Georgeous city with many faces: pulsating and quickly improving metropolis which is alive with life in one minute and peaceful in another. After the communist era a hard-working period came which resuscitated the country to an elemental part of Europe and the European Union. Budapest with its 2 million inhabitants - one fifth of the population - is not just the capital of a small country with 10.5 million inhabitants, it is also the product of a larger area, of a particular European region: Central Europe. Business, industry, commerce, air traffic converges here, from year to year more and more foreign investor discovers this magnetic country.

Till the euro’s introduction approximately in 2014, the country's official currency is Hungarian forint (HUF or Ft) but the Euro is already accepted at some places. For more details about hungarian currency, check our currency page!

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We stongly recommend to change money after arrival at a cashpoint or in a bank but on the streets or airport. It’s possible at many places to pay with credit card, but it’s not accepted everywhere so keeping cash with you is recommended.

The Hungarian language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family. However, we cannot understand the speech of our European "relatives" the Finns and Estonians. Unlike other European languages, the family name precedes the given name. Service providers generally speak English and/or German, hotel staff members understand several languages, so communication won't be a problem. Should you lose your way in town, do not hesitate to ask for help. Young people study one or two languages at school.

The great traditions of Hungarian cuisine have, in the last ten to fifteen years, successfully mingled with modern sophistication. At its roots, classic Hungarian gastronomy is nothing less than French bonne bouches reaching Hungary via Austria and mixing with ancient Hungarian peasant dishes - many of them originated in Asia - offering every gourmand something to his/her taste.

The first thing that people recall about Hungarian cuisine is goulash, which is, contrary to popular belief, not a stew but an artistically prepared thick soup. Sour cream is often used to soften the flavour. You must try fish soup, chicken paprika, a good home-made pörkölt (stew) and the excellent fresh-water fish: grilled pike-perch, trout with almond. Also compulsory is goose liver. Whether fried or grilled, cold or hot, it is simply unforgettable.

Desserts really deserve a separate chapter. The most delicious ones are strudels, Gundel pancakes, somlói dumplings and gesztenyepüré (cooked chestnuts mashed, topped with whipped cream). Specialities include salty and sweet pastas, of which túrós csusza (pasta with curd and sour cream) is warmly recommended.

Hungary has a continental climate which means that from March to October Budapest is the perfect outdoor party place. Warm clothes are not really needed most of the time - you can hang around in shorts and t-shirt.