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Hungary : Budapest - December 2009

Country Code: Dial for Hungary

Budapesters stay warm during December by sipping mugs of mulled wine and heading to the thermal baths. Holiday events abound, from Christmas markets selling handcrafted gifts, to ice skating and visits from St Nick for the kids. Carolyn Bánfalvi gets excited

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).

MOSZKVA TÉR

Moszkva Square, a busy transportation hub, lies below the Buda Castle. Wander the backstreets to the former industrial site that now holds the lively Millenáris complex.

Sleep soundly – Head up Castle Hill to the St George Residence Hotel (4 Fortuna utca, tel. , stgeorgehotel.hu, rooms from €99/ HUF 26,000), an aristocratic home turned apartment hotel.

Culture vultures – Millenáris Park (20-22 Fény utca) has brought new life to the area, with playgrounds, fish ponds, a cultural centre, a theatre and the Palace of Miracles – an interactive children’s science museum.

Must eat – Marxim (23 Kisrókus utca, tel. ) is known for its tasty pizza, as well as its communist décor. Taste the city’s finest sweets at Auguszt Cukrászda (8 Fény utca), a family-owned pastry shop.

Must drink – Down cocktails surrounded by Hollywood mementos at Oscar American Bar (14 Ostrom utca).

Shop til you drop – The Fény utca market (12 Lövoház utca) stocks a variety of sausages, fresh cheeses and artisan honey. Discover Hungary’s finest wines at Bortársaság (59 Batthyány utca).

BELVÁROS

Locals and tourists congregate at the Christmas market for live music, warm wine and tasty food.

Sleep soundly – The Art Nouveau Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace (5-6 Roosevelt tér, tel. , fourseasons.com, rooms from €260/ HUF 69,000) is splurge-worthy, mainly for its fine views and service. The Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux (1 Gerlóczy utca, tel. , gerloczy.hu, rooms from €85/HUF 22,500) is a boutique hotel over a Parisian-style café.

Culture vultures – Line up early to tour Budapest’s imposing Parliament (1-3 Kossuth Lajos tér). Across the street, the Museum of Ethnography (12 Kossuth tér) features an exhibition of regional folk customs.

Must eat – Café Kör (17 Sas utca, tel. ) is a popular bistro which prepares Hungarian fare with a light touch. At Stand Bistro (3 Sas utca, tel. ) the focus is on marketfresh ingredients.

Must drink – The décor at Terv Eszpresszó (19 Nádor utca) harks back to the communist era.

Shop til you drop – Falk Miksa utca is Budapest’s “antique row”. Christmas markets pop up throughout the city, but the finest is on Vörösmarty tér.

ERZSÉBETVÁROS

The charming old Jewish quarter still holds many old-fashioned businesses and workshops. It’s also has lots of lively bars behind crumbling facades.

Sleep soundly – The new Soho Hotel (64 Dohány utca, tel. , sohoboutiquehotel.com, rooms from €84/HUF 22,000) adds a dash of modernity to the neighbourhood.

Culture vultures – The Great Synagogue (2 Dohány utca) is one of the world’s largest. Check out the adjacent Hungarian Jewish Museum.

Must eat – M Restaurant (48 Kertész utca, tel. ) serves simple bistro fare. Friendly Koleves Vendéglo (35 Kazinczy utca, tel. ) specialises in Jewish-accented food.

Shop til you drop – Bolt (42-44 Kertész utca) has accessories and home furnishings by young Hungarian artists.

GELLÉRT HILL

Rocky Gellért Hill is marked by a statue of St Gellért and topped by the massive Citadel.

Sleep soundly – The Danubius Hotel Gellért (1 Szent Gellért tér, tel. , danubiushotels.com, rooms from €114/HUF 30,000) is right beside the famous bathhouse (see below).

Culture vultures – Climb the hill to the Citadel, once a Hapsburg fortress, for stellar city views. There’s now an openair historical exhibition here. Then take to the thermal water at the Art Nouveau Gellért Baths (4 Kelenhegyi út).

Shop til you drop – Cross the bridge and get shopping for edible souvenirs at the Central Market Hall (1-3 Vámház körút).

Compiled by Carolyn Bánfalvi