Holidays in Hungary in winter. Hungary in winter - a New Year's fairy tale
Hungary is located in a temperate climatic zone, so you can choose absolutely any period when you go to Hungary. Basically, it depends on your hobbies and the immediate purpose of the trip. The high tourist season in Hungary starts in May and ends closer to September. The main influx of tourists is observed in July – August.
The low tourist season in Hungary is set immediately after the New Year holidays. The influx of tourists is decreasing not only due to the fact that all the mass celebrations take place, but also due to worsening weather conditions. In addition to the low temperature, walking along the street is not comfortable due to high humidity and fog.
Holidays in Hungary in spring
If you want to make your trip unforgettable and romantic, ask when is the best time to relax in Hungary. Experienced tourists know that for this purpose it is better to go to Hungary in spring. Holidays in Hungary in spring are characterized by a period of flowering, nature comes to life, and prices for holidays remain at the level of winter.
Despite everyone's enthusiasm for spring breaks, remember that the weather in Hungary can be quite changeable in spring. May is considered one of the wettest of the year.
Read also:
Features of summer holidays in Hungary
If you are interested in the weather in Hungary in summer, then from June, sultry heat sets in throughout the country. Only occasionally a meteorological report can show bad weather and slight cold snaps. Due to the fact that the average air temperature is kept at + 26 ° C, huge flows of tourists rush to Hungary in summer.
The summer months are considered to be when it is better to go to Hungary for an active holiday. Indeed, during this period, a large number of local festivals take place in the country.
Holidays in Hungary in winter are considered an excellent time for leisurely walks and comfortable quiet rest. However, young people on tours in Hungary in winter can easily find driving entertainment for high-quality active recreation, absorbing the pleasures of noisy and cheerful club entertainment to the brim.The fascination of excursion programs will acquaint you with the uniqueness of the historical heritage, which makes the winter vacation in Hungary from Coral Travel the brightest event of this winter. Hungary is beautiful in its own way every season, and therefore the weather usually does not interfere with tourists. Of course, there are so many interesting things in Hungary that it is impossible to see everything in one trip. Therefore, it would be best to make a list of the most interesting places for you at the moment and follow it. In small shops across the country, shoppers find amazing things for every taste and budget, which is another undoubted plus of visiting small towns and rural settlements. Color your mood on your winter holiday in Hungary!
Hungary is a distinctive European country, interesting for tourists in many aspects. The richest cultural heritage, natural attractions, peculiarities of national temperament are combined for Russians with the economic component, which allows planning a budget trip without hindrance. The main difficulty for Russian tourists is language communication, the Hungarian language (belonging to the Finno-Ugric group) practically does not contain familiar words, including when written in Latin. Quite a lot of staff understands Russian, the number of Russian-speaking guides is growing.
An example of a typical combination tour would be the Hungarian Pearls 8-day Autumn Tour. From the train to Brest, the tourists, after going through customs, change into a comfortable bus, on which they cross Slovakia. The excursion program in Hungary starts from Miskolc-Tapolca, a unique cave complex in which thermal baths are built, decorated with light effects. For tourists there is an excursion time, it is possible to have a health bath in hot springs, for which you have to pay extra.
Many tourists gladly agree to an additional excursion to Vienna, to which you need to drive 240 kilometers from Budapest. On the way back to the Belarusian border, tourists stop at the numerous castles of Hungary. There will be a stop in Lublin, a tour of the historic city center.
Buda Fortress;
Cathedral of King Matthias;
Fisherman's Bastion;
basilica of st. Istvan;
Vaidahunyad castle;
Hungarian Parliament;
Royal Palace;
Heroes' square.
Travel goals
Among the resort areas around the huge lake, the town of Siofok stands out. The most popular, comfortable resort has become the center of social life, a place of active youth tourism. The surroundings are decorated with the picturesque Shio River, the beach area is equipped with many comfortable beaches, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, discos. From the village of Santod it is easy to get over to the uncrowded Tihany Peninsula. Popular entertainments of the aristocratic Santoda are horse riding parades and equestrian sports.
