Travel Packing List - Budapest

Packing List Two for Budapest Travel

Footwear: Choose light, cool with good traction shoes for walking. Budapest is a walking city. It is not practical for ladies to wear high-heels. There are still many cobblestones streets where there are beautiful sights to be seen. So you would not want to miss them. Bring along a pair of sandals, it will be useful for summer travel or even the thermal baths hopping. Some people feels comfortable in tennis shoes.

Winter Boots: In February, it is the real winter in Budapest and the temperature dips as low as -20ºC, or let's say -15ºC. You will need a good pair of good footwear that provides warmth and non-slipped walking. Some days the weather conditions can be icy, that is when it rains at 0ºC.

For Budapest winter, you will need at least a warm winter coat that is water-resistant. For the autumn, you can do with a light jacket, also a water-resistant windbreaker with a hood. Shawl are great companions and it is important to wrap it round your entire neck to seal off thus preventing the cold wind from sipping into your clothes through the collars.

Professionals who are here will need the tie (for men) or scarf (for ladies) depending on the type of your travel.

Next is about money, credit cards or debit card for ATM withdrawals. Banks such as Citibank does not have means to access your asian Citibank accounts (at least it is so for Singapore). Hence, better you bring changed Euros as backup to change at the local money changers to Hungarian Forint.

Documents: Passport, Plane ticket/ e-ticket printout, Rail pass, car-rental voucher, driver's license (left-hand drive in Hungary), Student ID etc. It is recommended that you bring the original documents and photocopies. Do carry photocopies separately in luggage. You might also want to keep a record of all reservations for hotels' confirmation emails together for easy retrieval. Trip calendar is very useful to help organize your time as when you are having fun, time flies and it might help to keep track of the days.

Continue at Packing List Part Three

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Budapest to Vienna

Ladies Street Drummers in Vienna, Austria



Other than the MQ, we chanced upon these ladies street drummers. It was rather cold by 7pm and these percussion transform the bitter cold street into a funky street of onlookers including both of us :)




That's how cold and wet it was...like a large human freezer. So prepare yourself with a good pair of non-slippery winter footwear. More Travel Packing List tips.



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Ludwig Museum

Ludwig Museum - Museum of Contemporary Art displays masterworks of modern and contemporary art. The permanent collection focuses on American pop art (Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg etc.) and on Eastern and Central European art, with a special emphasis on the Hungarian art of the 60's to recent days, in an international context.
Their temporary exhibitions showcase leading artists of the international scene as well as the best-known masters of Hungarian art.

A brand new site of 3300 m2's with the technology of the 21st century!



Information
infopult@lumu.hu
Tel: (+36-1) 555 3444

Address:
1095 Bp, Komor Marcell u. 1.

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Fő tér (main square) Óbuda

One of my favourite place in Budapest is the Fő tér (main square) of Óbuda. It's baroque style brings an atmosphere of the XIXth Century to the place. Its like a little, silent island within the large city. Interestingly, the Fő tér is very quiet most of the time. When I took these photos it was an early morning on saturday but even on working days, it is rather a quiet place.

The square is very old. Actually one of the oldest part of the Budapest. It had an important function in the Roman times too, when the place we call Budapest was called Aquincum. Of course that time it didn't look like this:)



The building of the local government is also located at this square. The word VÁROSHÁZA means City Hall, but just like every government building, the inside doesn't look as good as its exterior.:)





The most characteristic building of the square is probably the Zichy-Palace which is in a terrible condition but it is still a very impressive building.



There are several museums around. In this building, you can find an exhibition of folk-art and a friendly interior from the XIX.th Century.



The Új Sipos Halászkert Restaurant has a traditional Hungarian style. I think this square is perfect for an excursion back to the golden age of Budapest, having the feeling of time-trip to the XIXth Century:)

At times when I have some business at the local government building, I go there a bit earlier and I just sit on the benches or I walk around, enjoying the pretty facades.:)









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Health Insurance

Before You Travel




Part of your planning to Budapest includes the consideration of buying travel insurance before you travel. There are many benefits of buying travel i​nsurance​ before you travel. Travel insurance coverage includes the costs of delays to insuring you for stolen or damage of your very personal belongings and baggage.

