Budapest

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Budapest Hungary

Budapest (pronounced Budapesht) is the capitol of Hungary, and the country's political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation hub. The official language spoken is Hungarian, only related to the Finnish language (both languages are in the Finno-Ugric language group).
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Budapest had 2,421,831 inhabitants in 2005, steadily rising (this number doesn't count the number of people commuting to Budapest for jobs and shopping). Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the joining of three cities, Buda and Obuda on the west bank of the river Danube, and Pest on the east bank of the river, on the 17th of November 1873. Budapest has various nicknames given to the city for its rare beauty and the heroic fight of its residents for freedom, exhibited by the examples of the revolutions in 1526 (against the Turkish invasion of the Osman Empire); 1848 (against Habsburg oppression), 1956 (against communist terror), and most recently, the role Hungary played in ending the era of communist oppression and Russian occupation, during which Hungary was (erroneously) referred to as a member of the Eastern Block. It was erroneous because Hungary lies directly smack dang in the middle of Central Europe (but the term "Eastern Block" was a military, strategic, and political expression, rather than a true geographic location). Some of the nicknames lovingly given to Budapest are: "Pearl of the Danube;" "Queen of the Danube;" "Heart of Europe;" "Capital of Freedom;"  the "Athens of the Eastern Block"and "Paris on the Danube." After the collapse of the communist regime in Hungary 1989 the country returned to its pre-WWII free-market economy and today its commercial / business life is more flourishing than ever. [In this picture you can see the Royal Palace of Buda, sitting atop the hill and overlooking the river Danube, for centuries. In the evening, the Palace is illuminated. Hotel Hilton Budapest is built in the palace territory, incorporating elements of chapel ruins from the middle ages].

Historical Overview of Budapest 

Budapest's recorded history, according to wikipedia, begins with the Roman town of Aquincum founded AD 89 on the site of a Celtic settlement Óbuda, and from 106 until the end of the 4th century the capital of the province of lower Pannonia. The word Pest(or Peshta) comes from the Bolgar language,(a Turkic language, not related to modern Bulgarian, which is a Slavic language) because at the time of the reign of the Bulgarian Khan Krum (796-814) the town was under Bulgar rulers. The area became home for the Avars later, and was occupied in 896 by the Magyars of Central Asia, the linguistic ancestors of today's Hungarians who founded the Kingdom of Hungary. Already a place of some significance, Pest recovered rapidly from its destruction by Mongol invaders in 1241, but it was Buda, the seat of a royal castle since 1247, which in 1361 became the capitol of Hungary.

Matthias Corvinus was 15 when he was elected King of Hungary. Matthias was educated in Italian, and his fascination with the Italian Renaissance led to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural influences in Hungary with the encouragement of his Italian wife Beatrice. His library the Bibliotheca Corviniana was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles, philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, second only in size to the Vatican Library. Matthias was also the most popular King of Hungary, ever.

The Ottoman Empire's conquest of most of Hungary in the 16th century interrupted the cities' growth: Buda and Pest fell to the invaders in 1541. While Buda remained the seat of a Turkish pasha, and administrative centre of a whole vilayet, Pest was largely derelict by the time of their recapture in 1686 by Austria's Habsburg rulers, who since 1526 had been Kings of Hungary despite their loss of most of the country.

It was Pest which enjoyed the faster growth rate in the 18th and 19th century and contributed the overwhelming majority of the cities' combined growth in the 19th century. Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. On 1 January 1950 Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22. At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.

Who are the Hungarians also known as Magyars? 

A nation that has been known from being related to Attila the Hun and as a people of high temper, hot red Paprika, Goulasch, Zigeuner Musik (Gipsy Music), beautiful women and quick horsemen (i.e., the Hussars) only, Hungary has so much more to offer than this false tourist romantic! One of the myths, that Hungarians are related to the Gypsies, is definitely not true. Gypsies live in almost all Central European and Western European countries, as well as in the Balkan countries; and the Hungarian people have nothing in common with them regarding their origin or culture. May be, they just understood how to market the Gypsy romantic like no other people around them understand? Hmmm. Hungarians are only related to the Finnish people, their language is not even similar to any other but the Finnish. Both languages are in the so-called Finno-Ugric language group. It is, however, true that the Hungarian nation has been historically friendly with minorities. Due to its rich soil, very pleasant climate and hospitality, some gypsies settled there permanently. Hungarians appreciate their music, which is just as much an exoticum for them as it would be for the visiting tourist, and mostly enjoyed in restaurants.

