Budapest Travel Blog

Budapest, January 3 (MTI) - Budapest is set to become the starting point for the Dakar Rally in 2010, national daily Nepszabadsag said on Thursday.

The rally is among the highest profile events worldwide.

Negotiations with the rally's licence holder started a year ago and a preliminary agreement was signed in Paris a month ago, said Istvan Ujhelyi, deputy regional development minister.

"Once some technical details have been clarified, the contract can be finalised," the state secretary said.

Hungary's government is to underwrite the licence fee of around half a billion forints (EUR 2.2 m).

Heroes' Square will host the opening ceremony called "Grand Depart" in Dakar terminology.

According to a feasibility study Hungary will benefit from the race for several reasons. First of all, it is expected to attract media interest to Budapest and the region north of Lake Balaton. The name of Budapest will feature in the logo of the race.

Although the event is only expected to break even, the marketing benefits for Hungary will be considerable and the race could end up being profitable in other ways.

source: mti
photo: http://www.performanceundergear.com/PUG/PUG_Pilots.htm

Labels: 2010, Budapest, Dakar Rally, Heroes' Square, Hungary

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Budapest, December 21 (MTI)

László Hegedűs (alias: Bagoly - Owl) of Hungary set a new world glider speed record in Namibia on December 19.

Taking off from the airport of Bitterwasser on board a Nimbus-4 plane, Hegedus glided over a triangular course of 1,253 kilometres at a speed of 151.3 kilometres per hour, then landed at the same airport as required, Hungarian airline company Malev told MTI on Friday.

The previous record of 149.2 kilometres per hour was set by multimillionaire Steve Fossett in Nevada on July 12 this year. The renowned adventurer, who achieved over 110 world records, disappeared in the Nevada desert in September.

Hegedus is a Malev pilot flying a Boeing-737 and member of the national gliding team.

photo: Bors

Labels: Budapest, glider, Hungary, Malev, pilot, world record

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was the question on the famous TV Quiz.
Do you know the answer?

watch the quiz

Labels: blonde, Budapest, Hungary, quiz, Tv, Video

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BUDAPEST (AFP) — Some 300 participants are expected to puzzle over a small multicoloured cube this weekend as Budapest welcomes the 2007 World Championships of the Hungarian-born Rubik's Cube.
Besides returning to the birthplace of the cult puzzle, this year's competition will also be held in the presence of the man behind the cube, Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik.
Some 300 candidates from 33 countries, including reigning champion Jean Pons from France, are expected to take part in the competition on October 5, 6 and 7, organisers said in a statement.
Since it was launched in 1977, the Rubik's Cube has fascinated young and old.
Each side features a different colour -- red, green, yellow, blue, white or orange -- and consists of several smaller squares that can be moved around a central hinge.
Once scrambled, the goal is to re-arrange the squares so that each side again displays only one colour.
"National and international championships have become regular meeting places for speedcubists, solution virtuosos," the organisers said in a statement.
Originally fated to have a short life, the Rubik's Cube eventually became a cult object for the 1980s. It has been exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art and has entered into the Oxford dictionary.
Last year's event took place in Paris.

Labels: Budapest, Hungary, rubik, rubik's cube, world championship

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

At a press conference in Budapest this morning (03. 10. 2007) Stelios the easyGroup chairman and founder of easyHotel announced that easyHotel would be opening in the Hungarian capital during the Spring of 2007. Rooms will be available from 29 euros per night and will be on sale at easyHotel.com in the near future.

As with all easyHotel premises, easyHotel Budapest will be centrally located at Eötvös utca 25/a (VI district, Budapest) and will have approximately 57 bedrooms with en-suite facilities. The rooms will be small but, in line with the easyHotel concept, will offer great value in the heart of this major European city of cultural and historical importance. easyHotel is aimed at any travellers paying out of their own pocket, be they tourists, business travellers or those in Budapest visiting friends and relatives. easyHotel Budapest will concentrate on providing great value accommodation and will not have food and beverage outlets on the site. These are provided by numerous other independent suppliers in the centre of Budapest.

easyHotel is growing fast in many locations around the world through franchising. There are three easyHotel sites in London, one in Basel, Switzerland and a master franchise agreement has been signed for the construction of 38 easyHotels in India, the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years.

reception desk, easyHotel Budapest Oktogon

src: easyHotels

photo: Index.hu

Labels: Budapest, budget, easy, easyhotel, hotels, oktogon

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The last KTM Festival was held in 2004 at the KTM headquarters in Mattinghofen. The event was a great success with participants arriving from all four corners of the world. It is therefore a great honour for Hungaroring to host the next event.

