19 Nights in Hungary
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:01 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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19 Nights in Hungary
Hello everyone,
We were in Hungary for 19 nights in April and May this year. We loved Hungary and could have spent much longer but with other destinations to go in our 2 month trip, 19 nights wasn't bad.
First, the TR is on my website starting with http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/8-ni...ting-budapest/ with some photos to liven it up and links to the apartments and hotels we stayed in. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of our accommodations in Hungary.
Here's how the Hungary itinerary worked out:
8 Nights Budapest
3 Nights Eger
2 Nights Tarcal
3 Nights Tiszafured
3 Nights Budapest
Thanks to all who have written something about Hungary, it's really helpful when I'm trying to figure out what I'd like to do and there's certainly not as many TR's as say, Italy!
We were in Hungary for 19 nights in April and May this year. We loved Hungary and could have spent much longer but with other destinations to go in our 2 month trip, 19 nights wasn't bad.
First, the TR is on my website starting with http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/8-ni...ting-budapest/ with some photos to liven it up and links to the apartments and hotels we stayed in. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of our accommodations in Hungary.
Here's how the Hungary itinerary worked out:
8 Nights Budapest
3 Nights Eger
2 Nights Tarcal
3 Nights Tiszafured
3 Nights Budapest
Thanks to all who have written something about Hungary, it's really helpful when I'm trying to figure out what I'd like to do and there's certainly not as many TR's as say, Italy!
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:10 PM
#3
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
BUDAPEST - 8 Nights
Into Budapest by way of Madrid
Easy 3.25 hour flight on Ryanair from Madrid and we were in Budapest! We ended up with 2 different apartments in Budapest, both close to the Deák Ter metro, a perfectly central location for walking everywhere and also where the 3 metro lines intersect. After 8 nights in our first Budapest apartment we picked up a rental car and headed east for a long country break road trip. Eventually we were headed to Vienna, but Budapest is the hub in Hungary and it was easiest to pick up and return the car in Budapest and take the train to Vienna from there.This trip was all about easy! Our second apartment was for 3 nights after our relaxing break in the Hungarian countryside.
Top Experiences in Budapest
The Terror Museum
Széchenyi Thermal Baths and Swimming Pools
Holokauszt Emlékközpont – Holocaust Memorial Center (Páva St. 39)
Danube tour boat at night
Hospital in the Rocks
Worst things about Budapest
The Great Market Hall was an impressive building, but crowded with tourists.
Cafés, City Walks, and a Whole Lot of Fascinating History
8 nights in a 2 bedroom apartment in the center of Pest near Deák Square. (Airbnb)
Budapest is a beautiful city with lots of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, grand cafés and of course it’s famous for thermal hot springs and ruin pubs. But what makes Budapest fascinating? To me, it’s the two regimes of terror that the people in Budapest and Hungary endured in the not so distant past – first the Arrow Cross (Nazi-occupied Hungary’s version of the Gestapo) and the AVO/AVH (communist Hungary’s secret police).
Tip: Getting to the center from the airport is easy and reasonable, the official taxi service has a kiosk outside arrivals. Just walk out of the terminal to the Taxi kiosk and tell them where you’re going. You get a slip of paper with the price. Hop in the cab you are directed to and off you go. The cab driver’s GPS is networked so he already has your destination, you don’t have to tell him a thing! Our ride to Szomory Dezső Ter was 6,960ft, just round up to 7,000ft and it’s about $25.00.
Tip: There are lots of people inside trying to get you to take THEIR taxi service. Just ignore and go to the official kiosk outside.
Tip: Keep things simple and have your destination address written down to hand to the Taxi kiosk agent.
Walking tour
The best way to get oriented to a city is a walking tour, and if you can catch the Free Budapest Walking Tour Original Walk in the morning you’ll be perfectly positioned at the end to explore the sites on Castle Hill, the Buda side of Budapest.
Tip: After the walking tour, don’t go into Matthias Church just yet, instead take a break and walk down the street to Ruszwurm, Budapest’s oldest café and one of Europe’s oldest pastry shops. The specialty cake is their Kreme, but we loved the Chocolate Torte too.
Hospital in the Rock
The fascinating Hospital in the Rock is down the hill from Ruszwurm. Tunnels were carved out under Buda Hill and completely equipped and used as an emergency hospital in WWII and the 1956 Revolution, and as a nuclear fallout shelter during the Cold War. Part of the tunnels were used as a command center by the Nazis in in the siege of Budapest in WWII. A terrific guided tour even if you don’t get as much time as you’d like to look at all the exhibits.
Tip: Tours are on the hour every hour when they’re open. Time your café break so you can make the tour without a long wait.
Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion
On the walking tour you’ll have learned all about why this church is called Matthias Church instead of its prior names Saint Stephens (there’s a statue of St. Stephen outside) or The Church of Mary. Regardless what it’s called it’s seen a lot of history and was badly damaged in WWII. Beautifully restored it’s certainly worth a look inside.
Tip: There is a combination ticket for both the Matthias Church and The Fisherman’s Bastion. The Fisherman’s Bastion is directly behind Matthias Church and is nothing more than a lovely short walkway with views across the Danube to Pest. If you don’t want to spring for the extra to walk there you really get the same views from the free walkway below – or an even better view from the café on one of the Bastion’s towers.
There’s more to do on Castle Hill but we had plenty of other sights to see in Budapest and despite the length of our stays, we never made it back up here.
The Great Synagogue
The Doheny Street Synagogue (The Great Synagogue) was high on our list of first sights. It’s big – the largest in Europe and second largest in the world. The tour is well worth it; the synagogue interesting and impressive; and outside, the mass graves of Jewish people who were murdered here in the Ghetto in 1945 and the Willow Tree with names of murdered Hungarian Jews on the leaves is sad and very moving.
Tip: Check the Doheny Street Synagogue website for opening hours and plan your visit for one of the English language tour times.