There is a lot of refined value embedded in the Hungarian culture that remains, even today, somewhat hidden to people from other cultures. This can be partly explained by the relative secludedness of the Hungarian language (there are about 11 million Hungarians living in Hungary, another approximately 4 million in other countries, the majority of them in Transylvania). Relying on (sometimes rather bad) translations of the cultural treasures of Hungarians, at best, helped deepen the biased and incorrect views about the Magyars. Those few who managed to defeat their prejudiced, misinformed and suspicious attitude towards Hungarians, and / or who learned to speak their language fluently, usually found them highly intelligent, kind and faithful in love and friendship alike; as well as generously giving, artistically talented and hard working, with a huge portion of intellectual humor! But, this must be the topic of another lens, at another time point. In Budapest, you'll find Fine Art Museums (yes, Degas, too!), Cafes (try Gerbaud first!), gorgeous historical buildings and luxury hotels, with some of the most beautiful views European capitols can offer. Good food, and music on a wide spectrum, from medieval to Liszt and to Gypsy serenade.

Budapest Hungary 

This youtube video was made by a German tourist

Budapest

The music, a remix of Mozart's Don Giovanni, is from a CD called "Mozart's Lounge." Photos of Budapest, Hungary.

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Budapest Panorama 

This picture shows the view from the top of Gellert Hill, overlooking the river Danube (known as Duna to Hungarians). The Chain Bridge (known as Lanc-hid in Hungarian) is close to the foot of that hill. In the distance, the Margaret Island is visible with its bridge Maragit Hid (= hid means bridge in Hungarian, and Margit is the Hungarian version of the surname Margaret).

Budapest Parliament House 

Also known as the House of the Country to Hungarians

Budapest Parliament represents one of the city's many architectural masterpieces. Its neo-Gothic main style and the river-side location makes it similar to London's Houses of Parliament. The architect, Imre Steindl mixed medieval features with national and his own style. The result is an eclectic classic. A Renaissance dome crowns a neo-Gothic facade, that lies on a Baroque base ground. The main cupola is decorated with statues of Hungarian kings. Fierce turul birds guard the main entrance. The interior decor is mainly neo-Gothic. The Parliament is 268 m long and 123 m wide accross the centre. It occupies 18.000 square metres on the surface and 473.000 cubic metres of space. About 50 five-story apartment blocks could fit into the Parliament, just to give you an idea about its vastness. Budapest Parliament is the third largest parliament in the world. At the time of its construction Hungary formed part of the Habsburg Empire, that stretched from the Tatra Mountains to the Adriatic Sea.

The Parliament has 691 rooms. The length of all the stairs together measures about 20 kilometres. The most impressive is the grand staircase. The building contains spacious halls. The central dome's height reaches 96 m. The building has 27 entrance gates. 90 statues and the coats-of-arms of various cities adorn the exterior. There are 152 statues and pictures of national fauna. The decorations needed about 40 kg 22-23 karat gold. Until the 19th century the Hungarian diet held its sessions in different parts of the county. In the Reform Era the idea of a "House of a Motherland" became more and more popular.

Constructions began in 1884 and lasted for two decades. It opened in 1902, altough it should have been finished by 1896 for the Milennium to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Hungary's foundation. Leaders of the country chose the Pest bank of the Danube as premise, to counterweight the Royal Palace rising high on the other side of the river. The architect, Imre Steindl got his inspirations for the design from London's Houses of Parliament. After World War II the diet became single-chambered and the government uses only a small portion of the building today. In the communist regime a red star perched on the top of the dome, that was removed in 1990. Mátyás Szurös declared the return of Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Kossuth Lajos tér on 23d October in 1989. The Hungarian parliament has 386 memebers who are elected every 4 years.

Inside the Parliament of Hungary 

Organised Tours in Budapest Parliament:

In English: tours start at 10 am, 12 am, 13 pm, 14 pm every day

The tour lasts about 50 minutes.

Tickets: 2.300 HUF for adults, 1.150 for students. You can pay in cash (in Hungarian forint) on the premises or with credit card.
Citizens of the European Union can visit the parliament free of charge. You have to prove your citizenship with an official document (passport).
The entrance is at gate X., you can collect your ticket here 15 minutes before the tour starts.

To avoid queing book your visit on telephone: +36 1 441 4904, +36 1 441 4415

On fax: +36 1 441 4801

In email: tourist.office@parlament.hu

Tip: Go for a classical guided tour with the Hungarikum Ship where, besides other landmarks of Budapest, you can go for a guided tour of the Parliament (includes viewing the Holy Crown of Hungary) after the cruise.

Besides sightseeing you'll be also acquainted with some of the products and their history Hungary is famous for worldwide (called Hungarikums).

Price with Parliament visit: 9600 HUF (approx. 38%u20AC)
Dates: Every day (except 20th of of August) at 10:30.

