Budapest
Budapest, April 14 Sunday
Paulay Ede u. 3, 1061 Magyarország
Arrive Budapest Airport 4;55
Take 100E Bus off at Deak ferenc Terr M
Network: Glamour Apartment 409
Password: Paulay3409
GUIDEBOOK – https://www.airbnb.com/s/guidebooks?refinement_paths[]=/guidebooks/4855231
April 19 Budapest to Vienna
11:40 Am Budapest-Keleti
Buda Pech
- “Thank you (very much).” – (Nagyon szépen) köszönöm!
- “Sorry.” – Bocsánat!
- “I apologize.” – Bocsánatot kérek!
- “Excuse me.” – Elnézést!
- “Hi.” – Szia! See Ah
- “Hi, you all.” – Sziasztok!
- “Good morning.” – Jóreggelt!
- “Yes” – Igen
- “No” – Nem
- “I like it.” – Tetszik (nekem).
- “I don’t like it.” – Nem tetszik (nekem).
- “I don’t speak Hungarian.” – Nem beszélek magyarul. Nem Basclic mar ga rue
- “Can I please get the menu?” – Elkérhetném az étlapot?
- “I’d like to get this please.” – Ezt kérném, legyen szíves!
- “What do you recommend?” – Mit ajánl?
- “Could I get the bill, please?” – Kérhetném a számlát?
- “Excuse me!” – Legyen szíves!
Budapest transportation – https://paolaeverywhere.com/how-to-get-around-budapest/
all you can eat sushi Itoshii HU-1062 Budapest Teréz krt. 55-57
11:30-16:00 Monday – Tuesday: 9290 Ft $26.00 USD /person Wednesday – Sunday: 9790 ($27.00) Ft /person
Budapest
- Hungarian Parliament Building – The largest building in the whole of the country, the sheer size and scale of the Hungarian Parliament Building is staggering to behold – it dwarfs everything around it.
- Castle Hill – Set on the Buda side of the city, Castle Hill looks out imperiously over the Danube River and the rest of Budapest.
- Stephen’s Basilica– Named after the first king of Hungary, the enormous Roman Catholic basilica also sports two mighty bell towers and is topped by a large cupola.
- Buda Castle – Built in 1265 at one end of Castle Hill, the regal Baroque palace is now home to the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery, both of which are well worth visiting.
- Fisherman’s Bastion – Located inside of Buda Castle, the magical Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Budapest, and justifiably so.
- Margaret Island – Margaret Island lies right in the middle of the Danube and is mostly covered in lovely leafy parks.
- Szechenyi Chain Bridge (1849) – Beautifully illuminated at night, Szechenyi Chain Bridge is one of the most photographed landmarks in the city.
- Citadella- Perched atop of Gellert Hill, the Citadella offers commanding views out over Budapest and the Danube River below. Built in 1851 by the Hapsburgs
- Shoes on the Danube Bank– Only erected in 2005, this small and simple memorial tells the harrowing story of 3,500 dissenters and Jews who were brutally murdered by the Arrow Cross Party – a fascist party that briefly ruled Hungary in WWII.
- Matthias Church – Set in a stunning spot right next to the Fishermen’s Bastion, Matthias Church is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city
- Heroes’ Square – Lying at one end of Andrassy Avenue right next to City Park, Heroes’ Square is dominated by the huge monument that lies at its heart.
- Great Synagogue – Also known as the Dohany Street Synagogue, the Great Synagogue is one of the most important and impressive buildings in the city.
Built in 1859, it showcases some exquisite Moorish Revival architecture, with its ornately decorated interior being no less astounding to gaze upon
- Vajdahunyad Castle – Located in City Park, the unique and unusual castle certainly makes for some great photos. It lies just a short distance away from both Heroes’ Square and Szechenyi Bath
- Hospital in the Rock – Set up in the 1930s, the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum can be found in the amazing network of caves that lie beneath Buda Castle.
- Central Market Hall – Lying in Fovam square, just a short walk away from many other remarkable sights, the Central Market Hall is a great place to sample some local delicacies or pick up some souvenirs.
- Liberty Bridge – Only opened in 1896, Liberty Bridge spans the width of the Danube River and connects Gellert square in Buda to Fovam square in Pest. While strolling across it is a great way to get from the Central Market Hall to Gellert Hill or Gellert Spa,
Memento Park- Home to more than 40 statues, busts and plaques of Lenin, Marx, Béla Kun and others whose likenesses have ended up on trash heaps elsewhere, Memento Park, 10km southwest of the city centre,
Farkasrét Cemetery – Óbuda & Buda Hills
Vantage Point – This vantage point lookout to the northwest of the Citadella along Citadella sétány offers one of the best panoramic views of Budapest, the Danube and its bridges
Tropicarium – The vast aquarium complex called Tropicarium is apparently the largest in Central Europe.
Gresham Palace – Art Nouveau Splendor- at the Pest end of the Chain Bridge.
Alexandra Book Café – Andrássy Avenue-Opera House, Museums
The House of Terror Museum is also located on Andrássy út should you want to find out about the terrible Nazi and Communist Era.
Recommendations
Budapest is definitely a great place to find delicious and affordable food! Some of my recommendations would be:
– Trófea Grill: An all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant with a wide range of Hungarian and international dishes.
– Karaván Street Food: A collection of food stalls offering a variety of dishes from all over the world.
– Spiler Bistro: A casual restaurant with Hungarian and international dishes, including vegan and vegetarian options.
– Pesti Vigadó: A traditional Hungarian restaurant with an extensive menu of local dishes.
