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Budapest in July

Together with August July is one of the hottest months of the year in Budapest. An average day will give you 30 Celsius during daytime, but you will often experience warmer temperatures as well. You should therefore prepare with some bathing trunks packing your suitcase before arriving to Budapest in July.

What do I need bathing trunks for, you might wonder? Good question, after all swimming in the Danube is something you should not do. But, if you want to take a swim, here are some of the places where that can be done. However, do not forget the sun lotion!

Szechenyi Furdo
This is a thermal bath with three outdoor pools. However, since this is natural hot springs, the water is a bit to hot, at least for a warm July day. If you want to visit this thermal bath, do it on the day with the worst weather during your stay. After all, swimming in 37 Celsius is not to enjoyable if the temperature in the air is 37 Celsius as well.

Palatinus Furdo
If you want to enjoy life on a hot summer day in Budapest the Palatinus Furdo is probably the best option and best place. This bath is located at the Margaret Island and here you have lots of outdoor pools and water activities, much more enjoyable at a warm summer day than in the Szechenyi thermal bath.

Dagaly Furdo
The Dagaly bath is located not far from the Arpad bridge, on the Pest side. This is a beautiful outdoor complex with both thermal water and normal pools. This is not the place most tourists go, so if you want to mix up with the locals, this is the place to go for a cool outdoor venue with nice pools.

Dagaly Bath – a great place to be in the heat

July activities and festivals

The most important event in Budapest in July is the Formula 1 race. This is normally arranged at the last weekend in July at Hungaroring, just outside Budapest. Because of the Formula 1 all hotel prices are raised with 20 percent and the city is packed with people for a weekend. Or, the truth is that the invation starts for this weekend, and one week later (some days into August) the Sziget Festival takes place, and then invasion number two takes place.

Formula 1 Budapest 2014: July 25th-27th

During the summer there is a summer festival with different concerts taking place at the open-air stage on the Margaret Island and at the open air stage at Varosmajor (quite far outside the center). There will be quite a lot of programs worth checking out in July because of this festival, for example the Madame Butterfly Opera at July 28th at the Margaret Island.

If you visit the Vajdahunyad Castle in the City Park there will be a music festival there available from July 11th until the start of August.

On July 18th there will be a concert in the Dominician court in the Hilton hotel. The performance will be made by the 100 Member Gypsy Orchestra.

In 2013 visitors have a great chance to visit the giant ferris wheel in the center of Budapest. It will only be there until July 31st, and then it will be moved away and taken to the Sziget Festival before it leaves us forever. You should therefore use this opportunity and travel with the giant wheel while it is still here.

What to do in the July heat?

When it gets to warm in Budapest in July there are some things that might be useful to do.

  • Visit the St. Stephen’s Basilica. On the inside the temperatures are much better than on the outside.
  • Drink the Hungarian spritzer, a mixture of wine and bubble water.
  • Book a room in a hotel with air-condition
  • Sleep during the warmest hours and stay up later in the evening

These were just some thoughts on what to do in Budapest in July. Feel free to share further insights and thoughts as you write a comment! We wish you all some beautiful days and weeks in Budapest!

Wine trip to Eger on June 8th

Bolyki winery
Bolyki winery

We have created a new wine excursion and it will be launched for the first time on June 8th. The destination will be Eger and it will be a great way to get to know the city better, and of course to get to know the wine production of the area.

This excursion will be available for groups from 4 persons and up in the future, but on June 8th we invite you to come on the maiden trip which is open for everyone at special price. Departure from Budapest is around 9.30 in the morning and as we arrive in Eger we will visit Gal Tibor winery and Janos Bolyki winery. The latter was selected to be the gourmet winemaker of the year in Hungary in 2012 and both wineries have won lots of awards for their wines. During both wine tasting sections you will be served some small snacks to eat, and between the two wineries there will be a lunch in Eger followed by spare time to walk around and get to know the city of Eger.

The program will end in the Szepasszonyvolgy, a wonderful valley packed with wine cellars and small restaurants, making those still thirsty and hungry able to enjoy one of the greatest place in Hungary for some hours before departing back to Budapest.

The price for the excursion on the maiden trip on June 8th will be 24,000 HUF per person. In the future this price will be somewhere between 30,000-40,000 HUF. If you want to join in on the trip, contact us!