The most evident point would be the coverage of the travel i​nsurance​ for emergency medical treatment and assistance. When you are overseas, choosing the relevant health insurance that encompass this area of care can definitely give you a next level of assurance. No one wants to think of bad incidents occurring for a joyous travel occasion. However, it is hard to determine disruption of your journey along the way. Such as travel floods or airport closures.

The recent example about the Icelandic volcanic ash gave the entire world of travel and hospitality industry a lot of troubles. Those luckier ones who bought travel insurance and were compensated accordingly by such a trip interruption received more relief. Cancellation, curtailment or missed departure covered in travel insurance certainly gives one a form of investment that is overall, wise and prudent.

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Elizabeth bridge

Elisabeth Bridge is the second newest bridge and one of the most elegant ones of Budapest, Hungary, connecting Buda and Pest across the River Danube. It is situated at the narrowest part of the Danube, the bridge spanning only 290 m. It is named after Queen Elisabeth, a popular queen and empress of Austria-Hungary, who was assassinated in 1898. Today, her large bronze statue sits by the bridge's Buda side connection in the middle of a small garden.

Its two ends are:

* March 15 Square (with the oldest church in Pest, Inner City Parish Church, built in the 13th century) and the famous Mátyás Pince restaurant
* Döbrentei Square in Buda with the monument of Saint Gellért on the Gellért Hill, a sculpture of Queen Elisabeth and the Rác Baths and Rudas Baths nearby. A luxury spa hotel is currently being built in the area.

The original permanent crossing, a decorative suspension bridge, was built between 1897 and 1903, amid a corruption scandal. The Buda end of Erzsébet bridge runs directly into the massive foot of Gellért Hill, necessitating a complicated arrangement of roads to connect to the bridge. The bridge was designed in such a way because a wealthy nobleman, a member of the City Council owned the particular area of the riverbank. He wanted to make a fortune by selling the piece of land for bridge constructon purposes, bribing the other councilmen and engineers on purpose.

He managed to sell the land at greatly inflated prices. In the era of horse drawn carriages the geometry issue was not considered significant and the resulting cost overruns were covered up, therefore no prosecution took place. In recent decades, many motorists have been permanently injured or killed in the sharp turn that immediately follows the bridgehead. After a terrible accident in 2004, which killed a family, a speed limit of 40 km/h was posted for the west-bound lanes.

The original Erzsébet Bridge, along with many other bridges all over the country, was blown up at the end of World War II by retreating Wehrmacht sappers. This is the only bridge in Budapest which could not be rebuilt in its original form. Pictures and some salvaged elements from the old bridge can be seen on the grass in front of the Museum of Transport in City Park.

The currently standing slender white cable bridge was built on the very same location between 1961–1964, because the government could not afford to construct entirely new foundations for the bridge. The main spar cables of the bridge are hexagonal in cross section, composed of thousands of elementary steel wires of seven different diametres, partly because early computers were unable to provide solution for a circular cross section main cable batch.

The novel design, planned by Pál Sávoly, was a first in Central Europe and not without weaknesses. Tram traffic and its heavy tracks had to be removed from the bridge in 1973 after signs of cracks appeared in the structure. The 2×3 lane Erzsébet bridge is relatively well maintained because it is part of the route where foreign dignitaries are being taken from Ferihegy Airport to the government quarter.

(source)
(photos: Zsolt)

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The Goulash - Stew or soup?

[[Danburg Murmur]]

Pörkölt with Spätzle is not the same as the Hungarian Goulash.

Goulash is traditionally a soup. However, these days, there are two variations: mainly the stew that is thicker and the soup version, which is the true original.

The goulash consists of the following key ingredients: Beef cubes, diced onions, vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, spices bay leaf, thyme and ground caraway seeds, seasonings. And the most important spice: the chilli powder (paprika powder).

Goulash is sometimes confused with the pörkölt. Pörkölt is a stew which means the texture is thicker and Hungarian paprika (the vegetable form which is sweet and thin skinned) is added along with tomatoes to create the gravy.

Very frequently, people who fell in love with this dish asked 'what is the secret?'

It lies in the treatment of the paprika powder! How you handle the paprika is absolutely the key to a good pot of goulash.

