+1 hour
+ 36
forint (HUF)
220 volts
Presentation of Hungary
Diverse countryside - in the heart of Europe
Specialty
Pleasant climate
Specialty:
Hungary is located at almost equal distance of the Equator and the North pole, in the middle of temperate zone.
Unique language
Hungarians, who call themselves Magyars, speak a language and form a culture unlike any other in the region. The Hungarian language is spoken only by Hungarians, and the Hungarian folk songs are special. Magyar is a Uralic language and ranked 62 according to number of native speakers (14 million). The most popular foreign language is English among young people. Elder people speak German that reflects the Austro-Hungarian connections back to centuries.
Specialty:
Parts of the World Heritage
The natural, cultural and historical riches to be experienced in Hungary are reflected in its high concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Hungary's United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage sites:
Famous Hungarian Specialties
Public holidays
Famous Hungarians
This country is the birthplace of world-famous inventors, scientists, explorers, composers and sports stars. Well-known 20th and 21st century Hungarians:
OSZKÁR ASBÓTH
March 31, 1891, Pankota - February 27, 1960, Budapest
Engineer, designer of the helicopter
ANDRÁS BALCZÓ
August 16, 1938, Kondoros
Olympic and World Champion Pentathlete
BÉLA BARTÓK
March 25, 1881, Nagyszentmiklós – September 26, 1945, New York
Composer and pianist
LÁSZLÓ JÓZSEF BIRÓ
September 29, 1899, Budapest - October 25, 1985, Buenos Aires
Journalist, inventor of the ballpoint pen
JÁNOS CSONKA
January 22, 1852, Szeged - October 27, 1939, Budapest
Engineer, inventor. Initiator of Hungarian engine and vehicle production
GEORGES CZIFFRA
November 11, 1921, Budapest - January 15, 1994, Senlis, France
Pianist
TAMÁS DARNYI
June 3, 1967, Budapest -
Four-time Olympic champion swimmer
KRISZTINA EGERSZEGI
August 16, 1974, Budapest -
Five-time Olympic champion swimmer
PAUL ERDŐS
March 26, 1913, Budapest – September 20, 1996, Warsaw
Mathematician
BERTALAN FARKAS
August 2, 1949, Gyulaháza –
First Hungarian to travel in space
JÓZSEF GALAMB
February 3, 1881, Makó - December 4, 1955, Detroit
Engineer, Designer of the Ford Model-T
ALFRÉD HAJÓS
February 1, 1878, Budapest - November 12, 1955, Budapest
Swimmer and architect, Hungary’s first Olympic champion
MIKLÓS JANCSÓ
September 27, 1921, Vác –
Film director
TÓDOR KÁRMÁN
May 11, 1881, Budapest – May 7, 1963, Aachen
Physicist
ZOLTÁN KODÁLY
December 16, 1882, Kecskemét – March 6, 1967, Budapest
Composer
JOHN VON NEUMANN
December 28, 1903, Budapest – February 8, 1957, Washington
Mathematician, “Father” of the computer
LÁSZLÓ PAPP
March 25, 1926, Budapest – October 16, 2003, Budapest
Three-time Olympic champion boxer
FERENC PUSKÁS
April 2, 1927, Budapest – November 16, 2006, Budapest
Soccer player, captain of the “Golden Team”
ERNŐ RUBIK
July 13, 1944, Budapest –
Engineer, inventor, creator of the “Rubik Cube”
HANS SELYE
January 26, 1907, Vienna – October 16, 1982, Montreal
Physician, designer of stress theory
SIR GEORG SOLTI
October 21, 1912, Budapest - September 5, 1997, Antibes
Conductor
ALBERT SZENT-GYÖRGYI
September 16, 1893, Budapest – October 22, 1986, Woods Hole, MA
Nobel Prize Winning biochemist
LEO SZILARD
February 11, 1898, Budapest – May 30, 1964, La Jolla, CA
Physicist, biophysicist, nuclear scientist
EDWARD TELLER
January 15, 1908, Budapest – September 9, 2003, Stanford, CA
Physicist
TAMÁS VÁSÁRY
August 11, 1938, Debrecen -
Pianist, conductor
HUNGARY'S NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
| Philipp E. A. von Lenard (1862–1947) | 1905 | Physics |
| Robert Bárány (1876–1936) | 1914 | Medicine |
| Richard A. Zsigmondy (1865–1929) | 1925 | Chemistry |
