Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
What to see
Pest is where you're likely to spend most of your time, enjoying the streetlife, bars and
shops within the Belváros (Inner City) and the surrounding districts. These surrounding
areas are defined by two semicircular boulevards - the Kiskörút (Small Boulevard) and the
Nagykörút (Great Boulevard) - and radial avenues such as Andrássy út and Rákóczi út. Ex-
ploring the area between them can easily occupy you for several days. In the financial and
government centre of Lipótváros , interest lies in St Stephen's Basilica and the monument-
al Parliament building, which rivals the grand structures across the Danube. In Terézváros ,
Andrássy út leads out past the grandiose Opera House and the House of Terror to Hősök tere
(Heroes' Square), a magnificent imperial set piece where the Fine Arts Museum displays a
first-rate collection of old European masters. Beyond, the Városliget (City Park) holds one
of the finest zoos in Europe, both in terms of its animals and its architecture, as well as the
hugely popular Széchenyi Baths, served by its own thermal springs.
Of Pest's remaining inner-city districts, Erzsébetváros and Józsefváros hold the most ap-
peal. The former is Budapest's old Jewish quarter, with a rich and tragic history that's still
palpable in the bullet-scarred backstreets behind the great synagogue on Dohány utca. But its
old apartment blocks have also spawned a new genre of bars, the “ruin pubs”, which have
become a popular destination for younger Budapestis. From here, it's not far to the National
Museum, a well-presented introduction to Hungarian history, and the Great Market Hall, fur-
ther round in Ferencváros , whose hinterland harbours the Applied Arts Museum, Holocaust
Memorial Centre and the Palace of Arts, one of Budapest's foremost cultural venues.
TheVár (Castle)onthe Buda sidewasoncetheseatofHungary'smonarchs,anditspalace,
museums, churches and Baroque streets offer some absorbing sightseeing; the historic Turk-
ishbathsalongthebanksoftheDanubearealsowellworthexperiencing,asistheremarkable
Cave Church in Gellért-hegy . There's more history to the north in Óbuda , with its extensive
Roman remains and a clutch of worthwhile museums clustered around the old centre. In fine
weather, people flock to Margit-sziget , the large, leafy island mid-river between Buda and
Pest, to swim and sunbathe at the enormous lido and party through the night. Encircling the
city to the west, the Buda Hills have a different kind of allure, with fun rides on the Cog-
wheel and Children's railways and chairlift, and intriguing caves to be visited. Further out ,
the steam trains of the Hungarian Railway History Park and the redundant Communist monu-
ments within the Memento Park rate as major attractions.
There is plenty to see on excursions from Budapest. Top of the list is Szentendre, a pic-
turesque artists' colony with a superb open-air ethnographic museum. Further upriver, the
Danube Bend offers gorgeous scenery, a Renaissance palace and citadel and an amazing tree-
top zip-ride at Visegrád, while Esztergom boasts its basilica and a remarkable Turkish rel-
ic, while on the east bank of the Danube sits Vác, with its well-preserved Baroque centre.
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