As do many features of its cultural life, from coffee houses and a love of music to its restaurants and its wine-producing tradition, while it has recently acquired a new modern edge all its own, with cool boutique hotels and its hip bars springing up in artfully decaying buildings.
The city is also distinctively Hungarian, its inhabitants displaying fierce pride in their Magyar ancestry. Their language, too, whose nearest European relative is Finnish, underlines the difference – that can represent a challenge to visitors but is no barrier to enjoyment of this most cosmopolitan of European cities.
Useful Hungarian phrases:
Hello | Szia |
Thank you | Köszönöm |
Goodbye | Viszlát |
Yes | Igen |
No | Nem |
Excuse me | Elnézést |
Practical information about Budapest:
Currency – Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Electricity – 230 volts, 50hz, type-F plug.
Tips – Adding 10% on the bill is recommended when eating or drinking at a restaurant.
Payment/card – In smaller shops cash is needed.
Time zone – Budapest (Hungary) UTC/GMT + 1 hour
Water – Tap water is safe to drink.