Budapest. Lonely Planet Publications 63 BUDAPEST

Transcription

1 Lonely Planet Pblications 3 Bdapest Bdapest is niqe in Hngary. No other city is as beatifl, as rich, as well endowed in fine art and architectre or, frankly, as crowded. As Hngary s főváros (main city or capital), it is the administrative, bsiness and cltral centre; virtally everything in Hngary starts, finishes or is crrently taking place here. Straddling a crve in the Danbe River (Dna), Bdapest is flanked by the Bda Hills on the western bank and what is essentially the start of the Great Plain to the east. And the hman legacy is jst as remarkable as Mother Natre s. Architectrally, Bdapest is a gem, with a srfeit of baroqe, neoclassical, Eclectic and Art-Novea (or Secessionist) bildings. Overall, however, Bdapest has a fin-de-siècle feel to it, for it was then dring the indstrial boom and the capital s golden age in the late 9th centry that most of today s city was bilt. To retain its well-deserved title of világváros (world-class city), Bdapest has taken on all the baggage that sch a stats sally demands: organised crime, faceless modern architectre, a mobile phone at the ear of every sit, international fast-food eateries at every corner. Yet Bdapest remains Hngarian: exotic, sometimes inscrtable, often passionate, with its two feet firmly planted in Erope, bt with a glance every now and then eastward to the spawning gronds of its citizens. It is nmissable. HIGHLIGHTS Taking views of the Danbe while above it (from Castle Hill, p9, or Gellért Hill, p7 ), while on it (from Vigadó, p0 ) or while in it (from Margaret Island, p7 ) Letting yor mind wander over the sinos crves and asymmetrical forms of the city s incomparable Art-Novea architectre, sch as the Msem of Applied Arts (p94 ) Soaking the afternoon away in a thermal bath Trkish-style (Rdas, p99, or Király, p97 ), in a cathedral (Gellért, p97 ) or while playing board games afloat (Széchenyi, p97 ) Taking in an evening of msic at the Hngarian State Opera Hose (p9) or the Liszt Academy of Msic (p93) Sizing p the monmental socialist mistakes on display at State Park (p7 ) Margaret Island Király Baths Castle Hill State Park Rdas Baths Gellért Hill Gellért Baths Hngarian State Opera Hose Liszt Academy of Msic Vigadó Msem of Applied Arts Széchenyi Baths TELEPHONE CODE: POPULATION:.7 MILLION AREA: SQ KM

2 4 History Orientation HISTORY Strictly speaking, the story of Bdapest begins only in 873 when hilly, largely residential Bda and historic Óbda on the western bank of the Danbe merged with flat, indstrial Pest on the eastern side to form what was at first called Pest-Bda. Bt like so mch in Hngary, it s not that simple. The Romans had an important colony here called Aqincm ntil the th centry, when they were forced to flee the settlement by the Hns. The Magyars arrived nearly half a millennim later, bt Bda and Pest were no more than villages ntil the th centry, when foreign merchants and tradespeople settled. In the late 3th centry King Béla IV bilt a fortress in Bda, DISTRICTS Békásmegyer bt it was King Charles Robert (Károly Róbert) who moved the cort from Visegrád to Bda 0 years later. His son Lois the Great (Nagy Lajos) began the constrction of a royal palace. The Mongols had brned Bda and Pest to the grond in 4 4, and ths began a pattern of destrction and rebilding that wold last ntil the 0th centry. Under the Trks the two towns lost most of their poplations, and when the Trks were defeated by the Habsbrgs in the late 7th centry Bda Castle was in rins. The 848 Revoltion, WWII and the 9 Uprising all took their toll. In 944 4, for example, the retreating Germans even blew p every bridge spanning the Danbe. Aqincm XV Széphalom Angyalföld Újpalota ÓBUDA XIII II H vösvölgy Margitsziget Rákosszentmihály Rózsadomb Újlipótváros XIV XVI Zgliget Terézváros Zgló Lipótváros XII Víziváros VI Erzsébetváros Mátyásföld V Istenhegy VII Vár Belváros I Farkasrét BUDA Józsefváros PEST VIII X Rákosliget Kªbánya Sasad IX XVII XI Kelenföld Ferencváros Albertfalva Kispest Rákoshegy XIX XX Pestszentlªrinc Nagytétény Bdafok Bdatétény XXII Danbe III River Csillaghegy Danbe River Csepel XXI Újpest IV Pesterzsébet Péterimajor Soroksár XXIII XVIII 0 0 Pestszentimre km 3 miles ORIENTATION Bdapest lies in the north-central part of Hngary, some 0km sotheast of Vienna. The Danbe River, the city s historical artery, is crossed by nine bridges that link hilly, historic Bda with bstling, commercial and very flat Pest. It s a large, sprawling city bt, with few exceptions (the Bda Hills, City Park and some excrsions), the areas beyond the Nagykör (literally, Big Ring road ) in Pest and west of Moszkva in Bda are residential or indstrial and of little interest to visitors. It is a well laid-ot city, so mch so that it is almost difficlt to get lost. If yo look at a map of the city yo ll see that two ring roads the Nagykör and the semicirclar Kiskör ( Little Ring road ) more or less link all of the most important bridges across the Danbe and define central Pest. The Nagykör consists of Szent István kör, Teréz kör, Erzsébet kör, József kör and Ferenc kör. The Kiskör comprises Károly kör, Múzem kör and Vámház kör. Important bolevards sch as Bajcsy-Zsilinszky, Andrássy, Rákóczi and Üllői, fan ot from the ring roads, creating large sqares and circles. Bda is dominated by Castle and Gellért Hills; its bsiest sqare is Moszkva. Important roads on this side are Margit kör (the only part of either ring road to cross the river), Fő tca and Attila on either side of Castle Hill, and Hegyalja and Bartók Béla rnning westerly and sothwesterly. Bdapest is divided into 3 kerüle, or districts, which sally also have traditional names, sch as Lipótváros (Leopold Town) in district V or Víziváros (Watertown) in district I. The Roman nmeral A STREET BY ANY OTHER NAME appearing before each street address indicates the district. For information on getting to/from Bdapest s Ferihegy International Airport, 4km sotheast of the city centre, see p3. Maps Lonely Planet s Bdapest City Map covers the more poplar parts of town in detail. The best folding maps of the city are Cartographia s :,000 (90Ft) and :8,000 (70Ft) ones. If yo plan to explore the city thoroghly, the Bdapest Atlas, also from Cartographia, is indispensable. It comes in the same scale (:0,000) bt two sizes: a smaller format (90Ft) and a larger one (00Ft). There is also a :,000 pocket atlas of jst the Inner Town available for 0Ft. Many bookshops, inclding Libri Könyvpalota ( p ), stock a wide variety of maps. Cartographia (Map p84 ; %3 00; graphia.h; VI Bajcsy-Zsilinszky 37; h0am-pm Mon- Fri; mm3 Arany János tca) has its own otlet in Bdapest, bt it s not self-service, which can be annoying. A better bet is Térképkirály (Map King; Map p84 ; %47 00; VI Bajcsy-Zsilinszky 3; h0am-pm Mon-Fri; mm3 Arany János tca) or the smaller Párisi Udvar Könyvesbolt (Párisi Udvar Bookshop; Map p8 ; %3 0379; V Petőfi Sándor tca ; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; mm3 Ferenciek tere) in the Párisi Udvar. INFORMATION Bookshops Bestsellers (Map p8 ; %3 9; V Október tca ; h9am-.30pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat, 0am-4pm Sn; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) Top of the pops for Englishlangage books in Bdapest is this recently expanded bookshop, which has novels, travel gides and lots of Hngarica, as well as a large selection of magazines and newspapers. After WWII most streets, sqares and parks were renamed after people, dates or political grops that have since become anathema to an independent and democratic Hngary. From April 989 names were changed with a determination that some people felt was almost obsessive; Cartographia s street atlas of Bdapest lists almost 400 street name changes in the capital alone. Sometimes it was jst a case of retrning a street or sqare to its original (perhaps medieval) name from Lenin ja, say, to Szent korona ja (Street of the Holy Crown). Other times the name was new. The new (or original) names are now in place after more than a decade and a half; the old street signs with a red X drawn across them have all bt disappeared, and virtally no one refers to Ferenciek tere (Sq of the Franciscans) in the capital, for example, as Felszabadlás (Liberation Sq), which honored the Soviet Army s role in liberating Bdapest in WWII.

3 Information Information 7 Central Eropean University Bookshop (Map p8 ; %37 309; V Nádor tca 9; h0am-pm Mon-Fri; g) Under the same management as Pendragon is this two-floor bookshop at the Central Eropean University, which has a good selection of academic and bsiness titles with a regional focs, as well as some second hand stock. Írók Boltja (Writers Bookshop; Map p84 ; %3 4; VI Andrássy 4; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; mm Oktogon, j4 or ) For Hngarian athors in translation, this is the place to go. Központi Antikvárim (Map p8 ; %37 34; V Múzem kör 3-; h0am-.30pm Mon-Fri, 0am- pm Sat; mm3 Kálvin ) For antiqe and second-hand books in Hngarian, German and English try the Central Antiqarian, which was established in 88 and is the largest antiqe bookshop in Bdapest. Libri Könyvpalota (Map p84 ; %7 4844; VII Rákóczi ; h0am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 0am-3pm Sat; mm Astoria) Hge and spread over two floors, the Book Palace has a selection of English-langage novels, art books, gidebooks, maps, msic and a café on the st floor. Libri Stúdim (Map p8 ; %38 80; V Váci tca ; h0am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-3pm Sat & Sn; mm3 IN Ferenciek tere) For books in English and other langages on Hngarian sbjects, the more central Stúdim is among the best bets. Pendragon (Map pp80- ; %340 44; XIII Pozsonyi -3; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; j4 or ) This English-langage bookshop has an excellent selection of books and gides (inclding Lonely Planet titles). Red Bs (Map p8 ; % ; V Semmelweiss tca 4; ham-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; mm Astoria) Below the poplar hostel ( p04 ) of the same name, this is the only shop in town selling sed Englishlangage books. Szőnyi Antikvárima (Map p84 ; %3 43; V Szent István kör 3; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; j4 or ) This long-established antiqarian bookshop has an excellent selection of antiqe prints and maps (look in the drawers), as well as books. Világsajtó Háza (World Press Hose; Map p8 ; %37 3; V Városház tca 3-; h7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7am-pm Sat, 8am-noon Sn; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This is the best place in Bdapest for foreign-langage newspapers, magazines and other periodicals. Two Days If yo ve got jst a cople of days in Bdapest spend most of the first day on Castle Hill ( p9 ), taking in the views and sights and visiting a msem or two. In the afternoon ride the Sikló ( p9 ) down to Clark Ádám and, depending on the day of the week, make yor way to the Király Baths ( p97 ) or Gellért Baths ( p97 ) for a relaxing soak. In the evening head for Liszt Ferenc for drinks and dinner at Menza ( p ). The following day concentrate on the two icons of Hngarian nationhood and the places that hose them: the Crown of St Stephen ( p9 ) in the Parliament bilding and the saint-king s mortal remains in St Stephen s Basilica ( p9 ). Take a late afternoon coffee (and cake) break at Gerbead ( p3 ) in Vörösmarty, and try to attend a performance at the Liszt Academy of Msic ( p93 ) or the Hngarian State Opera Hose ( p9 ). For Days With another cople of days to look arond the city, consider taking or walking tor ( p00 ) p Andrássy, stopping off and visiting whatever interests yo along the way be it the Hose of Terror ( p9 ) or the Msem of Fine Arts ( p9 ). Lkács ( p3 ), the café and cake shop, is conveniently located en rote, and yo cold take the waters at the Széchenyi Baths ( p97 ) in City Park. Robinson ( p ) or Bagolyvár ( p ) are convenient places for an evening meal. The following day why not take in destinations frther afield, sch as State Park ( p7 ), a ride p into the Bda Hills on the Cog Railway ( p7 ) or a hike? Be back in time for a farewell pb and clb crawl or, if it s the right season, a well-watered tor of the city s best gardens ( p7 ). One Week If yo have a week in Bdapest yo cold manage to see most of the sights listed in this chapter, inclding secondary gems, sch as the Tomb of Gül Baba ( p73 ) and the Ferenc Hopp Msem of East Asian Art ( p9 ), or markets like the Nagycsarnok ( p4 ) and Ecseri Piac ( p0 ), and do a little shopping ( p0 ). Yo cold even leave Bdapest for a cople of days excrsion to the Danbe Bend ( p3 ), Lake Balaton ( p8 ) or even the Hortobágy ( p38 ) on the Great Plain. DISCOUNT CARDS The Bdapest Card (% 0479; www. bdapestinfo.h; per 48/7hr 4700/900Ft) offers free or redced admission to 0 msems and other sights in the city, nlimited travel on all forms of pblic transport, and disconts on organised tors, on car rental, at thermal baths, and at selected shops and restarants. It is sold at Torinform offices, travel agencies, hotels and main metro stations. The national eqivalent is the Hngary Card ( p370 ). Emergency If yo need to report a crime or a lost or stolen passport or credit card, first call the central emergency nmber (%), the police (%07) or the English-langage crime hotline (%8am-8pm , 8pm-8am ). Any crime mst then be reported at the police station of the district yo re in. In central Pest that wold be the Belváros-Lipótváros Police Station (Map p84 ; % ; V Szalay tca -3; g). If possible, bring along a Hngarian speaker. Other sefl nmbers: Amblance (%0) Fire (%04) Internet Access Ami Internet Coffee (Map p8 ; %7 44; www. amicoffee.h in Hngarian only; V Váci tca 40; per /30/0min 00/400/700Ft, per /0hr 30/400Ft;h9am-am; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This Internet café in the niversity area has 40 terminals. Electric Cafe (Map p84 ; %43 803; café.h; VII Dohány tca 37; per 30/0min 00/00Ft; h9am-midnight; mm Blaha Ljza ) This place is very poplar with travellers. Narancs (Map p84 ; %43 07; VII Akácfa tca ; per 30/0min 00/00Ft; h0am-midnight; mm Blaha Ljza ) This is a small bt charming French-rn neighborhood Internet café. Parknet (Map p8 ; %70 49; V Váci tca 3; per /30/0min 70/70/00Ft, per /0hr 800/3000Ft; h9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 0am-8pm Sn; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This place is abot as central as yo ll find in Pest. Private Link (Map pp80- ; %334 07; -link.h; VIII József kör ; per //0hr 90/000/ 300Ft; h4hr; mm3 Ferenc kör) This is Bdapest s largest and most comfortable Internet café, and one of the very few open rond the clock. Internet Resorces For Hngarian websites with Bdapest links, see p. Bdapest Sn Online ( Poplar English weekly online, with local news, interviews and featres. Bdapest Torism Office ( Bdapest s best overall website. Bdapest Week ( An excellent sorce for events, arts and entertainment. Pestiside ( Sbtitled The Daily Dish of Cosmopolitan Bdapest, this acerbic and often very fnny take on the capital (and nation, for that matter) will have yo cltrally and politically flent before yo even arrive. Visitors Gide Bdapest ( This is the Bdapest Sn s very own website for visitors. Left Lggage Bdapest s three major train stations, two bs stations and Ferihegy International Airport (Terminal B) all have left-lggage offices or lockers. For more information, see the appropriate sections in the Transport chapter (p378 ). Medical Services CLINICS FirstMed Centers (Map p83 ; %4 9090; medcentres.com; I Hattyú tca 4, /F; happointments 8am-7pm Mon-Th, 8am-pm Fri, rgent care 4hr; mm Moszkva ) This is a modern private medical clinic with rond-the-clock emergency treatment, bt it s not cheap: a basic consltation costs,00/,00ft for p to 0/0 mintes. SOS Dental Services (Map p8 ; %7 90, 9 00; VI Király tca 4; h4hr; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) This dental srgery charges 000Ft for a consltation, 000Ft to 000Ft for extractions and 000Ft to 0,000Ft for fillings. PHARMACIES All of Bdapest s 3 districts have a rotating all-night pharmacy; a sign on the door of any pharmacy will help yo locate the nearest 4-hor place. Other conveniently located pharmacies: Csillag Patika (Map p84 ; %34 39; VIII Rákóczi 39; h7.30am-9pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-pm Sat; mm Blaha Ljza ) Déli Gyógyszertár (Map pp80- ; %3 49; XII Alkotás tca /b; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm Déli pályadvar) Teréz Patika (Map p84 ; %3 4439, 47 09; VI Teréz kör 4; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm3 Nygati pályadvar)

4 8 Dangers & Annoyances Sights 9 Money There are ATMs everywhere in Bdapest, inclding in the train and bs stations, and qite a few foreign-crrency exchange machines, too. K&H bank (Map p8 ; V Váci tca 40; h8am-pm Mon, 8am-4pm Te-Th, 8am-3pm Fri; mm3 Ferenciek tere) Conveniently located on the main shopping drag; offers fairly good rates. OTP bank (Map p8 ; V Deák Ferenc tca 7-9; h7.4am- pm Mon, 7.4am-pm Te-Fri; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) The National Savings Bank offers among the best exchange rates for cash and travellers cheqes, bt arrive at least an hor before closing to ensre the brea de change conter is still open. Post Main post office (Map p8 ; V Petőfi Sándor tca 3-; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) A few mintes walk from Deák Ferenc and the main Torinform office, the main post office is where yo can by stamps, mail letters, and send packages and faxes all from the same place. Main post office annexe (Map p8 ; V Városház tca 8; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) Poste restante service arond the corner from the main post office. Post office Keleti train station (Map pp80- ; VIII Kerepesi -; h7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm Keleti pályadvar); Nygati train station (Map p84 ; VI Teréz kör -3; h7am-9pm Mon-Sat, 0am-pm Sn; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) Telephone & Fax Yo can by SIM cards and rent hand nits from varios mobile-phone otlets throghot the city: Pannon GSM (Map p8 ; %3 84; V Arany János tca 7; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm3 Arany János tca) T-Mobile (Map p8 ; % 73; V Petőfi Sándor tca ; h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am- pm Sat; mm3 Ferenciek tere) Vodafone (Map p84 ; %38 78; West End City Centre, VI Váci 3; h0am-9pm Mon- Sat, 0am-pm Sn; mnygati pályadvar) Torist Information Bdapest Torist Office (BTO; % 0479; Castle Hill Map p83 ; % ; I Szentháromság ; h9am-8pm May-Sep, 0am-7pm Oct-Apr; g or Várbsz; Nygati train station Map p84 ; %30 880; Nygati pályadvar, platform No 0; h9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-pm Nov-Mar; mm3 Nygati pályadvar; Oktogon Map p84 ; %3 4098; VI Liszt Ferenc ; h9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 0am-pm Nov-Mar; mm Oktogon) These are less frantic options than Torinform for torist information. BTO also maintains offices at Ferihegy International Airport s Terminals, A (arrivals) and B (departres). Torinform (Map p8 ; % , 4hr information hotline ; V Sütő tca ; h8am-8pm; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) This is sally the single best sorce of information on Bdapest, bt it can get hopelessly crowded in smmer, and the staff are not always very patient or even helpfl. Travel Agencies Many of the offices listed here also provide information, and dispense brochres and maps. For details on commercial otfits that can book private accommodation, see Private Rooms ( p04 ). Express (Map p8 ; %37 790, 377; V Semmelweiss tca 4; h8.30am- pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm Astoria) The main office of this yoth- and stdent-orientated agency can book accommodation in Bdapest, particlarly hostels and colleges, and sells transport tickets. Ibsz (Map p8 ; %48 700; V Ferenciek tere 0; h9am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm3 Ferenciek tere) The main office of this travel-agency giant spplies travel brochres, changes money, books all types of accommodation and accepts credit-card payments. Mellow Mood (Map p8 ; %4 390; hostels.h, V Molnár tca 3; h9am-pm Mon-Fri; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This new kid on the block rn by the hostel grop of the same name ( p04 ) can organise accommodation in private rooms and hostels, book tors, sell yo disconted air tickets etc. Vista (Map p8 ; %49 97; VI Palay Ede tca ; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ; h9am-.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-.30pm Sat) Vista is an excellent one-stop shop for all yor travel needs, both otbond (air tickets, package tors etc) and incoming (room bookings, organised tors, stdy and ecological tors in Hngary etc). Wasteels (Map pp80- ; %0 80, ; VIII Kerepesi -; h8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-pm Sat; mm Keleti pályadvar) This agency at the top of platform No 9 at Keleti train station sells Billet International de Jenesse (BIJ) tickets ( p38 ), bt yo mst have a stdent or yoth card ( p370 ) to get the disconted fares. DANGERS & ANNOYANCES No parts of Bdapest are off limits to visitors, althogh some locals now avoid Margaret Island after dark dring the low season, and both residents and visitors give the dodgier parts of the VIII and IX districts (areas of prostittion) a wide berth. Pick pocketing is most common in markets, the Castle District, Váci tca and Hősök tere, near major hotels, and on certain poplar bses (eg 7) and trams (, 4,, 47 and 49). Catching a taxi in Bdapest can be an expensive and even npleasant experience. Never hail a taxi on the street; instead order one from a phone private, mobile or pblic and give the nmber (almost always posted somewhere in the phone box) to the dispatcher. For more information abot taxis, see p7. If yo ve left something on any form of pblic transport in Bdapest, contact the BKV lost & fond office (Map p84 ; %7 99; VII Akácfa tca 8; h8am-pm Mon & Te, Th & Fri, 8am-pm Wed; mm Blaha Ljza ). Scams Scams involving attractive yong women, gllible gys, expensive drinks in nightclbs and a frog-marching to the nearest ATM by gorillas-in-residence have been all the rage in Bdapest for a decade now, and we get stacks of letters from male readers complaining they ve been ripped off. Gys, please, do s all a favor. If it seems too good to be tre, it is. Trst s and the mirror; sch vanity has cost some wold-be Lotharios hndreds, even thosands, of dollars. SIGHTS For more details on the many msems and other sights listed here, see the Msems in Hngary ( website. Bda Leafy and npollted, Bda as seen from Pest isn t jst a pretty face. The city s more majestic western side fronting the Danbe has some of its most important and historical landmarks (eg Castle Hill, the Citadella) and msems (National Gallery, Bdapest History Msem) and, to the north, the original Roman settlement at Aqincm. CASTLE HILL Castle Hill (Várhegy), also called the Castle District, a km-long limestone platea towering 70m above the Danbe, contains Bdapest s most important medieval monments and msems, and is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Below it is a 8km-long network of caves formed by thermal springs. The walled area consists of two distinct parts: the Old Town, where commoners lived in the Middle Ages (today s owners of the brgher hoses here are anything bt common ), and the Royal Palace, the original site of the castle bilt in the 3th centry. The easiest way to get to Castle Hill from Pest is to take bs from Deák Ferenc to Dísz, midway between the Old Town and the Royal Palace. Mch more fn, thogh, is to stroll across Chain Bridge and board the Sikló (h7.30am-0pm, closed st & 3rd Mon of month), a fniclar railway (phill/downhill ticket adlt 0/0Ft, child aged three to 4 30Ft) bilt in 870 that ascends from Clark Ádám to Szent György near the Royal Palace. Alternatively, yo can walk p the Király lépcső, the Royal Steps that lead from Clark Ádám to the northwest, or the wide staircase that goes to the sothern end of the Royal Palace from I Szarvas. Another option is to take metro M to Moszkva, go p the stairs in the northeastern part of the sqare and walk p I Várfok tca to Vienna Gate. A minibs with a logo of a castle and labelled Várbsz (or Dísz ) follows the same rote from the start of Várfok tca. Vienna Gate The medieval entrance to the Old Town, Vienna Gate (Map p83 ; Bécsi kap; h4hr) was rebilt in 93 to mark the 0th anniversary of the retaking of the castle from the Trks. Yo can climb to the top at any time. It s not all that hge, bt when children in Bdapest are loqacios or noisy, their parents tell them: Yor moth is as big as the Vienna Gate! Medieval Jewish Prayer Hose The Medieval Jewish Prayer Hose (Középkori Zsidó Imaház; Map p83 ; % 78; I Táncsics Mihály tca ; adlt/child 400/0Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn May-Oct), parts of which date from the 4th centry, contains docments and items linked to the Jewish commnity of Bda, as well as Gothic stone carvings and tombstones from the Great Synagoge in Pest. Msem of Military History The Msem of Military History (Hadtörténeti Múzem; Map p83 ;%3 9; I Tóth Árpád sétány 40; admission free; h0am-pm Te-Sn Apr-Sep, 0am-4pm

5 70 Sights Sights 7 Te-Sn Oct-Mar), loaded with weaponry dating from before the Trkish conqest, also does a pretty good job with niforms, medals, flags and battle-themed fine art. Exhibits focs on the War of Independence and the Hngarian Royal Army nder Admiral Miklós Horthy (98 43). Bda Castle Labyrinth The Bda Castle Labyrinth (Bdavári Labirints; Map p83 ;%489 38; cnr I Úri tca 9 & Lovas 4; adlt/child 400/00Ft; h9.30am-7.30pm), a 00m-long cave system some m nder the Castle District, looks at how the caves have been sed since prehistoric times in nine halls and chambers. The admission fee is very high by Bdapest standards, bt it s all good fn, and a relief from the heat and the crowds above on a hot smmer s day. Hose of Hngarian Wines The Hose of Hngarian Wines (Magyar Borok Háza; Map p83 ; % 030; I Szentháromság ; sampling 3800Ft; hnoon-8pm) offers the chance of a crash corse in Hngarian viticltre in the heart of the Castle District. Bt with over 700 wines on display from Hngary s wine regions and as many as to sample, crash may soon become the operative word. Matthias Chrch Parts of the Matthias Chrch (Mátyás-templom; Map p83 ; %3 7; I Szentháromság ; adlt/child/family 00/300/000Ft, adiogide 300Ft; h9am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat, -pm Sn) date back some 00 years, notably the carvings above the sothern entrance. Bt basically the chrch (so named becase King Matthias Corvins married Beatrix here in 474) is a neo-gothic creation designed by the architect Frigyes Schlek in 89. In April 00 the government began a US$0 million restoration of the chrch that will last two years. Steps to the right of the main altar inside the chrch lead to the crypt. The Matthias Chrch Collection of Ecclesiastical Art (Mátyás-templom Egyházművészeti Gyűjteménye; Map p83 ; % ), which is inclded in the chrch admission fee, has ornate monstrances, reliqaries, chalices and other chrch plates, as well as a copy of the coronation regalia. There are some interesting views of the chancel from high p in the Royal Oratory. Fishermen s Bastion The Fishermen s Bastion (Halászbástya; Map p83 ; adlt/child 330/Ft; h9am-pm) is another neo-gothic masqerade that most visitors (and Hngarians) believe to be mch older. Bt who cares? It looks medieval and still offers views that are among the best in Bdapest. Bilt as a viewing platform in 90 by Schlek, the bastion s name was taken from the gild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of the wall in the Middle Ages. The seven gleaming white trrets represent the Magyar tribes that entered the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th centry. In front of the bastion is an ornate eqestrian state of St Stephen by sclptor Alajos Stróbl. Golden Eagle Pharmacy Msem The Golden Eagle Pharmacy Msem (Arany Sas Patikamúzem; Map p83 ; %37 977; I Tárnok tca 8; admission free; h0.30am-.30pm Te-Sn mid-mar Oct, 0.30am-3.30pm Te-Sn Nov mid-mar), jst north of Dísz on the site of Bdapest s first pharmacy (8), contains an nsal mixtre of displays on medieval medicine, inclding a mock-p of an alchemist s laboratory. Royal Palace The former Royal Palace (Bdavári Palota; Map p83 ) has been brned, bombed, razed, rebilt and redesigned at least a half-dozen times over the past seven centries. Béla IV established a royal residence here in the mid- 3th centry and sbseqent kings either rebilt their own residences or added on to them. The palace was destroyed in the battle to rot the Trks in 8; the Habsbrgs rebilt it, bt spent very little time here. Today the Royal Palace contains not royal residences bt two msems (the Hngarian National Gallery and the Bdapest History Msem) and the National Széchenyi Library. There are two entrances to the Royal Palace. The first is via the Habsbrg Steps, sotheast of Szent György and throgh an ornamental gateway dating from 903. The other way in is via Corvins Gate (hammidnight), with its big black raven symbolising King Matthias Corvins, sothwest of the sqare. The Hngarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria; Map p83 ; %0 908, ; Royal Palace, Wings B, C & D; admission free, special exhibitions adlt/ child/family 00/800/3000Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn) is an overwhelmingly large collection over for floors that traces the development of Hngarian art from the 0th centry to the present day. The largest collections inclde medieval and Renaissance stonework, Gothic wooden sclptres and panel paintings, late- Gothic winged altars, and late Renaissance and baroqe art. The msem also has an important collection of Hngarian paintings and sclptre from the 9th and 0th centries. Yo won t recognise many names, bt keep an eye open for the harrowing depictions of war and the dispossessed by László Mednyánszky, the niqe portraits by József Rippl-Rónai, the mammoth canvases by Tivadar Csontváry, the paintings of carnivals by the modern artist Vilmos Aba-Novák and works by the realist Mihály Mnkácsy, the painter of the pszta. The Bdapest History Msem (Bdapesti Történeti Múzem; Map p83 ; % 78, ; Royal Palace, Wing E; adlt/child/family 900/40/00Ft, adiogide 800Ft; h0am-pm mid-may mid-sep, 0am- pm Wed-Mon Mar mid-may & mid-sep Oct, 0am-4pm Wed-Mon Nov-Feb), also known as the Castle Msem (Vár Múzem), traces the 000 years of the city on three floors of jmbled exhibits. Restored palace rooms dating from the th centry can be entered from the basement, which contains an exhibit on the Royal Palace in medieval Bda. In the basement three valted halls, one with a magnificent Renaissance door frame in red marble bearing the seal of Qeen Beatrice and tiles with a raven and a ring (the seal of her hsband King Matthias Corvins), lead to the Gothic Hall, the Royal Cellar and the 4th-centry Tower Chapel. On the grond floor is an exhibit entitled Bdapest in the Middle Ages as well as Gothic states discovered dring excavations in 974. The exhibit on the st floor Bdapest in Modern Times traces the history of the city from the explsion of the Trks in 8 to Hngary s entry into the EU. On the nd floor the exhibits reach way back Bdapest from prehistoric times to the arrival of the Avars in the late th centry. GELLÉRT HILL & THE TABÁN Gellért-hegy (Map p83 ), a 3m-high rocky hill sotheast of the Castle District, is crowned with a fortress of sorts and the Independence Monment, Bdapest s nofficial symbol. From Gellért Hill, yo can t beat the views of the Royal Palace and the Danbe. The Tabán (Map p83 ), the leafy area between Gellért and Castle Hill, is associated with the Serbs, who settled here after fleeing from the Trks in the early 8th centry. Later it became known for its restarants and wine gardens a kind of Montmartre for Bdapest. Most of them brned to the grond at the trn of the 0th centry. Today Gellért Hill and the Tabán are given over to private homes, parks and three thermal spas that make good se of the hot springs gshing from deep below Gellért Hill. The Gellért Baths (Map pp80 ) are open to the pblic (see p97 ); the Rác Baths (Map p83 ) were still nder renovation at the time of writing. Szent Gellért Szent Gellért faces Independence Bridge (Szabadság híd; Map pp80 and Map pp88 9 ) and is dominated by the Danbis Gellért Hotel (Map pp80 ), an Art-Novea pile (98) and the city s favorite oldworld hotel and spa. Cave Chapel (Sziklakápolna; Map pp80- ; %38 9; h9am-8pm), on a small hill directly north of the hotel, was bilt into a cave in 9. It was the seat of the Paline order ntil 9, when the priests were arrested and imprisoned by the commnists, and the cave sealed off. It was reopened in 99 and reconsecrated. The chapel is closed to the pblic dring Mass services. Gellért can be reached from Pest on bs 7 or tram 47 or 49, and from the Bda side on bs 8 and tram 8 or 9. Citadella The Citadella (Map pp80- ; %3 07; h4hr) is a fortress that never did battle. Bilt by the Habsbrgs after the War of Independence to defend the city from frther insrrection, by the time it was ready (8) the political climate had changed and the Citadella had become obsolete. It was given to the city in the 890s and parts of it were symbolically blown to pieces. Today the Citadella contains some big gns and dsty displays in the central cortyard, the new 944 Waxworks (944 Panoptíkm; Map pp80- ; %79 93; admission 00Ft; h9am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8am-0pm Sat,