Budapest will become the most expensive city for budget tourism, although you can find an inexpensive hotel here too. Of the two thousand, the cheapest booking prices are offered by hotels without an international rating, one-star hotels. In the hostels "Sleepover City", "Pesti szálló", the guest house "Jáde Panzió", apartments "Artist Residence" you can, with varying degrees of comfort, settle for 1000 - 2000 rubles (in hostels - one visitor).
Bratislava castle, Slovakia For Russian tourists, the most popular of the neighboring countries are Austria, Slovakia, Serbia,. Among the worked out routes for Russian-speaking guides, the first place is a one-day excursion to Vienna.
Articles about budget vacations in Hungary:
"; S: 8:" cat_comm "; i: 3304; s: 5:" title "; s: 0:" "; s: 11:" description "; s: 0:" "; s: 8:" keywords "; S: 0:" "; s: 8:" descrtop "; s: 38842:" Hungary is a distinctive European country, interesting for tourists in many aspects. The richest cultural heritage, natural attractions, peculiarities of national temperament are combined for Russians with the economic component, which allows planning a budget trip without hindrance. The main difficulty for Russian tourists is language communication, the Hungarian language (belonging to the Finno-Ugric group) practically does not contain familiar words, including when written in Latin. Quite a lot of staff understands Russian, the number of Russian-speaking guides is growing.
Visa difficulties, travel to Hungary
To travel to Hungary you need a Schengen visa. The peculiarities of obtaining a Hungarian visa permit were some additional documents (an extensive questionnaire, a certificate - a referral from a doctor, a confirmed hotel reservation). Independent hassle of filling out documents, visiting the embassy can be facilitated by visa centers, travel agencies dealing with individual tours. A secured visa regime will also ensure multiple visits to the Schengen countries.
In case of self-registration of documents at the visa center (permanent, long-term visa), tourists themselves can take care of the travel to Hungary:
- Most tourists prefer a two-hour flight to Budapest (1569 km) to cross several borders. When ordering a ticket two weeks in advance, the ticket price will be 20,300 - 22,800 rubles. If you book early, you can find flights much cheaper.
- If air travel is impossible for health reasons, you can get to Budapest by rail. A non-stop compartment carriage for the Moscow-Prague train goes to Budapest for thirty hours, a ticket costs 14184 rubles.
- For prices, the most attractive are combined tours (train to Brest, bus across Europe), which can cost about 26,000 rubles (excluding the cost of a visa), last minute deals. The rich program of the combined tour does not provide time for passive, resort rest, obeying the daily transfers.
An example of a typical combination tour would be the Hungarian Pearls 8-day Autumn Tour. From the train to Brest, the tourists, after going through customs, change into a comfortable bus, on which they cross Poland and Slovakia. The excursion program in Hungary starts from Miskolc-Tapolca, a unique cave complex in which thermal baths are built, decorated with light effects. For tourists there is an excursion time, it is possible to have a health bath in hot springs, for which you have to pay extra.
The next stages of the trip are visiting Eger (with a sightseeing bus tour of the city), moving to Budapest. On the way, it is possible to stop at the "Valley of Beauties", lunch in a wine cellar, tasting of collection wines.
Staying in Budapest includes a sightseeing bus and walking tour of the Hungarian capital, optional excursions, a boat trip "Evening Danube", a free day, which can be spent on independent walks, shopping, go on an additional excursion to Bratislava (200 km.).
Many tourists gladly agree to an additional excursion to Vienna, to which you need to drive 240 kilometers from Budapest. On the way back to the Belarusian border, tourists stop near numerous castles in Hungary and Slovakia. There will be a stop in Lublin, a tour of the historic city center.
A huge plus of such a trip is the constant presence of a bilingual guide. In addition to telling about the sights, cities, areas included in the program, a good guide will tell you the best shops, cafes, help in choosing unfamiliar dishes, communicating with waiters, and service services. The recommendations of the guide are also important when choosing additional excursions, places for independent visits, inexpensive souvenirs typical for this region.
