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BUDAPEST INFORMATION
THE HISTORY OF BUDAPEST
As early as the Palaeolithic era, there were
settlements in the area of Budapest: the narrowing of the Danube made
the crossing of the river easy at this particular spot.
In around AD 100, the Romans established the town of Aquincum here. Their
rule lasted until the early 5th century AD, when the region fell to Attila
the Hun. It was subsequently ruled by the Goths, the Longobards and, for
nearly 300 years, by the Avars. The ancestors of modern Hungarians, the
Magyars, migrated from the Urals and arrived in the Budapest region in
896. They were led by Prince Árpád, Huny, whose dynasty ruled until the
13th century. At the turn of the first millennium, St. István, whose heathen
name was Vajk, accepted Christianity for the Hungarians. As their first
crowned king, István I also laid the basis of the modern Hungarian state.
It was Béla IV who, in 1247, after the Mongol invasion, moved the capital
to Buda. Much of the expansion of Buda took place under kings from the
dynasty of the Angevins. Buda reached a zenith during the reign of Mátyás
Corvinus in the 15th century, but further development was hindered by
the advancing Turks, who took the region and ruled Buda for 150 years.
Liberation by the Christian armies resulted in the
submission of the country as a whole to the Habsburgs. They suppressed
all nationalist rebellions, but at the same time took care of economic
development. Empress Maria Theresa and Archduke Joseph, the emperor's
governor, made particular contributions to the modernization of both Buda
and Pest.
Yet, the slow pace of reforms led to an uprising in 1848, which was brutally
crushed by Franz Joseph I. Compromise in 1867 and the creation of ah Austro-Hungarian
Empire stimulated economic and cultural life once more. Soon after, in
1873, Buda and Pest were united to create the city of Budapest. Following
World War I, the monarchy fell and Hungary lost two thirds of its territory
.The desire to regain this contributed to its support of Germany in World
War II. However, Budapest was taken by Russian troops in 1945 and large
sections of it levelled. Under the subsequent Communist rule, the popular
uprising of 1956 was ruthlessly suppressed by Soviet tanks but, it initiated
a crisis that shook the regime. Free elections took place in 1990, resulting
in the victory of the democratic opposition, and the emergence of a new
bourgeoisie.
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GEOGRAPHY
Budapest lies in the north-central part of Hungary,
some 250km south-east of Vienna. It is by far Hungary's largest city and
has for its borders Csepel Island in the Danube River to the south, the
Danube Bend to the north (24km), the Buda Hills to the west and the start
of the Great Plain to the east (29km).
The focal point is the Danube River, which divides the city into two quite
distinct halves: Buda, mostly residential and built on the hills and high
river terraces of the western side, and commercial Pest on a large, sandy
plain across to the east. It is a large, sprawling city measuring 525
sq km and, with few exceptions (eg. Buda Hills, City Park, some excursions),
the areas beyond the Nagykörút (literally the 'Big Ring Road') in Pest
and west of Moszkva tér in Buda are residential or industrial and of little
interest to visitors. Budapest is a well laid-out city in which it is
almost difficult to get lost. It is divided into 23 kerület, or districts,
which usually have traditional names like Lipótváros (Leopold Town) or
Viziváros (Watertown).
National Regions Although Hungary is divided into 19
administrative counties (megye), these will mean little to outsiders.
But it will be helpful to at least know the names of the eight main regions:
Budapest and its environs; the Danube Bend to the north; Western Transdanubia
to the west and north-west; Lake Balaton and Central Transdanubia to the
south-west; Southern Transdanubia to the south and south-west; the Great
Plain to the east and south-east; the Northern Uplands to the north and
north-east; and the North-East itself.
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CLIMATE
Budapest has a temperate, transitional climate -somewhere
between the mild, rainy weather of Transdanubia protected by the Alps
to the west and the harsh, variable climate of the flat and open Great
Plain to the east. Spring arrives early in April in Budapest and usually
ends in showers. Summer can be very hot and humid. It rains for most of
November and doesn't usually get cold until mid-December. Winter is relatively
short, often cloudy and damp but sometimes brilliantly sunny. What little
snow the city gets usually disappears after a few days.
January is the coldest month (with temperatures between -4° and O°C) and
July the hottest (18° to 23°C). The number of hours of sunshine a year
averages about 2000 - among the highest in Europe; from April to the end
of September, you can expect the sun to shine for about 10 hours a day.
