Snackers? Here's something which you need to look out for. Kókuszgolyó: Hungarian coconut rum balls. The preparation can be found here. And as the name implies, it is with a rum taste.
Snacking the Hungarian way: Kókuszgolyó
Snackers? Here's something which you need to look out for. Kókuszgolyó: Hungarian coconut rum balls. The preparation can be found here. And as the name implies, it is with a rum taste.
Budapest to Ljubljana | Hungary to Slovenia
From Budapest, it takes about 5 hours or less by drive to Ljubljana, Slovenia. In the heart of Europe and faces the Pannonian plains, this country has ski slopes, alpine lakes, caves, rivers and best of all, an unspoiled natural environment that is ever so beautiful and serene.
We did not see the Karstic caves (yet :)), but the visit to Maribor was a sight to remember.
To Europeans, Slovenia is a small country with 2 million people. Even the Slovenians describe their country as 'small': locals and taxi drivers emphasized that their country is 'small' and it is rather an adorable lovely place with every thing in place.
Alps. Lakes. This place is such a wonderful place for leisure and recreation. Since they declared their independence in 1991, Slovenia has became and ranked as a safe country. They entered the EU in 2004 and it has probably been a good move for them, since now that they have a stable GDP growth.
It feels really great to be in a place where most of the people speak good English. The local Slovenians are mostly friendly and warm up easily. They are still trying to adapt to their acceptance of the Euro as their national currency since 2006. Over five years and generally Slovenians are still facing inflation with not much increase in their salaries.
Ljubljana is a place with an Eastern chic yet slightly western. There are pleasant and friendly atmospheres of a small town all in a city. One of its beauty is the river banks of the Ljubljanica River and the old part of the towns. That is where the nightlife is where you can enjoy a relaxing atmosphere within this beautiful country with strong evidences of the large influenced of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Sándor Palace
The Sándor Palace in the Buda Castle is the Office of the President of Hungary nowadays. The building was designed by Mihály Pollack and built in 1806. After the IInd World War it was just a ruin for long but in 2002 they reconstructed it and from 2003 the palace serves as the office of the president.
The Sándor Palace
The Sándor Palace
You can read here about my meeting with the president:)
The Mirror Hall
Visiting the Sándor Palace
The Sándor Palace is open for the public once a year, the third weekend of September on the occasion of the National Cultural Heritage Days. In 2007, more than four thousand visitors walked the building who had the possibility to make the tour in the rooms at their convenience with the help of a leaflet received at the gate of the palace.
Similarly to the previous year, on each weekend of August and September (on Saturdays and Sundays) between 10.00 and 18.00 hrs, the chamber exhibition presenting the story of the palace can be visited by the public on the ground floor of the Sándor Palace. It is free of charge.
Maria-Theresa Salon
The Address of the Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary:
Sándor Palace
1014 Budapest
Szent György tér 1.
Postal address:
H-1536 Budapest
Pf. 227
Telephone: (+36-1) 224-5000
The President's conference room
The Sándor Palace
The Sándor Palace
You can read here about my meeting with the president:)
The Mirror Hall
Visiting the Sándor Palace
The Sándor Palace is open for the public once a year, the third weekend of September on the occasion of the National Cultural Heritage Days. In 2007, more than four thousand visitors walked the building who had the possibility to make the tour in the rooms at their convenience with the help of a leaflet received at the gate of the palace.
Similarly to the previous year, on each weekend of August and September (on Saturdays and Sundays) between 10.00 and 18.00 hrs, the chamber exhibition presenting the story of the palace can be visited by the public on the ground floor of the Sándor Palace. It is free of charge.
Maria-Theresa Salon
The Address of the Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary:
Sándor Palace
1014 Budapest
Szent György tér 1.
Postal address:
H-1536 Budapest
Pf. 227
Telephone: (+36-1) 224-5000
The President's conference room
National Gallop, 2011
Heroes’ Square, Budapest, Hungary
September 14-18, 2011.
(the photos were taken by Zsolt in 2008)
About 100 towns and villages participated in the contest.
Attractions in traditional costumes:
The first race commemorates King Matthias Corvinus in the spirit of the Renaissance Year.
By selecting the right horse and rider every private person, municipality or organization had a chance of winning the grand prize of HUF 30 million
The winner for 2008: Suták Vanda, Nyíregyháza
The official website of the event.
September 14-18, 2011.