Organized tours, selection of the best offers
Most of the offers from tour operators are for organized tours to Budapest. They are divided by duration, saturation of excursion services. In Moscow, the tour "WEEK-END in Budapest" (4 days) can be bought for 100 euros (excluding the cost of the flight). The eight-day excursion tour "Brilliant Budapest" on the same conditions costs 170 euros.
The main objects included in excursions in Budapest:
Buda Fortress;
Cathedral of King Matthias;
Fisherman's Bastion;
basilica of st. Istvan;
Vaidahunyad castle;
Hungarian Parliament;
Royal Palace;
Heroes' square.
Experienced tourists who have already visited Budapest are interested in other places in Hungary. They can opt for an eight-day tour that includes visits to Budapest, four Hungarian provinces. To the cost of the tour (400 euros) you need to add the price of plane tickets.
Currency exchange, food prices, shopping
The Russian ruble costs about 4 forints (more precisely 4.2-4.3 HUF). Accordingly, for 100 dollars you will receive 28 thousand forints, for 100 euros - 31,000. Currency exchange in Hungary does not bring any difficulties, but you need to carefully monitor the best rates, commissions, avoid exchange offices at airports, at train stations where rates are too high. Almost all hotels and shopping centers accept Visa and MasterCard bank cards. The only exceptions are small shops and market vendors.
In terms of food prices, Hungary can be classified as one of the best countries in Europe. In summer and autumn, prices for fruits and vegetables are much lower than in Moscow. Selected apricots, peaches, pears, apples cost 50-60 cents (per kilogram). Elite varieties of delicious table grapes are sold for about a dollar.
Numerous taverns, pubs, cafes and restaurants are also distinguished by affordable prices. There are many international Hungarian fast food establishments that are difficult to recommend to gourmets. Hungarian kyurtoskalach is popular among fast food. Dough with various sprinkles, grilled on charcoal, costs 600 forints. A large strudel costs the same. Ice cream is sold in separate balls, 250 forints each.
National Hungarian cuisine, which connoisseurs consider very tasty, prevails in the menu of most cafes and restaurants. The consistently high level of culinary specialists amazes. Even in budget cafes, there are no tasteless dishes. The basis of Hungarian cuisine is meat of various types (pork, game, poultry). Among vegetables, sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes are in the first place. Hungarians treat desserts with restraint; a typical menu contains two or three simple salads.
Classic national dishes combine the first and second. These are the favorite dishes of the Hungarians - goulash, lecho (thick soup made from onions, paprika, tomatoes, boiled-smoked pork sausage). Only in Hungary can you taste real pörkölt - a mixture of several types of meat prepared in a special way. Its ingredients can be veal, rabbit, pork, lamb, wild boar meat. Paprikash is made from the same ingredients stewed in sour cream.
Hungarians are very fond of all kinds of goose liver (foie gras, medallions). Traditional desserts are “palacsinta” (thin puff pancakes stuffed with sweet filling), Dobosh cake.
Huge portions do not allow multiple meals. Without touching on trendy, expensive restaurants, I must say that you can dine “to the brim” at an average Budapest restaurant for $ 20. The same will cost a modest dinner without wine at the famous Gundel restaurant, which serves Handel's signature pike perch, the Hundel pancakes known throughout Hungary (“palacsinta” stuffed with nuts, drenched in chocolate). In youth restaurants, you can restrict yourself to beer, the most expensive dish (goose liver medallions, complemented by a complex side dish). All this costs 2,500 forints.
Moving around Budapest is most economical by public transport (metro, bus). One trip costs 350 HUF. The ticket must be bought at the kiosk, the driver's payment is more expensive - 450 forints. With a large number of movements, a day (1650 HUF), three-day (4150 HUF) travel pass is convenient. Two weeks pass (7000 HUF) is suitable for some intercity buses, trains.