Mean annual precipitation is about 600mm. The climate chart on this page
shows you what to expect and when to expect it. For information on weather
conditions in Budapest, ring the national weather fore- cast service from
8 am to 8 pm daily on ~ 212 2070 or mobile ~ 06-90 304 621. You can also
check out their web site at www.met.hu.
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POPULATION & PEOPLE
With almost two million inhabitants, Budapest is home
to about 20% of Hungary's total population. Most are Magyars, people of
obscure origins who do not speak an Indo-European language and make up
the vast majority of Hungary's 10.1 million people. Another five million
Magyars live outside the national borders, notably the estimated two million
in Transylvania (now Romania), who constitute the largest ethnic minority
in Europe. There are 600,000 in Slovakia, 650,000 in Yugoslavia and Croatia
and 200,000 in Ukraine.
No exact breakdown exists but the ethnic make-up in the capital reflects
the national one. Magyars constitute more than 97% of the population while
non-Magyar minorities making their home here include Roma ( 1.5% to 2.5%
of the population), Germans (0.3%), Romanians (0.25%), Slovaks (0.1 %)
and Croatians and Serbs (0.1 %).
The origins of the Gypsies (Hungarian: cigány), who
call themselves the Roma (singular. Rom) and speak Romany, a language
closely related to several tongues still spoken in northern India, remain
a mystery. It is generally accepted, however, that they began migrating
to Persia from India sometime in the 1Oth century and had reached the
Balkans by the 14th century. They have been in Hungary for at least 500
years, and their numbers today are estimated at anywhere between 150,000
and 250,000 people.
Though traditionally a travelling people, in modern times the Roma have
by and large settled down in Hungary and work as smiths and tinkers, livestock
and horse traders and as musicians (see Music & Dance under Arts in
this chapter). As a group, however, they are chronically underemployed
and have been the hardest hit by economic recession. statistically, Roma
families are twice the size of gadje, or non-Roma, ones.
Unsettled people have always been persecuted in one form or another by
those who stay put and Hungarian Roma are no exception. They are widely
despised and remain the scapegoats for everything that goes wrong, from
the rise in petty theft and prostitution to the loss of jobs. Though their
rights are inscribed in the 1989 constitution along with other ethnic
minorities, their housing ranks among the worst in the nation, they fear
a revival of right-wing nationalism. You will probably be shocked at what
even educated, well- travelled Budapesters say about Roma and their way
of life.
Life expectancy in Hungary is relatively low by European
standards: 68 years for men, 75 for women. The nation also has one of
Europe's lowest rates of natural population increase: -3.2 per 1000 population.
Sadly, it also claims the dubious distinction of having the highest suicide
rate in the world.
Psychologists are still out to lunch on why Hungary
should have Europe's highest suicide rate -38.6 per 100,000 people. Some
say that the Magyar propensity for gloom leads to the ultimate act of
despair. Others link it to a phenomenon not uncommon late in the 19th
century. As the Hungarian aristocracy withered away, the kisnemesség (lower
nobility -some of them no better off than the local peasantry) would do
themselves in to 'save their name and honour'. As a result, suicide was
-and is -not looked upon dishonourably here. The church allows victims
to be buried in hallowed ground and the euphemistic sentence used in obituaries
is: 'Kovács János died suddenly and tragically.' About 60% of suicides
are by hanging.
And, who, you may ask, comes next in the suicide sweepstakes? Believe
it or not, it's the Finns, the Magyars' closest linguistic cousins, who
rank second with 26.6 suicide deaths per 100,000. Forget genes; apparently
we're all tied by tongues.
The population density of Budapest 3549 people per
sq km against a national average of 109 per sq km.
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RELIGION
Throughout history, religion in Hungary has often been
a question of expediency. Under King Stephen, Catholicism won the battle
for dominance over Orthodoxy and, while the majority of Hungarians were
quite happily Protestants by the end of the 16th century, many donned
a new mantle during the Counter-Reformation under the Habsburgs.
As a result of all this, Hungarians tend to have a more pragmatic approach
to religion than most of their neighbours, and almost none of the bigotry
. It has even been maybe suggested that this generally sceptical view
of, matters of faith has led to Hungarians' high rate of success in science
and mathematics. Except in villages and on the most important holy days
(Easter, the Assumption of Mary, Christmas), churches are never full.
The Jewish community in Budapest, though, has seen a great revitalisation
in recent years.