Ps: There will be a Scandinavian guide joining in on the trip, meaning that the information will be available in both English and Norwegian/Swedish…

Szepasszonyvolgy in Eger
Szepasszonyvolgy in Eger

Report from Budapest Palinkafesztival 2013

The Palinkafesztival (Palinka Festival) in Budapest opened yesterday (May 16th) and it will be open until Sunday evening (May 19th). The weather forecasts do not promise beautiful weather, but if you are in town, make sure to check out what’s going on. I was there yesterday at the Erzsebet square and I liked what I saw!

Often the biggest and most popular festivals in Budapest are arranged in the Castle area. However this time the Palinka festival is arranged in the middle of Budapest, at the Erzsebet square, in front of the five star hotels Le Meridien and Kempinski, and next to the popular club Akvarium. My first comment is that I really liked the venue and the fact that it is in central Budapest. At such a location it is hard to miss out on the festival, and it is really easy to get to and from the festival at any time. Much easier than when it is located in the Castle area.

Another bonus with the location is that the festival feels much more intimate and the visitors are gathered at the same place, without giving you the feeling that it is overcrowded. Of course the wine festival could never be arranged here, because the area is to small, but for a Palinka festival this square is ideal.

Some more thoughts on the Palinka festival 2013

Inside the area there are lots of stands where you can buy all sorts of Palinka, the Hungarian fruit spirit. If you are a big fan this is an ideal place to taste new brands and get new favorites, and if you have not clue what Palinka is about, then this is a great place to get some basic knowledge.

As you buy your entrance ticket you will get the chance to enter into the festival area. Inside the festival area all payments are made with this electronic card you buy. The price is 500 HUF for the card and then you need to fill this with money. Money is withdrawn from the card whenever you make a purchase, and whatever is left on the card will be returned to you as you give back your card and leave the festival area (you will also get the 500 HUF that you paid for the card itself back). This system is quite easy to use (they used it at the Beer festival in 2012 as well), it only gets complicated if it is crowded and hundreds of people want to fill up or return their cards at the same time. However there are 4 such stands in the area, so it shouldn’t really cause any problems, I think!

The price for the different Palinkas on the inside starts from about 300 HUF, but you will of course find much more expensive Palinkas as well. If you are not a big fan of Palinka you find a DiVino bar on the inside where you can taste and drink wine, you can buy soft drinks in the Moszkva ter stands and hot and cold food at other stands.

Every evening there will be concerts, and some of the artists performing are really great, so worth to take a look and listen when in the concert area. A great plus in the festival area is that they have lots of benches and chairs, making it very easy to sit down and enjoy good company, some food and of course, something to drink.

Conclusion: If you have the chance, visit the Erzsebet square in Budapest before Sunday evening and check out the Palinka festival… even if you don’t like Palinka!

Egon Schiele and his age at the Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts does its best in 2013. There will be better and better exhibitions in the whole year. The newest sensation is the exhibition named “Egon Schiele and his age” will be on display between 25 June 2013 and 29 September.

Egon Schiele BudapestFor those who haven’t heard about Schiele and his contemporaries, here is a little description, so you will feel like you want to see this great exhibition in one of the most amazing museums of Budapest.

The center figure of the exhibition is Egon Schiele, who was born in 1890 and died in 1918. Schiele’s artistic career was pretty short, only 10 years, but the Museum of Fine Arts could show his work on 50 masterpieces. Egon Schiele was only 16 years old, when he became one of the students of the conservative Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and because of that, he was the youngest student of the institution. He left the Academy soon, and founded the Neukunstgruppe, or New Art Group. The artists who influenced Schiele’s art were the Secession’s leading figure, Gustav Klimt, and other artists, who was the part as a guest of the group’s exhibitions (Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Munch). Soon, there was an artist, who joined to Schiele’s group, the Neukunstgruppe, he was one of the most outstanding man of the Austrian art, Oskar Kokoschka (guests could see his work too at the exhibition). The group members – and because of that, the creator of the masterpieces of this exhibition – are Albert Paris Gütersloht, Hans Boehlert and Anton Faistauert too.

Do not miss this fantastic experience, the cream of the culture between 25 June 2013 and 29 September 2013 in the capital of Hungary, Budapest, in the Museum of Fine Arts! Have a great time!

Egon Schiele and his age
June 25th – September 29th
Museum of Fine Arts

Pieter Hugo: This Must Be The Place – Selected Works 2003-2012

Pieter HugoPieter Hugo was born in 1976 in Capetown, South Africa. He chose the photographer profession, and he focuses on Africa’s social and economic conflicts, and the actual problems and challenges of the transforming continent. The artist, earlier working as a photo reporter, won the price of the most prestigious press photo competition, THe World Press Photo, in 2006, and opened an independent show at the Hague Museum of Photography in 2012.

