Where to go in the winter? To Budapest...

... according to the Loney Planet, Budapest is the first in their list.
Well, yes, in Budapest sometimes we have a really cold winter. The temperature is between 0 and -5 (in celius) in the day, and in the night it can sink till -20. But that is almost extreme.
In short, you have to dress warm in the winter.
People are used to it here, so we have a lot of things to do in these cold times.
Maybe the most exclusive things are the special thermal baths which are really legendary. Most of them has hot outside pools. They are really nice - if you can make those few meters from the door till the pool.. :)
(Later I am going to write more about these thermal baths.)

 Széchenyi Bath in a winter evening...

... and a winter day. -5 Celsius degree outside, and +40 celsius hot water.

And yes, another good idea: visit the christmas market in Budapest!

This is one of the most beautiful christmas market in the whole world. Placed in the central of Budapest, where you can also find the classical shopping street. You can buy a lot of different things at the market, eat special hungarian food, aaaaand yess! Hot Wine! Mulled wine! Glühwine! Glögi! Vin brulè! Vin chaud! Vino caliente! 温ワイン!

 All means the same.

 

 

YUMMEY!

Sziget Festival

Maybe you would never believe - but Hungary also a home of a lot of big and cool music festivals.
The biggest is the "Sziget" (Island) Fesztivál, in every august. It is held in northern-Budapest, in a big island of the Danube. Every year more than 1000 performances!
The full capacity is 70 000 visitors per day.
They started in 1993, with a quite small festival, but it grew up to one of the biggest rock festivals of the year. So, next year is the 20th year!

 

You can find different performances: dance, theater, cinema, tattooing, you can play any sports, even bungee jumping. Since the island located in Budapest, you can reach the city center vers easily in 30 mins.With a Sziget-ticket you can also visit the museums, and the baths in Budapest, for free, or a very good discount price.

 

Some example from the Sziget Fesztivál concerts:
Hammerfall, The Killers, Korn, Placebo, Snoop Dog, Gotan Project,  Within Temptation, Motörhead, Judas Priest, Prince, The Prodigy, Faithless, Muse, Al Di Meola, Placebo, Buena Visa Social Club, Fatboy Slom, The Offspring, Iron Maiden, Jamiroquai, Sinéad O'Connor... etc.

In 2009, they had 290 000 visitors in one week. In 2011, Sziget was ranked one of the 5 best festivals in Europe by The Independent, and one of the 10 best by the European Festival Awards.

You can read more on their site. Tickets for 2013 are avaible from november 2012. don't miss it!

Budapest’s #2 Tram is in the TOP 10, according to the National Geographic

In 2012, the NatGeo Travel Magazine wrote:
"Trams are still very much part of everyday life in Budapest, which has a total of 96 miles (155 kilometers) of tram routes. On the Pest side of the city, the #2 tram follows the curve of the Danube River. This is the best way to see the Parliament building up close and the panorama of Buda Castle across the river. Sit on the side nearest the river for the best views."

The public transport in Budapest is really good. You can reach anything in a relatively short time. But the tram #2 is special. Why?

You can see in this picture:

Yes, the tram 2 runs on the pest side of the Danube, and you can see beautiful view from its seats. (Picture originally from here.)  You dont need even to walk on the street with a city map, it is enough to jump to the tram! It comes in every 5 minutes.

In summertime:

 
With the Bridge of Liberty in the background

And Christmas time:

 Chainbridge and the special lights of the christmas season

And the map:

What is a Ruinpub?

The Ruinpubs are one of the most unique places in Budapest. They have a pseudo-postapocalyptic retro style. Sometimes you can see bikes hanging from the roof, sometimes weird characters painted on the wall, or other strange things. These places has a message: no snobbish people here. These place are not elegant - but they have a very original style in their own way. The atmosphere is warm, the prices (mostly) low, the music is (mostly) live.
And what is extremly important: you can find free WIFI in almost every place. In Budapest, this is normal.
In the Ruinpubs, you can easily talk to others, even if you see them for the first time in your life. Mostly university students visit Ruinpubs, but you can find the young intellectual class here also.
You can sit down, drink a coffe, work with your laptop, or socialize in the bar with others - or go the to basement to some concerts.

Let's see some important and fun Ruinpub.

