The Water Tower on Margaret Island is a venue in the 2013 Budapest Summer Festival. Picture courtesy of Fearless Fred on Flickr.

As 2013 sees the celebration of 75 years of acclaimed concerts at Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre, expect the Budapest Summer Festival to set the world on fire. The summer-long music jamboree kicks off on June 14 with an open-air concert of music by Verdi and Wagner performed by the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra on Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube.

Other performances in Hungary’s biggest cultural festival, including musicals, ballet, dance, concerts, jazz and theater, take place over the whole summer, with the outdoor concerts on Margaret Island combining with the open-air venue at Városmajor, situated in a pretty park on the Buda side of the river.

Highlights of the 2013 Budapest Summer Festival program include the musical Oliver, the opera Madame Butterfly, Hungarian folk music and flamenco concerts. A recent addition to the festival as a venue, the water tower on Margaret Island forms the perfect backdrop for rock operas and the Jazzy Tower concerts that run at 7pm every Saturday evening between June 2 and September 1. The Children’s Stage adjacent to the Margaret Island Open-Air Theater runs kids’ puppet shows and children’s folk tales at 10.30am every Saturday from June 16 until August 25.

Cruise boats on the Danube depart to to Margaret Island from Vígadó Square, Batthyány Square and Dráva Street and leave between 6.45pm and 8pm, depending on scheduling of the performances. Boats are available for the return journey after the concerts. Tickets are 1,000 HUF for the return journey. The photogenic ruins of St Margaret’s Monastery are also free to explore on Sundays through out the festival.

Tickets can be purchased online, at the Szabad Square Ticket Office (1065 Budapest, Nagymező Street, 68) and at both the Margaret Island and Városmajor open-air stages. Prices range from 7,900 HUF to 9,900 HUF.

– Sasha Heseltine

Budapest Summer Festival 2013 from Budapest Things to Do

Buda Castle in springtime Budapest. Picture courtesy of TopBudapestOrg on Flickr.

After a long, cold winter, Budapest bursts back to life in spring; trees bloom in parks and promenades, cruise boats ply the river, and visitor attractions reopen their doors. Airfares and hotel prices are still reasonable and restaurants quiet, while temperatures are at a pleasant 61°F (16°C).

Take advantage of the quiet city to book a tour of Budapest’s main attractions, including Buda Castle, the hard-hitting House of Terror Museum, and the Hungarian Parliament. Tickets for classical concerts at the Budapest Opera House and wine tastings at Buda Castle are easier to come by and the famous views across the River Danube from Gellért Hill will be unspoiled by jostling tourists, as will the charming old town of Szentendre, which becomes unbearably cramped in summer.

Visiting Budapest in spring means the forgotten Stalinist statues in the open-air museum Memento Park appear utterly abandoned before the summer rush of visitors. Lines to climb up to the observation deck at St Stephen’s Basilica are still short but the spring weather brings clear skies for admiring the views.

Memento Park in Budapest. Picture courtesy of Morrissey on Flickr.

As the temperatures ramp slowly upwards, so the Open-Air Theatre on Margaret Island re-opens its doors while Károlyi Gardens, City and Milenáris parks fill up with locals and visitors alike to enjoy the sunshine and flowers in bloom.

Budapest’s spas stay open all year around but most of the outdoor pools are closed in the winter. Spring in Budpaest brings out the families to splash in outdoor pools at Széchenyi baths and enjoy the landscaped beach at Aquaworld.

– Sasha Heseltine

Budapest in Spring from Budapest Things to Do

Take your kids to this beautiful city!

Aspiring tourists with children may be surprised to discover that Hungary’s capital city offers affordable and varied opportunities for travelers with kids to entertain. The price is right and the activities are likely to amuse grownups as well as their children. See below for a sampling of the many events and institutions available in Budapest that are geared toward the young.

1). Aquaworld. This five-story giant dome is one of the largest indoor water parks in Europe. It boasts a combined area large enough to house a family of blue whales (here’s hoping this hypothesis remains untested). Within its walls is a replica of an Angkor temple, as well as suspension bridges, towers, slides, rides, and ample pools.

2). Children’s Railway. Humanitarian activists and labor organizers may raise an eyebrow (and possibly a war cry) when alerted to the existence of the aptly-named Children’s Railway that is operated in part by ‘employees’ aged 10-14. The kids seem happy and the line’s history is free of scandal, but it is still a peculiar institution.

