Candidate Information Pack 2012 Budapest 1
Contents 1. Budapest... 3 1.1 Overview... 3 1.2 Things to do in Budapest... 4 2. Cost of Living... 9 3. Transport... 10 4. Accommodation... 12 2
1. Budapest 1.1 Overview Budapest is the capital and the largest city of Hungary,the largest in East-Central Europe and the seventh largest in the European Union. It is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre, sometimes described as the primate city of Hungary. ccording to 2011 Census, Budapest had 1.74 million inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2.1 million due to suburbanization.the Budapest Commuter Area is home to 3.3 million people. The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres within the city limits. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with unification on 17 November 1873 of west-bank Buda and Óbuda with east-bank Pest. 3
1.2 Things to do in Budapest Budapest by Night Budapest Baths Budapest Gellert Bath When in Budapest, go to a bath. But why does everyone tell you that? Well, Budapest baths are one of a kind. Soak, have a lazy morning, and get some massages in one of the best Budapest Baths, like Szechenyi Baths or Rudas Baths (maybe in Gellert Baths). Having a healing bath is not only good for your joints; it is also a great way to get back your strength after stress, late night parties, or Budapest walking tours or to cure your jet lag. Many of Budapest baths have a range of thermal and swimming pools of all sizes, so everyone can find their own needs easily. Some of the baths are mixed fully or at least co-ed on certain days: see more on Budapest Baths. Try one of the therapies and drinking cures too. If you like chess, head for Szechenyi Baths and challenge the local players. Young tourists shouldn t miss Cinetrip bath parties, aka sparties (music, VJs, and spa party mix!). 4
Buda Castle, Castle Hill Budapest St Stephen, Hungary's first king Take the historical Funicular Railway uphill, and walk around the Buda Castle on the Castle Hill enjoy the views over the river Danube, the Chain Bridge, the Gresham Palace, the Hungarian Parliament, etc. from the Fisherman s Bastion, visit the Matthias Church, have a cake and coffee in the 19th century Cafe Ruszwurm, and indulge in about 50 regional wines in Faust Wine Cellar or the Royal Wine House (great value for money!) all on the Castle Hill, Budapest. Don t miss the Festival of Folk Arts in the Buda Castle around Aug 20. But festivals at the Buda Castle are almost monthly. If you like WW2, visit the Rock Hospital Museum nuclear shelter under the Castle Hill. Heroes Square Visit the Heroes square featuring the historical equestrian statue complex called the Millennial Monument. The square is flanked by two high-quality fine art museums, the Museum of Fine Arts (from mummies to paintings by Raffaello huge collections) and the Hall of Arts (Mucsarnok) if you love good exhibitions of international arts. Alternatively, take a walk in the City Park (where Szechenyi Baths are), spot the Vajdahunyad Castle at the artificial lake, and check out the weekend flea market at PECSA. 5
If you are also or more interested in history than art, keep walking on Andrassy Avenue (or take the yellow line metro to Oktogon square) and take a look at the House of Terror, a highly popular and unique museum showing the real dark pits of communism and the nazi regime in the ex HQ of the secret police. Shopping in Budapest Central Market Hall, Budapest Buy gifts, try the delicious fresh vegetables and fruits, Hungarian paprika, tablecloths, etc. and gobble the Hungarian savory snack, Langos in the Central Market Hall by the Liberty Bridge in Budapest. There are good food stalls and an affordable restaurant too. To get unique gifts, or to shop for Hungarian artsy specialties go to WAMP Design Market or Gozsdu udvar in the old Jewish quarter. For handmade design textiles, scarves, etc. visit Eventuell, a collection of the finest Hungarian designers, great as a free art gallery too. Walk by the River in Budapest OK, it is actually the number 1 or 2 thing to do in Budapest, but you will be walking by the river anyway. Let s make it an official tip: walk along the Danube promenade, marvel at the neo-gothic Hungarian Parliament with its fine turrets and statues, 40kg gold and half a million ornamental stones. Walk through the Margaret bridge (Margithid), and take a fun bike to go around Margaret Island, (Margitsziget) one of the best green parks of Budapest with loads of things to enjoy (open air lido of Palatinus, free pet zoo, Japanese garden, etc.). 6