Heroes Square, City Park, and Shoes on the Danube
Saturday was a great day for a walk up tree-lined Andrassy Avenue (a World Heritage Site!) to Heroes Square and City Park, admiring the buildings along the way. We couldn’t have timed it better – there was a festival going on with Fire and Police exhibits, trucks, games, concerts, and rides. Lots of activity and of course FOOD! We sampled the kürtőskalács (Funnel Cake) – a tasty sweet dough treat roasted on a spit over coals and sprinkled with the traditional cinnamon or something else. My favorite was walnut. Yumm.
Meandering all over the tree filled park with the locals was a great break. But walking for the day wasn’t over – we wandered back down to the Danube for a close up look at the Parliament…and the moving Shoes on the Danube memorial.
The memorial honors the Jews who were murdered by the Arrow Cross, the Nazi puppet power in Budapest in WWII. The people were lined up and forced to take off their valuable shoes and shot to drop dead into the Danube.
Tip: You’ll have a much greater appreciation of some of the history if you get a chance to read (or listen to) a wonderful book about Raoul Wallenberg “The Envoy” by Alex Kershaw. The garden in the Great Synagogue in Budapest is dedicated to him.
Tip: All the way up to City Park and back down to the Danube is quite a distance. If you don’t want that much exertion you can hop on the metro at the Park near the baths or Heroes Square and take it down to Deak Ter for 700 forints (about $2.50).
An afternoon at the Széchenyi Baths
A couple of years ago when I first looked into visiting Budapest, I thought going to a public bath was kind of, well… yucky. Trust me, it’s not! We spent a lot of time there, in and out of every pool they offered, except the lap pool – that’s for people who are serious about laps. My favorites were the aromatherapy steam rooms, lavender and menthol. A lot of fun and a uniquely Budapest experience.
There are 2 entrances, the main fancy entrance faces City Park. We went to the entrance on the opposite side, facing the zoo.
Tip: You can share a changing cabin, pay for 1 changing cabin and pay for 1 regular entry (no cabin, no locker). Each of you gets a waterproof bracelet to access the baths, and one of you will have the bracelet that opens the changing cabin.
The House of Terror
If you only have time for one museum in Budapest, make it the House of Terror (Terrorhaza). The building was the headquarters of the 2 terror regimes in Budapest – the Arrow Cross (like the Gestapo) and the AVO/AVH (Secret police).
Tip: If they are out of English language audioguides, don’t worry – there are pages to pick up at each room that describes what’s going on in the exhibit.
Tip: The Rick Steves’ Budapest guide has an excellent self-guided tour you can read while you walk around.
Gellert Hill, Church in the Rock, and more walks around the Danube
A great walk for views over Budapest is up to Gellert Hill. It may look far but took only about 20 minutes to walk from the apartment near Deak Ter up to the top. A walk back down the other side toward Liberty Bridge brings you to the Church in the Rock for a quick and interesting visit.
Gellert Hill
Tip: The top of Gellert Hill is THE photo op spot. We were taking a break on some benches near some local men who were hanging around. Eventually we saw the men set up a shell game, that’s where an object is hidden under 3 cups, the cups are moved around quickly and the observer bets which “shell” the object is under. One of the guys pretended to be a passerby observing and betting. Sure enough, a couple of tourists were sucked in and lost some money.
Country Break!
There was a lot we still wanted to do in Budapest but we were really relaxed about that because…we knew we would be back. And soon too, our plans were for a country break road trip to Eger, Tarcal, and Tiszafured and then back to Budapest for 3 more nights.
Into Budapest by way of Madrid
Easy 3.25 hour flight on Ryanair from Madrid and we were in Budapest! We ended up with 2 different apartments in Budapest, both close to the Deák Ter metro, a perfectly central location for walking everywhere and also where the 3 metro lines intersect. After 8 nights in our first Budapest apartment we picked up a rental car and headed east for a long country break road trip. Eventually we were headed to Vienna, but Budapest is the hub in Hungary and it was easiest to pick up and return the car in Budapest and take the train to Vienna from there.This trip was all about easy! Our second apartment was for 3 nights after our relaxing break in the Hungarian countryside.
Top Experiences in Budapest
The Terror Museum
Széchenyi Thermal Baths and Swimming Pools
Holokauszt Emlékközpont – Holocaust Memorial Center (Páva St. 39)
Danube tour boat at night
Hospital in the Rocks
Worst things about Budapest
The Great Market Hall was an impressive building, but crowded with tourists.
Cafés, City Walks, and a Whole Lot of Fascinating History
8 nights in a 2 bedroom apartment in the center of Pest near Deák Square. (Airbnb)
Budapest is a beautiful city with lots of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, grand cafés and of course it’s famous for thermal hot springs and ruin pubs. But what makes Budapest fascinating? To me, it’s the two regimes of terror that the people in Budapest and Hungary endured in the not so distant past – first the Arrow Cross (Nazi-occupied Hungary’s version of the Gestapo) and the AVO/AVH (communist Hungary’s secret police).
Tip: Getting to the center from the airport is easy and reasonable, the official taxi service has a kiosk outside arrivals. Just walk out of the terminal to the Taxi kiosk and tell them where you’re going. You get a slip of paper with the price. Hop in the cab you are directed to and off you go. The cab driver’s GPS is networked so he already has your destination, you don’t have to tell him a thing! Our ride to Szomory Dezső Ter was 6,960ft, just round up to 7,000ft and it’s about $25.00.
Tip: There are lots of people inside trying to get you to take THEIR taxi service. Just ignore and go to the official kiosk outside.
Tip: Keep things simple and have your destination address written down to hand to the Taxi kiosk agent.
Walking tour
The best way to get oriented to a city is a walking tour, and if you can catch the Free Budapest Walking Tour Original Walk in the morning you’ll be perfectly positioned at the end to explore the sites on Castle Hill, the Buda side of Budapest.