| Albert von Szent-Györgyi (1893–1986) | 1937 | Medicine |
| George de Hevesy (1885–1966) | 1943 | Chemistry |
| Georg von Békésy (1899–1972) | 1961 | Medicine |
| Eugene P. Wigner (1902–1995) | 1963 | Physics |
| Dennis Gabor (1900–1979) | 1971 | Physics |
| John C. Polanyi (1930–) | 1986 | Chemistry |
| George A. Olah (1927–) | 1994 | Chemistry |
| John C. Harsanyi (1920–2000) | 1994 | Economics |
| Imre Kertész (1929–) | 2002 | Literature |
| Avram Hershko (1937-) | 2004 | Chemistry |
ABOUT BUDAPEST
| Territory: | 525 km2, two-thirds on the eastern, flat bank of the Danube in Pest, one-third on the western, hilly bank of the Danube in Buda. |
| Highest point: | János Hill (527 m) |
| Population: | 1 702 000 persons, that is 17% of the total population. |
| Administration: | divided into 23 districts (the Roman numerals in addresses refer to the district). |
Presentation of Budapest
Unique location
Specialty:
The city was born
Budapest possesses a rich and fascinating history and a vibrant cultural heritage. Its area had been inhabited from the early times and it has got a special character due to the different architectural styles; the signs of the Turkish rule or the Habsburg ages as well. Neoclassical buildings from the 19th century and antique-filled flea markets can be found in the downtown, with winding, narrow, cobblestone streets in the neighborhoods reminding us of the medieval times. The different cultural impacts meet here the distinctive Hungarian flavor, ancient history and recent past come together in the balance to make up the city.
Nowadays Budapest is a large Middle European City. The romanticism which still pervades it, the endless search for its own identity, its proud sense of isolation and, at the same time, its commitment to the ideal of becoming an integral part of western culture make it a city which can undoubtedly teach us a great deal.
Specialty:
Several hundred museums and galleries can be found in the city, which in addition to artefacts of Hungarian history, art, and natural science, also exhibit numerous works of universal European and world culture.
40 theatres, 7 concert halls, and 2 opera houses are provided for those who love the performing arts. The choice multiplies in the summer thanks to the numerous open-air concerts and performances.
Budapest gives home to more than a thousand restaurants, cafés, and venues, where the delicacies of Hungarian and international cuisine are accompanied by the finest Hungarian wines.
Don’t miss in Budapest
GOOD TO KNOW
Passports and visas
A visa is no longer required for visitors from the EU when travelling to Hungary. There are no longer any ID/passport controls at the EU borders. Citizens of Croatia can enter the country by showing the identity card. Citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela and New Zealand, are free to enter without a visa. The usual length of stay is 90 days without any additional permit.
On the following webpage you can find the central database of the ambassies and foreign representative offices operating in Hungary: http://www.wwww.embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/hungary/
Local time
Time zone: GMT + 1 hour Central European time
Summer daylight savings: GMT + 2 hours
(from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October)
For the current local time in Hungary please visit the following site:
http://times.clari.net.au/location.php/Europe/Budapest?cc=HU
Weather
Average Summer Temperature: 27 to 32 °C (81 to 90 °F)
Average Winter Temperature: 0 to -15 °C (32 to 5 °F)
The current weather information about Hungary you can find here:
http://weather.yahoo.com/hungary/budapest/budapest-804365/
http://www.weather.yahoo.com/hungary/budapest/budapest-804365//
Electricity
Electrical current in Hungary is 220 volts/European plugs.
