Budapest Archives - Page 5 of 50

Best films from Budapest on Netflix

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Budapest Guide

Do you have a Netflix account and feel like watching some film with clips from Budapest in them? Want to see the Chain Bridge and other Budapest attractions combined with action? Here are some of the films you can watch from Budapest on Netflix!

Before continuing it is worth knowing that there are not that many films that have been recorded in Budapest, and lots of the films recorded in Budapest does not really try to show Budapest as a city. That is why we will simply highlight a few films on Netflix in which you can see the beauties of Budapest. A film such as Die Hard 5 is not on the list, because you see very little from Budapest in that film, and it can not be found on Netflix.

So, as you want to watch Budapest on Netflix you will of course need a Netflix account, and if you are in Hungary you will need a VPN subscription as well, because you are not yet allowed to watch Netflix in Hungary. However, if you read the following article you will find out still how you can watch Netflix in Hungary easily.

Budapest on US Netflix

If you have a US Netflix account the best films are unavailable for you, but there is one film on US Netflix in which you can at see pieces of Budapest, and that is Evita!

Budapest on UK Netflix

On UK Netflix there are much more to watch, so the best two films available on UK Netflix with scenes and beautiful images from Budapest is I Spy and Munich. I Spy is a really lousy film, but after all it was recorded in Budapest, which makes it nice anyway. Munich is a much more serious film dealing with the terror attack on Israeli participants during the Summer Olympics in Munich. Here you can see some screenshots from I Spy (not too high quality though).

Hotel Gellert I Spy — Hotel Gellert in I Spy

Budapest on Norwegian Netflix

If you want to watch an action film in Norwegian with English subtitles, then you need to watch “Varg Veum: I morket er alle ulver gra” on Netflix. This film is far better than I Spy, and also here you can see lots of beautiful shots and scenes from Budapest. Take a look at the images believe for a little taste.

These are some films that can be watched on Netflix where you can see lots of beautiful Budapest clips. And what is great is that with one single Netflix subscription you can watch Netflix in all sorts of nations. You can read more about that here.

Watch the World Cup outdoors in Budapest

Posted on June 23, 2014April 21, 2024 by Budapest Guide

If you come to Budapest and would like to watch the World Cup together with hundreds and maybe thousands of others, both Hungarians and tourists like yourself, then there are quite a lot of places in which that can be done.

These are some of those places at which you can see your favorite team play important matches during the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Watch the World Cup outdoor in Budapest

Akvarium

Akvarium is the most central and easy to find pub in Budapest. It is located by Erzsebet tér/Deák Ferenc tér. That is where three of the metro lines meet up, and in a way the most central spot in town. Here you can find tons of people from early evening until early morning, and a great place to watch the World Cup.

Szabadsag ter

At the Liberty Square you can also watch the World Cup. Here you can have a nice drink, eat some food and watch the games together with hundreds of other people at one of the nicest squares in Budapest, not far from the Hungarian Parliament.

Holdudvar

If you relax on the Margaret Island then you will not even have to leave the island to watch the World Cup. If you visit Holdudvar you can watch the matches on big screens and of course enjoy some food and drinks while watching the match.

Millenaris

If you want to stay on the Buda side of Budapest, then visit the Millenaris Park. That park is beautiful and it is located near the Mammut shopping center. A great and peaceful place to watch the World Cup.

Enjoy all the matches, and if you wonder which teams are playing when, then you can find a World Cup 2014 schedule on watchworldcup.net.

How to watch the Winter Olympics in Budapest?

Posted on January 14, 2014May 3, 2018 by Budapest Guide

Will you be in Budapest beween February 7th and February 23rd? That is the time when the Winter Olympics will be arranged in Sochi, and with lots of Germans who might win Gold Medals, you probably want to watch your favorite athletes as they compete in Sochi. But, how to watch the Winter Olympics in Budapest?

If you want to watch it on TV you can for example watch EuroSport in your hotel. But, they will not send everything all the time, so if you want to have more to pick from, why not go and watch the Winter Olympics in Budapest at a sports pub instead?

