Budapest (Christmas) – What to see in 3 and a half days
Put a promotion last minute of WizzAir, put the reputation of Christmas markets of Budapest, has gotten the chance to do a “long weekend” in Hungary's capital.
After visiting Krakow and Prague, in fact, for a while’ I wanted to visit the other pearl of Central Europe, or Budapest.
The fact that Hungary has not passed yet (a fine 2014) but adopt the Euro Forint (GBP), gives us a good margin on the exchange rate, even though the cost of living is definitely superior both in Krakow, that in Prague (but I visited over 10 years ago, and do not know what changes there have been).
Some remnant of’communist era emerges here and there (see old Trabant semi-rusted, caravans produced in the GDR, tower blocks of type “commie block” in suburbs) but, to be honest, I expected worse: The city center is polished, obrobri the concrete are few, churches are restored. In short, the foundations for a very nice visit we are all!
An old Trabant on the road Andrássy út
The city, like all those in the East of “Iron Curtain”, has an excellent public transport system, based mainly on tram and metro. The cost is relatively low (350HUF for a single ticket, 530HUF for a ticket that provides interchange), in relation to the service offered.
Be careful to validate your ticket before boarding any means: controllers are lurking in the main stations / stops, and “trained” to target unwary tourists!
You can buy tickets at the airport (T2), AL “customer service point”. For convenience, I bought it at once all the tickets I needed for my visit, paying by credit card.
Airport, Unfortunately, is not connected to the subway: you have to take a bus, the 200E, that each 7 minutes connects the T2 at the terminus of Line 3 Subway (Kôbánya- Kispest). In totale, calculated 50 minutes for the journey from the city center-airport.
There comes to mind to withdraw local currency in aerporto: in fact, there are only private ATM, applying fees from loan sharking! Look, easy, a real bank in the city center, to withdraw Fiorini without change currency “pirate shi”.
English is spoken by most of the young people and those who work in tourism, and personally I did not find any particular communication difficulties. The German seems to have a, albeit limited, spread.
The food is typical of central: soups, pork, preserve, honey, my. some, There are some specialties that you can not NOT try, during your stay in Budapest:
- Chimney (A cake made of puff pastry sweetened, flavored most times cinnamon, grilling on a skewer, placed on a grill)
- The Gulag (Anyone who has visited the former Czechoslovakia, Poland or Hungary, knows that this dish spicy meat is the basis of local cuisine)
- Cakes Café Gerbeaud (Pastry Vörösmarty tér was a favorite of the Empress Sissi, and her cakes, albeit expensive, are simply delicious)
One of the cakes Café Gerbeaud
It, come me, visit Budapest at Christmas, Make sure to try and buy many varieties of honey and jams at a very reasonable!
About Christmas, I leave you a video I shot in the most important Christmas market in Budapest, Vörösmarty Square:
In definitiva, was a very good visit: I could talk dell'istruttiva visit to “House of Terror“, impressiveness of Chain Bridge, the beautiful Matthias Church, of guided tour of the Parliament, but… I prefer not to spoil the surprise, and I limit myself to list, point by point and format Google Maps, whole’route that I followed in these 3 and a half days, with restart the next morning.
To book a visit Parliament and purchase other tickets, and skip the queues, I preferred to buy online.
If you want to take a look at photo I took in Budapest, you can access the album in my gallery, A this address.
We route:
1 day (arrival in the afternoon) – pins verdi
- Piazza Vörösmarty tér (There are the main Christmas markets. Also, north end, There is also the famous Café Gerbeaud) (The square is located at the North end of Vaci utca. In the center there is a statue of the poet of the nineteenth century. Mihály Vörösmarty.