6 7 Sights Sights 73 8am-9pm Sn) inside a bnker sed dring WWII, a hotel/hostel ( p0 ), a restarant and a dance clb. To get here from Pest cross Elizabeth Bridge and take the stairs leading p behind the state of St Gellért, or cross Independence Bridge and follow Verejték tca throgh the park starting at the Cave Chapel. Bs 7 rns almost to the top of the hill from Móricz Zsigmond kör, sothwest of the Danbis Gellért Hotel (and accessible on trams 8, 9, 47 and 49). Independence Monment The Independence Monment (Szabadságszobor; Map pp80 ), the lovely lady with the palm frond proclaiming freedom throghot the city, is to the east of the Citadella. Some 4m high, it was erected in 947 in tribte to the Soviet soldiers who died liberating Bdapest in 94. States & Bridges The Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd; Map p8 ) is the gleaming white (thogh rather generic-looking) sspension bridge northeast of Gellért Hill. It enjoys a special place in the hearts of Bdapesters, as it was the first newly designed bridge to reopen after WWII (94). Looking down on Elizabeth Bridge from Gellért Hill is the St Gellért state (Map p83 ), an Italian missionary invited to Hngary by King Stephen to convert the natives. The monment marks the spot where the bishop was hrled to his death in a spiked barrel in 04 by pagan Hngarians resisting the new faith. To the north of the bridge and throgh the nderpass is a Qeen Elizabeth state (Map p8 ), the Habsbrg empress and Hngarian qeen. The consort of Franz Joseph, she was mch-loved by Magyars becase, among other things, she learned to speak Hngarian. Sissi, as she was affectionately known, was assassinated by an Italian anarchist in Geneva in 898. VÍZIVÁROS Víziváros (Watertown; Map p83 and Map pp80 ) is the narrow area between the Danbe and Castle Hill that widens as it approaches Óbda to the north and Rózsadomb (Rose Hill) to the northwest, spreading as far west as Moszkva, one of Bda s main transport hbs. In the Middle Ages those involved in trades, crafts and fishing lived here. Under the Trks many of the district s chrches were sed as mosqes, and baths were bilt, one of which is still fnctioning. Víziváros is today the heart of rban Bda. Yo can reach Víziváros on foot from the metro M Batthyány stop by walking soth along the river or via tram 9, which links the neighborhood with Szent Gellért. Bs from Deák Ferenc stops here on its way to/from Castle Hill. Clark Ádám Clark Ádám (Map p83 ) is named after the 9th-centry Scottish engineer who spervised the bilding of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd; Map p83 ), leading from the sqare, and who designed the tnnel (alag; Map p83 ) nder Castle Hill, which took eight months to carve ot of the limestone. The bridge was actally the idea of Cont István Széchenyi see p7 and when it opened in 849 it was niqe for two reasons: it was the first dry link between Bda and Pest; and the aristocracy, previosly exempt from all taxation, had to pay the toll like everybody else. The crios sclptre, which looks like an elongated doghnt, hidden in the bshes to the soth is the 0km stone (Map p83 ); all Hngarian roads to and from the capital are measred from this exact spot. Fő tca Fő tca (Map p83 ) is the Main Street rnning throgh Víziváros and dates from Roman times. At the former Capchin chrch (Map p83 ; I Fő tca 30-3), sed as a mosqe dring the Trkish occpation, yo can see the remains of two Islamic-style ogee-arched doors and windows on the sothern side. Arond the corner there s the seal of King Matthias Corvins a raven and a ring and the little sqare with the delightfl Lois Fontain (Lajos kja; 904) is called Corvin. The Eclectic bilding on the north side is the Bda Concert Hall (Bdai Vigadó; Map p83 ; Corvin 8). Batthyány (Map p83 and Map pp80 ), a short distance to the northeast, is the centre of Víziváros and the best place to snap a pictre of the Parliament bilding across the river. In the centre of this rather shabby sqare is the entrance to both metro M and the HÉV sbrban line to Szentendre. On the sothern side is St Anne s Chrch (Szent Ana templom; Map p83 ; II Batthyány 7), with one of the loveliest baroqe interiors of any chrch in Bdapest. A cople of streets north is Nagy Imre (Map pp80 ), with the enormos Military Cort of Jstice (Map pp80- ; II Fő tca 70-78) on the northern side. Here Imre Nagy and others were tried and sentenced to death in 98 (see p3 ). It was also the site of the notorios Fő tca prison, where many other victims of the regime were incarcerated and tortred. The Király Baths (Király Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; II Fő tca 8-8), parts of which date from 80, are one block to the north (see p97 ). Across pedestrianised Ganz tca is the Greek Catholic St Florian Chapel (Szent Florián kápolna; Map pp80- ; II Fő tca 88-90), bilt in 70 and dedicated to the patron saint of fire-fighters. Millennim Park One of the more sccessfl rban redevelopment projects on either side of the Danbe in the past decade, Millennim Park (Millenáris Park; Map pp80- ; %438 3; II Kis Róks tca -0 & Lövőház tca 37; ham-am; mm Moszkva, j4 or ) is a large landscaped complex behind the Mammt shopping mall comprising fontains, ponds, little bridges, a theatre and the Millennim Exhibition Hall (Millenáris Kiállítócsarnok; %438 33; admission varies; h0am-pm or 8pm), which hosts some nsal cltral exhibits. Frankel Leó At Bem, Fő tca trns into Frankel Leó, a tree-lined street of antiqe shops and botiqes. At its northern end is the Lkács Baths (Lkács Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; II Frankel Leó - 9; j7, g0 or 8), which caters to an older and qite serios crowd of bath enthsiasts (see p97 ). A short distance north and tcked away in an apartment block is the Újlak Synagoge (Újlaki zsinagóga; Map pp80- ; II Frankel Leó 49), bilt in 888 on the site of an older prayer hose and not open to the pblic. Tomb of Gül Baba The overly reconstrcted Tomb of Gül Baba (Gül Baba türbéje; Map pp80- ; %3 00; II Türbe ; adlt/child/stdent 00/0/00Ft; h0am-pm Mar-Oct, 0am-4pm Nov-Feb; HÉV station Margit híd, j4, or 7) contains the remains of one Gül Baba, an Ottoman Dervish who took part in the captre of Bda in 4, and is known in Hngary as the Father of Roses. To reach it from Török tca, which rns parallel to Frankel Leó, walk west along steep (and cobbled) Gül Baba tca to the set of steps jst past No. Yo can also reach here along Mecset tca, which rns north from Margit tca. The tomb is a pilgrimage place for Mslims, especially from Trkey, and yo mst remove yor shoes before entering. There s a pleasant café here with fine views. ÓBUDA Ó means ancient in Hngarian; as its name sggests, Óbda is the oldest part of Bda. The Romans settled at Aqincm north of here (see p ) and when the Magyars arrived, they named it Bda, which became Óbda when the Royal Palace was bilt on Castle Hill. Yo can reach the heart of Óbda on the HÉV commter train get off at the Árpád híd stop from Batthyány, which is on the M metro line, or bs 8 from Fő tca and other points along the Danbe on the Bda side. If yo re near City Park (Városliget) in Pest, walk sotheast to the intersection of Hngária kör and Thököly and catch the No tram, which avoids Bda and crosses Árpád Bridge into Óbda. Florián & Srronds Florián (Map pp78 9 ), split in two by the Árpád Bridge flyover and encircled by mammoth hosing blocks, is not the best introdction to Óbda, bt it remains the district s historic centre. The yellow baroqe Óbda Parish Chrch (Óbdai plébániatemplom; Map pp78-9 ; III 8 Lajos tca), bilt in 749 and dedicated to Sts Peter and Pal, dominates the easternmost side of Flórián. There s a massive rococo plpit inside. To the soth, the large neoclassical bilding beside the Corinthia Aqincm Hotel is the former Óbda Synagoge (Óbdai zsinagóga; Map pp78-9 ; III Lajos tca 3), dating from 8. It now hoses the sond stdios of MTV (Hngarian TV). Opposite, the Bdapest Gallery Exhibition Hose (Bdapest Galéria Kiállítóháza; Map pp78-9 ; %388 77; III Lajos tca 8; adlt/child 400/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn) hosts some of the most interesting avant-garde exhibitions in town. It also has a standing exhibit of works by

7 74 Sights Sights 7 Pál Pátzay, whose sclptres can be seen throghot the city (eg the fontain on Tárnok tca in Bda s Castle District and the Serpent Slayer in honor of Raol Wallenberg in Szent István Park in Pest). To explore the Roman Military Amphitheatre (Római katonai amfiteátrm; Map pp78-9 ; Pacsirtamező tca), bilt in the nd centry for the garrisons, archaeology and classical history bffs taking bs 8 to Flórián shold get off at Nagyszombat tca (for HÉV passengers, it s the Tímár tca stop), abot 800m soth of Flórián. The amphitheatre cold accommodate p to,000 people and was larger than the Colossem in Rome. The rest of the military camp extended north to Flórián. Hosed in an 8th-centry monastery, later a barracks that was badly damaged in WWII and again in 9, to the sothwest of Flórián, the exhibits at the Kiscell Msem (Kiscelli Múzem; Map pp78-9 ; %388 80, ; III Kiscelli tca 08; adlt/child 00/300Ft; h0am- pm Te-Sn Apr-Oct, 0am-4pm Nov-Mar; j7, g0) attempt to tell the story (from the hman side) of Bdapest since liberation from the Trks. The msem conts among its best exhibits a complete 9th-centry apothecary moved here from Kálvin, ancient signboards advertising shops and other concerns, and rooms frnished in Empire, Biedermeier and Art-Novea frnitre and bric-a-brac. The Mnicipal Gallery (Fővárosi Képtár), with its impressive art collection (József Rippl-Rónai, Lajos Tihanyi, István Csók, Béla Czóbel etc) is hosed pstairs. Szentlélek & Fő Two contigos sqares lying east of Flórián Szentlélek (Holy Spirit Sq; Map pp78 9 ), a transport hb, and Fő (Main Sq; Map pp78 9 ), a qiet restored sqare of baroqe hoses, pblic bildings and restarants contain Óbda s most important msems. The Vasarely Msem (Map pp78-9 ; %388 7; III Szentlélek ; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 400/00Ft; h0am-.30pm Te-Sn), hosed in the crmbling Zichy Mansion, is devoted to the works of Victor Vasarely (or Vásárhelyi Győző before he emigrated to Paris in 930), the late Father of Op Art. The works are excellent and fn to watch as they swell and move arond the canvas. On the st floor are exhibits of works by Hngarian artists working abroad. The Imre Varga Exhibition Hose (Varga Imre kiállítóháza; Map pp78-9 ; %0 074; III Laktanya tca 7; adlt/child 0/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn), part of the Bdapest Gallery, incldes sclptres, states, medals and drawings by Varga (93 ), one of Hngary s foremost sclptors, who seems to have sat on both sides of the fence politically for decades sclpting Béla Kn and Lenin as dextrosly as he did St Stephen, Béla Bartók and even Imre Nagy ( p9 ). En rote to the msem from Fő, yo ll pass some of Varga s work: a grop of odd metal sclptres of rather worried-looking women holding mbrellas in the middle of the road. AQUINCUM The most complete Roman civilian town in Hngary and now a msem, Aqincm (Map pp78 9 ) had paved streets and fairly smptos single-storey hoses with cortyards, fontains and mosaic floors, as well as sophisticated drainage and heating systems. Not all that is easily apparent today as yo walk among the rins, bt yo can see its otlines, as well as those of the big pblic baths, the market, an early-christian chrch and a temple dedicated to the god Mithra. Across the road to the northwest is the Roman Civilian Amphitheatre (Római polgári amfiteátrm; Map pp78-9 ; Szentendrei ), abot half the size of the one reserved for the garrison. Yo can reach Aqincm on the HÉV (Aqincm stop) or on bs 34 or 4 from Szentlélek. The Aqincm Msem (Aqincmi Múzem; Map pp78-9 ; %0 0, ; III Szentendrei 39; archaeological park adlt/ child 400/0Ft, park & msem adlt/child/family 700/300/00Ft; hpark 9am-pm Te-Sn May-Sep, 9am-pm Te-Sn -30 Apr & Oct, msem 0am-pm Te-Sn May-Sep, 0am-pm Te-Sn -30 Apr & Oct), in the centre of what remains of this Roman civilian settlement, pts the rins in perspective with some sccess. Most of the big sclptres and stone sarcophagi are otside to the left of the msem or behind it in the lapidary. Look ot for the replica of a 3rdcentry portable organ called a hydra (and the mosaic illstrating how it was played) and the mock-p of a Roman bath. BUDA HILLS With peaks reaching over 00m, a comprehensive system of trails and no lack of nsal conveyances, the Bda Hills (Map p77 ) are the city s playgrond and a welcome respite from hot, dsty Pest in the warmer months; some families actally have smmer homes here. If yo re planning to ramble, take along a copy of Cartographia s :30,000 A Bdai-hegység map (No ; 900Ft). Apart from the Béla Bartók Memorial Hose, nder renovation at the time of writing, there are few sights, thogh yo might want to poke yor head in one of the Bda Hills pair of caves ( p99 ). With all the nsal transport options, heading for the hills is more than half the fn. From the Moszkva metro station on the M line in Bda, walk westward along Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor for 0 mintes (or take tram 8 or for two stops) to the circlar high-rise Hotel Bdapest at Szilágyi Erzsébet fasor 47. Directly opposite is the termins of the Cog Railway (Fogaskerekű vas; Map p77 ; %3 47; admission BKV ticket; hp am-pm, down.0am-.30pm). Bilt in 874, the cog climbs for 3.km in abot mintes to Széchenyi-hegy (47m), one of the prettiest residential areas in the city. At Széchenyi-hegy, yo can stop for a picnic in the attractive park soth of the old-time station or board the narrow-gage Children s Railway (Gyermekvas; Map p77 ; % ; adlt/ child 300/00Ft; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9.4am-.30pm Sat & Sn mid-mar late Oct, 0am-4pm Te-Fri, 0am-pm Sat & Sn late Oct mid-mar), two mintes to the soth on Hegyhát. The railway was bilt in 9 by Pioneers (socialist Scots) and is staffed entirely by schoolchildren aged 0 to 4 the engineer excepted. The little train chgs along for km, terminating at Hűvösvölgy (Chilly Valley). There are walks fanning ot from any of the stops along the way, or yo can retrn to Moszkva on tram from Hűvösvölgy. The train operates abot once an hor (every 4 mintes on weekends in season). A more interesting way down from the hills, thogh, is to get off at János-hegy, the forth stop on the Children s Railway and the highest point (7m) in the hills. Abot 700m de east is the chairlift (libegő; % ; adlt/child 40/00Ft; h9.30am-pm mid-may mid-sep, 9.30am-4pm mid-sep mid-may), which will take yo down to Zgligeti. (Note the chairlift is closed on the Monday of every even-nmbered week.) From here bs 8 retrns to Moszkva (last one jst after 0.pm). Margaret Island Neither Bda nor Pest,.km-long Margaret Island (Margit-sziget; Map pp80 and Map pp78 9 ) in the middle of the Danbe River was always the domain of one religios order or another ntil the Trks came and trned what was then called the Island of Rabbits into appropriately enogh a harem, from which all infidels were barred. It s been a pblic park open to everyone since the mid- 9th centry. Cross over to Margaret Island from Pest or Bda via trams 4 or. Bs covers the length of the island as it makes the rn between Nygati train station (Nygati pályadvar) and Árpád Bridge bs station. Cars are allowed on Margaret Island from Árpád Bridge only as far as the two big hotels at the northeastern end; the rest is reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and horse-drawn carriages. MEDIEVAL RUINS The rins of the Franciscan chrch and monastery (Ferences templom és kolostor; Map pp80 ) no more than a tower and a wall dating from the late 3th centry are almost in the exact geographical centre of Margaret Island. The Habsbrg archdke Joseph bilt a smmer residence here when he inherited the island in 87. It was later converted into a hotel that operated ntil 949. The former Dominican convent (Domonkos kolostor; Map pp78 9 ) lies to the northeast of the Franciscan chrch and monastery. It was bilt by Béla IV, whose scribes played an important role in the contination of Hngarian scholarship. Its most famos resident was Béla s own daghter, St Margaret (4 7). As the story goes, the king promised to commit his daghter to a life of devotion in a nnnery if the Mongols were driven from the land. They were and she was at nine years of age. Still, she seemed to enjoy it if we re to believe the Lives of the Saints especially the mortificationof-the-flesh parts and never bathing above her ankles. St Margaret, not canonised ntil 943, commands something of a clt following in Hngary. A red marble seplchre cover srronded by a wroght-iron grille marks her original resting place, and there s a mch visited shrine with votives nearby.

8 Alkotás 7 Sights ISLAND ON THE GO The Romans sed mineral springs as both drinking water and therapy, and so do the modern Magyars. Kristályvíz, one of the more poplar brands of mineral water in Hngary, is sorced and bottled here, and the thermal spa at the Danbis Grand Hotel Margitsziget ( p97 ), to the northeast, is one of the most modern spas in Bdapest. Yo can hire a bicycle from one of several stands, inclding Sétacikli (Map pp80- ; % ; 3-speed per 30min/hr/day 400/00/800Ft, pedal coach per hr for 3/ people 800/700Ft; h0am-dsk Mar-Oct), which is on the western side jst before the athletic stadim as yo walk from Margaret Bridge. Bringóhintó (Map pp78-9 ; %39 073, ; montain bike per 30min/ hr 90/990Ft, pedal coach for 4 people 480/3380Ft, inline skates 880/480Ft; h8am-dsk) rents eqipment from the refreshment stand near the Japanese Garden in the north of the island. A twirl arond the island in one of the horse-drawn coaches (Map pp78 9 ), stationed jst soth of the Bringóhintó bike-rental stand, costs from abot 000Ft per person. WATER TOWER & OPEN-AIR THEATRE The octagonal water tower (víztorony; Map pp78 9 ), erected in 9 in the northcentral part of the island, rises m above the open-air theatre (szabadi színpad; % ), which is sed for opera, plays and concerts in smmer. The tower now hoses the Lookot Gallery (Kiállító Galéria; %340 40; adlt/child 00/00Ft; ham-7pm May-Oct), which exhibits some interesting folk craft and contemporary art on the grond floor. Bt the main reason for entering is to climb the 3 steps for a stnning 30-degree view of the island, Bda and Pest from the cpola terrace. Pest While Bda can often feel like a garden, Pest is an rban jngle, with a wealth of architectre, msems, historic bildings and broad bolevards that are nmatched on the other side of the Danbe. And while there s nothing like the Bda Hills here, there s no shortage of open green spaces either City Park (Map pp80 ) at the end of Andrássy is the largest park in Bdapest. INNER TOWN The Inner Town (Belváros; Map p8 ) is the heart of Pest and has the most valable commercial real estate in the city. The area north of Ferenciek tere is fll of flashy botiqes and well-toristed bars and restarants; yo ll hear more German, Italian, Spanish and English spoken here than Hngarian. The neighborhood soth of Ferenciek tere was ntil recently stdenty, qieter and mch more local. Now parts of it, too, have been reserved for pedestrians, and there is no shortage of trendy pbs, cafés and restarants. Ferenciek tere, which divides the Inner Town at Szabadsajtó (Free Press Avene), is on the M3 metro line and can be reached by bs 7 from Bda or points east in Pest. Arond Egyetem The centre of the Inner Town soth of Szabadsajtó is Egyetem (University Sq; Map p8 ), a five-minte walk soth along Károly Mihály tca from Ferenciek tere. The sqare s name refers to the branch of the prestigios Loránd Eötvös Science University (ELTE; Map p8 ; V Egyetem -3). Next to the niversity bilding to the west is the University Chrch, a lovely baroqe strctre bilt in 748. Over the altar inside is a copy of the Black Madonna of Czȩstochowa so revered in Poland. Leafy Kecskeméti tca rns sotheast from the sqare to Kálvin (Map p8 ). At the end of it, near the Korona Hotel, there s a plaqe marking the location of the Kecskemét Gate (Kecskeméti-kap), part of the medieval city wall that was plled down in the 700s. Ráday tca (Map p8 and Map pp80 ), which leads soth from Kálvin and is fll of cafés, clbs and restarants, is where niversity stdents and travellers entertain themselves these days. Along Váci tca The best way to see the posher side of the Inner Town is to walk p pedestrian Váci tca, the capital s premier and most expensive shopping street, with designer clothes, expensive jewellery shops, pbs and some bookshops for browsing. This was the total length of Pest in the Middle Ages. To gain (Contined on page 90) H vösvölgyi Tárogató Széher Bdakeszi Eötvös Kvölgyi Children's Railway Istenhegyi Farkasrét Farkasréti temetª XII Törökbálinti To Gyªr (3km); Vienna (7km) 8 M7 M To Siófok (0km); Lake Balaton Kapy Pasaréti Gazdagréti & ENVIRONS To Esztergom (4km); Komárom (8km) 0 A B Bp-Üröm vá Aranyhegy Óbda vá Hármashatárhegy (49m) II Felsª-Kecskehegy (443m) Tábor-hegy (39m) Remetehgy Remete-hegy III (3m) Bda Hills Ó B U D A Mátyás-hegy (300m) To Chairlift & Zgligeti Niche Camping Újlak (km); H vösvölgy (.km); Zöldmál Petneházy Ferenc-hegy Lovascentrm (3km) (m) Törökvész Felhévíz Vérhalom Rózsadomb Hármashatárhegyi Törökvész Egér Pagony Sasad Péterhegy 7 7 Cseppkö Szilágyi Erzsébet 4 F Csatárka Gábor Áron Dayka Gábor Sasadi Bdaörsi Balatoni fasór 3 Stromfeld Arél Szépvölgyi Lejtª Bécsi To Százhalombatta (km); Siófok (0km); Lake Balaton Kaszásd lª ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) International Bda Stage...(see ) Albertfalva Kincsem Park... 7 D4 C Lªportárd lª To Ráckeve (3km) To Vác (km) Újpest To Széchenyihegy (.km) Széchenyi Mexikói fürdª Herminamezª Rézmal Margit híd Central Pest (pp84 ) Hªsök tere City Park B U D A Nygati Train VI Bajza Station tca (Városliget) Kodály Castle Hill & Watertown (p83) Lipótváros körönd Terézváros Kossth VII Moszkva Víziváros Vörösmarty Lajos tca Batthyány V Arany Oktogon P E S T Ferenc János Keleti Pskás tca VIII Déli Train Stadim Erzsébet- Train Belváros (Inner Town) Station város Stadionok Station (pp8 7) Royal Palace IVörösmarty Deák Blaha Ljza Ferenc Belváros Tabán Józsefváros Ferenciek Astoria tere Németvölgy Bdaörsi XI Bdafok- Albertfalva vá Kelenfoldi p Kelenvölgy Rózsavölgy Csillaghegy To Szentendre (km) Rómaifürdª Kaszásd lª Vörösvári Aqincm felsª vm Aqincm Danbe River Danbe River Vízafogó Ferencváros Boráros Ófal Angyalföld National Theatre SLEEPING Kelenföld Lágymányos (pp03 8) Beatrix Panzío...(see ) IBS Garden Hotel... A3 Beöthy f vm Aqincm Tímár Lajos Villányi Gellért-hegy Citadella Fehérvári Szentendrei Filatorigát Szépvölgyi Árpád híd Margaret Island (Margit-sziget) Óbda Island (Óbdai-sziget) Kálvin Árpád híd Váci IX Nép sziget Dózsa György Lehel Rákóczi INFORMATION Slovenian Conslate... A Soth African Embassy... A SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp9 0) Cog Railway Termins... 3 A3 State Park... 4 A Szerémi Bdafoki EATING (pp09 ) Remíz... A3 TRANSPORT (pp 7) Qeenybs... 8 A4 Váci 0 km 0 mile Gyöngyösi Forgách XIII Róbert Károly krt Andrássy Ferenc krt Józsefvárosi p Klinikák Vágóhíd vá Csepel Island (Csepel-sziget) Óbda, Aqincm & Angyalföld (pp78 9) Szabadkikötª vm Újpest-Városkap Nagyvárad Angyalföld vá Pesterzsébet vm To Fox Atorent (km); Balázs & Friends Cyclists' Sports Association (.km); Anselport (3km); Siófok (0km); Lake Balaton József krt Üllªi Haller Szabadkikötª Váci IV Dózsa György Soroksári Béke Fimei D To Gödöllª (4km); Gyöngyös (9km); Istvántelek Miskolc (79km) Rákosrendezª XIV Bda & Pest (pp80 ) Zgló Train Station Soth Bda & Ferencváros (pp88 9) Könyves Kálmán krt Fóti Hngária krt Kerepesi Orczy Nagy Lajos Könyves Kálmán krt Thököly To Favorit Lovarda (km) 3 To Gödöllª (7km); Miskolc (79km) Népliget Népliget Üllªi Hngária krt kiraly ja Mogyoródi Albertirsai X Ligettelek Ecseri 4 To Eropark Market (km); Ferihegy International Airport (0km); Debrecen (km) Ecseri To Ecseri Piac (km); József Bozsik Stadim (km); Kecskemét (7km) Határ 77 M Pesterzsébet To Kecskemét (7km); Baja (3km) Csömöri 7 E7

9 Selmeci Szªlª Margaret Island (Margit-sziget) 0 km 78 ÓBUDA, AQUINCUM & ANGYALFÖLD 0 0. miles 79 G Csillaghegy H Fóti F E D C B A Megyeri 0 Rozgonyi Piroska Kossth Lajos üdülªpart Kiralyok ja INFORMATION Hngarian Federation of Disabled Persons' Associations... B4 Slovak Conslate... H 3 Rómaifürdª 7 9 Monostori Aranyhegy Szentendrei Óbda vá Újpest Római part Váci Nánási Aqincm Óbdai temetª Aqincm felsª vm SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp73 ) Aqincm Msem... 3 C Bringóhintó Bike Rentals... 4 D Bdapest Gallery Exhibition Hose... C Csillaghegy Swimming Complex... C Dagály Swimming Complex... 7 D Former Dominican Convent... 8 D Former Óbda Synagoge... 9 C Horse-Drawn Coaches... 0 C Imre Varga Exhibition Hose... C4 Imre Varga Sclptres... C4 Japanese Garden... 3 D Kiscell Msem & Mnicipal Gallery.. 4 B KSH Canoe Clb... E Lookot Gallery...(see ) Óbda Parish Chrch... C Óbda Sport Clb... 7 E Palatins Strand... 8 C Pálvölgy Cave... 9 A Rómaifürdª Strandfürdª... 0 D Roman Civilian Amphitheatre... C Roman Military Amphitheatre... C Szemlª-hegy Cave... 3 A Thermal Bath...(see ) Vasarely Msem... 4 C4 Water Tower... C Pók Keled Kaszásd lª 3 Károlyi István Újpest Rail Bridge (Újpesti vasi híd) István Gázgyár 0 József Attila Záhony Árpád Újpest-Városkap Winter Harbor (Téli kikötª) Bojtár Aqincm Szentendrei Knignda ja Bécsi István People's Island (Nép-sziget) Tél Elem 3 Meder Kaszásd lª ÓBUDA 3 SLEEPING (pp03 8) Danbis Istvántelek Grand Hotel Margitsziget.. D Danbis Thermal Hotel Margitsziget & Thermal Bath... 7 D Flandria Hotel... 8 F Római Camping... 9 C Pozsonyi Dgonics Szekszárdi Filatorigát Hszti Kámtor Váci Farkatorki 33 (pp09 ) 30 C 3 C 3 B EATING Angyalföld vá Dna Plaza Shopping Mall Májs 9 park Corinthia Aqincm Hotel... Kéhli... Kisbda Gyöngye... Meder Hévizi Gyöngyösi Meggyfa Babér Gyöngyösi Vihar (pp 0) 33 D3 34 C 3 F ENTERTAINMENT Óbda Island (Óbdai-sziget) Raktár 4 Mokka Cka... Open-Air Theatre... UTE Stadim... Kcsma Danbe River Laktanya Szentendrei Hnor Béke Velence 4 Thalmann Vizafogó Váradi TRANSPORT (pp 7) Árpád Bridge Bs Station... 3 E Tahi Vöröskereszt Rokolya Vizafogó Bécsi Remetehegy Szabadság strand Polgár Kórház Vörösvári Reménység Bda Hills Tatai Árpád híd Fª 4 Szentlélek Serfözö Flórián Keszkenª Forgách Rozsnyai Szªlª Tahi Remetehegyi Ftár Teve Népfürdª Népfürdª 30 Tél Tanló Móks Kiscelli Forgách Lomb Bodor Trbina Zápor San Marco Árpád Bridge (Árpád híd) 9 Kis Korona Kiscelli Angyalföld 7 Kenyeres 4 Fáy Újlaki rkp 3 Tahi Zsinór Perc Dévai Bíró M Lajos Tímár Mátyás-hegy (300m) Tímár Fényes Pacsirtamezª Tímár Beszterce San Marco 3 Jász Fáy Röppentyü Karikás Frigyes Dagály Komaromi Frangepán Esztergomi Tengerszem Reitter Ferenc Béke Váci 3 4 Petneházy Tatai Árpád híd Párkány Vízafogó sétány 7 0 Erzsébet királyné Textilgyár Viador Frangepán Mátyáshegyi Hajdú Pap Károly Teve Róbert Károly krt 3 fejedelem Nagyszombat Újlak Szépvölgyi 9 Országbiró Árboc Jász Gömb Párkány Bokor Csatárka Országbiró 8 34 Viza sétány Árpád Dereglye Bécsi 8 Szépvölgyi Ungvár Szªnyi Szent László Béke Csata Üteg Szegedi Hajdú Kassák Hegedüs Gy Vízafogó Révész Alfréd Csemete Felsª Zöldmáli Tatai Gömb Kartács Gidófalvy L Lajos Angyalföldi Visegrádi Dnyov István Vésª Ilosvai Selymes 8 Béke Apály 3 Zöldlomb Jász Lajos Gidófalvy Hajós Szépvölgyi Kolosy Zöldmál Rákosrendezª Csata Soó Rezsª sétány Balázs Dráva Kª Tisza Vág Kárpát Cserfa Ürömi Lászió Pesti alsó rkp Újlaki rkp Lajos Teleki Blanka Gervay Kerékgyártó F rész Dorozsmai Klapka Váci Szegedi Kis Páloc Czobor Mór BVSC Mohács Dózsa György Zsigmond Psztaszeri Lªcsei Szent László Reitter Ferenc T zér Rózsafa Csángó Róbert Károly krt Hba Hn Kassák Lajos Lehel Nagy Lajos kiraly ja Hba