River Cruise on the Danube Get in a river boat (some are open air, others have huge glasses to shield you in rainy windy weather), and sip some nice champagne, wine, beer or juice while enjoying the night-lit UNESCO world heritage view of the two sides of the Danube: the Buda Castle, the Citadel on the Gellert Hill, the 19th century buildings on the hilly Buda side, the Parliament, the Gresham Palace, the St Stephen s Basilica on the Pest side, the Margaret Island and the bridges (Chain Bridge, Liberty Bridge) in the middle. You cannot but be romantic in Budapest. See for yourself. Music in Budapest Enjoy operas in the beautiful Hungarian Opera House (snacks in the break are also a treat) and/ or listen to classical concerts at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music or choirs, organ concerts at the magnificent St Stephen s Basilica. Jazz, world music and classical concerts are excellent at the Palace of Arts (MUPA) too where you can always find something intriguing to do. If classical music is not for you, go to one of the great Budapest festivals (e.g. Sziget Festival in Hajogyar Island in Budapest, Balaton Festival in Zanka Volt Festival in Sopron, etc.). For cool local and international rock, world music, jazz, metal, etc. concerts visit A38 music club (which is a ship on the Danube with a nice restaurant), or check out some fresh music programmes by talking to 7
guys & gals in a pub/ cafe everyone will be happy to help you. The younger generation of 15-38 speaks good English. Jewish Budapest Visit the Dohany Street Synagogue (which is the Budapest Central Synagogue), the Jewish Museum, and the old Jewish district, try kosher cakes at Cafe Frohlich etc. If you are lucky you can listen to some wonderful klezmer music and other concerts at the Synagogue. Don t miss the Jewish Summer Festival if you are in Budapest in August-September. Walk through Kiraly street (start from Deak square) to find a good place to eat, boutiques to buy handmade things, and feel the old vibe of a once strong community. Budapest Nightlife, Parties Take part in Budapest nightlife: lots of parties, pubs, bars and clubs. Budapest definitely caters for all tastes and inclinations, dancing and drinking habits. Plus the city is quite safe even at night, and people are very friendly. But use your common sense: after all it s a city of 2 million people. Enhance your nightlife experience by checking out one of the best Budapest festivals. Ruin pubs (like Szimpla kert, Otkert, Corvin teto, etc.) are not to be missed if you are under 35 or so, and love parties, cool pubs, artsy quirky places to see. You will know what to do: talk to locals and have fun, try the best Hungarian beers and wines! Tokaji aszu dessert wine or Hungarian Palinka will set the mood for any parties. Oh, for the more moderate, you can go to nice restaurants with live music (swing, jazz) or why not take a bath under the starlit Budapest (Szechenyi Bath is open until 10 pm!) Cuisine Tasting tours Try Hungarian cuisine in one of the best Budapest restaurants, or one of the Top Budapest cafes, especially the mouthwatering cakes at the best Budapest confectioneries give priority to goose (Hungary is the second biggest goose liver exporter following France), duck, wild boar, and do not miss the best tasting pork, Mangalitsa, plus the matching Hungarian wines. Leave some room for the best Hungarian pastries for dessert ( flodni is the best moist cake ever!). Some of the top tasting tours according to tourists are: Faust Wine Cellar (Castle Hill) and Taste Hungary (wine tours, market tours). If you are a foodie who loves cooking, try one of the most reviewed cooking crash courses like Chefparade Cooking School. 8
2. Cost of Living Restaurants Average ( ) Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 4.71 Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 27.03 Combo Meal at McDonalds 4.66 Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) 1.26 Cappuccino (regular 1.13 Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 0.88 Water (0.33 liter bottle) 0.74 Markets Average ( ) Milk (regular), 1 liter 0.76 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 0.66 Eggs (12) 1.37 Fresh Cheese (1kg) 5.58 Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), 1kg 4.67 Apples (1kg) 1.06 Oranges (1kg) 1.12 Potato (1kg) 0.48 Lettuce (1 head) 0.53 Water (1L) 0.44 Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 0.75 Pack of Cigarettes 2.37 9
