Merry Christmas

We wish Merry Christmas for all of our readers.

We will be back with the daytrip part 2 on 27th Dec...

Daytrip from Budapest part1

Hi everyone!

We are starting a series of blog entries about what can we do , where can we go for a daytrip from Budapest in wintertime.

Part 1.
Destination : Northern Hungary

Holloko
It is a small village not too far from Budapest. Best known for its living folklor, due the village reserved many of its old charm. The houses are the same as it was two centuries ago, people wear traditional costumes. Of course a bit touristy now, but anyway...you still can imagin' yourself to the 19th century village.
Also can try a lot of handmade stuff, like pottery or if you are not that talented you can buy one, or other traditional souvenirs can not be found in Budapest or for double price.
If the weather is fine you also can climb and see the castle (ruins) of Holloko, where the locals hold medieval games during summertimes.
How to get there? By bus from Stadionok stations, there are direct buses, takes around 1hour to get there
More about Holloko

Eger
Mother of all daytrips from Budapest, the second most visited town. Eger is a charming small town, capital of the eger wine region with historical downtown, baroque.
You can take a walk in the downtown, see the magnificent Basilica, go and take a walk in the fortress of Eger, which saw many great battle with the ottoman empire.
The turkish left a minaret in Eger, worth to see or go to the top as it is very rare in Hungary.
There are many restaurants, cafes in the downtown, but if you like to taste wines you have to walk further to the Valley of the Beautiful Women, which is full of wineries.
Eger wines are famous in Hungary, most of it are red wines, dry and semidry, the best known is called the Bulls Blood.
If you are tired of walking, take a relaxing bath in the turkish spa (beware according to old turkish heritage, one day is for the lads , other for gents only).
How to get there? Easily by train, there are direct trains, Intercity and fast trains as well, or by bus from stadionok stations.
More about Eger

Mezokovesd
Not far from Eger (20kms), Mezokovesd is the centre of Matyoland. Matyo is the name of the local people, due to their unique costumes. It can seen only in musem nowadays. The local Matyo musem offers a complete collection of different costumes and everyday stuff from 18-19th centuries.
There are also an interesting museum, the Musem of Agricultural Engines. It is in the so called 'Hadas' district of Mezokovesd. The museum is a collection of one man, and it displays agricultural engines of the 19-20th centuries, everything is working and can be tested. Really interesting and unique experience for travellers whom interested in engines.
But Mezokovesd is most known for its thermal spa, the Zsory thermal bath. It lies on the outskirts of the city, but easily accessable by bus or bike. The termal bath open all year round, Rozsa restaurant with local food is opposite the entry.
More about Mezokovesd
How to get there? By train from Budapest, any slow or fast train will stop in Mezokovesd. Intercities does not, you have to change at Fuzesabony. By car on M3 highway to Miskolc direction

More to come tomorrow...
Comment if you have any experience in northern hungary, good or bad

Strikes

December is the month of strikes in Hungary.

The state owned railways (MAV) is on strike now for more than 3days, some of the trains are going, some aren't, and there are really noone who can tell the actual timetable.
So, try to avoid trains in these days, catch a bus instead, at Nepliget or Stadionok station. But you have to be ready that buses may overcrawded.
When the strike will end? Hopefully within days...

Ferihegy airport , security workers have a strike, they try to slow the procedure of check in, long queues..more waiting. You have to be in the airport a couple of hours before your departure time.

BKV, the Budapest Transit Authority is possibly on strike within days, so the mass transport system in the capital city will be a mess...
Taxis are a good alternative, but they can easily stuck in the traffic jam , due that many resident will take car instead of the bus/tram.
You can walk or rent a bike! It is not that cold yet...