Decide for yourself whether you want to congratulate the efforts of adults to empower the youth or spirit away the exploited. At any rate, your children will have the rare opportunity to mingle with professionals of their own age group.

3). Puppet Theatre. The Budapest Puppet Theatre is the largest company of its kind in all of central Europe. Their repertoire includes homegrown folk tales, Shakespeare, proverbial epics, contemporary children’s classics and, notably, an adaptation of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, by the great Sir Salman Rushdie (author of Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses), a novel that was written specifically for Rushdie’s firstborn son.

-John Reality

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Budapest for kids from Budapest Things to Do

The Labyrinth. Photo courtesy of Budavári Labirintus via wikimedia.

Easily the equal of other European subterranean wonders (in Paris, Moscow, London, etc.), the labyrinth system beneath Castle Hill in Budapest originated as calcareous tufa caves resulting from hot water springs more than 350,000 years ago.  Since that time, the complex (the natural properties of which have been considerably improved by man over the years) has served many purposes, and today exists as one of the most curious and rewarding tourist attractions in Budapest.

Though inexplicably raided and evacuated on July 29 of this year (the complex has a history of contentious relations with police organizations and other authorities), the labyrinth has long been a popular destination with both area residents and international travelers, with installations that highlight its storied past.

Originally utilized as a series of wine cellars serving the residents above during the 16^th and 17^th centuries (and as crop storage facility far earlier), the complex fell into disuse and neglect for centuries before being rediscovered and restored in the early 20^th century. During WWII, the 50-foot-deep, 4,000-foot-long complex was specially outfitted by the army and civil defense organizations for use as a bomb shelter, hospital, and operational headquarters. These fortifications were made semi-permanent during the Cold War.

Since the 1980s, public access has been fairly steady, with both daytime and nighttime hours. Extended, guided tours are available for visitors interested in learning all the history and detail that the labyrinth has to offer. The more adventurous can explore the nooks, crannies, and caverns on their own.

Note: Check to be sure that the complex is open during your visit to the city, as its impending schedule is as yet unclear.

-John Reality

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Labyrinth of Buda Castle from Budapest Things to Do

Széchenyi baths in Budapest. Picture courtesy of GOC53 on Flickr.

Of these, the lemon-and-white Neo-Baroque fantasy that is Széchenyi baths is surely the world’s grandest thermal complex, open for mixed bathing, steam baths, saunas, and spa treatments daily. It has 18 indoor and outdoor pools – most fed by mineral springs – as well as steam rooms, massage pools with water jets, and saunas under the soaring domes. It opened in 1913 as the first bathhouse in Pest on the Danube’s east banks, and was updated in the 1990s.

Király is Buda’s oldest spa complex, started in 1565 when the city was under Turkish rule. Its plunge pools and steam baths are hexagonal in shape, with rough-hewn stone walls propping up massive domes; no-one under the age of 14 can use the facilities. Rudas was built at roughly the same time and has just been extensively renovated; it’s the only Budapest spa to offer night-time bathing sessions at the weekend and also claims the hottest spring water, at 107°F (42°C).

The elegant, colonnaded Secessionist Gellért complex opened in 1918 and has turquoise-tiled saunas, steam rooms, and plunge pools as well as indoor and outdoor pools, heated by calcium-rich hot spring water. It also offers a medical consultation service.

In contrast to these historic baths, Dandàr and Lukács are all clean modern lines, both opened in the 1930s; the latter has open-air pools as well as saunas and sundecks. Dagàly also has fantastic facilities for families, including a wave pool, adventure pool, and lazy river as well as swimming lessons and a raft of massage treatments.

– Sasha Heseltine

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The Best Spas in Budapest from Budapest Things to Do

The Chain Bridge unites the two halves of Budapest across the Danube. Picture courtesy of roger 4336 on Flickr.

From there walk across the famous Chain Bridge, opened in 1849 as the first permanent crossing of the river, to Buda, and take the funicular up to Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising a romantic tangle of narrow cobbled streets, galleries, museums, castles, and palaces high above the river. There are plenty of cafés for a lunchtime pitstop before exploring Buda Royal Palace, which is a mish-mash of architectural styles with medieval origins plus 15th- and 18th-century extensions. Pop into the Hungarian National Gallery to see the exquisite wooden Gothic sculptures or book ahead to sample excellent Hungarian Eger and Tokaj wines and local pálinka fruit brandies in the castle’s Faust Wine Cellars after exploring your surrounds.

