, as everywhere else in the city, there are a lot of monuments. Both new and old.
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1. Istvan Bethlen. Prime Minister of Hungary 1921-1931. In 1945 he was captured by Soviet troops and died in Moscow in 1946
2. An unknown Hungarian partisan. Located between Eugene of Savoy and the Matthias Fountain
3. Austrian warrior Eugene of Savoy. He made a decisive contribution to the liberation of Hungarian lands from the Turks. It's funny that when the money allocated for the installation of the monument ran out, a philanthropist, Emperor Franz Joseph, came to the rescue. And he ordered the monument to stand in the place where the monument to Franz Joseph himself was planned.
4. Arch passage from the front facade to the courtyard of the palace. I had to hang around here for five minutes until finally “no one came.” However, the photo still turned out so-so.
And here is the Matthias Fountain itself. One of beautiful fountains Europe. It's a pity it just doesn't work. But they still throw coins.
The plot is based on a romantic ballad about the hunter, King Matthias, who met not only game in the forest, but also a beautiful peasant woman, Ilonka.
Another courtyard of the Palace
Monument next to the fountain. Less popular with tourists. I didn't even bother to ask "who is this?" The further we went, the less and less often the need arose to figure out who these wonderful Hungarians were. There are a lot of monuments, the history of the state is really eventful. An outstanding nation. It's really strange that with such rich history and for such people, their territory is a small Central European state. But everyone there is outstanding, no one wants to move up.
Corvinus Gate. As befits the Corwins - with a raven.
Changing of the Guard. A real show, which tourists from all over the castle came running to see at noon. In addition to the Moscow guard, the Stockholm guard also observed (also by accident) and now this one. In general, the Stockholm one was more fun, they did everything there with the drummer. But here they waved their rifles and bayonets so hard that it made your eyes dazzle. They waved coolly, almost like in a circus. It’s true that it’s unclear who in the modern army would be scared by this. But a tribute to tradition. Just like the chief of guard has sabers instead of rifles.
Shiklo means fanicular. The Hungarian language is incomparable!
Bas-relief with a strange antique sleigh or carriage
Since I wanted something unusual, we went to the Labyrinth. Of course it’s called something about Dracula, but of course it’s inferior to its Romanian counterparts. But it's beautiful.
Which pill do you need? Move? Red
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yellow or blue?
They let what is called dust in the eyes. It turned out cute and mystical.
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and there is also a throne there
1. Monument to Andras Hadik. People said about him that all hussars are hussars. He was promoted from an ordinary hussar to the marshal of the governor of Transylvania. Against his background, Petra also decided to hang out and straddled her dad.
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2. Matthias Cathedral. A special model for little ones (and also for the blind, everything is signed in Braille and you can touch it)
He really is very handsome. And then the chestnut trees bloomed. Are these chestnuts?
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The Fisherman's Bastion is also located there. One of the main symbols of the city (probably together with the parliament). Its seven towers correspond to the number of seven nomadic tribes that came to the territory of modern Hungary and settled here.
1. View from one of the towers to the other three
2. A dragon has as many teeth in its upper jaw as we have in both jaws...
Trabant on a city street. It even seems to be on the move. But at the same time he collects alms to pay for gasoline and operation. You can throw money through a narrow window slot, which is very convenient. From Fisherman's Bastion - classic and most popular look
on the Danube with Parliament Once again Parliament. Separate from people. The Hungarians always found and achieved something. Persistent people. In 896, the acquisition of the Motherland. “The homeland does not have its own home,” wrote the poet Vörösmarty in the 19th century (he also wrote the ballad on the basis of which the Matthias Fountain was created). The Turks were expelled at the end of the 17th century, and the legislative assembly met in Pozsony (Bratislava). And only from the end of the 19th, on the wave of the rise of national self-awareness, did they begin the construction of the Parliament in the capital. All are comfortable We were busy, so we chose the site of the city dump. It turned out very cool, both sublime and pompous. The height of the Parliament, like Matthias Cathedral, is 96 meters. This is in honor of the same year 896.
Continuation of the panorama down the Danube. It can be seen that all the buildings along the embankment are classical architectural styles, but there are “two false teeth” of new houses from the era of socialist architecture. These are the places where in 1945 Soviet tanks fought their way through the city to I think. Just through the city...
Parliament
We went to parliament on the third day. This is the holy of holies of the Hungarians. In fact, our friends recommended going there.Unlike the Kremlin, of course, it is not closed, but very tourist-friendly. But still there are many restrictions. And the officer constantly follows the group, urging on all those lagging behind.