New attraction

Ramada Aquaworld has been opened on 5th Dec in Budapest.
The newest attraction of Budapest is now open. The Ramada Aquaworld is an indoor theme park, the main building is 5 storey high and the diameter is 72meters. The theme is old Angkor, so you can climb on the Angkor Wat temple, which is surrounded by bridges and towers and 17 different pools.
The most interesting is the surfing pool, where you can learn to surf indoor! There are also wave pool, like Bondi Beach :-)
A new 4star hotel was built which has direct connection to the theme park. It has 261 rooms and offer a luxury 5star category accommodation for families and groups of friends for price of 4star. The restaurant can be held up to 550 peoples and there are a big conference room as well.
The Aquaworld is on the outskirts of Budapest, near the M0 ring around Budapest, you have to pass the new Megyeri Bridge on the northern side of Budapest.
More about it

New record, and this and that

Santa's comin' to town (and telling a really long story)
Velence Resort hotel & spa was celebtrating a new Guiness Record.
Santa Claus was telling tales all day long, (with max. 5mins break after 1 hour) and it is a new guiness record on tale telling.

Hundrends of childrens gather and waited for Santa to arrive (hard to come by raindeer without snow and freezing cold). The hotel was serving cookies and drinks and than Santa started..and continoued, and more...
Velence Resort & Spa is a new wellness hotel, on the shore of the lake Velence, half way between Budapest and Lake Balaton . Budapest is only around 30kms on highway.
Check out the hotel here

It was a really fairy tale(y) day for the children ...

Another news...not that sweet
City council of Siofok at Lake Balaton will look over some of its regulations and maybe make some new to stop summer drinking parties in public places as it was recent in the past few years. Locals and other tourists also made many proposition to stop this behaviour on the streets, since it was noisy, sometime scary for someone and disturbing for other people on holiday.
Of course there will be cheap beer and cheap or expensive wines...but only in stores and in pubs.

New connection
New flight connection from Budapest...the first and only airconnection between Europe and Georgia. SkyGeorgia introduced new route from Tbilisi to Budapest, which will served by a DC-9. This is the only air route between europe and georgia. Till that , you had to change twice .
Check out prices and schedule

And last, another news about the airline industry
Budapest Ferihegy airport will install 12 new self check-in desks, finally...in 2009 :-)

Hot thermal baths

Hungary is extremly rich in thermal water, so travellers can find a good thermal bath, spa facility all over Hungary, to relax your body and comfort your soul.
We collected some, which is worth a visit during the cold days of winter.

Budapest city of spas
Gellert spa
completly renewed, looking magnificent with its zsolnay ceramic tiles. Gellert spa is in downtown location in Budapest on the Buda side, it is part of the Hotel Gellert complex.
Services include: complete medical threatments, sauna, massages
The water is good for therapeutic diagnoses of:
- degenerative illnesses of joints
- illnesses of the vertebral spine
- chronic and semi-acute arthritis
- pains of the intervertebral disc
- neuralgia
- aortic stenosis
- blood circulation problems
- in the Inhalatorium: treatment of asthmatic, chronic bronchitic complaints
Prices from 2800HUF (adult daily ticket)

Szechenyi bath

It is another iconic all year spa bath in Budapest. Founded in the real downtown, near the Heroes square in the City Park. Easy access by underground (yellow from Deak Ferenc square).
Services include : complete medical threatment, underwater massage, thai massage, sauna, steam bath.
There are 18 pools, from 20 celsius degree up to 40.

The water of the drinking well is a healing water with calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, chloride, sulphate, also containing alcalics and a substantial amount of fluoride.

Therapeutic proposals
- degenerative illnesses of joints
- chronic and semi-acute arthritis
- orthopaedic and post-injury alterior treatments
In the form of a drinking cure
- chronic gastric catarrh, gastric ulcer, intestinal catarrh
- overproduction of gastric acid
- chronic inflammation of the pelvis of the kidney and of the urine paths
- certain forms of renal stone illnesses
- chronic catarrh of the inhaling organs
- prevention and healing of states of the bone system accompanied by a calcium deficiency
- influencing disturbances of metabolism linked to gout
- in case of certain illnesses of the gall-bladder and the gall paths, for enhancing gall-discharge
Entrance tickets from : 2400HUF

more about Spas of Budapest
Would you like to come to Budapest during winter?
Contact us for best prices, hotel + flight deals!
Choose us for free airport transfer

First Q-400 arrived

MALEV's first Bombardier Q-400 arrived to Ferihegy airport.