No motorbike mega-event would be complete without stars from the bike world and the Budapest event will welcome Cyril Després – double winner of the Dakar Rally, Marc Coma – winner of the Dakar Rally, Stefan Everts –ten-time motocross world champion, Heinz Kinigadner – motocross world champion and Dakar Rally rider, Mika Kallio – Moto GP rider, Hiroshi Aoyama – Moto GP rider, Giovanni Sala – enduro world champion and David Knight – enduro world champion. Of the many Hungarian stars it is enough to mention the names of Péter Kátai– the most successful pilot in the Dakar Rally motorbike category, Ákos Varga ¬
– Dakar Rally rider and Péter Sebestyén, who competes in the KTM Red Bull Rookies Cup.

It is difficult to list all the things that the organisers will pack into the three days to ensure that everyone – young and old, boys and girls, bike fanatics and on-lookers – will have a good time. The attractions will include streetfighter and freestyle shows and bikers can try out all of the tracks at Hungaroring. The 4.4 km long race track, the European Championship motocross track, the Adventure Park off-road course and the tricky supermoto track will all roar to the sound of motorbikes from morning until night.

Concerts and parties will be held every evening for all those who haven’t exhausted themselves during the exciting motorbike events of the day.
As the organisers expect many visitors from outside Budapest and abroad they will organise special city tours during the festival, which is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen Budapest’s international reputation.

The full program of events and the most up-to-date information about the festival can be found at the official website of the event,
www.ktm-festival.com

Labels: Budapest, Hungaroring, KTM Festival, motorbike

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The Wine Festival is one of Central Europe’s most prestigious and popular trade events, where every year tens of thousands of visitors experience wine tasting in cultured surroundings and get to know the wine makers and the arts and traditions associated with viniculture.

The organisers of the festival, the Magyar Hungarian Viniculture Public Benefit Company, have the aim of the presenting a wine and viniculture event, including cultural and gastronomic programmes, that – on its own - is worth visiting Budapest and Hungary for.

Labels: Budapest, Champagne, Festival, International, wine

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The capital city Budapest is the largest city in Hungary and attracts thousands of tourists from all across the globe. Famous as the Paris of the East, this elegant city has some similarity with Prague. However, Budapest is comparatively larger and friendlier. You would love to have a look on the picturesque setting on two sides of Danube. The bridges that connect the two sides also leave a lasting impression. Villas and public buildings from the older era impart Budapest the most enjoyable features for the visitors. Even in the hotels budapest, where you stay, the same quality aroma of the city pervades throughout. Like the city’s old heritages in forms of buildings and monuments, a budapest hotels also makes a mark in the area of hospitality.

A deserving candidate for the title of “Paris of the east” Budapest consists of three cities Buda, Obuda, and Pest. Buda and Obuda are on the west side of the river overlooking the Pest which is much larger in size. Buda and Obuda are combined together to be known as Buda wherein the Burgeois section is famous for its palaces and spas. Pest is the commercial area of the city.

Parliament building is the most famous landmark in the city. Lying on the banks of Danube, it looks like the English houses of Parliament without Big Ben if you see it from a distance. Get on the Castle Hill, which itself is a popular spot amongst the tourists, and have stunning view of the parliament. Palaces, churches and monuments in the city are now the UNESCO world heritages and they are not something to miss out on. Do pay a visit to the wonderful museums also in the city. Some of the most famous ones are: Museum of fine arts; The National Museum; National gallery and the Historical Museum of Budapest.