As souvenirs, Russian tourists buy elegant national dolls, marzipan figurines (3 euros), Tokay wines (8 euros), fruit vodka (palinka), delicious herbal balsam Unicum (11 euros), ceramics, porcelain vases, figurines (25 -30 euros). Embroidered tablecloths, napkins in the national style, which are better bought in the provinces, are very beautiful.
Travel goals
The main goals of the trip to Hungary are educational, health-improving, medical, youth tourism. Being landlocked, Hungarian tour operators offer extensive programs of beach, resort, and recreational activities on Lake Balaton.
Among the resort areas around the huge lake, the town of Siofok stands out. The most popular, comfortable resort has become the center of social life, a place of active youth tourism. The surroundings are decorated with the picturesque Shio River, the beach area is equipped with many comfortable beaches, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, discos. From the village of Santod it is easy to get over to the uncrowded Tihany Peninsula. Popular entertainments of the aristocratic Santoda are horse riding parades, equestrian sports.
On the northern coast, Balatonfured is popular for families. The city has many green areas and healing springs. The nearby Tihany peninsula is notable for its historical architectural monuments. In the towns of Sigliget, Badacsony you can visit cozy restaurants with exquisite wines, and see the ruins of the Castle Hill fortress.
Many tourists are attracted by the possibilities of effective treatment in Hungary. The country is distinguished by a huge number of mineral springs. Among the resort areas are Harkany (treatment of skin diseases), the unique lake Heviz.
The volcanic origin of Lake Heviz allows the water to be constantly renewed (in 28-48 hours). This phenomenon is inherent only in the same lake in New Zealand. Lake silt contains a natural antibiotic, suitable for mud therapy. It is better to swim in the lake in winter (about 26⁰C), in summer the water is too hot (33-34⁰C).
Heviz sanatoriums are specialized in the treatment of arthritis, gout, rheumatism, gastric diseases, and gynecology. She is successfully treating skin diseases, endocrine disorders, and rehabilitation after operations.
Wine tours in Hungary are popular in all seasons, especially successful in autumn. Tokaj is considered the center of elite winemaking. Wines "Tokaji", "Bull's Blood" are unique in taste. Thanks to the grapes growing on volcanic soil, the popular in Hungary Badacsony wine stands out with its peculiar taste. Other original Hungarian drinks are sweet raisin wine and apricot vodka.
The best seasons to travel in Hungary
The climate of Hungary is characterized by rather hot summers and cold winters. In winter, the activity of tourists is significantly reduced, only trips to Budapest are relevant. Good weather starts in mid-April, the tourist season ends in the second half of October. From an economic point of view, the beginning and end of the season are beneficial, although the lowest prices in the tourist regions are in the winter.
The highest summer prices (catering, accommodation). This is due to the influx of foreign tourists, Hungarian vacationers. Wonderful spring Hungary is preferable for educational tourism, when excursions are not tiresome, accompanied by the blossoming of nature.
In the fall, after a drop in prices peaked, Hungary is open for gastronomic and wine tourism at a minimal cost. In May, October, it is easy to find inexpensive accommodation (motels, hostels, campings, pensions), problematic in the summer.
Independent trip around the country
On a long independent road trip to Hungary across several borders, rare enthusiasts dare, although a small group of tourists can see most of all by car. An alternative option would be to rent a car, there are a lot of rental car points in Hungary. The average European rental prices ($ 80 - $ 100) make it rational with constant movement (saving on transport), dividing the costs into four participants, a well-thought-out program that reduces the cost of excursion services.
The recognized advantages of car travel are obvious: the freedom to choose a route, the ability to search, and the selection of inexpensive hotels. You will have to spend time at home to prepare the route. A careful study of materials, historical sites, will allow you to include in the route the maximum number of attractions, interesting natural areas, castles located near the main route of the trip.
Gasoline prices in Hungary tend to European ones, A-95 gasoline here costs 1.22 euros (more expensive than in Poland, the Czech Republic), diesel fuel can be bought for € 1.16. In spring and autumn, it is easy to find inexpensive motels, campgrounds where you can spend the night for twenty euros.