Budapest Hungarian Parliament Inside 

Concerts in Budapest Parliament

Dates in 2007:

* 9th February,
* 2nd March,
* 13rd April, 4th May,
* 1st June, 24th August,
* 14th September,
* 12nd October,
* 9th November,
* 14th December

The Hungarian Virtuoso Orchestra performs in the Dome Hall.

Tickets are available in major ticket offices for 5750 HUF that include a guided tour of the Parliament before the concerts.

Ticket Express: Budapest Jókai utca 40, 1061, Tel: +36 1 353 0692

Tour of the Parliament of Hungary 

The text is in Deutsch (German)

From this text we learn over 1,000.000 bulding blocks were used to create the Parliament building, and almost 50 kg (100 lbs) of gold for the decorations. The final architectural steps were completed in 1904. Imre Steindl, the highly talented, visionary Hungarian architect and designer of this colossus unfortunately never got to see the building in the completion phase, as he became gradually blind during the years of construction. Note: The text was not written by me, it is part of the youtube video; although I do understand German and will probably translate the entire text and put it in here, when I have time to do so. Much of the information presented here in German is elaborately explained above in various parts of the lens, in English.

Budapest, Parlament

a www.budapestinfo.hu filmje további infók: http://www.sulinet.hu/tart/fcikk/Kda/0/23321/1 Das Parlamentsgebäude, deutsch veraltet Reichstag (ungarisch: Országház; wörtlich: Landeshaus), ist Sitz des ungarischen Parlaments in Budapest. Das 268 Meter lange Gebäude, direkt am Donauufer gelegen, ist eines der Wahrzeichen Budapests. Als Vorbild diente der Palace of Westminster, Sitz des britischen Parlaments in London. Architekt des im neogotischen Stil errichteten Gebäudes war der Ungar Imre Steindl. Die Bauzeit verlief von 1885 bis 1904. 1873 vereinigten sich die drei Städte Buda, Pest und Óbuda zu Budapest. Sieben Jahre später beschloss man, ein neues und repräsentatives Parlamentsgebäude zu errichten, welches die Eigenständigkeit und Souveränität der Nation symbolisieren sollte. Bei der folgenden Ausschreibung gewann der ungarische Architekt Imre Steindl, wobei auch die Pläne der Zweit- und Drittplatzierten in Bauten wie dem Ethnographischen Museum und dem Landwirtschaftsministerium umgesetzt wurden. Mit dem Bau des Parlaments begann man 1885. Etwa 1000 Arbeiter waren die nächsten Jahre damit beschäftigt, über 40 Millionen Steine (darunter eine halbe Million Schmucksteine) für das Bauwerk aufeinander zu schichten. Des Weiteren wurden etwa 40 Kilogramm Gold verwendet. Eröffnet wurde das Gebäude 1896 zu den Milleniumsfeierlichkeiten, aber abgeschlossen werden konnten die Bauarbeiten erst im Jahre 1904. Tragisch für den Architekten Imre Steindl war allerdings, dass er sein Werk niemals selbst zu Gesicht bekam, da er vor der seiner Vollendung erblindete. Die Fassade des Parlaments besteht aus neogotischen Elementen, die ihre Charakteristik durch die zahlreichen Türme und Giebel bekommen. Das Parlament hat eine Länge von 286 und eine Breite von 123 Metern. Mit seiner Höhe von 96 Metern ist es neben der St. Stephans-Basilika das höchste Gebäude Budapests. Es besitzt 10 Innenhöfe, 13 Personen- und Lastenaufzüge, 27 Eingänge, 29 Treppenhäuser und 691 Räume (darunter mehr als 200 Räume für offizielle Anlässe und Empfänge). Das Innere des Gebäudes ist im historischen Klassizismus gehalten, was die außergewöhnlichen Fresken und Wandbilder, welche die Geschichte Ungarns darstellen, unterstreichen. Überall im Parlament sind reiche, in Gold gehaltene Verzierungen zu finden. Das Parlamentsgebäude besteht aus drei Bereichen. Mittig angeordnet ist der beeindruckende Kuppelsaal, in dem die Stephanskrone mit den Reichsinsignien aufbewahrt werden. Nördlich und südlich davon befinden sich die Sitzungssäle und Räume für repräsentative Zwecke, sowie knapp 700 weitere Räume. Dazu gehören auch die Amtszimmer des Präsidenten der Republik, des Ministerpräsidenten und der Nationalversammlung. Da die Sommer in Budapest relativ heiß werden können, erdachte sich der Architekt des Parlaments eine besondere Art von Klimaanlage. Man platzierte zwei Springbrunnen vor dem Gebäude, unter die man versteckte Öffnungen anbrachte. Diese Öffnungen dienten der Luftzufuhr und der Luftzirkulation. Dazu liefen Tunnel von den Brunnen bis in das Parlament und lieferten so die wassergekühlte Frischluft bis in die Sitzungssäle. Später wurden die Tunnel allerdings zugemauert. Einige dieser Luftkanäle werden auch heute noch genutzt, so werden an heißen Sommertagen hier große Mengen von Eis deponiert, um die Räume des Parlaments zu kühlen. Seit 1989 hat das ungarische Parlament hier seinen Sitz, aber auch der Staatspräsident und der Ministerpräsident haben hier ihre Arbeits- und Präsentationsräume. Der im mittleren Teil angeordnete Kuppelsaal, mit seiner 96 Meter hohen und mit neogotischen Motiven geschmückten Kuppel, dient heute vor allem zu repräsentativen Zwecken. In den Sitzungssälen, nördlich und südlich angrenzend an den Kuppelsaal, werden Konferenzen und Sitzungen der Nationalversammlung durchgeführt. Seit dem 1. Januar 2000 werden hier auch die Stephanskrone und die ungarischen Kronjuwelen aufbewahrt und durch die Kronwache mit ihren traditionellen Uniformen bewacht. Viele Ungarn nutzten seitdem die Gelegenheit, die wichtigsten Symbole der Nation in Form des Szepters und des Reichsapfels zu besichtigen. Gruppenführungen werden in verschiedenen Sprachen durchgeführt. (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlament_Budapest)