Budapest, a tourist destination where you can always collect some eternal memories, is the capital of Hungary and promises you to satisfy your touring passion to the full. Popularly known as “Paris of the East” it is the largest city of Hungary with a population of 1.8 million. Straddling the beautiful Danube River, the city has a picturesque setting on both the sides. With some resemblance to Prague, this city is adorned with nine connecting bridges, fascinating villas and stunning public buildings amongst which are some cheap hotels in Budapest too. The hospitality you receive in a hotels in Budapest Hungary does satisfy your quench of a luxurious stay on a foreign land. The moment you land in the city, an elegant mix of both ancient and modern heritages mesmerize you.

Nancy Eben

Labels: Budapest, chain bridge, Szechenyi

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Labels: audio-travelguide, Budapest, mp3, podcast

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Donadoni's side sunk by Hungary.

Hungary produced a stirring second half display to overcome world champions Italy 3-1 in an international friendly in Budapest.

Italy took the lead through Antonio Di Natale after 49 minutes but Roland Juhasz equalised 12 minutes later before a Zoltan Gera penalty and a Robert Seczesin strike settled it in the hosts' favour.

Italy started with plenty of attacking intent and they almost took the lead after four minutes when Andrea Pirlo's free-kick produced a fine save from home keeper Marton Fulop.

Hungary offered their first threat going forward after nine minutes but Gera shot wide from close range when faced by Azzurri keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The hosts came close again five minutes later, Balazs Dzsudzsak's drilled shot from the edge of the area clipping the right-hand post with Buffon beaten.

Fulop, who recently went on loan to English Championship side Leicester after failing to break into the Sunderland first team, distinguished himself again after 27 minutes when he denied Alex Del Piero from 10 yards.

Although they were looking fragile at the back, Hungary were still troubling Italy on the break and only a fine save from Buffon prevented youngster Adam Vass heading home from close range seven minutes before the break.

Italy moved ahead four minutes into the second half when Alberto Aquilani played in Di Natale and he finished well.

The lead was relatively shortlived, however, as Hungary hit back through Juhasz, who fired home from close range after he was surprisingly left unmarked inside the area.

Gera put Hungary ahead five minutes later from the spot after Fabio Cannavaro had felled Tamas Priskin inside the area.

Filippo Inzaghi almost equalised with 16 minutes to go but shot over the bar from close range.

It proved a critical miss as shortly afterwards Hungary grabbed a third as a fine team move culminated in substitute Seczesin slotting past Buffon.

It could have been worse for Roberto Donadoni's men but Buffon pulled off a fine save in injury time to keep out Seczesin's 25-yard drive.

source: Sporting Life - Football

Labels: Budapest, football, Hungary, Puskas Stadium, soccer

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Budapest, August 22 (MTI) -The tourism sector in Hungary will experience unprecedented increase in investments over the next years, an MP of the senior government coalition MSZP party told reporters on Wednesday.

Over the next six years a total of 800-1,000 billion forints (EUR 3-3.8bn) are expected to be invested in boosting the sector, MSZP's tourism group leader Bela Pal said. Over 300 billion forints (EUR 1.14bn) will be available in EU funds and the rest will be provided by the government, local governments and businesses, he said.

Earlier, the government spokesperson said the Hungarian government would increase its investments in tourism, which accounts for 9 percent of the GDP.

Source: English - Hungarian News Agency Corp.

Labels: Budapest, Hungary, Investments, tourism

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Labels: 2007, Budapest, Budapest Photos, pictures

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watch it

Labels: Budapest, Red Bull Air Race 2007.

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Americans Mike Mangold and Kirby Chambliss recorded the fastest times on Friday on the first day of free training ahead of the seventh leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series which takes place in Budapest on Monday.

Mangold, who trails championship leader Paul Bonhomme of Britain by just one point, completed the slalom course just metres above the Danube River in the heart of the Hungarian capital in a time of one minute 15.31 seconds. Chambliss was just 0.39 seconds behind on the course that starts and finishes under Budapest’s landmark Chain Bridge. Last year’s winner Steve Jones of Britain was a distant third, 2.21 seconds behind Mangold.

source: redbull

Labels: Budapest, Red Bull Air Race

Posted by Budapest Travel Blog at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

By EVAN RAIL