(the photos were taken by Zsolt in 2008)
In Hungary there are thousands of citizens, who keep the world-famous Hussar traditions alive, which is in fact part of the country’s history since the Hungarian Renaissance of the 16th century. Hussar tradition, thus, is a real “hungaricum”, that Hungary gave the world with great pride. National Gallop organizers believe, that this is a slice of Hungary well-worth to show the world, and it is time to re-think Hungarian traditions in a way that the rest of world would be keen to understand, get to know, and be part of this experience.
About 100 towns and villages participated in the contest.
Attractions in traditional costumes:
The first race commemorates King Matthias Corvinus in the spirit of the Renaissance Year.
By selecting the right horse and rider every private person, municipality or organization had a chance of winning the grand prize of HUF 30 million
The winner for 2008: Suták Vanda, Nyíregyháza
The official website of the event.
Zsolt's report on International Wine Festival in Budapest
Actually I find the event really cool! First of all because it became quite popular and a lot of people were there. It surprised me...I am not an expert of grapeyards and wines and I thought these events are for professionals. I was wrong....... I drink alcohol only occassionally but I definitely like good wines. It seems I am not alone:)
The event is located at the Palace of Buda which is a perfect choice. A couple of weeks ago we went to the other "wine event" (Borfalu) and I didntt find the location attractive enough. But having the view of the Palace in the background gave a special atmosphere to the occasion.
The price of the day-ticket was 2200 HUF (a bit more than 10 USD) which is reasonable. This price included a glass with a little bag, two tasting coupons (each 80Ft) and your entrance ticket to your wrist. These gadgets provides the image to the event, its well organized or better to say, more or less it was. Our first problem was at the tent where they sold food. In large traditional pots called "bogrács" they cooked "pörkölt" (its a traditional Hungarian food) from beef but suddenly it became clear there is no bread or noodle beside it. It was cruel...but after like 20 mins and some "revolution" they brought bread. Otherwise the management was okay.
One of the speciality of the event was that you couldn't pay with money at all. After buying the entrance tickets, you could buy coupons at special kiosks. These coupons served you as money after the entrance if you wanted to try some wine or buy something to eat. To be honest, I didn't find it too practical. Several people didn't know about it, and they tried to pay with real money which was not accepted (it was after some debate) by the staff and it was not too convenient when more than twenty people were waiting in the line. On the other hand, I found this coupon thingy as a trick. One portion of "pörkölt" costed like 19 coupons (1 coupon was 80 HUF) which means 1520 HUF (apr. 7,5 USD). This price is expensive considering the circumstances (no place to sit, no service and only plastic utensils to eat with) and some people around us made remarks they sell the food at the price of gold.
But a wine festival is about wine.:) And in this term the festival was perfect. Hungary has very good wines and here you could find all the important brands and the famous cellars. In the last 20 years, a new generation of cellars appeared. Producing wine became again a traditional family business for some people, running their own grapefields with wineyard and cellars as in old times. It has a special atmosphere which makes the whole industry attractive to me.
I drank a lot:) First I tried a dry and white wine from Szekszárd but then I decided to concentrate on the foreign wines. The special guest of the festival was South Africa and I can admit they have great wines:) But our favorite was the Spanish and the very sweet Portugal one. Actually I regretted we didn't buy a bottle from that Porto.:)
I finished the tour with a white Argentinian wine. Then, we tried to get home by tramway. It was a long trip:)
----
Present ideas
The event is located at the Palace of Buda which is a perfect choice. A couple of weeks ago we went to the other "wine event" (Borfalu) and I didntt find the location attractive enough. But having the view of the Palace in the background gave a special atmosphere to the occasion.
The price of the day-ticket was 2200 HUF (a bit more than 10 USD) which is reasonable. This price included a glass with a little bag, two tasting coupons (each 80Ft) and your entrance ticket to your wrist. These gadgets provides the image to the event, its well organized or better to say, more or less it was. Our first problem was at the tent where they sold food. In large traditional pots called "bogrács" they cooked "pörkölt" (its a traditional Hungarian food) from beef but suddenly it became clear there is no bread or noodle beside it. It was cruel...but after like 20 mins and some "revolution" they brought bread. Otherwise the management was okay.
One of the speciality of the event was that you couldn't pay with money at all. After buying the entrance tickets, you could buy coupons at special kiosks. These coupons served you as money after the entrance if you wanted to try some wine or buy something to eat. To be honest, I didn't find it too practical. Several people didn't know about it, and they tried to pay with real money which was not accepted (it was after some debate) by the staff and it was not too convenient when more than twenty people were waiting in the line. On the other hand, I found this coupon thingy as a trick. One portion of "pörkölt" costed like 19 coupons (1 coupon was 80 HUF) which means 1520 HUF (apr. 7,5 USD). This price is expensive considering the circumstances (no place to sit, no service and only plastic utensils to eat with) and some people around us made remarks they sell the food at the price of gold.