Of those Hungarians declaring religious affiliation, about 68% say they
are Roman Catholic, 21% Reformed (Calvinist) Protestant and 6% Evangelical
(Lutheran) Protestant. There are also small Greek Catholic and Orthodox
congregations. Hungary's Jews number about 80,000, down from a prewar
population of almost 10 times that size. Some 400,000 died during deportation
under the fascist Arrow Cross in 1944 or were murdered in Nazi concentration
camps. Many others emigrated after 1956.
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EDUCATION
Hungary is a well-educated society with a literacy
rate of about 98%. School is compulsory for children aged six to 16.
The education system generally follows the German model. Primary or elementary
school (általános iskola) is followed by four years of secondary education.
which can be in grammar (gimnázium) or vocational/trade schools (szakiskola).
About 30% of those aged over 18 have secondary-school certificates. College
and university matriculation is very competitive places are few and entrance
requirements pretty stiff. Still, about 10% of the population holds university
degrees, a quarter of which are in engineering and economics.
Most of Hungary's most prestigious universities are based in Budapest,
including: the Loránt Eötvös University of Science (ELTE), which was founded
in 1635 and moved to Budapest in 1777 from what is now Trnava in Slovakia;
the 200-year-old Semmelweis University of Medicine (SOTE); the Budapest
Technical University (BME) established in 1782; and the Budapest University
of Economic Sciences (known as 'Közgáz').
Hungary has an international reputation in certain areas of specialised
education. A unique method of music education with preliminary emphasis
on voice instruction devised by the composer Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
is widespread. The Peto Institute in Budapest has a very high success
rate in teaching children with cerebral palsy to walk.
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SCIENCE
Hungarians have made great contributions to the sciences
and related fields. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi won the Nobel Prize for Physiology
or Medicine in 1937 for his discovery of vitamin C, Georg von Békésy the
same prize in1961 for his research on the inner ear and Eugene Paul Wigner
recieved his Nobel Prize in 1963 for his research in nuclear physics.
Both Edward Teller and Leo Szilárd worked on the so-called Manhattan Project,
which led to the development of the atomic bomb, under the Nobel Prize-winning
Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi.
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ARTS
Hungarian art has been both stunted and spurred on
by the pivotal events in the nation's history. King Stephen's conversion
to Catholicism brought Romanesque and Gothic art and architecture to Hungary,
while the Turkish occupation nipped most of Hungary's Renaissance in the
bud and left much of its Gothic legacy in ruins. The Habsburgs opened
the doors to baroque influences. The arts thrived under the Dual Monarchy,
then through truncation and even under fascism. The early days of communism
brought art celebrating wheat sheaves and muscle-bound steelworkers to
less-than-impressed Budapest urbanites, but much money was spent on music
and 'correct art' like classical theatre.
While the artistic, cultural and literary hypertrophy of Budapest is indisputable,
it would be foolish -if not impossible -to ignore folk art when discussing
urban (and urbane) fine art in Hungary.The two have been inextricably
linked for several centuries and have greatly influenced one another.
The music of Béla Bartók and the ceramic sculptures of Margit Kovács are
deeply rooted in traditional Hungarian culture. Even the architecture
of the Secession incorporated many folk elements.
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Folk Art
Hungary has one of the richest folk traditions in Europe
and, quite apart from its music, this is where the country often has come
to the fore in art. Many urban Hungarians probably wouldn't want to hear
that, considering folk art a bit déclassé and its elevation the work of
the communist regime, but it's true.
From the beginning of the 18th century, as segments of the Hungarian peasantry
became more prosperous, ordinary people tried to make their world more
beautiful by painting and decorating objects and clothing. It's important
to remember two things when looking at folk art. First, with very few
exceptions only practical objects used daily were decorated. Second, this
is not 'court art' or the work of artisans making Chinese cloisonné or
Fabergé eggs. It is the work of ordinary people trying to express the
simple world around them in a new and different way. Some of it is excellent
and occasionally you will spot the work of a true genius who probably
never ventured beyond their village or farm.
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Music & Dance
Hungary has made many contributions to the music world,
but one person stands head and shoulders above all: Franz or Ferenc Liszt.
Liszt (1811-86), who established the Academy of Music in Budapest, liked
to describe himself as 'part Gypsy', and some of his works, notably Hungarian
Rhapsodies, echo traditional Roma music.
Ferenc Erkel (1810-93) is the father of Hungarian opera and two of his
works -the stirringly nationalist Bánk Bán, based on József Katona's play,
and László Hunyadi - are standards at the State Opera House. Erkel also
composed the music for the Hungarian national anthem.
Imre Kálmán (1882-1953) was Hungary's most celebrated composer of operettas.