He takes beautiful, real and sometimes sad photos. Those who are curious about Hugo’s work, travel to the capital of Hungary, the scenic Budapest, because there will be a fantastic exhibition about Pieter Hugo’s works between 2003 and 2012 in the Ludwig Museum, or on another name the Museum of Contemporary Art, for 24 May 2013 to 11 August 2013.

The capital of Hungary, Budapest is a perfect destination for everyone. Travel with your family, friends or love to this beautiful city, where something always happens. There are wonderful buildings, for example the Buda Castle or the Parliament. Fantastic hiking places in the city or out the city are the Margaret Island, the Gellert-hill or the Budakeszi Forest. Delicious wines, special dishes invite tourists. And the list contains the culture too, because there will be an amazing Pieter Hugo exhibition at the Ludwig Museum? What do we need more?

Pieter Hugo exhibition
May 24th – August 11th
Ludwig museum

Is Visa widely accepted for restaurants, shopping, etc. in Budapest? thanks

Thank you for the question and the answer is yes. Most shops, restaurants and activities in Budapest accept payment with VISA card.

VISA in BudapestThere are of course some exceptions to the rule, especially in smaller restaurants (like Comme Chez Soi) and if you visit Szentendre most shops there only accept payment in cash. However the general “rule” is that shops in the shopping street Vaci utca, shops in the malls and so on accept payment with VISA.

The Great Market Hall, a very popular place to go shopping, does not accept payment with VISA on any of the stands on the inside, so before entering this traditional market place downtown Budapest you better prepare yourself with some Hungarian Forint.

Budapest in May

May is one of my favorite months in Budapest. The sun is shining most of the time, the temperatures are nice, the streets are crowded with people and the summer holiday is just around the corner. May is also a month when there is quite a lot going on in Budapest, so if you are headed to Budapest in May, keep on reading!

If you look for a great festival or activity in Budapest in May, then you might find some of the following programs interesting.

Workers Day

This is not really a festival, but it is worth knowing that this is a day of in Hungary, meaning that families use this day to do programs with their children, meaning that you can expect activities like the zoo to be packed with people. There are some demonstrations arranged on this day, but in general you will not really be influenced much by this day-off.

Cinco de Mayo

May 5th is the day when Cinco de Mayo is celebrated, and this is the day of the Mexicans and everyone who love a good street party in Budapest. Normally this party is arranged on May 5th, but sometimes the celebration is moved to a nearby date if that suits the locals and the visitors better. For example in 2013 May 5th happens to be on a Sunday, which is a bad day to party all day and all night long, and therefore the real street party in Budapest will be arranged on May 4th instead in 2013. If you want to take part in this celebration packed with food, tequila and food, visit Iguana in Zoltan utca 16 (near the Hungarian Parliament) where the party starts at 15.00 May 4th and lasts until the morning of May 5th.
Cinco de Mayo 2013: May 4th

Palinka Festival

Do not confuse this with the Palinka and Sausage festival, but as you know all good products need different festivals, and that is true for the Hungarian Palinka as well. On the Erzsebet square in Budapest, in the very center of our city with 2 million inhabitants (almost), the Palinka festival is arranged. It has an entrance fee, and once on the inside you can taste way to much Palinka and other drinks with and without alcohol. In addition to drinks you can taste traditional festival food like sausages, chimney cake and other snacks. If you want to get to know the Hungarian fruit spirit, this is the place to do so.
Palinka festival dates 2013: May 16th – 19th

What to do in Budapest in May?

In addition to festival and specials gigs in town there are some other programs which are specially suitable to do and enjoy for those coming in May to Budapest. Some of those are for example:

Open air bars and clubs

Ankert: If you miss the beaches when coming to Budapest you could visit Ankert, a club in the middle of the city with its own sandy beach. The water where you can take a swim is missing, but this is a place with cool atmosphere in Paulay Ede utca 33 (Ankert).

Topart and Szaft: The Vajdahunyad castle is a real treasure in Budapest that most people do not really have time to enjoy. However, if you decide to take a drink in Topart & Szaft you will get the chance to enjoy your drinks while enjoying the beauties of this castle in the City Park. You can find this place at Olof Palme setany 5.

Akvarium: At the Erzsebet square, where the Palinka festival is arranged, you can find the Akvarium club. Here it is crowded with people on any evening and it is possible to simply grab something to drink outside or enjoy some cool concerts on the inside. Take the metro to Deak Ferenc ter, get out of the metro system and you should be able to find, hear and see Akvarium easily. A great option if you want to eat and drink outside on a hot May-day.

