Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Budapest

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Hungary : Budapest - February 2008

Country Code: Dial for Hungary

Getting around

Ferihegy International Airport

Bus: The No 93 bus leaves Terminal 1 and takes about 20 minutes, leaving every half hour from 4.55am to 8.50pm. Tickets cost €1 /HUF 230. A travel card gives you unlimited use of Budapest’s buses, trams, metro and cog-railway. A one-day card costs €5/HUF 1,350, a one-week card costs €15/HUF 3,600.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the city will take about 30 minutes and there’s a fixed price of €17/ HUF 4,200. Go to the Zona Taxi window at arrivals.
Tourist information: Located at 7 Március 15 tér (tel. , www.budapestinfo.hu).

CASTLE HILL

Take the funicular up to Castle Hill, wander the cobblestone streets and drink in the fantastic Danube views.

Sleep soundly – The Hilton Budapest (1-3 Hess András tér, tel. , www.budapest.hilton.com, rooms from €90/ HUF 23,000) was one of the city’s first luxury hotels. The Burg Hotel (7-8 Szentháromság tér, tel. , www.burghotelbudapest.com, rooms from €85/HUF 21,600) has comfortable rooms but no view.

Culture vultures – The Royal Palace holds several museums, including the Budapest History Museum and the National Gallery (Budavári Palota). Go underground at Buda Castle Labyrinth (9 Úri utca) where 1,200m of caves are dotted with history exhibitions.

Must eat – The touristy Castle isn’t the best dining destination. An exception is classy Café Pierrot Restaurant (14 Fortuna utca, tel. ), serving Hungarian food. Cosy Ruszwurm Cukrászda (7 Szentháromság utca, tel. ) is one of the finest places in town for pastries, but competition for tables is fierce.

JÓZSEFVÁROS

The university neighborhood in the blocks behind the National Museum holds a wealth of bars and cafés.

Culture vultures – The Hungarian National Museum (14-16 Múzeum körút) is the largest museum in the country. Sip espresso at the Italian Institute of Culture (8 Bródy Sándor utca).

Must eat – Homey Fülemüle Étterem (5 Kofaragó utca) specialises in Jewish-accented food, especially goose dishes. Múzeum Kávéház Étterem (12 Múzeum körút, tel. ) serves good Hungarian classics with evening piano music.

Must drink – The slightly grungy Zappa Café (2 Mikszáth Kálmán tér) is a favourite watering hole. Darshan Udvar (7 Krúdy Gyula utca) contains a bar, a restaurant and an organic shop.

SZENTENDRE

Just 19km north of Budapest, Szentendre makes a great day trip. The old Serbian artist’s colony has cobblestone streets, galleries galore, ancient Orthodox churches, great restaurants and a lovely waterfront.

Culture vultures – The folksy Kovács Margit Museum (1 Vastagh György utca) features work by the eponymous ceramist. The Ferenczy Karoly Museum (6 Fo tér) showcases artworks by the talented Ferenczy family. The Kmetty János Memorial Museum (21 Fo tér) is dedicated to this local artist who was inspired by French Cubism.

Must eat – Plastered with old knickknacks, Rab Ráby Étterem (1/a Kucsera Ferenc utca, tel. ) is a long-time favorite for traditional Hungarian food. Aranysárkány Vendéglo (1/a Alkotmány utca, tel. ) has an open kitchen and a creative Hungarian menu.

Must drink – Café Dorothea (4 Jankó János utca) has a good selection of wine by the glass. Café Rodin (6/b Ady Endre utca) is a sleek, art-inspired café/bar with glass walls facing a sculpture park.

HAJÓS UTCA

This street behind the Opera House is filling up with bars, cafés and quirky shops. Nearby Nagymezo utca harbours a clutch of theatres and cafés.

Sleep soundly – See an opera at the Hungarian State Opera House (22 Andrássy út) or just tour the stunning building. Check out the exhibitions at the Mai Manó House of Photography (20 Nagymezo utca).

Must eat – Balletcipo (14 Hajós utca, tel. ) is a friendly place for light snacks and sandwiches. Marquis de Salade (43 Hajós utca, tel. ) serves phenomenal Azerbajani and Caucasian food.

Must drink – One of this area’s original bars is Picasso Point (31 Hajós utca). Sandokan Lisboa Solingbar (23 Hajós utca) is a tiny, two-level bar and café.

Shop til you drop – Head to Groovy (16 Hajós utca) for clothing, accessories and shoes.

Compiled by Carolyn Bánfalvi