Balaton Card - Balaton Kartya

Balaton is the biggest lake in Hungary about 110 Km far from Budapest. Balaton is about 77 Km long. You can reach it from Budapest on the M7 high way or by train or by bus. If you plan to go there Balaton Card could be beneficial for you. The Standard Card advantages:

• 10-15% off accommodation
• 10-15% off in many restaurants
• 20% off scheduled and pleasure boats (not on ferries!)
• 10-20% off sport equipment rental fees like: surf boards, bikes

The four day Balaton Card advantages:

• Free local public transport at the four cities Balatonfured, Fonyod, Keszthely and Siofok.
• Free Balaton Mix ticket, available at railway stations and ship booking offices and valid 72 hours for an unlimited number of trips by ship or railway.
• 50% off a coach ticket on long-distance coaches to any destination situated in the Balaton region.
• 33% off a 2nd class return railway ticket to any destination around Lake Balaton.
• 50% off 4-day motorway toll.
• 2 x 50% off a bus ticket on any Volan bus service to any location within the Balaton region.
• Free or half the price admission to events, plays and concerts
• Free or half the price admission to museums
• 3 x free day ticket for lidos
• Free day tickets for spas and baths listed
• 1 free bottle of quality wine courtesy of Soma Cellars
• Free 3-day fishing licence.

For more information about Balaton Card please visit the official site at: www.balatoncard.hu

Hungary Card

Hungary Card With this card you can get discounts in restaurants, hotels, car rental, museums and a lot of places. For more info visit: http://www.hungarycard.hu The price of the Hungary Card is HUF 5.520,- (about EUR 22,-)

Budapest Basics

I'd like to provide some basic information about Budapest. Climate: Temperature zone, continental climate, four seasons. Hottest months: July, August (temperatures can reach 28-35°C) Coldest months: December, January (temperatures can fall as low as -15°C) Budapest has relatively high number of hours of sunshine per annum. It exceeds 8 hours per day between April and September. Time zone: Budapest is on Central European time (CET) GMT + 1 hour Summer time (March to the middle of October): GMT + 2 hours Holidaysys: Non-working days: national holidays (15 March, 20 August, 23 October) and 1 May plus Christmas holidays: 1 January, All Saint's Day (1 November), Easter Monday. Budapest Facts and figures: 525 square kilometers (in a north-south direction approx. 25 km, east-west approx. 29 km) Population: 1.815.000 Administrative structure: 23 districts. Buda: comprising one-third of the area of the city on the hilly, right bank of the Danube river. Pest: comprising twe-third on the flat, left bank of the Danube river. Islands (from North to South): Obuda Island, Margaret Island, Csepel Island. Bridges: nine bridges, of which two are rail bridges.

Gundel Budapest Restaurant

Hungary's most famous and beautiful restaurant, founded in 1894, Gundel is a byword for Hungarian haute cusine and the haunt of royalty and elites. Palatial and bathed in oil paintings, it features international as well as Hungarian gourmet delights, such as fogas (pike perch). Be sure to save room for the famous Gundel palacsinta (dessert pancake). Reservations and jackets required. Gundel Budapest restaurant Allatkerti ut 2. Open daily for lunch and dinner and Sunday brunch.

Mammut Mall Budapest Google video part II.

Visit Budapest - Arrival by train

If you come to Budapest by train you'll find three main International Railway Stations. Budapest has direct rail links to 25 capitals. There are more than 50 international connections each day. Trains depart every three hours between Budapest-Vienna (Wien or Becs in Hungarian), with a travel time less than two and a half hours. INTERCITY links running between the capital and the major towns around Hungary are extremely popular and comfortable. The three major international railway stations in Budapest:

• Eastern Railway Station (Keleti Palyaudvar) Baross ter district VIII. Tel: +36 1 413-4610

• Western Railway Station (Nyugati Palyaudvar) Nyugati ter district VI. Tel: +36 1 349-8503

• Southern Railway Station (Deli Palyaudvar) Krisztina korut 37/A District I. Tel: +36 1 375-6593

Information on International rail links from Budapest Hungary Tel: +36 1 461-5500 or visit the www.elvira.hu website.

