Be part of a special duel at the Tourinform-office, Sütő utca (at Deák tér) this Friday! The duel marks the beginning of a competition where Budapest Tourist Ambassadors challenge touristic experts in the Sütő u. office of the Budapest Tourism Office (BTO)!

Join us on Friday and check out what really goes on behind the scenes!

The competitors of the first round:
Christian Brandmayr from Austria, Touristic Ambassador of Budapest – living in Budapest for 12 years, owner of budabike.com organizing city tours by bike

László Paszternák from Budapest – touristic expert, editor of the Tourism Office of Budapestpublications on Budapest for ten years

Cast your vote – who gives better information?
Link: http://budapest-ambassador.blogspot.com/
Voting in the upper right corner

Where: V. Sütő u. 2 – Tourinform office at Deák tér

Getting to know you…

When did you first visit Budapest?

I came first in 1990. I came as a tourist, I was on one of those Interrail Holidays. I was travelling around Europe so I had about two or three days. I never thought I’d end up living here at that time.

What did you know about the city before visiting it?

I was only nineteen then. I didn’t really know too much. I think I knew that it was a beautiful city, full of beautiful architecture. Not much else, apart from the communist, socialist history.

Since when have you been living in Budapest?

I’ve been here for five and a half years, although I did visit again a few times between my first visit and finally moving here.

Why did you decide move to Budapest?

I was in a long distance relationship with a Hungarian, so when I had the chance to go on sabbatical I decided to come to Budapest to “try out” the relationship and the city for six months and, well, never left. The Hungarian is now my husband.

What are you doing in Budapest?

I work at Corvinus University as a lecturer in Tourism management, which is what I was actually doing in London. So I more or less transferred my job to do the same here as I did in English. Except that it’s in a Hungarian university, which means getting used to a new system.

What did you experience in Budapest as a cultural shock?

Interestingly they started coming a bit later. The language is the biggest shock I would say. The pessimism is a bit difficult for somebody like me, I’m quite optimistic and outgoing. People don’t smile as much as they do in other places, I found that a bit alienating. Although it’s actually much better since I’ve had children and also since I’ve started learning Hungarian.

What do you like about Budapest?

Oh, lots of things! The first thing is the way the city looks, the architecture, the atmosphere. I went to Vienna a couple of weeks ago, and when I came back I felt how warm the atmosphere in Budapest is. Vienna is beautiful too, but it doesn’t have such a warm feel about it. I like the feeling of chaos too. It’s not too extreme, it’s just enough to feel liberating or bohemian. It’s really child friendly. I love the spas, the cafes and now the people too. The transport is really good, even if Hungarians always say it isn’t.

What do you do not like about Budapest?

I don’t like the racism and the intolerance. It’s a bit anti-semitic, homophobic and anti-roma. All that is really hard for me because London is so multi-cultural. And I don’t think it’s getting better, actually I think it’s getting worse with jobbik and the right wing. I also dislike the obsession with illness. Somehow many people here are hypochondriacs – they’ll even shout at you in the street if they don’t think your child is dressed warmly enough. I think it’s cultural – visitation to doctors here is higher than in the UK. Somehow there’s a lot of talk of death and disease, which can be a bit depressing.

What does Budapest have that your home land does not?

People are much nicer with children. If you take your kids to a café or a restaurant you’re made to feel very welcome. In London they’d make you feel unwelcome or even tell you to leave. It’s more compact – it’s very easy to get around. The weather of course is much better. Six months of sun is pretty good.

What are people living in Budapest like compared to your own nation? What is the difference between them?

In England it’s easier to make friends more quickly. At work places people will often go to the pub or meet for lunch and get to know each other quickly. Here’s there’s not so much of that. But when you make Hungarian friends, although it might take a year or two, it’s a much deeper relationship. I also think people are more generous here with paying for things. The English in comparison are quite tight fisted. Here there’s a generosity of spirit, as well as in terms of money, even though people don’t have a lot here. Although they’re not quite so optimistic and light hearted. I miss British humour. I like Hungarian humour but it’s a bit too dark. It’s if you’re in the right mood. I think it’s also because they had very different histories. There’s a lot more to smile about in the whole of British history. Hungarians had a difficult time. Although I think the time’s coming to break away from that.

Can you speak Hungarian?

It’s at quite a good domestic level – I can speak to my mother in law. It’s definitely helped my family relations. I can manage in ordinary situations like going to my son’s nursery or talking to the other women in the playground. It’s not too bad. I can sustain a conversation for about half an hour. Although if I have to use it at work it’s very limited. I can probably understand about 70% of most Hungarians so I can read women’s magazines and understand about 70% of it. I did evening classes, a summer school, private lessons and then I tried to speak to people I know. My husband wasn’t much help we always speak English. There was never any point in speaking Hungarian because his English was a bit too good. I’m still ahead of my 4 year old which is good. But he’s now quite good.