The Queen of the Csárdás is his most popular -and campiest- work. Try
to catch it at the Budapest Operetta Theatre on VI Nagymezo utca in Pest.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) and Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) made the first systematic
study of Hungarian folk music together, travelling and recording throughout
the Magyar linguistic region in 1906. Both integrated some of their findings
into their own compositions -Bartók in Bluebeard's Castle, for example,
and Kodály in his Peacock Variations.
Hungarian folk musicians play violins, zithers, hurdy-gurdies, bagpipes
and lutes on a five-note scale. There is a variety of different groups
but ones to watch out for are Méta and Muzsikás (especially when Márta
Sebestyén sings). Anyone playing the haunting music of the Csangó region
in eastern Transylvania is also a good bet.
Traditional Yiddish music is less known than Gypsy and Roma music but
is of similar origin, having once been closely associated with Central
European folk music. Until WWI so-called klezmer dance bands were led
by the violin and cymbalom, but the influence of Yiddish theatre and the
first wax recordings inspired a switch to the clarinet, which is the predominant
instrument today. Klezmer music is currently going through a great renaissance
in Budapest and the Budapest Klezmer Band is world class.
There are two ballet companies based at the Opera House in Budapest though
the best in the country is the Gyori Ballet (from Western Transdanubia).
Groups like the State Folk Ensemble perform dances essentially for tourists
throughout the year; visit a tancház (literally 'dance house' but more
like a folk-music workshop) if you prefer authentic folk dance and not
touristy two-stepping.
There are several symphony orchestras based in the capital, including
Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Hungarian Radio & Television Orchestra.
It is important to distinguish between 'Gypsy music'
and real Hungarian folk music. Gypsy music as it is known and played in
Hungarian restaurants from Budapest to Boston is urban schmaltz and based
on recruiting tunes called verbunkos played during the Rákóczi independence
war. At least two fiddles, a bass and a cymbalom (a curious stringed instrument
played with sticks) are de rigueur; if you want to hear this saccharine
csárdás music, almost any hotel restaurant in Budapest can oblige, or
you can buy a tape or CD by Sándor Lakatos or his son Déki.
To confuse matters even further, real Roma music does not use instruments
but is sung as a cappella (though sometimes it is backed with guitar and
percussion); a very good tape of Hungarian Roma folk songs is Magyarországi
Cigány Népdalok, produced by Hungaroton. The best modern Roma group is
Kalyi Jag (Black Fire), which comes from north-eastern Hungary and is
led by Gusztáv Varga. The group plays all sorts of unconventional instruments
and gives performances from time to time at Budapest táncházak (dance
houses).
The táncház is an excellent place to hear Hungarian folk music and learn
to dance. It's all good fun and they're easy to find in Budapest, where
the dance house revival began.
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Painting & Architecture
You won't find as much Romanesque and Gothic art and
architecture in Budapest as you would in Slovakia or the Czech Republic
-the Mongols, Turks and Habsburgs destroyed most of it -but the Royal
Palace incorporates many Gothic features and the sedile (niches with seats)
in the Castle District, most notably on I Úri utca (Nos 32 and 36) and
Országház utca 9, are pure Gothic. The chapels in the Inner Town Parish
Church have some fine Gothic and Renaissance tabernacles and you can't
miss the Renaissance stonework, the Gothic wooden sculptures and panel
paintings and late-Gothic triptychs at the Hungarian National Gallery.
Baroque abounds in Budapest as it does in the rest of Hungary; you'll
see architectural examples of it everywhere. The Church of St Anne on
I Batthyány tér in Buda and the Óbuda Parish Church on III Flórian tér
are fine examples of ecclesiastical baroque while the Citadella on Gellért
Hill in Buda and the municipal council office on Városház utca in Pest
are baroque in its secular form.
Distinctly Hungarian art and architecture didn't come into its own until
the mid-19th century when Mihály Pollack, József Hild and Miklós Ybl began
changing the face of Budapest. The romantic nationalist school of heroic
paintings, best exemplified by Bertalan Székely (1835-1910) and Gyula
Benczúr (1844-1920), gratefully gave way to the realism of Mihály Munkácsy
(1844- 1900). But the greatest painters from this period were Kosztka
Tivadar Csontváry (1853-1919) and József Rippl-Rónai (1861- 1927), whose
works are on display at the National Gallery and the Municipal Gallery
of the Kiscelli Museum.
The 20th-century painter Victor Vasarely ( 1908-97), the so-called father
of op art, has his own museum in Óbuda, as does the contemporary sculptor
Imre Varga.
