august-2011

HUNGARY Population 9,976,062 Currency Forint (HUF) GDP
BUDAPEST
† €13,285 Dialling code +36
Airport code BUD Flight frequency Twice daily Average temp (Aug) 21°C
Budapest is at its liveliest
in summer, especially
when the crowds arrive
for one of Europe’s largest
music festivals, Sziget
(10-15 August, sziget.hu).
If you’re in town on 20
August you’ll be rewarded
with fi reworks over the
Danube for St Stephen’s
Day. On a more sombre
note, the saint’s hand will
also be paraded in the
Basilica. Carolyn Banfalvi
is our city guide
WATERTOWN
This charming neighbourhood
underneath Buda Castle has
winding cobblestone streets and
some of the city’s oldest buildings.
SLEEP Lánchíd 19 (19 Lánchíd Utca,
tel. 1 419 1900, lanchid19hotel.hu,
rooms from €75/HUF 20,00) is the city’s
premier design hotel, with a fabulous
location on the banks of the Danube.
The rooms with spacious balconies are
the most desirable.
EAT Baldaszti’s (5-9 Lánchíd Utca,
tel. 30 422 5981) is a café combined with
a deli, serving simple, tasty dishes. The
place has a modern vibe, with tables
on the pavement in view of the river.
Though Budapest is not known for its
breakfast options, both Baldaszti’s and
Coyote Café (4 Markovits Ignác Utca)
offer a decent spread. Coyote also
serves excellent coffee and cakes.
CULTURE Head up to Buda Castle,
where you’ll find the city’s National
Gallery, History Museum, Military
History Museum and National Library.
SHOP Bortársasag (5 Lánchíd Utca)
stocks an excellent selection of Hungarian
wine and the potent local spirit pálinka
(fruit brandy). MesterPorta (7 Corvin tér)
specialises in beautiful, handmade
Hungarian folk art, particularly linen
and ceramics.
76 Brussels Airlines b.there! magazine August 2011
IMAGE GEORGIJ MERJAS
INFO
Liszt Ferenc
International
Airport (formerly
Ferihegy Airport) is
16km southeast of
the city centre.
Bus The 200E to
Kobánya-Kispest
metro leaves every
10 to 30 minutes
until 11.46pm,
taking 25 minutes.
Tickets cost just
over €1.50/HUF 400.
Train A railway
connects Terminal
1 to Nyugati. The
journey takes 25
minutes, trains are
frequent, and cost
€1.50/HUF 400.
Taxi A taxi to the
centre takes about
30 minutes; the
price is €21-24/
HUF 5,100-5,700.
Or take the airport
minibus, from
€11/HUF 2,990.
Tourist offi ce
The Tourinform
offi ce is at 2 Süto
utca (tel. 1 438
8080, budapestinfo.
hu).
You’ll want to linger over
the tempting treats at
deli-cum-bistro Baldaszti’s
LATER Belgian Brasserie (12 Bem
Rakpart, tel. 1 201 5082) has an
extensive beer list and a kitchen that
serves Belgian fare.
CITY CENTRE
With the highest concentration of
great restaurants, fun bars and
quirky boutiques, the belváros is
worth exploring in as much detail
as you have time for.
SLEEP Boutique Hotel Zara (6 Só Utca,
tel. 1 577 0700, zarahotels.com, rooms
from €99/HUF 26,500) is a stylish haven
just off the main shopping street. Feel
like a local at Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux
(1 Gerlóczy Utca, tel. 1 5014000,
gerloczy.hu, rooms from €90/HUF
24,000), where individually decorated
rooms sit above a Parisian-style café.
EAT Try Tigris Étterem (10 Mérleg
Utca, tel. 1 317 3715) for high-end
traditional Hungarian cuisine and
impeccable service. Borkonyha (3 Sas
Utca, tel. 1 266 0835) puts a modern
twist on Hungarian cooking. Its wine
list is one of the best in town.
CULTURE St Stephen’s Basilica (Szent
István Tér) houses one of Hungary’s
code +36
sacred treasures: the mummified right
hand of St Stephen, the country’s founder.
Climb to the top for panoramic city views.
SHOP Mono Fashion (20 Kossuth Lajos
Utca) carries clothing and accessories by
young Hungarian designers. Retrock
(28 Ferenczy István Utca) takes pieces
of old clothing and gives them new life.
LATER Drop Shop (27 Balassi Bálint
Utca) is Budapest’s finest wine bar.
TIP Need to rest your feet? Take a bench
in Károlyi Garden, one of the loveliest
squares in the city.
ANDRÁSSY ÚT
Budapest’s grandest boulevard
begins near Erzsebet Tér and ends
at Heroes’ Square, at the foot of
City Park. The journey along the
length of Andrássy út is one of
Budapest’s great walking routes,
and there are plenty of cafés along
the way to stop for a rest.
EAT Bookcafé (39 Andrássy út), one of
the city’s most beautiful cafés, is on the
first floor of a bookshop in a renovated
art nouveau department store. EcoCafé
(68 Andrássy út) serves coffee, fresh
juices, sandwiches and pastries. Klassz
(41 Andrássy út) mixes Hungarian and
international cuisine and a short but
sweet wine list.
CULTURE The Ferenc Hopp Museum of
East Asian Art (103 Andrássy út) and the
György Ráth Museum (12 Városligeti
Fasor) are old villas holding the Asian art
collections of a Hungarian traveller.
SHOP Omorovicza (2 Andrássy út) has
created a line of high-end beauty
products containing healing Hungarian
mineral water.
TIP It’s well worth walking the length
of Andrássy út, but if you’re feeling
weary on the way back you can hop on
the underground metro that runs the
length of the street.
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