But a wine festival is about wine.:) And in this term the festival was perfect. Hungary has very good wines and here you could find all the important brands and the famous cellars. In the last 20 years, a new generation of cellars appeared. Producing wine became again a traditional family business for some people, running their own grapefields with wineyard and cellars as in old times. It has a special atmosphere which makes the whole industry attractive to me.
I drank a lot:) First I tried a dry and white wine from Szekszárd but then I decided to concentrate on the foreign wines. The special guest of the festival was South Africa and I can admit they have great wines:) But our favorite was the Spanish and the very sweet Portugal one. Actually I regretted we didn't buy a bottle from that Porto.:)
I finished the tour with a white Argentinian wine. Then, we tried to get home by tramway. It was a long trip:)
----
Present ideas
Buda Castle
Buda Castle (Hungarian: Budai Vár, Turkish: Budin Kalesi) is the historical castle of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace (Hungarian: Királyi-palota) and Royal Castle (Hungarian: Királyi Vár).
Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, next to the old Castle District (Hun: Várnegyed), which is famous about its medieval, Baroque and 19th century houses and public buildings. It is linked to Adam Clark Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular.
Buda Castle is part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, declared in 1987.
History
The first royal residence on the Castle Hill was built by King Béla IV of Hungary between 1247 and 1265.
The oldest part of the present-day palace was built in the 14th century by Prince Stephen, Duke of Slavonia, the younger brother of King Louis I of Hungary. The Gothic palace of King Louis I was arranged around a narrow courtyard next to the Stephen's Tower.
King Sigismund Luxemburg of Hungary greatly enlarged the palace. During his long reign it became probably the largest Gothic palace of the late Middle Ages. Buda was also an important artistic centre of the International Gothic style.
The last phase of grand-scale building activity happened under King Matthias Corvinus) when Italian humanists, artists and craftsmen arrived at Buda. The Hungarian capital became the first centre of Renaissance north of the Alps.
After the Battle of Mohács the medieval Kingdom of Hungary collapsed. On 29 August 1541 Buda was occupied again by the Ottomans without any resistance. The Hungarian capital became part of Ottoman Empire as the seat of the Eyalet of Budin.
The new Ottoman government left the palace decaying. It was partially used as barracks, storage place and stables, otherwise it stood empty.
The medieval palace was destroyed in the great siege of 1686 when Buda was captured by the allied Christian forces. In the heavy artillery bombardment many buildings collapsed and burned out.
In 1715 King Charles III ordered the demolition of the ruins. Luckily the southern fortifications, zwingers and rooms were only buried under tons of rubbish and earth.
In 1715 a small Baroque palace was built which is identical with the core of the present-day palace.
In 1748 Count Antal Grassalkovich, President of the Hungarian Chamber appealed to the public to finish the derelict palace by means of public subscription. The new Royal Palace became the symbol of peace and friendship between the Habsburg dynasty and the nation.
The plans of the splendid, U-shaped Baroque palace with a cour d'honneur were drawed by Jean Nicolas Jadot, chief architect of the Viennese court. They were later modified by his successor, Nicolaus Pacassi. The foundation stone of the palace was laid on 13 May 1749. In 1769 the palace was finished.
In 1791 the palace became the residence of the Habsburg Palatines of the Kingdom of Hungary. The palatinal court in Buda Castle was the centre of fashionable life and high society in the Hungarian capital.
On 4 May 1849 the Hungarian revolutionary army of Artúr Görgey laid siege on Buda Castle. The Hungarians captured Buda with a great assault, but the palace completely burned out.
The palace was soon rebuilt between 1850 and 1856. Later in 1867 after the Ausgleich Franz Joseph was crowned to the king of Hungary. The palace played an important part in the lavish ceremony, symbolizing peace between the dynasty and the nation.
In the last decades of the 19th century the autonomous Hungarian government intended to create a royal palace that matches any famous European royal residence. The process of rebuilding lasted about forty years between 1875 and 1912, and caused sweeping changes in topography of the whole area.
The new Royal Palace, designed by Alajos Hauszmann, was officially inaugurated in 1912. Contemporary critics praised it as the most outstanding Hungarian building of the turn of the century. Indeed it was a magnificent Gesamtkunstwerk of architecture, sculpture, applied arts and gardening.