Malev, the hungarian airline is changing..again.
They are selling the big birds (B767s), and ground some of their B737s, due to complete change in ideas.
The original idea was that the owner (who owned russias AiRUnion), will make a profit out of the european routes of Malev, since it would be a good connection point from europe to russia. (since AiRUnion flought to many russian cities).
Now it is gone, so Malev will concentrate on short routes. So short routes do not need big planes, and saving is good (although fuel prices are down again).
Malev will change its agening Fokker F70s and the almost new Bombardier CRJs to Q400.
The Q400 is a great turboprop plane, suitable for short routes. It is fuel efficent (much more than the CRJs), and quiet (that's why it is Q-400).
So..we can fly with the new plane as soon as they did all the test needed.

check out MALEV site for some good buy
but if you want more discount, try WizzAir or Easyjet

Candle-lit express dinner train

Do you remember the old steam locos? Or are you too young for the memories?
And how about romantic dinners on old luxury trains, like in the movies...

Now your dreams can come true, thanks to the MAV-Nosztalgia (a retro part of the hungarian state railways, they are operating the museum of the locos in Budapest, which also worth a visit in a sunny day).
They are renewing old carriages, old steam engines and do regular tours.
The last of this year will departue on 19th Dec, from the Nyugati train station in Budapest.

The train ride will take 3hours, and what type of train will go? A full luxury train , contains dinner, bar and saloon cars, a steamy journey back in time, and the real extra that this will be , as its name says, a dinner train with candle-lit, and superb culinary.

Two choice of menu, one for meateaters and of course another for vegetarians. Champagne as welcome drink , hungarian wines (red and white), coffee or mineral water are in the price.
You can hire extra service to arrange a birthday cake, or a small present, a bunch of flowers for your love.
The complete tour cost 13990HUF (hungarian forint) if you have a 4seats table and 15990HUF if you take a 2seats table.

Where to buy ticket? At the Nyugati train station, next to the 10th platform
or Tel.: (+36 1) 269-5242 e-mail: utazas@mavnosztalgia.hu

Hurry up since these won't last long...but if you missed it, plan ahead..there will be more in 2009, from spring.
Send us an email for details

55th anniversary

It is the 55th anniversary, that Hungary beat England 6 to 3 in soccer.

The 'Gold Team' of Hungary beat England in the Wembley in 1953. The legendary team which included Puskas, was the pride of the nation by that time, everybody knew the complete team, there were thousands in the stadiums.
That win in Wembley was not the biggest. The biggest win was to score the silver medal in the world cup, which was won by the West germans. It is still a bitter memory, since everyone bet a gold medal.
Anyway, when the english team came to budapest for the next match, hungary beat then 7-1 :-)
The biggest stadium was named after Puskas, who was playing for Real Madrid for long time before his retire.

related article : Puskas dies

It's snowing

It was snowing all around Hungary.
Mainly in Budapest and Northern Hungary region, there are around 10-17 cm high snow.
Trains are in delay, (as it usual) and roads are slippery.

According to the weather forecast, there will be much warmer next week, so all will gone in a blink.

Some tips for the christmas market in Budapest

Hi there,

I just want to share some good ideas with you about the food on the christmas market.

These kind of tourist event always means higher prices and a little acting for the mess of tourists. I mean, you can buy typical hungarian foods here as real hungarian ones, although you can get those anytime at any butcher shop in budapest or any town of hungary, at around half price. And most of the butcher shop has own oven, so you do not have to prepare the food yourself at your hotel room :-)
So if you want to save some money, buy a pair of hurka or kolbasz (sausages) at a butcher shop with slice of bread and some sour cucumber salad...that's how it goes.