Tip: After the walking tour, don’t go into Matthias Church just yet, instead take a break and walk down the street to Ruszwurm, Budapest’s oldest café and one of Europe’s oldest pastry shops. The specialty cake is their Kreme, but we loved the Chocolate Torte too.
Hospital in the Rock
The fascinating Hospital in the Rock is down the hill from Ruszwurm. Tunnels were carved out under Buda Hill and completely equipped and used as an emergency hospital in WWII and the 1956 Revolution, and as a nuclear fallout shelter during the Cold War. Part of the tunnels were used as a command center by the Nazis in in the siege of Budapest in WWII. A terrific guided tour even if you don’t get as much time as you’d like to look at all the exhibits.
Tip: Tours are on the hour every hour when they’re open. Time your café break so you can make the tour without a long wait.
Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion
On the walking tour you’ll have learned all about why this church is called Matthias Church instead of its prior names Saint Stephens (there’s a statue of St. Stephen outside) or The Church of Mary. Regardless what it’s called it’s seen a lot of history and was badly damaged in WWII. Beautifully restored it’s certainly worth a look inside.
Tip: There is a combination ticket for both the Matthias Church and The Fisherman’s Bastion. The Fisherman’s Bastion is directly behind Matthias Church and is nothing more than a lovely short walkway with views across the Danube to Pest. If you don’t want to spring for the extra to walk there you really get the same views from the free walkway below – or an even better view from the café on one of the Bastion’s towers.
There’s more to do on Castle Hill but we had plenty of other sights to see in Budapest and despite the length of our stays, we never made it back up here.
The Great Synagogue
The Doheny Street Synagogue (The Great Synagogue) was high on our list of first sights. It’s big – the largest in Europe and second largest in the world. The tour is well worth it; the synagogue interesting and impressive; and outside, the mass graves of Jewish people who were murdered here in the Ghetto in 1945 and the Willow Tree with names of murdered Hungarian Jews on the leaves is sad and very moving.
Tip: Check the Doheny Street Synagogue website for opening hours and plan your visit for one of the English language tour times.
Heroes Square, City Park, and Shoes on the Danube
Saturday was a great day for a walk up tree-lined Andrassy Avenue (a World Heritage Site!) to Heroes Square and City Park, admiring the buildings along the way. We couldn’t have timed it better – there was a festival going on with Fire and Police exhibits, trucks, games, concerts, and rides. Lots of activity and of course FOOD! We sampled the kürtőskalács (Funnel Cake) – a tasty sweet dough treat roasted on a spit over coals and sprinkled with the traditional cinnamon or something else. My favorite was walnut. Yumm.
Meandering all over the tree filled park with the locals was a great break. But walking for the day wasn’t over – we wandered back down to the Danube for a close up look at the Parliament…and the moving Shoes on the Danube memorial.
The memorial honors the Jews who were murdered by the Arrow Cross, the Nazi puppet power in Budapest in WWII. The people were lined up and forced to take off their valuable shoes and shot to drop dead into the Danube.
Tip: You’ll have a much greater appreciation of some of the history if you get a chance to read (or listen to) a wonderful book about Raoul Wallenberg “The Envoy” by Alex Kershaw. The garden in the Great Synagogue in Budapest is dedicated to him.
Tip: All the way up to City Park and back down to the Danube is quite a distance. If you don’t want that much exertion you can hop on the metro at the Park near the baths or Heroes Square and take it down to Deak Ter for 700 forints (about $2.50).
An afternoon at the Széchenyi Baths
A couple of years ago when I first looked into visiting Budapest, I thought going to a public bath was kind of, well… yucky. Trust me, it’s not! We spent a lot of time there, in and out of every pool they offered, except the lap pool – that’s for people who are serious about laps. My favorites were the aromatherapy steam rooms, lavender and menthol. A lot of fun and a uniquely Budapest experience.
There are 2 entrances, the main fancy entrance faces City Park. We went to the entrance on the opposite side, facing the zoo.
Tip: You can share a changing cabin, pay for 1 changing cabin and pay for 1 regular entry (no cabin, no locker). Each of you gets a waterproof bracelet to access the baths, and one of you will have the bracelet that opens the changing cabin.
The House of Terror
If you only have time for one museum in Budapest, make it the House of Terror (Terrorhaza). The building was the headquarters of the 2 terror regimes in Budapest – the Arrow Cross (like the Gestapo) and the AVO/AVH (Secret police).
Tip: If they are out of English language audioguides, don’t worry – there are pages to pick up at each room that describes what’s going on in the exhibit.
Tip: The Rick Steves’ Budapest guide has an excellent self-guided tour you can read while you walk around.
Gellert Hill, Church in the Rock, and more walks around the Danube
A great walk for views over Budapest is up to Gellert Hill. It may look far but took only about 20 minutes to walk from the apartment near Deak Ter up to the top. A walk back down the other side toward Liberty Bridge brings you to the Church in the Rock for a quick and interesting visit.
Gellert Hill
Tip: The top of Gellert Hill is THE photo op spot. We were taking a break on some benches near some local men who were hanging around. Eventually we saw the men set up a shell game, that’s where an object is hidden under 3 cups, the cups are moved around quickly and the observer bets which “shell” the object is under. One of the guys pretended to be a passerby observing and betting. Sure enough, a couple of tourists were sucked in and lost some money.
Country Break!
