Things to do in Hungary
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Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art
Housed in the architecturally controversial Palace of Arts opposite the National Theatre, the Ludwig Museum is Hungary’s most important collector and exhibitor of international contemporary art. Works by American, Russian, German and French artists span the past 50 years, while Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian, Romanian, Polish and Slovenian works date from the 1990s onward. The museum also holds frequent, cutting edge, temporary exhibitions.
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Gellért Gyógyfürdő
Soaking in this Art Nouveau palace, open to both men and women in separate sections, has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The pools maintain a constant temperature of 44°C, and the water, high in calcium, magnesium and hydrogen carbonate, is good for pains in the joints, arthritis and blood circulation. The entrance fee is actually a kind of deposit that's refunded when you leave, depending on how long you have stayed.
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Kéhli
A self-consciously rustic but stylish place in Óbuda, Kéhli has some of the best traditional Hungarian food in town. In fact, one of Hungary’s best-loved writers, the novelist Gyula Krúdy (1878–1933), who lived in nearby Dugovits Titusz tér and whose statue greets you outside the restaurant, moonlighted as a restaurant critic and enjoyed Kéhli’s bone marrow on toast (990Ft as an entrée) so much that he included it in one of his novels.
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Zwack Unicum Museum & Visitor Centre
If you really can’t get enough of Unicum – the thick, brown medicinal-tasting bitter aperitif made from 40 herbs, clocking in at 42% alcohol, supposedly named by Franz Joseph himself – visit this very commercial museum tracing the history of the product since it was first made in 1790 and inviting visitors to buy big at its sample store (mintabolt). Enter from Dandár utca.
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Széchenyi
At the northern end of City Park, the Széchenyi complex is unusual for its immensity (a dozen thermal baths and five swimming pools), its bright, clean atmosphere and its water temperatures (up to 38°), which really are what the wall plaques say they are. It’s open to both men and women at all times, and you get 400Ft back on your daytime entry fee if you leave within two hours.
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Le Jardin de Paris
A regular haunt of staff from the French Institute across the road (who should know their cuisine française ), the ‘Parisian Garden’ is housed in a wonderful old townhouse with interesting reliefs on the facade and abutting an ancient castle wall. The back garden is a delight in the warmer months. Set lunch is a snip at 1500Ft for two courses.
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Nagyi Palacsintázója
Granny’s Palacsinta Place serves Hungarian pancakes – both the savoury (240Ft to 620Ft) and sweet (130Ft to 640Ft) varieties – round the clock and is always packed. There are other 24-hour branches in Buda (I Batthyány tér 5), Óbuda (III Szentendrei út 131) and Pest (V Petőfi Sándor tér 17–19).
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Explore Eastern Europe
18 days (Budapest)
by Intrepid
Unwind in beautiful Budapest, Sample Hungarian wine in Eger, Experience traditional peasant life in a Maramures village, Learn spooky stories while travelling…Not LP reviewed
from USD$2,021 -
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Fausto
Still the most upmarket (and expensive) Italian restaurant in town, Fausto has brilliant pasta dishes, daily specials and desserts; there are lots of choices for vegetarians. The yellow walls and antique furniture provide an elegant touch and the Italian wine selection is huge. It remains one of the most pleasant dining experiences in Budapest.
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Múzeum
This is the place to come if you like to dine in old-world style, with a piano softly tinkling in the background. It’s a cafe-restaurant that is still going strong after 125 years at the same location near the Hungarian National Museum. The goose liver parfait (3900Ft) is to die for, and there’s a good selection of Hungarian wines.
reviewed
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Bedő House
Just around the corner from Kossuth Lajos tér is this stunning art nouveau apartment block deigned by Emil Vidor and built in 1903. Now a shrine to Hungarian Secessionist interiors, its three floors are crammed with furniture, porcelain, ironwork, paintings and objets d’art. The lovely Art Nouveau Café is on the ground floor.
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Gerbeaud Cukrászda
Founded in 1858, Gerbeaud has been the most fashionable meeting place for the city’s elite on the northern side of Pest’s busiest square since 1870. Along with exquisitely prepared cakes and pastries (410Ft to 1150Ft), it serves continental breakfasts (2950Ft) and sandwiches (1550Ft to 2950Ft). A visit is mandatory.
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Instant
Love, love, love this new ‘rubble bar’ on Pest’s most vibrant nightlife strip and so do all our friends. It’s got four bars on two levels with bopping, relaxing and chilling. If you want a taste of things to come and can’t wait till lunchtime, head for the ground-floor coffee shop (open from 8am to 10pm).
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Mumus
Everyone’s favourite chilled romkocsma, the ‘bogeyman’ transforms from a cavernous vaulted beer hall in the cooler months to a wonderful outdoor kert in summer, with its own tree (real), stars (fake) and old oil drums masquerading as tables.
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Hummus Bar
If you’re looking for vegetarian food on the, err, hoof, this is the place to go for mashed chickpeas blended with sesame-seed paste, oil and lemon juice. Enjoy it au naturel (we mean the hummus) on pita or in a dish with accompaniments such as mushrooms or felafel.
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Lukács Cukrászda
This cafe is dressed up in the finest of decadence – all mirrors and gold – with soft piano music in the background. The selection of cakes (450Ft to 1250Ft) is excellent but expensive. Must be because the chief pâtissier has come all the way from France.
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Palace of Art
The Palace of Art is among the city’s largest exhibition spaces and now focuses on contemporary visual arts, with some five to six major exhibitions staged annually. Go for the scrumptious venue alone. Concerts are sometimes staged here as well.
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Fülemüle
This quaint Hungarian restaurant, which looks like time stood still just before WWII, is quite a find in deepest Józsefváros and well worth the search. Dishes mingle Hungarian and international tastes with some old-style Jewish favourites.
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Gellért Baths
The city's most famous thermal spa is the Gellért Baths below Gellért Hill. Soaking in this Art Nouveau palace has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The pools here maintain a constant temperature of 44°C (111°F).
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Bakelit Music Café
A student pub of sorts close to the centre, Bakelit attracts a boisterous and friendly crowd with its loud music, dark corners and orange-and-brown booths. This is certainly not a place for a quiet chat over a glass of chilled white wine.
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Café Kör
Just behind the Basilica of St Stephen, the ‘Circle Café’ is a great place for a light meal at any time, including breakfast (150Ft to 780Ft) till noon. Salads, desserts and daily specials are usually very good.
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Coxx Men’s Bar
Probably the cruisiest game in town, this boldly named mee(a)t rack has a long brick-lined cellar bar and some significant play areas in back. You might soon find yourself ‘behind bars’ in more ways than one.
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Fehérszarvas Vadásztanya
This is Eger's silver-service restaurant. But the 'White-Deer Hunters' Farm', as its name literally translates, with its game specialities and cellar setting, is really a place to enjoy in autumn and winter.
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Alter Ego
This is Budapest’s premier gay club, with the chic-est (think attitude) crowd and the best dance music on offer. It can be cruisy, but if you’re seriously looking for action, go to the bar of that name.
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Wasabi
This sushi restaurant with a central conveyor belt has more than five dozen items to choose from and the decor is dark, minimalist and very cool. There’s also a Pest branch.
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