For those who would rather watch the Winter Olympics in front of your computer screen, meaning that you want to watch the Winter Olympics online, and then hopefully with English voices giving you the latest reports and news, then that can be done. However, most English channels broadcasting from the Winter Olympics use a geo-block, so that viewers outside their nation can not watch it online. That can be bypassed luckily, and if you want to know more about how to watch from the Winter Olympics with English commentaries online, read the linked article.

Good luck, and have fun!

Girls asking for the way in Budapest are not really asking for the way!

Posted on December 4, 2013December 4, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Yesterday we received an email from a group of some guys that we helped with airport transfers and some other programs in Budapest. They were very satisfied with everything, but before the end of the email they share a story we unfortunately have heard so many times before. A very traditional bar scam story where you end up with an extremely high bill.

The guys walked in Vaci utca, the shopping street in Budapest, and as they walked there (around the Ice Bar/Burger King area), they met two girls looking very confused. They stood there with a map asking for directions, and as polite guys these men stood at their service. After describing the way the girls asked if the guys had any further plans, and then they asked if they wanted to join them for some beer somewhere nearby. They went to a bar/restaurant in a cellar nearby (they guess the address it is located somewhere between Vaci utca 11-15, but not really sure) and without looking at the menu they started to order drinks to themselves and to the girls. One drink turned into quite a lot of drinks, and then when they got the bill, a really big one. Just take a look yourself!

super bill in Vaci utca — Very expensive drinks at traditional Hungarian bar scam

Above you can see what their final bill looked like. They drank a lot, but as you can see, the prices are far higher than they should be. This is of course a very traditional story that us living and working in Budapest has heard several times, but we just post this story as a warning to those who have not yet been in Budapest. Avoid night clubs and bars if you are not sure about their reputation and do not go out to have drinks with “innocent” girls or ladies asking for directions, asking for the way or starting flirting with you on the street. It might seem charming, and you might feel young and attractive again, but what attracts them to you is not really your look, but your wallet and your VISA card!

Want to make sure other people avoid such scams? Share the story on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter! Experienced similar stuff yourself? Write a comment and let us and everyone else know!

Budapest in December

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Budablogger

After a slow and quiet Budapest in November, December once again comes with life and romantic atmosphere to Budapest. The month first of all has to do with the preparations for Christmas as people come to Budapest to visit the annual Christmas market and to buy Christmas present for their loved ones at home. Others come with the company for a pre-Christnas party with lots of drinking, partying, large meals and lots of pre-arranged programs. In general it can be said that Budapest has a lot to offer its visitors in December, and here we will try to give some information about the best hotels, activities, weather, programs, festivals and similar stuff in Budapest in December.

Weather in December

As you pack your suitcase and prepare for your stay in Budapest in December you should be prepared for temperatures around 0 degrees, maybe warmer and some sunshine during daytime, but still a cold feeling to it all. It is often windy in this period of the year, and when the wind is blowing in Budapset in 0 degrees, it is freezing cold, even for people from Nordic nations who are used to cold temperatures. It might be 0 degrees, but it feels more like -15 because of the wind. Make sure to have some warm shoes and socks in addition to your solid jacket and something to cover your ears with. As always we recommend our visitors to check out the weather forecast one day before departure, to get the latest update on what temperatures and weather can be expceted during the stay.

Because of the cold weather and the win, you might want to live in a hotel which is central, but not necessarily along the Danube where it is blowing more than anywhere else. The best Christmas market is located on the Vörösmarty square, so a hotel not far from this is recommend, for example Kempinski (5 stars), Eurostars Budapest Center (4 stars), Mercure Budapest CityCenter (4 stars) or Hotel Promande (3 stars). These are all central and have quite good prices and normally good reviews from their visitors.

What do do in Budapest in December?

In the cold you will probably look for quite some indoor activities, so we will try to come up with some good suggestions for you for things you can do in Budapest in December. Still, the most important activity in Budapest in this period is the Christmas market(s).