Somewhere near the entrance is a model of Parliament, assembled of course from matches. 896 pieces of course!
Conference hall. This is an old hall, they are not allowed into the new one. But the old one will be more beautiful.
If you look closely, you can see two canvases about two key events in Hungarian history. The Assembly of People's Representatives in 1848 and the Coronation of Franz Joseph in 1867. Between them are the coats of arms of the royal dynasties that ruled Hungary. Arpads, Anjou (French), Hunyadi (again the ravens - Corvins), Jagiellons (Poles), Zapolyai (reminiscent of the Székely flag!) and the Habsburgs. Well, the coat of arms of the kingdom of Hungary itself (until the mid-19th century).
a typically Hungarian invention. There are breaks in meetings that turn into smoke breaks. They smoke expensive Havana cigars. There was no time to finish smoking during a smoke break; smoking is prohibited in the meeting room, so the cigar was left right on the windowsill. To avoid confusion, everyone has their own parking space.
View from parliament to the street
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2. This is a photograph of that central, tall and beautiful dome of the Parliament. View from below. I was carried away by Petra, who was there crawling along the red carpet and clearly intended to, if not steal some relic, then at least lick it. That’s why I didn’t hear the warning that you couldn’t take photographs. And I took a photo of the dome, I usually always start with the dome... Then both the tourists and the guide shushed me, and even the very officer who accompanies the group immediately appeared. I apologized, of course, and covered myself up. But they didn’t ask me to delete it, so I’ll probably even post it here secret photo. I don’t know what would have happened if I started photographing from the crown. It is right at the bottom center under the dome, behind glass, next to it there is a scepter and an orb, guarded by two guards. She has a very interesting, almost detective story of all sorts of burying, hiding, finds and traveling around the world (she even visited the USA after World War II). During one of the stages, the cross on it was bent by the impact of the lid of the chest where it was located. However, it was decided that the historical truth should remain true and it was not bent back.
The photo is not mine, I found it on the Internet. Apparently someone can still take pictures!
Mount Gellert
Quickly on excursion bus We reached Mount Gellert. It is named in honor of the holy martyr Gellert, who was thrown here into the waters of the Danube by the pagan Hungarians. Known since ancient times healing waters shooting out from under it and the not so ancient fortress of the Citadella, where the fortified garrison of the Austrian army was located. The place is the highest in the city, it is not surprising that it weighed down on the Hungarians and was a symbol of oppression. The Austrians abandoned it at the end of the 19th century, but an amazing thing: there was simply not enough money to demolish it to the ground. Therefore, it still existed in 1945, when the military post of the Nazis and Nilashists (these are Hungarian fascists during the Second World War) was not strengthened. Now there is a so-called bunker, or rather its remains with an exhibition wax figures. Despite the abundance of swastikas, the place is more likely just a museum than something fascist or anti-fascist. Because of my love for dungeons, I came here too, but it can hardly be called much more interesting than the Labyrinth on Buda Mountain.
Just the beginning of some kind of “Claustrophobia”
Objects are not just scattered on museum shelves, but arranged as they should be
Military archaeologists should like it
But I don't really care. It's just a matter of species. Panoramas of the Hungarian capital from the top of Gellert are perhaps the most comprehensive.
view of Buda Mountain
and the other way
The place, which was a symbol of oppression during the era of socialism, simply had to be embellished with a monumental statue of liberty. No worse and no better than our Workers and Peasants or the Motherland. To the warehouse in Memento Park They didn’t take me away - and that’s okay. Probably there wasn't enough money again.
Here she is. Back view. In fact, it hovers over the city. It is curious that instead of demolition, they simply removed all the inscriptions in Russian and corrected the inscriptions in Hungarian. It has a new meaning and there is no need to demolish the monument! Comfortable. The woman is holding a palm branch, but I have seen original souvenirs where she is holding paprika.
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2. Stained glass windows in the Gellert Baths
Budapest metro:
Photographers are so strange... What did he see there?? I also tried to film it later, but nothing good came of it...
A new, green line, already the fourth in the Budapest metro. It amazes with the scale of transitions and exits to the street.
While the oldest one is yellow, on the contrary. It captivates with its modesty, home-sized stations and trains of 4 small cars. It is the oldest metro in continental Europe. So old that there are no escalators and two different platforms (if you are in the wrong direction, cross the street).