3. Transport Transport Average ( ) One-way Ticket (local transport) 1.11 Monthly Pass 33.78 Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 1.05 Gasoline (1 liter) 1.37 The public transportation system in Budapest is a favourite internal travel option for a number of Budapest visitors. The system is efficient, inexpensive and runs throughout all of the major tourist areas of Budapest. The system consists of a combination of the bus, trolley-bus, tram, metro, and train lines and is streamlined so that tickets for all of them can generally be purchased at the same locations. This article is long, but comprehensive because many visitors are left a bit bewildered by Budapest's somewhat idiosyncratic system. Your diligence will be rewarded with a good experience utilizing probably one of the best city public transports in the world. Visitors should note that crowded public transportation is the place where tourists are most likely to be victims of pick pocketing and other petty theft. This is not a major cause of concern but should be noted so that visitors stay alert during their travels. The BKV website contains more information on schedules and routes. 10
Types of Transport Metro Budapest currently has three metro lines - M1 (Yellow), M2 (Red) and M3 (Blue). The Yellow line is the oldest underground transportation line in continental Europe and retains much of its oldfashioned charm. All lines meet at Deák Tér in central Pest. First metros start running everyday just before 0500 and end around 2330. Tram (yellow colored) Budapest has an extensive system of above-ground trams. The most useful lines for tourists are the 4 or 6, which follows the large ring road that encircle Budapest city center and cross Margit híd bridge before ending at Moskva Tér on the Buda side and Petőfi híd bridge before it terminates at Móricz Zsigmond Körtér, also on the Buda side; the 47-49, which runs trough central Pest and across the river to Hotel Gellert; the 2, which follows the Danube River on the Pest side; and the 19, which follows the Danube River on the Buda Side. Bus (blue colored) In addition to the trams, Budapest is served by numerous bus lines. Bus lines of use to most tourists are the 7 and 73 which will connect you between the busy Keleti train station and the lesser used Kelefold train stations on the Buda side. Some other notable places that it stops along is Blaha Lujza ter (connects to the red metro line, and 4 and 6 trams), Ferenciek tere (very near Vaci utca), and in front of the Rudas baths and the Gellert Hotel both on the Buda side. Bus 86 is also very helpful as it has a stop near the Gellert Hotel and runs along the big Buda street parallel to the Danube. Trolley-Bus (red colored) they look much like buses except they're powered by electrical lines. One line that can be of use to visitors is the 70 which originates from the South side of Kossuth square across from the Parlament and cuts through the city center using Nagymező utca (Budapest's "Broadway") before crossing Andrássy boulevard and cutting up Király utca on its way to the Varosliget. (City Park). Night Bus (blue colored) All regular transportation services stop around midnight (varies by route). Night busses replace the metro lines, major tram and major bus routes and run through the night until normal service resumes in the morning. Separate schedules for night and day buses are posted at every stop. Starting in 2009, night bus tickets will use regular single ride tickets, just like the daytime, for 290 Forints and are sold by the bus driver for 400 Forints. HÉV Trains (green colored) these old trains still serve the outer and suburban areas of Budapest. Regular public transport tickets are not valid when the trains leave the city limits. Thus if you are going to the popular tourist destinations of Szentendre or Gödöllö, you must go to a Pénztár window at the stations where the HÉV trains are (Batthyány tér or Árpád híd for Szentendre, Örs vezér tere for Gödöllö) and make a round-trip purchase. Buying Tickets: One purchases tickets and passes at "Pénztár" windows near the entrances of most metro stations. Many of these cashiers do not speak any language except their own native tongue, so it would be wise to be prepared with written requests in Hungarian for what you need. One can also find single tickets on sale at most newsstands, including ones at the airport. Except for the airport bus 200 and night buses, bus and tram drivers do not usually sell tickets. (Tickets sold by drivers are 400 Forints) 11
4. Accommodation Utilities (Monthly) Avg. Basic (Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment 144.62 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) 0.12 Internet (6 Mbps, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 19.21 Rent Per Month Avg. Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 248.37 Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 169.03 Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 451.90 Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 339.18 Buy Apartment Price Avg. Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre 1,237.61 Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 849.68 12