Christmas markets

There are several Christmas markets in Budapest, but the most visited and important market is the one located at the Vörösmarty square. This is the square where you can find the famous Gerbeaud confectionery and every day at 17.00 they open the calender of the day in the windows at Gerbeaud. The market looks especially magical in the evenings with all the lights turned on. Read more about the market at our Christmas market page.

Hot wine and honey festivities

This is something very similar to a Christmas market, but still a bit different. The location is the Vajdahunyad castle in the City Park of Budapest. You will of course get the chance to shop handicrafts here, if you are freezing you will find hot wine and you can of course combine it with some ice skating at the giant ice skating rink just next to the Castle. The program is available from December 1st till December 23rd in 2012, and is open from 10.00-20.00 on weekends and from 12.00-20.00 on weekdays. Entrance is free!

Shopping

Before Christmas people want to go shopping and they look for traditional and untraditional Christmas presents. In Budapest you can find lots of shops in the popular Vaci Utca, but if you want to visit a traditional shopping mall with the most famous stores inside you should visit either WestEnd Citycenter (by Nyugati Pályaudvar) or Arena Plaza (by Keleti Pályaudvar). In these centers you will find popular brands, restaurants, cafees, cinemas and more. If you want more exclusive shopping and want to buy some really expensive stuff to a wife or girlfriend, then go for a walk in Andrassy ut and visit either Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Max Mara, Armani or one of the other exlucsive shops in Budapest. To shop some handmade stuff and quite seldom stuff, a trip to Szentendre could be an option.

Excursion to Vienna

A great idea and cool activity to do before Christmas if you come to Budapest is to go on a day trip ti Vienna. The capital of Austria is only 250 kilometers away, and most drivers do this distance in 2,5 hours. In Vienna you have beautiful attractions such as Schönbrunn, Hofburg and the Stephansdom, but in December you can in addition find some of the nicest Christmas markets in the world here. Vienna is much more expensive than Budapest, so live cheap in Budapest, enjoy the Christmas market in Budapest and then do a day trip to Vienna one day and enjoy the beauties and the romantic Christmas markets of Vienna as well.

Pig slaughter

This might not be the nicest Christmas program, but according to Hungarian traditions a pig needs to be slaughtered in this time. This is a big celebration and during a pig slaughter day you eat lots of pork, drink a lot and fill your freezer with meet for the upcoming year. This is a “hard-to-find” program, but if you look hard on the web, you might find it.

Christmas in Budapest

When writing an article about Budapest in December one of the most important parts is what to do for Christmas in Budapest. Quite a lot of people travel to other cities and nations to celebrate Christmas there, and if you come to Budapest, here are come advices. First of all it is useful to know that most restaurants keep closed on December 24th. While some restaurants open again on December 25th, most restaurants stay closed all the way until December 27th. It is therefore important, especially for December 24th to book a table in an open restaurant beforehand. A new option available on December 24th in 2012 is the traditional Dinner Cruise with live gipsy music which will be arranged from 19.00 on Christmas Eve. If that sounds interesting click here for more information and ticket reservation.

Shops are open in Budapest on December 24th until 12.00 or 13.00, and then they open again on December 27th. Museums are also closed on December 24th and most of them open again on December 27th. Again, if you plan on visiting someplace special or have a special interested in a museum, check out what opening times they have specifically. The Szechenyi Thermal Bath has nice opening times during Christmas and stay open every day, but it closes earlier on December 24th. This means that if you come to Budapest for Christmas you will meet a lot of closed restaurants and museums, so be prepared for that and take that into consideration as you plan your stay. But, as of December 27th everything goes back into normal life again, only interrupted by:

New Years Eve in Budapest

December 31st is the last day of the year, and on this day you will be able to enjoy open shops, restaurants and museums in Budapest. During the daytime most restaurants run with their normal menus, but starting sometimes between 19.00 and 21.00 almost all restaurants have special new years eve menus, which needs to be booked and often payed for before the program itself starts. It is therefor important to plan where you want to spend your New Years Eve before arrival, as most restaurants are fully booked some days before the big day.