2 day – pins viola
- Vaci utca (Pedestrian street, is the main Budapest. Vörösmarty tér connects with the Great Market Hall)
- Great Market Hall (Hall) (Main covered market in the city. It was built in the late 800, on a proposal of the then mayor Károly Kamermayer. The entrance is in neo-Gothic style, and the structure is steel. It was virtually destroyed during the wars, and restored in the 90s. There are sweet Hungarian, street food like pasta increased calls langos, and suovenir. E'chiuso Saturday)
- Liberty Bridge (Liberty Bridge) (One of the many places that connect the new Pest, on the shore East, with the old city of Buda, to the west of the Danube. In origin, was entitled to Emperor Franz Joseph. It was built between 1894, and 1896, and is well along 333 meters. The tops are decorated with 4 Turul bronze, or 4 birds like the falcon, widespread in the Hungarian mythology)
- Church in the rock (Our Lady of Hungary church cliff) (Under the Gellért Hill, There is a network of tunnels and caves. In one of these, legend has it that he lived a hermit who could cure the sick with thermal waters. For inizui '900 a group of monks, inspired by a church like they had seen in Lourdes, the consecrated and served as the monastery until 1951, when he fell victim to the Communist yoke. After the fall of the wall, The chapel has been restored and reopened to the public.)
- Liberation Monument (Statue of Liberty) (Commemorates those who fought for independence, freedom and wealth of Hungary. It was built in 1947, originally to commemorate the city's liberation by the Red Army, that ended the Nazi occupation. The bronze statue, who holds a palm leaf, is 14m high, and laying on a pedestal of 26mt)
- Citadel (It was built in 1851 behest of the Habsburgs, following the failed revolution of 1848, when Hungary and other countries tried to gain independence. Even with the creation of Austria-Hungary, Austrian troops not abandoned it if not in 1899)
- Collina Gellert (Gellért Hill) (With its 235 meters, overlooking the Danube and the city. E'intitolata in San Gerardo, who was executed in 1046 during his attempt to convert the city to Christianity. The pagans put him in a barrel and was rolled from the top)
- Castello Hunedoara (View from outside. It is located in the park of Városliget, and was built between 1896 and 1908, to celebrate the millennium of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian basin, where is today's Hungary and other areas to the east of the country Magyar. It is the copy of a castle in Transylvania, and is built in different styles, such as the Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. Today it houses the Museum of Hungarian) (Da Döbrentei space, Take the bus 239 the 110 or 112 verso verso Bosnian per square 10 stops, Fine Stephanie road / Thököly, and then walking towards the park. Use single ticket from 350HUF)
- Heroes Square (Heroe's Square) (There should be a Christmas market. One of the main squares in the city, famous for the statue of 7 chieftains of the Magyars and other important national heroes Hungarian, namely the Millennium memorial, and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It has been witness to major political events of the postwar period. See PDF for specific insights)
- Andrássy út (It is the most important avenue of Budapest, and in 2002 was recognized World Heritage Site. It was built in the second half of the 800 to ease traffic in the streets parallel. In the early years 50 was named after Stalin, and then become "Avenue of the Republic")
- House of Terror Museum (At number 60 of Andrássy út, is the building that hosted the Nazi headquarters and the headquarters of the secret police of the communist regime next. Bears witness to the effects of the two repressions on the Hungarian people. Cost 2000HUF 1000HUF or under 26 age. Hours 10 am-6pm, closed on Mondays)
- Liszt Ferenc tér and Christmas market
3 day – pins blu
- Great Synagogue of Budapest (Great Synagogue) (View from outside. Main Jewish place of worship in the city, place in the district Erzsébetváros. It is the largest synagogue in Europe. It was built around 1854, with decorations based loosely on the style Islamic North Africa and Spain. During the Nazi occupation was bombed and used as a stable)
- King street. 15 (Piece of wall of the old Jewish ghetto)
- Hungarian State Opera House (Hungarian State Opera House) (One of the greatest examples of Renaissance architecture, with Baroque elements. It was built between 1875 and the 1884. In front of the facade there are the statues of Ferenc Erkel, composer of the national anthem, and the classical composer Franz Liszt. The empress Sissi often went to the theater.)