There was a lot we still wanted to do in Budapest but we were really relaxed about that because…we knew we would be back. And soon too, our plans were for a country break road trip to Eger, Tarcal, and Tiszafured and then back to Budapest for 3 more nights.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:20 PM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
BTW: I really have to thank fourfortravel for mentioning Ruszwurm cafe in a trip report, we love iconic cafes and sitting outside on the sidewalk under an umbrella with an espresso and 2, yes 2, of their famous pastries was perfectly relaxing.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:36 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
EGER: 3 Nights – A Fortress, Wine Caves, and a Terrific Cave Tour
I copied the post here, but here's the link which has the pictures and trip diary: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/3-ni...fic-cave-tour/
Eger is a pretty, historic town an hour and half drive north east from Budapest, a perfect place for a country break. Eger is well known in Hungary for it’s greatest hero István Dobó who successfully defended the town from the invading Ottoman army. Quite a thrilling victory because the Ottomans had already defeated the Hungarian army and there were only about 2,000 soldiers and citizens defending Eger! The tourists who go to Eger know it for its wine caves in the Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszonyvölgy) and the famous local wine called Bikavér “Bulls Blood”, a delicious smooth, spicy red.
Top Experiences
Baradla Cave in the Aggtelek National Park
Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszonyvölgy)
Enjoying Eger
Patria Pension Apartment #2 (Hotel Senator Ház), 3 nights in an apartment (no kitchen) with a balcony, breakfast included.
Our first stop in Eger was to the Tourist Information office to pick up a map of the sites. The only thing open that we made it to was the Basilica. The Lyceum across the street would have been interesting for its library and the Camera Obscura but it was too late in the day and closed.
Fortress Castle
You can’t go to Eger and not visit the Fortress that looms over the town! Get the combination pass for the fortress PLUS museums, it’s cheap and the museums are interesting with lots of info and exhibits about the history of Eger.
A cheesy but fun wax museum is extra and tiny but only 500 Forints (about $1.50) so heck yes we dropped in and had a look.
Valley of Beautiful Women
An easy 20 minute walk to the Valley of Beautiful Women to sample some local wines. You can take a little tourist train from somewhere near the main square which takes you directly there, but the walk was easy following the signs to the Szépasszony-völgy. The valley is a lovely green park with wine caves dug into the hillsides in a semi-circle around the perimeter and a big outdoor amphitheater for performances. This day was a holiday and there were wine kiosks set up in the park area also. With close to 50 wineries, choosing which to taste at is a rather daunting task!
Wine tasting here isn’t what you’re used to in California. Pick a wine cave you like, go in and ask for a particular taste, for example their Bikavér or a dry white. They’ll pour, you taste, and if you like it pay for a full glass to take to outdoors to your table. We only had enough stamina to taste at 2 cellars – #43 Sike Pince, and #46 Toth Ferenc. A terrific experience and not to be missed in Eger.
Day Trip to Baradla Cave
The Aggtelek National Park is about an 1.5-2 hour drive from Eger – closer to 2 hours on the little windy roads. We made it just in time to race up to get tickets for the 12:00 Baradla Cave Tour, which mysteriously started at 12:15. Whew!
Best Cave Tour – EVER
The tour is ONLY in Hungarian, so why was this the best cave tour EVER? It was deep, it was long, it has interesting formations and even without understanding a word of the tour, it was great!
The tour starts at the Aggtelek National Park Red Lake Visitor center and 2 hours later you exit at the Barlang exit to get a bus back to Red Lake.
Tip: Pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables in the large covered Red Lake Visitor Center. You can get an instant cappuccino and snacks at the snack bar.
Tip: The Aggtelek Red Lake Visitor center is easy to miss, it’s between the towns of Aggtelek and Josvafo – marked “Aggletek National Park – Red Lake Visitor center – Baradla Cave Entrance” on my Hungary Map.
There were only 4 people of the HUGE group taking the tour that spoke English, us and a couple from Poland. Our Hungarian tour guide was very kind and apologized for not knowing more English but we didn’t mind. It was rather liberating not having to listen! We wandered a bit in front of the big group.
Tip: The ticket office is happy to give you a little pamphlet in English that describes the cave and the features you see on the tour.
A terrific day trip from Eger and an exceptional cave!
Leaving Eger
Eger was the first stop on our 8 night country break – next up – the Tokaj wine region in a Spa hotel in Tarcal.
I copied the post here, but here's the link which has the pictures and trip diary: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/3-ni...fic-cave-tour/
Eger is a pretty, historic town an hour and half drive north east from Budapest, a perfect place for a country break. Eger is well known in Hungary for it’s greatest hero István Dobó who successfully defended the town from the invading Ottoman army. Quite a thrilling victory because the Ottomans had already defeated the Hungarian army and there were only about 2,000 soldiers and citizens defending Eger! The tourists who go to Eger know it for its wine caves in the Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszonyvölgy) and the famous local wine called Bikavér “Bulls Blood”, a delicious smooth, spicy red.
Top Experiences
Baradla Cave in the Aggtelek National Park
Valley of the Beautiful Women (Szépasszonyvölgy)
Enjoying Eger
Patria Pension Apartment #2 (Hotel Senator Ház), 3 nights in an apartment (no kitchen) with a balcony, breakfast included.
Our first stop in Eger was to the Tourist Information office to pick up a map of the sites. The only thing open that we made it to was the Basilica. The Lyceum across the street would have been interesting for its library and the Camera Obscura but it was too late in the day and closed.
Fortress Castle
You can’t go to Eger and not visit the Fortress that looms over the town! Get the combination pass for the fortress PLUS museums, it’s cheap and the museums are interesting with lots of info and exhibits about the history of Eger.
A cheesy but fun wax museum is extra and tiny but only 500 Forints (about $1.50) so heck yes we dropped in and had a look.
Valley of Beautiful Women
An easy 20 minute walk to the Valley of Beautiful Women to sample some local wines. You can take a little tourist train from somewhere near the main square which takes you directly there, but the walk was easy following the signs to the Szépasszony-völgy. The valley is a lovely green park with wine caves dug into the hillsides in a semi-circle around the perimeter and a big outdoor amphitheater for performances. This day was a holiday and there were wine kiosks set up in the park area also. With close to 50 wineries, choosing which to taste at is a rather daunting task!