What about January 1st? On the first day in the new year it is time to relax after a late night, so stay in bed for a long time. All shops are closed on this day, but restaurants and shops keep open as normal. Some museums are closed, but the Szechenyi Thermal bath is open, so if you want a swim in the cold weather (which we can warmly recommend), that is a great program for January 1st.

Other programs available in December

In December you can find some programs available, which you could just as well do any other month in Budapest and Hungary. This means that there are daily cruises available on the Danube in all of December, there are folklore performances, some organ concerts, wine tasting opportunities, great private massage treatment opportunities and of course lots of traditional and un-traditional Hungarian restaurants waiting for you to visit them

We wish you at least a good stay in Budapest in December and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Good books about Budapest

Posted on November 27, 2013October 23, 2023 by Budablogger

There are lots of good books about Budapest out on the market, but it is not always so easy to find them. If you are a tourist you will probably find yourself looking for a travel guide with maps and useful information on the inside. If you are an expat living in Budapest you might be looking for historical books which will give you deeper insight in the culture, and if you love a good novel you might be looking for a good book which has a story that takes place in Budapest.

If you fit into any of the categories mentioned we have recommendations and some titles we believe might be interesting to you. You will not find all of these books in bookstores in Budapest, so therefore we add links to where you can order all the books online from Amazon.com. And do not forget to buy yourself a bottle of wine suitable to the book, because that will make the feeling even more authentic. Don’t get it? In Alexandra Bookstore in Budapest on Andrassy avenue they have a beautiful bookstore, a nice confectionery and a wine store. In the wine store they have a small booklet where they recommend wines to the different books mentioned in the booklet. So when you buy a book, you also get a bottle of wine and enjoy the two of them together. If you read this article somewhere outside Hungary it will be hard for you to get hold of Hungarian wine, but then you can either buy some local wine instead, or maybe just a good cup of coffee or some hot chocolate. Most important; enjoy your reading and enjoy the book!

Budapest Noir is a great book about Budapest

Seven good books about Budapest

Rick Steves’ Budapest
In this travel guide you will find the thoughts of the author on Budapest and its attractions, restaurants, activities spiced up with maps, practical advices and some excursion information. There are lots of pictures added to the texts, and if you want to walk with a book in your hands as you get to know Budapest on your own, this might very well be it!

Order the book from Amazon.com: Rick Steves’ Budapest

Budapest Noir: A Novel
This is a novel written by the Hungarian writer Vilmos Kondor, born in 1954. He has studied in Paris (at Sorbonne) and after that returned to Hungary. Budapest Noir is his first novel which has been praised by both Hungarian and foreigners. In this book you will get to know Zsigmond Gordon who feels like both Clark Kent and Sherlock Holmes at the same time. The story is set to the mid 1930s, and it „offers a haunting social and political critique, empowering us not to forget the emergence of one of history’s darkest moments: the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.”

Order the book from Amazon.com: Budapest Noir: A Novel

The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II
Maybe you have read many books about the Second World War, but very few of them focus on Hungary and on the battles taking place in Budapest. In this book written by Krisztian Ungvary you will get much more insight in the battle which describes one of the fiercest battles of World War II; the siege of Budapest. Both Stalin and Hitler demanded victory at all costs, and the cost was extreme: 80,000 Soviet troops, 38,000 German and Hungarian soldiers, and 38,000 Hungarian civilians perished. The book provides the first full account of this shocking battle.

Order the book from Amazon.com: The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II

Culinaria Hungary
In this book you will find 320 pages filled with information about the Hungarian gastronomy. You will get to know more about local traditions in different parts of Hungary and of course specialties and various details. But, the book does not only contain dry information. It also includes beautiful pictures and of course good recipes. If you are interested in the Hungarian cuisine, this is probably the book you are looking for. The book is written by Aniko Gergely.

