Budapest airfares, Hungary (BUD)
Budapest airfares, Hungary (BUD)
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and one of the most important cities of mid and East-Europe. Being settled from the early 13th century, today it is the only city which lies on both banks of the Danube. The rich and agitated history of the city brought Budapest much attention.
During the 18th and 19th century, it was the second capital of the Monarchy and became a global city. More than twenty million tourists come to the city each year and it was voted one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. You can find here several buildings and landmarks featured in the list of World Heritage Sites. In 2007, it was among the top 75 financial centers as well as the top livable cities in the world.
The climate of the city is a temperate, transitional one. Characterized by four separable seasons, hot summers and mild winters, thousands of tourists throughout the year visit it. During summer the average temperature can reach 27 °C, while during the winter months it is generally higher than -1 °C. From May to September, the average high is above 20 °C.
The city has 23 districts, which vary from each other both in architectural style and in role. There are districts that are major tourist attractions and there are ones, mainly on the edge of the city border, which are industrial and retail centers. Their number refers to the districts. This way the I. Kerulet is the Old City and it is often called the Castle District.
There are many sights and notable historical buildings in Budapest. Some of these were also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites’ list. Such sites are the Buda Castle Quarter, the Banks of the Danube and the Andrassy Avenue. The Buda Castle Quarter includes the Castle Hill and of course the Buda Castle itself. In the castle, three museums are operating: Budapest History Museum, Medieval Royal Palace and Hungarian National Gallery. A very popular building in this quarter is the Fisherman’s Bastion, being situated in the center of the castle complex and offering a scenic panorama of the city and the Danube. This became a trademark of the city. The Andrassy Avenue is one of the main streets in Budapest, with many neo-renaissance styled buildings. The Heroes’ Square is situated at the end of this avenue and it is a beautiful square. Other trademarks of the city are the famous Szechenyi Chain Bridge and the Hungarian Parliament Building.
The city is home to several modern malls and retail centers, but it also has a classic shopping street, the Vaci utca, meaning Vaci Street. A large number of shops and restaurants are on the two sides of this pedestrian street. You can find simple eateries and ice cream stands as well as upscale restaurants. This is also true in the case of shops.
From the Chain Bridge, visitors can take the funicular to reach the Buda Castle. This is only one type of special transportation vehicle, but Budapest has more. Beside the traditional buses, trams and underground you can travel with chairlift, cycle car, rack railway or trolleybuses.
One of the main events of the year in Budapest and in Hungary became a highly anticipated festival in all of Europe. Held in mid-August and started as a student festival, today the Sziget is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe, with a reported 385,000 visitors in 2005. Many word-wide known artists play live here between 12 and 18 of August, 2008, like Alanis Morissette Iron Maiden, Jamiroquai and R.E.M.
Budapest earned several nicknames over the years. It was and still is considered the most beautiful city the Danube flows through; because of this it is called both the “Pearl of Danube” and “Queen of Danube”. Many call the city the “Heart of Europe” and the “Capital of Freedom”. Today these two are topical because the nightlife scene of the city is very vibrant. You can find a bar or club suitable for you, no matter what music genre you are looking for, because Budapest has to offer something for everybody. If you like rock music, than Rocktogon and Wigwam Rock Club are the places for you. Those who would like to dance until dawn the Alcatraz Club & Restaurant, the Fat Mo’s Music Club, the two Morrison’s Clubs and Inside are suitable. The latter is a five-scene club. There are also outdoor clubs, which are very popular too. Such places are the Mokka Cukka, Rio Café and Zold Pardon. The Rio Café is an upscale club, which is considerably more expensive than the other two, however if you can afford it, it’s worth the visit.
Budapest was a global city, the capital of Middle Europe and today it is still one of the best tourist destinations in Europe, because each era, the city went through, left marks, that even today are visible, this way the past is present even today.