Wine tasting here isn’t what you’re used to in California. Pick a wine cave you like, go in and ask for a particular taste, for example their Bikavér or a dry white. They’ll pour, you taste, and if you like it pay for a full glass to take to outdoors to your table. We only had enough stamina to taste at 2 cellars – #43 Sike Pince, and #46 Toth Ferenc. A terrific experience and not to be missed in Eger.
Day Trip to Baradla Cave
The Aggtelek National Park is about an 1.5-2 hour drive from Eger – closer to 2 hours on the little windy roads. We made it just in time to race up to get tickets for the 12:00 Baradla Cave Tour, which mysteriously started at 12:15. Whew!
Best Cave Tour – EVER
The tour is ONLY in Hungarian, so why was this the best cave tour EVER? It was deep, it was long, it has interesting formations and even without understanding a word of the tour, it was great!
The tour starts at the Aggtelek National Park Red Lake Visitor center and 2 hours later you exit at the Barlang exit to get a bus back to Red Lake.
Tip: Pack a picnic lunch! There are picnic tables in the large covered Red Lake Visitor Center. You can get an instant cappuccino and snacks at the snack bar.
Tip: The Aggtelek Red Lake Visitor center is easy to miss, it’s between the towns of Aggtelek and Josvafo – marked “Aggletek National Park – Red Lake Visitor center – Baradla Cave Entrance” on my Hungary Map.
There were only 4 people of the HUGE group taking the tour that spoke English, us and a couple from Poland. Our Hungarian tour guide was very kind and apologized for not knowing more English but we didn’t mind. It was rather liberating not having to listen! We wandered a bit in front of the big group.
Tip: The ticket office is happy to give you a little pamphlet in English that describes the cave and the features you see on the tour.
A terrific day trip from Eger and an exceptional cave!
Leaving Eger
Eger was the first stop on our 8 night country break – next up – the Tokaj wine region in a Spa hotel in Tarcal.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:46 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Tarcal: Country Break Hungarian Style – 2 Nights in an Outstanding Spa Hotel
We really enjoyed the spa hotel we stayed at in Tarcal. Here's the post with the pics and links if you're interested: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/coun...ing-spa-hotel/
Hungarians love their bathhouses and a country break to a hotel that has it’s own spa sounded like a perfect plan for our break from cities. We stayed in 2 different spa hotels, the first in Tarcal in the wine country region near Tokaj, and the second in Tiszafüred in the northern Great Plains near Hortobágy National Park.
Top Experiences in Tarcal
The cave spa at Andrássy Rezidencia Wine & Spa
Fresh local fish at a roadside stand in Tokaj
Driving through the Hungarian countryside between Boldogko and Sarospatak
Andrássy Rezidencia Wine & Spa, 2 nights in a luxurious standard room, breakfast included.
After 18 nights in 3 different apartments we opened the door to our room at the Andrássy and said YES! The standard room I’d booked through Booking.com was terrific and we were ready for some pampering and daily maid service. Too bad it was only 2 nights.
Tarcal is about 1.5 hours from Eger, the countryside is a patchwork of bright yellow canola fields and we opted for the smooth, flat, most direct route rather than than the longer way winding over the hills through the Bukki Nemzeti National Park.
Even though it was the May 1 Labor Day holiday weekend, apparently it was still off season in this part of Hungary. We were able to check in early and head out to Tokaj, the renowned wine town 15 minutes down the road from Tarcal. But we wouldn’t be tasting any wine, there is ZERO tolerance for drinking and driving in Hungary.
Relaxing Sunday in Little Tokaj
Tokaj is a very pretty little town on the Tisza River, quiet on Sunday after a big bus of tourists left. A little café for doppio espresso, a little visit to the little museum across from the café, then we were ready for a little lunch. What do we find? A little fish stand on the main road with a line of people standing at the window to order. Of course we want some! So we stood in line and tried to figure out what and how to order.
One of the 2 ladies in the fish stand helped as best she could – I said the names of a couple of different fish (the names were on the pictures on the side of the stand, not that I had a clue what they were except fish and they looked good) and she held up the fish. OK! Then she said “pomme frite?” Ah yes, french fries are the same in any language! We had Sullo and Hek, Sullo my favorite – delicious! Behind the stand overlooking the peaceful river are covered picnic tables to enjoy the meal.
Tip: English isn’t widely spoken in the local places, but everyone we ran into was very friendly and did their best to help us communicate. A big smile, pointing and pantomime goes a long way.
Spa Time at Andrássy
Off to the Spa! The spa at Andrássy spoiled us. There were only a few people in the hotel and we had the Cave spas practically to ourselves. When we emerged and actually walked behind the main pool we discovered the steam and sauna cabinets. This spa stuff is the way to relax, those Hungarians really know their stuff.
Day Excursion to Boldogko Castle and Sarospatak
A lot of Hungarians seem to stay put in the spa hotels relaxing and “taking the waters”, but nope, not us. We had the car for a reason and seeing the Hungarian countryside was a big one. This day our destination was Boldogko Castle 35 minutes north of Tarcal.
When you first catch sight of the castle ruins perched on top of the hill you feel like you HAVE to stop and take a picture. The castle itself is good for a clamber around and the beautiful views but doesn’t take long to visit.
With the rest of the afternoon before us, how about heading east to Sarospatak? We set the GPS for that destination and ended up on some pretty interesting tiny roads to get there. Through woodlands and rough roads next to fields on short cuts the GPS chose, about 45 minutes later we arrived at Sarospatak castle – to find it closed. Oh well! The restrooms were open and we walked around the beautiful grounds.
Last Spa Night at Andrássy
One last delicious spa night and dinner at the hotel, the next day we were headed to the Puszta (the northern Great Plains), and Tiszafüred for 3 nights.