Order this book from Amazon.com: Culinaria Hungary

Prague: A Novel
No, it is not a mistake. Even though the cover photo of the book feature the Charles Bridge in Prague, and the title is Prague: A Novel, the story of the book takes place in Budapest. The story is about five expats who come to Budapest in the 1990s to seek their fortune, and also get an answer to their suspicion that Prague is a bit better. This book written by Arthur Phillips is not a personal favorite, but if this sounds like something you would like to read, then why not!

Order the book from Amazon.com: Prague: A Novel

Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
October 23rd and the following days shook the world in 1956. The Hungarians stood up against the Communist rulers and impacted the world. In this book you will get to know the story of the Hungarian revolution, get to know what happened when, and also get to know the parts of the city where the most important events took place. You can say it like this that “Twelve Days adds immeasurably to our understanding of this historic event and reminds us of the unquenchable human desire for freedom.”

Order this book from Amazon.com: Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution (Vintage)

The Will to Survive: A History of Hungary
There are lots of books about the history of Hungary on the market, and most of them are written by Hungarians. This book is not written by a Hungarian. While some people judge the book because of that, others claim that the greatness of this book is exactly the fact that it is not written by a Hungarian. John Lukacs writes the following: “There are occasions when the sympathetic and interested eye of a foreigner may penetrate the jungle of confusing events and complicated sentiments with a clarity of vision amounting to something more than the antiseptic desideratum of “objectivity”. Such is the case with The Will to Survive. Many professional historians, including Hungarians, could learn from the judgments of this former guest in their midst.” If you want to know the Hungarian history in details that will make your tourist guide look at you with big eyes and maybe start asking you questions instead, this book might be it!

Order this book from Amazon.com: The Will to Survive: A History of Hungary (Columbia/Hurst)

Budapest in February

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Budablogger

After January comes February and with February comes another month not listed as a favorite month among those working with tourists. And that is why February can be such a great month to visit Budapest – you will be a treasured guest in this period of the year!

First of all Budapest welcomes you with great hotel prices in February. I just checked some prices writing this article and if I would look for a five star hotel in Budapest in February I could get 4 nights in Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal Budapest (often said to be the most luxurious five star hotel in Budapest) for only 280 Euro. This is a special price, because normally other five star hotels cost about 110 Euro per night in this period, but still; you can get some amazing prices on Budapest hotels if you come in February.

Programs in Budapest in February

As you arrive to Budapest in February you should not expect loads of programs to wait for you. The traditional folklore performances have still not really started, so if you want to see some traditional Hungarian folklore you better visit a restaurant with folklore shows. An example of such a restaurant is Matyas Pince as they have folklore shows every Wednesday and Thursday. The restaurant is not at all my favorite restaurant, but if you want traditional food combined with gipsy music and folklore, it works.

There are river cruises on the Danube every day in February. If you stroll along the Danube you will find different offers. If you are going on such a cruise, make sure to do it in the evening, that is when you get the ultimate Budapest by night experience.

SPA and shopping

February is a cold month with an average temperature of 0 Celsius, so if you are freezing and want some hours with 100% relaxation, then a SPA treatment could do you well. If you book a cheap five star hotel know that you can find much cheaper treatments around than inside your hotel. You could for example consider a visit to Szechenyi Furdo to enjoy hot springs and a massage there, or you can visit one of the private SPAs around in Budapest. The city has thai massage, traditional massage and lots of beauty saloons around, so there are plenty to choose from.

February is a great month to visit one of the many shopping malls in Budapest. Inside these you can spend hour upon hour just looking around, especially if you are a girl/lady. The biggest center is Arena Plaza and here you can also grab some nice food, drink a coffee in Starbucks, buy groceries in Tesco and why not see a new film in the VIP cinema where you can eat as much popcorn and drink as much as you want, it’s included in the price. That is a perfect February activity!

Mangalica festival

Mangalitsa, mangalitza, mangalica or curly-hair hog, call it and write it whatever way you feel like, but if you want to get to know a part of Hungarian gastronomy that is important, the mangalica festival is a great place to go in February. At the festival you can of course eat a lot of mangalica sausage, salami and ham, drink a lot of Palinka and other Hungarians goodies and get to meet with other locals and tourists. The festival is arranged at the Szabadsag square (not far from the Hungarian Parliament) from February 8th – 10th in 2013. The entrance is free, so you should absolutely check it out, because this is the only large festival and event like this arranged in Budapest in February.