Weather in May

As you pack your suitcase and prepare for your days in Budapest in May you should in general prepare for nice weathers around 20 Celsius or warmer. On really hot days the temperatures may rise above 30 Celsius, but the normal temperatures during daytime are between 20 and 30 Celsius. There are a few rainy days in May, so check the weather forecast before arriving, but most days in May are dry, warm and ideal for those who want to take a look at the best attractions and sights in Budapest. If you are among those who can not fall asleep in a room with temperatures higher than 20 Celsius, you should book a room in a hotel with air-condition (which most 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Budapest has.)

Some general May advices

  • Do not forget to bring sun lotion, you might need it!
  • Find nice outdoor restaurants where you can eat your lunch
  • If it gets to hot it you can always cool down in the St. Stephens Basilica
  • Drink enough water and other liquids
  • Visit the outdoor thermal baths early morning and afternoon and not during the warmest hours of the day.
  • The river cruises on the Danube are nicest after sunset.
  • If you want are very thirsty and want to drink wine without getting drunk ask for splash (froccs) which is a mixture of wine and sparkling water.

 

Hard Rock Cafe Budapest review and thoughts

I just visited Hard Rock Cafe in Budapest. It wasn’t the first time I visited the place, but since I hadn’t been there in more than a year I thought it was about time to return to heaven for people who like to listen to loud music while eating.

Hard Rock Cafe arrived in Budapest just before Christmas in 2011 and my impression is that it has turned into a big success. It seems to be large crowds of people there throughout the entire day and lots of tourists I speak to visit the place, not only because it is cool, but because they love the food.

Hard Rock Cafe location

It must be said that Hard Rock Cafe in Budapest has the most brilliant location of all restaurants in the Hungarian capital. At the location with most tourists in all of Budapest it is located just at the corner where the shopping street Vaci Utca meets Vorosmarty square, so couldn’t be better. As the sun starts shining and the thermometer shows more than 10-15 Celsius they add an outer terrace making it possible to eat in open air.

Hard Rock Cafe review

From the first second you enter Hard Rock Cafe you get a feeling that this is American. The service and the way they treat their guests is somehow not typical for Eastern Europe. The waiters are really polite and “cool” at the same time and they do their uttermost to make all guests feel at home entering the restaurant.

If you have a favorite course in Hard Rock cafe you will probably find it in BUdapest as well, because the menu is a traditional Hard Rock Cafe menu with the legendary burgers, sandwiches and other courses waiting for you. After visiting the Hard Rock Cafe in Budapest 4 times I have still yet to become disappointed with the quality, but the only “problem” is that it feels a little pricy. It isn’t expensive compared to other Hard Rock Cafe restaurants around the world, but compared with other restaurants with similar profile in the capital.

This means that if I want to eat an excellent steak I’d rather eat a bigger and better one in Pampas Steakhouse or Prime Steakhouse, than in Hard Rock Cafe. The hamburgers aren’t that expensive, so if you want a great, big and juicy burger, the Hard Rock burgers should be considered. The most expensive burger costs around 4000 HUF which is quite similar to the hamburger prices in for example TGI Fridays.

Hard Rock Cafe is family friendly

A very positive thing about Hard Rock Cafe in Budapest is that it is family friendly. They have high quality chairs waiting for families coming with small children, they have facilities where mothers can change diapers on the smallest ones and they have big children menus where you find special offers for children, in addition to the fact that it is possible inside the menu to color guitars and draw other pieces of art.

The ketchup problem

This isn’t really a problem, but still it gave us a good laugh during our last visit. Most ketchup lovers agree on the fact that Heinz ketchup is among the best available in the world. So, next to my fries which was served together with the hamburger I thought I wanted to use some ketchup. The problem was just that it was impossible to get the ketchup out of the bottle it was in. We got a few drops on our plate, but after fighting the bottle for a minute we gave up, only to see that the people on our neighbor table fought exactly the same fight. The father wanted to give some ketchup to his son, but it simply did not leave the bottle… huhu! Guess we were all to lazy to ask the waiter for help.

Hard Rock Budapest wrap-up

If you want a Hard Rock experience while in Budapest, do not miss out on this one. They give you an authentic Hard Rock meals with guitars on the walls, music videos on big screens and quite loud music on the loudspeakers. I guess I am conservative, so I would enjoy my meal even more if the volume was turned down a bit, but I guess that is just me. The price level is higher than in most other Budapest restaurants, but it seems as if people and tourists in general gladly pay what Hard Rock Cafe asks for, so why lower the prices then?

