Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Buda Hills
The forested Buda Hills to
the west of the city make an ideal
getaway
(see p97)
. The best way
to reach them is to take the
Széchenyi Hill Cog Railway
(see
p44)
, which begins at Fasor tér.
At the top, a short walk leads to
the huge TV tower. The Children's
Railway
(see p44)
begins at the
base of the tower and meanders
through the Buda Hills to its ter-
minus at Hűvös Valley. En route
is the Erzsébet Look-Out Tower,
which has a chairlift that takes you
back to Buda. It was constructed
by Frigyes Schulek in 1910, but
the purpose for which it was built
remains a mystery.
d
Map N1
@
Aquincum
The Ottoman-style Törley Mausoleum
£
Törley Mausoleum
Widely recognized as the
father of the Hungarian wine
industry, József Törley studied
the art of wine-making in Reims,
France. He returned to Hungary
in the 1880s, and set about pro-
ducing superb sparkling wine in
Budafok, a Budapest suburb. His
wine sold well, making him enor-
mously wealthy, and when he
died in 1900, he was laid to rest
in this mausoleum, designed by
Rezső Vilmos Ray. Betraying clear
Ottoman influences, it is covered
in Eastern motifs and bas-reliefs
and could almost be mistaken for
a mosque.
d
Map P3 • XII, Sarló út 6
$
Szemlő-hegy Caves
The capital of the Roman
province of Pannonia, Aquincum
was for centuries the largest city
in Central Europe. Excavated in
the 19th century, it is today one
of the city's most popular sights.
The outlines of the streets and
buildings are clearly visible. The
museum, located inside a Neo-
Classical Lapidarium, houses
Roman artifacts found at the
site, as well as models showing
what the town once looked like.
d
Map P1 • III, Szentendrei út 139 • 250
16 50, 454 04 38 • Ruins open: Apr & Oct:
9am-5pm Tue-Sun; May-Sep: 9am-6pm
Tue-Sun (museum opens 1 hour later) •
Dis. access • Adm
Known to many as the city
of thermal waters, Budapest is
also known for its caves. North
of the city centre are the Pilis
Hills, home to several fabulous
cave systems. The Szemlő-hegy
Caves are the closest to the city,
on bus route No. 11 from Batth-
yány tér. The entrance is a non-
descript building that barely hints
at the wonders it hides. The caves
feature splendid formations called
cave pearls that look like bunches
of grapes growing out of the rock.
Central heating system, Aquincum
95
