From May 17, low-cost airline Wizz Air will be operating a flight from Malta to Budapest. With one-way fares including taxes, starting at €27.99, a weekend in the Hungarian capital will be a serious option. Here’s how your weekend could pan out.
Kiraly Bath’s architecture is astonishing, with an octagonal pool and Turkish dome pierced with little holes that let shafts of atmospheric light into the steamy air
Friday
Getting into the city
Upon arrival, you need to get into the city centre which is split into two: Buda on the west side of the Danube and Pest on the east.
Public transport from the airport is just about doable, but it’s time-consuming and rather complicated, especially if you are going to Pest. So unless you are penniless or have a particular passion for the bus and metro options, it might be best avoided.
Instead, solo travellers can take a minibus into the city centre; Wizz Air passengers get a discount. The bus will drop everyone off individually, so it will take a while, but it’s a reasonable option. For two or more people, it’s cheaper and considerably easier just to take a taxi. They are easy to find at the airport or you can order one in advance and agree a price to avoid being ripped off.
Where to stay
Bust: The Lavender Circus is a quirky hostel opposite the National Museum. There are double rooms with a shared bath, some en-suites and a private apartment too.
The building itself is a treasure and the quirky art of the owners fills the place. Best of all (aside from the very low price) you might well be greeted with tea, wine or palinka and a chat about what to see and do in Budapest. Prices start at €15 per person per night. Located at 37, Muzeum Krt; tel: +36 7061 8453 6; e-mail www.lavendercircus.com.
Boom: If you feel you saved enough on the flight to justify a splurge, book the Four Seasons Gresham Palace Budapest.
The building is art nouveau and the restored interior harks back to an era when people travelled with trunks and porters; it’s a grand hotel in every way. Rooms have vaulted ceilings, balconies, bathrooms of gold and green marble and deep, deep tubs.
The location at the end of the renowned Chain Bridge could hardly be better; pay a little extra and from your balcony, you’ll be able to see the Danube, the Royal Castle and the Buda Hill lit up at night. Book two nights and your third is currently free, with weekend rooms in May starting at around €300. Located at Széchenyi István tér 5-6; tel: +36 1268 6000; email www.fourseasons.com/budapest.
Saturday
Morning: Fungarian and Esceri Market
Spending an hour learning the lingo might seem like overkill for a mini-break, but not only will a teacher set you up with some handy phrases, they’ll also go over social etiquette and the tourist must-dos in the city.
It’s €20 per person with a discount for groups, bookable in advance. Classes are usually held at the Katapult Café, opposite the Main Synagogue (District 7, Dohány u. 1). Tel: +36 2024 3525 3; visit www.fungarian.fu.
Armed with your new-found language skills, you can now head over to the Esceri Market to search for bargains.
It’s one of the biggest flea markets in Europe selling everything from junk to gems. Most of the stall holders don’t speak English so unless you are a linguistic genius, you’ll need a pen and paper to haggle over prices. Weekends are best. XIX Nagykorösi út 156.
Lunch: Esceri Market
Esceri has the real deal when it comes to Hungarian food. Try the lángos stall. You’ll get a sort of oversize doughnut with sour cream, grated cheese and a divine garlic sauce.
Afternoon: Free walking tour
Meet at 2.30pm at St Stephen’s Basilica for a two-hour tour which will take you across the river and end at the fisherman’s bastion with its dreamy, pointed towers, often via a cafe for tea and cakes to warm up if it’s chilly.
You’ll take in the main sights, including Castle Hill, and the guides are extremely well-informed (they rely on your tips so they need to be tipped; €10 is about right if you enjoyed the tour). The tours are the perfect way to meet a local, get a feel for the city and be able to ask questions.
Dinner: Kehli
Like a gondola in Venice, a gypsy band venue in Budapest has a sense of inevitability about it. One of the better ones is Kehli, where from Tuesday to Saturday a four-piece band plays.
Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s still fun and if the violins grate, you can select a room further away from the music. Be prepared to tip when the band leader approaches.
The menu includes offerings such as pheasant soup with saffron, stuffed cabbage and beef goulash with potato dumplings. Located at 1036, Mókus u. 22; tel: +36 1368 0613; visit www.kehli.hu.
Sunday
Morning: Shoes on the Danube and thermal bath
On the Danube Promenade (Pest side of the river near Zoltan Street), 60 pairs of 1940s iron shoes are scattered as if their owners had just slipped them off.
Men and women’s mingle together, often with little pairs of children’s shoes alongside.
The sculptures are a poignant memorial to the Jews killed by fascist militiamen during World War II. They were lined up, ordered to remove their shoes, then shot. Their bodies fell into the river and floated away, while the shoes were left on the bank.
Afterwards, you can mull over this melancholic display in one of the thermal baths the city is famous for. One of the best is the 16th-century Kiraly Bath.
Its architecture is astonishing, with an octagonal pool and Turkish dome pierced with little holes that let shafts of atmospheric light into the steamy air.
In all, there are four pools of varying temperature. It has not been renovated, which may or may not add to its charm, depending who you ask. The sulphur smell is meant to be there; the guys looking to pick up less so. Try to ignore both and go late in the evening on weekdays to avoid the latter. Entry costs around €10. Located at Foutca 82-84; tel: +36 1202 3688.
Like a gondola in Venice, a gypsy band venue in Budapest has a sense of inevitability about it
Lunch: Ket Szerecsen
This cafe has lovely outside tables and some Hungarian classics on the menu, such as lamb trotter with millet and celery or leg of rabbit with sage and homemade dumplings. Finish up with Rákóczi cake with cottage cheese and baked meringue. Located at Nagymezo utca 14; tel: +36 1343 1984; e-mail ketszerecsen.hu.
Afternoon: Hire a bike
Since you now need to burn off a wodge of cheese and meringue, try cycling the Pest side of the Danube; you’ll cruise past gorgeous art nouveau buildings and see the city from a different angle.
The company www.bikerentalbudapest.com can arrange for bike drop-offs to your hotel.
Getting there
From May 17, Wizz Air will depart Malta for Budapest on Fridays and Mondays at 9.30am. It will depart Budapest for Malta on the same days at 6.45am. Visit www.wizzair.com.