10 Margaret Island (Margit-sziget) Margit krt Ganz Salgótarjáni Krúdy G 0 km miles 8 Ungvár Szªnyi Vízafogó Lajos Gidófalvy Dózsa György Terézváros Erzsébetváros Boráros Vörösmarty tca Oktogon Oktogon Kálvin See Central Pest Map (pp84 ) Erzsébetváros Kodály körönd Blaha Ljza Blaha Ljza Józsefváros Ferenc krt Bajza tca Lªportárd lª 33 Hªsök tere Keleti p PEST Klinikák Rákosrendezª Csata Teleki Blanka Diós Angyalföldi Hegedüs Gy Tatai Ambrs Kartács Gidófalvy L Dereglye Viza Vésª Jász Apály Balázs Erzsébet királyné Béke Dorozsmai Szegedi Klapka Páloc Ilosvai Selymes Czobor Szent László Reitter Ferenc T zér Hn Klapka Kassák Lajos Rózsafa Hba Botond Lªcsei Keleti Train Station Istvanmezª Kerepes Cemetery (Kerepesi temetª) Teleki László Józsefvárosi p Clinics BVSC Dévényi Hajcsár Róbert Károly krt Mohács Lehel Hba Alföldi Szªnyi Csángó Nagy Lajos kiraly ja Mexikói Varannó Szabolcs Aba Lªportár Blcsú Dévai Hn T zér Kassák Lajos Taksony Erzsébet királyné Vágány Dózsa Váci krt Állatkerti György Dévai Gyarmat Pálma Állatkerti Blcsú Liezen-May er Szondi Szabolcs Lehel Városligeti krt Hermina Kós Károly sétány Thököly Mihály sétány Lendvay Rippl-Rónai Podmaniczky Hngária krt Zichy Andrássy Délibáb Reiner F Park Istvánmezei Trotting Race Track Ferenc Pskás Stadim Zgló Train Station Benczúr Mnkácsy Mihály Szgló Ajtósi Dürer sor Olof Palme sétány sétány Podmaniczky Zichy Géza Városligeti krt Dvorák Városligeti fasor Dózsa György Egressy Mexikói Bajza Abonyi Damjanich Andrássy Aradi Cog Railway Termins Zöldmál Vérhalom Rézmal Thököly Eötvös Cházár András Peterdy Dembinszky Városmajor Rózsa Sajó István Marek József Nefelejcs Bethlen Gábor Király Teréz krt Hnyadi Eötvös Szinva Cserhát Mrányi Csengery Mosonyi Verseny 0 Visi Imre Sárkány Bdapest Sportcsarnok (nder constrction) 94 Stadionok Mnkás Rózsa Izabella Dohány Festetics György Alsóerdªsor Barcsay Légszesz Szövetség Hársfa Akácfa Dob Gázláng Kerepesd lª Asztalos Sándor Dologház Vay A Salgótarjáni Dobozi Ljza Karácsony Sándor Vasas köz Ftó Illés köz Kªris Csobánc Kálvária Corvin köz Illés Korányi Sándor Füvészkert Zsil Dgonics Jósika Hngária krt Stefánia Dózsa György Thököly Péterfy Sándor Rottenbiller Liszt Ferenc Garay Király Verseny Erzsébet krt Nagymezª Kerepesi Klazál Rákóczi Lther Berzsenyi Kiss József Vig Dohány To Hngarian Ornithological & Natre Conservation Society (.km) Fimei Alfªldi Rákóczi Kn Vig Bérkocsis Tolnai Népszínház Bacsó Erdélyi Nagy Fvaros Vásár Somogyi B Szerdahelyi Aróra Déri Miksa József Múzem krt Tavaszmezª «r Német Dankó Magdolna Rigó József krt Németvölgy Rózsadomb BUDA See Castle Hill & Watertown Map (p83) Moszkva Felhévíz Tabán Margit híd C Szépvölgyi Lipótváros Lipótváros Belváros Újlipótváros Nygati Train Station Baross Baross Szabó E Kªbányai Baross Kis Stáció Szigony Beniczky I Maria Jázmin Tömª Szigony János Leonardó da Vinci Práter Ftó Vajdahnyad Kisfaldy Nap Lövölde Almássy Rákóczi 37 Heroes' Sqare (Hªsök tere) Rózsák tere Horváth Mihály Köztársaság Bethlen Gábor Mátyás Baross Garay Kálvária Városi (nder constrction) Üllªi Ráday Nagy Templom Köztelek 7 Könyves Kálmán krt Práter Molnár F Orczy Hogyes E 4 Mátyás Kinizsi Liliom T zoltó Angyal Páva Bokréta Ráday Lónyay Viola Tompa Benyovszky Móric Lenhossék T zoltó Vendel Vendel Thaly Kálmán Balázs Vajda Péter Diószeghy Sámel Marksovszky 74 Üllªi Ferenc krt Bakáts Ferenc Ldovika Közraktár Elnök Orczy Márton Mester Üllªi Béla Boráros E F 79 8 Losonci 78 G 0 4 H sétány Bécsi Révész Alfréd Soó Rezsª sétány 9 83 Hajós Cserfa Thrzó 3 Danbe River Vérmezª Déli p Déli Train Station Harcsa 4 Röntgen Batthyány Royal Palace Batthyány Gellért-hegy Citadella Jbilee Park Kossth Lajos Vörösmarty Szent István Park Ferenciek tere Nygati p See Belváros (Inner Town) Map (p8 7) Arany János tca Orczy- kert 8 4 Mexikói 4 Széchenyi Herminamezª fürdª 7 88 Colonnades & States Városligeti-tó City Park (Városliget) Bajcsy- Zsilinszky Deák Ferenc Lehel Lehel Üstökös Vibra Lipthay Vitéz Nagy Imre 73 Csemete Felsª Zöldmáli Dráva Tisza Vág Újlaki rkp Lajos Ürömi Lászió Hegedüs Gyla Garam Bessenyei Pannónia Kárpát Psztaszeri Kpeczky Cimbalom Törökvész Gábor Áron Gogol Ipoly Pozsonyi Pesti alsó rkp Kavics Cserje Árpád Frankel Újlaki rkp Mandla Victor Hgó Herzen Balzac Balzac Radnóti Miklós Raol Wallenberg Katona József Pozsonyi Tátra Pannónia fejedelem Leó Gül Baba Szemlªhegy Bimbó Csanády Török Mecset Rómer Floris Barsi Zivatar Ady Endre Váci Füge Ribáry Bem rkp Bimbó Rózsahegy Balassi Bálint Bdai alsó rkp Fillér Honvéd Szent István krt Margit krt Kis Róks Markó Pesti alsó rkp 4 Kacsa 3 Jókai Medve Bakfark Bálint Lövªház Fény Fª Retek Szilágyi Erzsébet fasór Alkotmány 3 Kálmán Imre Toldy Ferenc Báthory Honvéd Szabó Ilonka Nagymezª Mátray Hajós Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Vadász Krisztina krt Városmajor Biro Széchenyi Opera Toldy Ferenc Országház Logodi Fª Úri Palay Ede Andrássy Astoria 4 Október Bdai alsó rkp Krisztina krt Attila Király Bajcsy-Zsilinszky 4 84 Marczibányi Türbe Margit Mária Kolosy Zsigmond Bem József 40 Margaret Bridge (Margit híd) Kossth Lajos Roosevelt József Attila Palota Logodi Nagyenyed Istenhegyi Eötvös Honvéd Szabadság Szent István Erzsébet Kª Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) Alag Károly krt Királyhágó Belgrád rkp Bdai alsó rkp Várálja Gellérthegy Márvány Kossth L Váci Szabadsajtó Károlyi M Lánchíd Döbrentei Attila Krisztina krt Mészáros Alkotás Szentháromság Watertown (Víziváros) Szilágyi Dezsª Corvin Dísz Clark Ádám Vigadó Petªfi Szervita Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) Csörsz Apor Vilmos A Királyhágó Magyar jakobinsok tere 8 Hegyalja Fürj Váci Orom Hegyalja Vámház krt Sirály Lejtª Só Belgrád rkp Széna 9 B 9 Krisztina Dózsa Ybl Miklós Szarvas Jagello Lónyay Szent Gellért rkp Otthon Vércse Fªvám 8 Bérc Szirtes Vas Gereben Sashegyi Kelenhegyi Hegyalja Imre Csarnok Independence Bridge (Szabadság híd) 9 egyi Verejték Kelenh Rezeda Kelen Korompai K Szent Gellért 7 93 Mányoki Kelenhegyi Minerva Ménesi Ranvány 49 D Bdafoki Somlói Friss Bdai alsó rkp M egyetem rkp hegyiszüret Bdaörsi BUDA & PEST Béla Karolina Alsóhegy Nedecvár Bartók Villányi

11 Fª Pesti alsó rkp m 8 BUDA & PEST (pp80 ) CASTLE HILL & WATERTOWN 0 0. miles 83 INFORMATION Astralian Embassy... A4 Millenary Monment F Millennim Exhibition Hall B3 Malomtó... 7 C Mongolian Barbece... 8 A Astrian Embassy... F3 Canadian Embassy... 3 C3 Centre of Rral Torism... 4 E4 Millennim Park... 3 B3 Msem of Applied Arts... 3 E Msem of Fine Arts F Móri Kisvendéglª... 9 D Napfényes Ízek E3 Rákóczi Market... 7 F Croatian Embassy... E Déli Gyógyszertár... A4 Palace of Art (M csarnok) F Raol Wallenberg Memorial D Robinson... 7 F Dtch Embassy... 7 B St Florian Chapel C3 DRINKING (pp ) French Embassy... 8 F Pendragon... 9 D Post Office... 0 G4 Private Link... E Sétacikli Bike Rental & Stadim... 4 C Széchenyi Baths... 4 F Tomb of Gül Baba B Café Rolling Rock C Kltiplex E Paris, Texas... 7 E Romanian Embassy... G3 Transport Msem G ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) Serbia & Montenegro Embassy... 3 F Ukrainian Conslate... 4 G3 Újlak Synagoge... 4 C Almássy Recreation Centre... 7 E4 Bdapest Congress Centre A Wasteels... F4 SLEEPING (pp03 8) BVSC G Andrássy Hotel... 4 F3 Central Erope Dance Theatre F3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp9 9) Benczúr Hotel F3 Cha Cha Cha Terasz C 944 Waxworks...(see 0) Alfréd Hajós Swimming Complex... C Béla Komjádi Swimming Pool... 7 C Bdapest Economics University.. 8 D Boat Hotel Fortna D Danbis Gellért Hotel D Dominik Panzió... 0 G3 Hotel Baross... F4 Hotel Citadella...(see 0) Corvin Film Palace... 8 E Erkel Theatre... 8 F4 Hngária Stadim H Kaméleon...(see 9) Közgáz Pince Klb...(see 8) Cave Chapel... 9 D Citadella... 0 C City Zoo & Botanical Garden... F Ferenc Hopp Msem of East Asian Art... F3 Hotel Császár... C Hotel Margitsziget... 3 C KM Saga Gest Residence... 4 E Papillon Hotel... B Radio Inn... F3 Marczibányi Cltral Centre A Mnicipal Great Circs... 8 F Petªfi Csarnok... 8 G Franciscan Chrch & Monastery Red Bs II Hostel... 7 F4 SHOPPING (pp0 ) Rins... 3 C Fnfair Park... 4 F Gellért Baths... D Star Hotel... 8 F3 Station Gesthose... 9 H3 BÁV Store C City Park Flea Market G Herend Village Pottery C3 György Ráth Msem... F3 EATING (pp09 ) Mammt I Shopping Mall B3 Helia Swimming & Spa Centre Pool... 7 D Bagolyvár... 0 F Demmer s Teaház...(see 3) Mammt II Shopping Mall... 9 B3 Independence Monment... 8 C Fény tca Market... B3 TRANSPORT (pp 7) International Hose... 9 B Firkász... D Hngarian Atomobile Clb... 9 B Király Baths C3 Lkács Bath... 3 C Military Cort of Jstice & Fª tca Prison... 3 C3 Íz-É Faloda... 3 B3 Kacsa... 4 C3 Keleti Csarnok... F4 Lehel Csarnok... E Malév Cstomer Service Centre D Stadionok Bs Station H4 Széna Bs Station... 9 B3 Dekán Moszkva Moszkva Krisztina krt Magyar jakobinsok tere Déli p Alkotás Alkotás 3 Vérmezª Retek 4 Attila Déli Train Station Széna A 4 Vérmezª Ostrom Mátray Logodi Hattyú 44 Batthyány Várfok Anjo Kapisztrán bástya Tóth Árpád sétány Logodi Krisztina krt Kosciszko Tádé Pálya Otthon Batthyány Lovas Csalogány ú Lovas Mészáros 3 Petermann bíró Országház Úri Mikó INFORMATION Bdapest Torist Office... B FirstMed Clinics... B German Embassy... 3 B SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp9 73) 0km Stone... 4 C3 Bda Castle Labyrinth... B3 Bdapest Bike Kiosk... D3 Bdapest History Msem... 7 D4 Capchin Chrch... 8 C Corvins Gate... 9 C3 Egene of Savoy State... 0 C4 Fishermen s Bastion... C Golden Eagle Pharmacy Msem... B Habsbrg Steps... 3 C3 Hose of Hngarian Wines... 4 B Hngarian National Gallery... C4 Hngarian Windsrfing Association.. B3 Lois Fontain... 7 C Matthias Chrch & Ecclesiastical Art Collection... 8 B Matthias Fontain... 9 C4 Medieval Jewish Prayer Hose... 0 B Msem of Hngarian Commerce & Catering... B Msem of Military History... A National Széchenyi Library... 3 C4 Rác Baths (Renovating)... 4 D Royal Palace... C4 St Anne s Chrch... C St Gellért State... 7 D Trl State...(see 3) Vienna Gate... 8 B SLEEPING (pp03 8) Art otel Bdapest... 9 C Bdapest Hilton B Brg Hotel... 3 B Büro Panzió... 3 A Carlton Hotel C3 Hotel Astra C Hotel Kltrinnov... 3 B Hotel Victoria... 3 C Orion Hotel D B Toldy Ferenc Szabó Ilonka Bécsi kap Kard 8 0 Fortna Dárda Paler Táncsics M Attila Tigris Fortna köz Csap Logodi Roham Batthyány Hnfalvy Naphegy Anna Alag Gellérthegy Hegyalja Mária Kagyló Hess András Szentháromság Szentháromság 3 47 Krisztina 40 Palota Donati Tárnok Toldy Ferenc Dísz EATING (pp09 ) Aranyszarvas D Éden D Ezred Nonstop B3 Fortna Önkiszolgáló... 4 B Il Treno... 4 A Le Jardin de Paris C Nagyi Palacsintázója A Nagyi Palacsintázója... 4 C Rivalda... 4 C3 Rszwrm B Seol Hose C3 DRINKING (pp ) Erzsébet-híd Eszpresszó D Lánchíd Sörözª... 0 C3 Oscar American Bar... A ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) Bda Concert Hall (Bdai Vigadó)... C National Dance Theatre... 3 C3 SHOPPING (pp0 ) Bdapest Wine Society... 4 A Hngaricm... B TRANSPORT (pp 7) Batthyány Ferry... C Siklós (Lower Station)... 7 C3 Siklós (Upper Station)... 8 C3 Tram Stop No D3 Gyorskocsi C Watertown (Víziváros) Batthyány Batthyány Iskola Szalag Hnyadi János Színház Várálja Aranyhal Ponty RoyalSteps Szirtes Batthyány Vám Szilágyi Dezsª Corvin 7 3 Szent György Dózsa 8 Szirom Halász Jégverem Kereszt Fª 33 Attila 43 9 Apor P 48 Krisztina krt 3 Kemal Atatúrk séta Tabán Orom Bem rkp Bérc Bdai alsó rkp Clark Ádám Hadnagy Antal 9 Lánchíd Hegyalja Danbe River Bdai alsó rakpart Gellért-hegy Szirtes Apród Várkert rkp 38 Szarvas D Hegedüs köz Kocsány Jbilee Park Döbrentei Parliament Széchenyi rkp Pesti alsó rkp Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) Ybl Miklós 4 39 Fogas 37 Zoltán Fátyol 3 4 Akadémia Roosevelt Döbrentei 7 49 Citadella

12 0 00 m 84 CENTRAL PEST miles CENTRAL PEST 8 Balassi Bálint Garibaldi Balaton Falk Miksa Szalay Újlipótváros l Zoltán Széchenyi Arany János Vigyázó F Dna korzó Pesti alsó rkp Danbe River Vajkay Kozma F Vécsey Mérleg Dorottya Hollán Ernª Pozsonyi Tátra Markó Szalay Zrínyi Aranykéz Türr I Katona József Jászai A B C D Mari 7 INFORMATION 3 Belváros-Lipótváros Police 73 Station... A BKV Lost & Fond Office... D Bdapest Torist Office... 3 B 4 Bdapest Torist Office Oktogon Nygati Nygati Train Branch... 4 C3 Nygati p 3 Station Cartographia... B Csillag Patika... D4 Honvéd Electric Café... 7 D4 Kodály 79 körönd Irish Embassy... 8 B3 Terézváros Libri Könyvpalota... 9 C Lipótváros 33 Narancs... 0 D4 National Federation of Rral & 44 Agrotorism... D Post Office... B 3 Szªnyi Antikvárima... 3 A Kossth 9 Vörösmarty 7 Lajos tca Teréz Patika... 4 C 3 Térképkirály... B Ticket Express Józsefváros 4 34 Branch... D US Embassy... 7 B3 Hnyadi Vodafone...(see 90) Kossth SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp9 0) Bike Base... 8 B 39 Oktogon Lajos 78 4 Oktogon 49 Jókai Liszt Cityrama... 9 B Ferenc Szabadság Debrecen Smmer University... 0 A Arany János Ethnography Msem... A tca 9 7 Franz Liszt Memorial Msem... D Podmaniczky Hose of Terror... 3 D 8 Frigyes 3 Hngarian Bicycle Toring See Belváros (Inner Town) Map (p8 7) 40 Opera 77 Association...(see ) 4 8 Hngarian Camping & Lipótváros Erzsébetváros Caravanning Clb... 4 D Hngarian Friends of Natre Szent István Federation... B3 Imre Nagy State... A Bajcsy- 80 National Bank of Hngary... 7 B3 New York Palace... 8 D4 4 Zsilinszky Klazál Hild 4 9 Roosevelt Erzsébet 8 József Eötvös 0 nádor Deák Deák Ferenc Blaha Ferenc Ljza Vörösmarty 37 7 Erzsébetváros Vörösmarty Blaha Ljza Vigadó Kristóf Szervita Kamermayer Károly 89 Belváros Astoria ELTE Józsefváros Petªfi Ferenciek tere Gtenberg Ferenciek tere Márcis Lªrinc Egyetem Pap Döbrentei 0 Nádor Elizabeth Bridge Szent István krt Honvéd Honvéd Október József Attila (Erzsébet híd) Szemere Alich Deák Ferenc Perczel M Hegedüs Gyla Stollár Béla Nagy I Kálmán Imre Galamb Régi posta Pannónia Belgrád rkp Alkotmány Báthory Sas Hold Hercegprímás Bihari János Vadász Nagysándor J Bank Harmincad Fehér Hajó Váci Irányi Petªfi Sándor Párizsi Haris köz Visegrádi Kádár Városház Kigyó Dna Nyáry Molnár Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Váci Hajós Pilvax köz Veres Pálné Kresz Géza Cria Pál Jókai Zichy Jenª Révay Weiner L Ó Lázár Andrássy Városház Ckor Káldy Asboth Lovag Nagymezª Károly krt Károlyi M Váci Hajós Dalszínház Papnövelde Gyla Szerb Dessewffy Király Szobi Ó Jókai Mozsár Székely Mihály Rmbach S Madách Imre Szép Reáltanoda Szabadsajtó Kossth L Teréz krt Ferenczy I Podmaniczky Magyar Vasvári Pál Holló Magyar Kazinczy Dob Kecskeméti Múzem krt Ferdinánd híd Eötvös Nagymezª asd Csengery Kis Diófa Wesselényi Síp Rákóczi Kálvin Vörösmarty Csányi Pskin Király Nagy Diófa Pollack M Izabella Aradi Trefort Reviczky Kürt Dohány Szentkirályi Bródy Sándor Múzem Szabó E Podmaniczky Teréz krt Szondi Eötvös Akácfa Nyár Rózsa Szív Csengery Erzsébet krt Kertész Klazál Vas Mikszáth Kálmán Bajnok Gylai Pái Székely Bertalan Vörösmarty Hársfa Rákóczi Stáhly Kªfaragó Horánszky Krúdy G 7 Baross Bajza Szinyei Merse Andrássy Kmetty György Szófia Csengery Maria Jósika Aradi Rózsa Király Wesselényi 4 Erzsébet krt Dohány Somogyi B Szív Izabella Dob Osvát Barcsay Békési Rökk Szilárd József krt József krt Parliament... 9 A Royal Postal Savings Bank B3 Soviet Army Memorial... 3 A3 Yellow Zebra Bikes... 3 B3 SLEEPING (pp03 8) Best Hostel C Caterina Hostel C Corinthia Grand Royal Hotel... 3 D3 Garibaldi Gesthose & Apartments... 3 A3 Hostel Marco Polo D4 Hotel Hold B3 Hotel Medosz C3 K+K Hotel Opera B3 Residence Izabella... 4 D EATING (pp09 ) Btterfly... 4 C3 Café Vian C3 Demmer s Teahose B Frici Papa Kifªzdéje... 4 C3 Három Testvér... 4 D4 Három Testvér B Három Testvér C Hold tca Food Market B3 Igana... 0 A3 Kádár... D4 Kaiser s Spermarket... B Lkács... 3 D Marqis de Salade... 4 B Match Spermarket... D4 Menza... C3 Mézes Kckó... 7 A M vész... 8 C3 Nygati ABC... 9 B Okay Italia... 0 B Okay Italia... B Pick Ház... A Rothschild Spermarket... 3 A Szeráj... 4 A Teaház a Vörös Oroszlánhoz... C3 DRINKING (pp ) Becketts... B Darshan Udvar... 7 D Szimpla... 8 C3 ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) Angel... 9 C Bank Dance Hall B Bdapest Operetta... 7 C3 Bdapest Pppet Theatre... 7 D Comedy Theatre A CoXx D Hngarian State Opera Hose... 7 C3 Liszt Academy of Msic... 7 D3 M vész...(see 34) Örökmozgó Film Msem D3 Piaf C3 Pótklcs C Sark C4 Süss Fél Nap... 8 A Symphony Ticket Office... 8 C3 Szimpla Kert C Uránia National Cinema D SHOPPING (pp0 ) Ajka Kristály... 8 C BÁV Store... 8 C3 BÁV Store A Haas & Czjzek B3 Hngarian Pálinka Hose C West End City Centre Shopping Mall B TRANSPORT (pp 7) BKV Office... 9 D4 MÁV International Information & Ticket Centre... 9 C3 Bdai alsó ra

13 0 300 m 8 BELVÁROS (INNER TOWN) 0 0. miles BELVÁROS (INNER TOWN) 87 Opera A 89 B C D 03 4 INFORMATION Párisi Udvar C4 Sole d Italia B 7 Lipótváros Ami Internet Coffee... C Program Centrm B Sol Café... 8 D Bestsellers... B Qeen Elizabeth State... 4 A Sshi An... 8 B 9 73 Central Eropean University Qeenybs Tors Departres... 4 C Taverna Pires Rembetiko C 4 Szent Bookshop...(see 4) Rdas Baths A Teaház a Vörös Oroszlánhoz István 4 Express... 3 D3 Rmbach Sebestyén tca Ráday tca Branch D 3 Hngarian Yoth Hostel Synagoge D Trattoria Toscana... 8 B 94 Bajcsy- Association...(see 9) St Stephen s Basilica... 4 B Zsilinszky Ibsz (Main Office)... 4 C4 Thonet Hose... 4 B3 DRINKING (pp ) 4 K&H Bank...(see ) University Chrch C Cha Cha Cha... 8 D Hild Roosevelt 74 Központi Antikvárim... D4 Wigmaker D Champs Sports Bar D3 0 0 Libri Stúdim... B3 Yellow Zebra Bikes Main Office.. 49 B 38 Main Post Office... 7 B3 ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) 7 4 Main Post Office Annexe... 8 C3 SLEEPING (pp04 8) Action D Mellow Mood Travel Agency... 9 B Bdapest Inter-Continental Aranytíz Cltral Centre A Erzsébet OTP Bank... 0 B3 Hotel... 0 A Café Eklektika C3 József 7 nádor 44 Pannon GSM... B Bdapest Marriott Hotel... A3 Candy... 9 D4 Eötvös 9 Párisi Udvar Könyvesbolt...(see 39) Carmen Mini Hotel... C3 Central Ticket Office... 9 C 0 Deák 8 8 Deák Parknet... B4 Erzsébet Hotel... 3 C Colmbs Jazzklb A3 Ferenc 40 Ferenc Pegazs Tors... 3 C4 For Seasons Gresham Palace Dna Palota A Vörösmarty 37 Red Bs...(see ) Hotel... 4 A Fat Mo s Msic Clb... 9 C 8 49 Erzsébetváros SOS Dental Services... 4 C Green Bridge Hostel... C Gödör Klb... 9 B 7 T-Mobile... B3 Kempinski Hotel Corvins... B Holddvar D4 Vörösmarty To-Ma... B KM Saga II Gest Residence... 7 D Jazz Garden C 93 Torinform... 7 B Leó Panzió... 8 C4 Merlin Theatre C UK Embassy... 8 B Mellow Mood Central Pesti Vigadó A3 3 Világsajtó Háza... 9 C4 Gesthose... 9 B3 Pskin... 0 C4 Vigadó Vista... 0 C Nonstop Hotel Service... 0 A3 Szóda Udvar... 0 A Kristóf Szervita Red Bs Hostel... C3 Ticket Express C SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp7 0) Bank Palace... B3 EATING (pp09 ) SHOPPING (pp0 ) Kamermayer Bdapest Bike... D Al-Amir... D BÁV Store B3 7 Károly Belváros 4 Bdators... 3 C Bangkok Hose... 3 C Bdapest Wine Society Astoria 0 Central Eropean University... 4 A Café Kör... 4 B Ráday tca Branch... 0 D 3 Contra Aqincm... B4 Central Eropean University Folkart Centrm... 0 C Ferenc Deák State... A Cafeteria...(see 4) Herend B 9 0 Great Synagoge... 7 D3 Centrál Kávéház... C4 Holló Atelier C3 4 9 Gresham Palace...(see 4) Fasto's... D3 Intita C 8 ELTE Holocast Memorial... 8 D3 Fröhlich Cake Shop... 7 D La Botiqe des Vins... 0 B 4 97 Petªfi Hngarian Academy of Sciences.. 9 A Gerbead... 8 B Philanthia... B3 39 Ferenciek tere Hngarian Eqestrian Torism Govinda... 9 A Zsolnay... B3 4 Association D Kinor David D3 Ferenciek tere Hngarian Langage School... 3 D4 Kisharang... 7 B TRANSPORT (pp 7) 7 Hngarian National Msem... 3 D Kosher Bakery... 7 D Avis... 3 B3 3 Inner Town Parish Chrch B4 Lo Lo A Covered Car Park... 4 B4 3 Jewish Msem D3 Mokka B Covered Car Park... B3 33 Kecskemét Gate... 3 D Múzem... 7 D4 Covered Car Park...(see 3) Loránd Eötvös Science University Nagycsarnok... 7 C International Ferry Pier... B Márcis (ELTE)... 3 C Nagyi Palacsintázója B3 Legenda Boat Tors Office & 3 Ltheran Chrch C Negro B Pier... 7 A3 Orthodox Synagoge D Pata Negra D Mahart PassNave Ticket Office.. 8 B Egyetem Döbrentei Kálvin Kálvin Gellért-hegy Fªvám 8 Citadella Vigyázó Ferenc Pesti alsó rkp Apáczai Csere János Dna korzó Danbe River Mérleg Dorottya Bdai alsó rkp Nádor Vigadó Arany János Zrínyi Deák Ferenc Aranykéz Türr István Pesti alsó rkp Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) Szent Gellért rkp Október Régi posta Galamb Pesti B Belgrád rkp Bécsi Sas József Attila Hercegprímás Harmincad Deák Ferenc Váci Szabadsajtó Irányi Fehér Hajó Petªfi Sándor Párizsi Haris köz Sütª Bárczy I Dna Molnár Belgrád rkp Városház Kigyó Nyáry Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Veres Pálné Pál Váci Havas Pilvax köz Cria Independence Bridge (Szabadság híd) Révay Palay Ede Gerlóczy Vitkovics M Városház Szivárvány köz Andrássy Károly krt Károlyi M Ckor Király Asboth Semmelweis Vármegye Papnövelde Só Sóház Káldy Kossth L Szerb Gyla Madách Imre Fehér György Pipa Szép Reáltanoda Székely Mihály Rmbach S Ferenczy I Királyi Pál Bástya Csarnok Magyar Képíró Imre Gönczy P Holló Lónyay Vasvári Pál Király Magyar Kazinczy Dob Kecskeméti Vámház krt Dohány Múzem krt Török Pál Ráday Erkel Csányi Kis Diófa Wesselényi Síp Rákóczi Bródy Sándor Üllªi

14 Ménesi 0 km 88 SOUTH BUDA & FERENCVÁROS 0 0. miles 89 See Belváros (Inner Town) Map (p8 7) Nap Losonci A B C D E F Sárkány G H Citadella Molnár F Ferenc krt Jbilee Park 3 Szent Gellért 4 Bakáts Klinikák 7 Clinics Sas-hegy Boráros Orczykert (m) Ferenc Ldovika Boráros 9 Sztoczek 9 József Nagyvárad Móricz 0 Ferencváros Nagyvárad Feneketlen- Zsigmond Goldman tó kör György Népliget Park 8 Kosztolányi Dezsª 8 Népliget 3 ELTE Szent László Bajor To Eropark Hospital Gizi Market (km) Park Ecseri National Lrdy Ház Theatre Shopping Mall 4 To State Park (7km) To Velo-Toring Lágymányos Bridge (km) (Lágymányosi híd) SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES (pp9 0) Holocast Memorial Centre... E József 3 Kelenföld Ildikó Vágóhíd vá InterClb Hngarian Langage School.. D Attila- 3 Kelenfoldi lakótelep Etele Train Station SLEEPING (pp03 8) 0 Back Pack Gesthose... 3 B Danbis Gellért Hotel & Baths... 4 C Hotel Sissi... E Martos Hostel... D Thomas Hotel... 7 E Lágymányos EATING (pp09 ) Beöthy Kaiser's Spermarket... 8 C Marcello... 9 C ENTERTAINMENT (pp 0) Szigetcsúcs Café del Rio... 0 D 4 Fonó Bda Msic Hose... C4 4 FTC Stadim... G Jailhose... 3 E Allende Ldwig Msem (Msem of Park Contemporary Art)...(see ) To Ecseri Mnicipal Cltral Hose & Folklór Piac (km) Centrm... 4 C3 National Theatre... E3 Palace of Arts... E3 Trafó Hose of Contemporary Arts..(see 3) Wigwam Rock Bles Clb... 7 B Kelenvölgy Zöld Pardon... 8 D TRANSPORT (pp 7) BKV Passenger Ferries (Petªfi híd)... 9 D Pesterzsébet Etele Bs Station... 0 A3 Népliget Bs Station... G Szent Gellért... D Szabadkikötª vm Albertfalva Ófal 7 Kªris Illés köz Kálvária Illés Füvészkert Jázmin Vajdahnyad Korányi Sándor Dgonics Tömª Szigony János Nagy Templom Práter Práter Kªbányai Kisfaldy Üllªi Ftó Hogyes E Kinizsi Orczy T zoltó Vajda Péter Diószeghy Sámel Ferenc krt Knezich K Páva Liliom Angyal Viola Bokréta Berzenczey Üllªi Ráday Tompa Benyovszky Móric Lenhossék Thaly Kálmán T zoltó Balázs Vajda Péter Liliom Elnök Orczy Telepi Sobieski János Üllªi Márton Vendel Béla Gyáli Mester Könyves Kálmán krt Tinódi Otthon Bérc Szirtes Szirtes Bridge (Szabadság híd) Independence Hegyalja Kelenhegyi Mátyás Czczor egyi Verejték Rezeda Lónyay Kelenh Kelenhegyi Danbe River Orlay Minerva Ménesi Friss Mányoki Balogh T Bertalan Lajos Haller Vaskap Haller Fehér Holló Mester Vaskap Schweidel Ranvány Közraktár Bdai alsó rkp M egyetem rkp Bdafoki Somlói Béla Szüret Nedecvár Bartók Karolina Petªfi Bridge (Petªfi híd) Villányi Alsóhegy Krspér Himfy Tas vezér Dávid Ferenc Diószegi Bércsényi Karinthy Frigyes Bocskai Irinyi József Üllªi Mag yar Pékerdª Vágóhíd Mester Soroksári Dési Hber Könyves krt Kálmán Komor Marcell Ifjúmnkás Hrok Ecseri Gyáli Gbácsi Epreserdª Soroksári Ecseri Kvassay J Kªrösy József Bartók Béla Nagyszªlªs Octóber 3 Takács M Hamzsabégi körtja tdósok Bogdánfy Bdafoki Baranyai Kanizsai Sárbogárdi Halmi tca Hamzsabégi Bártfai Fraknó Bartók Béla Bdaörsi Dombóvári Andalgó Galambóc Fehérvári Somogyi Vízpart Vahot Bánát Mérnök Tétényi Vas Etele Lecke Kopaszi gát Sopron Etele Hengermalom Bikszádi Gyáli Szerémi Nabdorfejérvari Sztregova Menyecske Major Barazda Borszéki Gyáli Bdafoki Illatos Danbe River Szabadkikötª Mártírok ja Határ C s e p e l I s l a n d ( C s e p e l s z i g e t ) Jókai Mór Határ Török Flóris Soroksári Gbacsi Bridge (Gbacsi híd) Andor Galvani Zsombor Tétényi Egér Temesvár Szabados Sándor Latinca Sándor Csrgól Kardhegy Kondorosi t Téglás l Péterhegyi Fehérvári Adács Hnyadi Mátyás Épitész Körmend Knhegyes Sáfrány Vegyész Hnyadi János Szerémi Ady Endre Topánka Dna Kossth Lajos Ady Endre Kíª Bdafok- Albertfalva vá Ady Endre Helsinki Anna Rózsavölgy Pesterzsébet vm