Budapest Red Bull Air Race video

Here is a video from the 2004 Red Bull Air Race Budapest and the video has been taken from one of the pilot's flight. 2004 was the first time of the Red Bull Air Race in Budapest and there was again in 2005 and they return to Budapest in August 20 2006 . You'll see the Hungarian Parliament on the video and the Margaret Island and the Danube River. The pilots flies through under the famous Chain Bridge about 400 km/h speed. And the main point is one of the pilot is Hungarian Peter Besenyei. Red Bull Air Race Budapest Hungary

Budapest Card - Budapest kartya 2006

Budapest Card 2006 The Budapest Card first launched in 1997. This card is the tourist's "best friend" for 2 or 3 days. You can have the following discounts if you have the Budapest Card:

• -50% from sightseeing Budapest
• -20% in some restaurants
• most of the museums, 60 are free or discounted
• free entry to Zoo Budapest, Matthias Church
• public transportation is free
• children under 14 traveling with the card holder are also entitled to the benefits the card offers

You can download a 100+ page guide (in four languages) with the card's services click here The Budapest Card is on sale at main underground (subway) ticket offices, tourist information offices, travel agencies, Ferihegy Airport and hotels. For 48 hours 5.200 HUF, for 72 hours 6.500 HUF.

Mammut Budapest mall - Budapest shopping video

Here is another shopping video from Budapest. It's another mall here named of Mammut Budapest. This mall is a two buildings mall. Mammut I and the newer and bigger building Mammut II. I took this home video about the Mammut II. Mammut Budapest

Visit Budapest - the arrival by air: Ferihegy airport

The Airport minibus service From Ferihegy 2 A and B terminals is popular and relatively cheap for 2300 HUF it will drop passengers anywhere within the city limits. A return ticket costs only 3900 HUF and it is valid for six month. Tel: +36 1 296-8555 Ferihegy 1 terminal is for discount airlines. Ferihegy 2A terminal for Malev Hungarian Airlines flights. Ferihegy 2B terminal for foreign airlines. Ferihegy Airport information central number: +36 1 296-9696 Flight information: +36 1 296-7000

WestEnd City Center Budapest Shopping video 2

Budapest Shopping - this is the second Budapest shopping video taken by me in the WestEnd City Center Budapest Mall. This home video is about the restaurants and shops in the West End mall. By the way there is a Hilton Hotel in the WestEnd City Center Budapest. Shopping in Budapest

WestEnd City Center Budapest Shopping

Westend City Center Budapest Shopping I took a video about Westend Budapest I want to show you the building inside and the shops. There are about 400 different shops on the three level of the mall you can see some of them on the following video tour. Budapest Shopping

Sofitel Hotel Budapest

The Sofitel Hotel Budapest is a five star hotel in downtown Budapest right next to the famous Chain Bridge on the Pest side of the Danube.

USA - US Embassy Budapest Hungary

The USA Embassy is at the corner and in front there is a Second World War monument on the Szabadsag ter (Freedom Square Budapest). Szabadsag ter is a nice square in Budapest downtown with lately renewed park and famous buildings. The US Embassy building at Szabadsag ter 12 in Budapest's Fifth District (downtown) has been home to the United States Legation and Embassy since 1935. Currently all Hungarian citizens need at least a non immigrant B1 visa to travel the United States. I just thinking about the name of the square Szabadsag (Freedom) and the date 1935. since the US embassy has been there. From 1945 to 1989 there was not much freedom over here because of the communistic government. But the name of the square and the US Embassy maybe it is a coincidence. Got the picture. US represents the freedom for the World and the USA Embassy located on the Freedom square in Budapest, Hungary since 1935. Funny isn't it.

Heroes' Square - Budapest Sights Google Earth image

It's a Google Earth satellite image about the famous Heroes' Square (Hosok tere). The Heroes' Square is located next to the City Park Budapest (Varosliget). You can see the City Park Lake on the image. At winter one part of the lake is a big skating place, the biggest in Hungary. At summer the lake is for boating. On the left side of the square is the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest. At the right side of the square is the Mucsarnok - Kunsthalle. Heroes' Square by night Budapest Mucsarnok by night at the Heroes' Square Museum of Fine Arts

Webcamera Budapest - webcam

This is a webcamera site about Budapest. The webcam is located on top of the Gellert Hill at the Citadel Budapest. You will see the Buda Castle from left and in the middle of the screen the Chain Bridge over the Danube. Click here Webcamera Budapest

WestEnd City Center Budapest Mall

I took this photo about West End City Centre Budapest mall after Christmas. You can see the Christmas tree in front of the mall. The West End City Centre is located in the downtown of Budapest right next to the West railway Station (Nyugati Palyaudvar). This Shopping Center (Mall) is the biggest one in Hungary and maybe in Middle Eastern Europe. There are about 400 different shops inside the mall and there is the second Hilton Hotel inside the building - West End Hilton. The first Hilton Hotel is in the Buda Castle. There is a Palace Cinema with 14 different screens and a huge garden on the top of the building and a lot more.