We really enjoyed the spa hotel we stayed at in Tarcal. Here's the post with the pics and links if you're interested: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/coun...ing-spa-hotel/
Hungarians love their bathhouses and a country break to a hotel that has it’s own spa sounded like a perfect plan for our break from cities. We stayed in 2 different spa hotels, the first in Tarcal in the wine country region near Tokaj, and the second in Tiszafüred in the northern Great Plains near Hortobágy National Park.
Top Experiences in Tarcal
The cave spa at Andrássy Rezidencia Wine & Spa
Fresh local fish at a roadside stand in Tokaj
Driving through the Hungarian countryside between Boldogko and Sarospatak
Andrássy Rezidencia Wine & Spa, 2 nights in a luxurious standard room, breakfast included.
After 18 nights in 3 different apartments we opened the door to our room at the Andrássy and said YES! The standard room I’d booked through Booking.com was terrific and we were ready for some pampering and daily maid service. Too bad it was only 2 nights.
Tarcal is about 1.5 hours from Eger, the countryside is a patchwork of bright yellow canola fields and we opted for the smooth, flat, most direct route rather than than the longer way winding over the hills through the Bukki Nemzeti National Park.
Even though it was the May 1 Labor Day holiday weekend, apparently it was still off season in this part of Hungary. We were able to check in early and head out to Tokaj, the renowned wine town 15 minutes down the road from Tarcal. But we wouldn’t be tasting any wine, there is ZERO tolerance for drinking and driving in Hungary.
Relaxing Sunday in Little Tokaj
Tokaj is a very pretty little town on the Tisza River, quiet on Sunday after a big bus of tourists left. A little café for doppio espresso, a little visit to the little museum across from the café, then we were ready for a little lunch. What do we find? A little fish stand on the main road with a line of people standing at the window to order. Of course we want some! So we stood in line and tried to figure out what and how to order.
One of the 2 ladies in the fish stand helped as best she could – I said the names of a couple of different fish (the names were on the pictures on the side of the stand, not that I had a clue what they were except fish and they looked good) and she held up the fish. OK! Then she said “pomme frite?” Ah yes, french fries are the same in any language! We had Sullo and Hek, Sullo my favorite – delicious! Behind the stand overlooking the peaceful river are covered picnic tables to enjoy the meal.
Tip: English isn’t widely spoken in the local places, but everyone we ran into was very friendly and did their best to help us communicate. A big smile, pointing and pantomime goes a long way.
Spa Time at Andrássy
Off to the Spa! The spa at Andrássy spoiled us. There were only a few people in the hotel and we had the Cave spas practically to ourselves. When we emerged and actually walked behind the main pool we discovered the steam and sauna cabinets. This spa stuff is the way to relax, those Hungarians really know their stuff.
Day Excursion to Boldogko Castle and Sarospatak
A lot of Hungarians seem to stay put in the spa hotels relaxing and “taking the waters”, but nope, not us. We had the car for a reason and seeing the Hungarian countryside was a big one. This day our destination was Boldogko Castle 35 minutes north of Tarcal.
When you first catch sight of the castle ruins perched on top of the hill you feel like you HAVE to stop and take a picture. The castle itself is good for a clamber around and the beautiful views but doesn’t take long to visit.
With the rest of the afternoon before us, how about heading east to Sarospatak? We set the GPS for that destination and ended up on some pretty interesting tiny roads to get there. Through woodlands and rough roads next to fields on short cuts the GPS chose, about 45 minutes later we arrived at Sarospatak castle – to find it closed. Oh well! The restrooms were open and we walked around the beautiful grounds.
Last Spa Night at Andrássy
One last delicious spa night and dinner at the hotel, the next day we were headed to the Puszta (the northern Great Plains), and Tiszafüred for 3 nights.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 12:50 PM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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That's all the TR's on Hungary I've put together for now...we spent 3 relaxing nights in Tiszafured and going to Hortobágy National Park before heading back to Budapest for 3 more nights.
I hope you've enjoyed it!
I hope you've enjoyed it!
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Jun 18th, 2015 | 03:00 PM
#9
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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Thursdaysd: It's a great city, we loved it too and may make it back to Budapest next year
Adalaidean: Thanks for having a look! Hungary may not have Alps but the scenery is lovely and it is a VERY interesting country, friendly to visit too.
Adalaidean: Thanks for having a look! Hungary may not have Alps but the scenery is lovely and it is a VERY interesting country, friendly to visit too.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 05:11 PM
#11
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Greetings Rebeccah,
I leave for Budapest on Wednesday for 10 days, and though I will be teaching 5 of those days, I hope to prioritize my "must sees" from those you enjoyed most. Thank you for sharing this personal insight, the timing could not have been better.
I leave for Budapest on Wednesday for 10 days, and though I will be teaching 5 of those days, I hope to prioritize my "must sees" from those you enjoyed most. Thank you for sharing this personal insight, the timing could not have been better.
Jun 18th, 2015 | 05:34 PM
#12
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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@Bostonblondie226 - How fantastic for your mom! Budapest is wonderful to visit I'm sure she'll love it too. Terrific value too.
@uncledge - Teaching - how interesting! You'll have your evenings to explore and the city felt very safe to me at night. Several times we went to the ruin pub area for dinner, I can recommend Suelto Bistro (we ate there twice!) and Koleves Kert, which is a great indoor restaurant on one side a ruin pub on the other.
I'll be happy to help if you have any questions!
@uncledge - Teaching - how interesting! You'll have your evenings to explore and the city felt very safe to me at night. Several times we went to the ruin pub area for dinner, I can recommend Suelto Bistro (we ate there twice!) and Koleves Kert, which is a great indoor restaurant on one side a ruin pub on the other.
I'll be happy to help if you have any questions!
Jun 19th, 2015 | 05:37 AM
#15
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 27,709
Likes: 1
Also, anyone with any interest in Art Nouveau should go south, to Szeged and Pecs in particular - and even across the border into Serbia to Subotica. (For Subotica see: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...d-vs-subotica/ )
Jun 19th, 2015 | 06:59 AM
#16
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,818
Likes: 0
<i> Willow Tree with names of murdered Hungarian Jews on the leaves is sad and very moving</i>.