Hard Rock Cafe Budapest information

Address: 1051 Budapest, Deák Ferenc utca 3-5
Opening times: 12.00-01.00 or 02.00

Budapest in June

June is an amazing month in Budapest with lots of things going on and with nice and warm weather. The temperatures are normally bearable, making it a more ideal month to come to the capital of Hungary than for example July.

Since I started writing about the June weather in Budapest it might be useful to know that the average temperature in Budapest in June is around 20 Celsius. This might very, so in terrible years it goes as low as 15 Celsius, but in very warm years it might be around 25 Celsius. Still, June is month when you normally will be able to wear your summer clothes, without having to escape to often into the shadow to escape from degrees above 35 Celsius.

Budapest in June programs

There are quite a lot of festivals going on in June in Budapest. Some of them are not arranged at the same time every year, but here you will find information about some of those festival you should not miss out on if you come to Budapest in June.

Buda Castle Beer Festival

This is one of the most popular festivals in Budapest throughout the entire year. In the start it was arranged in September, but the arrangers have now made it a pre summer festival instead. Hopefully it will prove out to be a good decision. This is the place to taste hundreds of different kinds of beers and have lots of fun for 4-5 days.
Beer festival dates 2013: June 13th-16th

Belgian Beer Festival

The Belgian Beer festival is the place for those who love Belgian beers. It is arranged in the Vajdahunyad Castle area in the City Park in the Museum of Agriculture there. Check it out if you are a beerlover in Budapest when this festival is going on.
Belgian Beer Festival dates 2013: May 31st-June 2nd

Goose liver festival

Hungary is very well known for its goose liver (foie gras) and if you love it just as much as many Hungarians do, you definitely need to be there at the goose liver festival. This was arranged in June in both 2011 and 2012, but so far it seems as there will be no festival in 2013
Goose liver festival 2013: no dates yet

Gourmet festival

Hungary has for a long time been known as a nation where you get lots of food on your plate, but not so well known as a nation where you come to eat the finest bites of upper quality. This pictures is however changing, and now with two Michelin starred restaurants in town and lots of focus on fine dining, the Gourmet festival will let you taste and see the best of the best in Hungary.
Gourmet festival 2013 dates: May 31st-June 2nd

More June activities

New in 2013 is the Giant Ferris Wheel on the Elisabeth square. This opened on June 7th and will be running until the end of July in 2013. Make sure to check it out if you are in town.

Other great June activities in Budapest are river cruises on the Danube, wine tastings, folklore shows, organ concerts in the St. Stephens Basilica and lots of other stuff.

If you have any further advises and tips, why not write a comment and share your ideas.

[toggle Title=”What happened in June 2013?”]June in 2013 in Budapest was most of all famous for the giant flood. In Budapest the water was almost 9 meters above the normal height. Luckily Budapest managed to resist the water in quite a good way. When it comes to the weather the first weeks of June had cold weather, then followed by extreme heat for 10 days, and after that back to 20 Celsius.[/toggle]

Nickelback concert Budapest 2013

Nickelback concert Budapest 2013Most tourists like to travel to Budapest, because besides that this city is very historical with the old buildings, modernism arrived here too. In addition the city has loads of programs waiting for its visitors.

Those who likes culture could visit museums, where they can see amazing exhibitions, the gourmets could taste the local specialties and those who wants to party, could find great concerts in the city. Our next article is about a great autumn program, the Nickelback’s concert in Budapest.

The Nickelback is a Canadian band, founded in 1995. The members are Chad Kroeger singer and guitarist, Mike Kroeger bass guitarist, Ryan Peake guitarist and vocalist and the past drummer Brandon Kroeger. The new drummer is Daniel Adair since 2005. The Nickelback released several albums during their almost 20 years career, so they released a Greatest Hits album in 2012. But the band wants the fans could hear their favorite songs in live, so they are going to start a worldwide tour in this autumn, and of course they will visit Europe too. One station will be no other, but the capital of Hungary, Budapest.

You definitely should come to the capital of Hungary, Budapest. Spend some day here, visit the most favorite attractions, taste the delicious meals and drinks, and after that have a great party at 8 November 2013 with the Nickelback at the Papp László Budapest Sportarena in Budapest! Have fun!

Nickelback concert Budapest 2013
November 8th
Budapest Sportarena

Tickets: ViagogoSeatwave.com – WorldTicketShop