Budapest

Budapest : Travel information before you go!

Discover the destination

The Danube River runs through Budapest and separates it into two parts: Buda is on one side and Pest on the other. The city is born of the union between these two sides and the ancient city of Obuda. Nicknamed the pearl of the Danube, Budapest offers its vistors a multitude of cultural activities with its numerous museums, theatres and two operas. The heights of Buda can be accessed by cable car. This allows you to view numerous historical sites, including the Royal Castle or the Gellert Mountain and its citadel. From the top of the mountain, you will not tire of the lovely view of the rooftops on the Pest side of the city and it is actually on this side that you will find the city centre, surrounded by lots of popular shopping streets.
As for architecture, you just have to look around you to realise that Budapest reunites an impressive number of architectural styles: from Neogothic to Art Nouveau, passing by the Baroque style. However, you must not forget that the Hungarian capital is also the city of thermal baths and its inhabitants regularly visit them in groups. More than 80 thermal springs have been listed here, which enables litre upon litre of curative water to be provided to 14 baths around the city.

pros

The many different styles of architecture in the city.
The thermal baths.

cons

It can be difficult to communicate with the local people, who don't always speak English.
The traffic on the roads at peak times.

Visit Budapest

To see

There are many places to see, such as the Royal Castle, on the Buda side, the Contemporary History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery, the History Museum, the National Library and the Mathias Church, which are all also on the Buda side of the city.

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To do

Spend an afternoon in the baths. The most well known are those of the Gellert Hotel, on the Buda side. There are many others though, including the Széchenyi baths or even the Kiraly baths.

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To think about

Created in 1997, the Budapest car aims to make a tourist's visit to Budapest a whole lot easier. It enables you to use all means of transport and to benefit from disounts on coach or boat journeys. It also gives you price reductions on certain folkloric and cultural programs and gains you entrance to certain baths, restaurants, shops, etc. All in all, it gives you access to 60 museums and several monuments.

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To avoid

If you want to go to the baths, avoid going barefoot as the floor is quite slippery, make sure you bring a pair of sandals with you. If you do forget them though, you can always buy them in the shops in town and sometimes even in the surrounding areas of the baths.

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To try

You must not leave without having tried the goulache, a beef and vegetable-based soup; csirkepaprikas (paprika chicken); but also hortobagyi palacsinta, (savoury or sweet pancakes).

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To bring back

The shopping street Vaci Ut boasts numerous shops where you will be able to find local culinary products such as paprika, which is often used in the Magyar cuisine. Embroidery is also a local product which makes a lovely souvenir to bring back with you, just like porcelain which can be found, notably, in Kigyo street.

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