Interesting to note, this memorial tree was a gift from Tony Curtis, the late American actor, in the name of his Hungarian father.
In one of my books, I wrote a good bit of modern Hungarian history and the deadly Arrow Cross. In so doing I was able to interview several survivors and included a piece on the execution of Hannah Senesh, a young Jewish heroine. Read about her amazing exploits on Wikipedia.
Interesting to note, this memorial tree was a gift from Tony Curtis, the late American actor, in the name of his Hungarian father.
In one of my books, I wrote a good bit of modern Hungarian history and the deadly Arrow Cross. In so doing I was able to interview several survivors and included a piece on the execution of Hannah Senesh, a young Jewish heroine. Read about her amazing exploits on Wikipedia.
Jun 19th, 2015 | 08:03 AM
#17
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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@thursdaysd - thanks for that, you've been places I want to go - I might make to it Slovenia and also Romania next year. I don't know about Pecs and Szeged... depends on how I work the transportation from Croatia up to Krakow.
@tower - Very interesting indeed! On the Great Synagogue tour they do mention Tony Curtis's huge financial contributions to the restoration of the Synagogue but I didn't remember that the memorial tree was his gift. Thanks! Your book sounds fascinating, I'll check it out
@tower - Very interesting indeed! On the Great Synagogue tour they do mention Tony Curtis's huge financial contributions to the restoration of the Synagogue but I didn't remember that the memorial tree was his gift. Thanks! Your book sounds fascinating, I'll check it out
Jun 19th, 2015 | 03:25 PM
#20
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
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Tiszafüred – 3 Nights – Relaxing Lake Tisza and the Puszta
Wrapping up the Country Break - I posted below but here's the post with the pics and links if you're interested: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/3-ni...nd-the-puszta/
We left Tarcal with the GPS navigating us to the Hortobágy National Park Visitor Center. When I’d checked Google maps the routing was through Tokaj on Route 38, but our Garmin Nuvi GPS had a different plan.
We followed the GPS down to the little town of Tiszatardos and to the end of a road at the Tisza river where the Garmin said “Get on the Ferry”. We looked at each other, really? OK! We boarded for a fun and unexpected boat ride across the river. On the other side the GPS said “Get off the ferry”. The Garmin has taken us some surprising routes before but this one topped them all. Loved it!
On the other side of the river the town of Tiszalök has an amazing amount of stork nests on top of the electrical posts. We’d seen a stork nest and a pair of storks on the chimney of the museum in Tokaj, but in this town there were wire platforms built on top of the poles for the birds to nest on. Just about every post had a nest and a pair of storks. Interesting to watch the noisy bill-clacking courting behavior high in their perch.
The Tourinform in Hortobágy
A quick stop at the Tourist Information (good restrooms!) and a talk with the one English speaking rep for info on what to see in the area. We got the info we needed for the following day and headed to our hotel in Tiszafüred.
Relaxing around Lake Tisza in Tiszafüred
Tisza Balneum Hotel, 3 nights in a view room, buffet breakfast & dinner included (half board)
I’d booked a room with a view of the lake through Booking.com, and it was a nice enough room but the farthest away from the lake that you get and still call it a view room. Not my idea of a nice 3 night stay. The manager said he could show us a suite, but it would be $17 per night per person extra. We took a look, looked at each other, and said “WE’LL TAKE IT”! Great decision – I loved our stay here due to this beautiful 1 bedroom suite with the killer wraparound view. Quiet mornings gazing at the lake with just me and the fishermen up, and front and center for sunset evenings relaxing on the balcony.
We had plenty of time to take a walk and ended up at Albatrosz Kikoto, a marina and camping place on the lake, and had a beer break before hitting the spa at the hotel and that great sunset on our balcony.
The spa at Andrássy Rezidencia spoiled us. The Tisza Balneum hotel has a steam room and sauna, a thermal pool indoors with a center bubbling pool, and an outdoor pool (chilly!). The hot pool area was more functional than beautiful but our suite made up for that!
The Puszta – the Name Means “Big Nothing”
Hortobágy – the Mata Stud Farm
A 30 minute drive from the hotel, the horse show at the Mata Stud Farm and seeing the Puszta was the reason we were in the area. The horse demonstration is part of the 1.5 hour carriage ride tour of typical animals that were raised here, the Hungarian grey cattle, water buffalo, Racka sheep, and cute curly red-haired Mangalitsa pigs. Herdsmen and horsemen in their traditional costume complete the scene. Sure it’s staged but it’s interesting and fun.
Too bad for us, the one cowboy who could perform the top horse demonstration was out for the week. That trick riding would have been something to see – galloping while standing on the back of 2 horses with 3 more horses lashed together in the front – but the horse show was still fascinating. Three cowboys perform the routine in unison. The demonstration has roots in outlaw history, cracking the whip over the head of the horses gets them used to the sound of gunshots, training the horses to lie down in the grass makes them disappear from pursuers, and the saddle doesn’t have a cinch tying it onto the horse, easier to make a quick getaway!
You can visit some of the horses in their stables after the tour. This breed is called Nonius and is a very BIG horse, tall and heavy with a Roman nose, and really sweet tempered! No problem letting tourists pet them. The Mata Stud farm’s main goal is to preserve the Nonius breed which, in the deprivations of WWII, were slaughtered for meat.
Hortobágy – the Wild Animal Park
Probably the cutest fox in the world
Cutest fox in the world at the Hortobagy Wild Animal Park
There’s more activities than we had time and energy for. We looked around the Herder’s Museum and got on the shuttle bus to spend an hour or so at the Wild Animal Park to see some of the typical animals. Cuter than anything foxes.