What/who is the most famous Hungarian person or thing in your country?

We were playing a game with my family in England last Christmas, and they kept bringing up people like Rubik and Biro who my husband didn’t really know. It’s funny how in England these are the people we immediately think of when Hungarians are mentioned. They’re not the first thing people would think of here. Then there are also people like Zsazsa Gábor and Tony Curtis, who people might not realize are actually Hungarians too.

What do you think Hungary and Budapest can profit of the EU-presidency project?

I find Hungary a bit too inward looking. There’s definitely a Hungarian way of doing things and sometimes I wouldn’t say it’s the best way. I’m hoping that the EU presidency can make Hungary a bit more outward looking. There’s a lot of envy here of other places, but then the good practice isn’t really brought to Hungary or applied here. A progressive move towards Europeanization, internationalization without losing what’s really great about Hungary and its local culture will be a positive thing. I think it should put Hungary on the map in terms of tourism a bit more.

Questions to help tourists:

In your opinion when is it worth visiting Budapest?

Although Christmas is very nice I would recommend between March and October. I think spring is the nicest time. People should know that it's really really hot in July, and might be too hot for British people, for example. I wouldn't recommend coming in winter unless you really like Christmas and Christmas markets, or if you like going to museums and galleries. I'm not saying don't come in December, that's a good month, but maybe January and February are best avoided.

For how long is it worth visiting the city?

There is enough going on in the winter, to make it worth a visit, like for example the spas and cafés. Maybe just for a long weekend though. In the summer I think you need about a week. If you're a repeat visitor, there's always more to discover. If you come for the festivals in the summer and you want to have a look around the city too, you'll definitely need longer.

Would you recommend booking accommodation in Buda or in Pest?

I'm very much a Pest person. I think Buda's a beautiful place to live but I have no desire to be stuck up on a hill. I don't drive and I like to use public transport so I really have to be on the Pest side of the river. The flats here are about half the price of those in Buda too. I can understand why people want to be in Buda, it has a lot going on, and you can see the Castle and visit Normafa, but it's not as easy to access the city centre, which is especially tricky for tourists. It's best if they plan their trips and work out how to get there beforehand, as getting around Buda can be quite confusing. If it's really hot I think the Buda hills are a great place to be, but otherwise most of the main attractions are either by the river or in Pest.

Which sights are not to be missed?

The baths! You have to try at least one. Széchényi's my favourite, but Gellért is nice too. Everybody should also see the castle area because that's particularly beautiful, as are the views from up there. I like the area around Hösök tere and Andrássy út of course. If you've got kids the Város Liget is the best place because of the play house, the circus and the zoo. Boat trips along the Danube are also great. And as you're walking around the city, try to fit in at least some of the cafés. If people come for a short time I recommend getting on the hop on hop off sightseeing bus, and then you know what's there and you can always 'hop off' if there's something you want to see.

Which are the hidden values of the city (which not many people know, although they should)?

The ruin pubs are very popular amongst the locals by now, although tourists might not necessarily know about them. Even though new ones are springing up all over the place, the old ones are still around, which is really nice. I really like the eighth district, the area around the university. The architecture is fantastic. It's a great place for walking.

What is an ideal Budapest weekend like for tourists?

Start with the hop on hop off – a ticket lasts for 24 hours. If you like walking, start somewhere like Hösök tere and wander along Andrássy, taking in some of the museums and galleries and the park. Visit a couple of cafés along the way and stop off at Liszt Ferenc tér for lunch. If you then wander over the river up to the castle you'll be able to enjoy a lot of the architecture and a nice panoramic views from the castle hill. Spend half a day in one of the baths for sure – just make sure you check individual schedules, sometimes men and women are separated, or it's men or women only day. You might be able to visit a concert too, for example at the Palace of Arts. This is a little bit out of the way, but don't be put off, you can get to it quite easily.

What do tourists have to avoid in Budapest and what do they have to be careful about?

The ticket inspectors on the metro, who just wait around for you to buy the wrong ticket. If in doubt about which ticket to buy, ask, or buy your ticket at the ticket office. I wouldn't say you have to worry too much about crime though – not more than in other places. Also, bear in mind that there's no smoking ban here, so some pubs might be a bit smoky!

Which places should tourists visit, if they have time to travel around in the neighbourhood of Budapest as well?

The Danube Bend and Szentendre are great, but I really like Vác, I think it's underrated. I really like going there for a day.

What is your favourite…

- place in Buda?

Normafa for walking, and the railway

- place in Pest?

The area around Hösök tere and Városliget

- coffee house in Budapest?

