Budapest information in a nutshell
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, with nearly 2,000,000 inhabitants. Not only it is the centre of administration but also that of industry, trade, transport and traffic, education, culture, arts and sports.
Most tourists visiting Hungary come to Budapest first, although the Lake Balaton, in Western Hungary, is also a very popular destination.
Situated on both banks of the Danube, the total territory of the city is 525 square kilometres. The altitude of the bank of Pest is 100-150 m above sea level; the highest hill in Buda is 529 metres (János Hill).
Buda, Pest and Óbuda (Old Buda) were united in 1873 and further settlements (Újpest, Kispest, Nagytétény) were joined in 1950 making today's „Great Budapest".
Budapest has a temperate continental climate. Seasons are usually well defined, with July and August the hottest months (28-30° C, 82-86° F) and December and January the coldest, when temperatures may fall under -15° C or just +5° F. Average sunshine from April to September is more than eight hours a day.
Budapest is in the Central European Time Zone. In the winter months this means clocks are set at GMT + 1 hour, and in the summer (March to the end of October) GMT + 2 hours.
Population density: 3456 pax/square
Administrative structure: 23 districts
Buda, which is mostly residential, comprises one-third of the city's total area, with over 20 hills on the right bank of the Danube.
Pest, on the left bank, is almost entirely flat, and has most of the government and commerce and the industry.
Six major islands on the Danube are within Budapest: Margit-sziget, Óbudai and Csepel-sziget, Palotai, Nép- and Háros-sziget.
There are nine bridges in Budapest. These are the North Railway Bridge, Árpád Bridge (this is the longest one, almost a mile long), Margit Bridge, Chain Bridge, Elizabeth (Erzsébet) Bridge, Liberty (Szabadság) Bridge, Petőfi Bridge, Lágymányosi Bridge and the South Railway Bridge.
Of the capital cities of the world Budapest is the richest in thermal springs, and therefore the bath culture has been thriving since the Roman times (who left the territory of today's Hungary half a millenium before the Hungarians arrived from the Ural mountains). The Turks, while occupying Hungary for over a century and a half, have built thermal bath-houses, some of which are still in use (such as the Rudas Bath).
The three major national holidays are the 15th March (Freedom Fight and Revolution of 1848), 20th August (St. Stephen's Day) and 23rd October (1956 Revolution). Hungarians, too celebrate Labor Day on the 1st of May, and the main religious festivals and holidays are observed (New Year's Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Whitsunday and Whit Monday, All Saints' Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day).
Electric voltage in Hungary is 230 volts, and plugs are of the two-pin continental type.
The international telephone prefix for Hungary is 36, and the area code for Budapest is 1. To call a number within Hungary, first dial 06, followed by the area code and the telephone number. Budapest telephone numbers have seven digits, all other areas' have six digits (excluding the area code in both cases). To make an international call from Hungary, first dial 00, then the country code followed by the area code and the subscriber's telephone number.
Public telephones accept either coins (20, 50, and 100 forints) or telephone cards (available from tobacconists, newsagents, post offices, and petrol stations). Off-peak rate runs at night and on public holidays. To call a (Hungarian) cellular telephone, first dial 06, followed by the subscriber's nine-digit number (starting with either 20-, 30- or 70-, depending on which of the 3 mobile providers have issued the number.
General opening times:
Shops: food shops are open from 7 am-6 pm,
Clothes shops between 10 am-6 pm Mon. to Sat.
Most shopping centres are also open on Sun.
Tesco is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Office hours: generally from 8 am-4 pm Mon. to Fri.
Post offices: Mon-Fri: 8 am-6 pm, Sat: 8 am-1 pm (for details, see Postal services section)
Banks: Mon-Thur: 8 am-3 pm, Fri: 8 am-1 pm