15 90 Sights Sights 9 (Contined from page 7) access from Ferenciek tere, walk throgh Párisi Udvar (Parisian Cort; Map p8 ; V Ferenciek tere ), a gem of a Parisian-style arcade bilt in 909, and into tiny Kigyó tca. Váci tca is immediately to the west. Many of the bildings on Váci tca are worth closer inspection, bt as it s a narrow street yo ll have to crane yor neck or walk into one of the side streets for a better view. Thonet Hose (Map p8 ; V Váci tca /a) is a masterpiece bilt by Ödön Lechner (890) and the flower shop called Philanthia (Map p8 ; V Váci tca 9) has an original Art-Novea interior. Vörösmarty & Srronds Váci tca ends at Vörösmarty (Map p8 ), a large sqare of smart shops, galleries, cafés and, depending on the season, an otdoor market with stalls selling torist schlock, and artists who will draw yor portrait or caricatre sitable for framing (maybe). In the centre is a state of the 9th-centry poet after whom Vörösmarty was named. The state is made of Italian marble and is protected in winter by a bizarre plastic iceberg that kids love sliding on. The first or last stop of the little yellow (or Millennim) metro line designated the M is also in the sqare, and at the northern end is Gerbead (Map p8 ; p3 ), Bdapest s most famos café and cake shop. Soth of Vörösmarty is the smptos Bank Palace (Bank Palota; Map p8 ; Deák tca ), bilt in 9 and now hosing the Bdapest Stock Exchange. The Pesti Vigadó (Map p8 ; V Vigadó ), the Romantic-style concert hall bilt in 8, bt badly damaged dring WWII, faces the river to the west of Vörösmarty. Dna korzó An easy way to cool down on a warm afternoon (and enjoy the best views of Castle Hill across the river) is to stroll along the Dna korzó (Map p8 ), the riverside Danbe Promenade between Chain Bridge and Elizabeth Bridge and above Belgrád rakpart. It s fll of cafés, msicians and handicraft stalls, and leads into Petőfi (Map p8 ), named after the poet of the War of Independence and the scene of political rallies (both legal and illegal) over sbseqent years. Márcis (Map p8 ), which marks the date of the otbreak of the revoltion, abts it to the soth. On the eastern side of Márcis, sitting ncomfortably close to the Elizabeth Bridge flyover, is the Inner Town parish chrch (Belvárosi plébániatemplom; Map p8 ; V Márcis ), where a Romanesqe chrch was first bilt in the th centry within a Roman fortress. Yo can see a few bits of the fort, Contra Aqincm (Map p8 ), in the small park to the north. The chrch was rebilt in the 4th and 8th centries, and yo can easily spot Gothic, Renaissance, baroqe, and even Trkish elements, both inside and ot. NORTHERN INNER TOWN This district, also called Lipótváros (Leopold Town; Map p84 and Map p8 ), is fll of offices, government ministries, 9th-centry apartment blocks and grand sqares. Roosevelt Roosevelt (Map p8 ; g or 0, j or /a), named in 947 after the long-serving (933 4) American president, is at the foot of Chain Bridge and offers among the best views of Castle Hill. On the sothern end of the sqare is a state of Ferenc Deák (Map p8 ), the Hngarian minister largely responsible for the Compromise of 87, which broght abot the Dal Monarchy of Astria and Hngary. The states on the western side are of an Astrian and a Hngarian child holding hands in peacefl bliss. The Art-Novea bilding with the gold tiles to the east is the Gresham Palace (Map p8 ; V Roosevelt -), bilt by an English insrance company in 907. Following a total overhal, it now hoses the smptos For Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel (Map p8 ; p08 ), argably the city s finest hostelry. The Hngarian Academy of Sciences (Magyar Tdományos Akadémia; Map p8 ; V Roosevelt 9), fonded by Cont István Széchenyi, is at the northern end of the sqare. Szabadság Independence Sq (Map p84 ; g), one of the largest sqares in the city, is a few mintes walk northeast of Roosevelt. In the centre is a monment to the Soviet army (Map p84 ), one of the very few still left in Bdapest. Soth of the US embassy is the former Royal Postal Savings Bank (Map p84 ; V Hold tca 4), a Secessionist extravaganza of colorfl tiles and folk motifs bilt by Ödön Lechner in 90 and now part of the National Bank of Hngary (Map p84 ; Magyar Nemzeti Bank; V Szabadság 8) next door. Kossth Lajos Northwest of Szabadság is Kossth Lajos (Map p84 ; mm Kossth Lajos ), the site of Bdapest s most photographed bilding and the best msem in the contry for traditional arts and crafts. Sotheast of the sqare in Vértanúk tere is a state of Imre Nagy, the reformist Commnist prime minister exected in 98 for his role in the Uprising two years before (see p3 ). It was nveiled with great ceremony in the smmer of 99. The Eclectic Parliament (Országház; Map p84 ; % , 44 44; V Kossth Lajos -3, Gate X; admission free for EU citizens, other adlt/child 300/0Ft; mm Kossth Lajos ), designed by Imre Steindl and completed in 90, has almost 700 smptosly decorated rooms, bt yo ll only get to see three on a gided tor of the North Wing: the main staircase and landing, where the Crown of St Stephen (see boxed text, below ), the nation s most important national icon, is on display; the Loge Hall; and the Congress Hall, where the Hose of Lords of the one-time bicameral assembly sat ntil 944. The bilding is a blend of architectral styles neo-gothic, neo-romanesqe, neobaroqe and in sm works very well. Members of Parliament sit in the National Assembly Hall in the Soth Wing from Febrary to Jne and again from September to December. Tors of the North Wing depart at 0am, pm, pm, pm and pm. The Ethnography Msem (Néprajzi Múzem; Map p84 ; % ; V Kossth Lajos ; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child/ family from 00/00/000Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn; mm Kossth Lajos ), opposite the Parliament bilding, offers visitors an easy introdction to traditional Hngarian life, with thosands of displays in 3 rooms on the st floor. The mock-ps of peasant hoses from the Örség and Sárköz regions of Western and Sothern Transdanbia are well done, and there are some priceless objects collected from Transdanbia. On the nd floor, most temporary exhibitions deal with other peoples of Erope and frther afield. BAJCSY-ZSILINSZKY ÚT Bajcsy-Zsilinszky (Map p84 and Map p8 ) is the arrow-straight bolevard that stretches from central Deák Ferenc, the only place in the city where all three metro lines converge, and Nygati, where the Nygati train station is located. St Stephen s Basilica The neoclassical St Stephen s Basilica (Szent István Bazilika; Map p8 ; %3 0839, 338 ; V Szent István ; h9am-pm & 7-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm & 7-8pm Sat, -pm & 7-8pm Sn; mm Arany János tca), bilt over the corse of half a centry, was not completed ntil 90. Mch of the interrption had to do with the fiasco in 88 when the dome collapsed dring a storm, THE CROWN OF ST STEPHEN Legend tells s that it was Asztrik, the first abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Pannonhalma ( p ), who presented a crown to Stephen as a gift from Pope Sylvester II arond AD 000, ths legitimising the new king s rle and assring his loyalty to Rome over Constantinople. It s a nice story, bt it has nothing to do with the object on display in the Parliament bilding. That twopart crown, with its characteristic bent cross, pendants hanging on either side and enamelled plaqes of the Apostles, dates from the th centry. Regardless of its provenance, the Crown of St Stephen has become the very symbol of the Hngarian nation. The crown has disappeared several times over the centries, only to appear again later. Dring the Mongol invasions of the 3th centry the crown was dropped while being transported to a safe hose, giving it that slightly janty, skewed look. More recently in 94 Hngarian fascists fleeing the Soviet army took it to Astria. Eventally the crown fell into the hands of the US Army, which transferred it to Fort Knox in Kentcky. In Janary 978 the crown was retrned to Hngary with great ceremony and relief. Becase legal jdgments in Hngary had always been handed down in the name of St Stephen s Crown, it was considered a living symbol and had ths been kidnapped.

16 9 Sights Sights 93 and the strctre had to be demolished and rebilt. The basilica is rather dark and gloomy inside, bt take a trip to the top of the dome (adlt/child 00/400Ft; h0am-4.30pm Apr & May, 9.30am-pm Jn-Ag, 0am-.30pm Sep & Oct), which can be reached by lift and 4 steps, and offers one of the best views in the city. To the right as yo enter the basilica is a small treasry (kincstár; h9am-pm Apr-Sep, 0am- 4pm Oct-Mar) of ecclesiastical objects. Behind the main altar and to the left is the basilica s major drawing card: the Holy Right Chapel (Szent Jobb kápolna; h9am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, am-4.30pm Sn May-Sep, 0am-4pm Mon-Sat, am-4.30pm Sn Oct-Apr). It contains the Holy Right (also known as the Holy Dexter), the mmmified right hand of St Stephen and an object of great devotion. To view it, yo have to pt a 00Ft coin into a little machine in front of it, which lights p the glass casket containing the relic. English-langage gided tors of the basilica (with/withot dome visit 000/00Ft) depart Monday to Friday at 9.30am, am, pm and 3.30pm, and on Satrday at 9.30am and am. SZENT ISTVÁN KÖRÚT Szent István kör (Map p84 ), the northernmost stretch of the Big Ring road (Nagykör) in Pest, rns in a westerly direction from Nygati to Margaret Bridge and the Danbe. It s an interesting street to stroll along, with many fine Eclectic-style bildings decorated with Atlases, reliefs and other details. Don t hesitate to explore the inner cortyards here and frther on. Yo can reach Jászai Mari (Map p84 ), at the western end of Szent István kör, on tram 4 or from either side of the river or via tram from the Inner Town in Pest. The eastern end of the bolevard is best reached by metro (M3 Nygati pályadvar). Újlipótváros The area north of Szent István kör is known as Újlipótváros (New Leopold Town; Map pp80 and Map p84 ) to distingish it from Lipótváros (Leopold Town) in the Northern Inner Town. (Archdke Leopold was the grandson of Empress Maria Theresa.) The area was pper middle class and Jewish before the war, and many of the safe hoses organised by the Swedish diplomat Raol Wallenberg dring WWII were here (see boxed text, below ). A street named after this great man, two blocks to the north, bears a commemorative plaqe, and a state of Wallenberg (Map pp80 ) doing battle with a snake, was erected in Szent István Park in 999. ERZSÉBETVÁROS The Big Ring road slices district VII also called Erzsébetváros (Elizabeth Town; Map p84 and Map p8 ) in half between two bsy sqares: Oktogon and Blaha Ljza. RAOUL WALLENBERG, RIGHTEOUS GENTILE Of all the righteos gentiles honored by Jews arond the world, the most revered is Raol Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat and bsinessman who resced as many as 3,000 Hngarian Jews dring WWII. Wallenberg began working in 93 for a trading firm whose president was a Hngarian Jew. In Jly 944 the Swedish Foreign Ministry, at the reqest of Jewish and refgee organisations in the USA, sent the 3-year-old Wallenberg on a resce mission to Bdapest as an attaché to the embassy there. By that time almost half a million Jews in Hngary had been sent to Nazi death camps in Germany and Poland. Wallenberg immediately began issing Swedish safe-condct passes (called Wallenberg passports ) and set p safe hoses flying the flag of Sweden and other netral contries where Jews cold seek asylm. He even followed German death marches and deportation trains, distribting food and clothing, and actally plling some 00 people off the cars along the way. When the Soviet army entered Bdapest in Janary 94, Wallenberg went to report to the athorities, bt in the wartime confsion was arrested for espionage and sent to Moscow. In the early 90s, responding to reports that Wallenberg had been seen alive in a labor camp, the Soviet Union annonced that he had in fact died of a heart attack in 947. Several reports over the next two decades sggested Wallenberg was still alive, bt none was ever confirmed. Many believe Wallenberg was exected by the Soviets, who sspected him to be a spy for the USA. The eastern side is a rather poor area, with little of interest to travellers except the Keleti train station (Map pp80 ) on Baross. The western side, bonded by the Little Ring road, has always been predominantly Jewish, and this was the ghetto where Jews were forced to live behind wooden fences when the Nazis occpied Hngary in 944. Oktogon is on the M metro line, Blaha Ljza on the M. Yo can also reach this area via trams 4 and from both Bda and the rest of Pest. Liszt Academy of Msic The Liszt Academy of Msic (Liszt Zeneakadémia; Map p84 ; %34 079; VI Liszt Ferenc 8; mm Oktogon), one block sotheast of Oktogon, was bilt in 907. It attracts stdents from all over the world and is one of the top venes for concerts in Bdapest. The interior, with large and small concert halls richly embellished with Zsolnay porcelain and frescoes, is worth a look even if yo re not attending a performance. Jewish Qarter The heart of the old Jewish qarter, Klazál (Map p84 ; j4 or ), and its srronding streets retain a feeling of prewar Bdapest. Signs of a contined Jewish presence are still evident in a kosher bakery (Map p8 ; Kazinczy tca 8), the Frölich cake shop (Map p8 ; Dob tca ), which has old Jewish favorites, and a wigmaker (Map p8 ; Kazinczy tca 3). There are abot half a dozen synagoges and prayer hoses in the district, which were reserved for different sects and ethnic grops: conservatives, the Orthodox, Poles, Sephardics and so on. The Orthodox Synagoge (Ortodox zsinagóga; Map p8 ; VII Kazinczy tca 9-3; j4 or ), which is also accessed from Dob tca 3, was bilt in 93 for Bdapest s Orthodox commnity, and the Moorish Rmbach Sebestyén tca Synagoge (Rmbach Sebestyén tcai zsinagóga; Map p8 ; VII Rmbach Sebestyén tca ; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) in 87 by Astrian Secessionist architect Otto Wagner for the conservatives. The Great Synagoge (Nagy zsinagóga; Map p8 ; VII Dohány tca -8; mm Astoria) is the largest Jewish hose of worship in the world otside New York City and can seat 3000 of the faithfl. Bilt in 89 and containing both Romantic-style and Moorish architectral elements, the copper-domed synagoge was renovated with fnds raised by the Hngarian government and a New York based charity headed by the actor Tony Crtis, whose parents emigrated from Hngary in the 90s. In an annexe of the synagoge is the Jewish Msem (Zsidó Múzem; Map p8 ; % ; VII Dohány tca ; synagoge admission 300Ft, synagoge & msem adlt/child 000/400Ft; h0am-pm Mon-Th, 0am-pm Fri, 0am-pm Sn mid-apr Oct, 0am-3pm Mon-Th, 0am-pm Fri, 0am-pm Sn Nov mid-apr), which contains objects related to religios and everyday life, and an interesting handwritten book of the local Brial Society from the 8th centry. The Holocast Memorial Room dark and sombre relates the events of 944 4, inclding the infamos mass mrder of doctors and patients at a hospital on Maros tca. On the synagoge s north side, the Holocast Memorial (Map p8 ; VII Wesselényi tca) stands over the mass graves of those mrdered by the Nazis in On the leaves of the metal tree of life are the family names of some of the 400,000 victims. Blaha Ljza & Rákóczi The sbway (nderpass) below Blaha Ljza (Map p84 ), the sqare named after a leading 9th-centry stage actress, is one of the liveliest in the city, with hstlers, beggars, peasants selling their wares, msicians and, of corse, pickpockets. Jst north of the sqare is the Art-Novea New York Palace (New York Palota; Map p84 ; VII Erzsébet kör 9-), erstwhile home of the celebrated New York Kávéház, scene of many a literary gathering over the years. It has been almost completely restored and will soon reopen as a hotel. Rákóczi (Map pp80 and Map p84 ), a bsy shopping street, cts across Blaha Ljza and ends at Baross and Keleti train station (Keleti pályadvar; Map pp80 ), bilt in 884 and renovated a centry later. JÓZSEFVÁROS & FERENCVÁROS From Blaha Ljza, the Big Ring road rns throgh district VIII, also called Józsefváros (Joseph Town; Map pp80 and Map p84 ). The western side transforms itself from a neighborhood of lovely 9thcentry townhoses and villas arond the Little Ring road to a large stdent qarter. East of the bolevard is the once roghand-tmble district where mch of the

17 94 Sights Sights 9 fighting in October 9 took place. Today it is being developed at breakneck speed and the sond of blldozers is constant nowadays. The neighborhood soth of Üllői is Ferencváros (Francis Town; Map pp80 ), home of the city s most poplar football team, Ferencvárosi Torna Clb ( p0 ), and many of its togh, green-and-white-clad spporters. Most of the area was washed away in the Great Flood of 838. Today there is a tremendos amont of bilding going on in Ferencváros too. The Józsefváros and Ferencváros districts are best served by trams 4 and. Hngarian National Msem The Hngarian National Msem (Magyar Nemzeti Múzem; Map p8 ; %338, ; VIII Múzem kör 4-; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 700/30Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn; mm3 Kálvin, j47 or 49) contains the nation s most important collection of historical relics in a large neoclassical bilding prpose-bilt in 847. On the st floor exhibits trace the history of the Carpathian Basin from earliest times to the arrival of the Avars in the 9th centry, and on the nd floor of the Magyar people to 849 and of Hngary in the 9th and 0th centries. Look ot for the enormos 3rd-centry Roman mosaic from Balácapszta, near Veszprém, at the foot of the central staircase; the crimson silk royal coronation robe (or mantle) stitched by nns at Veszprém in 03; the reconstrcted 3rd-centry Roman villa from Pannonia; the treasry room with pre- Conqest gold jewellery; a second treasry room with later gold objects (inclding the th-centry Monomachs crown); the Trkish tent; the stnning baroqe library; and Beethoven s Broadwood piano. Msem of Applied Arts The galleries of the Msem of Applied Arts (Iparművészeti Múzem; Map pp80- ; %4 00; IX Üllői 33-37; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 00/300Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn; mm3 Ferenc kör), which srrond a central hall of white marble spposedly modelled on the Alhambra in sothern Spain, sally contain a wonderfl array of Hngarian frnitre dating from the 8th and 9th centries, Art-Novea and Secessionist artefacts, and objects related to the history of trades and crafts (glass making, bookbinding, goldsmithing, leatherwork etc). However, the last time we visited there were only temporary exhibitions on display and the permanent collections were closed. The bilding, designed by Ödön Lechner and decorated with Zsolnay ceramic tiles, was completed for the Millenary Exhibition (89), bt was badly damaged dring WWII and again in 9. Holocast Memorial Center The new Holocast Memorial Center (Holokaszt Emlékközpont; Map pp88-9 ; %4 3348; IX Páva tca 39; admission free; h0am-pm Te- Sn), hosed in a striking modern bilding in a working-class neighborhood of Ferencváros, opened in 004 on the 0th anniversary of the start of the holocast in Hngary. Both a msem and an edcational fondation, the centre displays pages from the harrowing Aschwitz Albm, an nsal collection of photographs docmenting the transport, internment and extermination of Hngarian Jews that was fond by a camp srvivor after liberation. In the central cortyard, a sblimely restored synagoge designed by Leopold Bamhorn and completed in 94 hosts temporary exhibitions, sch as a recent one on the genocide of the Roma people dring WWII. Ldwig Msem (Msem of Contemporary Art) Jst across from the National Theatre, the Ldwig Msem, which is also called the Msem of Contemporary Art (Kortárs Művészeti Múzem; Map pp88-9 ; % 3444; IX Komor Marcell tca ; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 000/00Ft; h0am-pm Te, Fri & Sn, noon-pm Wed, noon-8pm Th, 0am-8pm Sat; j or /a) and was ntil 00 hosed in the Royal Palace on Castle Hill, is clearly enjoying its new and vastly expanded exhibition space in the eqally architectrally controversial Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája; p8 ). The msem is the only one collecting and exhibiting international contemporary art and works by American, Rssian, German and French contemporary artists over the past 0 years, and Hngarian, Czech, Slovakian, Romanian, Polish and Slovenian works from the 990s onward. In the past dozen years the msem has held some 0 temporary exhibitions, many of them on the ctting edge. ANDRÁSSY ÚT Andrássy (Map pp80 and Map p84 ) starts a short distance north of Deák Ferenc and stretches for.km to the northeast, ending at Heroes Sq (Hősök tere) and Városliget, Pest s sprawling City Park. Andrássy is sch a pretty bolevard and there s so mch to enjoy en rote that the best way to see it is on foot (see p00 ), althogh the M metro rns beneath Andrássy from Deák Ferenc as far as the City Park. Hngarian State Opera Hose The neo-renaissance Hngarian State Opera Hose (Magyar Állami Operaház; Map p84 ; %33 897; VI Andrássy ; adlt/stdent 400/00Ft; mm Opera) was designed by Miklós Ybl in 884 and is among the city s most beatifl bildings. If yo cannot attend a concert or an opera at least join one of the gided tors (held at 3pm and 4pm), which inclde a brief msical performance. Tickets are available from the sovenir shop on the eastern side of the bilding facing Hajós tca. Hose of Terror The Hose of Terror (Terror Háza; Map p84 ; %374 00; Andrássy 0; adlt/child 00/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Fri, 0am-7.30pm Sat & Sn; mm Vörösmarty tca), in what was once the headqarters of the dreaded ÁVH secret police ( p3 ), prports to focs on the crimes and atrocities committed by both Hngary s fascist and Stalinist regimes, bt the latter, particlarly the years after WWII leading p to the 9 Uprising, gets the lion s share of the exhibition space (almost three-dozen rooms, halls and corridors over three floors). The tank in the central cortyard is a jarring introdction and the wall displaying many of the victims photos speaks volmes. Bt even more harrowing are the reconstrcted prison cells and the final Perpetrators Gallery, featring photographs of the trncoats, spies, tortrers and cogs-in-the-wheel, many of them still alive, who allowed or cased these atrocities to take place. May they never forget their crimes. Franz Liszt Memorial Msem The Franz Liszt Memorial Msem (Liszt Ferenc Emlékmúzem; Map p84 ; %3 9804; VI Vörösmarty tca 3; adlt/child 400/0Ft; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm Vörösmarty tca) is sitated in the bilding where the great composer lived in a st-floor apartment from 88 ntil his death in 88. The for rooms are filled with his pianos (inclding a tiny glass one), the composer s table, portraits and personal effects. Asian Art Msems This area has two fine msems devoted to Asian arts and crafts, within easy walking distance of one another. The Ferenc Hopp Msem of East Asian Art (Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzem; Map pp80- ; %3 847; VI Andrássy 03; adlt/child 400/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn; mm Bajza tca) is in the former villa of its benefactor and namesake. Fonded in 99, the msem has a good collection of Indonesian wayang pppets, Indian statary, and lamaist sclptre and scroll paintings from Tibet. There s an 8thcentry Chinese moon gate in the back garden, bt most of the Chinese and Japanese collection of ceramics and porcelain, textiles and sclptre is hosed in the György Ráth Msem (Ráth György Múzem; Map pp80- ; %34 39; VI Városligeti fasor ; adlt/child 400/0Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn; mm Bajza tca), in a gorgeos Art- Novea residence a few mintes walk sothwards down Bajza tca. HEROES SQUARE Andrássy ends at Heroes Sq (Hősök tere; Map pp80 ), which in effect forms the entrance to City Park and is on the M metro line (Hősök tere stop). Millenary Monment In the centre is the Millenary Monment (Ezeréves emlékmű; Map pp80 ), a 3mhigh pillar backed by colonnades to the right and left. Topping the pillar is the Angel Gabriel, who is holding the Hngarian crown and a cross. At the base are Árpád and the six other Magyar chieftains who occpied the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th centry. The 4 states in the colonnades behind are of rlers and statesmen from King Stephen on the left to Lajos Kossth on the right. The reliefs below show a significant scene in the honored man s life. The for allegorical figres atop are (from left to right): Work & Prosperity, War, Peace and Knowledge & Glory.

18 9 Activities Activities 97 Msem of Fine Arts The Msem of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzem; Map pp80- ; %49 700, 33 7; mveszeti.h; XIV Dózsa György 4; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 00/00Ft; h0am-.30pm Te-Sn), on the northern side of the sqare, hoses the city s otstanding collection of foreign art works in a renovated bilding dating from 90. The Old Masters collection is the most complete, with thosands of works from the Dtch and Flemish, Spanish, Italian, German, French and British schools between the 3th and 8th centries, inclding seven paintings by El Greco. Other sections inclde Egyptian and Greco-Roman artefacts and 9th- and 0thcentry paintings, watercolors, graphics and sclptre, inclding some important impressionist works. Free tors of key galleries are available in English at am Tesday to Friday. Palace of Art The Palace of Art (Műcsarnok; Map pp80- ; %40 704, 33 7; XIV Dózsa György 37; 3-D film adlt/child 000/00Ft, exhibitions & film 00/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn) is among the city s largest exhibition spaces, and hosts temporary exhibitions of works by Hngarian and foreign artists in fine and applied art, photography and design. Concerts are sometimes staged here, too. A 3-D film that whisks yo arond Hngary in mintes (with commentary available in seven langages) is screened continosly from 0am to pm Tesday to Snday from mid-march to September and from 0am to 4.30pm Friday to Snday from October to mid-march. CITY PARK City Park (Városliget; Map pp80 ) is Pest s green lng, an open space measring almost a sqare kilometre that hosted most of the events dring Hngary s 000th anniversary celebrations in 89. It s not so ct and dry, bt in general msems lie to the soth of XIV Kós Károly sétány, while activities of a less cerebral natre inclding the Mnicipal Great Circs ( p0 ) and the Széchenyi Baths ( opposite ) are to the north. City Park is served by the M metro (Széchenyi fürdő stop), as well as by trolleybses 70, 7, 7 and 79. Transport Msem The Transport Msem (Közlekedési Múzem; Map pp80- ; % ; XIV Városligeti kör ; admission free, temporary exhibitions adlt/child 400/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Fri, 0am-pm Sat & Sn May-Sep, 0am-4pm Te-Fri, 0am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr) may not sond like a crowd pleaser, bt it is one of the most enjoyable in Bdapest and great for children. In an old and a new wing there are scale models of ancient trains (some of which rn), classic late-9th-centry atomobiles and lots of those old wooden bicycles called bone-shakers. There are a few hands-on exhibits and lots of show-andtell from the attendants. Otside are pieces from the original Danbe bridges that were retrieved after the bombings of WWII and a café in an old MÁV coach. City Zoo & Botanical Garden The large City Zoo and Botanical Garden (Városi Állatkert és Növénykert; Map pp80- ; % , ; XIV Állatkerti -; adlt/ child/stdent/family 300/900/000/400Ft; h9am-.30pm Mon-Th, 9am-7pm Fri-Sn May-Ag, 9am-.30pm Mon-Th, 9am-pm Fri-Sn Apr & Sep, 9am-pm Mon-Th, 9am-.30pm Fri-Sn Mar & Oct, 9am-4pm Nov-Feb) has a good collection of animals (big cats, rhinos, hippopotamses), bt some visitors come here jst to look at the Secessionist animal hoses bilt in the early part of the 0th centry, sch as the Elephant Hose with pachyderm heads in beetle-green Zsolnay ceramic and the Palm Hose (with aqarim 300Ft extra) erected by the Eiffel Company of Paris. Fnfair Park The Fnfair Park (Vidámpark; Map pp80- ; %33 830, 33 0; XIV Állatkerti kör 4- ; admission free or 300Ft, rides Ft; h0am-8pm Jl & Ag, am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-8pm Sat & Sn May & Jn, am-.30pm Mon-Fri, 0am-7pm Sat & Sn Apr & Sep, am-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-.30 Sat & Sn Mar & Oct) is a 0-year-old lna park on ½ hectares next to the Mnicipal Great Circs. There are a cople of dozen thrilling rides, inclding the heart-stopping Ikars Space Needle, the looping Star roller coaster and the Hip-Hop freefall tower, as well as go-karts, dodgem cars and a carosel bilt in 90. ACTIVITIES Thogh Bdapest may not seem like a destination for activities, it is chock-a-block with things to keep yo occpied otdoors. From swimming, taking the waters and cycling to caving and canoeing, it s all within easy access of the capital. Thermal Baths Bdapest lies on the geological falt separating the Bda Hills from the Great Plain; more than 30,000 cbic metres of warm to scalding ( C to 7 C) mineral water gsh forth daily from some 0 thermal springs. As a reslt, the city is a major spa centre and taking the waters at one of the many gyógyfürdő ( thermal baths) is a real Bdapest experience. Some baths date from Trkish times, some are Art-Novea wonders and others are spick-and-span modern establishments. Generally, entry to those baths withot a deposit or vocher system (sch as Gellért, Lkács and Szécheny) allows yo to stay for two hors on weekdays and ½ hors on weekends, thogh this rle is not always enforced. Most of the baths offer a fll range of serios medical treatments, pls more indlgent treatments, like massage (/30 mintes 900/700Ft) and pedicres (000Ft). Specify what yo want when bying yor ticket. The procedre for getting into the warm water is similar to the one for swimming pools ( p98 ), thogh in Bdapest s baths yo will sometimes be given a nmber and will have to wait ntil it is called or appears on the electronic board. Thogh some of the local spas and baths look a little rogh arond the edges, they are clean and the water is changed reglarly. Yo might consider taking along a pair of plastic sandals or flip-flops, however. Most bathhoses now reqire yo to wear a bathing sit and no longer distribte those strange drawstring loincloths. Most hire ot swimming costmes (arond 800Ft) if yo don t have yor own. Please note that some of the baths become gay venes on male-only days especially the Király. Not mch actally goes on, except for some intensive crising, bt those not into it may feel ncomfortable. An excellent sorce of information is Bdapest Spas and Hot Springs ( Soaking in the Art-Novea Gellért Baths (Gellért Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %4 ; XI Kelenhegyi 4; admission deposit before/after 3pm 3000/800Ft; ham-7pm May-Sep, am-7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; j8, 9, 47 or 49), open to both men and women in separate sections, has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The pools maintain a constant temperatre of 44 C, and the water, high in calcim, magnesim and hydrogen carbonate, is good for pains in the joints, arthritis and blood circlation. The entrance fee is actally a kind of deposit; yo get back 700/400/00Ft if yo leave within two/three/ for hors before 3pm, and 00/00Ft if yo exit within two/three hors after 3pm. Jst make sre yo hold on to yor receipts. The for pools at the Király Baths (Király Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %0 388, 0 439; II Fő tca 84; admission 00Ft; hmen 9am-8pm Te, Th & Sat, women 7am-pm Mon, Wed & Fri; g0 or 8), with water temperatres of between C and 40 C, are genine Trkish baths erected in 70 and they have a wonderfl skylit central dome. The Lkács Baths (Lkács Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %3 9; II Frankel Leó -7; admission deposit locker/cabin 00/700Ft; ham-7pm May-Sep, am-7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; j7, g0 or 8), hosed in a sprawling, 9thcentry complex, are poplar with older, very keen spa aficionados, and inclde everything from thermal and md baths (temperatres C to 40 C) to a swimming pool. The thermal baths are open to men on Tesday, Thrsday and Satrday, and women on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Yo get back 00/300/00Ft if yo leave two/three/ for hors after yo enter. At the northern end of City Park, the Széchenyi Baths (Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %33 30; XIV Állatkerti ; admission deposit before/ after 3pm 300/400Ft; ham-7pm; mm Széchenyi fürdő) is nsal for three reasons: its immense size (a dozen thermal baths and three swimming pools); its bright, clean atmosphere; and its water temperatres (p to 38 ), which really are what the wall plaqes say they are. It s open to both men and women at all times, and yo get back 800/00/00Ft on yor deposit if yo leave within two/three/for hors before 3pm and 00/300Ft if yo exit within two/three hors after 3pm. The Thermal Bath (Map pp78-9 ; % ; XIII Margit-sziget; admission Mon-Fri 00Ft, Sat & Sn 300Ft; h.30am-9.30pm; g) is a modern-style