The romantic Eclectic and Secessionist styles of architects like Ödön
Lechner (Budapest Museum of Applied Art, former Post Office Savings Bank)
and the Hungarian Art Nouveau of Aladár Arkay (Városligeti Calvinist Church)
brought unique architecture to Hungary at the end of the 19th century
and the start of the 2Oth.
Fans of Art Nouveau will find in Budapest some of the best examples of
that style outside Vienna and Brussels.
Postwar architecture in Hungary is almost completely forgettable. One
exception is the work of Imre Makovecz, who has developed his own 'organic'
style (not always popular locally) using unusual materials like tree trunks
and turf. His work is everywhere in the rest of Hungary but it's hard
to find in Budapest. Two fine examples include the Hungarian Art Academy
at III Kesske utca 25 in Óbuda and the spectacular funerary chapel with
its reverse vaulted ceiling at Farkasréti Cemetery in district XII.
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The Hungarian Secession
The movement started among groups of avantgarde artists
in Paris and Vienna, from where the term Secession comes.
In Budapest, the Secession style was also the inspiration for the development
of the Hungarian National Style.
The secession movement crossed artistic boundaries,
influencing painting and the decorative arts as well as architecture,
Colourful, sometimes fantastical designs are instantly recognizable hallmarks
of the style. The Hungarian National Style drew heavily on this general
trend, incorporating motifs from old Hungarian architecture, particularly
that of Transylvania, folk art and even oriental features.
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THERMAL SPAS
Budapest is one of the great spa cities of Europe.
Numerous natural hot springs pour out over 80 million litres (18 million
gal) of richly mineralized water every day. The greatest concentrations
of natural springs are situated in Óbuda, near Gellért Hill, on the Buda
embankment near Margaret Bridge and on Margaret Island itself. Baths have
existed here since Roman times, but it was the Turks who best exploited
Budapest's natural resources. Today there is a wide choice of therapeutic
and recreational baths and pools.
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Visiting spa-water pools and thermal baths
Heated deep inside the earth, the waters of the mineral-rich
hot springs which bubble up through fractures in
the rocky hills of Buda and 6buda have given the city a Turkish-influenced
bathing culture which has survived even the rigours of Communism. A total
of 31 spa-water pools and thermal baths, with entrance fees kept low by
generous government subsidies, make taking the waters an unmissable treat
for visitors to Budapest.
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Turkish influence
Although the ruins of Roman thermal baths dating from
the 2nd century AD have been found in Óbuda, it was only under the Ottoman
occupation of the 16th-17th centuries, that the bathing culture really
took hold in Budapest.
Four stunning Turkish-built baths, some of the few remaining examples
of Ottoman architecture in Budapest, are still in operation. The Rudas,
the Rác, the Király
and the Császár Baths were all built in the
16th century, and are
constructed on a single model. A marble staircase leads into a chamber
containing a dome-topped, octagonal thermal
pool, which is surrounded by smaller dome-covered pools at temperatures
ranging from icily cold to roastihgly hot. The most beautiful and the
most atmospheric are almost certainly the Rudas Baths, followed closely
by the Király Baths. Though not without their charms, the Rác Baths have
been heavily restored and are less spectacular than the Rudas and Király
Baths. The Császár Baths have been absorbed into the Lukács Baths complex.
Many of the city's newer
baths are for both men and women. The Turkish baths, however, owe much
of their unique atmosphere to the fact that they remain resolutely single-sex.
The Rudas Baths are for men only, while the Rác and the Király Baths are
open to men and women on alternate days. There is no need to wear a bathing
suit; as a small apron is provided.
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After the Turks
The late 19th and early 2Oth century was a new golden
age for Budapest, and saw the building of a number of splendid baths.
Many have spring-water swimming pools attached.
Opened in 1894 the Neo-Classical Lukács Baths
offer two outdoor swimming pools as well as the 16th-century Császár thermal
pool. The Széchényi Baths, opened 20 years later
on the Pest side of the river, make up the biggest bathing complex in
Europe. In addition to the usual indoor thermal pools, they also boast
outdoor thermal and swimming pools, complete with sun terraces. With the
hottest spa- water in the city, the outdoor thermal pool is popular even
in the depths of winter.
As well as the thermal pools, Budapest's bathing establishments also include
a steam room and sauna. Professional massages are almost always available
for a small fee. Some places offer medicinal mud and sulphur baths. You
will be invited to take a shower, and a short nap 1n the rest room before
you leave.
