Merry Christmas

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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
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