19 98 Activities Activities 99 thermal spa in the Danbis Grand Hotel Margitsziget on leafy Margaret Island. The baths are open to men and women in separate sections. Cycling Parts of Bdapest, inclding City and Népliget Parks, Margaret Island and the Bda Hills, are excellent places for cycling. At present dedicated bike lanes in the city total abot 40km, inclding the path along Andrássy, bt that nmber is expected to doble in the next decade. To contact Bdapest-based cycling associations for information and advice, see p0. For places to rent bicycles on Margaret Island, see boxed text p7 ). Long-established and very reliable Yellow Zebra Bikes (Deák Ferenc Map p8 ; % 8777, ; V Sütő tca ; per hr/half-day/day 00/000/3000Ft; h0am- pm Nov-Mar, 9am-8pm Apr-Oct; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ; Opera Hose Map p84 ; %9 3843; VI Lázár tca ; h0am-pm Nov-Mar, 9.30am-7.30pm Apr-Oct; mm Opera) rents ot bikes year-rond from otlets jst behind the Torinform office and the Opera Hose. Bdapest Bike (Erzsébetváros Map p8 ; % ; VII Wesselényi tca 8; per hr/ half-day/day 00/00/3000Ft; h9am-midnight; j4 or or trolleybs 74; Inner Town Map p83 ; % ; V Lánchíd; h9am-midnight May-Sep) rents bikes from its main otlet, as well as from a kiosk at the Pest end of Chain Bridge. Another otfit is Bike Base (Map p84 ; %9 983, ; VI Podmaniczky tca 9; per //3 days 8/ /; h9am-7pm; mm3 Nygati pályadvar). Frigoria ( pblishes a nmber of sefl gides and maps, inclding one called Kerékparral Bdapest környékén (By Bike arond Bdapest; 00Ft) that takes in the srronding areas and describes 30 different rotes. The torist offices distribte the free bt less ambitios Bdapest & Srrondings Bicycle Rote Map, with 0 recommended tors that range in length from 4km to 77km. Bicycles can be transported on the HÉV, all Mahart boats and the Cog and Children s Railways, bt not on the metro, bses or any trams. Swimming Every town of any size in Hngary has at least one indoor and otdoor úszoda ( swimming pool), and Bdapest boasts dozens. They re always excellent places to get in a few laps (if indoor), cool off on a hot smmer s day (if otdoor) or watch all the posers strt their stff. The system inside is similar to that at the baths, except that rather than a cabin or cbicle yo store yor gear in lockers. Get changed and call the attendant, who will lock it, write the time on a chalkboard and hand yo a key. Many pools reqire the se of a bathing cap, so bring yor own or wear the plastic one provided or sold for a nominal fee. Most pools rent bathing sits and towels. Following are the best otdoor and indoor pools in the city. Some are attached to thermal baths reviewed previosly, others part of hotel wellness centres. The poplar Csillaghegy swimming complex (Map pp78-9 ; %0 33; III Psztaki 3; adlt/child 000/800Ft; h9am-7pm mid-may Sep, 7am-7pm Mon- Fri, 7am-pm Sat, 7am-4pm Sep mid-may; HÉV Csillaghegy) north of Óbda is the oldest open-air bath in Bdapest. There are three pools in a 90-hectare terraced park; in winter they are covered by a heated canvas tent. The hge Dagály swimming complex (Map pp78-9 ; %4 400; XIII Népfürdő tca 3; adlt admission deposit 800/00Ft with/withot cabin, child admission deposit 300Ft; hotdoor pools am-7pm May-Sep, indoor pools am-7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; mm3 Árpád híd, j) has a total of 0 pools, with plenty of grass and shade. If yo leave the complex two/three hors after entering yo get 00/300Ft back. The indoor pools at the Gellért Baths (Gellért Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %4 ; XI Kelenhegyi 4; admission deposit to swimming pool & thermal baths with locker/cabin 00/3000Ft, 400/800Ft after pm May-Sep, after pm Mon-Fri & after pm Sat & Sn Oct- Apr; ham-7pm May-Sep, am-7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; j8, 9, 47 or 49) are the most beatifl in Bdapest. The otdoor pools (May to September) have a wave machine and nicely landscaped gardens. The pools at the Alfréd Hajós swimming complex (Map pp80- ; %40 44, ; XIII Margit-szige; adlt/child 900/0Ft; hotdoor pools am-7pm May-Sep, indoor pools am-7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; j4 or, g), one indoor and three otdoor, form the National Sports Pool where Olympic swimming and water-polo teams train. The ltramodern Helia swimming and spa centre pool (Map pp80- ; % ; XIII Kárpát tca -4; admission before/after 3pm Mon-Fri 300/400Ft, Sat & Sn 4900Ft; h7am-0pm; mm3 Dózsa György or trolleybs 79), in the for-star Danbis Helia Hotel on the Danbe, boasts three pools, sana and steam room. The Béla Komjádi Swimming Pool (Map pp80- ; % 70; II Árpád fejedelem ja 8; adlt/child 900/0Ft; ham-7pm; j7, g0 or 8) is sed by very serios swimmers and fitness freaks so don t come here for fn and games. Use of the three swimming pools at the Lkács Baths (Lkács Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %3 9; II Frankel Leó -7; ham-7pm May-Sep, am- 7pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn Oct-Apr; j7, g0 or 8) is inclded in the general admission price ( p97 ). The largest series of pools in the capital, the Palatins Strand (Palatins Beach; Map pp78-9 ; %340 40; XIII Margit-sziget; adlt/child locker 00/300Ft, admission with cabin 900Ft; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat & Sn May & Jn, 9am-7pm Mon-Sn Jl & Ag; g) on Margaret Island has a total of pools (two or three with thermal water), wave machines, water slides etc. The otdoor pools at the Rómaifürdő Strandfrdő (Rómaifürdő Beach; Map pp78-9 ; % ; III Rozgonyi Piroska tca ; adlt/child locker 00/000Ft, admission with cabin 00Ft; h9am-7pm May-Ag; HÉV Rómaifürdő or g34) are jst north of Aqincm. The indoor pools at the Rdas Baths (Map p8 ; %3 3, 3 00; I Döbrentei 9; admission with locker/cabin 900/00Ft; ham-pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat & Sn; j8 or 9, g7 or 8), close to the river, were bilt by the Trks in and retain a strong Trkish atmosphere. The thermal baths are crrently nder renovation. Use of the three enormos thermal swimming pools at the Széchenyi Baths (Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő; Map pp80- ; %33 30; XIV Állatkerti ; ham-0pm May-Sep, am-7pm Oct-Apr; mm Széchenyi fürdő) is inclded in the baths general admission fee ( p97 ). Hiking Bdapest is an excellent springboard for hiking. If yo plan on doing any walking in the Bda Hills, get hold of a copy of Cartographia s :30,000 A Bdai-hegység map (No ; 900Ft). The torist offices distribte a sefl free map called Bdapest & Srrondings Hiking Tors, with a dozen hikes and walks from the capital. Caving Bdapest has a nmber of caves, two of which are open for walk-throgh gided tors in Hngarian. Pálvölgy Cave (Pálvölgyi-barlang; Map pp78-9 ; %3 90; II Szépvölgyi ; adlt/ child 70/40Ft; g from Kolosy in Óbda), the second-largest cave in Hngary, is noted for its stalactites and bats; be advised that the 00m rote involves climbing some 400 steps and a ladder, so it may not be sitable for children. Horly tors depart between 0am and 4pm Tesday to Snday. A more beatifl cave, with stalactites, stalagmites and weird grapelike formations, is Szemlő-hegy Cave (Szemlőhegyi-barlang; Map pp78-9 ; %3 00; II Psztaszeri 3; adlt/child 0/400Ft; h0am-4pm Wed-Mon; g9 from III Kolosy ), abot km sotheast of Pálvölgy Cave. Boating The best place for canoeing and kayaking in Bdapest is on the Danbe at Rómaipart (Map pp78 9 ); take the HÉV sbrban line to Rómaifürdő (Map pp78 9 ) and walk eastwards towards the river. Two reliable places to rent kayaks and/or canoes are from Óbda Sport Clb (ÓSE; Map pp78-9 ; %40 333; III Rozgonyi Piroska tca 8; canoes per day 400Ft; h8am- pm) and the KSH canoe clb (Map pp78-9 ; %38 897; III Királyok ja 3; canoes per day 000/300Ft, -/-person kayaks per day 300/00Ft, 3-/4-person canoes per day 800/900Ft; h8am-pm mid-apr mid-oct). Horse Riding The Hngarian Eqestrian Torism Association (Map p8 ; p48 ) has a list of recommended riding schools within striking distance of Bdapest, bt bear in mind that Hngary has jst introdced a new system of rating riding schools and centres, and things are (to say the least) in a state of flx. One of the closest riding schools to Bdapest is the long-established Petneházy Lovascentrm (% , ; [email protected]; Feketefej tca -4; h9am-4pm Sat & Sn; g3 from Hűvösvölgyi ) at Adyliget near Hűvösvölgy. It may have resmed lessons, paddock practice and trail riding by the time yo read this. In the meantime there are pony rides (00Ft per mintes) for the kiddies and carriage rides (,000Ft per 30 mintes for eight people). Pegazs Tors (%37 44; V Ferenciek tere ) can book riding programmes

20 00 Walking Tor Corses 0 (for details, see p48 ), as can the highly respected Favorit Lovarda (%7 0, jmp on. to lose yor stamina, jst go down and 999; XVI Móks tca 3; HÉV Szabadságtelep) in the Andrássy splits away from Bajcsy- Csömör district. Zsilinszky some 00m north of Deák Ferenc. This section of Andrássy is lined WALKING TOUR with plane trees cool and pleasant on a This is a fairly straightforward walk that warm day. The first major sight is the Hngarian State Opera Hose (; p9 ). The interior, starts jst a little north of Deák Ferenc and follows Andrássy, the most attractive bolevard in Bdapest, to Heroes Sq lovely and sparkles after a total overhal in which can be visited on tor, is especially (Hősök tere) and the enormos City Park the 980s. (Városliget). It s not a very long walking Opposite the Opera Hose, the socalled Drechsler Hose (; VI Andrássy ), was tor, bt there s a tremendos amont to see and do along the way so choose jdiciosly nless yo want to make a whole Ödön Lechner in 88. Until recently it designed by Art-Novea master bilder day of it. The little yellow metro (M) rns hosed the Hngarian State Dance Institte jst beneath the bolevard, so if yo begin bt it now stands empty, another victim of development that never happened. For something even more magical, walk down WALK FACTS Dalszínház tca to the New Theatre (3; Új Start mm Opera Színház; %3 40; VI Palay Ede tca 3), a Secessionist gem embellished with monkey faces, End mm Hősök tere Distance.km globes and geometric designs that opened Dration Two hors (or more) as the Parisiana msic hall in 909. Fel Stop Művész or Lkács café The old-world café Művész (4; p3 ) is in the next block. The next cross street is Lehel City Park Újlipótváros Lehel 9 (Városliget) 8 Városligeti-tó Hªsök 7 tere 0 Heroes' Sqare (Hªsök tere) Balzac Kresz Géza Nygati Train Station Nygati Nygati p Jókai Csanády Weiner L Lovag Hajós Zichy Jenª Ó Opera To Deák Ferenc (400m) Lázár Váci Nagymezª Dalszínház Andrássy Terézváros Szobi Dessewffy Podmaniczky Teréz krt Jókai Ó Mozsár Vasvári Pál 3 Ferdinánd híd Csengery Eötvös Oktogon Jókai Andrássy 4 7 Csányi Vörösmarty Izabella Aradi Szondi Vörösmarty tca 8 Király Kürt Rózsa Csengery Eötvös Bajnok Szív Erzsébet krt Erzsébetváros Szinyei Merse Vörösmarty Hnyadi Hársfa Podmaniczky Bajza 0 00 m miles Oktogon Liszt Ferenc 3 Aradi Kodály körönd 4 Andrássy 0 9 Szófia Csengery Szív Rózsa Jósika Király Izabella Dob Wesselényi Mnkácsy Mihály Bajza tca Lövölde Hevesi Sándor Rippl-Rónai Almássy Lendvay Bajza Andrássy Rottenbiller Dohány Izabella Délibáb Rózsák tere Benczúr Bethlen Gábor Rózsa Városligeti fasor Dózsa György Damjanich Nefelejcs Peterdy Bethlen Gábor Dembinszky Marek József István Olof Palme sétány Hernád Péterfy Sándor Garay Thököly Mrányi Keleti Train Station Nagymező tca, the Broadway of Bdapest, conting a nmber of theatres, sch as the Bdapest Operetta (; p9 ) at No 7 and, jst opposite, the Thália (; %33 000; VI Nagymező tca -4), lovingly restored in 997. On the right-hand side of the next block, the so-called Fashion Hose (7; Divatcsarnok; VI Andrássy 39), the fanciest emporim in town when it opened as the Grande Parisienne (or Párisi Nagyarház in Hngarian) in 9, contains the ornate Ceremonial Hall (Díszterem) on the mezzanine floor, a room positively dripping with gilt, marqetry and frescoes by Károly Lotz. It is crrently being redeveloped, so it may be closed when yo pass by. Andrássy meets the Nagykör the Big Ring road at Oktogon, a bsy intersection fll of fast-food otlets, shops, honking cars and pedestrians. Jst beyond it, the former secret police bilding, which now hoses the Hose of Terror (8; p9 ), has a ghastly history, for it was here that many activists of whatever political side was ot of fashion before and after WWII were taken for interrogation and tortre (inclding Cardinal Mindszenty; see boxed text, p47 ). The walls were apparently doble thickness to mte the screams. A plaqe on the otside of this hose of shame reads in part: We cannot forget the horror of terror, and the victims will always be remembered. The Franz Liszt Memorial Msem (9; p9 ) is diagonally opposite. Along the next two blocks yo ll pass some very grand bildings hosing sch instittions as the Bdapest Pppet Theatre (0; p9 ) at No 9, the Academy of Fine Arts (; Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem; VI Andrássy 7) and the headqarters of MÁV (; V Andrássy 73), the national railway. The Lkács (3; p3 ) café and cake shop is jst opposite. The next sqare (more accrately a circs) is Kodály körönd (4), one of the most beatifl in the city, with the façades of the for neo-renaissance townhoses still in desperate need of a massive face-lift. The last stretch of Andrássy and the srronding neighborhoods are packed with stnning old mansions that are among the most desirable addresses in the city. It s no srprise to see that embassies, ministries, mltinationals and even political parties (eg FIDESZ-MPP at VI Lendvay tca 8) have moved in. The Ferenc Hopp Msem of East Asian Art (; p9 ) is in the former villa of its eponymos collector and benefactor at No 03. More of the collection is on display at the nearby György Ráth Msem (; p9 ), a few mintes walk sothwest. Andrássy ends at Heroes Sq (7; Hősök tere; p9 ), which leads to City Park. The city s most flamboyant monment and two of its best exhibition spaces are in the sqare. The Millenary Monment (8; Ezeréves emlékmű; p9 ) in effect defines Heroes Sq. Beneath the tall colmn and nder a stone slab is an empty coffin representing the nknown insrgents of the 9 Uprising. To the north of the monment is the Msem of Fine Arts (9; p9 ) and its rich collection while to the soth is the ornate Palace of Art (0; Műcsarnok; p9 ), which was bilt arond the time of the millenary exhibition in 89 and renovated a centry later. The M Hősök tere metro stop is conveniently jst across the sqare. COURSES Langage The most prestigios Hngarian- langage school in the contry, the Debrecen Smmer University ( p38 ) now has a Bdapest branch (Map p84 ; %30 7; Jászai Mari, /F), with intensive corses lasting three weeks (0 hors) for 8 and reglar evening classes of 7/9 hors for 3/3. In addition, the following Hngarianlangage schools are recommended for either classroom stdy or one-to-one instrction. Hngarian Langage School (Map p8 ; % 7; VIII Brody Sándor tca 4, /F) InterClb Hngarian Langage School (Map pp88-9 ; %79 083; XI Bertalan Lajos tca 7) International Hose (Map pp80- ; % 400; II Bimbó 7) FOR CHILDREN Bdapest abonds in places that will delight children and there is always a special child s entry rate to paying attractions (thogh ages of eligibility may vary). Family visits to many areas of the city can be designed arond a rest stop (or picnic) at, say, City Park, on Margaret Island or along the Danbe.

21 0 Tors Sleeping 03 Kids love transport and the city s many (some might say nsal) forms of conveyance from the Cog Railway (p7 ) and Children s Railway ( p7 ) in the Bda Hills and the Sikló ( p9 ) fniclar climbing p to Castle Hill, to the trams, trolleybses and M metro will fascinate and entertain. Specific places to take children inclde the Mnicipal Great Circs (p0 ), the Fnfair Park (p9 ), the City Zoo ( p9 ) and the Bdapest Pppet Theatre (p9 ). And don t forget the Transport Msem (p9 ). It s got an embarrassment of hands-on displays for kids of all ages. Lonely Planet s Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan incldes all sorts of sefl information and advice for those travelling with their little ones. TOURS Boat From early May to mid-september Mahart PassNave (Map p8 ; % , 38 3; V Belgrád rakpart) has ½- to twohor crises at noon and 7.30pm along the Danbe (adlt/child nder high season 900/90Ft, low season 00/800Ft). In the low season, from April to early May and mid- September to mid-october, only the evening crise sails (on Friday and the weekend). A ticket with a meal on board costs 800/400Ft per adlt/child, except in the evening in high season when it costs 300/00Ft, with msic and dancing on board. There are other, more expensive, crises that also operate on the river, inclding those offered by Legenda (Map p8 ; % 490, ; V Vigadó, pier No 7), which rns tors by day (300Ft) and night (400Ft), with taped commentary in p to 30 langages. Check the website for its schedle. Bs Many travel agencies, inclding Cityrama (Map p84 ; %30 438; V Báthory tca ) and Program Centrm (Map p8 ; %37 777, ; V Erzsébet 9-0), next to Le Meridien Bdapest, offer three-hor city tors with three stops from 00/3000Ft per adlt/child nder. They also have trips to the Danbe Bend, Lake Balaton, the Great Plain, the Eger wine region etc. For more information, see p387. Bdators (Map p8 ; %33 08, ; VI Andrássy ) rns nine city bs tors daily in both open and covered coaches in Jly and Agst (between three and eight bses the rest of the year) from V Andrássy 3 across the street (adlt/ stdent 4300/3000Ft). It s a two-hor tor with one stop (Gellért Hill) and with taped commentary in different langages. Qeenybs (Map p77 ; %47 79; qeenybs@ qeenybs.h; XI Törökbálinti 8) has bses departing three times daily (0am, am and.0pm) from in front of St Stephen s Basilica on V Bajcsy-Zsilinszky (Map p8 ) for three-hor city tors (adlt/stdent/child nder 4 000/300/3000Ft, open-deck 4300/3000/00Ft). Cycling Rn by the same people behind Absolte Walking Tors ( below ), Yellow Zebra Bikes (Map p8 ; % 8777, ; bikes.com; V Sütő tca ; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) has cycling tors (adlt/stdent 00/000Ft) of the city that take in Heroes Sq, City Park, inner Pest and Castle Hill. Tors inclde the bike and a drink, and depart from in front of the yellow Ltheran chrch in Deák Ferenc (Map p8 ) at.30am in May, Jne, September and October, and.30am and 4pm in Jly and Agst. Walking Among other tors, Absolte Walking Tors (% 8777, ; has a 3½-hor gided promenade throgh City Park, central Pest and Castle Hill (adlt/stdent or nder 4000/300Ft). Tors depart at 9.30am and.30pm from mid-may to September and at 0.30am the rest of the year from the steps of the yellow Ltheran chrch on Deák Ferenc (Map p8 ). It also has some cracker specialist tors, inclding the Hammer & Sickle Tor (000/000Ft) and the Hngaro Gastro Food & Wine Tor (00/00Ft). FESTIVALS & EVENTS Many festivals and events are held in and arond Bdapest; look ot for the torist board s annal Events Calendar for a complete listing. Janary New Year Concert ( This is an annal event sally held in Pesti Vigadó (Map p8 ; p9 ) on Janary to herald the new year. Febrary Opera Ball ( This annal, very prestigios event is held at the Hngarian State Opera Hose (Map p84 p9 ). March Bdapest Spring Festival ( The capital s largest (00 events at 0 venes) and most important cltral event takes place at venes throghot the city. April Spring Marathon ( Marathon between Bdapest and Visegrád. May Bdapest Early Msic Form ( A festival focsing on ancient msic classical msic as it was played when first composed at the Liszt Academy of Msic (Map p84; p93 ) and at chrches arond Bdapest. Jne Bdapesti Búcsú ( City-wide Bdapest Fair festival of concerts and street theatre marking the departre of Soviet troops from Hngarian soil in 99. Danbe Folklore Carnival ( Pan-Hngarian international 0-day carnival of folk and world msic and modern dance held in Vörösmarty (Map p8; p90 ) and on Margaret Island. Agst Formla One Hngarian Grand Prix ( ing.h) Hngary s prime sporting event held in Magyoród, 4km northeast of the capital. Sziget Msic Festival ( Now one of the biggest and most poplar msic festivals in Erope, held on Bdapest s Óbda Island (Map pp78 9; p73 ). September Bdapest International Wine & Champagne Festival ( Hngary s foremost winemakers introdce their wine to festival goers in the Castle District (Map p83 ; p9 ). October Bdapest International Marathon ( marathon.com) Eastern Erope s most celebrated foot race goes along the Danbe and across its bridges. December New Year s Gala & Ball ( Gala dinner and ball held at the Hngarian State Opera Hose (Map p84 ) on 3 December. SLEEPING Bdapest accommodation options rn the gamt from basic bt comfortable hostels cobbled from a cople of old apartments high above the Big Ring road to five-star palaces staring at (or down on) the Danbe. Bdget In Bdapest bdget accommodation hostels, private rooms, pensions and camp sites costs anything nder,000ft ( 49). HOSTELS Hostelling International (HI) cards or their eqivalents ( p39 ) are not reqired at any hostels in Bdapest, bt they ll often get yo a discont of p to 0%; make sre to ask beforehand. Prices almost always inclde a simple (continental) breakfast. Hostels sally have landry facilities (000Ft to 00Ft for a wash and dry), a flly eqipped kitchen, storage lockers, TV longe, no crfew and compters for Internet access (free or from abot 0Ft per minte). While yo can go directly to all the hostels mentioned here, the Express and Mellow Mood travel agencies ( p8 ) are the best contact for bdget accommodation information. In fact, the latter, which is affiliated with HI, rns two year-rond hostels and bdget hotels, as well as a half-dozen hostels that are open in smmer only. Mellow Mood also maintains three kiosks at Keleti train station (Map pp80- ; VIII Kerepesi -4; mm3 Keleti pályadvar), where staff make bookings, and can advise yo abot transport from there or arrange it for yo: Platform No 9 kiosk (%33 7; h7am-pm) Rail/Bs office (%4 0948; ham-0pm) Along platform No. U Tors travel agency (% ; h7am-8pm) At the end of platform No. Bda Martos Hostel (Map pp88-9 ; % , ; [email protected]; XI Sztoczek József tca -7; s 4000Ft, d/tr/q 000/700/0,000FT, apt,000ft; j4 or ) Thogh primarily a smmer hostel with 00 beds, the independent Martos has arond 0 beds available year-rond. It s reasonably well located, near the Danbe, and jst a few mintes walk from Petőfi Bridge.

22 04 Sleeping Sleeping 0 AUTHOR S CHOICE Back Pack Gesthose (Map pp88-9 ; %38 894; XI Takács Menyhért tca 33; bed in large/small dm 00/3000Ft, d 7000Ft; gblack-nmbered 7 or 7A, j9 or 49; i) The laid-back Back Pack is in a colorflly painted sbrban villa in soth Bda and is relatively small, with a mere 0 beds (large dormitories with between seven and beds, and small ones with for to five), bt therein lies its charm. There is a sper garden in the back, with a Thai-style longing/ sleeping platform they call it a gazebo as well as hammocks. Internet access is free and there is low-cost massage available. The pbeat attitde of the friendly, mch travelled manager seems to permeate the place and the welcome is always warm. Pest Red Bs Hostel (Red Bs I Map p8 ; % 03; V Semmelweiss tca 4, /F; dm Ft, s & d 7900Ft, tr,000ft; mm Astoria; Red Bs II Map pp80- ; %3 700; VII Szövetség tca, /F; dm 800Ft; trolleybses 73, 74 or 7; i) Red Bs Hostel is a very friendly, central and well-managed place, with for large and airy rooms with for to five beds, as well as private rooms for p to three people. The new Red Bs II has for rooms of for to five beds. Green Bridge Hostel (Map p8 ; % 9; V Molnár tca -4; bed in 8-bed dm -4, bed in /3/4/-bed dm /9/8/7; mm3 Kálvin ; i) Few hostels trly stand ot in terms of comfort, location and reception, bt Green Bridge has it all in spades. Bnks are nowhere to be seen, it s on a qiet street jst one block in from the Danbe and coffee is on offer gratis throghot the day. Station Gesthose (Map pp80- ; % 884; XIV Mexikói 3/b; bed in 4-/8-bed dm 300/800Ft, d & t per person 300Ft, q per person 3800Ft; red-nmbered g7, j or A; i) This gesthose in sbrban Zgló is a real party place, with a 4-hor bar, pool table and occasional live entertainment. It has between 4 and beds, depending on the season. For those intending to stay a while, rates drop by 00Ft a night from the second to the sixth night. Best Hostel (Map p84 ; % ; tel.h; VI Podmaniczky tca 7, st fl; dm 3000Ft, d/q per person 400/300Ft; mm3 Nygati pályadvar; i) This is a six-room hostel pt together from several apartments, with parqet floors, very high ceilings and big, airy rooms. It s a qiet place with a fair nmber of rles (drgs, booze or tobacco), so don t expect to party here. Caterina Hostel (Map p84 ; %9 990, ; VI Teréz kör 30, 3rd fl; bed in -/8-/0-bed dm 800/00/00Ft, s/d/t per person 800/3400/3400Ft, -bed apt per person 300Ft; mm Oktogon; i) Long a key player on the Bdapest bdget accommodation scene, this hostel has moved from Oktogon in the past year or so, bt contines to offer reliable, cheap accommodation in a 3rd-floor, 7-bed walk-p apartment above the celebrated Művész Cinema. Hostel Marco Polo (Map p84 ; %43 ; VII Nyár tca ; bed in -bed dm 0, s 4, d/tr/q per person 38/8/; hyear-rond; mm Blaha Ljza ; i) The Mellow Mood grop s very central flagship hostel is a swish, powder-ble, 47-room place, with telephones and TVs in all the rooms, except the dorms, and a lovely cortyard. Even the five spotless dorms (one reserved for women dring the low season) are private, with beds separated by lockers and crtains. Mellow Mood Central Gesthose (Map p8 ; %4 30; V Bécsi tca ; bed in -/8-bed dm 000/400Ft, d/tr/q per person 800/700/400Ft; mm//3/deák Ferenc ; i) This place will pt yo right in the heart of town. With 79 beds on for floors, it s the largest hostel in Bdapest, so don t expect the personal treatment. Still, it s clean and pbeat, and there s a 4-hor bar. PRIVATE ROOMS Private rooms in Bdapest generally cost 400Ft to 000Ft for a single, 00Ft to 8000Ft for a doble and 8000Ft to,000ft for a small apartment. There s sally a 30% spplement on the first night if yo stay less than for nights. To get a room in the city centre, yo may have to try several offices. Yo might need an indexed city map ( p ) to find the block where yor room is located, thogh. Torinform in Bdapest does not arrange private accommodation, bt will send yo to a travel agency, sch as To-Ma (Map p8 ; %33 089; V Október tca ; h9am-noon & -8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat & Sn; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ). Among the best places to try for private rooms are Ibsz and Vista ( p8 ), and U Tors ( p03 ) in Keleti train station. After hors, try the imaginatively named Nonstop Hotel Service (Map p8 ; % 894; V Apáczai Csere János tca ; h9am-0pm; mm Vörösmarty ) near the Bdapest Marriott Hotel. PENSIONS & GUESTHOUSES Bdapest has scores of panzió (pensions and gesthoses), bt most of them are in the otskirts of Pest or in the Bda Hills and not very convenient nless yo have yor own (motorised) transport. Pest Dominik Panzió (Map pp80- ; %40 948; domin [email protected]; XIV Cházár András tca 3; s/d/-bed apt 8/3/7; g7) Jst off Thököly and located beside a large chrch, Dominik Panzió is on a leafy street lined with 9thcentry villas and jst two stops northeast of Keleti train station by bs. The 3 rooms, which cold se an pgrade, come with shared bathroom and there is a five-person apartment available. Garibaldi Gesthose & Apartments (Map p84 ; %30 347, ; [email protected]; V Garibaldi tca, th fl; s/d 8/3, apt per person -4; mm Kossth Lajos ) Argably the most welcoming hostel-cm-gesthose in Bdapest, the Garibaldi has five rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen in a flat jst arond the corner from Parliament. In the same bilding, the gregarios owner has at least a half-dozen apartments available. HOTELS A room in a bdget (ie one- or two-star) hotel will cost more than a private room, thogh the management won t mind if yo stay only one night. Bda Papillon Hotel (Map pp80- ; % 470; II Rózsahegy tca 3/b; s/d/tr 38/48/8, apt for 3/ people 0/7; j4 or ; pis) One of Bda s best-kept accommodation secrets, this small 0-room hotel in Rózsa-domb has a delightfl back garden with a small swimming pool. There are also two apartments available in the block jst across the road. Hotel Császár (Map pp80- ; %33 40; II Frankel Leó tca 3; s/d/q 4/3/84, ste ; j7, g8; as) The hge yellow bilding in which the Emperor is located was bilt in the 80s as a convent, which might explain the size of the 34 cell-like rooms. Reqest one of the larger sperior rooms that look onto the nearby otdoor Olympic-size pools of the hge Béla Komjádi Swimming Pool ( p99 ). Hotel Citadella (Map pp80- ; %4 794; XI Citadella sétány; dm 00Ft, s & d with shared shower/shower/bath 0,000/,000/,000Ft; g7; p) This hotel in the fortress atop Gellért-hegy is pretty threadbare and thogh most of the dozen gestrooms share their facilities, they are extra large and retain some of their original featres. The one dorm room with 4 beds is sally booked by grops a week ahead, so call in advance. Margaret Island Hotel Margitsziget (Map pp80- ; %39 949; XIII Margit-sziget; s 43-3, d 4-; g; pi) This -room bdget hotel in the centre of Margaret Island is srronded by greenery and feels almost like a resort. If yo really want to get away from it all on a bdget bt remain within easy striking distance of the action, choose this place. Pest KM Saga Gest Residence (KM Saga I Map pp80- ; %7 934; IX Lónyay tca 7, 3rd fl; s 38-3, d 0-7; g,j47 or 49; KM Saga II Map p8 ; %7 934; IX Vámház kör, th fl; i) This niqe place has five themed rooms, an eclectic mix of 9th-centry frnishings and a hospitable, mltilingal Hngarian-American owner. It s essentially a gay B&B, bt everyone is welcome. KM Saga II is somewhat more modern bt less atmospheric and has three rooms. Radio Inn (Map pp80- ; % ; dioinn.h; VI Benczúr tca 9; s/d /7, -room apt 9; mm Bajza tca; i) Jst off leafy Andrássy, this place is a real find, with 33 large one-bedroom apartments with bath and kitchen, 0 with two bedrooms and one with three bedrooms measring between 44 and 0 sq metres, all spread over five floors. The garden cortyard is a delight. Flandria Hotel (Map pp78-9 ; %30 38; hotel [email protected]; XIII Szegedi 7; s/d/tr/q with wash basin 00/300/7400/800Ft, with shower 900/ 900/,000/4,000Ft; g4; p) The Flandria is a classic example of a former workers hostel that has been trned into a bdget hotel.