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SPA HOTELS
Nestling at the foot of Gellért Hill, the beautiful
Gellért Hotel and Baths Complex is the oldest
and most famous of a handful of luxury hotels in Budapest offering swimming
and thermal pools, steam rooms, sauna and massage. The renowned Gellért
Baths were opened to the general public in 1927, and include a fabulous,
marble-columned indoor swimming pool, a labyrinth of thermal baths (one
set for men and one for women), single-sex nudist sun-bathing areas and
an outdoor swimming pool. A hugely popular wave machine is switched on
in the latter for ten minutes in every hour.
A second wave of spa-hotels were built in the 1970s and '80s. Set on leafy
Margaret Island, the modem, squeaky-clean and extremely luxurious Thermál
Hotel, is linked by an underground passage to the older Ramada-Grand
Hotel. In addition to the usual range of baths and pools, services
on offer here include manicure, pedicure and a solarium. The late 1980s
saw the arrival of two new spa hotels, the Thermal
Hotel Helia not far from the Pest riverbank and, on the Buda side,
the Thermal Hotel Aquincum, facing north towards
Óbuda. Both make use of the hot springs on Margaret Island, and offer
gyms, bars and restaurants as well as swimming pools and thermal baths.
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THE HEALING WATERS
The citizens of Budapest are great believers in the
medical benefits of the thermal baths. Most of the baths employ staff
who can offer advice on the most appropriate pools and special treatments
for a particular ailment. The spa waters are extremely good for general
relaxation. They can also be helpful in the relief of a number of specific
complaints, including post-traumatic stress, joint and muscle damage,
rheumatism and menstrual pain.
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SWIMMING AS SPORT
Many Hungarians are excellent swimmers, and the country
has achieved great success in competitive water sports. In addition to
Budapest's many recreational pools, sports pools include the Hajós Olympic
Pool complex on Margaret Island. The complex consists of three sports
pools, two outdoor, including one at full Olympic size, and one indoor.
The pools are used for professional training, but are also open to the
public.
Komjádi Béla Swimming Stadium on Árpád Fejedelem útja, the Hajós Olympic
Pool is the place to go to see professional swimming, diving or water
polo.
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Open-air baths, pools
The nicest one is the Palatinus,
on Margaret Island, boasts seven outdoor pools, some thermal and some
for swimming, complete with water slides and wave machines.
Just east of the Pest river bank is the vast, modern Dagály Strand
complex. Built after World War II, it includes 12 pools, with space for
up to 12,000 people.
Other strands worth visiting include Római Strand
in Óbuda in the north of the city. Three pools have been carefully rebuilt
here, on the site of some Roman baths, together with a tore at not-so-Roman
water t6mai chute.
To the north of and the city at Csillaghegy on the HÉV suburban train
line, Csillaghegyi Strand consists of four pools
set in picturesque grounds, and includes a popular south-facing nudist
beach.
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ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Budapest has two opera houses, an orchestral concert
hall at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, several
other concert halls, an operetta theatre, numerous cabarets and more than
50 theatres, including the fringe. Among them is the Merlin
Theatre, which performs only in English.
The greatest concentration of theatres is in district V, in Nagymezo utca,
which has been nicknamed "Budapest's Broadway". Along this l00-m
(328-ft) stretch there are two theatres, the Operetta
Theatre, the satirical cabaret Mikroszkóp Szinpad,
and the Moulin Rouge revue theatre. Film lovers
are also spoilt for choice, as Budapest boasts a large number of cinemas.
Városliget offers numerous attractions, including
a permanent circus, funfair and zoo, complete with a number of small bars
and beer tents in the summer.
The youth entertainment centre, Petőfi Csarnok
stages rock concerts and hosts the largest discotheque in town. Casinos
and striptease clubs are the latest addition to the city's nightlife.
Budapest also has its own red-light district, whose activities, although
illegal, form part of a long-standing tradition.
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Practical Information
The tourist bureau publishes two monthly bulletins.
The Programme contains information in English and German, while
the Budapest Panorama is in four languages, with Italian and Russian as
well. Both bulletins are free and can be found in hotels and tourist information
centres. They also include free-entry coupons to some casinos and nightclubs.
The Programme gives full information on cultural events and entertainments
being
held throughout the whole of Hungary, while Budapest Panorama informs
the reader only about what is happening in Budapest. Pamphlets and bulletins
are often issued in connection with festivals and other special events,
and it is worth keeping an eye out for the poster pillars throughout the
town.
The Saturday editions of all newspapers carry a calendar of events, but
only in Hungarian. There is a growing number of useful websites.
