GAY BUDAPESTE
Budapest City Guide |
TOP TEN THINGS NOT TO MISS
- The Fisherman’s Bastion. Situated on Castle Hill in historic Buda, the Fisherman’s bastion is a neo-Romanesque terrace offering wonderful views of the River Danube and the city.
- Visit a Turkish bath. Everyone coming to Budapest should pay at least one visit to a traditional Turkish bath where you can immerse yourself in luxuriously hot water, got totally steamed up in the sauna and watch the local talent around you. These are not gay establishments but there are many gay visitors. Our personal favourite is the 500 year old Rudas baths, close to the Elizabeth bridge on the Buda side of the city. But you should also consider visiting the beautiful Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, the oldest medicinal baths in Europe or the famous baths at the Hotel Gellert. You are guaranteed to feel amazing afterwards.
- Have coffee and cake at the elegant Cafe Gerbeaud on Vorosmarty Ter. The most famous of the Golden Era coffee houses, Cafe Gerbeaud has been offering its clientele delicious cakes and pastries for the last 140 years.
- Hero’s square. This huge square, sitting at the top of Andrassy Avenue, features the Millenium Monument, with statues of some of the famous figures in Hungarian history.
- St Stephan’s basilica. Possibly the most famous church in Budapest, St Stephan’s is named after the first King of Hungary and actually contains the King’s mummified hand.
- Immerse yourself in the myriad architectural styles of the fabulous Vajdahunyad Castle, built between 1896 and 1908 and designed to showcase the different styles of Hungarian architecture.
- Take in the fabulous views from the Citadel on Gellert Hill. From here you can see both ways down the Danube river.
- Take a stroll down the iconic Andrassy Avenue, the most famous street in Budapest and a World Heritage Site, with its neo-renaissance palaces and houses.
- Amble through the tranquil Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube.
- Go shopping in the Great Market Hall, looking out for Hungarian specialities such as paprika, brandy and traditional sausages and salamis.
GETTING AROUND
From the airport: the international airport is called Ferihegy and is located 16 kilometres (10 miles) east of the city center. The best way to access the city is via the airport minibus service located at the arrivals terminal. For groups of 3 or 4 it is also worth considering a taxi.The Budapest public transport network of metro, trams and buses is efficient and cheap. A single ticket costs 270 forints and a block of ten 2400 forints. You must buy a ticket and validate before boarding the metro at the entry point to the station. On trams you can validate the ticket on board but you must do so when you first get on. There are frequent ticket checks. Tickets can be purchased at metro stations and news stands.
GETTING THERE
From the UK:
Ryan Air fly to Budapest from Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool and Glasgow Prestwick airports.
Easyjet fly twice daily from London Luton and daily from London Gatwick.
Jet 2, Air Berlin, Aer Lingus and Wizz Air also all operate budget flights to the Hungarian capital.
From Prague: Budapest can be reached in 6 hours by train. It is easy to pick up tickets at Prague’s main railway station. You can also fly using Smart Wings.