After the 1918 revolution and the dethronization of the Habsburg dynasty the Royal Palace became the seat of the new regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, Miklós Horthy.
Buda Castle was the last major strongpoint of Budapest held by Axis forces during the siege of Budapest between 29 December 1944 and 13 February 1945. Heavy fights and artillery fire rendered the palace once again into a heap of ruins.
Immediately after the war archeological research was begun to unearth the remains of the medieval castle. It came out that important parts of the former Sigismund and Matthias palace survived under the thick level of earth fill.
The grand-scale reconstruction of the medieval fortifications substantially changed the cityscape of Budapest. It is considered a highly successful project which managed to reconcile historical authenticity with urban planing demands.
The fate of the ruined Neo-Baroque palace was different. The new Communist government of Hungary considered the Royal Palace a symbol of the former regime. During the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed. Important exterior details were also demolished.
Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, next to the old Castle District (Hun: Várnegyed), which is famous about its medieval, Baroque and 19th century houses and public buildings. It is linked to Adam Clark Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular.
Buda Castle is part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, declared in 1987.
History
The first royal residence on the Castle Hill was built by King Béla IV of Hungary between 1247 and 1265.
The oldest part of the present-day palace was built in the 14th century by Prince Stephen, Duke of Slavonia, the younger brother of King Louis I of Hungary. The Gothic palace of King Louis I was arranged around a narrow courtyard next to the Stephen's Tower.
King Sigismund Luxemburg of Hungary greatly enlarged the palace. During his long reign it became probably the largest Gothic palace of the late Middle Ages. Buda was also an important artistic centre of the International Gothic style.
The last phase of grand-scale building activity happened under King Matthias Corvinus) when Italian humanists, artists and craftsmen arrived at Buda. The Hungarian capital became the first centre of Renaissance north of the Alps.
After the Battle of Mohács the medieval Kingdom of Hungary collapsed. On 29 August 1541 Buda was occupied again by the Ottomans without any resistance. The Hungarian capital became part of Ottoman Empire as the seat of the Eyalet of Budin.
The new Ottoman government left the palace decaying. It was partially used as barracks, storage place and stables, otherwise it stood empty.
The medieval palace was destroyed in the great siege of 1686 when Buda was captured by the allied Christian forces. In the heavy artillery bombardment many buildings collapsed and burned out.
In 1715 King Charles III ordered the demolition of the ruins. Luckily the southern fortifications, zwingers and rooms were only buried under tons of rubbish and earth.
In 1715 a small Baroque palace was built which is identical with the core of the present-day palace.
In 1748 Count Antal Grassalkovich, President of the Hungarian Chamber appealed to the public to finish the derelict palace by means of public subscription. The new Royal Palace became the symbol of peace and friendship between the Habsburg dynasty and the nation.
The plans of the splendid, U-shaped Baroque palace with a cour d'honneur were drawed by Jean Nicolas Jadot, chief architect of the Viennese court. They were later modified by his successor, Nicolaus Pacassi. The foundation stone of the palace was laid on 13 May 1749. In 1769 the palace was finished.
In 1791 the palace became the residence of the Habsburg Palatines of the Kingdom of Hungary. The palatinal court in Buda Castle was the centre of fashionable life and high society in the Hungarian capital.
On 4 May 1849 the Hungarian revolutionary army of Artúr Görgey laid siege on Buda Castle. The Hungarians captured Buda with a great assault, but the palace completely burned out.
The palace was soon rebuilt between 1850 and 1856. Later in 1867 after the Ausgleich Franz Joseph was crowned to the king of Hungary. The palace played an important part in the lavish ceremony, symbolizing peace between the dynasty and the nation.
In the last decades of the 19th century the autonomous Hungarian government intended to create a royal palace that matches any famous European royal residence. The process of rebuilding lasted about forty years between 1875 and 1912, and caused sweeping changes in topography of the whole area.
The new Royal Palace, designed by Alajos Hauszmann, was officially inaugurated in 1912. Contemporary critics praised it as the most outstanding Hungarian building of the turn of the century. Indeed it was a magnificent Gesamtkunstwerk of architecture, sculpture, applied arts and gardening.
After the 1918 revolution and the dethronization of the Habsburg dynasty the Royal Palace became the seat of the new regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, Miklós Horthy.
Buda Castle was the last major strongpoint of Budapest held by Axis forces during the siege of Budapest between 29 December 1944 and 13 February 1945. Heavy fights and artillery fire rendered the palace once again into a heap of ruins.
