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 - June 2009

Country Code: Dial for Hungary

Budapest buzzes with activity this month. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge closes to traffic for the last two weekends in June for music, dance, and food events. And 20 June is the annual Night of Museums, when museums offer free entry and special programmes. Carolyn Bánfalvi gets busy

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).

NORMAFA

One of Budapest’s best features is the closeness of the bustling city to the green hills just a short bus ride away. Normafa is great for hiking, picnicking and culture.

Culture vultures – The Children’s Railway (actually staffed by children) stops at Normafa and continues through the hills. Take tram 60, bus 90 or bus 90A to get there.

Must eat – The Normafa Café & Grill (52-54 Eötvös Út, 5) serves Hungarian dishes hearty enough to sustain hikers. Go for the wild boar with onions in red wine and dumplings.

RÓMAIFÜRDO

This riverfront neighbourhood takes on a resort-like atmosphere when the weather is warm. Take the HÉV commuter train to get here.

Culture vultures – Rómaifürdo is heaven if you’re into watersports. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent from several places, including the Rátkai family (22 Petur Utca).

Must eat – For many, the sole reason to come here is to sip spritzers at the open-air eateries that open seasonally. The menus are more or less the same, with specialities of fried fish and chips, and fisherman’s soup. Palacsinta (crepes) are the classic dessert. More huts than restaurants, they don’t really have names. A good tip is to try the one with the longest queue.

CASTLE DISTRICT

The castle can be reached by bus, funicular or one of many winding staircases. The Night of Museums is an ideal time to take in the abundance of art and history here.

Sleep soundly – St George Residence (4 Fortuna Utca, 0, stgeorgehotel.hu, rooms from €225/ HUF 66,000) is a small hotel decorated in period style. Just below the castle, Lánchíd 19 (19 Lánchíd Utca, tel. 8 , designhotels.com, rooms from €126/HUF 37,000) is Budapest’s most stylish address. Book into a Panorama Suite – each one features floor-to-ceiling windows, a large terrace and views to either the Danube or Buda Castle.

Culture vultures – Buda Castle (Dísz Tér), or Budai Vár, is a must-see. It holds the National Széchényi Library, the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum.

Must eat – Alabárdos (2 Országház Utca, 1) is one of Budapest’s most highly rated (and expensive) restaurants, and serves modern Hungarian cuisine such as steamed fillet of River Tisza catfish with creamy mashed potatoes.

Must drink – Just below the castle is the tiny Coffee-Inn (2 Apor Péter Utca), which has a great – albeit brief – wine list and Czech beer on tap.

CENTRAL BUDAPEST

Central Budapest can keep you occupied for weeks. Be sure to leave lots of time for coffee breaks; after all, Budapest is known for its cafés.

Sleep soundly – The Queen’s Court Hotel & Residence (63 Dob Utca, 0, queenscourt.hu, rooms from €108/HUF 31,600) has simple but comfortable rooms and a great little spa.

Culture vultures – The neoclassical St Stephen’s basilica (Szent István Tér) is the city’s largest church. Climb to the top to check out the stunning views over the rooftops.

Must eat – Dine at Café Kör (17 Sas Utca, 3) to experience one of Budapest’s long-time favourite bistros, which serves new takes on Hungarian classics.

Must drink – Explore the seventh district’s ever-changing bar scene. Head to open-air kerts such as Mumus (18 Dob Utca) and Szimpla (14 Kazinczy Utca) for shots of Unicum, a Hungarian herbal bitter.

Shop til you drop – The university area is full of shops stocking antique books and maps pretty enough to appeal even to those who don’t understand the language. Honterus Antikvárium (35 Múzeum Körút) and Központi Antikvárium (13-15 Múzeum Körút) are two of the best to explore at your leisure.

Compiled by Carolyn Bánfalvi