Budget accommodation in Hungarian hotels
Budapest will become the most expensive city for budget tourism, although you can find an inexpensive hotel here too. Of the two thousand Budapest hotels, the cheapest booking prices are offered by hotels without an international rating, one-star hotels. In the hostels "Sleepover City", "Pesti szálló", the guest house "Jáde Panzió", apartments "Artist Residence" you can, with varying degrees of comfort, settle for 1000 - 2000 rubles (in hostels - one visitor).
By booking in advance (one month in advance), you can book budget accommodation in the provincial Balatonfüred, choosing from 136 hotels. Three-star hotels "Park", "Panorama" offer two vacationers to stay in September for 4200 - 4800 rubles. The best prices for accommodation are offered by apartments, private pensions. In the provincial Buka, you can book accommodation for September at affordable prices. Apartments "Janza Apartmanház" offer a one-room studio for 1480 rubles, "Gerti Haus" provide an apartment with two bedrooms for 1630 rubles.
Possible excursions to neighboring countries
Bratislava castle, Slovakia
For Russian tourists, the most popular of the neighboring countries are Austria, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia. Among the worked out routes for Russian-speaking guides, the first place is a one-day excursion to Vienna.
The program of an interesting trip includes a trip in a minibus, a sightseeing tour of the Austrian capital, an inspection of the buildings of the Parliament, the Town Hall, the Opera. The pedestrian part usually includes the courtyards of the Hofburg, the City Park. Other attractions include the Belvedere Palace, the Baroque Karlskirche Church, the Otto Wagner Pavilions, the Hundertwasser House, and old Viennese cafes. An individual tour for two or three people costs 300 - 400 euros.
An excursion to Bratislava allows you to explore the historical center, climb the Bratislava Castle. Tourists visit New Bridge, St. Martin's Cathedral, Fisherman's Gate, National Theater of Slovakia, Old Town Hall. On the way to Bratislava, the excursion program usually includes the ancient Gyor. The cozy town is considered the Hungarian center of the Austrian Baroque. In urban architecture, beautiful churches, palaces, manicured parks stand out. Lunch is often included in the price of a tour for 50-70 euros.
In winter, before Catholic Christmas, heading to the fabulous Prague, we also dropped into Budapest.
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, and, according to travelers, it is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Let's check if this is so 🙂
Flight to Budapest
We were lucky: we managed to find tickets to Budapest for our dates at really low prices. As always, we booked tickets on the Aviasales website - a user-friendly interface, you can subscribe to the newsletter about price changes. the most important thing is that you can immediately see what luggage is included in the price If you are flying a low-cost airline, this is important 🙂
We took off from Larnaca on an evening flight of Wizz Air. It is worth paying attention to Wizz Air's carry-on baggage requirements in advance. and print your boarding pass, as excess baggage and a printout at the airport cost a lot of money. There is no food on board.
Airport transfers to Budapest
How to get from Budapest airport to the city center? From Liszt Ferenc International Airport (Ferihegy Airport), you can get to Budapest by bus, taxi or choose a group shuttle transfer
We flew to Budapest closer to the night and the booked hotel is in the center of Budapest. So we booked and paid in advance group transfer from Budapest airport to the city center.
How to book airport transfers to Budapest?
Transfer from Budapest airport to the hotel is easy to book.
- On the MiniBud website, you need to select the date and flight, as well as your hotel in Budapest. For us, the cost for two was 4900 forints.
- Upon arrival, go to the MiniBud counter, show the printed confirmation, in exchange you will be given a boarding ticket.
- Next, you are looking for a bus 🙂
This is the fun part! Once every 5-10 minutes, the driver runs into the waiting room and collects clients according to the list. Each bus goes in a certain direction, that is, each driver goes to a specific area of \u200b\u200bthe city. We waited for almost half an hour: we were approached by a driver who had our hotel on the list. The road from Budapest airport to the city center takes about 20 minutes.
How to find a hotel in Budapest
Budapest is a favorite among tourists of all ages and nationalities. There are a great many hotels for every taste and budget in the city. We liked the Thai style hotel 🙂 Why not?