23 0 Sleeping Sleeping 07 Don t expect anything within a cople of light years of lxry, bt the gestrooms, which have from one to for beds, a TV and refrigerator, are both clean and serviceable. CAMPING Bda Római Camping (Map pp78-9 ; %388 77; III Szentendrei 89; camp sites per person/tent site/campervan/caravan 990/0/ 390/380Ft, st-class cabins for people,000ft, nd-/3rd-class cabins per person 00/800Ft; hsite & cabins year-rond; ps) Located in a leafy park north of the city opposite a poplar swimming complex, Római is the city s largest camp site. To get there, take the HÉV sbrban railway from the Batthyány metro station in Bda to the Rómaifürdő station, which is almost opposite the camp site. Use of the adjacent strand and swimming pool is inclded. Zgligeti Niche Camping (%00 834; XII Zgligeti 0; camp sites per person/tent/caravan 00/3800/400Ft; hyear-rond; g8; p) This is a small camp site in the Bda Hills for 00 campers at the bottom station of the chairlift. Midrange Bdapest is not bereft of midrange options altogether, bt they are not as plentifl as in Western Eropean cities. Midrange sally pensions and hotels means anything between,00ft ( 0) and,000ft ( 0) dring any season. BUDA Hotel Astra (Map p83 ; %4 90; I Vám tca ; s/d/ste 90/0/3; mm Batthyány, g8) Tcked away in a small street jst west of Fő tca and jst below the Castle District is this hotel-cm-gesthose in a centries-old townhose. It has seven doble rooms, two sites and a family apartment essentially two dobles separated by a shared bathroom. IBS Garden Hotel (Map p77 ; %74 088; II Tárogató -4; s & d 9; g9, j; pi) This newly opened midrange hotel on the way to the Bda Hills, with 00 rooms spread over five floors, is an excellent option for those who want to be very close to the city bt not exactly in it. Orion Hotel (Map p83 ; %3 883; western-ce.com/orion; I Döbrentei tca 3; s/d/tr/ste 88//3/0; j8 or 9) Hidden away in the Tabán district, this is a cosy place with a relaxed atmosphere and within easy walking distance of the Castle District. The 30 rooms are bright and of a good size. Beatrix Panzió (Map p77 ; %7 00; hotel.h; II Széher 3; s/d/tr 0//7, apt 7-90; g, j; p) Up in the Bda Hills bt easily accessible by pblic transport, this is an attractive pension with 8 rooms. Srronding the pension is a lovely garden with fishpond, sn terraces and a grill; yo might even organise a BBQ dring yor stay. Brg Hotel (Map p83 ; % 09; bdapest.com; I Szentháromság 7-8; s/d 0/, - person ste 7; g or Várbsz; ai) This place with all the mod cons is in the Castle District, jst opposite Matthias Chrch. The rooms are no more than jst ordinary bt, as they say, location is everything and midrange options are as scarce as hen s teeth on Castle Hill. Carlton Hotel (Map p83 ; %4 0999; hotel.h; I Apor Péter tca 3; s/d/tr 90//; g8; ai) A total revamp at the start of 00 has given this 9-room hotel at the foot of Castle Hill and at the end of a narrow cl-desac in Víziváros a cleaner, fresher look and an extra star. Hotel Victoria (Map p83 ; % ; toria.h; I Bem rakpart ; s/d/tr 0/07/48; g8, j9; pi) This hotel has 7 comfortable and spacios rooms with larger-thanlife views of Parliament and the Danbe. It gets special mention for its friendly service and facilities, despite its small size. The best rooms are on floor Nos 7 to 9. Hotel Kltrinnov (Map p83 ; %4 80, ; I Szentháromság ; s/d/tr 4/80/00; g or Várbsz; p) A -room hotel in the former Finance Ministry, a neo- Gothic strctre dating back to 904, the Kltrinnov can t be beat for location and price in the Castle District. The gestrooms, thogh clean and with private bathrooms, are not as nice as the oplent pblic areas. Büro Panzió (Map p83 ; % 99; -panzio.internettdakozo.h; II Dékán tca 3; s/d/tr/q 8000/,000/,000/0,000Ft; mm Moszkva ) A pension jst a block off the northern side of Moszkva, this place looks basic from the otside, bt its 0 rooms are comfortable and have TV and telephone. They were recently renovated, so they retain that jstoff-the-assembly-line look. PEST Hotel Hold (Map p84 ; % ; V Hold tca ; s/d 88/99, ste -; mm3 Arany János; p) Hosed in what was once a Jewish school, the Moon is an excellent choice if yo want to stay in an affordable and romantic hotel right in the city centre. The 8 rooms on two floors there is no lift look down onto a central covered cortyard or onto Hold tca. Hotel Sissi (Map pp88-9 ; % 008; sissi.h; IX Angyal tca 33; s/d 0/0, ste from 9; mm3 Ferenc kör; p) Named in honor of Elizabeth, the Habsbrg empress, Hngarian qeen and consort of Franz Joseph mch beloved by Hngarians, the Hotel Sissi is decorated in a minimalist-cm-elegant sort of style, and the 44 gestrooms spread over six floors are of a good size. Hotel Baross (Map pp80- ; %4 300; rosshotel.h; VII Baross ; s/d/tr/q 78/90/0/4, apt for 4//8 people 0/4/0; mm Keleti pályadvar; ai) The flagship hotel of the Mellow Mood hostel grop ( p04 ), the Hotel Baross is a comfortable, 40-room caravanserai conveniently located directly opposite Keleti train station. The bler-than-ble inner cortyard is a delight, and reception, which is on the th floor, is clean and bright, with a dramatic central staircase. Leó Panzió (Map p8 ; % 904; V Kossth Lajos tca /a, nd floor; s/d/tr /8/08; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This place wold be a find jst on the strength of its central location, bt when yo factor in the low cost, this B&B is a discovery. A dozen of its 4 immaclate rooms look down on bsy Kossth Lajos tca, bt they all have doble-glazing and are qiet. Boat Hotel Fortna (Map pp80- ; %88 800; ww.fortnahajo.h; XIII Szent István Park, Pesti alsó rakpart; s/d/tr with washbasin 0/30/40, with shower /80/00; trolleybses 7 or 79; p) Sleeping on a one-time river ferry anchored in the Danbe that goes nowhere may not be everyone s idea of a good time, bt it s a niqe experience. This boatel has 44 single and doble rooms with shower and toilet at water level, and 4 rooms with two or three beds and wash basin below deck. Erzsébet Hotel (Map p8 ; % ; bisgrop.com/erzsebet; V Károlyi Mihály tca -; s 7-9, d 9-0; mm Ferenciek tere; p) One of Bdapest s first independent hotels, the Erzsébet is in a very good location in the centre of the niversity district, and within easy walking distance of the pbs and bars of Ráday tca. The 3 gestrooms mostly twins spread across eight floors are small and dark, with generic hotel frnitre. Carmen Mini Hotel (Map p8 ; %3 0798; carmen@ axelero.h; Károly kör /b, nd floor; s/d/tr 0/0/7; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ; p) With nine rooms, this hotel is abot the closest thing to a B&B in Bdapest. It s very close to Deák Ferenc and convenient to all forms of transport. Benczúr Hotel (Map pp80- ; %479 0; VI Benczúr tca 3; s 49-79, d 9-99; mm Bajza tca; pa) This rather faded place done p in creams and oranges has 9 serviceable rooms (some of which look down on a leafy garden) spread over seven floors. It s jst mintes away from Andrássy, Heroes Sq and City Park. Hotel Medosz (Map p84 ; % ; doszhotel.h; VI Jókai 9; s/d/tr //7, ste from 93; mm Oktogon) One of the most central cheap hotels in Pest, the Medosz is jst opposite the restarants and bars of Liszt Ferenc. The 7 rooms are well worn bt clean, and have private bath and satellite TV; the best ones are in the main block, not in the labyrinthine wings. Thomas Hotel (Map pp88-9 ; %8 0; IX Liliom tca 44; s -, d 7-8; mm3 Ferenc kör; p) A brightly colored place in an odd location, this hotel has 4 rooms and is a real bargain for its location in p-and-coming Ferencváros. Some rooms inclding No 4 have balconies looking onto an inner cortyard. Star Hotel (Map pp80- ; % ; hotel.h; VII István tca 4; s/d/tr/apt 4/80/90/0 late Mar-Oct, 0/4/90/0; trolleybs 74 or 79; ai) A recent addition to the Mellow Mood hostel grop s stable is this 48-room midrange hotel jst a few mintes walk north of Keleti train station. The grond floor lobby is qite spacios and a poplar meeting place for travellers; most of the gestrooms are dobles spread over for floors. Top End Doble-room rates at top-end hotels start at arond,00ft. From there the sky s the limit. BUDA Art otel Bdapest (Map p83 ; % ; I Bem rakpart -9; s/d/ste 98/8/98, with

24 08 Sleeping Eating 09 Danbe view 8/38/38; g8, j9; nai) The Art otel is a minimalist hotel that wold not look ot of place in London or New York. Bt what makes this -room place niqe is that it cobbles together a seven-story modern bilding (views of the Castle District and the Danbe) and an 8thcentry baroqe bilding; they re separated by a leafy cortyard-cm-atrim. Danbis Gellért Hotel (Map pp80- ; %889 00; XI Szent Gellért ; s 7-30, d 70-0, ste 70; j8, 9, 47 or 49; pnas) Bdapest s grande dame is a 34-room, for-star hotel with loads of character. The gorgeos thermal baths are free for gests, bt overall its other facilities are forgettable. Prices depend on which way yor room faces and what sort of bathroom it has. PEST Andrássy Hotel (Map pp80- ; %4 9; VI Andrássy ; standard s & d 34-40, ste from ; mm Hősök tere; pnai) This stnning, five-star hotel jst off leafy Andrássy has 70 tasteflly decorated rooms (almost half of which have balconies) in a listed bilding. The lobby and grondfloor restarant were renovated in 004; the se of etched glass and mirrors as well as wroght iron is inspired. Kempinski Hotel Corvins (Map p8 ; % ; V Erzsébet 7-8; s 0-40, d , ste from 70; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ; nai) Essentially for bsiness travellers on hefty expense acconts, the Kempinski Hotel has Eropean service, American efficiency and Hngarian charm. A recent (and very thorogh) renovation has given both the hotel s pblic areas and 39 gestrooms and sites a fresh new look and color scheme. Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal (Map p84 ; % ; VII Erszébet kör 43-49; s 80-40, d 0-80, ste from 300; j4 or ; nai) The erstwhile Royal Hotel on the Big Ring road has reopened as a very grand 44-room, five-star hotel, and its lobby a doble atrim with massive marble staircase is among the most impressive in the capital. The hotel trly is a legend reborn. For Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel (Map p8 ; %8 000; V Roosevelt -; s 0-740, d , ste from 90; mm Vörösmarty, g; nai) After mch angst and sweat, this magnificent 79-room hotel has been created ot of the long derelict Art-Novea Gresham Palace (907). No expense was spared to piece back together the palace s Zsolnay tiles, famos wroght-iron Peacock Gates and splendid mosaics, and the hotel is trly worthy of its name. K+K Hotel Opera (Map p84 ; %9 0; VI Révay tca 4; s/d/ ste from 8/09/33; mm Opera; ni) This pbeat, Astrian-owned place jst behind the Hngarian State Opera Hose has 0 rooms spread over seven floors. They re on the smallish side and decorated in nsally cheerfl colors predominantly yellows, bles and reds which raises the tenor of the whole place. MARGARET ISLAND Danbis Grand Hotel Margitsziget (Map pp78-9 ; % ; XIII Margit-sziget; s/d/ste 3/8/98; g; pnais) Bilt in the late 9th centry on Margaret Island, this comfortable (rather than grand) and tranqil hotel has 4 rooms with all the mod cons, and is connected to the Danbis Thermal Hotel Margitsziget, via a heated ndergrond corridor, where yo can take the waters for free. AUTHOR S CHOICE Residence Izabella (Map p84 ; %47 900; VI Izabella tca ; - bedroom apt , -bedroom apt 440-0; mm Vörösmarty tca; nai) Beg, borrow and/or steal to stay at this fablos conversion of a 9th-centry Eclectic bilding with 38 apartments jst off swanky Andrássy. The apartments, measring between 4 and 97 sq metres, srrond a delightfl and very tranqil central cortyard garden, and the décor mixes materials sch as wood, terracotta and basketry to great sccess. Some might find the color scheme of the gestrooms a tad too oatmeal with cream, bt we love the se of wroght-iron frnitre and room dividers to increase the feeling of spaciosness. The kitchenettes have everything did we notice a potato peeler? and the delxe nits are eqipped with washing machines and dishwashers. Longterm rentals earn big disconts. EATING Very roghly, a two-corse sit-down meal for one person with a glass of wine or beer for nder 00Ft in Bdapest is cheap, while a moderate meal will cost p to 000Ft. There s a big jmp to an expensive meal (000Ft to 700Ft), and very expensive is anything above that. Most restarants are open from 0am or am to pm or midnight; if there are no times listed nder a particlar entry, yo can expect the place to be open between those hors. It s always best to arrive by 9pm or 0pm at the latest, thogh, to ensre being served. It is advisable to book tables at medim-priced to expensive restarants. Bda HUNGARIAN RESTAURANTS Kisbda Gyöngye (Map pp78-9 ;%38 40; III Kenyeres tca 34; sops Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight Mon-Sat; g0, j7) This is a traditional and very elegant Hngarian restarant in Óbda; the antiqe-strewn dining room and attentive service manage to create a fin-de-siècle atmosphere. Try the excellent goose liver dishes (arond 3400Ft) and more pedestrian items, like csirke paprikás (chicken paprika; 380Ft). Aranyszarvas (Golden Stag; Map p83 ; %37 4; I Szarvas ; sops 0-890Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm; g8, j9) Set in an old 8th-centry inn literally at the foot of Castle Hill, this place serves what else? game dishes. There s piano msic on Thrsday to Satrday evenings. The covered otside terrace is lovely in smmer, when grills are available. Kéhli (Map pp78-9 ; %0 44; III Móks tca ; sops Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight; HÉV Árpád híd) A rstic bt stylish place in Óbda, Kéhli has some of the best traditional Hngarian food in town. In fact, one of Hngary s best-loved writers, the novelist Gyla Krúdy ( ), who lived in nearby Dgovits Titsz, moonlighted as a restarant critic and enjoyed Kéhli s bone marrow on toast (980Ft as an entrée and better than it sonds!) so mch, he inclded it in one of his novels. Kacsa (Map pp80- ; %0 999; II Fő tca 7; sops 40-70Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight; g8) Dck is the place to go qackers, thogh yo need not restrict yorself to dck dishes (00Ft to 800Ft). It s a fairly elegant place, with art on the walls and piano msic in the evening. INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS Rivalda (Map p83 ; %489 03; I Színház tca; starters Ft, mains Ft; h.30am-.30pm; g or Várbsz) An international café-restarant in an old convent next to the National Dance Theatre with some modern Hngarian favorites, Rivalda has a thespian theme and delightfl garden cortyard. This is one of the very few places we d choose to visit in the generally toristy and expensive Castle District. Remíz (Map p77 ; %7 39; II Bdakeszi ; sops Ft, starters 980-0Ft, mains Ft; h9am-midnight; g, j) Next to an old remíz (tram depot) in the Bda Hills, this virtal instittion remains excellent for its food (try the grilled dishes, especially the ribs; 980Ft to 880Ft), prices and verdant garden terrace. FRENCH RESTAURANTS Le Jardin de Paris (Map p83 ; %0 0047; II Fő tca 0; sops Ft, starters Ft, mains 90-40Ft; hnoon-midnight; g8) A reglar hant of staff from the French Institte across the road (who shold know their cisine française), The Parisian Garden is in a wonderfl old townhose abtting an ancient castle wall. The back garden ablaze in fairy lights is a delight in smmer. ITALIAN RESTAURANTS Marcello (Map pp88-9 ; %4 3; XI Bartók Béla 40; sop 40Ft, pizza & pasta 80-90Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-0pm Mon-Sat; j8, 9, 47 or 49) Poplar with stdents from the nearby niversity since it opened some years ago, this father-and-son-owned eatery has good Italian fare at affordable prices. The salad bar (large/small 780/80Ft) is great vale and the lasagne (90Ft) is legendary in these parts. Sole d Italia (Map p8 ; %483 08; V Molnár tca ; pizza & pasta Ft, mains Ft; ham-0pm; g) This place has sperfriendly service, good, inexpensive pizza and pasta dishes and wait for it some of the cleanest toilets in town. It s convenient to the nightlife strip along Ráday tca. ASIAN RESTAURANTS Seol Hose (Map p83 ; %0 907; I Fő tca 8; sops Ft, rice & noodle dishes 00Ft, mains Ft;

25 0 Eating Eating hnoon-3pm & -pm Mon-Sat; g8) This place serves excellent Korean food from barbece grills to spicy kimchi cabbage. Not the most atmospheric place in town, bt very athentic. Mongolian Barbece (Map pp80- ; % 89, 3743; XII Márvány tca 9/a; bffet before pm 90Ft, after pm & Sat & Sn 4390Ft; hnoon-pm & pm-midnight; j) This is one of those allyo-can-eat psedo-asian places, bt this one incldes as mch beer and wine as yo can sink for the price. In smmer seating is also available in an attractive, tree-filled cortyard. VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS Éden (Map p83 ; %37 77; I Döbrentei tca 9; sops 90-90Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm Sn-Th; g8) This place in a mid-8th centry townhose below Castle Hill mst have the classiest location of any vegetarian restarant anywhere. Seating is in the st-floor dining room or, in warmer months, in the lovely cortyard. CAFÉS & TEAHOUSES For the past two centries Bdapest has been as famos as Vienna for its cafés, cake shops and café cltre; at the start of the 0th centry the city conted more than 00 cafés, bt by the time of the change in 989 (ie the collapse of commnism) there were scarcely a dozen left. The majority of the traditional cafés are in Pest, bt Bda can still lay claim to several. Srprisingly, teahoses have made a big splash in recent years in Bdapest, the capital of a contry not normally associated with that beverage. Agszt (Map pp80- ; %3 893; II Fény tca 8, st fl; cakes 0-30Ft; h0am-pm Te-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm Moszkva ) Tcked away on the st floor of a bilding behind the Fény tca market and Mammt shopping mall, this is the original Agszt café (there are imitators), and only sells its own cakes, pastries and biscits. Rszwrm (Map p83 ; %37 84; I Szentháromság tca 7; cakes Ft; h9am-8pm; g or Várbsz) This is the perfect place for coffee and cakes in the Castle District, thogh it can get pretty crowded and it s almost always impossible to get a seat. Angelika (Map pp80- ; % 3784; I Batthyány 7; salads Ft, sandwiches 70-80Ft, cakes 30Ft; h9am-am; mm Batthyány ) Angelika is another charming café this time attached to an 8th-centry chrch with a lovely terrace overlooking the Danbe. The food is jst so-so; come here for the cakes and the views. Demmer s Teaház (Bda Map pp80- ; 34 40; II Lövőház tca ; teas Ft; h9.30am-7.30pm; mm Moszkva ; Pest Map p84 ; %30 74; VI Podmaniczky tca 4; ham-9pm Mon-Sat, -9pm Sn; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) This cosy little teahose next to the Mammt shopping mall is the place to come in Bda if yo re serios abot yor cppa cha. There s also a branch in Pest. QUICK EATS International fast-food places are a dime a dozen in Bdapest, bt old-style self-service restarants, the mainstay of both white- and ble-collar workers in the old regime, are disappearing fast. As everywhere else, pizzerias are on an pward spiral. Fortna Önkiszolgáló (Fortna Self-Service Restarant; Map p83 ; %37 40; I Fortna tca 4; sops Ft, mains Ft; h.30am-.30pm Mon-Fri; g or Várbsz) Yo ll find cheap and qick weekday lnches in the Castle District at this very basic bt clean and cheerfl self-service restarant. Reach it via the stairs on the left side as yo enter the Fortna Passage. Íz-É Faloda (Drink-Eat Snack Bar; Map pp80- ; %34 430, 38 08; II Lövőház tca ; sops 0-380Ft, mains 30-90Ft; ham-pm Mon-Fri, am-4pm Sat; mm Moszkva ) This is a clean, modern and very cheap self-service place in the Fény tca market next to the Mammt shopping mall. It has excellent főzelék dishes (comfort food; when peas, green beans, lentils or marrow are fried or boiled and then mixed into a rox with milk). Nagyi Palacsintázója (Granny s Palacsinta Place; Bda Map p83 ; %0 3; I Hattyú tca ; set mens Ft; h4hr; mm Moszkva ; Bda Map p83 ; % 48; I Batthyány ; h4hr; mm Batthyány ; Pest Map p8 ; %48 07; V Petőfi Sándor 7-9; h4hr; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) This place, with branches in Bda and another across the river in Pest, serves Hngarian pancakes both the savory (8Ft to 398Ft) and sweet (8Ft to 398Ft) varieties rond the clock and is always packed. Il Treno (Map p83 ; %3 84; II Retek tca ; pizza Ft, pasta Ft; ham-pm; mm Moszkva ) With a cheap set men (90Ft), AUTHOR S CHOICE Malomtó (Map pp80- ; %33 830; II Frankel Leó tca 48; sops 70-00Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-0pm; j7) The Mill Lake, north of Margit kör in Bda and jst across from the Lkács Baths, is a welcome arrival, with p-to-date, fresh décor, and an inspired men of modern Hngarian and international especially game and seafood dishes, many with an Asian spin. Bt its major draw is its niqe position at the foot of a tiny lake filled with water lilies and croaking green frogs; a seat on the terrace in the warmer months is not jst recommended, it s mandatory. We especially liked the goose-liver sampler with the bird s organ prepared in three different ways, the Japanese pork wrap with plm and the lamb det (minced wrapped in cabbage and grilled chops). The roaring fire in winter is a nice toch. It s obviosly a place for all seasons and we ll keep going back. a half-dozen branches throghot the city and a thriving takeaway service (%84 44), Il Treno is one of the most poplar pizzerias in town. Seating at this branch is in the neighboring Trombitás restarant or, in warmer months, a positive oasis of a cortyard off bsy Moszkva. MARKETS & SELF-CATERING Bdapest conts some 0 large food markets, with the lion s share of them in Pest. Fény tca market (Fény tcai piac; Map pp80- ; II Fény tca; ham-pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat), one of the largest in Bda, is jst next to the Mammt shopping mall. Spermarkets and 4-hor nonstop shops selling everything from cheese and cold cts to cigarettes and beer abond in Bda. Following are two central ones: Ezred Nonstop (Map p83 ; I Attila tca 7; h4hr) Kaiser s Spermarket (Map pp88-9 ; cnr XI Október 3 tca & Bercsényi tca; h7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm Sat, 8am-3pm Sn; j4) Pest HUNGARIAN RESTAURANTS Múzem (Map p8 ; %338 4, 7 037; VIII Múzem kör ; sops Ft; starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight Mon-Sat; j47 or 49) This is the place to come if yo like to dine in old-world style. It s a café-restarant that is still going strong after more than a centry at the same location near the National Msem. There s a good selection of Hngarian wine. Firkász (Hack; Map pp80- ; %40 8; Tátra tca 8; sops Ft, starters 0-90Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight; g) Set p by former jornalists (ths the name), this is a retro Hngarian restarant with lovely old mementoes on the walls, excellent home cooking and a great wine list. Móri Kisvendéglő (Map pp80- ; % ; XIII Pozsonyi 37; dishes Ft; h0am-8pm Mon- Th, 0am-3pm Fri; trolleybses 7 or 79) This simple borozó (wine bar) and restarant, a short walk north of Szent István kör, has some of the best home-cooked Hngarian food in Bdapest. Bt, as the owner warns or dear readers, get here by 3pm if yo want to eat főzelék. Menza (Map p84 ; %43 48; VI Liszt Ferenc ter ; sops 90-0Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; h0am-midnight; j4 or ) This pmarket Hngarian restarant on Bdapest s most lively sqare takes its name from the Hngarian for a drab school canteen something it is anything bt. Book a table; it s fablosly stylish and always packed by diners who come for its simply bt perfectly cooked Hngarian classics with a modern spin. Weekday twocorse set lnches are a snip at 790Ft. Bagolyvár (Map pp80- ;%48 30; XIV Állatkerti ; sops Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm; mm Hősök tere) With reworked Hngarian classics that make it a winner, the Owl s Castle attracts the Bdapest cognoscenti, who leave its sister restarant next door, Gndel, to the expense-accont brigade. INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS Robinson (Map pp80- ; %4 0; XIV Városligetitó; sops Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-4pm & pm-midnight; mm Hősök tere) Located in leafy City Park, Robinson is the place to secre a table on the lakeside terrace on a warm smmer s evening. Starters inclde sliced goose liver (890Ft) and home-made venison pâté, and mains featre fogas (Balaton pike-perch; 3790Ft), grilled tna and smoked dck breast cooked on lava stones. Café Kör (Map p8 ; %3 003; V Sas tca 7; salads 730-0Ft, mains Ft; h0am-0pm Mon-Sat; g) Jst behind St Stephen s Basilica, the

26 Eating Eating 3 Circle Café is a great place for a light meal at any time, inclding late breakfast (40Ft to 90Ft). Salads, desserts and daily specials are very good; there is also a three-/forcorse wine-tasting men for 4900/900Ft. Mokka (Map p8 ; %38 008; V Sas tca 4; sops Ft, mains 40-90Ft; hnoon-midnight; g or red-nmbered 4) It s ethno-cisine here, with a mishmash of dishes; yo ll need a map to read the men. Bt we love the space and the great African décor, and there s a good wine list. The three-corse set men (7000Ft), inclding wine, is good vale. Marqis de Salade (Map p84 ; %30 408; VI Hajós tca 43; sops Ft, salads 00-00Ft, mains Ft; ham-am; trolleybses 7 or 73) This is a serios hybrid of a place, with dishes from Rssia and Azerbaijan as well as Hngary. There are lots of qality vegetarian choices, too, in the basement restarant. Sol Café (Map p8 ; %7 98; IX Ráday tca -3; starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-.30pm; mm3 Kálvin ) One of the better choices along a street heaving with so-so restarants and iffy cafés, the Sol has inventive Continental food and décor, and yo can order anything from a sandwich (80Ft) or a pizza (890Ft to 00Ft) to a fll meal, inclding many vegetarian dishes (90Ft to 890Ft). It has a great terrace. FRENCH RESTAURANTS Lo Lo (Map p8 ; %3 40; V Vigyázó Ferenc tca 4; sops 800Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-3pm & 7-pm Mon-Fri, 7-pm Sat; g) One of the most poplar places with expatriate français in Bdapest is this lovely bistro with excellent daily specials. Two signatre dishes are the marinated grilled breast of dck with orange and Arabica coffee sace (300ft), and the rack of lamb with garlic and haricots verts (300Ft). ITALIAN RESTAURANTS Trattoria Toscana (Map p8 ; %37 004; V Belgrád rakpart 3; starters Ft, pasta & pizza 30-90Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-midnight; g) Hard by the Danbe, this trattoria serves rstic and very athentic Italian and Tscan food, inclding ribollito alla chiantigiana, a hearty vegetable sop stewed with cannellini (white Tscan beans) and Parmesan cheese. The focaccia is excellent, too. Fasto s (Map p8 ; %9 80; VII Dohány tca ; sops Ft, starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-3pm & 7-pm Mon-Sat; trolleybs 74) Still the most pmarket (and expensive) Italian restarant in town, Fasto s has brilliant pasta dishes, daily specials and desserts; there are lots of choices for vegetarians. The yellow walls and antiqe frnitre provide an elegant toch, and the Italian wine selection is hge. Okay Italia (Pest Map p84 ; %349 99; XIII Szent István kör 0; pizza Ft, pasta 40-90Ft, mains Ft; ham-midnight Mon-Fri, noonmidnight Sat & Sn; j4 or ; Nygati Map p84 ; %33 90; V Nygati ; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) This is a perennially poplar place rn by Italians, with a nearby Nygati branch serving jst pasta and pizza. Most people come jst for either of those, in any case. Both restarants have terraces. GREEK & MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANTS Al-Amir (Map p8 ; %3 4; VII Király tca 7; meze 0-80Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm; mm Bajcsy-Zsilinszky 7) Argably the most athentic Middle Eastern (in this case, Syrian) place in town, and light years from the gyros and falafel otlets fond along the Big Ring road. It has a window selling takeaway gyros (00Ft) and falafels (40Ft), too, bt we re talking qality here. Taverna Pires Rembetiko (Map p8 ; % 09; V Fóvám -3; starters 90-90Ft, mains 90-90Ft; hnoon-midnight; j47 or 49) Overlooking a patch of green and facing the Nagycsarnok (Great Market), this place serves reasonably priced and pretty athentic Greek fare. Rembetiko is a folk msic school and a style of traditional Greek msic; there are live performances on Friday and Satrday evening. SPANISH & MEXICAN RESTAURANTS Pata Negro (Map p8 ; % ; IX Kálvin 8; tapas 0-0Ft, plates 00-00Ft; ham-midnight Mon-Wed, am-am Th & Fri, noon-am Sat, noonmidnight Sn; mm3 Kálvin ) The Black Foot (it s a kind of ham) is a new cellarlike Spanish tapas bar and restarant at the (almost) top of trendy Ráday tca. Good cheese and an excellent wine selection, too. Igana (Map p84 ; %33 43; V Zoltán tca ; starters Ft; mains Ft; h.30am-.30am; g) Igana serves decent-enogh Mexican food (not a difficlt task in this cantina desert), bt it s hard to say whether the pll is the chilli (00Ft to 490Ft), the enchilada and brrito combination platos (plates; 090Ft to 90Ft), or the frenetic and boozy we-party-every-night atmosphere. JEWISH & KOSHER RESTAURANTS Kinor David (David s Harp; Map p8 ; % 8783; VII Dohány tca 0; sop Ft, mains Ft; ham-pm Mon-Fri & Sn, noon-pm Sat; mm Astoria or trolleybs 74) Bdapest s largest kosher restarant is a ct above the sal. There are special fish dishes (3000Ft to 400Ft) and Israeli treats (00Ft to 300Ft). Yo pay in advance for Friday dinner and Satrday lnch. ASIAN RESTAURANTS Bangkok Hose (Map p8 ; % 084; V Só tca 3; sops & Thai salads 0-0Ft, mains 40-40Ft; hnoon-pm; j47 or 49) Bangkok Hose is done p in kitsch, Asian-esqe décor that recalls takeaway places on any UK High St. The Thai and Laotian-inspired dishes are acceptable, and service all bt seamless. A torist men (40Ft) is available from noon to 4pm. Sshi An (Map p8 ; %37 439; V Harmincad tca 4; sshi Ft per piece, hand rolls Ft, sets Ft; hnoon-0pm; mm//3 Deál ) A tiny sshi bar next to the British embassy in central Pest. It s great for sshi and sashimi, bt even better for Japanese sets served with miso sop. VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS Napfényes Ízek (Map pp80- ; %3 49; VII Rózsa tca 39; sops 40-80Ft, pasta & pizza Ft, mains 90-0Ft; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, -0.30pm Sat & Sn; trolleybses 73 or 7) Snny Tastes is a bit ot of the way (nless yo re staying near Andrássy ), bt the wholesome foods and the speciality cakes are worth the trip. There is an organic shop here, too. Govinda (Map p8 ; %9, ; V Vigyázó Ferenc tca 4; sops 30Ft, dishes 40-40Ft; hnoon-9pm Mon-Sat; g) Rn by a Bddhist and blessed by the Dalai Lama, Govinda is in a basement near Chain Bridge. As well as wholesome salads, sops and desserts, it serves a daily set men plate (large/small 00/80Ft). CAFÉS & TEAHOUSES Along with traditional cafés in Pest, a new breed of café has emerged on the scene all polished chrome, halogen lighting and straight lines. Leafy VI Liszt Ferenc is srronded by these hip cafés, and there are a few on IX Ráday tca and V Szent István behind St Stephen s Basilica. Lkács (Map p84 ; % ; VI Andrássy 70; cakes 00-00Ft; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 0am-8pm Sat & Sn; mm Vörösmarty tca) This café is dressed p in the finest of divine decadence all mirrors and gold and soft piano msic (on weekday evenings), with a nonsmoking section, too. The selection of cakes is small bt good; try the creamy Lkács szelet. Művész (Map p84 ; %3 337; VI Andrássy 9; cakes Ft; h9am-.4pm; mm Opera) Almost opposite the State Opera Hose, this is a more interesting place to people-watch than most (especially from the terrace), thogh its cakes are not what they sed to be, with the exception of the almás torta (apple cake). Centrál Kávéház (Map p8 ; % 47, 0; V Károlyi Mihály tca 9; cakes 90-30Ft, mains Ft; h8am-midnight; mm3 Ferenciek tere) This grande dame that reopened a cople of years ago after extensive renovations is still jostling to reclaim her title as the place to sit and look intellectal in Pest. It serves meals as well as lighter fare, like sandwiches (70Ft to 90Ft) and omelettes (890Ft to 990Ft). Gerbead (Map p8 ; %49 900; V Vörösmarty 7-8; cakes 80-80Ft; h9am-9pm; mm Vörösmarty ) This is the most famos of the famos cafés in Bdapest bar none. Fonded in 88, it has been a fashionable meeting place for the city s elite on the northern side of Pest s bsiest sqare since 870. It serves a Continental breakfast (880Ft) and sandwiches (300Ft to 00Ft). Café Vian (Map p84 ; %8 4; VI Liszt Ferenc 9; cakes Ft; h9am-am; mm Oktogon) This comfortable café done p in warm peach tones and serving breakfast all day remains the anchor tenant on the snny side of the and the cort of Pest s arty aristocracy. Negro (Map p8 ; %30 03; V Szent István ; breakfast Ft; h8am-am Mon-Wed, 8am-3am Th & Fri, 8am-4am Sat, 8am-midnight Sn; g) This stylish café jst behind the basilica (views!) attracts Bdapest s über trendy crowd, dressed to the nines (or did we see 0s?) and sipping whatever is the latest concoction. Teaház a Vörös Oroszlánhoz (Jókai Map p84 ; %9 079; VI Jókai 8; teas Ft; ham-pm