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Budapest Hungary Hungarian State Opera House 

Magyar Allami Operahaz

In this long video you will see the interior of the Hungarian State Opera House, walk the staircases, indulge in the rich carvings, sculptures, frescos and ballustrades, while listening to a variety of famous arias from operas. The building also gives a home to various ballet performances with famous ballerinas from all over the world (and the Hungarian ballerinas and their male counterparts are good too!). Only the first few seconds of this video are narrated, and the speaker is speaking Hungarian. If you listen to the language carefully, you will hear how distinctly different this language is from all slavic languages spoken in countries around Hungary. The Hungarian language, just like its sibling, the Finnish language, is full of so-called closed "e" [ae] sounds. After the first few seconds of narration, the music takes over. The translation for the last piece of music heard in the film (entitled Hazam, Hazam Te Mindenem {= My Homeland, my Homeland, My Everything} is from the Hungarian opera Hunyadi Laszlo (or, in English, Laszlo Hunyadi, because in Hungarian the Christian name comes after the family name); Hunyadi being the family name of a royal dynasty which gave Hungary many kings, the most famous of them being Matthias Corvinus Rex (had at one time the largest collection of illuminated manuscripts known as Codexes in his Bbliotheca Corviniana). The song says, "Arany mezok, ezust folyok, hos vertol azottak, konnytol aradok," meaning "Golden meadows, silver rivers, soaked in heroic blood, flooded by tears." It is a beautiful historically themed opera, and often displayed not just in the Opera House in Budapest, but in open-air summer festivals for classical music held on the Margaret Island (in the middle of the Danube river, between Buda and Pest) and in southern Hungary, at the Szeged Summer Festival and Opera Days. Szeged is a famous, beautiful town close to the Kroatian border, on the river Tisza (known as Theiss to Germans), and it is this town that gave the world the Pick and Hertz Salami brands, made after much guarded century old recipe.

Hungarian State Opera Budapest

Hungarian State Opera Budapest

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Budapest Hungary Video 

Magyarország

I made this video for the Kisfaludy Napok competition in Györ. The judges couldn´t cathegorize the video, so it didn´t take part in the competition. The song´s title is Magyarország and the video is about Budapest, the Hungarian capital. It contains parts of Trinity Blood, an anime, and some pictures of Budapest. Tell me what you think about it. I hope you will enjoy it.

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Budapest Fine Arts Museum, National Gallery and Heros' Square 

