Budapest is about FUN. Other than the popular places of interest (some of them are listed on the World Heritage), ruin pubs are just one of the other popular places to check out when you are visiting Budapest. All in all, traveling in Budapest is relatively convenient for an English-speaking tourist.
Nowadays, there are even 24-hours tramways around the downtown. Most of the things are extremely cheap if you compare Budapest with other cities like Amsterdam, Madrid in the Western Europe. Beautiful ladies in walking distances.
If you are coming from the UK to Budapest, you can try the easyJet holidays where there are several good opportunities to find a good deal.
Breath-taking! We gonna walk closer and closer to these beautiful lakes! View from the top Breath-taking! 2. That's the kind of bridge which we were crossing. For most of the entire six hours, this national parks have many of these kind of bridges - wooden bridges. And from the top, it looks like a 'twig' or a little 'branch' but hey, it's not! So amazing the entire park is preserved and protected. It is really well-designed. Despite the high traffic (as it really seemed very touristic) it is well-prepared for lots of people to visit.
3. These beautiful lakes just embrace you whole-heartedly. Be ready to see more turquoise coloured waters. More lakes coming...
and fishes! Lots of fishes. One of the rules is 'No Fishing'. Just look at how clear and beautifully refreshing the waters are! We are very glad they made efforts to preserve this beautiful paradise. Worth the while to drive there. From Zagreb, it was 2 hours road trip to get to Plitvice Lakes. So if you are going there from Budapest by car, it will be approximately six hours. Though it is summer's high season, the crowd was well organize.
There are different routes for you to choose from, the least was three hours. We took the six hours trail and it was beautiful and breath-taking!! Included in this six hours, we walked about five hours, half hour of tram rides, and about ten minutes of boat ride crossing the lake.
Breath-taking! How many times must I say it? Many many times!!! More photos here
Exactly these are the words and this is what this place is all about.
Turquoise coloured waters, all natural. Seems like a paradise. If you zoomed in to the people on the bridge, yes those are real people and Zsolt and I crossed that same route seeing these beautiful lakes right before our eyes. More details coming up next...look out for our next post on www.budapestZIN.com
Budapest Summer Festival on the Szechenyi Chain Bridge
Everyone is recommending you to a cruise dinner ride on Danube, but having summer fun are not limited to just that. It can be enjoyable on weekends for FREE.
Yes, you can have breath-taking sights and join in cultural events that is happening from July to 15 August (both Saturday and Sunday) from 10am to 10pm. Simply, walking from the Duna Promenade right up to the Buda Castle, you can see handicraft displays, workshops and live events.
I love the atmosphere and all focus is on the Szechenyi Chain Bridge that links Buda and Pest. 100 different programmes from folk dance ensembles, with folk musicians in open-air concerts. Summer on the Chain Bridge (Nyar a Lanchidon) is one of the largest cultural events in Budapest.
Summer road trips can be a fun way to see a country, the preparation is worth the while. Besides getting your car ready, for summer road trip, be sure you have the summer wheels for a joyful ride.
Gadgets: Mobile Phone, GPS
Before you leave home, charge your phone. Using the GPS, or local map of destination can be handy, check the directions before heading out as sometimes, the most recent version of the map on the GPS has to be downloaded. Make sure you have the necessary battery chargers for your travel gadgets.
If you prefer, prepare some music on the flash drive and you are ready to go.
Buy the e-matrica/e-Vignette at the gas stations. The toll for 4-days is about 1650 Hungarian forints
Travel with Your Pet Dog
If you are traveling with a dog, get ready a pet passport for your dog and book a dog-friendly hotel before you arrive. You need to get paperwork with proof of rabies vaccine. Bring enough dog food for the entire duration of the trip. Some treats for your dog can be good (our dog Momo doesn't like to eat anything usually along the way).
A trip to Croatia (Zagreb) takes about 3.5 to 4 hours. Be sure to pack some water in a bottle and bring along a water bowl or dish as your dog will be just as thirsty. Stop for some stretching and taking short breaks after 1.5 to 2 hours so that your dog can take a walk and relieve himself. Have always the dog leash on your dog.
The cost of crossing over to Croatia is 36 KUNA. Before you leave Budapest, go to the money changer and make sure you have some KUNA (the local currency for Croatia) before entering the Croatian borders.
You are supposed to press the button and keep this ticket.
Do not bend or fold this card.
You will only pay at the exit point.
Someone will greet you at a sheltered payment collection point.
For a faster entrance, get the exact amount ready.
It is 36 KUNA. We paid 40 and got these as the change.
Crossing the borders, you will receive a stamp on your passport of the name of the place where you cross :) GORICAN
Pretty hot these days with up to 37ºC in Budapest. If you are wondering what to do in the outdoors despite the summer heat, you may consider rowing a boat at the City Park Lake and get up closed to the Vajdahunyad Castle.
Besides photography, you can have a little picnic by the City Park Lake. There is a photo exhibition about the reconstruction of this castle area as well as 'Art on the Lake' exhibits of three dimensional art pieces.
After the sunset, you can chill on those colourful bean bags that are intentionally placed at a strategic spot where it overlooks the lake. There are some nice music too :)
The distance to drive from Budapest to Eger is about 140 km. It is crossing the highways M3 which led us from Kerecsend to Eger.
We passed Gyongyos then arriving in Eger after in less than about 1.5 hours drive.
The main sights are within walking distance from the city center. The destination which we entered into the GPS was 'Dobo ter' and that is where you can see this statue.
If you like castles, thermal baths, historic buildings, RED and white wines, Eger is the place for you!
The name of this city comes from the alder tree. In the Hungarian language, it is called 'egerfa'. Since the Stone Age and from 10th century, Eger was formed by the Hungarian first Christian king and between the 14th and 16th centuries, this place was prospering like never before. Today you can see its 18th and 19th centuries' beautiful buildings built by the bishops of Eger.
The story about this northern Hungarian city is much to do with the Turks who tried to advance into Central Hungary. There is a border fortress that is so ever famous - under Captain Istvan Dobo who had defended the castle merely with fewer than two thousand people. That army of 80,000 Turkish soldiers was successfully held off.
If you ask any Hungarian, they know this 1899 novel 'Eclipse of the Crescent Moon' (in Hungarian 'Egri csillagok') since it is a part of the Hungarian national curriculum.
In 1596, it was attacked again by a bigger army of Turks. During the 91 years of Ottoman rule, churches were converted to mosques, and rebuilt public baths and minarets (distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosque).
If you are so in love with churches, Eger has seventeen churches, but basically you are recommended to visit three of them :)
The Cathedral or basilica in Classicist designs is built in 1831-1837.
The 17th Century Minaret is one of the must-see sights in Eger.
'The Valley of the Beautiful Women' in Hungarian 'Szepasszonyvolgy',
Dobo ter where the Baroque Minorite Church was built in 1758 to 1767.
The Lyceum which is the Eszterhazy College.
Turkish Bath
The Provost Minor's Palace
Agria Park which is a shopping mall opened in 2008.
The Archbishop's Garden and Palace
The Serbian Orthodox Church where you can see the best Viennese artists' works and the special iconostasis.