Immediately after the war archeological research was begun to unearth the remains of the medieval castle. It came out that important parts of the former Sigismund and Matthias palace survived under the thick level of earth fill.
The grand-scale reconstruction of the medieval fortifications substantially changed the cityscape of Budapest. It is considered a highly successful project which managed to reconcile historical authenticity with urban planing demands.
The fate of the ruined Neo-Baroque palace was different. The new Communist government of Hungary considered the Royal Palace a symbol of the former regime. During the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed. Important exterior details were also demolished.
Museums
The Historical Museum of Budapest is located in Buda Castle, boasting over 4 floors. This museum presents the history of Budapest from the beginnings until the end of the Communist era. There is also the restored lower part of the medieval Royal Chapel, and underground there are examples of dungeons and other displays. Outside one can observe the architectural beauty of the Buda Castle and see wonderful small gardens in the medieval "zwingers" (walled enclosures). There is also a closed-off well, and a magnificent view of the surrounding area, the Castle District. There is a tower which can easily be accessed in the outdoor area, and a walkway on the same level. Both the tower and the walkway boast shocking panoramas of Budapest, especially the Parliament building, the Danube, the nearby streets, and, on a clear day, the Freedom Statue.
The museum is fairly cheap and, if one wishes to save the expense of buying books of the Buda Castle, a photography ticket (Hungarian: fotójegy) is available (in the summer of 2005, the price of a photography ticket was 600 forint, which is equivalent to about 3 USD) .
The castle also houses the Hungarian National Gallery. As part of the castle, there are excavations and smaller ruins. Many of these can be walked in.
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The museum is fairly cheap and, if one wishes to save the expense of buying books of the Buda Castle, a photography ticket (Hungarian: fotójegy) is available (in the summer of 2005, the price of a photography ticket was 600 forint, which is equivalent to about 3 USD) .
The castle also houses the Hungarian National Gallery. As part of the castle, there are excavations and smaller ruins. Many of these can be walked in.
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Travel Tips: Where to find Cheap flights from Budapest
In Budapest, other than tourists, there a lot of exchange students from other european cities. Some of them are here on Erasmus while others on special exchange programs on an international level. To travel around is a common objective, but to travel around with cheap flights allows you to save more money to include one or even two more extra cities as part of your travel plans.
In Travelgrove, there is a travel tips section which contains up to 2500 or more entries for all these possible destinations. At one stop site, you can check out the travel tips, phone number, relevant websites, addresses, price information etc. It is a very useful planning tool online for any type of travelers, whether you are a student or simply a working adult taking a short break and vacation.
Last week, Germaine was checking out the cheap flights to Toronto. She was using the search features on Travelgrove and she found a large number of flights with different providers and airlines as options. Germaine has some relatives living there and since she is now here in Budapest, it is nearer to visit them as compared to flying there from Australia.
She decided to make a trip before she has to finally return to Australia. As a student, cheap flights are really great solutions and Travelgrove provides an easy way to make the necessary flight arrangements. Besides, she could make use of the frequent flyer smart button next to the flight offer. This is rather unusual for cheap flights!
So she recommended it to us and we tried to search for cheap flights to San Francisco. We made use of the cheap flights pages which offers some great possibilities. There is a useful comparison table and we also like the travel deals section on Travelgrove. We like that it show the best prices on the travel market and this saves a lot of time since we just need to search for a specific location and the type of travel preferences.
Finally, there are many blog write-ups related topics such as budget travel and backpacking. We also like that the highlights about the nightlife, food and luxury travel suggestions on the Travelgrove blog. Even their newest category called 'Frequent flyer' provides lots of information about how to get more award miles and the details about its reward program.
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Cool flashmob in Budapest
Based on an Canadian example some guys have organized a cool flashmob in Budapest. The idea is brilliant. They called together about 200 people and all of them went to a Mall where they left an empty bottle on the ground right beside the recycle. The instruction was:
As soon as someone picks up the bottle and put it into the recycle all the 200 people shall start to applause. See the result on the video. (Ignore the Hungarian speech, the show is enjoyable just by watching, too)
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http://www.tealightcandles.ws/
http://www.freeweddingplanning.net/
http://www.diywedding.ws/
http://www.amazing-wedding-ideas.com/
http://www.allinoneweddings.net/
http://www.cheapchet.com/
http://www.weddingfavorboxes.ws/
http://www.floatingcandles.ws/
http://www.floatingcandlebowls.ws/
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