Lake Balaton Hungary

A Google Earth satellite image about Lake Balaton map

Lake Balaton is the biggest lake in Hungary and in Middle Europe as well. This is a popular place for Hungarians and foreign visitors for holiday. Balaton is about 77 Km long and the closest part is only about 100 kilometers far from Budapest. Easy to get there on M7 highway directly from Budapest. Or you can take a train form Southern Railway Station Budapest (Deli Palyaudvar) to get to Siofok the main city on the Southern part of the lake.

Some lake Balaton photos

Balatonfoldvar the port with boats

Lake Balaton is a nice place at summertime

Budapest Synagogue by night

For more info visit my earlier post about Budapest Syangogue and the Jewish Museum.

Parliament of Hungary from Buda bank of the Danube River

The Parliament Budapest is the largest building in Hungary the permanent site of the national assembly, Budapest Parliament sits on the Danube embankment with its entrance looking out over Kossuth Square. The neo-Gothic building is the work of architect Imre Steindl and was constructed between 1884-1904. The Parliament has 691 rooms, is 268 meters long and its cupola rises 96 meters into the air. The staircase is embellished with fine frescoes by Karoly Lotz and sculptures by Gyorgy Kiss. Parliament’s most important work of art the painting “The Conquest” by Mihaly Munkacsy, is in the Munkacsy Room next to the President’s office. Since 2000 the general public has been able to view the Hungarian coronation regalia here: Saint Stephen’s Crown, the scepter, orb and Renaissance sword.

Budapest Parliament tours:
Daily every 15 minutes, groups of minimum 5 people (weekdays 8 am – 6 pm Saturday 8 am – 4 pm, Sunday 8 am – 2 pm); assemble at Parliament Gate number 10.

Daily tours with foreign language guides: English 10 am, noon, 2 pm; German 11 am, 3 pm; French 2 pm; Hebrew 10.30 am, 1.30 pm; Russian 3 pm (Sunday 11 am); Italain and Spanish 11.30 am, 4 pm.

Admission: adults HUF 2300, students HUF 1150, International Student Card accepted, free for citizens of European Union (EU).

A photo about the Budapest Parliament on 23 October 2006 during the Budapest Demonstrations. The whole Kossuth Square was closed from the general public entry.

How to get to the Parliament Budapest by public transport?

line 2 (red one) subway Kossuth ter stop
bus number 15
trolley bus number 70 and 78
tram number 2

Address: Budapest district V. Kossuth Square 1-3
Information: + 36 1 441-4000
Web: www.parlament.hu

Opera Budapest

Hungarian State Opera House

One of the most imposing opera houses of its day, the Budapest Opera House opened in 1884. Its neo-Classical and neo-Renaissance design is the work of the greatest Hungarian architect of the 19th century, Miklos Ybl. The grandiose lobby, elegant staircase and horseshoe shaped auditorium are important tourist sights in themselves. Guests conductors at the Opera House Budapest have included such world greats as Gustav Mahler and Otto Klemperer.

The Opera House stands on the Andrassy Avenue in half way between the Deak square and the Oktogon. It is well worth visiting not only for its brilliant performances but also for the magnificent grand stair and lavish interior design. Buy tickets for an evening entertainment there. You’ll be able to enjoy the classics of contemporary music in the form of opera or ballet performed nearly every day of the week. It will be a memory you will always treasure. This is the Budapest Opera House.

Exchanging money in Hungary and in Budapest only permitted in licensed, designated places. Do not take the risk of changing money on the street form Arabian guys. You will see such an illegal operations mainly on railway stations Westren Railway station Nyugati palyaudvar, Eastern railway station – Keleti palyaudvar and in the city center (Vaci Street) as well. You are likely find yourself with counterfeit money besides witch such transactions are illegal in Hungary. If you do not get counterfeit money but they offer you a very good exchange rate but they cheat on you and easily can steal your money. So forget them.
The Hungarian National Bank gives official daily foreign exchange and currency rates on 23 currencies.
Most banks in Budapest have 24 hours banknote exchange ATMs. Besides this there are many credit card and cash card ATMs in operation day and night Budapest and Hungary.
Banks and travel agencies can set (and modify) their own exchange rates taking the bank of issue’s as the basis. Any bureau de change has to have the current money exchange rates clearly displayed. Keep your exchange receipt in a safe place until you depart Hungary.

The best HUF (Hungarian Forint) exchange rates are to be found close to the rail stations and in the Budapest city center (Vaci street, Petofi Sandor Street). I do not recommend banks to exchange your foreign money because they generally give a middle rate as well as the airport and hotel exchanges.

The best if you use your credit card or debit card as many places as you can. In hotels, most of the restaurants, malls, shops they accept VISA, Mastercard Eurocard, American Express cards.

Find a bank ATM you can get enough Hungarian banknotes to pay. It is a better way than you have US dollars or EURO or any other money and bring it to any bank to exchange it.

If you have foreign banknotes and you want to exchange it find in downtown Exchange displayed legal offices and check some of them on the rates before make the transaction to find the best exchange rates. They are smart to use similar rates but you can find better ones.

If you want to exchange more money some thousands of USD or EUR or other money you can get special exchange rate deals in those legal offices just ask them.
Exchanging money in Budapest is easy.

I see a lot of people are find my site because of  looking for a  website with a webcamera, webcam about the Hungarian Parliament and Kossuth Square (Kossuth ter) and such a things. They’d like to watch real time the Budapest Demonstrations in 2006 November or earlier in October or September. Sorry I have to say I do not know any public webcam about the Parliament and Kossuth Square.