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Casinos
Budapest has several casinos. Given their relatively
recent reappearance, it is interesting that most of them occupy historical
buildings next to smart hotels Players can try their hand at roulette,
Blackjack, poker and the wheel of fortune at anyone of them. Bear in mind
that only one- the Las Vegas Casino- is run American-style, which means
that guests do not have to wear evening dress.
Casino Addresses:
Casino Budapest (Hilton Hotel) Hess András tér 1-3
Tel.: 240-3000
Casino Budapest Gresham Roosevelt tér 5 Tel.:267-3145
Casino City
Váci utca 14
Tel.: 338-2069
Casino Vigadó
Vigadó utca2
Tel.: 317-0869
Las Vegas Casino (Hyatt Regency Hotel)
Roosevelt tér 22
Tel.:266-2081
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Buying Tickets
Tickets for all plays and concerts can be purchased
in advance, either at the booking offices or by telephoning the venue
in question direct.
The most difficult to obtain are tickets to the Franz Liszt Academy of
Music concerts, as these tend to be sold many days in advance. Similarly,
seats at opera and operetta performances sell out quickly.
The best way of securing a seat, particularly for summer performances,
is via the Central Booking Office, which is located right in the centre
of town at Vörösmarty tér 1.
In Budapest, like any- where else, you can risk it and try buying returned
tickets at the last minute. A cheap alternative, but not one for the foot
weary, is to buy a standing-room pass.
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Night Life
At the centre of Pest, particularly along Váci utca,
numerous hawkers push pamphlets on passers-by, advertising the best places
for striptease and erotic dancing. The experience can be quite unpleasant
financially, as even a small beer and a packet of peanuts can set you
back a fortune.
There are now scores of such places to choose from. None of them are cheap,
but some are quite smart and offer relatively modest prices. When choosing
where to go, you should consider the places that advertise in the official
information bulletins published by the tourist agencies. These include.
Caligula, Dolce Vita, Tiamo bar and Aphrodite Night Club. In the last-named,
scantily dressed girls dance behind the glass of the display window to
lure in potential guests walking by.
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Circus, funfair and Zoo
Budapest Great Capital Circus
has been present in Városliget since 1878, but was given a permanent home
only in 1971. The building is both comfortable and functional. Shows are
held twice a day during the week, in the afternoon and evening, with additional
morning performances on Saturdays and Sundays. It is possible to purchase
tickets on the day, but it is better to book them in advance.
The Funfair has an enormous merry-go-round,
a scenic railway and scores of other diversions to entertain visitors.
You have to pay separately for all the individual attractions, in addition
to buying the entry pass, which can make it a relatively expensive outing.
There is enough to do here for many hours, from visiting the haunted house
to playing one-arm bandits.
On the 12-ha area occupied by the Zoo, you will
find over 500 animal species, as well as hundreds of exotic trees and
shrubs. There is also a palmhouse and a special enclosure for elephants
and hippos.
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Jazz
Jazz wes vary late in reaching Hungary. The best known
and revered Hungarian jazz band is the Benkó Dixieland Band, which during
Spring Festivals plays in various theatres and large halls. It is worth
keeping an eye out around town for notices advertising their performances.
The Hades Restaurant is a highly atmospheric
venue where jazz is performed five nights a week A large and invariably
crowded club is the Kögáz Jazz Klub, which is
located at the University of Economics.
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Late night transport
Budapest Metro runs until just after 11pm.
Buses marked with black numbers and the letter E provide the night transport
on busy routes. There are also night trams running on some routes, though
their frequency varies from between one and three an hour. Night buses
must be boarded through the front door, showing your ticket to the driver.
On approaching the required stop, press the request button above the door.
The HÉV train that connects Budapest with its suburbs stops running at
about 1l:3Opm.
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SHOPS AND MARKETS
Shopping in Budapest has changed dramatically since
the more spartan days of Communism. A huge variety of consumer goods,
both foreign and , home produced, are now available here. Major shopping
streets include the pedestrianized and fashionable Váci utca good for
folk art and Zsolnay porcelain, and the less fashionable, but much cheaper
Nagykörút, where locals come to do their shopping. For a more traditional
shopping experience, don't miss a visit to some of Budapest's many markets.
These range from stunning 19th- century food halls such as the Great
Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok), to flea markets such as the huge
and lively Ecseri Flea Market, for everything from bric-a-brac to furniture
and antiques.
