Category: Budapest

New Years Eve Opera Gala And Ball

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We have already written about the New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra taking place on the first of January, 2009. But, if you are looking for an event on the 31st of December this might be the one. If you want to finish the year in beautiful surroundings and with elite company, the Hungarian State Opera might be the place. The famous Gundel Restaurant will serve the food!

Program of the Gala Night:
20.00 Welcoming of guests in the aula with a welcome cocktail
20.30 Parts of the popular operetta of Johann Strauss, the Bat
21.30 GUNDEL dinner
Served on the stage, banquet halls and galleries of the Hungarian State Opera,
23.00 Performance by the popular Erox Martini
24.00 National Anthem
Champagne
Opening dance by professional dancers
Ball until early morning

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Hungarian food in McDonalds

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Hungarian food in McDonaldsMcDonalds just started their new campaign where they serve “Hungarian” food in their restaurants. On the menu you can find Paprica Chicken hamburger, French toast (Bundás kenyér), Scone (lángos), Rissole (fasírt), Golden Dumplings and Porksandwich with horseradish. We somehow managed to drop by a McDonalds yesterday evening and tasted the Paprica Chicken Burger and the Golden Dumplings. I had great expectations, especially as Golden Dumplings is among my favorite desserts in Hungary.

Maybe you were hoping that you can skip the Hungarian restaurants as of now to eat in McDonalds… I would not do so! The two things that we tasted were not at all good, and worst of them was the Paprica Chicken burger. The dressing, or whatever was supposed to give the burger paprica taste rather destroyed it all. The Golden Dumplings tasted a little bit better, but still… it is not often I have eaten so bad dumplings. Today I read a review chef.hu were they mostly agreed with us concerning the two things we ate, but they were slightly more positive to the Rissole and the Porksandwich, so maybe we will have to try them later!

Restaurants in Budapest

Paris of the east = Budapest?

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I have often heard people speaking of Budapest as the Paris of the east. It sounds really nice, and I must admit, that Budapest is a really beautiful city, just as Paris. Having some seconds today I just typed in on google “Paris of the east”, curious to see what it would show me. To my great surprise there are many “Parises” of the east. Tehran, Prague, Shanghai, Bucharest and Istanbul were some of the cities mentioned, and it seemd to me as if Bucharest was the most “popular” one with the title “Paris of the east.”

There are probably many cities fighting for the title, but for many tourists coming to Eastern-Europe the question is not whether to go to Budapest or Shanghai, or Budapest or Istanbul, but rather if they should go to Budapest or Prague. As editor of this page, and as a person who loves Budapest, I would for sure recommend Budapest, but if you have time, I would visit both Budapest and Prague. After that you can make up your own oppinion what city has most right to the title “Paris of the East”; Budapest or Prague.

Some pictures from Budapest
Budapest by nightSzabadság TérSchöne DonauDanube and the CastleStreet in BudapestSaint Stephens Basilica

New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

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With the aim of starting a new tradition, the Palace of Arts decided to celebrate the new year of 20008 not by the usual, light music played in other places but with the exquisite oratory of Joseph Haydn which involves the magic of the creation and which has been a constant favourite with audiences for 210 years.

The orchestra will be led by Ádám Fischer, who is the most experienced and most inventive representative of the composer’s music. The orchestra is the famous London Philharmonic Orchestra founded by Sir Thomas Beecham, accompanied by the London Philharmonic Choir. The invitation of the London orchestras and choir is not a coincidence: Haydn composed the Creation in London.

The large-scale composition took Haydn two years to complete; it was first shown in Vienna at the end of April 1798. It meant him a huge artistic acknowledgement and financial success. “Since then the Creation has become one of the emblematic masterpieces of European music, an icon. But the respect that surrounds the composition is not the only reason for gaining a place amongst the “compulsory” pieces – such as the passions of Bach, oratorio of Handel and the Missa solemnise of Beethoven of the repertoires in the music life of the world. We actually need the Creation. We need somebody to show us the beauties of the world and convey the message that living on Earth is a good thing.” (András Batta)

Ticket prices: 4000.- 6300.- 8300.- 9900.- HUF.
You can get hold of tickets from Interticket (be aware: the page is hard to use, and the english is not too good)
Source: Budapestinfo.hu

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Delirious in Budapest, December 19

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After 17 years and 14 albums, Delirious? will be playing its Central European farewell show in Budapest, Hungary. They are touring “Kingdom of Comfort”, their last studio album that revolves around the heavy theme of social justice. Tickets can be bought from eventim and BudapestGospel.