A good advice in general is to use the opportunity as you visit Budapest in February to eat in a lot of restaurants and to taste a whole lot of Hungarian specialties. Why not go to a wine tasting or Palinka tasting? Another trendy activity are cooking schools. There are quite a lot of them around in Budapest as of know and in these you get to prepare Hungarian food together with an experienced cook. As the food is prepared you can of course eat it together with your friends.

Maybe you have a secret wish to know more about how the Hungarians live and what they eat? If so I just noticed a great program named family visit.” The family invite you to their home where they prepare traditional food for you, chat with you (as best as they can) and you can see what a normal Hungarian home looks like.

Thoughts on the weather in February

It can be very cold, but if you are lucky you can catch days with 5-10 Celsius. Check out the weather forecast before your arrival, and a good advice is to have a warm jacket in your suitcase. If it gets cold, it can get really cold!

Palinka and Sausage festival coming back in 2013

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Budapest Guide

The dates have been announced for the Palinka and Sausage festival in 2013. Tradition is followed and the dates are only announced a few weeks before the actual festival. So also this year, so in less than two weeks the festival will come upon us and it is possible to taste a wide selection of Hungarian Palinka and taste traditional sausuage.

As always there will be a special guest coming to the festival, and in 2013 that guest will be “rum.” This means that as you come to visit the festival area you will get several chances not only to taste the traditional Hungarian food and fruit spirit, but also taste a wide selection of rums. The entrance fee is 2000 HUF for a day ticket, which also gives you a small tasting glass which is a quite nice souvenir to bring with you home after some days in Budapest.

The area for the festival is the castle area, so again a great opportunity to enjoy a beautiful panorama and visit one of the most visited areas combined with this festival, all in one!

Read more about other Budapest events and concerts.

Hungarian Song Day, Víg Theatre 2013

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Budapest Guide

I think, we have reached the top of the Hungarian Song Day on 8 September 2013. The Hungarian Song Day event was created by one of the most famous and most talented Hungarian musicians, Presser Gábor in 2008, on the zero day of the Sziget Festival. Several Hungarian musicians have joined to the initiative, this year we will celebrate the 6th Hungarian Song Day.

Presser has been always active in Hungarian music life. This year is the anniversary of the first show of the musical, which is one of the most outstanding works of this talented man, the Imaginary report from the American pop festival in the Víg Theatre. The musical processes the events of Altamont Festival in 1969. To celebrate, the Víg Theatre will invite you a time travelling and call up the 40 years before premier through the eyes of today youngsters. The performance will show the songs by Presser Gábor and Adamis Anna, archive records and the play by Eszenyi Enikő, director of the theatre will make more special this night. The show will be in Hungarian, so we recommend this program for those, who can understand the language or those who are very open to the Hungarian music life and culture. If you like to hear something, which has real success in Hungary for 40 years, do not miss the performance, Imaginary report from an American pop festival on 8 September 2013 at 8 o’clock PM at the Víg Theatre in Budapest. Have fun!

Address: 1137, Budapest, 14 Szent István Boulevard

Hungarian Song Day, Imaginary report 40

Hungarian Song Day, Óbuda Social circle 2013

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Budapest Guide

The Óbuda Social circle will prepare with a sheet music book with four hundred songs on the Hungarian Song Day on 8 September 2013. Unfortunately the common singing, the choir has lost its old glory, but fortunately there are people who keep the life in this wonderful and interesting genre. Those, who love this type of music, definitely should visit the most beautiful Hungarian choirs with the best songs. Be the part of the common singing’s joy, as a listener or as a part. It definitely would be an unforgettable experience, just like all the programs of the Hungarian Song Day. Have fun!

Address: 1037, Budapest, 7 Kiskorona Street

Hungarian Song Day, Óbuda Social circle 2013