27 4 Eating Drinking Mon-Fri, 3-pm Sat, -pm Sn; mm Oktogon; Ráday tca Map p8 ; % 0; IX Ráday 9; ham-pm Mon-Sat, 3-pm Sn) This serene place with a mothfl of a name (it jst means Teahose at the Sign of the Red Lion ) and two branches is a fnky and qite serios teahose north of Liszt Ferenc. QUICK EATS Middle Eastern fast-food is as poplar in Bdapest as Indian is in London and Chinese in New York. Szeráj (Map p84 ; %3 90; XIII Szent István kör 3; salads & meze Ft, mains 00-0Ft; h9am-am; j4 or ) A very inexpensive selfservice Trkish place for felafels and kebabs (700Ft), with some 0 varieties on offer. Három Testvér (Erzsébet kör Map p84 ; %34 377; VII Erzsébet kör 7; salads 30-40Ft, gyros & kebabs Ft; h9am-3am; Szent István kör Map p84 ; %39 9; XIII Szent István kör 0-; h9am-3am Sn-Wed, 9am-4am Th, 9am-am Fri & Sat; j4 or ; Teréz kör Map p84 ; %3 83; VI Teréz kör 0-; h9am- 3am; j4 or ) Great any time bt especially for a late-night snack or post-clb bit of blotter, the Three Brothers has branches throghot Pest, inclding these three on the Big Ring road. If yo re looking for places like McDonald s, Brger King and KFC, yo ll find them everywhere in Pest especially arond Oktogon. Mch better are the new-style self-service restarants that cater to stdents and office workers, inclding Pick Ház (Map p84 ; % ; V Kossth Lajos 9; sandwiches & salads 40-80Ft, mains 0-80Ft; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri; mm Kossth Lajos ), above the famos salami manfactrer s central showroom near Parliament, and Central Eropean University caféteria (Map p8 ; % ; V Nádor tca 9; sops 90-3Ft, pizza 0-0Ft, mains Ft; h.30am- 4pm Mon-Fri; g), which is open to all. Mch more interesting places serving tastier dishes are the little restarants called étkezdék canteens not nlike British cafs that serve simple dishes that change every day. A meal can easily cost nder 000Ft. Some of the better ones: Kádár (Map p84 ; %3 3; X Klazál 9; sops 400Ft, mains 80-00Ft; h.30am-3.30pm Te-Sat; j4 or ) In the Jewish area and probably the most poplar of its type in town. Kisharang (Map p8 ; %9 38; V Október tca 7; sops 4-30Ft, mains 90-80Ft; ham- 8pm Mon-Fri,.30am-4.30pm Sat & Sn; g) The centrally located Little Bell is poplar with stdents and staff of the nearby Central Eropean University. Frici Papa Kifőzdéje (Papa Frank s Canteen; Map p84 ; %3 097; VI Király tca ; sops Ft, mains 49-9Ft; ham-9pm Mon-Sat; j4 or ) Excellent főzelék dishes cost 89Ft to 339Ft. MARKETS & SELF-CATERING Most of Bdapest s 0-odd food markets are in Pest. The vast majority are closed on Snday, and Monday is always very qiet (if the market isn t closed altogether). Two of the better ones are the Rákóczi market (Map pp80- ; VIII Rákóczi 8; ham-4pm Mon, am-pm Te-Fri, am-pm Sat; j4 or ) and the Hold tca market (Map p84 ; V Hold tca ; ham-pm Mon,.30am-pm Te-Fri,.30am-pm Sat; mm3 Arany János tca) near V Szabadság. Following are two mch larger and very colorfl markets. Nagycsarnok (Great Market; Map p8 ; IX Vámház kör -3; ham-pm Mon, am-pm Te-Fri, am-pm Sat; j47 or 49) This is Bdapest s biggest market, thogh it has become a bit of a torist trap since its renovations in 99. Still, plenty of locals head here for frit, vegetables, deli items, fish and meat. There are good food stalls on the west side of the 3rd level. Lehel Csarnok (Map pp80- ; XIII Lehel ; ham- pm Mon-Fri, am-pm Sat, am-pm Sn; mm3 Lehel ) This is one of Pest s more interesting traditional markets, recently rehosed in a hideos boatlike strctre designed by László Rajk, son of the Commnist Minister of the Interior exected for Titoism in 949. This is apparently his revenge. Mézes Kckó (Map p84 ; XIII Jászai Mari 4; h0am-pm Mon-Fri year-rond, 9am-pm Sat Oct-May; j4 or ) The Honey Nook is the place to go if yo ve got the rge for something sweet; its nt and honey cookies (80Ft per 0dg) are to die for. A colorflly decorated mézeskalács (honey cake) in the shape of a heart (400Ft to 00Ft) makes a lovely gift. Btterfly (Map p84 ; VI Teréz kör 0; 90Ft per scoop; h0am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; j4 or ) The Btterfly and not the pastry shop next door called Vajassütemények boltja is the place in Pest for ice cream, as yo ll be able to dedce from the qees otside. Large spermarkets are everywhere in Pest. We recommend: Match Spermarket (Map p84 ; VIII Rákóczi ; ham- 9pm Mon-Fri, 7am-8pm Sat, 7am-3pm Sn; mm3 Blaha Ljza ) This spermarket faces Blaha Ljza. Kaiser s Spermarket (Map p84 ; VI Nygati -; h7am-8pm Mon-Sat, 7am-4pm Sn; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) Opposite Nygati train station. Rothschild Spermarket (Map p84 ; XIII Szent István kör 4; h4hr; j4 or ) Sells a good spply of kosher prodcts. There are nonstop shops open till very late or even 4 hors in Pest. Recommended shops: Nygati ABC (Map p84 ; track No 3; h4hr; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) Located at the Nygati train station. Keleti Csarnok (Map pp80- ; VIII Baross 3; hammidnight; mm Keleti pályadvar) Near Keleti train station. DRINKING Bdapest particlarly Pest is loaded with pbs and bars and there are enogh to satisfy all tastes. In smmer the preferred drinking venes are the otdoor kertek (see boxed text, p7 ). Bda Lánchíd Söröző (Map p83 ; %4 344; I Fő tca 4; h0am-midnight; g8) The Chain Bridge Pb has a wonderfl retro Magyar feel to it, with old movie posters and advertisements on the walls and red-checked cloths on the tables. Friendly service, too. Erzsébet-híd Eszpresszó (Map p83 ; %4 78; I Döbrentei ; h0am-0pm; j9, g8) If yo re in the mood for a relaxing drink in simple srronds, the Elizabeth Bridge Espresso Bar is a wonderfl old dive with a large terrace nder a big plane tree and views of the bridge. Oscar American Bar (Map p83 ; % 807; I Ostrom tca 4; hpm-am Sn-Th, pm-4am Fri & Sat; mm Moszkva ) The décor is cinemainspired film memorabilia on the woodpanelled walls, leather directors chairs on the floor and the beatifl crowd often act like they re on camera. Not to worry the powerfl cocktails (some 0, in fact) go down a treat. There s msic most nights. Café Rolling Rock (Map pp80- ; %38 98; III Bécsi 3-; h9am-am Mon-Th, 9am-am Fri, 9am-4am Sat, noon-midnight Sn; j7 or HÉV Szépvölgyi ) If yo find yorself in Óbda in need of a libation, yo cold do worse than this place, a revamped pb where the trendies of Óbda (not necessarily a contradiction in terms) gather for some of the pecliar American brew in the little green bottles. Pest Kltiplex (Map pp80- ; %9 070; IX Kinizsi tca 8; h0am-am; mm3 Ferenc kör) This hge complex has something for everyone performance space, cinema, grill restarant and a simple inside/otside bar where yo can enjoy an nreconstrcted drink. Szimpla (Map p84 ; %34 034; VII Kertész tca 4; hnoon-midnight Jn-Ag, 0am-am Sep-May; j4 or ) This is a distressed-looking, very nflashy place, jst a hop, skip and a tmble from the stilettos soth of Liszt Ferenc. There s live msic three nights a week. Paris, Texas (Map pp80- ; %8 070; IX Ráday tca ; h0am-am Sn & Mon, 0am-3am Te-Sat; mm3 Kálvin ) One of the original bars on the Ráday tca nightlife strip, this place has a coffee-hose feel to it with old sepia-tinted photos on the walls and pool tables downstairs. The cocktail list is hge. Darshan Udvar (Map p84 ; % 4; VIII Krúdy tca 7; ham-am Mon-Fri, pm -am Sat & Sn; j4 or ) This cavernos complex of two bars, a restarant and a cortyard terrace vegetarian café with décor that combines Erotechno with Eastern flair is a great escape from the bars of VI Liszt Ferenc and the dll sophistication of IX Ráday tca. Becketts (Map p84 ; %3 033; V Bajcsy-Zsilinszky 7; h0am-am Sn-Th, 0am-3am Fri & Sat; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) Of the capital s biqitos Irish pbs, this is the best (and largest) of the lot, with all-day breakfast (00Ft), as well as sandwiches (80Ft to 700Ft) and salads (00Ft to 300Ft). The new cocktail bar in the rear is an added attraction. AUTHOR S CHOICE Cha Cha Cha (Map p8 ; % 04; h8am- 3am Mon-Th, 0am-4am Fri & Sat Sep-May, 9am- pm Jn-Ag; mm3 Kálvin ) Located in the nderpass at the Kálvin metro, this is a campy, groovy café-bar, with stripy, distressed-looking chairs, fax-leather armchairs, and a very and we re talking Star Wars here mixed crowd that really bops at week s end. It s a great place to meet people, and it probably gets bsier here in the wee hors than the entire station does dring the day. In the past everyone went island-hopping in smmer to Cha Cha Cha Terasz (see boxed text, p7 ) at the tip of Margaret Island.

28 Entertainment Entertainment 7 Champs Sport Pb (Map p8 ; %43 ; VII Dohány tca 0; hnoon-midnight Sn-Th, noon- am Fri & Sat; mm Astoria) Owned by five Olympic medallists, Champs is the place for sports fans and the vicarios, with two hge screens and 3 TVs. The men tells yo how many calories and how mch fat each dish contains and what yo need to do to lose it. ENTERTAINMENT For a city of its size, Bdapest has a hge choice of things to do and places to go after dark from opera and folk dancing to jazz and mee(a)t-market clbs. It s sally not difficlt getting tickets or getting in; the hard part is deciding what to do. Yor best sorces of information for what s on in the city are the weekly freebie PestiEst ( in Hngarian), pblished every Thrsday, and available at bars, cinemas and fast-food joints; and the more thorogh weekly with everything from clbs and films to art exhibits and classical msic Pesti Műsor (Bdapest Program; msor.h in Hngarian), also called PM Program Magazin, available at newsstands every Thrsday for 49Ft. Other freebies inclde the vastly inferior (thogh English- and German-langage) Programme in Ungarn/in Hngary and its scaled-down monthly version for the capital, Bdapest Panorama. The free Koncert Kalendárim, pblished monthly (bimonthly in smmer), has more serios offerings: concerts, opera, dance etc. A welcome arrival is Mr Gordonsky s Bdapest City Spy Map, a hip little pblication with all sorts of insider s tips. It s available free at pbs and bars. Booking Agencies The most important and/or sefl booking agencies in Bdapest inclde those listed here. Yo can book almost anything online at and info.h. Ticket Express (Inner Town Map p8 ; %information , bookings ; Andrássy 8; h9.30am-.30pm Mon-Fri; mm Opera; Józsefváros Map p84 ; % ; MCD Zeneárház, VIII József kör 0; h9.30am-.30pm Mon-Fri; j4 or ) The largest ticket-office network in the city, with eight otlets. Central Ticket Office (Központi Jegyiroda; Map p8 ; %7 9737, 7 7; VI Andrássy ; mm Opera; h0am-pm Mon-Fri) This is the bsiest theatrical ticket agency, with tickets to plays and other events at theatres arond Bdapest. Symphony Ticket Office (Szimfoniks Jegyiroda; Map p84 ; %30 384; VI Nagymező tca 9; mm Opera; h0am-7pm Mon-Fri) Come here for tickets to the philharmonic and other classical-msic concerts. Nightclbs Piaf (Map p84 ; %3 383; VI Nagymező tca ; h7pm-am; mm3 Arany János tca or trolleybses 70 or 78) Piaf is the place to go when everything else slows down. There s dancing and action well into the new day. Most of the action and characters are in the smoky cavern below. Sark (Map p84 ; % ; VII Klazál 4; h0am-3am Sn-Th, 0am-am Fri & Sn; j4 or ) This poplar alternative msic pb and clb on three floors has a big cellar with a dance floor, where bands occasionally perform. It s all a bit stdent-clbbish. Süss Fél Nap (Map p84 ; % ; V Honvéd tca 40; hpm-am; j4 or ) This cellar clb attracts a stdent crowd, and hosts lots of stdent bands and visiting talent. It s a lot of fn and less expensive than many of the other clbs. Közgáz Pince Klb (Map pp80- ; % 439, 8 8; IX Fővám 8; h9pm-am Te-Sat; j47 or 49) With few frills and cheap covers at the Economics University, this is the pick-p vene of choice for many a stdent. Avoid Wednesday nless yo like karaoke. Kaméleon (Map pp80- ; %34 847; Mammt II, 4th fl, II Lövőház tca -; hpm-midnight Sn-Th, pm- 3am Fri & Sat; mm3 Moszkva ) This throbbing clb in the newer wing of Bda s massive Mammt shopping mall is a tre chameleon, with a different party every night from La Noche Cbana on Friday to live bands on Monday. Bank Dance Hall (Map p84 ; % ; VI Teréz kör ; h0pm-4am Sn-Th, 0pm-am Fri & Sat; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) In the sothern wing of Nygati train station next to Mc- Donald s, this enormos disco has rhythm and bles on the st floor, hose and trance on the nd, Dance on the 3rd and fnkhose (a Hngarian thing) on the 4th. Gay & Lesbian Venes Angel (Map p84 ; %3 490; VII Kazinczy tca ; h0pm-am Fri-Sn; mm Astoria) Also known by its Hngarian name, Angyal, this is THE HEAT IS ON Dring Bdapest s (sally) very long and very hot smmer, so-called kertek, literally gardens bt in Bdapest any otdoor spot that has been converted into an entertainment zone (inclding cortyards and any available stretch along the river), empty ot even the most poplar indoor bars and clbs. The venes (and their locations) can change from year to year and a definitive list is sally not available ntil abot May; the best single sorce of information is Pestiside ( Some of the venes listed nder Drinking ( p ) and Nightclbs ( opposite ) have their own otside eqivalent gardens that only blossom in smmer. Some of the more poplar ones in recent years: Café del Rio (Map pp88 9 ; % ; in Hngarian; XI Goldman György ; hpm- 4.30am; j4 or ) On the northern side of Petőfi Bridge on the Bda side, Rio is stylish bt not p itself, with a psedo tropical/carnival theme. Cha Cha Cha Terasz (Map pp80 ; % 04; in Hngarian; XIII Margit-sziget; h4pm-4am; g, j4 or ) In the stadim at the sothern tip of Margaret Island, Cha Cha Cha Terasz is an attitde-free vene, with great msic and dance space. Holddvar (Map p8 ; %48 70; VIII Múzem kör -8; h8am-4am; mm Astoria) A large cortyard on the gronds of the city s largest niversity has a predictably split personality: earnest and coffee-drinking, wild and ot of control. Mokka Cka (Map pp78 9 ; %43 0; III Óbdai-sziget; h4hr; HÉV Filatorigát) On the island that attracts the capital s beatifl people, Mokka Cka is a leading otdoor ndergrond vene showcasing great indie DJs. Szimpla Kert (Map p84 ; %3 880; VII Kazinczy 4; hnoon-midnight; trolleybs 74) One of the capital s first kertek, Szimpla is jst that a simple, low-key affair that keeps itself to itself. Szóda Udvar (Map p8 ; %4 0007; V József nádor ; hnoon-late; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) This rather well-heeled vene a former bank headqarters plls in a sbded crowd that lets loose on the basement dancefloor in the wee hors. Tűzraktár (Map pp88 9 ; % ; IX Tűzoltó tca 4-; hpm-3am; m3 Klinikák) This abandoned factory bilding called the Fire Warehose and its big cortyard plays host to all sorts of cltral and party events. Zöld Pardon (Map pp88 9 ; XI Goldman György ; h9am-am; j4 or ) What bills itself as the world s longest smmer festival is a rocker s paradise jst opposite the Café del Rio. Bdapest s flagship gay clb. It welcomes girls on Friday and Snday. CoXx (Map p84 ; % ; VII Dohány tca 38; h9pm-4am Sn-Th, 9pm-am Fri & Sat; g7 or 7/a) This cellar bar has a DJ and small dance floor, bt it s more of a pb than a clb. There s a gallery and Internet café (hnoon to 4am Mon-Fri, 9pm-4am Sat & Sn) at street level jst to let yo know this place has a serios side, too. Action (Map p8 ; % 948; V Magyar tca 4; h9pm-4am; mm3 Kálvin ) Action is where to head if yo want jst that. Take the sal precations and have a ball. There are no specific girl bars in Bdapest, thogh we recommend: Café Eklektika (Map p8 ; % ; V Semmelweis tca ; j47 or 49; hnoon-midnight Mon-Fri, pmmidnight Sat & Sn) Attracts a mixed crowd. Candy (Map p8 ; %789 30, V Kossth Lajos tca 7; mm Astoria) Lesbian parties are held on the last Satrday of the month. Jailhose (Map pp88-9 ; % , 8 38; IX Tűzoltó tca ; mm3 Ferenc kör) Lesbian parties are held on the first Friday of the month. For more details, see below. Live Msic ROCK & POP Wigwam Rock Bles Clb (Map pp88-9 ; %08 9; XI Fehérvári tca 0; h8pm-am; j4 or 47) This place is one of the best of its kind in Hngary, and hosts some big-name Hngarian rock and bles bands on Friday and Satrday. Gödör Klb (Map p8 ; % ; V Erzsébet ; h9am-late; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) This new arrival in the old bs bays below Elizabeth Sq in central Pest is a real mixed bag, offering everything from folk and jazz bt especially rock. Jailhose (Map pp88-9 ; % , 8 38; IX Tűzoltó tca ; h0pm-am Fri & Sat; mm3 Ferenc kör) A small vene next to the Trafó Hose

29 8 Entertainment Entertainment 9 of Contemporary Arts ( opposite ), with a friendly atmosphere, ndergrond DJs and live msic. Bdapest Sportcsarnok (Map pp80- ; %4 00; XIV Stefánia ; mm Stadionok) This new arena named after the Hngarian pgilist László Papp is where the likes of Phil Collins, Dran Dran, Rod Stewart and Simply Red warble. Petőfi Csarnok (Map pp80- ; % , 7; XIV Zichy Mihály 4; mm Széchenyi fürdő or trolleybses 7 or 74) The city s main yoth centre, in City Park, is the place for smaller rock concerts as the hall is intimate enogh to get really close to the performers. JAZZ & BLUES Colmbs Jazzklb (Map p8 ; % 903; V Pesti alsó rakpart; hnoon-midnight; j or /a) This place located on a boat moored in the Danbe, jst north of V Vigadó opposite the Bdapest Inter-Continental Hotel, has transformed itself from being jst another Irish pb to a jazz clb of note with bigname local and international bands. Fat Mo s Msic Clb (Map p8 ; %7 399; V Nyáry Pál tca ; hnoon-am Mon & Te, noon-3am Wed, noon- 4am Th & Fri, pm-4am Sat, pm-am Sn; mm3 Ferenciek tere, g) With a speakeasy 90s Prohibition theme, this clb has jazz (and sometimes contry) from 9pm or 9.30pm. DJs take over at midnight Thrsday to Satrday. Jazz Garden (Map p8 ; % 734; V Veres Pálné tca 44/a; hpm-am Sn-Th, pm-am Fri & Sat; j47 or 49) A sophisticated vene with traditional, vocal and Latin jazz, and odd décor: a fax cellar garden with street lamps and a night sky bedecked with blinking stars. Book a table (starters 40Ft to 0Ft, mains 0Ft to 3490Ft) in the dining room; msic starts at 9.30pm. FOLK & TRADITIONAL Athentic táncház, literally dance hose bt really folk-msic workshops, are held at varios locations throghot the week, bt less freqently in smmer. Times and venes often change; conslt one of the pblications earlier in this section ( p ) or check ot Dance Hose Gild ( The best local klezmer (Jewish folk msic) is the Bdapest Klezmer Band ( Fonó Bda Msic Hose (Fonó Bdai Zeneház; Map pp88-9 ; %0 300; XI Sztregova tca 3; j4 or 47) This place has reglar programmes always at 8pm on Wednesday and the second Friday of each month, as well as other days. Conslt its website. Almássy Recreation Centre (Almássy i Szabadidő Központ; Map pp80- ; %3 7; VII Almássy ; trolleybs 74) This is a vene for jst abot anything that s in and/or interesting, from rock and bles to folk msic. There s Hngarian dance hose every second Satrday at 7.30pm. Pótklcs (Spare Key; Map p84 ; %9 00; VI Csengery tca /b; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) This wonderfl little vene, with a varied men of msic most nights, has dance hose at 8pm every Tesday. Two city cltral hoses in Bda have freqent folk programmes. Mnicipal Cltral Hose (Fővárosi Művelődési Háza; Map pp88-9 ; %03 388; XI Fehérvári 47; j4 or 47) The Folklór Centrm based here has folk msic every Friday at 7.30pm and a children s dance hose hosted by the incomparable Mzsikás ( p4 ) every Tesday from pm to.30pm. Marczibányi Cltral Centre (Marczibányi i Művelődési Központ; Map pp80- ; % 0803, 80; II Marczibányi /a; j4, or 49) Offers Hngarian, Moldavian and Slovakian dance and msic every Wednesday from 8pm. Aranytíz Cltral Centre (Aranytíz Művelődési Központ; Map p8 ; % , 3 48; V Arany János tca 0; g) At this new cltral centre in Pest the wonderfl Kalamajka Táncház has programmes from pm on Satrday that freqently rn to well after am. CLASSICAL The Koncert Kalendárim highlights all concerts in Bdapest monthly. The main concert halls are the National Concert Hall (Nemzeti Hangversenyterem) and the smaller Festival Theatre (Fesztivál Színház) at the new Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája; Map pp88-9 ; %information 3000, tickets 330; IX Komor Marcell tca; hticket office -pm Mon-Sat, 0am-3pm Sn; j or /a) and the stnning Liszt Academy of Msic (Liszt Zeneakadémia; Map p84 ; %34 079; VI Liszt Ferenc 8; hticket office 0am-8pm Mon-Fri, -8pm Sat & Sn; mm Oktogon) in Pest, and the modern Bdapest Congress Centre (Bdapesti Kongresszsi Központ; Map pp80- ; %information , tickets 37 49; XII Jagelló -3; g8 or ) in Bda, which has jst had a total renovation. The Pesti Vigadó (Map p8 ; % , 38 97; V Vigadó ; mm Vörösmarty, j or /a) and the Dna Palota (Map p8 ); %3 00, ; V Zrínyi tca ; g) have light classical msic, and toristy msical reves in smmer. Opera Hngarian State Opera Hose (Magyar Állami Operaház; Map p84 ; %information , tickets ; VI Andrássy ; hticket office am-7pm Mon-Sat, 4-7pm Sat & Sn; mm Opera) The opera hose shold be visited at least once to admire the incredibly rich decoration inside as mch as to view a performance and hear the perfect acostics. Erkel Theatre (Erkel Színház; Map pp80- ; % ; VIII Köztársaság 30; hticket office am-7pm Te-Fri, am-3pm Sat, 0am-pm & 4-7pm Sn; mm Keleti pályadvar, g7 or 7/a) Bdapest s modern (and gly) second opera hose is sothwest of Keleti train station. Bdapest Operetta (Bdapesti Operettszínház; Map p84 ; %47 030, ; VI Nagymező tca 7; hticket office 0am-7pm Mon- Fri, -7pm Sat & Sn; mm Opera) This theatre presents operettas always a riot, especially campy ones like the Qeen of the Csárdás by Imre Kálmán. Dance CLASSICAL Bdapest s two so-so ballet companies the Hngarian National and the Hngarian Festival Ballet tropes perform at the Hngarian State Opera Hose, the Erkel Theatre and at the National Dance Theatre. For modern dance fans there are several good options, inclding the Trafó Hose of Contemporary Arts (Trafó Kortárs Művészetek Háza; Map pp88-9 ; %information 4 040, tickets 00; IX Liliom tca 4; mm3 Ferenc kör), which presents the cream of the crop, inclding a good pll of international acts, as well as the Central Erope Dance Theatre (Közép-Erópa Táncszínház; Map pp80- ; %34 73, ; VII Bethlen Gábor 3; trolleybses 74 or 78). FOLK The 30 dancers of the Hngarian State Folk Ensemble (Magyar Állami Népi Együttes) perform at the Bda Concert Hall (Bdai Vigadó; Map p83 ; %0 37 I Corvin 8; g8, j9) in Bda on Tesday, Thrsday and Snday from May to mid-october, and on Satrday and/or Snday only the rest of the year. In addition the Rajkó Folk Ensemble (Rajkó Népi Együttes) stages folk-dance performances at the Bdapest Pppet Theatre ( below ) on Satrday, and the Dna Folk Ensemble (Dna Népi Együttes) dances at the Dna Palota ( left ) jst off Roosevelt in Pest on Monday and Wednesday. The ½-hor programmes begin at 8pm, and tickets cost from 400/400Ft per adlt/stdent. Contact Hngaria Koncert (%37 74, 0 98; for information and bookings. National Dance Theatre (Nemzeti Táncszínház; Map p83 ; %information , tickets ; I Színház tca -3; hticket office -pm; g or Várbsz) The National hosts at some point every trope in the city, inclding the two ballet companies and the Honvéd Ensemble, one of the city s best folk tropes and now experimenting with modern choreography as well. Theatre Merlin Theatre (Map p8 ; % , 43; V Gerlóczy tca 4; mm//3 Deák Ferenc, j47 or 49) This theatre, in Pest, stages nmeros plays in English, often performed by the Merlin s Atlantis Company and the local Madhose trope. Usally pretty serios stff, with little scenery and few props. International Bda Stage (IBS; Map p77 ; %39 ; II Tárogató -4; j, g9) Frther afield in Bda, the Bda Stage is a more recent arrival, with occasional performances often comedies in English. National Theatre (Nemzeti Színház; Map pp88-9 ; %information , tickets 47 88; IX Bajor Gizi park ; hticket office 0am-pm Mon-Fri, -pm Sat & Sn; j or /a) This rather eclectic vene is the place to go if yo want to brave a play in Hngarian or jst check ot the bizarre architectre ( p94 ). Bdapest Pppet Theatre (Bábszínház; Map p84 ; %information 34 70, 3 00; zinhaz.h; VI Andrássy 9; tickets 00-00Ft; mm Vörösmarty tca) The pppet theatre, which sally doesn t reqire flency in Hngarian, presents shows designed for children on weekdays (sally at 0am or 0.30am and 4pm) and folk programmes for adlts occasionally in the evening. Cinemas A cople of dozen cinemas screen Englishlangage films with Hngarian sbtitles.

30 0 Shopping Shopping Conslt the listings in the Bdapest Sn newspaper, Pesti Est or Pesti Műsor ( p ). Corvin Film Palace (Corvin Filmpalota; Map pp80- ; %49 00; VIII Corvin köz ; mm3 Ferenc kör) This cinema, which saw a lot of action dring the 9 Uprising, has been fantastically renovated and is worth a visit. Note the two wonderfl reliefs otside. Örökmozgó Film Msem (Örökmozgó Filmmúzem; Map p84 ; %34 7; VII Erzsébet kör 39; j4 or ) Part of the Hngarian Film Institte, this cinema (whose name vagely translates as moving pictre ) screens an excellent assortment of foreign classic films in their original langages. Művész (Map p84 ; %33 7; VI Teréz kör 30; mm Oktogon, j4 or ) Shows artsy and clt films. Pskin (Map p8 ; %49 080; V Kossth Lajos tca 8; g7 or 7/a) Screens a mix of arthose and poplar releases. Uránia National Cinema (Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház; Map p84 ; %48 343; VIII Rákóczi ; g7 or 7/a) This all-art Deco/neo-Moorish extravaganza is a tarted-p film palace. It has an excellent café. Circs Mnicipal Great Circs (Fővárosi Nagycirksz; Map pp80- ; % , ; in Hngarian; XIV Állatkerti kör 7; adlt Ft, child Ft; mszéchenyi fürdő) Erope s only permanent big top has everything one wold expect from a circs, inclding acrobats, dare devils on horseback and ice shows in season. Performances are at 3pm Wednesday to Snday, with additional shows at 0.30am on Satrday and Snday and at 7pm on Satrday. Sport WATER POLO The Hngarian Water Polo Association (MVLSZ; %4 004; in Hngarian) is based at the Alfréd Hajós swimming complex ( p98 ) on Margaret Island. Matches take place here and at two other pools: the Béla Komjádi Swimming Pool ( p99 ) in Bda and the BVSC (Map pp80- ; % 3888; XIV Szőnyi ; trolleybses 74 or 74/a) in Pest from September to May. If yo want to see a match or watch the lads in training in smmer, call the MVLSZ for times and dates, or get someone to check schedles for yo in the daily Nemzeti Sport (National Sport; 99Ft) available at newsstands everywhere. FOOTBALL Hngary s descent from the top of the heap of Eropean football to a béka segge alatt literally, nder the arse of the frog as the Hngarians describe something really far down remains as great a mystery as the allre of Cliff Richard. Hngary s defeat of the England team both at Wembley (-3) in 93 and at home (7-) the following year, are still talked abot as if the winning goals were scored yesterday. There are for premier leage football teams in Bdapest ot of a total of nationwide, inclding: Kispest-Honvéd, which plays at József Bozsik Stadim (%8 979, ; XIX Új temető -3; g3), accommodating,000 spectators; MTK at Hngária Stadim (Map pp80- ; %9 0300; VIII Salgótarjáni tca -4; j or /a), accommodating 8000 spectators; and UTE at UTE Stadim (Map pp78-9 ; % ; IV Megyeri 3; g47 or 9), accommodating,000 fans. Bt no clb dominates Hngarian football like Ferencváros (FTC), the contry s lodest and brashest team, and its only hope. Yo either love the Fradi boys in green and white or yo hate them. Watch them play at FTC stadim (Map pp88-9 ; % 03; IX Könyves Kálmán kör ; mm3 Népliget), with space for 8,000 spectators. Check Nemzeti Sport for game schedles. HORSE RACING The descendants of the nomadic Magyars are keen on horse racing. Kincsem Park (Map p77 ; %433 0; X Albertirsai ; mm Pillangó tca) is the place to go for both ügető (trotting) and galopp (flat racing). Schedles can change, bt in general three trotting meetings of 0 to races take place weekly, sally 3pm on Satrday and Snday, and 4pm or pm on Wednesday. Flat racing sally takes place from pm on Thrsday and Snday between May and early November. SHOPPING Bdapest is a great place to satisfy that rge to by, and yo ll find all the prodcts described in the Directory ( p37 ) in fll spply here. Bt some people consider the city s flea markets their highlight not jst as places to indlge their vice, bt as the consmmate Bdapest experience. Flea markets Ecseri Piac (Map pp88-9 ; %8 93; XIX Nagykőrösi ; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, am-3pm Sat, 8am-pm Sn) Often called the piac (market), it s one of the biggest and best flea markets in Central Erope, selling everything from antiqe jewellery and Soviet army watches to Fred Astaire style top hats. Satrday is said to be the best day to go. To get there, take bs 4 from Boráros in Pest or, better, the red express bs 4 from the Határ tca stop on the M3 metro line and get off at the Fime tca stop. Then follow the crowds over the pedestrian bridge. City Park flea market (Városligeti bolhapiac; Map pp80- ; % , 7; XIV Zichy Mihály tca 4; h7am-pm Sat & Sn; j or /a or trolleybses 70, 7 or 74) This is a hge otdoor flea market a kind of Hngarian boot or garage sale held next to the Petőfi Csarnok ( p8 ) in City Park. The sal diamonds-to-rst stff is on offer from old records and draperies to candles, honey and herbs. Snday is the better day to visit. If yo don t have time to get to the Ecseri or City Park flea markets, check ot any of the BÁV stores (Bizományi Kereskedőház és Záloghitel; %3 00; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat), essentially a chain of pawn and secondhand shops with many branches arond town. Try the VI Andrássy branch (Map p84 ; %34 943; VI Andrássy branch 43; mm Opera) for old jewellery, watches and silver; the V Bécsi tca branch (Map p8 ; % ; V Bécsi tca -3; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) for knick-knacks, porcelain and glassware; the XIII Szent István kör branch (Map p84 ; %473 0; XIII Szent István kör 3; j4 or ) for chinaware, textiles and artwork; and the II Margit kör branch (Map pp80- ; %3 047; II Margit kör 4; j4 or ) for frnitre, lamps and fine porcelain. Gifts & Sovenirs Holló Atelier (Map p8 ; %37 803; V Vitkovics Mihály tca ; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-noon Sat; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) Off the northern end of Váci tca, this place sells attractive folk art with a modern look and remains a personal favorite place to shop for gifts. Hngaricm (Map p83 ; % ; I Fortna tca ; h9am-9pm; g or Várbsz) This shop conveniently located in the Castle District sells qality Hngarian handicrafts, as well as foodstffs (eg potted goose liver and honey), wines and pálinka (brandy). Intita (Map p8 ; % 84; V Váci tca 7; ham-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; g) Yo re not abot to find painted eggs and pálinka here, bt modern Hngarian folk craft, like handmade glasses, ceramics and bond books. Folkart Centrm (Népművészet; Map p8 ; %38 840; V Váci tca 8; h0am-7pm; g) This is a large shop where everything Magyar-made is available folk costmes, dolls, painted eggs, embroidered tablecloths and prices are clearly labelled. The staff are very helpfl and will advise. Glassware & Porcelain Herend (Map p8 ; %37 ; V József nádor ; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-pm Sat; mm Vörösmarty ) For both contemporary and traditional fine porcelain, there is no other place bt Herend. Herend Village Pottery (Map pp80- ; %3 7899; II Bem rakpart 37; h9am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat; mm Batthyány ) Stocks hard-wearing pottery and dishes decorated with bold frit patterns; an nsal alternative to what some might describe as rather prissy (and fragile) Herend flatware. Zsolnay (Map p8 ; % 30; V Váci tca 9- ; h0am-7pm; mm3 Ferenciek tere) For both contemporary and traditional fine Zsolnay porcelain from Pécs, check ot this place. We like the iridescent green frogs. Haas & Czjzek (Map p84 ; %3 4094; VI Bajcsy- Zsilinszky 3; h0am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-3pm Sat; mm3 Arany János tca) Jst p from Deák Ferenc, this chinaware and crystal shop sells Zsolnay, as well as more affordable Hngarian-made Hollóháza and Alföldi porcelain. Ajka Kristály (Map p84 ; %33 44; VI Teréz kör 0; h0am-pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) Established in 878, Ajka has Hngarian-made lead crystal pieces and stemware. Most of it is very old fashioned, bt there are some more contemporary pieces. Wine & Spirits Bdapest Wine Society (Batthyány tca Map p83 ; % 9; I Batthyány tca 9; h0am- 8pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat; mm Moszkva ; Ráday tca Map p8 ; %9 47; IX Ráday tca 7; hnoon-8pm Mon-Fri, 0am-3pm Sat; mm3 Kálvin ) This society has retail otlets with an exceptional selection of fine Hngarian wines. No-one, bt no-one, knows Hngarian wines like these gys do. La Botiqe des Vins (Map p8 ; %37 99; V József Attila tca ; h0am-pm Mon-Fri,