Event info
Date: 19 December 2008, Friday 7.30PM
Venue: Petőfi Csarnok Main Hall
Zichy Mihály u. 14., 1146 Budapest, Hungary

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Opera Ball 2009, 21 February

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The annual Opera Ball will take place on the 21 February in 2009. The star guest will be Richard Clayderman, so if you like him you have one more excuse to come visit the Hungarian State Opera.

The event is not a cheap thing; tickets start from 84.000 forints. For ticket booking, programme and more information go to operabal.com.

Richard Clayderman BudapestRichard Clayderman

Short History of the Budapest Opera Ball: (source: operabal.com)
A social event has been reborn where the leading persons of the middle class that is to say the Hungarian culture, knowledge, power and money meet one another each year. The opera ball had been first organised in 1886 and, after an interval of 62 years, it has revived in 1996. Representing the 111 years’ tradition, it has become the largest and most important meeting of the participants of the Hungarian public life winning the keenest attention of the public opinion already the first time.

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A picture from the Vörösmarty Square

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Gerbeaud by night, Originally uploaded by GuideToBudapest

At this square there will in not to many weeks be a christmas market. The Vörösmarty Square, the main square of Budapest, is the place where the traditional Christmas Market will be held this year for the tenth time.

At the picture you can see the Gerbeaud building, and totally in front a nice coffee place where you can get some hot drinks and cold drinks.

Just as a little nice thing; today it has been measured almost 20 Celsius in Budapest. Quite nice, ey? This Thursday we had a guided tour with some Norwegians, and during the tour one received a phonecall, because they needed him to remove the snow from some norwegian roads… I just though; man it is good, at least from the perspective of climate, to live in Hungary.

Lots of pictures from Budapest

Budapest Spring Festival 2009

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Budapest has a lot of festivals, and every year they arrange a spring festival. In 2009 the spring festival will be arranged between 20 March and 5 April. Among the artists you can find:

Ágnes Szakály, Amadinda Percussion Group, Anderszewski Piotr, Arkadi Volodos, Bartók Quartet, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Budapest Tomkins Vocal Ensemble, Camerata Salzburg,
Ensemble Martinù, Harding Daniel, János Dobra, Kálmán Záborszky, Kodály Quartet, Kremerata Baltica, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Maisenberg Oleg, Mika Teranagane, Milan Turkovic,
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Say Fazil, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis and Zugló Philharmonia.

For a full list of the programs and venues, go to www.btf.hu/btf2009/

If you are looking for an apartment or would like a guided tour as you come to Budapest for the festival, feel free to contact us for advices and help!

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Christmas market in Budapest – 2008

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Christmas Market BudapestCHRISTMAS MARKET BUDAPEST 2009 INFORMATION HERE

In forums all around the world and in travel magazines people now speak of the christmas markets around the world, and around in Europe. I just visited a page where they wrote about the ten best christmas fairs in Europe, and Budapest was not included. Included or not, Budapest has a great christmas market at the Vörösmarty Square (endstation of the yellow underground line), and here you can buy presents, food and have a really good time!

This year it is the tenth anniversary for the christmas market, and more than 150 programs accompany the christmas market. Around 600 000 visitors are expected to visit the market between 21 November and 29 December.

More Christmas Market pictures can be found here and here.

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Eating at Mátyás Pince

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Earlier this week we had the chance to visit Mátyás Pince to taste their food, and to listen to some gipsy music while we were eating. Our goal and what we wanted to discover, was whether this was a restaurant to recommend to tourists or not. And after eating there we have for sure found out.

Hungarian Goulash SoupOur starter was a Hungarian Goulash soup, and we must say; it for sure tasted like Goulash soup… Some people told us that they serve the Goulash soup with beans several places (and they normally do not like that), but here they did not, and we were able to really enjoy the soup.

After the soup we ordered two different main courses; Breast of Pullet Grilled with Fresh Spices of Garden, with Mixed Salad in Roquefort Dressing and Paprika Chicken Stew Szeged Style with Home Made Butter Dumplings. The first is not really Hungarian, but my wife wanted that, so no need to argue! I ate the Paprica Chicken and I was really satisfied with the taste of it.

In places like this they often have annoying gipsy music playing in the background, and sometimes the musicians put their violins almost into your ears, but we had no problem with the musicians or the volume here.

As a dessert we ate “rétes” with ice-cream; a nice ending of a “hungarian” evening!

Conclusion
We really got a taste of Hungary, and if you are looking for a place to eat Hungarian food this might be one that will meet your needs. The prices are high compared with many other places, so it will probably not be a place where we will come back all the time; but for the sake of tasting Hungary it was satisfying our needs!

Restaurants in Budapest