Corvin-Roof
The Corvin Roof music pub was buildet on the roof of and old socialist shopping mall. You can take the elevtor to the up, and then step inside to a very cool, Tarantino-like dark hallway. At the end, just a few steps, and you are already on the top terrace of the mall, and you can see a great view of the city. This terrace in the summer opened till morning.  They have music programs almost every day - including weekdays also. Great concerts, and very good and famous DJs.

The Roof Bar, with a lot of tables and chairs

 Big party on the Roof

 Tarantino-feeling... Or Lynch?:)

 Retro mood

 Inside part of the bar

 Dance floor (or room...)

 Eclectic mood

So that was the Corvin Roof. If you want to go to a unique and nice place with good music, you can't miss it.

Instant

The Instant is settled in the street of the Pesti Broadway area. This is the Soho district of the city. It is a gallery, café, pub, meeting place, where everyone is accepted. This place is quite big: they have 23 rooms, 6 bars, 2 opened garden for guests, and 3 dance floors. Their design is breath-taking.

 Yes, it is a Disco-pig.

Head over heels?

Free events every day!


Szimpla Garden

This Ruinpub may be the most well-knows Ruinpub in whole Budapest. It is very famous between locals and tourists also. They opened in 2001 - and the genre of "Ruinpub" was born. The idea was very succesful, they have a very wide scale of programs: you can even find an open-air cinema in the Szimpla. As they grew, they moved again and again. Now they are in the Kazinczy street, and - oh wait - there is another hungarian Szimpla is in Berlin, in Gärtnerstrassen!
 Some pictures from the Budapest Szimpla:

 This is what i call Style!

 Trabant in the middle

 Early evening

Real Ruinpub interior

 Socializing  - Hungarians love this game!

Unique mood

It was only three examples about the Ruinpubs, but you can find a lot in Budapest. More information in their website.
You can't miss to see a Ruinpub, and don't forget: They have events in ever weekday also!

The Zoo - a special place in Budapest

If you ask me, what is interesting in Budapest, I would definitely say: The Zoo!
The Budapest Zoo was founded in 1866, so it is almost 150 years old. With this age, it is the second oldest Zoo in Europe.
The best thing, that you can visit a Zoo with your children, with your friends - or you can go by yourself  - it's going to be fun, anyway.

Main gate: Two elephants watch the visitors

In the Zoo you can see about 5000 animals from 1000 species. They do a lot of programs for endangered and rescued animals. In 2010, a gorilla baby was born in the Apes' House, and named Golo.

You can also visit the Tropical House, the Aquarium, the Crocodile House, and a lot of other interesting part of the Zoo. If you want to see everything, you can easily spend a whole day there. Since it is also a Botanical garden, you can enjoy the mood of the Great Lake - full with flamingos and pellicans - or relax at the Japanese Garden. For those, who like special things, there is the Butterfly's House, or the Night Animals's House - with bats, night foxes. Kids will love the petting zoo, and the playgrounds all over the Zoo.
The most special animals maybe the wombat or the Comodo dragon.

Walking Wombat

 The Elephant's house is in the Background

The Budapest Zoo is opened for 365 day in a year, so you are always welcome here!

Short history

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. Its history began with Aquincum, which was originally a celtic settlement, but became the roman capital of Lower Pannonia around AD 106. The old ruins are still visible in the 3th district of Budapest.
The hungarians arrived in the 9th century. They got rid the wild mongol tribes, and re-estabilished the town, which became one of the biggest central of the renessaince humanist Europe.
Hungary was under the Ottoman forces for 150 years in the 15th century, and belonged to the Habsburg Empire from the late 19th century till 1918.
After the World War I., in 1920, Hungary lost 72% of its former territory. The twenieth century haven't bring luck for this country: After the World War II. the soviet forces invaded to the territory of Hungary (in 1945), and kept up the invasion till 1989, when the Soviet Union simply collapsed, and the russian soldiers went home.
We must also mention the great revolution against the soviets in 1956, what unfortunaly failed after two weeks.
Third Hungarian Republic finally had been proclaimed in May, 1990.

But Hungary is not the place only for suffering, invasions, wars or terror: hungarians never gave up their dreams about freedom and liberty. Through the centuries the nation always had been very opened to the european culture.

The Parliament House by the side of the Danube. It was buildet between 1885-1906. 

Still the biggest building in Hungary.

Zeppelin over Budapest in 1931

(picture from Budapest Anno)

Boeing 767 over the Danube, 2010

Budapest, you are Wonderful!

Budapest is an exciting and wonderful place. Let's go explore!