Hősök tere, Budapest

Heroe's square, Budapest Heldenplatz, Budapest www.budapestinfo.hu filmje Heroes' Square (Hősök tere in Hungarian) is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary. It lies at the end of Andrássy Avenue (with which it comprises part of the World Heritage), next to City Park. It is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or Art Exhibition Museum) on the right. On the other side it faces Andrassy Avenue which has two buildings looking at the square — one is residential and the other one is the embassy of Serbia (former Yugoslavian embassy where Imre Nagy secured sanctuary in 1956). The central site of the square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial (also known as Millennium Monument or Millenary Monument) with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history (see below). The construction of the memorial was started when the one thousandth anniversary was celebrated (in 1896), but it was finished only in 1929 and the square got its name then. On the 16th June 1989 a crowd of 250,000 gathered at the square for the historic reburial of Imre Nagy, who had been executed in June 1958. It is also a station of the yellow M1 (Millennium Underground) line of the Budapest Metro. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes%27_Square_%28Budapest%29) Der Heldenplatz (ungarisch: Hősök tere) in der ungarischen Hauptstadt Budapest besteht aus dem Millenniums- und dem Heldendenkmal, umgeben von der Kolonnade. Zu finden ist der Platz im Stadtteil Pest in der Nähe des Westbahnhofs. Dort markiert er den Beginn der Andrássy út und ist das Tor zum Stadtwäldchen (Városliget), welches sich mit seinen Alleen direkt hinter dem Platz erstreckt. Zur Rechten und Linken säumen Kunstmuseen den Heldenplatz. Während der Millenniumsfeierlichkeiten 1896 anlässlich des 1000-jährigen Jubiläums der magyarischen Landnahme des Karpatenbeckens beschloss das Parlament, den Helden der ungarischen Geschichte ein Denkmal zu errichten. Mit der Umsetzung des Millenniumsdenkmals wurden der Architekt Albert Schickedanz und der Bildhauer György Zala beauftragt. Schickedanz entwarf zudem auch die beiden Museumsbauten, welche den Platz zu beiden Seiten flankieren. 1929, also 30 Jahre nach Baubeginn, fanden die Bauarbeiten um den Heldenplatz schließlich ihr Ende. Immer wieder war der Heldenplatz über die Jahre Bühne für einschneidende Ereignisse in der ungarischen Geschichte. So zertrümmerten die Ungarn während der Revolution 1918-19, als Zeichen des Bruches mit den Habsburgern das Bildnis Kaiser Franz Josephs und legten den gesamten Platz mit roten Draperien aus. Außerdem ersetzten sie die Statuen von Árpád durch eine Statue von Mary und einem Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Monument. Nach 1945 war der Heldenplatz wiederholt Schauplatz politischer Kundgebungen. So unter anderem 1989, als Imre Nagy und seine damaligen Mitstreiter in einem feierlichen Staatsakt rehabilitiert wurden. Das Millenniumsdenkmal (ungarisch: Millenniumi emlékmű) steht in der Mitte des Platzes und erinnert an die Helden der ungarischen Geschichte. Das von Albert Schickedanz und György Zala geschaffene Monument, dessen Errichtung das Parlament während der Millenniumsfeierlichkeiten 1896 beschlossen hatte, wurde 1929 fertiggestellt. In der Mitte erhebt sich eine 36 Meter hohe Säule, die eine etwa fünf Meter große Figur des Erzengels Gabriel trägt. Dieser hält in einer Hand die ungarische Krone, in der anderen das apostolische Doppelkreuz. So soll er dem ersten ungarischen König Stephan I. im Traum erschienen sein, in dem er ihm befahl, die damals noch heidnischen Magyaren zum Christentum zu bekehren. Zu Füßen der Säule findet man die Reiterstatuen von Fürst Árpád und sechs weiteren Stammesfürsten aus der Zeit der Landnahme. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heldenplatz_(Budapest)

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Budapest Video Boat Hotel Lisa 

This film was made by a Swiss tourist in Budapest, who was not so much interested in the general sight seeing tours, although included a few scenic shots of the Chain Bridge (Ketten Bruecke in German, or Lanc Hid in Hungarian) along with a shot of the Royal Palace and the tunnel that is at the end of the Chain Bridge on the Buda side. He rang the doorbell for the chief of the bridge maintenance services who happens to live in the tunnel, but nobody answered. Why would he (he needs to work during the day, and his family probably got tired of answering the door bell 24/7). However, this tourist found a different kind of tourist attraction, a Boat Hotel anchored just a few miles outside of the high traffic city center, called Lisa. Although simple in its furnishing, the house boat hotel is equipped with all amenities for the avid water lover and fisherman. Adjoining the Boat Hotel Lisa is a restaurant boat, that caters to the culinary needs of its visitors, serving fresh fish caught from the Donau and elsewhere in the country.

Budapest: Brückenwärter und Hausboot-Hotel

Ein Brückenwärter, der in einem Tunnel wohnt und ein Hausboot-Hotel. http://www.flugvlog.com

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Szentendre near Budapest An Artist town on the Danube River 