More Walks – this one on Robin Adventure Island
Across the lake from the Tisza Balneum hotel is a little privately owned island called Robin Adventure Island (Kaland Sziget in Hungarian). To get there you take a boat. As this was obviously the off-season we had a private service. To get back we were supposed to hail the boat on the opposite shore from the island, but our boat guy wasn’t in sight so a couple of helpful employees left their duties (there weren’t any other guests on the island!) and ran us over in their skiff.
There are different prices for entry and use of the island, a walking ticket which is all we wanted, and one where you can climb around on ropes or use the climbing wall and other features of the fun center. With a picnic lunch it was a relaxing break. It’s small so we walked around the perimeter once and then up and back through the middle path.
Tip: Get your ticket at a discount from the Tisza Balneum hotel.
Leaving Tiszafüred
After Tiszafüred our relaxing 8 night country break was over. It was back to beautiful Budapest for 3 more nights before heading to the next destination – Vienna.
Wrapping up the Country Break - I posted below but here's the post with the pics and links if you're interested: http://rebeccasnyder.com/travel/3-ni...nd-the-puszta/
We left Tarcal with the GPS navigating us to the Hortobágy National Park Visitor Center. When I’d checked Google maps the routing was through Tokaj on Route 38, but our Garmin Nuvi GPS had a different plan.
We followed the GPS down to the little town of Tiszatardos and to the end of a road at the Tisza river where the Garmin said “Get on the Ferry”. We looked at each other, really? OK! We boarded for a fun and unexpected boat ride across the river. On the other side the GPS said “Get off the ferry”. The Garmin has taken us some surprising routes before but this one topped them all. Loved it!
On the other side of the river the town of Tiszalök has an amazing amount of stork nests on top of the electrical posts. We’d seen a stork nest and a pair of storks on the chimney of the museum in Tokaj, but in this town there were wire platforms built on top of the poles for the birds to nest on. Just about every post had a nest and a pair of storks. Interesting to watch the noisy bill-clacking courting behavior high in their perch.
The Tourinform in Hortobágy
A quick stop at the Tourist Information (good restrooms!) and a talk with the one English speaking rep for info on what to see in the area. We got the info we needed for the following day and headed to our hotel in Tiszafüred.
Relaxing around Lake Tisza in Tiszafüred
Tisza Balneum Hotel, 3 nights in a view room, buffet breakfast & dinner included (half board)
I’d booked a room with a view of the lake through Booking.com, and it was a nice enough room but the farthest away from the lake that you get and still call it a view room. Not my idea of a nice 3 night stay. The manager said he could show us a suite, but it would be $17 per night per person extra. We took a look, looked at each other, and said “WE’LL TAKE IT”! Great decision – I loved our stay here due to this beautiful 1 bedroom suite with the killer wraparound view. Quiet mornings gazing at the lake with just me and the fishermen up, and front and center for sunset evenings relaxing on the balcony.
We had plenty of time to take a walk and ended up at Albatrosz Kikoto, a marina and camping place on the lake, and had a beer break before hitting the spa at the hotel and that great sunset on our balcony.
The spa at Andrássy Rezidencia spoiled us. The Tisza Balneum hotel has a steam room and sauna, a thermal pool indoors with a center bubbling pool, and an outdoor pool (chilly!). The hot pool area was more functional than beautiful but our suite made up for that!
The Puszta – the Name Means “Big Nothing”
Hortobágy – the Mata Stud Farm
A 30 minute drive from the hotel, the horse show at the Mata Stud Farm and seeing the Puszta was the reason we were in the area. The horse demonstration is part of the 1.5 hour carriage ride tour of typical animals that were raised here, the Hungarian grey cattle, water buffalo, Racka sheep, and cute curly red-haired Mangalitsa pigs. Herdsmen and horsemen in their traditional costume complete the scene. Sure it’s staged but it’s interesting and fun.
Too bad for us, the one cowboy who could perform the top horse demonstration was out for the week. That trick riding would have been something to see – galloping while standing on the back of 2 horses with 3 more horses lashed together in the front – but the horse show was still fascinating. Three cowboys perform the routine in unison. The demonstration has roots in outlaw history, cracking the whip over the head of the horses gets them used to the sound of gunshots, training the horses to lie down in the grass makes them disappear from pursuers, and the saddle doesn’t have a cinch tying it onto the horse, easier to make a quick getaway!
You can visit some of the horses in their stables after the tour. This breed is called Nonius and is a very BIG horse, tall and heavy with a Roman nose, and really sweet tempered! No problem letting tourists pet them. The Mata Stud farm’s main goal is to preserve the Nonius breed which, in the deprivations of WWII, were slaughtered for meat.
Hortobágy – the Wild Animal Park
Probably the cutest fox in the world
Cutest fox in the world at the Hortobagy Wild Animal Park
There’s more activities than we had time and energy for. We looked around the Herder’s Museum and got on the shuttle bus to spend an hour or so at the Wild Animal Park to see some of the typical animals. Cuter than anything foxes.
More Walks – this one on Robin Adventure Island
Across the lake from the Tisza Balneum hotel is a little privately owned island called Robin Adventure Island (Kaland Sziget in Hungarian). To get there you take a boat. As this was obviously the off-season we had a private service. To get back we were supposed to hail the boat on the opposite shore from the island, but our boat guy wasn’t in sight so a couple of helpful employees left their duties (there weren’t any other guests on the island!) and ran us over in their skiff.
There are different prices for entry and use of the island, a walking ticket which is all we wanted, and one where you can climb around on ropes or use the climbing wall and other features of the fun center. With a picnic lunch it was a relaxing break. It’s small so we walked around the perimeter once and then up and back through the middle path.
Tip: Get your ticket at a discount from the Tisza Balneum hotel.
Leaving Tiszafüred
After Tiszafüred our relaxing 8 night country break was over. It was back to beautiful Budapest for 3 more nights before heading to the next destination – Vienna.