Varkert Casino Budapest

Varkert Casino Budapest. This small casino is located on the Buda side of the Danube near to the Chain Bridge under the Castle Hill.

Gellert Hotel Budapest

I took this photo about the Hotel Gellert from the Pest side of the River Danube.

Palace of Arts Budapest

The National Theatre and the Palace of Arts Budapest The building of Palace of Arts changing its color at night. If you wait some minutes you can see the same building with different colors.

Hungarian National Theatre Budapest photo 2006

I went out some days ago and took this digital photo about our National Theatre from the Buda side of the River Danube. The Theatre is located on the Pest side. Actually this is a new building and it looks great by night.

Three Budapest Hotel from the Castle Hill

The Chain Bridge and on the other side of the River Danube from right the brown building is the Hotel Intercontinental next to it the Sofitel and in front of the Bridge The Four Season Hotel Budapest.

Hilton Hotel Budapest

There are two Hilton Hotels in Budapest this is the first and the second is in the West End City Center shopping Mall in downtown. It's a five star exclusive hotel. It's a panorama photo about the back of the Hilton Hotel from the Fishermen's Bastion in the Buda Castle. The front of the hotel next to the old Matthias Church on the left. This hotel is in a special place the Castle. Address: Hess A. ter 1-3, Budapest, Hungary H-1014 Tel: +36-1-8896600 Fax: +36-1-8896644

Budapest Funicular at the Castle

The funicular a small railway up the side of the Castle Hill pulled by a moving cable and having counterbalancing ascending and descending cars. This is the upper station of the Buda Castle funicular. It can lift you up from the Chain Bridge on the Buda side of the River Danube to the Castle near to the Palace. The other station of the funicular down. The funicular by night from the Buda side of the Chain Bridge. Next to the funicular there is the Tunnel.

Budapest Hotel Intercontinental

A winter photo about the Budapest Hotel Intercontinental and you can see a bit of the Sofitel Hotel on the left side. Three hotels and the River Danube on this photo, left the Four Season Budapest Hotel.

Budapest Chain Bridge

The Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge in Budapest. The 375 meters long and 16 meters wide bridge was opened on November 20, 1849. The Chain Bridge on a Google Earth satellite image on left the Buda Castle buildings. It's a winter picture from the Castle Hill on the other side of the River Danube the Four Season Hotel Budapest. At night from the Castle Hill. The Bridge, the Four Season hotel and the Basilica. A photo in twilight from the Fishermen's Bastion the Castle. You can see the bridge and 3 hotels on the other side from left the first is Sofitel the next brown is the Intercontinental hotel and the third on right the Marriott hotel Budapest. A night picture about the Chain Bridge from Citadel Budapest.

Hotel Marriott Budapest

A winter picture. This hotel has 278 guest rooms all overlooking the Danube, it's a specialty.

The Fishermen's Bastion in the Buda Castle

The Fishermen's Bastion at winter The back of the Matthias Church on the right side. A twilight view from the Bastion. The Chain Bridge is in the middle and the high building left is the Basilica.

Special photos about the Parliament

I've taken two photos about the Parliament from the Budapest Castle - Fishermen's Bastion. The second one - at night

Hungarian National Theatre and the Palace of Arts Budapest

When I went up to the Citadel I took this photo from there. The Theatre was very far I had to use 12X optical zoom on the digital camera. Actually you see the National Theatre on the left hand side of the picture. The bigger blue building is the Palace of Arts Budapest a big new concert hall. I'll make more close pictures about these two buildings in the future and I'm going to post it.

Buda Castle the Palace

A satellite picture about the Buda Castle. The Palace in the Buda Castle A panorama photo at night. The Castle from the Citadel at night.

Budapest Map

Here is a Budapest Google Earth satellite picture with the River Danube and Margaret Island. Budapest map

Four Season Gresham Palace Hotel

I took this photo about the Four Season Hotel Budapest from the Buda Castle Hill. It's from the Chain Bridge at night. This one taken from the River Danube. The Gresham Palace Hotel and an old tree in front of it.