While visiting Budapest, you can also take excursions to the its surroundings. This adorable Artistic community in Hungary with its hundreds of carefully restored, colorful old buildings, galleries, restaurants etc. is located about 20 miles outside of the Hungarian capitol Budapest, nestled among the hills of Buda. The town is on the bank of the Danube river, in Hungarian known as the Duna. Originally, in ancient times the settlement was created by traveling Serbian and Greek shipmen and clerics. Gradually, however, the town became a much enjoyed summer retreat for the Budapest elite society and Artists, who found the calm, slower pace of living and the beauty of the landscape irresistible. Many Artists have / had their studios overlooking the red tiled roofs in the higher lying areas. Annually, over 500,000 tourists from all over the World visit Szentendre (meaning Saint Andrew). If you visit there, you need good walking shoes because of the many narrow stairways and hilly layout of the town, much resembling Dalmatian coastal architecture alongside the Adriatic sea. You will find lots of great Art galleries (I recommend the Gallery of Art for Margit Kovacs first), hand made pottery, jewelry, embroidered linen ware and lots of exciting, old items for sale. Your culinary needs will be more than satisfied by the excellent Hungarian cuisine offered in neat restaurants, many of them having an internal court yard with lots of flowers and comfortable tables and chairs. Like most Hungarians, there is a fat chance that your waitress speaks at least two other languages fluently (often, these are German and English, but not rarely, Spanish or French, as well). Discover Art in Hungary in a pleasant way, by first hand experience!

Szentendre, Hungary

Szentendre, Hungary

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Budapest Hotels with Breathtaking Views 

Below, please find a selection of hotels in Budapest, Hungary with some of the most beautiful views the hotelier industry can offer!

A Selection of Fine Budapest Hotels For a Variety of Budgets 

Throughout the world, Budapest is referred to as the "Paris of the East". This is no surprise, given the exceptional beauty of this great city! And fortunately, tourists who visit Budapest agree. Budapest is a romantic city with a wealth of historical and architectural monuments, breath taking views, hospitality, and one of the lowest crime rates in entire Europe! Some of the hotels with exceptional views are listed here:
art'otel Budapest
art'otel Budapest - Art Hotel Budapest - In the city centre, on the banks of the River Danube, equally 10-minute walk from the world-heritage-site Buda Castle and the downtown pedestrian shopping area.
Hotel Helia Budapest: Danubius Thermal & Conference Hotel
New, centrally located superior first class, conference, business, fitness and spa hotel on Pest embankment of the river Danube, opposite Margaret Island.
Hotel Papillon Budapest : Cheap hotel in Budapest
Hotel Papillon is located in the most beautiful, peaceful and calm area, the exqusite residential district known as the Rozsadomb (= Hungarian for Rose Mound or Rose Hill), only a few minutes from the heart of the city and just 10 minutes away by foot from the Buda Castle.
Hotel Korda Villa Budapest
This classical style building is situated in the exclusive green belt of Budapest. There is clean air and a beautiful garden that surrounds the building. The downtown can be reached in 15 minutes by car, 30 minutes with public transportation.
Hotel Gellert Budapest
Danubius Hotel Gellert Budapest is a typical spa hotel from 1918 (Gellert Hotel Budapest Spa). It offers all the comfort of a city center hotel and a health spa hotel in one building.
Danubius Thermal Hotel Margitsziget Budapest
The newly renovated nine-story spa hotel - built in 1979 - is centrally located, in the picturesque surroundings of the Margaret Island, yet far from the noise of the metropolis Budapest.
Sofitel Atrium Budapest (Formerly Hyatt Regency) - Five Star Budapest Hotels
Budapest Hyatt Regency Hotel

Located in downtown Pest and near to Váci utca, the Sofitel Atrium - formerly the Regency Hyatt - is among the 'group of three' luxury hotels on the Dunakorzó (Danube Promenade). Comprising of 351 guest rooms, including 144 non-smoking rooms and 54 suites, each come equipped with air-conditioning, mini-bar, safe deposit, radio, colour TV (with pay channels), voice mail, high-speed transmission line and hair dryer.

The Sofitel also features an executive floor, fully equipped fitness center and indoor swimming pool, along with the following restaurants and bar:

Bridge Bar - elegantly decorated and adorned with art and decor celebrating the great bridges of the world, it offers a sweeping view of the Danube and the famous Chain Bridge. Live piano music every night adds to the atmosphere of luxury.

Palm Café - the Palm Café offers a selection of rich dessert specialities, fresh home-baked pastries and coffee specialities.

Atrium Terrace - offers innovative and delicious menus and buffets inspired by both traditional Hungarian and international favourites. It offers breakfast, buffet, lunches and dinner up to 160 persons.

Focaccia - the Focaccia restaurant serves sunny Mediterranean dishes and is renowned for its wood-burning oven. Flavoursome South-French, Italian and Spanish delicacies in a real Mediterranean atmosphere.
Hotel Hilton Budapest
Stay at the Hilton Budapest hotel, in the Castle district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasting attractions like Fisherman's Bastion and one of the last, truly beautiful Gothic / Neo-Gothic churches of Europe, the Matthias Church where kings of Hungary received their crown! The hotel offers great Danube views and is 20 minutes from the city center of Pest. Work out in the exercise room, relax in the sauna or indulge in a massage.