I go to Tranzit Art Café close to Kosztolányi Dezső tér in Bukarest utca a lot as they have a nice little childrens’ play area and a fabulous carrot cake! It also used to be a bus station so the architecture is very interesting. I also like Centrál Kávéház and Gerloczy at the moment. Many of the ones I used to love going to, like the Lukács and Müvész, have been modernized recently and I don't really like them any more, which is a shame.

- building, architectural piece of art?

My favourite type of architecture is the art nouveau, but I really like the building of the ING bank. It's a nice piece of modern architecture. Also the Gresham Palace and of course the Széchényi bath building, which you can enjoy while relaxing in the bath, even if it's a bit kitsch.

- Hungarian musician or band?

I like the Hungarian folk songs and nursery rhymes a lot. I'm trying to learn the words of some of them at the moment as my son is always singing them! I also think Ákos is quite good, and Cserháti Zsuzsa's music is really quite beautiful.

- statue in Budapest?

I like the statue of Nagy Imre standing on the bridge, between the Parliament and Szabadság tér.

- park in the city?

Margit Sziget.

- place for going out?

I like to go to Liszt Ferenc tér and just hang out around there. You can also find some nice places in the side streets around Szabadság tér.

- Hungarian personality?

I quite like Geszti Péter, although he's just on the X Factor at the moment, I also heard him speak at a creative industries conference and he always has very interesting things to say about art, architecture and creative industries. He is also the inspiration between the annual ARC billboard exhibition and competition.

- Budapest story?

I was doing a bit of translation recently about classical composers, and I was reading about Mahler and his funny antics here in Budapest which was quite interesting. I also learned that Liszt didn't really speak Hungarian, even though he's become very famous here.

Melanie from the UK

Read Melanie's blog posts here >>

On the 2nd December, the Ambassadors took a walk around a part of Budapest that is very familiar to most of us, but still coated in layer upon layer of history and legends. The Fairy Tales Tour by Budapest Underguide http://underguide.com took us around the Christmas markets, mulled wine in hand, where we heard about colourful folk superstitions and traditions. We visited an atelier in the Luxus department store, where a small team of designers was working hard on Hungarian women's haute couture. Later in the tour we talk a walk down one of my favourite old streets in downtown Pest; the very early 19th century Vitkovics Mihály street, with its lovely old antique store, ice cream shop, butchers and Hollo folk art gallery, which sells sweetly adorned jewellery, hope chests, candlesticks and more. It put this sometimes Scrooge like browser in the mood for some seasonal retail experiences, which was nice and unexpected.

by Scott Alexander Young

Hidden Treasures of Budapest

There are a few places to which I like to take repeat visitors of Budapest who have seen all the main sites and attractions. Most of these are pretty well-known by local people but they would be considered to be fairly well ‘hidden’ for the majority of tourists.

Instead of the heavily visited and now expensive Liszt Ferenc Tér, I prefer to go to Raday Utca, especially as I work at the University nearby. This is a long attractive street of arty shops as well as cafés, bars and restaurants. The menus tend to be pretty cheap as many students also come here. The so-called ’ruin pubs’ (or rom kocsma) are also becoming legendary in Budapest. Many of these can be found in the old Jewish quarter in District VII, and they are bars or cafés which have developed in an ad hoc way in disused buildings and courtyards. There is music, dancing and sometimes film too, and the places are very atmospheric, bohemian and relaxed. Examples include Szimpla Kert (probably the best known even amongst tourists), the smaller but more intimate Mumus in Dob Utca, and Fogas Ház in Akácfa utca. The ship called the A38 on the Danube is also an atmospheric place for a drink, concerts, music and arts events. There is a changing programme which can be viewed on the website (http://www.a38.hu).

For a lovely walk outdoors by the river, the Kopaszi Gát is a newly regenerated area on the Buda side by the Lágymányosi Bridge. The whole area is landscaped in a very attractive way, there are pleasant walkways, paths for jogging and cycling, a couple of cafés with tasty menus, a childrens‘ playground and numerous sunbathing /or sledging spots for all weathers. It can get really busy here when the weather is good so it is hardly undiscovered, but it is still being developed so there is always likely to be something new.

Another walk which is very interesting for me is to go from Corvinus University at the end of Vaci Utca in Fővám Tér along the side of the Danube towards the Palace of Arts. There are a number of new developments springing up (a bit like the Docklands in London), including the creation of a complex which will house shops, restaurants and cultural institutions – the so-called „Covent Garden of Budapest“. There is also the Zwack Unicum Visitor Centre on the way.
One of my favourite alternative walks to the well-known Andrássy Avenue is the Városligeti Fasor parallel to Andrássy Avenue (near to M1 stop Kodály körönd or Bajza utca). It is a large avenue running towards the City Park or Város Liget and contains some of the most beautiful Art Nouveau and Fin de Siecle buildings in Budapest. Many of them are Embassies or Private Villas. Walking around the 8th and 9th Districts of Budapest, for example behind the National Museum is really fascinating as there a lots of hidden ‘gems’ of architecture, as well as cafés and bars. There are more and more vegetarian restaurants in this area which are hard to find elsewhere in Budapest. The Cökxpôn Ambient Cafe Theater Cultural Centre (Soroksári út 8-10) is a great place to chill out.

