Hungary Step By Step, Węgry
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Tourinform Offices
State border crossing
Eger–Tokaj Wine Region
The Puszta and Lake Tisza
Pannonia
Lake Balaton
Budapest and surroundings
1100 years
in the heart of Europe
The area of their country is barely 100,000 km
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. Their language is spoken
nowhere else. Their folk songs bear no resemblance to those of other nations.
Yet, the Hungarian people have been living in the centre of Europe for over 1,100
years.
Despite frequent tragic upheavals which spared nothing and nobody, the country
boasts a heritage that attracts people from far and wide.
Citing the city’s unparalleled panorama, UNESCO declared Budapest, Hungary’s cap-
ital, ‘the Pearl of the Danube’, a World Heritage site.
After Iceland, Hungary has the world’s largest reserve of surface thermal water: hun-
dreds of springs help thousands in recovering.
Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake, is a favourite get-away for families with
young children, fans of yachting and lovers of the beach.
We have collected for you in this brochure a variety of things that can be seen and
enjoyed in Hungary.
Have a delightful time travelling and exploring the country and many unforgettable expe-
riences in the heart of Europe!
Budapest, Gellért Thermal Baths
Hungarian National Tourist Office
www.hungary.com
Balaton
Gödöllő, Royal Palace
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Budapest and Surroundings
Budapest
Budapest, Széchenyi Chain Bridge with the Castle of Buda in the background
Some fall in love with the city at first sight, others are won over only after a longer period of discovery; but all agree that it is one of the most
beautiful locations in the world.
The metropolis with a population of two million is bisected by the mighty flow of the Danube with hills and valleys on the Buda side and the
flat, low-lying Pest on the other. The riverside panorama has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Anybody who has ever seen it
illuminated by night can understand why.
Here are some interesting facts about Budapest:
–Although initially inhabited fifty thousand years ago, it has only had its present name for a mere 128 years. Prior to 1873, Óbuda, Buda
and Pest were separate towns.
–Under its hills there is a system of caves with thermal waters gushing from 80 thermal springs which supply 12 spas with 70 million litres
of water daily.
–Its monuments include 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatres, 400-year-old Turkish baths and unique Hungarian Art Nouveau buildings from
the 19th century. The cityscape owes its uniform appearance to the elegant mansions erected in Eclectic style in the early 20th century.
–The transport system also has some interesting features. The first underground railway of Europe has been connecting the downtown
with the City Park for over 100 years. In the Buda hills you will find the world’s third hill railway and a narrow-gauge forest railway oper-
ated by children.
–Lovers of culture are spoilt for choice with 237 monuments, 223 museums and galleries, 35 theatres, 90 cinemas, 2 opera houses
and 12 concert halls. Around 200 excursion destinations offer a wide variety of things to do. Throughout the 365 days of the year, trav-
el agencies organise walks and sightseeing tours by coach and boat, tailored to individual requirements.
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Buda
The most important sights of the city can be found here, on the right bank of the Danube. Buda is
the capital city’s green belt with popular hiking destinations like the János-hegy (‘hegy’ meaning
‘hill’), Normafa, Széchenyi-hegy, Kis- and Nagy-Hárs-hegy, Remete-hegy, Hármashatár-hegy and the
Game Park in
Budakeszi
, all of them parts of the Buda Nature Reserve. We suggest the following
route: take the cog-wheel railway (one stop from Moszkva tér by tram 56) to Széchenyi-hegy, then the
children’s railway to Hűvösvölgy. The train stops at Budapest’s highest point on János-hegy (526 m).
From here, take the chair lift to Zugliget, then bus 158 back to Moszkva tér. The only two caves open
to the public in Budapest are the Pálvölgyi stalactite cave, which can be explored to a length of 500 m
(entrance to the cave at 162 Szépvölgyi út) and Szemlő Hill cave (entrance to the cave at 35 Pusztaszeri
út), a saline cave 300 m of which is open to visitors (reached by bus from Kolosy tér in Óbuda).
Óbuda
Aquincum (D2)
, the ruins of a two thousand years old forerunner of Budapest, can be found in the north-
ern part of the city. The remains of this civil and military town of the Roman period include two amphithe-
atres, villas with superb mosaic works, a military bath-house and the stone pillars of an aqueduct. The
Aquincum Museum (139 Szentendrei út) is a contiguous area of ruins, where the most valuable items
include carved stones, wall paintings and an ancient organ. Old single-storey houses, taverns and fine
museums create a unique ambience at Fő tér in Óbuda. Nearby are two museums: the Varga Imre Museum
(7 Laktanya utca), exhibiting the works of a contemporary sculptor, and the Vasarely Museum
(6 Szentlélek tér) housing the complete oeuvre of Victor Vasarely (originally: Győző Vásárhelyi), father of
op-art. At the Kiscelli Museum (108 Kiscelli út) there is a rich collection of works depicting Budapest in
addition to 20th-century Hungarian works of fine arts.
Concert in the Matthias Church
The Castle District in Buda
Erected in the 14th century and rebuilt in the Baroque style 400 years later, the royal palace at Szent
György tér was the residence of the Hungarian monarchs for 700 years. Today it houses Budapest’s most
frequented museums and galleries. The Hungarian National Gallery (Buildings B, C, and D) offers a selec-
tion of the history of arts in Hungary from the 10th century to the present day. Exhibits include a collec-
tion of early medieval and Renaissance stone works, Gothic wood-carvings, panels and triptychs,
Renaissance and Baroque art, 19th- and 20th-century painting, sculpture and collections of coins and
medals. Guided tours are available to the crypt of the Hapsburg viceroys. At the History of Budapest
Museum (Building E) restored sections of the medieval royal palace in Buda, its chapel and Gothic sculp-
tures as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions on Budapest’s history can be seen. The National
Széchényi Library (Building F), the country’s largest library, houses - among others - a rich collection of
the Corvinas, medieval codices from King Matthias’ library. In Building A the Museum of Contemporary
Arts, also known as the Ludwig Museum, displays the works of outstanding Hungarian and foreign
contemporary artists.
Topped by a tower of stone tracery, Matthias Church, also called the Church of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, (2 Szentháromság tér) was the scene of coronations and royal weddings. In the early 19th
century it was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style. Its crypt now displays a collection of ecclesiastical
artefacts. From spring to autumn concerts are organised here. The Fishermen’s Bastion, a neo-
Romanesque bulwark with seven towers built on medieval walls, offers an excellent view of
the city. Further back the remains of the 13th-15th-century St. Nicholas Church with a
Dominican monastery have been ingeniously incorporated into the interior of the stylish
Hilton Hotel. The Dominican courtyard of the hotel hosts open-air performances. The urban
middle-class houses in the streets connecting Bécsi kapu tér and Dísz tér, gates to the
Castle District, were built on medieval foundations. The Gothic sedilia of their doorways
lend a unique feature to them. The Castle Cave, a 1,800-m section of the 12-km cave
system under Castle Hill (entrance at 16 Országház utca) is open to the public only by
booking in advance. The Military History Museum (40 Tóth Árpád sétány) displays
The Fishermen’s Bastion
memories of Hungary’s military past, and
the medieval Jewish Chapel (26 Táncsics
M. utca) offers an insight into the past life
of the Jews in Buda. The Baroque Erdődy-
Hatvany Mansion (7 Táncsics M. utca) keeps
rare musical instruments from the Museum of
Musical History as well as a rich collection of
the manuscripts of the great Hungarian com-
poser Béla Bartók (1881-1945).
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