Heroes Square at night. We lived on it. In theory, one could be upset that there is no this stunning view from the window, but on the other hand, it immediately became clear that our “windows into the courtyard” with the boring walls of neighboring buildings are an ideal option. It's very quiet, you can't hear cars from the street. Birds are singing! In the center of a large European capital It’s even hard to guess better. Mirage Fashion Hotel.
Heroes Square and the Hall of Arts in the evening
The second day we just walked leisurely with the stroller along Andrássy Avenue from Heroes Square to the center. There are several more streets running parallel to it, absolutely charming and surrounded by greenery (at least in spring).
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2. In the Center there is someone to compare bellies with
We went to some museum. East Asian art. The exhibition is apparently changing; now it is dedicated to Javanese theatrical masks collected by some Hungarian ethnographer about a hundred years ago. It was necessary to film the inside for some money, so I only filmed the outside. Secrets of the shadow theater. To the memories six months ago.
Just walk along the avenue and take pictures from left to right. Better yet, just stare and admire. Something like the first distant childhood visit to St. Petersburg. Well, yes, they are similar, only Budapest is different old part more, and the climate is better, which cannot but affect the condition of the buildings.
But the House of Terror is a memory of socialist times. There's a museum inside - we didn't go. There's apparently something about Solzhenitsyn in the museum
Even sitting on his dad's neck, Peter is no taller than the American actor-president Ronald Reagan
Glory to the liberators! Glory to heroes!
Remembering the terror of the 60s, Hungarians do not forget about the liberation in the 40s. The monument is not destroyed, but is in very good condition
swings right on the street. favorite entertainment. hung there for a long time. It’s also not easy to select one from two dozen photos.
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2. Just a grate on one of the houses
Just an arch with the entrance to the house. The impression of the city is formed from such endless “just...”
Monument to the Little Princess on the embankment.
The Budapest waterfront is somewhat of a disappointment. In the literal sense, there is no embankment. Along the Danube on both banks there is a highway, then tram lines, and then just some buildings and a walking area begin, which can be considered an embankment. To get to the river, or rather to the berths for pleasure boats, you have to cross it all through underground and overland passages.
Hotel Astoria in the Center, at the crossroads of two major avenues. And it turns out that no one needs the neighboring building in such a trump location. Only McDonald's on the ground floor. Everything above is empty. This is also one of the images of modern Budapest.
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This is another picture of Budapest:
In search of something unusual, I really wanted to go to the Rubik Museum. But it turned out that there is no such thing. Strange, two of the greatest Hungarians of our time: George Soros and Ernő Rubik. And there are no museums for either of them. Probably because both are still alive! However, they seem to write that the Rubik’s Museum will be built by 2018 and will collect not just Rubik’s Cubes, but all the achievements of Hungary as such.
For now I had to settle for a puzzle store. He is also not Rubikovsky (although he may be Rubikovsky, it’s just not indicated in the title). It seems to me that no... Located on the Oktogon metro station, at Eotvos 39
Inside, of course, there were a lot of Rubik's Cubes. For Petra we purchased 2v2v2. To be honest, I confused it and tried to collect it - so far without success. I took 3v3v3 for myself. I'm still afraid to touch it, although I knew how to assemble it at school... Then my eyes just ran wild. For something exotic, I also took a 4x4x4 cube as a souvenir. But I looked at the 5, 6, 7 and 8 sized cubes with horror and awe. God forbid you pick one up - you'll immediately confuse it. I asked if they gave out assembly instructions along with them. No, there are none, but they recommended watching YouTube. There is. The store also has a new one - Rubik's Ball. I asked about the Rubik's Tetrahedron, I once had an interesting toy in my childhood, and it was easier to assemble than a Cube. They must have had it, they rummaged around in the warehouse and, to their regret, didn’t find it. They proposed the Rubik's Dodecahedron. The thing looks awesome, but scary. I didn't buy it. I asked - it’s even more difficult to assemble the Cube. Even those cubes that are many upon many upon many. At least there are predictable methods of induction for collection.
Finally, we had time to run around the zoo before Petra fell asleep. Of course, going to the zoo is more interesting with a child. I would never go there myself.
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but I noticed a bird. she walked around without any restrictions and behaved interestingly. In general, there are very few restrictions for animals. For example, anyone can enter an enclosure with goats and alpacas. The only requirement is to close the gate behind you so that the animals do not scatter around the zoo.
Crocodiles swim in the same pool with catfish
Our favorite sight is of course the fish.
Then we fell asleep and came to giraffes, elephants and other things...
On the fourth day we didn’t take any pictures at all. That's how it happened. On the one hand, it’s a pity - the Széchenyi Baths were never included in the photo report, on the other hand, maybe it’s for the better - I don’t know when I would have been able to finish this post...