Andrassy Thai Hotel located next to the Basilica of St. Stephen on Andrassi Avenue:
Photo from booking.com What is absolutely incredible - the Andrassy Thai Hotel occupies part of a 19th century palace building! The walls breathe history. Some rooms are decorated in Thai style, some in Hungarian. I can say unequivocally that we were right with the choice of a hotel in Budapest. Cool place!
On the first morning in Hungary, a free sightseeing tour of Budapest was planned.
Free Guided Tour of Winter Budapest
Did you know that you can book a free city tour in many cities around the world?
Free-tour format we fell in love with. Such excursions are paid off by donations at the end of the excursion. When everyone leaves how much money he wants, if he wants to. The guides are interested in the success of the business, so tours are usually fun and interesting. Free tours are almost always walking tours.
For some reason, this format does not attract Russian-speaking tourists - during the three excursions we have never seen our compatriots. As a rule, English, Americans, Canadians, Asians are registered for free tours. Tours are in English.
Our tour was led by a cheerful Hungarian Angie 🙂
Angie took us through the sights of winter Budapest. We started from the embankment.
Tram route No. 2 goes through the most tourist places of Pest - from Parliament and along the Danube embankment to the central market and beyond. They say that on Christmas the tram is somehow decorated in a special way, but we have not seen anything like that. The tram is like a tram.
Bronze statue on the Danube embankment in Budapest. And no, this is not a clown boy, as you might think, but a princess girl (Kiskirálylány) 🙂
In general, the Hungarian language (or Magyar) is just tin. It is not like anything else: continuous hissing abrupt sounds. Langosh, Gulash, Paprikash, Kyooseonёom, Indulaash, Shegichen and thousands of other terrible and incomprehensible words ...
The guide told us that there is a version about the Asian origin of the language and taught a few words in Hungarian.
We make our way through the Christmas market at the Basilica of St. Stephen:
The smell of fried sausages and mulled wine, Christmas songs can be heard from everywhere. It's December 23rd. We have not heard so many Christmas songs anywhere in Budapest and Prague these days.
Hungarians are very fond of unusual sculptures - they can be found all over Budapest.
As in many countries of Eastern Europe, in the 20th century Hungary was inherited by the communists. In addition to various things that led to hostility to this regime today, the communists presented the Hungarians with a dish called langos - a flatbread with garlic-sour cream sauce. True, Wikipedia says that langos came to Hungarian cuisine from the Turks 🙂
And here is another example of Hungarian street food with a difficult to pronounce name. The neighboring Czechs call such a tube trdelnik.
By going Chain bridge, we find ourselves on the side of Buda, at zero kilometer and funicular.
The queue for the funicular:
Climbing the mountain to the Royal Palace of Budapest will take about two minutes, but the queue at the funicular will take 10 minutes.
View from the Royal Palace to the Danube, Sechensky (Chain) Bridge and Pest:
On the left - the building of the Hungarian Parliament, lost in the fog on this winter day.
In fact, this weather is quite typical for Budapest in winter. Above zero, but dank and humid, cloudy, no sun. In December-January in Budapest, almost all days are like this. Bright sunny days are rare in Budapest in winter.
From here we headed to our next point in Budapest, Fisherman's Bastion... From the hill along the road you can see one of the fashionable quarters of Budapest. Angie said that ordinary Budapest residents call the wealthy residents of this area lucky bastards 🙂
Church of St. Matthiaslocated on Buda Hill next to the Fisherman's Bastion:
The snow-white church was built in the Gothic style.
Fishermen's bastion and seven conical towers, which symbolize the seven tribes that founded the Hungarian state:
And again the Hungarian parliament, floating in the winter fog:
🔥 So here's a link to a free guided tour of Budapest! 🔥
You can book a free city tour on this website.
From the Széchenyi Bridge, you can walk to the main market of Budapest in 20 minutes. It's simple: cross the two bridges to the south and you are there. On the way, it is worth taking a walk along the pedestrian Vaci street.