Do you know what hurka is?
Hurka is a kind like a sausage, but it is a mixture of port meat and rice and spices.
Two type is usuall, the red one is the bloody one, since pork blood added to the mixture (sounds weird, but taste great), and the greyish one is with liver added.
Kolbasz or sausage is also a type of hungarian food, it is like a sausage but fully meat, there are fried, grilled or smoked versions.

Where to find a butcher ?
Almost anywhere, but if you are near the Great Market Hall on the Buda side, or any major marketplace like the one on the Feny square (it is at the underground stop Moszkva ter on the red line, take off and the marketplace is back of the Mammut shopping centre, you can get there by tram no 4,6 from Nyugati train station) or the marketplace on the Lehel square, it is behind the westend city centre, you have to walk around 500meteres, a real 'can not miss' building.

Christmas in Budapest

This year is extra special: the Budapest Christmas Fair, held on Vörösmarty square, is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. The most popular winter event of the capital is organized by the Tourism Office of Budapest welcomes visitors on the most beautiful square of the capital.

The series of Advent and Christmas events lasting for over one month is one of the most popular programmes of the winter season, normally considered the off-peak time for tourism. The fair is not only the highlight of the Christmas preparation of local people but also the beautiful gem of the shopping trips of foreign tourists, visited by almost everybody who is in the capital at this time of the year. The Christmas Fair of Budapest is an excellent event, in itself it is the first motivation of the winter season, the Christmas shopping and the authentic festive feeling it gives to people, bringing an ever-increasing number of visitors: last year over 600 thousand people came to see it. Thanks to the promotions based on the events Budapest has become a hugely popular winter destination and its traditional Christmas Fair is now a well-known and respected event in Europe.

The Budapest Christmas Fair is considered to be amongst the most prestigious Christmas events of the continent, in 2006 the famous Travel & Leisure magazine selected it into the top 10 Christmas programs of Europe, while according to the international tourism website Expedia „it would be difficult to find a more authentic Christmas fair anywhere”. Almost all of the best travel guide books mention the Budapest Christmas fair as a program not to be missed. By now the event has grown so much that it has become famous further away too: recently it was the honour guest of the largest folk art festival of Canada. After visiting the most important Christmas fairs of Europe in 2006 and based on professional aspects finding the Budapest Christmas Fair to be the best, the artistic director of the festival sent a personal invitation to the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists, which is responsible for the quality of the craft products sold in Vörösmarty square.

One of the main attractions of the Budapest Christmas Fair is that it is organized especially to introduce Hungarian customs, traditional food and drink, folk arts and crafts and bands playing traditional and folk music.

The unique festive atmosphere is helped by the use of friendly wooden pavilions and the matchless array of products for sale offered by them: over 100 craft pavilions display traditional products, special gifts and folk art and craft objects judged and approved by the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists.

For visitors who have a taste for traditional gastronomic delights the city centre location of the fair is a real heaven: the smell of the fresh bread “lángos” baked in the traditional “Töki” clay oven, the stands of caramelised pastry horn makers, traditional country food baked in clay ovens, friendly meat grills attract anybody walking near the fair. If you like good mulled wine, you should also be there in the Vörösmarty square: after drinking it, you can take home the special mug it was served in: the “Christmas Fair Mug” gets a new design every year.

Should all this be not enough, visitors of the square are continuously entertained by a cavalcade of Hungarian folk music, folk dance, classical music, children’s programmes and concerts.

Thanks to the host pavilions, hot drinks, delicacies and stage performances on Vörösmarty square the Budapest Christmas Fair is more than just a folk art fair: it is a perfect program where visitors can spend longer time, an excellent, memorable event for friends and family to take part in. The beautiful scene, the shopping and eating opportunities, the stage performances and accompanying programs add up to the experience where every visitors can be part of a real festive Christmas holiday.