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Opening Hours
Most shops in Budapest open from 9am to 5.30 or 6pm
Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Department stores open
at 10am, while green-grocers, bakeries and supermarkets are open from
7am until 8pm. Many shops stay open until 8 or 9pm on Thursday, closing
for an hour at lunchtime. Indoor markets and department stores open on
Sunday, and most cafes sell milk and bread on Sunday morning. One result
of the increase in private enterprise since 1989 is a large number of
small shops which open 24 hours a day and sell groceries, cigarettes and
alcohol.
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How to pay
Credit cards and Euro-cheques can be used to pay for
goods and services.in many of the more touristy parts of Budapest. Outside
these areas it is best to carry plenty of cash in Hungarian forints.
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Vat Exemption
The price of all goods in Hungary includes a value-added
tax of 25% (ÁFA). With the exception of works of art and antiques, it
is possible to claim back the value-added tax on anything costing more
than 50,000 forints when you leave the country. First, preset your goods
at customs within 90 days of purchase to receive your customs certification
and a refund claim form. You will need your sales receipt and currency
exchange or credit card receipt, plus the customs certification, to apply
for your refund within 183 days of your return home.
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Department Stores and Malls
There are a number of department stores in the city,
many housed in spectacular old buildings.
The Secession-style Luxus on Vörösmarty tér
offers three floors of smart men's and women's clothing, as well as accessories
and perfumes. Nearby on Váci utca, the Fontana
is a slightly down-market version of the Luxus, with an excellent rooftop
cafe.
More of a mall than a department store, the Duna Plaza
on Váci út is smart but overpriced. It is equipped with an ice-skating
rink, a video arcade and a bowling alley. The now refurbished Corvin
on Blaha Lujzha tér is the closest you can get to the kitsch treasure
troves of the Communist era. The old-fashioned payment system involves
taking an invoice and paying at a booth before going to claim your purchase.
Another store worth a look is Skála Metro on
Nyugati ter opposite the railway station, and on Flórián tér in Óbuda.
The most exciting new mall is Westend City Center.
Central Europe's largest, the centre has over 350 stores, including Armani,
Benetton and Marks & Spencer, a 14-screen cinema and a food court.
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Markets
Markets are an essential part of life in Budapest,
and offer a delightfully traditional shopping experience to visitors.
Perhaps the most spectacular are the five cavernous market halls which
dot the city. All were built in the late 19th century and several are
still used as markets. The three-level Great Market
Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok) on Fovám tér
is the largest of all. More than 180 stalls display a huge variety of
vegetables,
fruit, meat and cheese, under a gleaming roof of brightly-coloured Zsolnay
tiles. The market opens from 7am-6pm Mon-Fri and 7am-1pm Sat.
In addition to the covered market halls, there are open- air food markets
in every Budapest neighbourhood. In many you will see country women in
traditional costumes selling fruit and vegetables, as well as local cheeses,
honey and sausages. Some of the best markets are at Lehel tér (district
XIII), Bosnyák tér (XIV) and Fehérvári út (IX). Delicious hot sausages
with mustard and fresh bread; or lángos,
a flat bread served with cream or grated cheese, are traditional and widely
available market snacks.
Beginning at 156 Nagyk6r6si ut in district XIX, is the Ecseri
Flea Market. Outside, a maze of wooden tables is covered in Communist
artifacts, second-hand clothes and all sorts of bric-a-brac, while from
tiny cubicles inside the market, serious antique dealers sell porcelain,
icons, silverware, jewellery and much more. It is necessary to obtain
permission from the Museum of Applied Arts before you can take antiques
out of the country. The flea market is open 8am-3:30pm Mon-Fri and 8am-2pm
Sat.
Another market well worth a visit is the extremely busy Józsefvárosi
Market, situated close to ]ózsefváros pu. on Kobányai út and open
7am-6pm daily. Many of the traders here are Chinese, often with Roma assistants,
using the Trans-Siberian railway to transport a huge variety of new goods
from China, southeast Asia, the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe,
all sold at knock-down prices. Look out for all sorts of entertaining
and obvious southeast Asian fashion fakes, as well as electronic goods,
Chinese silks, Russian caviar and vodka, and Stalinist memorabilia. Authentic
Chinese, Vietnamese or Turkish food stalls offer a tasty lunch.
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Tipping
In some restaurants a service charge is included
in the final bill, in others it is customary to tip. If a service charge
is added, this should be stated on either the menu or the bill; this could
be up to 15 per cent.
However, if there is any doubt, it is courteous to leave a tip. In general,
an acceptable tip is between 10-15 per cent of the cost of the meal.
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