Located in a building that looks like a train station. There was no authentic or Christmas atmosphere, just a bustling indoor market.
On the ground floor, shopping arcades with products:
There are many rows of fresh meat. The sight is not for the faint of heart. Either a dead pig will be dumped on the counter, or a refreshed goat's head with dark glasses on to attract attention. A couple of photos:
In one of the guidebooks, preparing for a trip to Budapest, I read that "In the central market of Budapest, you can eat up, just walking from counter to counter" and trying all sorts of goodies. So - this is not true 🙂 You will not be given anything for nothing on the market in Budapest, and there is not much to try. In addition to trays with frozen meat, the market has fruit counters, paprika products (all in packages), and a couple of counters with pastries (rolls and pies). There are also sausage counters where you can try a slice of sausage, but they are unlikely to be able to gorge themselves.
On the second floor of the market in Budapest - souvenirs and a food court.
Advice: there is no point in going to the Budapest market. Dine elsewhere. Prices in the Budapest market are high, but there is nowhere to sit: you have to eat while standing in front of people scurrying back and forth. We bought two goulash, a small bottle of water and a fried sausage with paprika and it cost us about 25 euros. For this money, in Budapest, you could have a tasty and tolerable lunch even on the tourist street Vaci, in a warm cafe with Wi-Fi and comfortable chairs, and not in a cold market 🙂
All in all, the central market in Budapest was a waste of time.
Better to have a bite to eat somewhere in the streets of Budapest. Fortunately, there are many interesting establishments in the city городе I wanted to go to Icebar, but we were too cold to sit on ice chairs.
From the market we head towards the Hungarian parliament. Both of these places are located on the Pest promenade, which means that you can get there by tram number 2.
We buy a ticket:
Hungarian parliament building (in Hungarian Országház) is a visiting card of Budapest. This is that huge white neo-Gothic building with a crimson roof that looks at you from all the postcards.
Near the parliament building in Budapest there is another monument, unusual and sad.
it danube embankment shoes - a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Budapest had one of the largest Jewish communities that suffered greatly during the Nazi occupation in 1944-1945. At this place, on the banks of the Danube, the Nazis shot the unfortunate. They put several dozen people in a row, forced them to take off their shoes (a scarce commodity, the shoes were then sold or for the needs of the fascists themselves), bound people with one chain and fired a bullet at one of them. A man fell into the water, dragging the others with him ...
From the embankment, we went to the hotel, as we were pretty frozen. On the way, we again looked at the fair at the Basilica of St. Stephen. Here the evening lights are already on:
In general, our itinerary in Budapest on this day looked like this:
By the way, on the streets of Budapest, especially in the central part, there are a lot of homeless people and beggars. They sleep right on the sidewalks at night. They can come up, tug at the clothes.
After a walk through winter Budapest, it's time to go to the baths for which this city is famous. We go to famous baths of Szechenyi.
The Széchenyi Baths in Budapest are beautiful and old, open until 10 pm and have outdoor pools with hot water. You have probably seen them in photographs when you were planning your trip to Budapest.
We came to the baths at 7 pm (it was Friday) and bought an evening ticket with a separate booth, one for two. The cost of visiting the Széchenyi baths totaled about 10,000 forints for two.
The opening hours of the Széchenyi baths and the cost of the visit can be checked on the official website of the baths.
The Szechenyi Baths in Budapest are located at the Hősök tere metro station next to the zoo. As you approach the baths, you notice the rolling clouds of steam from behind the building:
After changing our clothes, we first went to explore the outdoor pools of the Szechenyi baths.
There are three of them: with warm water and centrifugal flow, a pool with hot water (38 degrees) and a swimming pool.
Szechenyi baths in winter - this is extraordinary! Take the time to visit them if you find yourself in Budapest.
You sit in hot water and steam swirls around you. In the fog, silhouettes of people around 🙂 It seems to be warm, but the crown of the head is cold. After sitting the allotted number of minutes (at each pool there is a sign with recommendations for visiting), you need to get out into the cold, put your feet in ice wet slippers and quickly run into the next pool or inside the bathhouse.