The Hungarian Parliament stands over the River Danube in Budapest. Picture courtesy of Arian Zwegers on Flickr.

Afterwards catch your breath in the bubbling waters of one of Budapest’s famous thermals bath to rejuvenate after the day’s sightseeing. The Gellért, Király, Rudas, Széchenyi, and Lukács baths are all open for mixed and single sex bathing, saunas, and spa treatments daily.

To wind up your whistle-stop tour of Budapest, enjoy an evening of typical Hungarian entertainment on a River Danube cruise for dinner and to see Buda Castle twinkling on top of its hill. Boats sail underneath the Chain Bridge and pass the vast Baroque bulk of the Hungarian Parliament, magically floodlit at night. Folk dancers and gypsy bands provide the swirling musical entertainment.

Contributed by Sasha Heseltine

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One Day in Budapest from Budapest Things to Do

Széchenyi thermal baths in Budapest. Photo courtesy of karaian on Flickr.

1. Skiing
Although Hungary is not famous as a skiing destination, it is possible to board and ski at Dobogókő, with just a few runs and T-bar lifts. Check the snow reports before you make the 50-minute journey from Budapest. Closer to the city, skiing is sometimes available at Normafa, although facilities are very limited. Both areas are good for inspiring confidence in novice skiing families.

2. Skating
The lake in Városligeti Műjégpálya (City Park Lake) becomes an ice rink in winter; other temporary rinks are found outside the Hungarian Parliament and also on the first floor of the West End City Center Shopping Mall.

3. Ruin Pubs
Grab a couple of beers in one of Budapest’s on-trend ruin pubs, usually found in buildings abandoned after the fall of Communism. There’ll be decent beer, a casual vibe, and live music from local bands. Szimpla Kert, the original ruin pub, in a battered old building on Kazinczy utca, has maintained its functional surrounds but serves great Hungarian beers and is heaving every night.

A night-time cruise down the Danube in Budapest, with Buda Castle in the background. Photo courtesy of decade-null on Flickr.

4. Danube Cruises
Take to the River Danube for dinner and an evening cruise to see Buda Castle twinkling on top of its hill. Boats sail underneath the famous Chain Bridge and pass the vast Baroque bulk of the Hungarian Parliament, magically floodlit at night. Folk dancers and gypsy bands provide traditional entertainment.

5. Wine Tasting
Book ahead to try some excellent Hungarian wines and local pálinka fruit brandies in the gothic surroundings of Buda Castle’s Faust Wine Cellar. Pogácsa (savory scones) are served along with world-renowned Eger and Tokaj vintages.

6. Spa Baths
Take to the bubbling waters of one of Budapest’s famous thermal baths to rejuvenate after a day’s sightseeing. The Gellért, Király, Rudas, Széchenyi, and Lukács baths are all open for mixed and single sex bathing, saunas, and spa treatments daily.

Contributed by Sasha Heseltine

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Visiting Budapest in Winter from Budapest Things to Do

New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Budapest. Photo courtesy of Derek Keats via Flickr.

With its reputation as a party city, Budapest celebrates Szilveszter, Hungary‘s New Year, with a bang. Street parties take place across the city and the explosion of fireworks marks midnight over the Danube River. Public transport operates until 1pm, but stores close at around 4pm and reopen only on January 2.

1) Street Parties
Budapest’s biggest street parties are held at Vörösmarty Square, where three days of live music and dancing kick off around New Year. Hungarian pop bands perform in Nyugati Square and DJs provide 10 hours of non-stop sounds at Oktogon Square.

2) Ruin Pubs
Grab a couple of beers in one of Budapest’s laid-back ruin pubs, usually found in abandoned buildings. There will be decent beer, a casual vibe, and live music from local bands. Szimpla Kert, the original ruin pub, in a battered old building on Kazinczy utca, has maintained its functional surrounds but serves great Hungarian beers and will be heaving on New Year’s Eve.

