It captures your heart once you get close to it, that’s Budapest, one of the most picturesque capitals in the world. I was fascinated by the city, situated at the bank of the river Danube, and I’m sure it will have the same effect on you. Visitors are received by wonders of nature, historical monuments and magnificent buildings of past centuries, beside a wide range of cultural programmes and culinary specialities, and the exceptional hospitality of the natives.
Those who come by plane arrive at Ferihegy Airport Terminal 1 or 2. The city centre can be reached by bus, airport minibus, or taxi, - at the moment there isn’t any rail-shuttle yet to connect the airport with the downtown - though the most comfortable and still not very expensive solution is to book a transfer, offered by a travel agency www.cityrama.hu. You can do this from home, on the Internet. I also chose this means of getting to town. and did not regret my choice! Arriving in Budapest, the driver had already been waiting for me at the gate of arrivals, so it took hardly half an hour to get to my hotel room, from where I could start discovering the city.
As a first step to get to know Budapest, I can recommend you to go on a classical 3-hour-long sightseeing tour, during which you are sitting in a cosy luxury-coach, visiting the mail sights of the city. A professional guide explains the history of Budapest to you, and he/she also tells you stories about modern life in this city. The tour starts at
the oldest and undoubtedly most beautiful bridge, the Chain-bridge.
You drive past the Parliament, along Andrássy Street, which was built for the celebration of the Hungarian Millenium and is part of the World Heritage, then you visit Heroes' Square, where you can become familiar with more than 1000 years of Hungarian history. Other important sights you can see on the Pest side, are Saint Stephen's Basilique, the Synagogue (second largest in the world, and the largest in Europe).
Those, who would like to see it inside and get to know life and history of the Jewish community in Budapest, can do so on Sundays, joining the JEWISH TOUR), the National Museum and the Central Market Hall. Anyway, that's a place, you must return later to buy some real Hungarian specialites (also called Hungaricums). On the Buda side, you can see the Castle emerged above the river - we also spent some time here. One would think there's no better place to enjoy the wonderful
view of Budapest, but then our next stop was at the Citadella, from where the view of the city is even more beautiful. At the end of the program you have the chance to visit the third biggest Parliament building in the world, and here you can also see the Holy Crown. There is an additional fee charged for this program - but would you really miss it?!
Budapest, „HRM Princess of the Danube” is really like a beautiful diva, whose charm captured my heart immediately. So, in the afternoon I had a look at it from a new perspective: from the river Danube- which, unfortunately, is not as blue as it used to be, but it’s still very attractive. The PANORAMA DANUBE tour starts with a walk in the castle district, then taking the funicular you descend to the river, walk over Chain Bridge, and take a boat – so that this proud lady, „Budapest” can show us her new face. The Hungarian capital hosts not only plenty of sights and monuments, it is also an ideal starting point for many excursions to the countryside.
If you would like to become familiar with the history of the Hungarian people while making an exceptional experience, you must take the DANUBE TOUR. The Danube-bend with its charming scenery is a place where two very important historical towns are situated. Esztergom and Visegrád were the residences of Hungarian kings for several centuries, the former is at the same time the birthtown of the first Hungarian king, Saint Stephen, who was also crowned here. In Esztergom you can visit the largest basilica (centre of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary) of the country. On the way back to Budapest you won’t be bored either, because the tour stops in Szentendre, which is also known as the artists’ city in Hungary. From here our group returned to Budapest by boat. By the way, this splendid little town with a Mediterranean atmosphere can also be visited taking a shorter tour by the same travel agency. Then just look for the SZENTENDRE TOUR.
An important part of Hungarian culture are horses and horse-riding. Don’t miss the PUSZTA TOUR, if you want to become familiar with the legendary virtuosity of Hungarian horsemen and herdsmen. The Alföld - the Great Hungarian Plain – covers more than one-third of Hungary’s territory, it’s capital is the city of Kecskemét. Here you can see real highlights of Art Nouveau architecture, such as the City Hall, the „Cifra Palota” (a beautifully ornamented art nouveau building), but it is also worth mentioning the Old Church. Continuing our tour we saw the old cottages and farmhouses of the Great Plain, then in Lajosmizse we were offered a glass of pálinka (Hungarian brandy) and pogácsa (a delicious piece of salty scones), as a sign of Hungarian hospitality. After getting off our coach we took a horse-cart, and a few minutes later one could watch a spectacular performance by the „csikós” (Hungarian herdsmen) that supported the well-known image of Hungarians, being a nation of great horse-breeders and brave horsemen. After these, food and wine was served, and a band of gipsy musicians helped to make our entertainment complete.
MAGIC HUNGARY is another programme which makes you familiar with the history and traditions of this country. Your destination is Gödöllő, a city situated 30 km from Budapest. Its main attraction is the second largest baroque chateau in the world, the once beloved Queen Sissy’s summer residence. After a visit to the chateau, we drove to the farm possessed by the Lázár family, whose members have been world champions in coach driving several times. Again, the main attraction were the horses, of course. Even after sunset you can choose from a great variety of entertainment in Budapest.
The tour SOUND OF BUDAPEST is a unique musical, gastronomical and touristic experience. During the cruise on the Danube one can listen to the highlights and well-known tunes from popular operas, operettas and musicals, and taste the favourite dishes of famous composers, like Ferenc Lehár, Imre Kálmán, and Johann Strauss.
Going on the BUDAPEST BY NIGHT tour one can have dinner accompanied by a folklor show and gipsy music in a restaurant, hidden among the Buda hills. After this great culinary and cultural adventure we rolled down to the city and had another look at its splendid treasures, now at moonlight. After the tour I still went to the Várkert casino to see, whether it was my lucky day, but finally I had to realise that I won’t become a millionare that night … either. Anyway, I will never forget the great experiences of the past few days, and Budapest, this wonderful city, will always have a place in my heart.