The stones around the pool are icy and slippery, you must walk carefully. If you want to visit the Széchenyi outdoor pools in winter, try not to catch a cold.
💙 To visit the Sechensky Baths in Budapest, you will need: swimsuit, slippers and towel. Can be bought or rented. We took towels from the hotel and disposable hotel slippers. Of course, plastic slippers are more comfortable. The cap is only needed for the swimming pool. At the swimming pool in the booth, an employee looks after the rest.
💙 Which booth to take? When visiting the Széchenyi baths, you can take a private booth. We paid for one private booth for two and changed there in turns. They did not take valuable things (camera, etc.). The booth closes with an electronic bracelet like in a water park. We left the towels in the booth. Some took towels and a bathrobe with them and wrapped themselves in them when crossing from one pool to another. But keep in mind that terry clothes get wet quickly and become icy in winter, so the towel in this case will be disposable 🙂 They won't be able to dry off.
💙 Money and payment. You pay for the changing room with your ticket. You cannot pay with a bracelet in the Széchenyi baths, as, for example, in water parks. It only serves to close the booth. The outdoor pools have a buffet and will need to head back to the dressing room for cash.
In the interior of the Széchenyi baths, we liked the large sauna, a pool with ice water to plunge into after the sauna, as in an ice hole, and also slides of snow inside for grinding. Very good!
The sauna worked after 7 pm.
The water in the Széchenyi baths comes from thermal springs over 1200 meters deep!
The next morning we had a scheduled departure for Prague.
Report on a trip to Prague in winter:
If you have questions about the free free tour in Budapest or about visiting the Széchenyi Baths, ask them in the comments below.
And it is completely unfair, because this city is distinguished by its magnificent architecture, original and special atmosphere, which is difficult to find anywhere else. What is especially surprising, Budapest is especially beautiful in winter, in cold weather, in the pre-Christmas time.
Therefore, when considering where to go on your winter vacation, be sure to consider visiting the Hungarian capital.
During the snowy months, the city becomes even more beautiful than usual. As numerous reviews of Budapest say, in winter, beautiful views begin from the airport itself. The fact is that the Hungarians only clear the runways. Everything else is covered with puffy snow caps, so only planes taking off from the sea of \u200b\u200bsnowdrifts are visible through the terminal windows. All this looks fantastically beautiful and sets you in a festive mood. Another attraction that Budapest can be proud of in winter is the Danube River. It freezes very, very rarely, on the contrary, it is from December to February that the water here becomes especially stormy. Small crusts of ice, light frost and the entire embankment, shining with cleanliness and freshness - all this is definitely worth seeing. In summer, the river looks very different. Another must-see is the fairs. The central market of the capital is good at any time of the year. The famous seasonal fairs before Christmas help you find the New Year mood and get a feel for the holiday before it comes.
Walking through the rows with all kinds of goods, trying traditional pastries, buying Christmas tree decorations and handmade souvenirs - that's what you should go to Budapest in winter.
New Year in the capital of Hungary
Christmas holidays are the focus of the entire winter season. New Years and Christmas can transform any city, and Budapest is no exception. Therefore, planning a vacation for the holidays will be very, very useful. Both wide avenues and small streets are decorated with lights, sales begin in stores. And after long walks, you can do something pleasant for yourself by going to the famous baths, the water into which comes directly from the Warm reservoir under
the open winter sky will be remembered for a lifetime. So you can see Budapest in winter at least for a visit to the bathhouse. On New Year's Eve, residents gather in the main squares with glasses of champagne, tourists and locals have fun until morning at parties in bars and restaurants. The hotels also have gala dinner programs, so even supporters of quiet evenings can find an option to their liking. Be sure to try the national cuisine. Appetizing goulash or thick soup with paprika, hot wine and delicious sweets with marzipan are ideal for cold weather. Therefore, Budapest in winter will certainly not disappoint even the fastidious gourmet. Marzipan candies are also good as a souvenir, so do not forget to buy them for your loved ones when going home from vacation.