There are a few web cameras in Budapest like one on the Oktogon and you can see the Heroes’ Square and the Andrassy street, Jokai square, Liszt Ferenc square.
www.citylive.hu/citylive.php

There is another site with many web cameras not only about Budapest but other Hungarian cities and places. This site is a meteorology site only available in
Hungarian
www.viharvadasz.hu

Another Budapest live webcam page. You’ll see the Danube river from the Buda side This live webcam is based at the Center of Information Systems of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics on R building third floor.

http://speed.eik.bme.hu/livecam/webcam3.html

The Raiffeisen Bank Webkamera about the Buda side and the Buda Castle with the view of Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion and Budapest Hilton Hotel.

Long URL:

http://www.raiffeisen.hu/rai/raiportal/ep/programView.do?pageTypeId=8649&programPage=/ep/program/editorial.jsp&programId=8704&channelId=-8365

If you want some more  webcameras in Budapest or Hungary visit this Hungarian site:

http://webkamera.lap.hu

Webcamera Budapest Hungary

Internet cafes are highly fashionable in Budapest. The following list details just some of the most locations offering Internet access:

AMI Cafe
district V. Vaci street 40 close to the Elizabeth Bridge
Tel: +36 1 267-1644
Open: 9 am – midnight

CEU NetPoint
district V Oktober 6 street 14. Close to the Chain Bridge
Tel: +36 1 328-3506
Open: 11 am – 10 pm

Internet Cafe
district V Kecskemeti street 5.
Tel: + 36 1 328-0292
Open: Mon-Fri 10 am- 10 pm

Internet Studio
District VI. Dessewffy street 45
Cellular: + 36 20 481-8688
10 am – midnight

Libri Konyvpalota (big bookstore close to the Astoria)
District VII Rakoczi street 12
Tel: +36 1 2674484
Open: Mon-Fri 10 am – 7:30 pm Sat: 10 am 3 pm

T-Com T-pont (Matav Telepont)
District V Petofi Sandor street 17-19
Tel: +36 1 485-6612
Open: Mon – Fri: 9 am- 8 pm, Sat: 10 am – 3 pm

Private Link Net cafe
District VIII Jozsef boulevard 52
Tel: + 36 1 334-2057
Open: NON STOP

Business centers in the major hotels and shopping centers, malls also offer Internet access facilities.
If you have notebook you can find a lot of free or paying wireless hotspots in Budapest like in bars, restaurants, cafes and even in most of the Mc Donalds.

If you have a cell phone or a card in your computer you can use 3 different mobile network T-Mobile, Vodafone, Pannon all three provider grant Internet access in GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and T-Mobile 3,5G service in downtown of Budapest.

The prices are vary from $1-4 in a netcafe for an hour access, hotspots many are free.

You won’t have any problem to get an netcafe or a hotspot if you come to Budapest.

Budapest Synagogue and the Jewish Museum

The glorious building of Budapest Synagogue in Byzantine Moorish style is the largest synagogue of Europe. It was built by Viennese architect Ludwig Forstner in the middle of 19th century. One of Budapest’s most imposing historical monuments it is faced in white and red brick with a wealth of ceramic decorative elements and two onion dome towers. The Jewish museum has an unequalled collection of Jewish related items from Roman period to the 20th century.

The Budapest Synagogue is situated in the Dohany Street and it is between the Astoria and the Deak Ferenc (ter) square closer to Astoria. Easy to get there by public transport: bus, tram, trolley bus, subway (metro) because it is in the city center of Budapest.

The Jewish Museum built in fitting style and attached to the uniquely beautiful Dohany Street Synagogue has an unparalleled collection of Judaica.

Permanent exhibitions: devotional objects for Jewish celebrations, everyday objects, history of the Hungarian Holocaust.

Opening hours of the Budapest Synagogue and the Jewish Museum:

Mon-Thur: 10 am.-5pm. (10 am-3pm between 1 of November and 14 of April)
Fri, Sun: 10am-2pm.
The price of admission (HUF 500-2000) includes entry to the Jewish Museum and the Budapest Synagogue.

Dohany street 2.
Tel: +36 (1) 342-9849

Danubius Thermal Hotel Budapest Margaret Island. The new name of the hotel: Danubius Health Spa Resort Margitsziget.

This hotel was the first metropolitan SPA Hotel in the world offering a wide range of SPA and health services in a beautiful woodland setting on the Margaret Island Budapest.

In combination with the facilities of the neighboring Danubius Grand Hotel Budapest, the Thermal Hotel Margitsziget offers banquet and conference facilities for 300 guests and can cater for up to 1,200 delegated in eight function rooms.

The Danubius Thermal Hotel Budapest has:

• 259 rooms
• 8 suites
• 1 restaurant
• 3 bars
• Business Center
• WiFi Internet access
• Adventure pool
• Sauna
• Pets are allowed
• Gym
• Car rental
• 24 hours room service
• Fitness, wellness, massage

The lobby of the Thermal Hotel

Hotel location:

On the Margaret Island northern end close to the Arpad Bridge. Distance from Ferihegy International Airport Budapest 28 Km, Eastern Railway Station (Keleti Palyaudvar) 9 Km, Budapest city center 5 Km. You can get there by cab (taxi) or public transport Number 26 bus from the Western Railway Station Budapest (Nyugati Palyaudvar) or Arpad Bridge (hid) Subway station (this is the other end of the number 26 bus).
Hotel information

Category: four star superior
H – 1138 Budapest, Margitsziget
Phone: +36 (1) 889-4700, Fax: +36 (1) 889-4988
Booking: +36 (1) 889-4752
E-mail: resind@margitsziget.danubiusgroup.com
Web: www.danubiushotels.com/margitsziget