Currency
The Hungarian currency is the forint (HUF or Ft).
Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 HUF
Banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000 HUF
Exchange
Hungarian banks, saving banks and exchange offices are involved in exchange. There is no mandatory minimum amount for currency exchange, rates can vary widely. The best rates are at banks and travel agencies. Additionally, 24-hour exchange machines offer convenience as well as good bank rates.
Here you can find the exchange rates: http://www.xe.com/.
Banks
Banks are usually open between 8:00-16:00 on weekdays. Some banks are open on Saturday, but all are closed on Sunday.
ATMs
ATMs accepting most credit and cash cards are everywhere in Hungary, even in small villages.
Credit cards
Credit cards, especially Visa, MasterCard and American Express, are widely accepted in Hungary, and you'll be able to use them at many tourist-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, stores in the shopping districts, car-rental firms, travel agencies and petrol stations. They are not usually accepted at museums, supermarkets, or train and bus stations.
Travellers' cheques can be cashed in banks but are not accepted in shops.
Telephone
Dialing code for Hungary: +36
Dialing code for Budapest: +36 1
Domestic long distance calls: 06 + area code + local phone number
Calls from Hungary abroad: dial 00, then the country code, city code (without the „0”) and the local number.
Police: 107
Ambulance: 104
Central Emergency: 112
Fire department: 105
Phone Directory Hungary: 198
Phone Information International: 199
Public Phones function with coins or with phone cards which can be bought in hotels, service stations, post offices and news-stands.
Shopping
Most shops are open from 8.30 till 17.30 on weekdays, from 8.30 till 12.30 on Saturdays, they are usually closed on Sundays
Shopping centers in Budapest
West End: entrance from "Nyugati" metro station, Metro 3 (blue line). The biggest and newest. There are 400 shops and many restaurants in one building.
Mammut I-II.: Lövőház street 2-6., near "Moszkva tér" metro station, Metro 2 (red line).
Duna Plaza: entrance directly from "Gyöngyösi út" metro station, Metro 3 (blue line).
Museums
Almost every museums are closed on Mondays.
The homepage of Hungarian museums: http://www.museum.hu/index_en.php
Public transport
Buses, troley-buses, trams and the underground function in general between 4:30 and 23:00. Tickets can be bought at the bus terminals, metro stations and in news-stands.
Public transport schedules and passes:
http://http://www.bkk.hu/en/main-page/news/
Foods
Authentic Hungarian dishes are definitely not for people on diet. You may find Hungarian dishes a bit too heavy and fatty, however their rich flavour, aroma and texture compensate you for the slightly excessive calory intake.
But don’t think that everything is soaking in pork fat and paprika. These ingredients are essential for authentic Hungarian dishes, but properly portioning them and using modern cooking methods we can make healthier dishes. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cheeses and honey. Recipes are based on centuries-old traditions around spicing and preparation methods.
Drinks
Hungarian wines dates back to at least Roman times. The best-known wines are the white dessert wine called Tokaj (North-Eastern region of Hungary) (Tokaji) and the red vines from Villány (Southern part of Hungary). Famous is also the vine called Bull's Blood (Egri Bikavér), a dark, full-bodied red wine. Though not as famous as the country's wines, Hungarian beer has a long history as well. Hungary's most notable liquors are Unicum, a herbal bitters, and Palinka, a range of fruit brandies.
LINK CENTER
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Ministry of Foregn Affairs of Hungary Link |
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Embassies in Hungary Link |
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Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard Link |
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Universal Currency Converter Link |
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Tourism Link |
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Weather in Hungary Link |
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Current Time in Hungary Link |
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Maps Link Link |
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Budapest Airport Link |
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Railway Travel Link |
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Overland coach service Link |
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Local public transport in Budapest Link |
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Museums and programs Link |
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Events in Budapest Link |
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Budapest Times Link |
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Hungary Properties Link |
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Flydent Clinic Budapest Link |
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Balaton Uplands National Park Link |
