Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 319

5pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm; in late fall, winter, and early spring Monday through
Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday to 5pm. Take the Yellow line of the metro
to Széchenyi fürd ó to get to the museum. The Yellow metro line makes stops at H ó sök
tere (Heroes' Sq.), at the edge of the park, and at Széchenyi fürd ó , in the middle of
the park.
FOR THE MUSIC LOVER
Liszt Ferenc Emlékmúzeum (Ferenc Liszt Memorial Museum) Located in the
apartment in which Liszt spent his last years, this modest museum features several of
the composer's pianos, including a child's Bachmann piano and two Chickering &
Sons grand pianos. Also noteworthy are the many portraits of Liszt done by the lead-
ing Austrian and Hungarian artists of his time, including two busts by the Hungarian
sculptor Alajos Stróbl. Concerts are performed here on Saturdays at 11am.
VI. Vörösmarty u. 35. & 1/322-9804. Admission 400 Ft ($1.60/85p). Guided group tours in English for a whopping
7,200 Ft ($36/£18), if arranged in advance. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm. Metro: Vörösmarty utca (Yellow line).
Zenetörténeti Múzeum (Museum of Music History) Various instruments and
manuscripts are displayed in this museum, which is housed in a historic building in
Buda's Castle District. You'll find a reproduction of Béla Bartók's workshop as well as
the Bartók Archives. For lack of sponsorship, this gorgeous concert venue has been
silent since mid-2000, to the deep regret of local music aficionados. Perhaps by the
time you arrive, the museum will again be hosting concerts.
I. Táncsics M. u. 7. & 1/214-6770, ext. 250. Admission 400 Ft ($2/£1). Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. Bus: Várbusz from
Moszkva tér or 16 from Deák tér to Castle Hill. Funicular: From Clark Ádám tér to Castle Hill.
ORGANIZED TOURS
BUS TOURS
Ibusz ( & 1/485-2700; www.ibusz.hu), with decades of experience, offers 11 differ-
ent boat and bus tours, ranging from basic city tours to special folklore-oriented tours.
Unfortunately, the tours are pretty sterile and boring, and we actually think you're bet-
ter off taking a walking tour or a different boat tour (see below). Ibusz operates year-
round, with an abbreviated schedule in the off season. All buses are air-conditioned,
and all guides speak English. Some sample offerings are a 3-hour Budapest City Tour
for 5,000 Ft to 10,000 Ft ($25-$50/£13-£26); free for children under 12, and a 2-
hour Parliament Tour (you'll be inside the building for 2 hr.) for 7,500 Ft ($38/£19).
There's a free hotel pickup service that will pick you up 30 minutes before departure
time. For a full list of tours, pick up the Ibusz Budapest Sightseeing catalog, available
at all Ibusz offices, Tourinform, and most hotels. Tours can be booked at any Ibusz
office and at most major hotels, or by calling Ibusz directly at & 1/485-2700. All
major credit cards are accepted.
BOAT TOURS
A boat tour is a great way to absorb the scope and scale of the Hungarian capital, and
a majority of the city's grand sights can be seen from the river. The Hungarian state
company MAHART operates daily 2-hour sightseeing cruises on the Danube, using
two-story steamboats. The Budapest office of MAHART is at V. Belgrád rakpart
( & 1/318-1704; www.mahartpassnave.hu). Boats depart frequently from Vigadó tér
(on the Pest waterfront, between the Erzsébet Bridge and the Chain Bridge, near the
Budapest Marriott hotel) on weekends and holidays in the spring and every day in
summer. Additionally, MAHART offers chartered boat tours (for large groups) up and