A trip to Budapest is a real gift for those who want to admire the beauty of an unfamiliar country, learn its history, explore the main interesting places, and also improve their health. In Hungary, near Budapest, there are unique baths with different types waters, here are located filled with life-giving moisture thermal springs. Therefore, many tourists strive to get to Hungary precisely because of the opportunity to improve their health and strengthen their body. What can we say about amazing nature this region.
When is the best time to go on holiday to Budapest?
Budapest has a temperate continental climate. This means that winter in this city is relatively short and quite mild, and summer is long and hot. Despite this, there are practically no extreme temperatures in this place either in summer or winter. It's hottest here in July. The absolute maximum temperature recorded was plus 40.7 degrees Celsius and the absolute minimum was minus 22.2 degrees. The average temperature in summer ranges from 17 to 28 degrees with a plus mark, in winter – 22-17 degrees with a minus mark. From this we can conclude that the temperature in Budapest is comfortable for residents of Russia.
Therefore, when is the best time to go to the capital of Hungary is everyone’s business. It all depends on what goals are being pursued. If these are excursions, then the time of year does not matter; if these are medical procedures, then it is better to come to Budapest for some of them in the summer, and for others in the winter. Hotels welcome tourists all year round.
Prices for tours to Budapest
Today there are many options for tours to Budapest. You can get there either by plane or by bus.
The cost of a bus tour is from 7.5 thousand rubles for 3-4 days. Of course, this is not very convenient. Therefore, if you value comfort, then it is better to choose an airplane flight. Especially if you are traveling to Europe with children. Although this, of course, will be more expensive. Price excursion tour by plane from Moscow to Budapest ranges from 25 thousand rubles per week (economy class) and above. The price of a medical tour differs and is about 30 thousand and above, depending on the chosen direction. There are also regular trains to Budapest.
Early booking is an excellent option for those who want to get into the city at a specific time, since there are many people interested and there may simply not be enough tickets for everyone on the desired day.
Types of recreation. What to do in Budapest?
Budapest – wonderful place for those who want to take care of their health, rejuvenate, improve the body's protective properties and the functioning of the thyroid gland. Also, a lot of tourists come to this city in order to see architectural monuments and view the most important sights of Hungary. It is not surprising that this city is always full of travelers, because it is the heart of Europe.
Budapest - indeed unique place, which combines the beauty of nature, ancient monuments architecture, interesting places and healing springs. All this makes this city truly unique and inimitable.
Popular here Bus tours with excursions. This could be a boat trip on the Danube with dinner or a visit interesting places. Here is the most beautiful Parliament in the whole world, the Main Square of the capital of Hungary - Heroes' Square, and not far away - fairytale castle Vajdahunyad, St. Stephen's Basilica, the unique Gothic Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, as well as the terraces of the Fisherman's Bastion and amazing beauty Royal Palace. Budapest is the perfect combination of nature and architecture, and there is a lot to admire.
Leisure
When you find yourself in Budapest, be sure to ride a tandem bike with your significant other. There are many points here where they rent this type of transport. And if you have children, it is better to take a bicycle with a special child seat and go to Margaret Island. Here you can play badminton, or just enjoy beautiful view, slowly turning the pedals. Here on the island, you can rent a bringo jinto (a car with pedals) and ride along the embankment.
For lovers thrills in Budapest there is such a form of entertainment as go-karting. This is the longest karting track in Budapest, with a length of 420 meters. Asking your significant other or a friend to take photos while you ride is a very positive thing.
Hospitals
After visiting Budapest, how can you not immerse yourself in the relaxation offered by the city’s numerous hospitals and baths? All of them are designed to be comfortable and pleasing to the eye. Some thermal springs boast temperatures of +77°C. And most importantly, here you can improve your health.
Sights of Budapest
As mentioned above, Budapest has a lot of attractions. Here are just a small part of them.
Buda Castle
This place is also called the Fortress District. Here you will find the Royal Palace, the Budapest History Museum, the Plague Column, the funicular and many other interesting buildings. The length of the Royal Palace is 300 meters. The building was damaged during World War II.
Andrássy Avenue
There are many buildings in the neo-Renaissance style on the avenue, in particular the Opera House. By the way, these objects are included in the list world heritage UNESCO.
Houses of Parliament
Perhaps this is the most beautiful and expensive building in the country. It occupies 18 thousand square meters. Thousands of people took part in the construction work, and 40 million bricks and 40 kilograms of gold were used.
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