3) Danube Cruises
Take to the Danube River for dinner and a night cruise to see in the New Year; routes go underneath the Chain Bridge and past the Hungarian Parliament, wonderfully illuminated at night. Gypsy bands and folk dancers provide the entertainment and traditional dishes of duck, pork, lentils, and stuffed cabbage are served.

4) Wine Tasting
Book ahead to sample some excellent Hungarian wines and local pálinka fruit brandies on New Year’s Eve while enjoying the lavish surroundings of Buda Castle. Pogácsa, savory scones, are served along with revered Eger and Tokaj vintages.

5) Fireworks
The New Year is heralded in with firework displays at several venues in Budapest. The biggest is at on the Pest side of the Danube River against the magical backdrop of the Chain Bridge. Watch the display from the top of Gellért Hill for pole position.

6) Recovery Tips
Head for the soothing waters of one of Budapest’s famous thermals baths to steam away any party excesses. The Gellért, Király, Rudas, Széchenyi, and Lukács baths are all open until 8pm on New Year’s Day. Alternatively catch some chamber music at the New Year’s Day concert in Danube Palace; the Budapest Symphony Orchestra performs familiar pieces from Brahms and Strauss.

- Sasha Heseltine

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New Year’s Eve in Budapest from Budapest Things to Do

Hungary’s biggest Christmas Market is in Vörösmarty Square, Budapest. Photo courtesy of nyuhuhuu via Flickr.

Although the Feast of St Nicholas is celebrated on 6th December in Budapest, when well-behaved children are rewarded with small gifts, December 24 is the key date for Christmas celebrations. The countdown starts in late November, when the stores and streets are decorated and strung with millions of fairy lights, and giant Advent wreathes appear in the main streets.

Christmas markets spawn throughout Budapest—St Stephen’s Basilica, Franz Liszt Square—but the main one is in Vörösmarty Square, with over 100 stalls selling handmade wooden toys and embroidered linens, lángos (fried bread with various toppings), strudels, and hot chocolate spiced with pálinka (Hungarian fruit brandy). The elegant façade of the Café Gerbeaud becomes a gigantic Advent calendar and people gather around the Christmas fir for carol concerts, puppet theater, cute Nativity scenes, and light shows.

Classical concerts take place around Budapest in the run up to Christmas; book early for chamber concerts at the Danube Palace and Baroque music in St Anne’s church. Annual treats include Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera House and the Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra on 30th December at the Congress Centre. There’s even a Christmas tram, all kitted out in flashing neon, which plies routes on both sides of the city during December.

Budapest shops close early afternoon on Szenteste (Christmas Eve) and some reopen the 27th December, with many staying closed until after New Year. Families go home to decorate their Christmas trees and cook traditional suppers of fish soup, stuffed cabbage, and sweet pastry rolls called beigli. Presents—which come from baby Jesus in Hungary—are unwrapped and everyone goes to Midnight Mass. Over the next two days the celebrating continues, with family parties and much merrymaking.

-Sasha Heseltine

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Christmas in Budapest from Budapest Things to Do

The Chain Bridge and Royal Palace on the Danube River.

One of the best ways to experience the best that Budapest has to offer is via one of the profusion of river cruises that ply the waters of the Danube River when the weather permits. The river bisects the city into two distinct parts: the hilly and peaceful Buda on one side, and the buzzing congestion of Pest on the other. Both banks offer many sights, including the graceful tower of the Matthias Church, the Fishermen’s Bastion, and the historic Castle District.

Nighttime cruises often feature dinner and drinks, and can be an affordable option for an evening of sightseeing, entertainment and romantic ambiance. Hungarian folk-dances and classical music concerts are the order of the day (or rather, night), with performances on most cruises beginning around 8pm (the typical cruise lasts several hours). The ticket price typically includes a lavish meal, at least one beverage (wine, beer or soft drinks) and there are discounts for students.

Lunch cruises depart in the early afternoon. These are very popular and less widely available (the fleet of vessels that undertake afternoon cruises is comparatively smaller), so you’ll want to get your tickets ahead of time.

Another memorable option is a holiday cruise. Christmas cruises are available, as are New Year’s Eve cruises. The latter are particularly fantastic, as they provide a wonderful vantage point from which to take in the spectacle of the annual fireworks displays put on by the city.

Nearly all of the above depart from Danube Palace or Budai Vigadó.

-John Reality

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Cruising the Danube from Budapest from Budapest Things to Do