Enjoy fresh lobster and Hungarian dishes in the Hilton Budapest hotel's Dominican Restaurant, view the onsite medieval remains from the Lobby Bar or sample local wines in the historic Faust Wine Cellar. The Hilton Budapest hotel has 21 meeting rooms for 4-650, an Executive Lounge, a 24-hour business center and wireless internet access in all guest rooms and public spaces.

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Frommer's Budapest & the Best of Hungary (Frommer's Complete)

The cover photo shows part of the elaborate indoor / outdoor swimming pool and spa system in Hotel Gellert, one of the luxury hotels built on the bank of the river Danube. Sauna, massage, complete beautician treatment, workout room, outdoor wave pool with artificially generated huge waves to please its visitors combined with excellent cuisine, beautiful views and polite service in magical, century old building that is in a top notch shape.

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The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague

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Pocket Map and Guide Budapest (Eyewitness Pocket Map & Guide)

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Knopf Guide: Budapest (Knopf Guides)

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Budapest on Amazon 

Budapest (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)

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Top 10 Budapest (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)

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Budapest and Hungary Travel Map (Globetrotter Travel Map)

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Hungary on Amazon 

Elisabeth: The Princess Bride, Austria-Hungary, 1853 (The Royal Diaries)

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Hungary (Country Guide)

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The Hungarian Cookbook

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Hungarian Stuff on Amazon 

Teach Yourself Hungarian Complete Course Audiopack

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Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden Hungary 

With more than 700 animal species and 2000 different types of plants, one of the world's oldest zoos offers perfect relaxing fun for individuals or the entire family.

Transportation: The Budapest Zoo and Botanical garden is located in Budapest's XIV. district at the edge of Városliget (City Park) on Állatkerti körút (Zoo Boulevard) 6-12. By mass transit, the fastest way to get to the zoo would be with the millennium underground (M1, yellow metro line), via trolley busses 72, 75, 79, or by buses 4, 20, or 30.

The Zoo opened on August 9th, 1866. During the first few decades it was mainly home to creatures of the Carpathian Basin, but there were a few real specialties such as Empress Elizabeth's gift, a giraffe. Franz Joseph offered 35 animals to the Budapest Zoo from Schönbrunn, Austria. The nine different monkeys and the colorful parrots were also much adored. In 1873 Károly Serák became the director, and remained director for 30-years. In commemoration for the country's millennium celebration 1896, starting in 1890 they began to acquire new, fascinating creatures like the Nile hippo or the rhinos of Sumatra. Visitors were also treated with chimps, orangutans, sea lions, anteaters, the white-tailed gnu, elephant species, and bears. In 1896, the city decided to raise the rent, which the institution could not afford. In 1907 the zoo entered bankruptcy while its parent company Zoo and Botanical Group was dismantled. The city eventually purchased the zoo. Since 1990s Miklós Persányi is the director, and the zoo underwent major reconstruction and an expansion under his leadership.

Most of the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden's buildings are considered to be historical monuments and the recent reconstruction has restored them to their original beauty in the Romantic style. The Main Gate is decorated with elephants. The Elephant House, the Small and Big Cliff, the Palm House, the Monkey House, the Pheasant Preserve, the Deer House, the Rodent House, the Bird House, and the Bambi-house were added gradually. The Aquarium uses the latest technology to display 150 species. Colorful corals are also presented in the 150 thousand liter tank. For an unmatched tropical atmosphere visit the Palm House and its neighbor, the wax museum, showcasing the unique reptiles, dinosaurs, and giant ice-age creatures of ancient times.

Budapest Zoo on YouTube 

Video film made by pamacs51

In this video, you can see some of the inhabitants of the Zoo Park in Budapest, Hungary.

Zoo Budapest Hungary

Budapesti Állatkert

Runtime: 350
6147 views
3 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Cafe House Gerbaud Budapest Hungary 

After a day of sightseeing or soaking in a mineral spa, do as Budapesters do and enjoy a cup of strong espresso coffee and sweet cakes in an old, beautifully maintained café house with crystal chandeliers, antique furniture, guild decorations and heavy velvet curtains. There were more than 400 coffeehouses in Budapest at the turn of the century, attracting everyone from soldiers and aristocrats to poets and actors, and some of the best are still in business today. One such example is the Cafe Gerbaud.

The most famous of Budapest's 'old style' coffee houses, the Gerbeaud has been in the business of creating mouth-watering cakes and pastries for over 140 years.