- St. Stephen's Basilica and Christmas market (St. Stephen Bzilika) (Named in honor of King Stephen, King of Hungary, who lived around the year one thousand, whose right hand is cinservata reliquary in the basilica. It is the third largest church in the country. It has the same height of the Hungarian Parliament, 96 meters, to symbolize the equality of spiritual power and temporal power. It was completed in 1905, after over 50 years of work, and neoclassical. Spreader is admire the view from the top of the dome, until the afternoon, cost of 500HUF)
- Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Chain Bridge) (It is the oldest and most famous bridge in the city, and neoclassical. At the time of its construction, in 1873, its central span was one of the longest in the world, over 200 meters in length. Joined those, then, were two cities, namely Buda and Pest. The bridge entrance is decorated by statues of lions, not too dissimilar from those found in London, in the central Trafalgar Square. Was severely damaged by the Nazis, and was reopened in 1949)
- Sliding (funicular to get to the top in Buda) (It was inaugurated in 1870 and is one of the tourist icons of the city. Costa 1000HUF and there is a long line. Assess whether it is not better to be the path to the castle on foot)
- Buda Castle (Buda Castle) and fountain Mattia (Historic residence of the royal Hungarian. E'famoso for its Baroque and public buildings of the nineteenth century. UNESCO has included in the list of World Heritage Sites. The first construction dates back to the mid '200, the times of King Bela IV. Over the centuries, the subsequent siege by the Ottomans and the attempts of reconquest by the Christian armies, was partially destroyed and rebuilt several times, until the devastation during the siege of Budapest, to liberate the city from Nazi occupation. The Royal Palace, Royal Palace in inglese, home to the Széchenyi Library, History Museum of Budapest and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It may be interesting to the History Museum of Budapest, showing the finds in the city ranging from 40 thousand years ago to the '900. The ticket has a cost of 2000HUF. If there is no time, you can also avoid)
- Square of the Holy Trinity (Trinity Square) (It is located at the end of Tárnok utca, and there is the old town hall in Buda, which lost its function, when the city joined Pest, in 1873. In the square is the column of the Trinity, Baroque, commemorating the dead of the plague of 1691)
- Matthias Church (Matthias Church) (The present church was built in Gothic style in the fourteenth century., and restored in 800. In the Middle Ages, was the second largest church in the city. The previous church was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongols. The church has witnessed many coronations, including that of Karl IV of Hungary, the last royal Habsburg, and Franz Joseph I. Entrance costs 1200HUF, 800HUF and under 26 age. E'aperta from 9 all 17)
- Fishermen's Bastion (Fisherman's Bastion) (Terraces in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque built between 1895 and 1902, and there you can see one of the best views of the city. Its seven towers rappresntano the 7 original tribal leaders Magyars, that occupied the area before the year 1000. The lower part is free, and is accessed by Matthias Church)
- Vienna Gate (Vienna Gate Square) (E'l'ingresso-North of the Castle district. Da which, started the road, parallel to the Danube, arrived in Vienna) (then, GYMNASTICS per zone in Vörösmarty Square, da Vienna Gate Square, Take the bus 16 verso Deák Ferenc tér M per 9 stops, Fine Palatine Joseph map)
4 day – Yellow pins
- Budapest Parliament – House Homeland (Country House) (Visit to 10:15. It is one of the main symbols of the tourist town. Classic example of Gothic Revival architecture, 800 was conceived to celebrate the independence achieved, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Hungary. In addition to the meetings of parliament, live there also the President of the Republic and the head of government. Book visit via internet. 2000HUF EU citizens and students under 1000HUF 24 age, 200HUF more commission per ticket) (all 9:43 Get the Tram 2, which runs every 11 minutes, da March 15. Space, in the road parallel to the river, just before the bridge Erzsébet Hid, for 4 stops, Fine Kossuth Lajos tér M. It takes 10 minutes. Ticket price 350HUF)
- Shoes on the Danube (Cipok a Dunaparton) (Opera in memory of Hungarian Jews killed by the pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. He was ordered to take off your shoes on the bank of the Danube, and then were fired, so the current would take them away)
- Freedom Square (Freedom Square) (Square end of '800, overlooking several embassies and beautiful Art Nouveau buildings)
- Nyugati station (West Railway Station) (Beautiful town station, dating back to the 1877)
- Margaret Island (Margaret Island) (Beautiful island in the middle of the Danube, occupied for the most part by a park) (To return to the area Vacy utca, you can take in the main avenue of the island bus 26 verso Árpád Bridge million per 6 stops, refining the Árpád Bridge. From there, M3 towards Kobánya-Kispest M to F erenciek tere. Compra transfer ticket da 530HUF)
- Restart the next morning.
ITINERARIO IN FORMATO GOOGLE MAPS: link
The only regret is not having had time to visit the Memento Park, where were gathered all the monuments from the communist era that were in the city but, Unfortunately, is located in the suburbs, and requires a few hours of time available. It will be for next time, WizzAir allowing! 🙂