Half day city tour
It takes about 3-3,5 hours. It always includes the visit (stops with getting of and some explanation) of the following fine monuments in Budapest: Heroes’ Square with the Millenary Monument, which is decorated with sculptures of the most distinguished figures of the Hungarian history. Andrássy Street with the building of the State Opera House. The St. Stephen’s Basilica and the building of Parliament – the most striking and most attractive building in town. Then we cross the Margaret Bridge and continue the city tour on FĹ Street, which was probably the first street of Buda and it has some fine Baroque churches and an old Turkish spa, then we arrive to the Castle District. This is the longest stop of the city tour. The guests can have the possibility to walk around in the narrow old, medieval streets and the walk always contains the visit of the more than 700-year-old Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion. Then we continue to Gellért Hill. On the top of the hill there is the 19th century Citadella Fortress and the Hungarian Statue of Liberty. This point also has a wonderful panorama to the Pest Side.
Full day city tour
It takes about 7-7,5 hours. It always contains the visit (stops with getting of and some explanation) of the following fine monuments in Budapest: Heroes’ Square with the Millenary Monument, which is decorated with sculptures of the most distinguished figures of the Hungarian history. Short walk close to the Heroes’ Square through the Vajdahunyad Castle, which is a construction built in the last century to show all of the historical architectural styles during centuries. AndrĂĄssy Street with the building of the State Opera House. The St. Stephen’s Basilica and the building of Parliament – the most striking and most attractive building in town. Then we cross the Margaret Bridge and continue the city tour on FĹ Street, which was probably the first street of Buda and it has some fine Baroque churches and an old Turkish spa, then we arrive to the Castle District. This is the longest stop of the city tour. The guests have an accompanied visit to the courts of the Royal Palace, they have the possibility to walk around in the narrow old, medieval streets and the walk always contains the visit of the more than 700-year-old Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion. Then we continue to Gellért Hill. On the top of the hill there is the 19th century Citadella Fortress and the Hungarian Statue of Liberty. This point also has a wonderful panorama to the Pest Side. In the Downtown, there is also a stop with a short walk to the famous Váci Street and Vorosmarty Square. The city sightseeing tour has a lunch as well, in a restaurant according to the actual request.
Budapest by night
Spend an enjoyable evening at a traditional restaurant in Budapest. After an icy “pálinka” that whets your appetite – and is the typical welcome drink of the Hungarians – the famous Goulash soup will be served in kettle, and before you get the second course you will see a wonderful programme with Hungarian dances (professional dancers in traditional costumes) and songs. You will have also the opportunity to dance with and learn the most important steps. After tasting the second course and the dessert, we leave the restaurant and drive to the Gellért Hill. We get out there, for a small walk around the Citadel, and enjoy the view of the illuminated city. After this panorama stop the tour ends with transfer to your hotel.
Excursion to Szentendre (half day)
Szentendre is the Danube Bend’s most visited tourist centre, a small town sited on the bank of the Danube with narrow streets, church towers, colourful houses and special Mediterranean atmosphere. It also has a great variety of museums, famed restaurants, caffee’s, confectioneries, small shops and handicraft stalls. Naturally it has the transfer between Budapest and Szentendre (two ways), an accompanied visit in Szentendre with the visit of Margit Kovács Ceramic Museum and some free time for shopping. Eventually there is a possibility to have a coffee and a cake in a pleasant place.
Excursion to the Danube Bend – full day (visit of Szentendre and Visegrád)
This excursion contains a visit to Szentendre and also a visit to Visegrád with lunch in a good-atmosphere restaurant. Szentendre is the Danube Bend’s most visited tourist centre, a small town sited on the bank of the Danube with narrow streets, church towers, colourful houses and special Mediterranean atmosphere. It also has a great variety of museums (famous Kovács Margit Ceramic Museum), famed restaurants, caffee’s, confectioneries, small shops and handicraft stalls. Visegrád lies to the north of Szentendre, at the centre of the Danube Bend where the river actually swings north for a short distance. This small, riverside village is the former site of one of the most sumptuous royal palaces built in Hungary. The reconstructed Citadel (“Fellegvár”) at the top of the hill has a small exhibition about the life of the Middle Ages and offers perhaps the most splendid view of the surroundings (the Danube Bend). Return to Budapest, crossing Óbuda – the oldest roman part of the town.
Excursion to the Danube Bend – full day (visit of Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom)
This excursion gives a complex impression about this important region of Hungary in its history and arts. It contains a visit to Szentendre, Visegrád and also a visit to Esztergom with lunch in a good-atmosphere restaurant. Szentendre is the Danube Bend’s most visited tourist centre, a small town sited on the bank of the Danube with narrow streets, church towers, colourful houses and special Mediterranean atmosphere. It also has a great variety of museums (famous Kovács Margit Ceramic Museum), famed restaurants, caffee’s, confectioneries, small shops and handicraft stalls. Visegrád lies to the north of Szentendre, at the centre of the Danube Bend where the river actually swings north for a short distance. This small, riverside village is the former site of one of the most sumptuous royal palaces built in Hungary. The reconstructed Citadel (“Fellegvár”) at the top of the hill has a small exhibition about the life of the Middle Ages and offers perhaps the most splendid view of the surroundings (the Danube Bend). Esztergom (today the seat of the Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church) was a Royal Seat and Hungary’s first capital for 250 years. Our state-founder and first king, St. Stephen was born and crowned here on Christmas Day in the year 1000. Today the town is home of 35,000 people and it is famous for its Basilica, the Library, museums, churches, chapels and monasteries and a thermal spa. Esztergom also a town on the frontier between Hungary and Slovakia: the other bank of the River Danube (Sturovo) belongs to Slovakia and there is a ferry-connection between the two countries. Return to Budapest, crossing Óbuda – the oldest roman part of the town.