Originally established by the famous Swiss confectioner Emil Gerbeaud, the interior of this turn-of-the-20th-century building creates a wonderfully lavish setting. this is one café where indulging one's sweet tooth is elevated to an Art form. For here you'll find the finest range of pastries in the city, and in Europe if you like. Emile Gerbaud invented the Hungarian specialty known as Konyakos Meggy, dark chocolate with a cognac-soaked sour cherry in the center (similar to its successor Mon Cheri). Gerbaud is always busy, so Good luck finding a spot! Next door, the new Gerbeaud restaurant promises to offer culinary delights to the same high standard.

V. Vörösmarty tér 7, Tel: 429 9000, Website: www.gerbeaud.hu, Open: 9am 9pm daily, Metro: M1 Vörösmarty tér

Cafe House New York Budapest Hungary 

Café House New York operates in a 19th century Art Nouveau townhouse of palatial proportions. The café's opulent interiors and literary associations have endowed it with near mythical status. Like other cafés, it was originally popular with writers for purely practical reasons: it offered a warm refuge from cold rented rooms that they could scarcely afford - and paper and ink were gratis. Though today you're likelier to rub shoulders with fellow tourists rather than struggling scribes, the New York still counts editors of literary magazines among its habitués.

Comparison: more expensive than average
Directions: On Grand Circle Boulevard, near Blaha Lujza ter. Accessible by metro M2, trams 4 6 28 37 37A, buses 7 7A 7exp 78 99 173exp (Blaha L. ter) and trolley-bus 74 (Erzsebet krt.).

Restaurant Gundel Budapest Hungary 

According to Frommer's Guide for Budapest Hungary:
"Budapest's fanciest and most famous restaurant, Gundel was reopened in 1992 under the auspices of the well-known restaurateur George Lang, owner of New York's Café des Artistes. The Hungarian-born Lang, author of The Cuisine of Hungary, and his partner Ronald Lauder, son of Estée Lauder and a one-time New York gubernatorial candidate, spared no effort in attempting to re-create the original splendor for which Gundel, founded in 1894, achieved its international reputation. Located in the City Park of Budapest in Hungary (where the Zoo Park and the Amusement Park are also to be found, along with a lake and a replica of Hunyad Castle), Gundel Restaurant has an opulent dining room adorned with 19th-century paintings and a large, magnificent floral centerpiece. The kitchen prides itself on preparing traditional dishes in an innovative fashion. Lamb and wild-game entrees are house specialties. Gundel is also a place to be seen, and it is a very serious tradition in Budapest: many notable characters or dignitaries make a point of having at least one meal in Gundel's when visiting the Hungarian capitol."

Allatkerti ut 2
Budapest 1146 Hungary
+36 1 468 4040
info@gundel.hu
Open Hoursnoon-4p , 6:30p-midnight daily
http://www.gundel.hu

Matyas Pince or King Matthias Cellar Restaurant Budapest Hungary 

Dedicated to the famous ad beloved 15th century Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus Rex Hungarorum, the Matyas Cellar (also referred to as Matyas Basement in some English texts) which is actually a very exclusive restaurant with excellent food and service is located close to the bank of the Danube river on the Pest side of Budapest.

The restaurant is in the same building as Matyas Hotel. The hotel is situated in the middle of downtown, at the Erzsebet hid (Elizabeth Bridge), in the business, financial, commercial district, near the main shopping pedestrian area of Vaci Street. Points of interest with local attractions are also within easy reach. The hotel with its famous Matyas Pince restaurant is a suitable destination, particularly for individual leisure travelers and businessmen seeking moderate first class facilities in the heart of the city. Upon arrival at the Budapest, Ferihegy Airport Terminal 1,2, airport transfer tickets need to be purchased at the LRI Minibus desk in the lounge.

City Matyas Hotel
Marcius 15 Ter 7-8
Budapest, 1056
Hungary
Book Online or Call 1-877-477-5817

Red Stagecoach or Voros Postakocsi Budapest Restaurant Hungary 

Budapest restaurant with folk music and authentic cuisine. Anyone looking for down to the basics Hungarian culinary experience shouldn't pass it by! The restaurant is located in Raday utca on the Pest side of the city.

Since 1970 it has housed the Voros Postakocsi where a mixture of traditional and modern Hungarian dishes are served. Traditionally heavy dishes are rendered light, courtesy of organic meat, dairy products and vegetables. The menu offers several game and vegetarian options. The restaurant's wide selection of modern Hungarian wines is a treat for all.

In 2005 the Hungarian and European Catering Association rewarded the restaurant with " Vednoki Tabla". That means that these two organizations take responsibility for quality assurance in the restaurant and guarantee the quality of the meals and high level of service to their guests.

One of the specifics of interior design is that the walls are lined with book shelves so the waiting patrons can satisfy some cognitive needs while everything is set in motion to satisfy their culinary needs behind the revolving doors of the kitchen.

Budapest IX. Ráday u. 15., tel. (+36-1) 217 6756.
Open 11:30-24:00

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