– Gerlóczy Café is aslo a nice place to try out.
If you’re visiting Hungary,..I suggest you get “DISCOVERING THE HEART OF HUNGARY” by CALEB G. DARWIN on Amazon…he has one of the best travel preparation guides with great itinerary I’ve used recently… just a suggestion though….Have fun!
Veronka
Paying
The currency is the Czech crown (koruna, roughly 24 Kc = 1 Euro). I would not go to an exchange office (extortionate rates), I’d just withdraw from an ATM if I need cash or pay with a card wherever I can (a large majority of places, except some public toilets!). There are plenty of them around, you just better choose a bank ATM. Do you use Revolut? They don’t have any foreign currency payment charges (https://www.revolut.com/fr-
Getting around
Getting around is super easy with the metro and then you can walk from the stations. Use public transport as it’s reliable, very good and cheap, avoid using taxis, they are overpriced and can take you on a longer route just to get more money out of you.
You can get a 3-day public transport ticket at any ticket machine (there are many right in the main train station where you are going to arrive). Just remember to validate it on the first bus/tram/metro you take, there are these small ticket stamping machines everywhere, in the metro usually at the entrance of the station. It will be valid for 72 hours onwards. Absolutely make sure to VALIDATE your tickets as there are very frequent ticket controls and the officers don’t take the excuse of “not knowing”. Police is usually with them and every offender must pay the fine on the spot.
To go to the airport, when you are leaving, take metro line A (green line) to the station Nadrazi Veleslavin and change there to bus 59 (there are signs for the bus to the airport everywhere in the metro station). It’ll take you about 40 minutes from the centre of Prague to the airport.
Use Google Maps or Citymapper app to get the best transport options. Google Maps are perfect for walking around. I prefer Citymapper for public transport, but Google Maps are better for walking directions.
Places to see
1. the Old Town square (Staromestske namesti) with the mechanical clock (it chimes and moves the statues at every full hour, just guard your things as it’s a prime opportunity for pickpockets), there’s also on the same square a beautiful Gothic church of Our Lady before Tyn, it’s when you face the clock directly to the right across the square, just need to walk through an archway as there are houses in front of it.
2. Wenceslav Square (Vaclavske namesti). It’s an easy walk from the Old Town, there’s a national museum on the top, and lots of shops and restaurants around it.
3. Walk over the Charles Bridge across the Vltava River and all the way to Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad). The part, called Mala Strana, is very charming and it’s a decent hike when you get to the top, I would recommend visiting the Cathedral of St Vitus as it’s beautiful architecture but I would not go to see inside the castle as it’s a working building where the Czech president lives. So maybe only some parts are open, I have never been inside. There are vast gardens around it, which are free to walk through.
To make your way back easier, there’s a metro station Malostranska which takes you back to the Old Town (Stare Mesto). Just find it on Google Maps
4. while you are on the Castle side, you could also walk to Petrinska Rozhledna which is a viewing tower resembling the Eiffel Tower, you can walk up it and get a nice view of the Old Town and the east bank of Prague. around the tower are large gardens – https://maps.app.goo.gl/
5. Vysehrad – a former fortress, you will need to take either a metro, line C, to a station of the same name. There’s also an old church with a large cemetery where famous people were buried and you get the opposite view of Prague castle – https://maps.app.goo.gl/
6. Zizkovska televizni vec – TV tower of Zizkov – an unusual destination but it’s open late in the evening so going there when it’s dark will give you a different view of Prague (https://maps.app.goo.gl/
7. National Library – Klementinum – there’s a Mirror Chapel (Zrcadlova Kaple) where they often have classical music concerts
8. National Museum – it’s a museum of natural sciences, recently renovated. It is on top of Wenceslav square, metro lines A and C, Muzeum station, hence easy to get to.
There are MANY museums so you’d need to tell me what interests you.
Shopping malls – Palladium on Namesti Republiky (close to the Old Town). It’s a modern mall and there is a lovely church of St Joseph right next to it – I used to go there for mass when I lived in Prague. It belongs to the order of Capuchin brothers.
Paris Court
Restaurants –
Hostinec U Sadlu (https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Brasileiro Restaurant – more meat https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Kolkovna Celnice – https://maps.app.goo.gl/
Beas Dhaba – vegetarian Indian restaurant. If you want a bit of a break from all the meat 🙂 I used to go there for lunch when I worked at Cisco in Prague. The food used to be priced based on its weight, so I could put a bit of everything on my tray to try different dishes. Maybe it’s still the same.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
There are plenty of cafes around the town, if you get into the small streets of Mala Strana or a bit away from the main tourist zones you’ll find some with a lot of character.
For trips outside of Prague
The Czech national castle, Karlstejn, was built in the 14th century by Karl IV.
https://www.hrad-karlstejn.cz/
Don’t buy tickets/trips from street sellers who offer a day trip unless you want someone else to organise it for you. In general, they are overpriced. You can buy a ticket online for about 12 Euros/person for a guided tour around the castle.
There’s a direct train from the main train station (Praha Hlavni Nadrazi) in the direction of Beroun (Karlstejn is the second last stop) and it takes about 40 minutes. One-way ticket is 3 euros/person, the day return will be either 6 euros or less. The trains go every 30 minutes.
You can look up train connection/itinerary on this official website.
My home town – Kutna Hora (https://en.wikipedia.org/
It is about an hour’s train journey from Prague’s main train station and then a leisurely walk to the town center or you could take a train to Kutna Hora Mesto (= town = center) and then walk. The trains are less frequent, about every hour but you’d need to plan this not to miss the last direct train back to Prague
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