Apart from the huge Christmas tree on the square, the story-telling Nativity, the larger-than-life Advent wreath another essential part of the Budapest Christmas Fair is the Advent Calendar in the windows of the Gerbeaud house. From 1 to 24 December at exactly 5 o’clock in the afternoon another window of the calendar is opened, accompanied by beautiful chime music and festive wind-instrument pieces. All windows hide a stunning contemporary painting and these are unveiled for the sound of music and some special lighting effects.

The preparation for Christmas is the most important time of the year for families and children. The Budapest Christmas Fair is happy to welcome children on the square; not only the huge Christmas tree, the advent wreath, the musical calendar but also programs organized especially for them await even the smallest visitors.

The magical Nativity scene can be seen from 13 December, and on weekend mornings there are special children’s puppet theatre performances. This year once again there is an opportunity for getting to know the traditional gifts of old times, the way these were made; and in the heated children’s craft tent they can meet old and traditional professions on weekends from 10:00 to 18:00 and on weekdays from 15:00 to 18:00. Santa will visit children this year too; sitting on his chair at the corner of the Gerbeaud house he will warmly welcome children and their wishes from the smallest to the larger ones. Santa will be there on 6 and 7 December (Saturday and Sunday) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00.

One of the highlight of the Budapest Christmas Fair series of events has been the festive concert of piano artist Szilvia Kárászy and her guest performers. This year of will be held on 21 December at 18:00 in the Roosevelt-square Ballroom of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Amongst the guest performers will be the Solti Chamber Orchestra, László Tolcsvay and the Kiharang (Small Bell) Orchestra, conducted by Gyula Lajhó. At the end of the concert the award ceremony of the Golden Bell Award will be held, it is given to partially sighted or blind adults and children who achieve something extraordinary in their profession or complete an amazing humane deed.

The importance of the prize is mostly the respect and love it comes with, as well as the encouragement shared by both the winners and participants. The award can also help for others struggling with similar problems to believe in a life worth living for, believing in being able to live as a valued member of society and with their achievements gaining the respect and attention of other people. The stories of the award winners are also messages for sighted people: with endurance and the love of life and other people we can not only overcome the difficulties but we can also create something valuable and lasting. This year’s winner is László Ézsiás, an actor with special talent who appeared on the “VAGYOK” (“I am”) event in Székesfehérvár

The Budapest Christmas is honouring several anniversaries this year. It is the 10^th time this colourful, traditional, extremely popular event is held, enjoying the support of the capital as well as the National Culture Fund. To celebrate the 10^th anniversary the most successful performers of the Christmas fairs of the last years will perform on 7 December. But this year is even more special: not only the event is celebrating, but the city that gives home to it as well: Budapest is 135 years old this year. The exhibition recalling the past of the capital, called Budapest Anno will be opened in December, it can be seen in Vörösmarty square in the pavilion next to the statue. As part of the exhibition the award-wining artworks of old years Christams gifts a student competition for pupils of art schools will also be on display. For the anniversary of the unification of Pest-Buda-Óbuda Budapest remembers also with a Photoalbum, with the works of such an artists like Péter Korniss, Zsuzsa Schäffer or Gábor Fejér. The book called 135 years - 135 photos comes out at the end of November in 3000 copies, would also be found in the Tourinforms in Hungarian and in English as well.

source : Budapest Tourism Office

First notice

Hi everyone,

I try to give you some personal view of the places I've been in Hungary.
My name is Aron Hohl, I am the owner and managing director of a travel company called Centraleasteurope.com.
We are managing several sites like seeuinhungary.com, centraleasteurope.com, ausztralmania.hu.
We try to collect all info relevant for tourist visiting the region.
Through these journeys i made to hotels, beaches, national parks, museums to get the lastest infos for you, of course I have personal feelings, impacts.
Now I try to share these feelings, ideas with you