Budapest

The beautiful city of Budapest is divided into two halves by the river Danube. Two thirds of the city, Pest, lies on the flat east bank, with one third, Buda, being situated on the hilly west bank. The city has almost 2,000,000 inhabitants.

The most impressive feature of Buda is the area called Castle Hill. Here you will find the most important medieval monuments and museums. The walled castle area consists of two parts: the Old Town and the Royal Palace. The area is called Castle Hill because the first castle was originally built here in the 13th century. From the downtown area you can take a picturesque ride on a funicular railway up to Royal Palace, giving you magnificent views over the city.

The Old Town is a quaint medieval area with little colourful houses, narrow streets, and alleyways. Here you will find a feature that is unique to Buda, the so-called sedilia. Sedilias are medieval decorated recesses in the outside walls of houses where visitors could rest and shelter from rain or sun. Trinity Square is the true centre of the Castle Hill district, with many restaurants and bars in the surrounding streets.
Underneath Castle Hill you will find the Buda Castle Labyrinth, a 1 200m long cave system, which is hidden 16mtrs below the ground. Guided tours are available to show how the caves have been used throughout the centuries – and even if you’re not particularly interested in historical facts, they provide good shelter from the sun and the crowds above.

The Royal Palace has been destroyed and re-built many times throughout history, the last time in the Second World War. It was never rebuilt for residential use, and now houses three museums within its walls; the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Matthias Church is almost as old as Royal Palace, and was named after King Matthias who married here twice. During the early 1900s restoration work exposed medieval frescoes that were white-washed by Turks when turning the church into a into mosque in the 16th century. Organ concerts are held on certain evenings, continuing the 1867 tradition of Liszt’s first rendition of ‘Hungarian Coronation Mass’, performed during the coronation of Franz Joseph.

The Inner Town is the heart of the other part of Budapest: Pest. The northern part is a trendy area, with many boutiques, expensive restaurants, and top hotels. The southern part has recently seen a revival from a quiet area to a touristy neighbourhood, popular with students. Nowadays it is brimming with bars, cafés, clubs, and restaurants.

The City Park provides Pest with open green spaces, as well as various museums, such as the Aviation Museum, the Transport Museum, and the Zoo. Here you will also find the Széchenyi Baths and swimming pool. People have been ‘taking the waters’ in Pest for centuries, with some baths dating back to Turkish times, while others are remnants from the Art Nouveau period when healing baths were very popular.

Airport information

easyJet flies to Budapest Airport (Ferihegy), which is located approximately 28 kms from the city centre.

easyJet flights depart from and fly into terminal 1.

By road

Upon leaving the airport, turn onto the E60, and follow the signs to the city centre.

By coach

Regular dedicated airport busses depart from the city centre (Erzsébet tér) to the airport every 30 minutes between 05.30 to 21.00. This journey takes approximately 45 minutes.

Bt taxi

Pre book your door-to-door airport transfers with easyJet’s partner Holiday Taxis. Arrive at your destination in style and enjoy your own personal service.

Budapest airport supplies a shared mini-bus service taking passengers to and from their final destination in the city of Budapest. A one-way ticket costs HUF 2100. This service can be pre-booked on 0036 1 296 8555.

Hotels

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