31 Getting There & Away Getting Arond 3 0am-3pm Sat; mm//3 Deák Ferenc ) Owned by the former sommelier at Gndel, the ingeniosly named Wine Shop (sonds better than Bor Boltja ) has an excellent selection of Hngarian wines. Ask the staff to recommend a label if when yo feel lost. Hngarian Pálinka Hose (Magyar Pálinka Ház; Map p84 ; %338 49; VIII Rákóczi 7; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat; mm Astoria) If yo re into Hngarian pálinka, the exqisite brandy flavored with everything from apricot and sor cherry to (be still, or heart) raspberry, make a beeline for this place. It stocks hndreds of varieties. GETTING THERE & AWAY Air The main Malév Cstomer Service Centre (Map pp80- ; %3 3; XIII Váci ; h8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat & Sn; mm3 Nygati pályadvar) is 00m northwest of Nygati train station. Malév also has ticket-issing desks at Terminal A (%9 7; ham-pm) and another one at Terminal B (%9 77; ham-8.30pm). For contact telephone nmbers and websites of other carriers with offices in the capital, see p378. Boat Hydrofoils to Bratislava and Vienna rn by Mahart PassNave (Map p8 ; % ; passnave.h; V Belgrád rakpart; h8am-pm) arrive at and depart from the International Ferry Pier (Nemzetközi hajóállomás; Map p8 ; V Belgrád rakpart). For more information, see p383. From April to late October Mahart Pass Nave also rns excrsion boats on the Danbe from Bdapest to Szentendre, Vác, Visegrád and Esztergom, and between late May and early September hydrofoils from Bdapest to Visegrád, Nagymoros and Esztergom. Boats sally leave from the Legenda Boat Tors Office & pier (Map p8 ; %38 3; mm Vörösmarty ) off V Vigadó on the Pest side, and sometimes pick p and discharge passengers from the ferry stop at I Batthyány (Map p83 ) on the Bda side, which is on the M metro line. Bs All international bses and some bt not all domestic ones (especially to/from north and north-central Hngary) arrive at and depart from Népliget bs station (Map pp88-9 ; %9 8080; IX Üllői 3; mm3 Népliget) in Pest. The international ticket office (ham-pm Mon-Fri Sep-May, -8pm Mon-Fri Jn-Ag, am-4pm Sat & Sn) is pstairs. Erolines (%9 80; is represented here, as is its Hngarian associate Volánbsz (% ; There s a left-lggage office (ham-9pm) downstairs that charges 90Ft per piece per day. Stadionok bs station (Map pp80- ; % 0; XIV Hngária kör 48-; hticket office am-pm Mon- Fri, am-4pm Sat & Sn; mm3 Stadionok) serves cities and towns to the east of Bdapest. The ticket office and the left-lggage office (ham-7pm; per piece 00Ft) are on the grond floor. Bses to sothwest Hngary se Etele bs station (Map pp88-9 ; % ; XI Etele ; ham-pm; red g7) in Bda. The Árpád Bridge bs station (Map pp78-9 ; %39 40; XIII Róbert Károly kör; hticket office am-8pm; mm3 Árpád híd), on the Pest side of Árpád Bridge, is the place to catch bses for the Danbe Bend and parts of the Northern Uplands (eg Balassagyarmat, Szécsény, Salgótarján etc). The small Széna bs station (Map pp80- ; %0 388; I Széna /a; hticket office.30am-4.30pm; mm3 Moszkva ) in Bda handles some traffic to and from the Pilis Hills and towns northwest of the capital, with a half-dozen departres to Esztergom (from bay No ) as an alternative to the Árpád Bridge bs station. For details of international bs services, see p380. Car & Motorcycle All the international car-rental firms have offices in Bdapest, bt don t expect many bargains. An Opel Corsa from Avis (Map p8 ; %38 48; in Hngarian; V Szervita 8; h9am-pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat; m//3 Deák Ferenc ), for example, costs 33/98 per day/week, pls 0.33 per kilometre and 3 Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and theft protection insrance. The same car with nlimited kilometres and insrance costs from 99/88 per day/weekend. The % ÁFA (vale-added tax) doesn t apply to nonresidents paying with foreign crrency or credit card. One of the cheapest and most reliable otfits for renting cars is Anselport (%3 080, ; XXII V tca ; h9am-pm; g4 or 4) in soth Bda. Its Szki Swift costs 9 to 43 per day, inclding nlimited mileage and insrance, depending on the length of the rental (one day to three weeks). Another good bet is Fox Atorent (% ; XXII Nagytétényi 48-0; h8am-8pm; g3, 4 or 4), which charges from 4/30 per day/week for a Fiat Seicento, /30 for a Smart car and 9/349 for a Fiat Pnto (kilometres and insrance inclded). Assistance and/or advice for motorists is available from the Hngarian Atomobile Clb (Magyar Atóklb; Map pp80- ; % 8, 4hr helpline 34 7; II Rómer Flóris tca 4/a; j4 or ) off Margit kör near Margaret Bridge. Motorists anywhere in Hngary can call the atomobile clb on %88 for assistance. For information on traffic and pblic road conditions in the capital, ring Főinform (%37 73). Hitching The ride service Kengr (Map p84 ; % 837, ; VIII Kőfaragó tca ; h9am- pm Mon-Fri, 0am-pm Sat) matches p drivers and riders for a fee mostly to points abroad. Sample destinations and approximate one-way fares inclde Amsterdam (4,00Ft), London (,700Ft), Mnich (700Ft), Paris (4,900Ft), Prage (800Ft) and Vienna (3000Ft). Train Bdapest has three main train stations. Most international trains arrive and depart from Keleti train station (Keleti train station; Map pp80- ; %33 83; VIII Kerepesi -; mm3 Keleti pályadvar). Trains to certain destinations in the east (eg Romania) leave from Nygati train station (Western train station; Map p84 ; %349 0; VI Teréz kör -7; mm3 Nygati pályadvar), while Déli train station (Sothern train station; Map p83 ; %37 93, 3 87; I Krisztina kör 37; mm Déli pályadvar) handles trains to some destinations in the soth (eg Osijek in Croatia and Sarajevo in Bosnia). These are not hard-and-fast rles, so always make sre yo check which station yor train leaves from when yo by a ticket. The handfl of secondary train stations are of little importance to long-distance travellers. Occasionally, thogh, a throgh train will stop at Kelenföldi train station (Map pp88-9 ; %03 87; XI Etele -7; j9 or 49) in Bda. For 4-hor information on international train services call %4 00 in Bdapest or % nationwide. The train stations are generally pretty dismal places, with nsavory-looking characters hanging abot day and night, bt all have some amenities. The left-lggage office at Keleti train station (h4hr) is next to platform No. At Nygati train station (h4am-midnight) and Déli train station (h3.30am-.30pm) it s beside the information and ticketing hall. They charge 0/300Ft for a normal/large piece for six hors and 300/00Ft per day. Yo ll also find post offices and grocery stores that are open late or even rond the clock. The three main train stations are on metro lines and night bses serve them when the metro is closed. If yo need to take a taxi, avoid the sharks hovering arond the stations. At Déli train station, cross over to I Alkotás tca and hail one there. At Keleti train station, get into one of the legal taxis at the rank on VIII Kerepesi, jst soth of the Eastern (Keleti) train station. Nygati is a major intersection, so yo ll have no problem finding a legitimate taxi there. Yo can by tickets at the three international train stations in Bdapest, bt the qees are often long, passengers are in a hrry and sales staff are not the most patient in the city. It s easier at the MÁV international information and ticket centre (Map p84 ; %4 00, 3 800; in Hngarian; VI Andrássy 3; h9am-pm Mon-Fri Apr-Sep, 9am-pm Mon-Fri Oct-Mar). For fares, check For more information on international train travel, see p38. GETTING AROUND To/From the Airport Bdapest s Ferihegy International Airport (%9 7000; 4km sotheast of the city centre, has two modern terminals side by side and within easy walking distance of one another, and an older one abot km to the west. For information on which airlines se which terminal, see p378. Terminal B has an OTP bank (h.30-0pm) and an ATM, seven car-rental desks, a hotel booking office, a post office (h8am-3.30pm Mon-Fri) and a left-lggage office (h4hr), which charges 30/00/400Ft for one/three/six hors, 00/00Ft per day/week. With mch cheaper options for getting to/from Ferihegy, it wold be senseless to take a taxi and risk a major rip-off. If yo want to take a taxi, do not hail one

32 4 4 Bdapest Metro, Rail & Tram Rotes Getting Arond METRO, RAIL & TRAM ROUTES To Érd To Szentendre Kaszásd lª HÉV HÉV Árpád híd HÉV Timár Szépvölgyi HÉV Margaret Island Dózsa György To Érd Csepel To Vác Káposztásmegyer Angyalföld Újpest Istvántelek To Ráckeve Kispest To Fót Újpalota To Kecskemét To Hngaroring; Miskolc Rákosszentmihály B d Bécsi Alkotás aörsi 4 cont 4 Filatorigát HÉV Óbda Margit krt 47 4, 47 Fª Villányi Bartók Béla , 49 8, 4, 47, A Óbda Island 8,9 Danbe River 47, 49 Danbe River 4, 4, A 4, Irinyi József St Imre HÉV Karácsony S HÉV Árpád híd 4, HÉV Termins Forgách Árpád híd Lehel Szabadkikötª Újpest Gyöngyösi HÉV Beöthy HÉV Kén HÉV Szabadkikötª 4 3, 30 Fehérvári Váci Béke Rákospalota- Újpest Víziváros Mexikói Széchenyi 9 fürdª Margit híd Lehel HÉV 4 7 Hªsök tere 8, Nygati Városliget Batthyány p cont, A Nygati p Bajza Zgló Moszkva Lipótváros Zgló Széna HÉV Arany Kodály körönd Örs vezér Rákosfalva 9 János Vörösmarty 4,, tere Batthyány Kossth Oktogon HÉV, 9 Lajos Erzsébetváros 7 Stadionok Pillangó HÉV Vár Opera Keleti p Örs vezér 3 Bajcsy-Zsilinszky tere Déli p Deák F Baross 3, Stadionok Déli p 47, 49 Blaha 4 Kerepesi Bda Vörösmarty Ljza Castle Astoria 8, 37, temetª 37A Kªbánya Józsefváros felsö Ferenciek tere Citadella Kálvin Ferenc krt Kªbánya Kªbánya Józsefváros alsó 3, 30 Klinikák A Nagyvárad HÉV Boráros Népliget 4 To Lake Balaton; Népliget Gyªr; Vienna 4 Lágymányosi Ecseri híd HÉV Pöttyös Kelenföld, 4 Ferencváros Kelenföldi p Határ HÉV 9, 49 Közvágóhíd Ferencváros 0 Kªbánya- Kispest 4 Újpest- Városkap Újpest- Központ 4 Könyves Angyalföld 30 HÉV Timót Rákosrendezª Hngária krt Thököly 7 3 Kálmán 3, 4 30, HÉV Pesterzsébet Soroksári Árpád krt Kerepesi 3 Üllªi 3, 4 HÉV Torontál 4 cont Bdafok- Albertfalva Istvántelek, 7, 9 Kªbányai , 30, Nagy Lajos király ja 37, 37A 30, Rómaifürdª HÉV Római- Óbda fürdª HÉV Aqincm To Esztergom Aqincm Aqincm felsª Rákospalota- Kertváros Racetrack 3 Határ Szentmihályi, 7 Fogarasi 30, Nagykªrösi 0 km 0 mile Nyírpalota Railway Commter Train Metro 3 (Ble) Tram with rote nmber and termins 3 3, 8 Régi Fóti 4 HÉV Gyömrªi Ady Endre 9 Metro (Yellow) Metro (Red) Üllªi Csömöri Jászberényi 8, 37, 37A Ferihegyi Kispest 4 Maglódi To Gödöllª To Gödöllª HÉV Nagyicce Rákos To Pécel New Mnicipal Cemetery (Új köztemetª) To Ferihegy International Airport Pestszentlªrinc 0 t 8, 37, 37A repülª érrevezetª 0 cont To Ferihegy International Airport from otside. Instead call one of the recommended companies ( p7 ) with a mobile phone or from a phone box at arrivals (dispatchers nderstand English) and expect to pay abot 000Ft. Several taxi companies have a flat, disconted fare to/from Ferihegy. Tele (%3 ) charges 3490Ft between the airport and Pest, and 3990Ft between Ferihegy and Bda. Its taxis are jst down the road waiting for yor call. The Airport Minibs Service (%9 8; [email protected]) ferries passengers in eightseater vans from all three of the airport s terminals directly to their hotel, hostel or residence (one way/retrn 300/3900Ft). Tickets are available at a clearly marked desk in the arrival halls. Yo need to book yor jorney to the airport 4 hors in advance, bt remember that, with p to seven pickps en rote, this can be a nerve-wracking way to go if yo re rnning late. The cheapest way bt probably the most time-consming to get into the city centre is to take the airport bs (look for the stop marked BKV Plsz Rep Bsz on the footpath between terminals A and B), which terminates at the Kőbánya-Kispest metro station. From there take the M3 metro into the city centre. The total cost is 30Ft. Bicycle More and more cyclists are seen on the streets and avenes of Bdapest these days, taking advantage of the growing network of bike paths. The main roads in the city might be a bit too bsy and nervewracking to allow enjoyable cycling, bt the side streets are fine and there are some areas (City Park, Margaret Island etc) where cycling is positively ideal. For ideas on where to cycle and information on where to rent bikes, see p98. Boat Between May and mid-september passenger ferries rn by BKV (Bdapest Transport Company; %39 39; depart from IX Boráros (Map pp88 9 ) beside Petőfi Bridge between six and eight times daily and head for III Rómaifürdő and Csillaghegy in Óbda, a two-hor trip with 0 stops along the way. Tickets (adlt/child 00/300Ft from end to end or between 00/0Ft and 00/0Ft for intermediate stops) are sold on board. The ferry stop closest to the Castle District is I Batthyány (Map p83 ), and V Petőfi is not far from the pier jst west of Vörösmarty (Map p8 ), a convenient place to pick p the boat on the Pest side. Transporting a bicycle costs 00Ft. For information on river crises, see p0. Car & Motorcycle Thogh it s not so bad at night, driving in Bdapest dring the day can be a nightmare: ongoing road works redce traffic to a snail s pace; there are more serios accidents than fender-benders; and parking spots are difficlt to find. The pblic transport system is good and cheap. Use it. Parking costs 0Ft to 400Ft on the street, generally between 8am and pm Monday to Friday and 8am and noon Satrday. There are 4-hor covered car parks charging p to 00/000Ft per hor/day at V Váci tca (below the Millennim Center; Map p8 ); V Szervita 8 (Map p8 ) and at V Aranykéz tca 4- (Map p8 ) in the Inner Town, and at VII Nyár tca 0 (Map p84 ). Illegally parked cars are not normally towed in Bdapest these days bt booted. If yo are trying to trace a vehicle yo believe has been towed, ring % or To have a boot removed, which is going to cost yo,000ft, ring the telephone nmber on the sticker placed on the windscreen or % Drink-driving is taken very seriosly in Hngary; see p37. Pblic Transport Bdapest has an ageing bt safe, efficient and inexpensive pblic transport system that will never have yo waiting more than five or 0 mintes for any conveyance. There are five types of vehicle in general se: metro trains on three city lines, green HÉV trains on for sbrban lines, ble bses, yellow trams and red trolleybses. All are rn by BKV (Bdapest Transport Company; %34 33, ; Anyone planning to travel extensively by pblic transport in Bdapest shold invest in the invalable Bdapesti Közlekedési Hálózata Térképe (Bdapest Transport Network Map; 380Ft) available at most metro ticket booths.

33 Getting Arond AROUND State Park 7 Daytime pblic transport in Bdapest rns from abot 4.30am to between 9pm and.30pm, depending on the line. From.30pm to 4am a network of some 30 night bses kicks in, rnning every 0 to 0 mintes, again depending on the line. FARES & TRAVEL PASSES To ride the metro, trams, trolleybses, bses and the HÉV (as far as the city limits, which is the Békásmegyer stop to the north) yo mst have a valid ticket, which yo can by at kiosks, newsstands or metro entrances. Children p to the age of six travel free when accompanied by an adlt. Bicycles can only be transported on the HÉV. The basic fare for all forms of transport is 8Ft (/34Ft for a block of 0/0 tickets), allowing yo to travel as far as yo like on the same metro, bs, trolleybs or tram line withot changing. A ticket allowing nlimited stations with one change within ½ hors costs 30Ft. On the metro exclsively, the base fare drops to 30Ft if yo are jst going three stops within 30 mintes. For 00Ft yo can travel five stops and transfer at Deák Ferenc to another metro line within one hor. Unlimited stations travelled with one change within one hor costs 300Ft. Yo mst always travel in one continos direction on any ticket; retrn trips are not allowed. Tickets have to be validated in machines at metro entrances and aboard other vehicles inspectors will fine yo for not validating yor ticket. Life will most likely be mch simpler if yo by a travel pass. Passes are valid on all trams, bses, trolleybses, HÉV (within the city limits) and metro lines, and yo don t have to worry abot validating yor ticket each time yo get on. The most central places to by them are ticket offices at the Deák Ferenc metro station (Map p8 ), the Nygati pályadvar metro station (Map p84 ) and the Déli pályadvar metro station (Map pp80 ), all of which are open from am to 8pm daily. A one-day pass is poor vale at 0Ft, bt the three-day pass (toristajegy, or torist ticket) for 00Ft and seven-day pass (hetijegy, or one week) for 3400Ft are worthwhile for most people. Yo ll need a photo for the fortnightly/monthly passes (400/900Ft). All bt the monthly passes are valid from midnight to midnight, so by them in advance and specify the date(s) yo want. Travelling black (ie withot a valid ticket or pass) is risky; with increased srveillance (especially in the metro), there s an excellent chance yo ll get caght. (NB: Tickets are always checked by a condctor on the HÉV.) The on-the-spot fine is 00Ft, which rises to 7000Ft if yo pay at the BKV office (Map p84 ; %4 800; VII Akácfa tca ; ham-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-.4pm Sat; mm Blaha Ljza ) p to 30 days later and 4,000Ft after that. METRO & HÉV Bdapest has three ndergrond metro lines that converge (only) at Deák Ferenc : the little yellow (or Millennim) line designated M that rns from Vörösmarty to Mexikoi in Pest; the red M line from Déli train station in Bda to Örs vezér tere in Pest; and the ble M3 line from Újpest-Központ to Kőbánya-Kispest in Pest. A possible sorce of confsion on the M is that one station is called Vörösmarty and another, five stops later, is Vörösmarty tca. The HÉV sbrban train line, which rns on for lines (north from Batthyány in Bda via Óbda and Aqincm to Szentendre, soth to both Csepel and Ráckeve and east to Gödöllő), is almost like an additional above-grond metro line. BUS, TRAM & TROLLEYBUS An extensive system of trams, trolleybses and bses serve greater Bdapest. On certain bs lines the same nmber bs may have a black or a red nmber. In sch cases, the red-nmbered one is an express, which makes limited stops and is, of corse, faster. Bses and trams are mch of a mchness, thogh the latter are often faster and generally more pleasant for sightseeing. Trolleybses go along cross streets in central Pest and are of little se to most visitors, with the sole exception of the ones to City and Népliget Parks. Following are the most important tram lines (always marked with red lines on a Bdapest map, while a broken red line signifies a trolleybs). Nos & /a Scenic trams that travel along the Pest side of the Danbe as far as V Jászai Mari. Nos 4 & Extremely sefl trams that start at XI Fehérvári and XI Móricz Zsigmond kör in soth Bda, respectively, and follow the entire length of the Big Ring road in Pest before terminating at II Moszkva in Bda. No 8 Rns from sothern Bda along XI Bartók Béla throgh the Tabán to II Moszkva. No 9 Covers part of the same rote as No 8, bt then rns along the Bda side of the Danbe to I Batthyány. Nos 47 & 49 Link V Deák Ferenc in Pest with points in sothern Bda via the Little Ring road. No Connects XI Móricz Zsigmond kör with Déli train station and II Moszkva in Bda. Some bses (always shown with a ble line on a Bdapest map) yo might find sefl: Black No 4 Rns from northern Pest via VI Hősök tere to V Deák Ferenc (the red No 4 follows the same rote bt crosses over Chain Bridge into central Bda). No 7 Cts across a large swathe of central Pest from XIV Bosnyák and down VII Rákóczi before crossing Elizabeth Bridge to Kelenföld train station in sothern Bda. No 8 Rns the length of Bda from XI Kosztolányi Dezső to Óbda. No 0 Goes from V Deák Ferenc to XII Apor Vilmos in central Bda. Night bs 90 Follows tram s rote along the Big Ring road. Night bs 907 Traces an enormosly long rote from Örs vezér tere M metro stop in Pest to Kelenföld train station in Bda. Taxi Taxis in Bdapest are still not expensive compared with other Eropean contries, bt with sch an excellent pblic transport network available, yo don t really have to se them very often. We ve heard from many readers who were grossly overcharged and even threatened by taxi drivers in Bdapest, so taking a taxi in this city shold be approached with cation. However, the reptable firms we ve listed have caght on to the concept of cstomer service and take complaints very seriosly nowadays. Avoid taxis with no name on the door and only a removable taxi light box on the roof; these are jst gys with cars and the ones most likely to rip yo off. Never get into a taxi that does not have a yellow licence plate and an identification badge displayed on the dashboard (as reqired by law), the logo of one of the reptable taxi firms on the side doors and a table of fares clearly visible. Not all taxi meters are set at the same rates, and some are mch more expensive than others, bt there are price ceilings nder which taxi companies are free to manoevre. From am to 0pm the highest flag-fall fee that can be legally charged is 300Ft, the per-kilometre charge 40Ft and the waiting fee 0Ft. From 0pm to am the eqivalent fees are 40/330/80Ft. Bdapest residents local or foreign rarely flag down taxis on the street. They almost always ring for them, and fares are actally cheaper if yo book over the phone. Make sre yo know the nmber of the landline phone yo re calling from, as that s how they establish yor address (thogh yo can, of corse, call from a mobile phone, too). Following are the telephone nmbers of reptable taxi firms: Bda % City % Fő % Rádió % Tele %3 AROUND Let s be honest: an awfl lot in Hngary is arond Bdapest, and many of the towns and cities in the Danbe Bend, Transdanbia, Northern Uplands and even the Great Plain cold be relatively easy day trips from the capital. Yo can be in Szentendre (9km) in half an hor, for example, and Gyöngyös, the gateway to the bcolic Mátra Hills, is only 80km to the east. Here are several easy day or even half-day trips from the capital. STATUE PARK A trly mind-blowing excrsion is a visit to State Park (Szoborpark; Map p77 ;%44 700; cnr XXII Szabadkai & Balatoni ; adlt/ child 00/400Ft; h0am-dsk), 0km sothwest of the city centre. It s home to more than 40 bsts, states and plaqes of Lenin, Marx, Béla Kn and heroic workers that have ended p on rbbish heaps in other former socialist contries, bt get an airing here to remind everyone how tawdry and dishonest the ancien régime was. Ogle at the socialist realism and try to imagine that at least for of these monstros monments were erected as recently as the late 980s; a few of them, inclding the Béla Kn memorial

34 8 AROUND Százhalombatta AROUND Gödöllő 9 of or hero in a crowd by fence-sitting sclptor Imre Varga ( p74 ), were still in place when one of s moved to Bdapest in early 99. The msem shop sells fablosly kitsch commnist memorabilia states, pins, CDs of revoltionary songs etc. To reach this socialist Disneyland, take tram 9 from I Batthyány in Bda, tram 49 from V Deák Ferenc in Pest or rednmbered bs 7 from V Ferenciek tere in Pest to the termins at XI Etele. From there catch a yellow Volán bs from stand No 7 to Diósd/Érd (33Ft, mintes, 8km, every to 0 mintes); yo ll want the fifth stop. A direct bs (adlt/child retrn 90/ 30Ft) departs from in front of the Le Meridien Bdapest Hotel on Deák Ferenc at am year-rond, with an extra departre at 3pm from March to October, and at 0am and 4pm as well in Jly and Agst. SZÁZHALOMBATTA %3 / pop 7,00 Some 8km sothwest of Bdapest in the nattractive town of Százhalombatta, site of a hge heat and power plant, is Archaeological Park (Régészeti Park; %30 37; matrica.battanet.h; István király 4; park adlt/child/ family 00/300/00Ft, park & msem 80/4/070Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn Apr-Oct), the only openair prehistoric msem in Hngary. The six-hectare park sits in the middle of Iron Age tmli Százhalombatta means 00 Monds and is still ndergoing excavation and expansion. What can be seen at present are reconstrcted Bronze and Iron Age settlements, pls replicas of pottery, cooking tensils, msical instrments and clothing. The highlight of the park is a 700-year-old oak-timber brial mond that hoses an incredibly detailed. sq m brial chamber rebilt from archaeological finds and floor plans. An 8-minte film (in English, Hngarian and German) briefly delves into the history of the Bronze and Iron Age in Central Erope, before moving onto the brial process and a step-by-step explanation of the reconstrction of the brial crypt. The Matrica Msem (%34 9; Gesztenyés -3; adlt/child/family 4/0/03Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn Apr-Oct, 0am- 4pm Te-Fri, 0am-pm Sat & Sn Nov-Mar), part of the Archaeological Park bt closer to town, traces the history of the settlement from prehistoric times till today. Getting There & Away Over two dozen trains leaving Bdapest s Déli and Kelenföld train stations for Pécs every day stop at Százhalombatta (48Ft, 40 mintes, 8km, every 0 mintes); the last train retrns at jst before 0.30pm. A bs links the train station at Százhalombatta with the park, bt it s rather infreqent the last leaves for the station at arond 4pm. Bses bond for Százhalombatta (33Ft, 4 mintes, 8km, half-horly) leave freqently throghot the day from the Kelenföld train station at XI Etele in sothern Bda. RÁCKEVE %4 / pop 90 The lres of this attractive town on the sotheastern end of Csepel Island, the long island in the Danbe soth of Bdapest, are its pretty riverside park and strand, a Gothic Serbian Orthodox chrch (rác is the old Hngarian word for Serb ) and the former Savoy Mansion, now a lovely hotel. Torinform (%49 747; Kossth Lajos tca ; h9am-pm Mon-Sat mid-jn mid-sep, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri mid-sep mid-jn) is in the Karóly Ács Cltral Centre, abot km soth of the train station. Sights SAVOY MANSION From the HÉV station in Ráckeve, walk soth along Kossth Lajos tca to the Savoy Mansion (Savoyai-kastély; %48 3; Kossth Lajos tca 9), now a 30-room hotel facing the Ráckeve-Danbe River branch. The domed manse with two wings was finished in 7 in the baroqe style for Prince Egene of Savoy, who drove ot the last of the Trkish occpiers from Hngary at the Battle of Zenta in 97, by an Astrian architect who wold later go on to design Schönbrnn Palace in Vienna. The mansion was completely renovated and trned into a pricey hotel and conference centre in 98. Concerts are held here in Jly and Agst. ÁRPÁD MUSEUM This small msem (%48 34; Kossth Lajos tca 34; adlt/child 400/00Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn mid- Mar Oct,0am-4pm Mon-Fri Nov mid-mar), a cople of hndred metres soth of the mansion, has exhibits focsing on the Danbe, with an emphasis on water mills of varios types, along with a lot of old photographs. SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH From Kossth Lajos tca yo can t miss the ble clock tower of the Serbian Orthodox Chrch (Görög-keleti szerb templom; Viola tca ; h0am-noon & -pm Te-Sat, -pm Sn) to the sotheast. The late Gothic chrch was originally bilt in 487 by Serbs who fled their town of Keve ahead of the invading Trks, and many street signs in this area are in Serbian. It was enlarged in the following centry. The free-standing clock tower was added in 78. The walls and ceiling of the chrch interior are covered with colorfl frescoes painted by a Serbian master from Albania in the mid-8th centry. The walls depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments and a panoply of saints; they were meant to teach the Bible to illiterate parishioners. The first section of the nave is reserved for women; the part beyond the separating wall is for men. Only the priest and his servers enter the sanctary beyond the iconostasis, the richly carved and gilded gate festooned with icons. Eating Savoyai Kastély (%44 89; Kossth Lajos tca 9; sops 30-40Ft, starters 00-00Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm) This cellar restarant at the Savoy Mansion is one of the better eateries in Ráckeve. Dining here is a good way to get a look at the mansion s interior withot actally staying there. Cadran (%48 470; Hősök tere ; pizza 0-980Ft; h0am-0pm Mon-Sat,.30-0pm Sn) A poplar pizzeria and pb in the centre of town and facing the Árpád Bridge, Cadran is recommended for a lnch stop before or after visiting the Serbian chrch. There s otside seating in a back cortyard. Getting There & Away The easiest way to reach Ráckeve is on the HÉV sbrban train (0Ft, 70 mintes, 40km, half-horly), departing from the Vágóhíd HÉV termins in district IX on the Pest side. Yo can get to that train station from the Inner Town on tram or from Keleti train station on tram 4. The last HÉV train back to Bdapest leaves Ráckeve at 0.30pm. GÖDÖLLŐ %8 / pop 3,400 Jst 7km northeast of the Inner Town and easily accessible on the HÉV, Gödöllő (prononced roghly good-dh-ler) is an easy day trip from the capital. The main draw here is the Royal Mansion, which rivalled Esterházy Palace at Fertőd in Western Transdanbia ( p9 ) in splendor and size when it was completed in the 70s, and is the largest baroqe manor hose in Hngary. Bt the town itself, fll of lovely baroqe bildings and monments and home to the seminal Gödöllő Artists Colony (90 0), is worth the trip in itself. Torinform (%4 40; h0am-pm Te-Sn Apr-Oct, 0am-pm Te-Sn Nov-Mar) has an office jst inside the entrance to the Royal Mansion. Sights The Royal Mansion (Királyi Kastély; %40 4; Szabadság ; adlt/child/family 400/700/800Ft; h0am-pm Te-Sn Apr-Oct, 0am- pm Te-Sn Nov-Mar), sometimes called the Grassalkovich Mansion after its commissioner, Antal Grassalkovich (94 77), cont and confidante of Empress Maria Theresa, was designed by Antal Mayerhoffer in 74. After the formation of the Dal Monarchy, the mansion (or palace) was enlarged as a smmer retreat for Emperor Franz Joseph, and soon became the favored residence of his consort, the mch beloved Habsbrg empress and Hngarian qeen, Elizabeth (837 98), affectionately known as Sissi. Between WWI and WWII the regent, Admiral Miklós Horthy, also sed it as a smmer residence, bt after the commnists came to power part of the mansion was sed as a Soviet barracks, as an old people s home and as temporary hosing. The rest was left to decay. Partial renovation of the mansion began in 994, and today some rooms are open to the pblic as the Palace Msem on the grond and st floors. The rooms have been restored (some wold say with too mch enthsiasm) to when the imperial cople were in residence, and on the st floor Franz Joseph s sites, done p in manly greys and golds, and Sissi s lavender-colored

35 Lonely Planet Pblications 30 AROUND RnningSbhead Gödöllő private apartments are impressive, if not as evocative of the past as the rooms at the Esterházy Palace. Check ot the Decorative Hall, all gold tracery and chandeliers, where chamber-msic concerts are held throghot the year bt especially in late Jne and early Jly dring the Palace Concerts Chamber Msic Festival; the Qeen s Salon, with a Romanticstyle oil painting of Sissi patriotically repairing the coronation robe of King Stephen with needle and thread; and the Stdy Annexe, with a restored ceiling painting and an 8th-centry tapestry of the hntress Diana. A nmber of other recently opened rooms and bildings can be visited on a gided tor only at extra cost, inclding the baroqe Palace Theatre (adlt/child 90/0Ft or 00Ft with msem) in the sothern wing; the Royal Hill Pavilion (admission 70Ft with theatre & msem) in the park bilt in the 70s; and the Royal Baths (adlt/child 00/700Ft with theatre & pavilion, 00/0Ft with msem, theatre & pavilion). Eating Torinform at the palace has sample mens from restarants arond town and also distribtes discont vochers. Pizza Palazzo (%40 88; Szabadság ; pizza & pasta 70-0Ft, mains 90-90Ft; ham-pm) This poplar pizzeria with some more sbstantial main corses is conveniently attached to the Szabadság HÉV station. Mei Shi Lin (%4 8; Kossth Lajos tca 33; rice & noodle dishes 40-80Ft, mains 90-0Ft; ham- 0pm Sn-Th, am-pm Fri & Sat) This pleasant eatery, to the northwest of the mansion, serves srprisingly good Chinese food. Kastélykert (%7 00; Szabadság 4; starters Ft, mains Ft; hnoon-pm) The Castle Garden, sitated in a lovely old baroqe hose opposite the mansion (and still apparently on its gronds) is an excellent and mch more pmarket choice for an evening meal. Getting There & Away HÉV trains from Örs vezér tere at the termins of the M metro link Bdapest with Gödöllő (3Ft, 40 mintes, 7km, halfhorly) throghot the day. Make sre yo get off at the Szabadság stop, which is the third from the last stop. The last train leaves this stop for Bdapest jst before 0.4pm. In addition, bses from Stadionok bs station in Bdapest also serve Gödöllő (30Ft, 3km, 40 mintes, half-horly). The last bs back is jst after 7.pm Monday to Friday (shortly after 8pm on Satrday and Snday). The bs station is de east of the Szabadság HÉV station next to the colossal cltral centre. Lonely Planet Pblications. To make it easier for yo to se, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In retrn, we think it s fair to ask yo to se it for personal, non-commercial prposes only. In other words, please don t pload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass it to everyone yo know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on or site for a longer way of saying the above - Do the right thing with or content.