Excursion to the Puszta (full day)
The word ‘puszta’ means empty, bare, grassy plain. How is it, then, that the Hungarian Puszta, the distant relative of the prairies, pampas and steppes, is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Europe and a must in any tour of the country? To understand it you have to get to know at least in one day with its special attractions. This excursion usually takes about 6-8 hours. Of course it includes a very rich lunch with a typical Hungarian menu. At the arrival of the group some horsemen in traditional costumes welcome the guests and a welcome drink is offered with short drinks and some snacks. There is a riding show after this and at the end of that the guests can try themselves in riding original puszta-horses without saddle and try carriage-ride in the Puszta. The lunch is always very rich and has typical Hungarian menu accompanied by typical Hungarian Gypsy music. After the lunch the guests can have fun for a while with drinks and music. After the lunch the bus starts back to the capital.
Excursion to Lake Balaton (full day)
We drive at first to Tihany – well-known peninsula for the nature-reserve area, for the small fishermen’s houses and wine cellars and for the Benedictine Abbey. After a guided walk and interior visit of the Thane we continue to Balatonfüred – the oldest and the most charming town of the northern coast of the lake, situated next to the peninsula of Tihany. In Balatonfüred you will see the memorial park with old oaks and the Kossuth pump room. You will have the opportunity to taste this famous thermal-water, and after it we will have lunch in a typical “csárda” with Hungarian lake fishes and particular wines of the region. In the late afternoon we drive back to Budapest.
Eger
One of the country’s most attractive Baroque cities, a 1000-year-old Episcopal seat – today an archiepiscopal centre – with a glorious historical past and great historical monuments. István Dobó, castellan, gave the town the title ‘patriotic town’ for his month-long resistance in 1552 against Turkish forces which had a superiority of 20-times Dobó’s small army. The medieval Eger Castle comprises ruins of the 13th century cathedral, the 15th century Gothic Episcopal Palace, and the István Dobó Castle Museum. The Minaret is Europe’s most northerly structure dating from the Turkish period. The Basilica, Hungary’s second largest church, was built in neo-classical style and it has the largest organ in the country. Eger is a town of medicinal baths and students, and also of fine wines. The excellent reds and whites of this famous historical wine region are served in wine cellars that have seen the passage of several hundred years. Eger is also the homeland of full-bodied red wines: the famous Eger Bull’s Blood can be tasted in the century-old cellars cut into the tufa in Szépasszony Völgy.
Spas
One of the very special things about Budapest is the prevalence of thermal springs right in the centre of the city. There are 118 springs and boreholes altogether, supplying the city’s spas and baths with 15.4 million gallons of water daily ranging in temperature from 70 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (21-78°C). TWO LARGE MEDICINAL BATHS.
Gellért Baths
(XI. Kelenhegyi út 4.): The Gellért Baths and Hotel were built in 1918, although there had once been Turkish baths on the site, and in the Middle Ages a hospital. In 1927 the Baths were extended to include the wave pool, and the effervescent bath was added in 1934. With its immaculately preserved Art Nouveau interior, including colourful mosaics, marble columns, stained glass windows and statues, this is without doubt the most beautiful bathing complex in Budapest. The Gellért Baths were an immediate international success, and were even the scene of an early political scandal. In 1931 a visiting black doctor, Dr. Ramon Costello (who happened to be Cuban), was refused to the Baths on the grounds there were some white American visitors there, and, since there was still racial segregation in America, they objected to his presence. Costello took the matter to the City Council, and they found in his favour. Water temperatures: 79-100°F (26-38°C). Pools: open air wave pool, thermal pool and children’s pool, indoor swimming-effervescent pool and nine medicinal pools. Water mineral content: thermal water containing nitrates, calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonates and sulphate-chlorides, as well as fluoride ions in significant quantities.
Széchenyi Baths
The Széchenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in all Europe, and the only ‘old’ medicinal baths to be found in the Pest side of the city. The indoor medicinal baths date from 1913 and the outdoor pools from 1927. There is an atmosphere of grandeur about the whole place with the bright, largest pools resembling aspects associated with Roman baths, the smaller bath tubs reminding one of the bathing culture of the Greeks, and the saunas and diving pools borrowed from traditions emanating in northern Europe. The three outdoor pools (one of which is a fun pool) are open all year, including winter. Indoors there are over ten separate pools, and a whole host of medical treatments is also available. The thermal water is drawn from both natural springs and a 3,000-foot deep artesian well drilled in the 1870’s (the temperature of the water coming from this well is 165°F (74°C)). If you have seen winter pictures of men playing chess in an outdoor pool while the steam rises around them, then this is where they were taken. Water temperatures: 68-100°F (20-38°C). Pools: outdoor swimming pool, fun pool and thermal pool, twelve indoor thermal pools. Water mineral content: thermal water containing nitrates, calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonates and sulphate-chlorides, as well as fluoride ions and metaboric acid in significant quantities. Opening times: Daily 6.0 a.m. – 10.0 p.m.
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