Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Day in the
Buda Hills
Morning
Start the day by taking bus
No. 158 from Moszkva tér
to its terminus at the foot
of the Libegő (chair-lift),
which gently takes you up
to the summit of
János
Hill
. From here, it is
a short walk to the
Children's Railway
(see
p44)
, a splendid relic of
Hungary's Communist
past. As the train mean-
ders through the hills, you
can stop-off and climb to
the top of the extra-
ordinary
Erzsébet Look-
Out Tower
(see p95)
for
sensational views of the
city below. Then take the
steam train which leaves
on the hour throughout
summer. Get off at
Szépjuhászné Station
and try the station's super
outdoor café for lunch.
A family day out at the Railway History Park
(
Botanical Gardens
Spread over 3 ha (8 acres) in
eastern Budapest, the Botanical
Gardens offer splendid relief from
the bustle of the city centre. The
gardens are part of Budapest
University, though they were
irst laid out by the Festetics
family, who lived in the Neo-
Classical villa that is now the
administration centre. Renowned
for their palm trees.
d
Map E6 •
VIII, Illés utca 25 • 314 05 35 • Open
Oct-Mar: 8am-4pm daily; May-Sep:
9am-5pm daily • Adm
)
Railway History Park
Afternoon
Set off on a well-marked
path to the
Budakeszi
Wildlife Park
(023 45 17
83; www.vadaspark-
budakeszi.hu). Occupying
an area of 327 ha (808
acres), it has a wide
variety of animals to see,
from wild boars - which
also roam freely in the
surrounding countryside -
to packs of wolves. There
is also a separate reserve
for plantlife. Take the
park's walking safari tour
to visit its best sections.
Budakeszi's own restau-
rant is a great place for
dinner, and there is lively
folk music every evening
after 6pm. As the
Children's Railway will
almost certainly be closed
by the time you inish
eating, you can take bus
No. 22 from outside the
park straight back to
Moszkva tér.
Locomotives, luxury dining
cars, passenger wagons and the
Royal Hungarian Express are all
on display at this open-air park,
set around a few old railway
sidings and sheds. You can drive
an engine, ride on a railway turn-
table, work a hand-cart, have
lunch in a dining car and then play
with model trains for the rest of
the day. From April to October,
you can get to and from the park
by taking the steam train from
Keleti Station. The park also
arranges steam train rides in
vintage wagons to Kosice in
Slovakia and Krakow in Poland.
In September, it organizes a
Steam Train Grand Prix, with
competitors coming from all over
Europe.
d
Map P1 • XIV, Tatai út 95
• 450 14 97 • Open Apr-early Nov:
10am-6pm Tue-Sun; Nov-mid-Dec, mid-
Mar-late Mar: 10am-3pm Tue-Sun • Adm
• www.mavnosztalgia.hu
The Budakeszi Park is open Mar-Oct: 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
Sat & Sun; Nov-Feb: 9am-3pm daily. It also has an admission fee.
97
