Hungarian National Tourist Office, 150 E 58 St, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10155-3398. Tel. 1-212-355-0240; Fax 1-212-207-4103.
Tourism Office of Budapest, Deak Square/Sütõ utca 2, H-1051Budapest. Tel. +361-438-8080.
Hungarian Forint (HUF). 1 US$ = 212 HUF; 1 C$ = 181 HUF;
1 EUR = 254 HUF; 1 £ = 375 HUF.
Budapest Public Transport. www.bkv.hu.
Hotel Liget, H-1068 Budapest, Dózsa György út 106. Tel. +361-269-5300, +361-269-5318; Rates including buffet breakfast: Single: Euro 75-250; US$92-308; C$105-352).
Gundel Étterem, Állatkerti körút 3, Budapest XIV. Tel. +361-468-4040. Open: noon to 4pm; 7pm to midnight.
Gerbeaud Cukrászda, V, Vörösmarty tér 7, Vörösmarty tér. Tel. +361-429-9000. Layer cakes US$2.75 (C$3.44) homemade ice cream 50 cents. Open: daily 9am to 9pm.
Jewish Museum (Zsidó Múzeum) and Great Synagogue, VII, Dohány u. 2-8, Astoria. Tel. +361- 342-8949. Admission: US$3.25 (C$3.95). Open: 10am- 3pm, Mon-Fri (1pm Sun), closed Sat.
Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum) Múzeum Körút 14 -16. Tel. +361- 338- 2122. Open: Apr-Sep, 10am-6pm,Tue-Sun, Oct-Mar, 10am-5pm, Tue-Sun.
Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház), Andrassy ut 22, Budapest Vi. Tel. +361-331-2550. Tickets: Tel. +361-353-0170.
Funicular to Castle District (Budavári Sikló). Clark Ádám tér (lower terminus), Szent György tér (upper terminus), Budapest 1. Open: 7:30am-10pm, closed every other Monday.
Castle Labyrinths (Budavári Labirintus), 1014 Budapest, Varnegyed, Uri utca 9. Tel. +361- 212-0207; +361-375-6858. Open: 9:30am-7:30pm.
Buda Castle Royal Palace (Budavári palota), 1250 Budapest. Open: daily 10am-6pm. For a special tour of the Habsburg Palantine Crypt in the Hungarian National Gallery Building C, sign up at the information desk.
Matthias Church, Szentháromság tér 2, Budapest 1, Tel. +361-155-5657. Open: 7am-7pm.
Alabárdos Étterem, Orszaghaz utca 2. Tel. +361- 356-0851. Open 7am-11pm, Mon-Sat.
Budapest is renowned for its wealth of spa facilities. Here are the few that I came across in my rambles:
Széchenyi Spa Baths (Széchenyi furdo), H-1146 Budapest, Állatkerti körút 11. Tel. +361- 321-0310. One of Europe's largest complexes, the hot spring – both the city's hottest and deepest – was discovered in 1879.
Saint Gellért Spa, H-1111 Budapest, Szt. Gellért tér 1. Tel. +361-889-5500. Famous, classically Hungarian architecture with therapeutic bath and 4-star hotel built on the right bank of the river Danube.
Rudas Baths, Döbrentei tér 9, Budapest. Tel. +361- 375-8373. Built during the Turkish occupation, an octagonal pool under a 10m-span dome is supported by eight columns surrounded by a barrel-vaulted corridor.
Originally a royal game reserve, this green oasis in the middle of the Danube became a retreat for religious contemplation during the 11th century. Car-free and covered with gardens, trees, grass, hotels, swimming and sport facilities, the island gives today's Budapesters and visitors a place to relax. Reach it via Margaret Bridge, or take Bus 26 or 106.
Two 4-star spa hotels are located adjacent one another on Margaret Island. Both offer numerous, all-inclusive health, fitness, and beauty programs, and single supplement charges may be lowered or waived during off season – September through April.
Built in 1873, the Danubius Grand Hotel Margitsziget reflects its turn-of-century atmosphere. The hotel is connected to the modern-styled Danubius Thermal Hotel Margitsziget by a heated underground corridor so that guests may use the services of both hotels.