Finally, the Gozsdu Udvar between Király Utca and Dob Utca is becoming a really interesting place, as the dilapidated architecture and courtyards have been regenerated and now house some new shops and cafés. It is very atmopsheric for a wander or a visit to the weekend crafts market where there are lots of arty bits and pieces. There are also festivals sometimes, such as the Jewish Gastronomy Festival in November. specialty store, or Hungarian wine I hadn’t tasted before. I can only hope this enthusiasm is contagious.

Hidden Treasures of Budapest

I’m seeking out the hidden treasures Budapest all the time, and sometimes I come across a real find. For example, when I was making my docudrama, A Café in the Sky, my little production team and I went on a location scout in the Goszdu Udvar. The Goszdu is a series of interconnected, early 20^th century apartment buildings with a corridor running between them. It is like a miniature city in itself. When we shot there a few years ago, restoration work had not begun on the buildings. After securing permission to shoot there, we couldn’t wait to go and check the place out. It was a Saturday evening in October and we took flashlights with us. At one point we opened a door to an attic. There were fragments of an old children’s railway set, sepia photographs curling up at the corner and vintage ladies shoes lying among the rubble. A chill ran down my spine. It was like walking through someone’s memory.

The Goszdu has been restored now, but nevertheless, one feels the past is alive in Budapest, in a way that isn’t always the case in ‘western’ European cities. It’s one of the things that make this place so special. As you can see from some of the photos here, I like to snap pictures of old street signs and neon hoardings. If it were down to me, every single one of these would be preserved. If the past is truly a foreign country, count me in for permanent residence.

Another aspect of Budapest’s past that is hidden, or not so widely known, are the traces left behind of the Turkish occupation. Buda was the capital of Ottoman Hungary between 1541 and 1686. It’s been my observation that modern day Hungarians and Turks get along with a kind of special amicability reserved for former, bitter enemies. But at the time, the occupation was clearly resented. When the capital was liberated, just about every Turkish building was razed. Churches that had been used as mosques were converted back again, although a few mihrabs – the niches that face Mecca – remain. There’s one in the Inner City Parish church for example. Another, more obvious exception was the baths. The domed mosaic ceiling over the octagonal shaped pool at Rudas Baths dates from 1550. ‘We rather like the baths’, they must have decided, ‘the baths can stay’. Also in Buda, it’s an interesting climb up the medieval Gül Baba street, to come across the shrine to Baba. He was a Turkish dervish and holy man who died in Buda the same year the Turks occupied the city. Even to this day, his tomb is considered the northernmost place of pilgrimage for Muslims. He must have been well thought of by Hungarians too, as the tomb was spared destruction after the liberation of Buda in 1686. A few Ottoman headstones, like the ones pictured, remain in Tabán, in the 11th district. You can recognise them by their turbans and the wonderful calligraphy.

In any case, this is just to scratch the surface. Barely a week goes by that I don’t discover some interesting little back street, or specialty store, or Hungarian wine I had

My time as a Budapest ambassador got off to a great start on November 19, when I met all the other ambassadors at the Christmas Market on Vorosmarty ter. They're a great bunch, and so multilingual they rather put me to shame. We drank mulled wine and talked about the various paths which had led us to this city, our adopted home. A friend asked me not long after, rather facetiously I thought, if I wore a red sash and a row of medals for these occasions in my official capacity as ambassador. How silly. We did get a badge though, which brings out the green in my eyes, and accessorises my blazers and sports coats pretty well.

I was wearing it on the 26th, when we were invited to the Martin Munkácsi exhibition at the Ludwig Museum. In case you haven't heard of him, Munkácsi - no relation to the illustrious painter - was a photographer whose work was considered highly influential in the 1920s and 30s. He was a pioneer in what might be termed the golden age of photography, when the world was not such a small place as it sometimes seems to be now. His work and that of others like him, showed people in Idaho, Manchester or Budapest for that matter, what a Bedouin tribesman looked like, or the action on a beach in Copacabana. Not particularly interested in politics, Munkácsi instead appears to have been a bon vivant, more concerned with travelling the world, photographing everyone and everything from movie stars (Fred Astaire, Katherine Hepburn) to sporting action, to animals in highly contrived poses. The English language tour guide was passionate about her subject and very informative.

And this week, a 'Fairy Tale Tour' of Budapest. Well, for what more could one ask?

by Scott Alexander Young