First, you must fry diced onions (vöröshagyma) in szalonna which is what we called the 'lard'. Once the onion turns light golden colour, lift up the pan off the fire and quickly add paprika powder. Do not underestimate these steps because paprika powder turns bitter if you directly heat it over the fire instead of the 'hot fat'. See the difference?

A good quality base of this mixture is prepared to coat the beef chunks from fresh and well-exercised slab of beef that has muscles rich in collagen in them. Making this dish fantastic when it is converted to gelatin during the cooking process. Coat the beef chunks well and return the pan to the fire.

The second secret is adding of tomatoes to this mixture. The Hungarian tomatoes are sweet and these natural juices from the vegetable makes it really delicious.

Mostly, my wife cooks it with veal (calves' meat). Very rarely from pork or lamb though some people do.

The best accompaniment is the Cucumber Salad (uborkasaláta). This salad is made by marinating thinly sliced cucumber and one small clove of garlic in a dash of vinegar. Soaking it in a water mixture with a small teaspoon of sugar. Refrigerate it for about one hour. Finally, topped it with sour cream before serving.

Other than Hungary, in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands and Italy, you can easily find goulash as one of their menu items. Goulash are also enjoyed in the North American and Slavic cuisines.

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Tom George Café and Restaurant

(source)

Tom George is one of the most popular (some says one of the most snobish) Café and Restaurant in the downtown of Budapest. It is obviously trendy and visited by the local foreigner community just like by native Hungarians. Last week when Bill Clinton was in Budapest (you know he is living on speaches lately):)

(source)

The kitchen is good, they serve Indian or Japanese food following the trend of small portions (this is one of the restaurants which are very expensive and the portions are very small but look like an artwork).

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(source)

Its not a quiet romantic place, and not as emtpy as you can see on the photo (which was taken during the day). In the evening you can see most of the time groups of businessmen having a dinner and some fun.

Tom George Café and Restaurant, originally uploaded by Michiel Schutler.

Contacts:

Tom George Café and Restaurant
+36 1 2663525
V. Október 6 utca 8
Budapest



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Lukács Cukrászda

A couple of weeks ago Zita, my friend from Sydney (Australia), has visited Budapest. Her parents are Hungarian so it was not her first time to Budapest. Walking in the downtown she went to this wonderful confectionary (patissiere) called Lukács Cukrászda.



She really loved it, fresh cakes, proper service but when she got the bill for her coffee she got really suprised.:) Well Lukács is really a wonderful place but they sell everything for gold-price!

The Lukács Cukrászda has opened originally in 1912 on the elegant Andrássy street in Budapest. It was a popular place among the local establishment, playing an important role of the cultural life of Budapest that time.



After the World War II. just like almost everything that active social life has disappeared from these legendary cafés. The age of Lukács Cukrászda was over, they called the place during the socialism as "különlegességi cukrászda".

In 1996 the CIB Bank has bought the building which hosted Lukács . The transaction had one condition...they had to renovate the café after the original style and they have to run it. The rest part of the building is a bank now.



I find Lukács very beautiful, their products are really always fresh and the service is proper...but to be honest I don't like that place. Something is missing...the warmth of heart. They are just like their website...cold and correct.

Contact:

Budapest VI., Andrássy út. 70.
info@lukacscukraszda.com

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Millenáris Park - Jövő Háza

The Millenáris Park is one of the newest cultural center of Budapest. In their mission statement they emphasize the modern methods and the interactivity.

Reflection, originally uploaded by zsoolt.

I really find it modern when it comes to the design of the place. Actually its a park having several buildings around where you can see different exhibitions, concerts, conferences, events etc.

Water feature, originally uploaded by kyz.

But on the other hand they seem to be very industrial and market-oriented. To me, the Millenáris Park is rather a successful business than a local community program. Its rather good because they are not one of those cultural centers that are begging money from the government yet I wouldn't call them community based. They are expensive, aristocratic and they provide the new digital features from a superior position instead of recognizing the local community as users of this new digital age and as potential source.

Budapest - Millenáris Park, originally uploaded by Dora Klein 4.

The location is very good. The park is a bit like the Central Park in New York. Not by looking but by function. There are several offices around and you can see a lot of office workers sitting there during the day, having their lunch, or in the afternoon students hanging around. And this atmosphere makes the place attractive.

Night creatures, originally uploaded by Greg76.

How to get there:

Address:H-1024 Budapest, Kis Rókus u. 16-20.
Phone: +3613364000
e-mail: jovohaza@jovohaza.hu
Website: www.millenáris.hu

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Kopaszi Gát in the Lágymányosi Bay

The currently 15 hectare, first private investment public park in Újbuda surrounding Lágymányosi bay and fenced off by Kopaszi dike provides those wishing to relax, ease out or do sports with an outstanding opportunity to do so in a newly developed natural area possessing unique environmental characteristics.

While staying in the park Visitors are kindly asked to take care of the valuable surrounding and natural beauties, the paths and walkways, the renovated as well as the newly built buildings will be preserved and thus serve the residents of the district together with our common goal to have maintain a close relationship with our natural environment.

Öböl XI. Kft. 1117 Budapest, Kopaszi gát 5.
Tel: +36 (1) 203 4850
Fax: +36 (1) 203 5018
E-mail: info(kukac)obol.hu
www.obol.hu

Budapest guide

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Budapest to Brno (Czech Republic)

Other than the beautiful and magical Prague, you can consider to see Czech Republic's second largest city. It has approximately 370,000 people. Brno is the metropolis of Moravia. Explore the natural and cultural beauties of the south-Moravian region.

Budapest to Prague


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Gerbeaud Cukrászda Cafe and Confectionary

[[zannnielim]]

We say it again, it is one of the largest in Europe, one of the most traditional cafe.



What you must try is the Dobos Torta, which is a famous Hungarian cake named after its inventor, a well-known Hungarian confectioner, József C. Dobos (1847–1924) in 1884.

The speciality of this cake is the caramel topping for a five-layer sponge cake. Between those layers are chocolate buttercream and thin caramel slices. mmmm....did I get you salivating? ;) And the sides are coated with ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts OR almonds.



There is a reason for this caramel topping. Do you know why is it there? :)

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Sir Lancelot Medieval Restaurant

Style of the middle ages, large portions, sexy waitresses, long benches, located in the downtown in a cellar designed like a castle. That's the Sir Lancelot Medieval Restaurant in Budapest. Their sytle in their menu or on their website is like this:

Ladies and Lords, if thy stomach might crumble,
And your cook be out, the solution is simple,
Thy task then is only to travel,
And the magic of Sir Lancelot's empire unravel.

I have been to this restaurant several times. They do not give you utensils such as the fork to eat - only spoon and knife, and they are rather for groups but we also could get a seat for two without any problem (at a long bench).

So Sir Lancelot is not for romantic dates, it is more for fun dinning with friends and colleagues. In this noisy way, there is always someone taking photos, while the staff is acting. I rarely see there any bored waiters or waitresses, they usually look like being proud of being the attractions.

And they indeed have a lot of attractions. Musicians, weapons on the walls, dresses etc. The food is very delicious. Again not a fitness place, heavy food usually meat with meat.



The place is expensive. For two of us, I paid 8.000 Ft (2007 December) but a couple of years ago when I recommended this place to a group the Holland organizers, they paid as much for that dinner as they had planned for their food expense of a whole week. However, if you are careful enough with your wallet, you can survive in the Sir Lancelot which is obviously a novelty and worth to try.

Address:

1065 Budapest
Podmaniczky str. 14.
+36 1 302 4456
e-mail: info@sirlancelot.hu

BudapestZIN tip: It is better to make an advanced table reservation. They speak English!


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Statue of István Bibó

István Bibó (Szeged, August 7, 1911–Budapest, May 10, 1979) was a Hungarian lawyer, civil servant, politician and political theorist. During the Hungarian Revolution he acted as the Minister of State for the Hungarian National Government. When the Soviets invaded to crush the rebellious government, he was the last Minister left at his post in the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest. Rather than evacuate, he stayed in the building and wrote his famous proclamation, "For Freedom and Truth", as he awaited arrest.




The statue is located near to the Parliament Building to the direction of Margarete Bridge.



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