Hungary

When the Hungarian Grand Prix, also known as Magyar Nagydij, became officially part of the Formula One Championship series in 1986, it was the closest motorsport drivers could get to racing behind the Iron Curtain. In fact, throughout the entire history of the Hungarian Grand Prix, only one Hungarian driver has participated in his home circuit, being Zsolt Baumgartner in 2003 and 2004. Still, Budapest remains a popular F1 venue, not only for drivers but also for fans angling for Hungarian Grand Prix tickets.

The Hungarians actually held the first grand prix in 1936, and it was quite a success, with Mercedes Benz, Ferrari and Auto Union all participating, and drawing a sizable audience at the road circuit in Népliget park. However, another race didn’t follow until 1986 because of the war and ensuing political situation. Being the only grand prix in the Central and Eastern European area, especially after the closing of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Hungarian Grand Prix is often an event that nearby countries, especially Finland, Austria, Poland and Germany, look forward to.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is regularly held at Hungaroring, which was built only a year before the first Hungarian GP in 1986, holding the record for fastest construction of a grand prix circuit at eight months. The Formula One officials hoped for a circuit similar to that in Monaco, but the government decided not to have the Népliget rebuilt as a street circuit and appointed a space right outside the city.

Because of its location near a major expressway, and the fact that it isn’t used for any other racing event the rest of the year, the Hungaroring is a notoriously dusty and dry circuit. As the Hungarian Grand Prix is held every August, which is hot midsummer in Central Europe, there has not been a wet Hungarian GP until 2006.

The heat, dust and dryness, as well as the limited usage of the track, also make for interesting racing conditions. Tracks that are not used very often are known to start off slow, but build in speed after a day or so of racing. This is not the case with the Hungaroring because the 4.38 long circuit tends to get very dusty very quickly. Another challenge is that there are a lot of twists to the very tight track, and overtaking is rather difficult, despite modifications made to the track to allow space to pass. While it prevented Ayrton Senna from passing Thierry Boutsen, handing him first place in 1990, it somehow unfazed Nigel Mansell in 1989, who overtook one car after another, even sailing by Senna, again trapped behind a slow car.

Even though Senna was unable to overtake two years in a row, he secured his three wins at the Hungarian Grand Prix a year before losing to Boutsen and Mansell, and twice again, consecutively, afterwards. Michael Schumacher holds one win more than Senna, while drivers who have won twice at Budapest include Nelson Piquet, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Mika Häkkinen.

Hill also won his first ever grand prix at Hungaroring in 1993, as did Fernando Alonso ten years later in 2003, prompting him to declare the Hungaroring as his favorite race circuit. In 2006, the first Hungarian GP that was rained in, Alonso and Schumacher were forced to retire from the unexpected weather conditions, giving Jenson Button his first grand prix win. The 2007 winner was Lewis Hamilton.

As most fans of the Hungarian Grand Prix come from neighboring areas, they are most likely to drive to Budapest, especially with a special road closed off for the Formula 1 championship called “Bernie Avenue.” You can also fly into Ferihegy International Airport from most European cities and some cities in North America. Alternatives to renting a car once you are in Hungary – Budapest is some 24 km from the airport – you may take the airport minibus into the city and travel by tram and subway for sightseeing and meals. A water park was recently built near the circuit, which many fans have come to appreciate as they can cool off at any time during the race, when the summer heat becomes too much to bear.

Opulent high class hotels are found surrounding the Danube; as you move further away from the center, you’ll find mid-range hotels and cheaper hostels that may be more to your liking. To get to Hungaroring from Budapest, you can catch the specially assigned buses that go straight to the circuit. Anyone on the street would know where these buses will be designated, or you could ask where they could be found when you buy your Hungarian Grand Prix tickets.

Although ticket prices were quite expensive in the early years of the Hungarian Grand Prix, general admission tickets are very affordable these days, and a good deal when around 65 percent of the track can be seen from most vantage points, since the Hungaroring was built over a natural valley. Grandstand tickets are divided into bronze, silver, gold and super gold, promising better and better views with the ascent of the price.

The Budapest Autumn Music Festival has been rebranded as the Café Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival. It gives people the ideal opportunity of visiting one of Europe’s most beautiful cities at a time of the year when it is perhaps a little less crowded. Now that more than 20 million people every year come to the Hungarian capital on the banks of the Danube, autumn is still sufficiently mild for visitors to wander the streets in a little more comfort. And the streets of Budapest are well worth wandering around.

The festival was inaugurated in 1992 and has developed considerably since then. Budapest has, of course, a rich musical heritage, including such eminent classical composers as Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók and the opera composer Ferenc Erkel, and the music of such luminaries is always sure to feature in the programme. However, the organisers of the Autumn Festival are keen to place just as great an emphasis on contemporary music, exploring new developments and forms and bringing them to a wider audience.

This imaginative programming has meant that in recent years there have been such innovative features such as avant-garde interpretations of the Bach chorales under the title of Bach and Contemporary Improvisation, and Rainforest 21 – a combination of classical Indian music and jazz improvisation.

The extensive programme of the festival now includes more than 90 separate events, involving performers from many different countries, as the organisers attempt to fulfil their aim of ‘making the city alive with living art’. This means that the city streets and squares come alive with jazz, dance, art and sculptures for the 10 days of the festival, which is usually held during the middle part of October each year. Additionally, film, photography and computer art are among other art forms brought to prominence during the Autumn festival.

The major musical venues in Budapest are the Petofi Hall, the National Concert Hall and the Franz Liszt Academy whilst the Hungarian State Opera House is one of the most spectacular of its kind in Europe.

One of the reasons for the increase in visitors to Budapest in recent years is, of course, the development of low-cost airlines which fly into the specially developed aircraft-shaped Terminal One at Budapest’s main Ferihegy International Airport, just 10 miles out of the city.

There is a wide choice of accommodation to be found in Budapest, ranging from the 5 star city centre Andrássy Hotel to the large, well-appointed 4 star Best Western through to many budget hotels in and around the city. Lots of information can be found on the official Budapest tourism website.

There are also two really well-appointed camp sites – and autumn in this part of Hungary is still quite mild at nights. The Camping Haller site is located in a quiet park in the middle of the city but the largest site, Romai camping, which has its own shop, post office, restaurant, etc, is about 7 miles outside. It does, however, have a suburban railway station close at hand, so access to Budapest is very straightforward.

Once you’re in the city centre, getting around presents few problems. There is an excellent Millennium Underground Railway. This is the second oldest system in Europe, but with another line close to opening. In addition, there are buses, trolleybuses, trams, and the suburban train system. There are also many taxis – but if you arrive by air then make sure you take a cab from the official ranks outside the terminal. The unauthorised drivers offering rides you’ll see on your way to the taxi rank will prove to be far more expensive!

Music and the River Danube are seen to be inextricably entwined and the Café Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival is another strong link in the chain. This beautiful city deserves even greater recognition than it currently receives, so the festival represents the ideal opportunity of visiting it.

The Sziget Festival, taking place on an island in the middle of the River Danube every August, has developed into one of the largest music and cultural events in Europe. And it’s still growing! Recent attendances at the summer festival have reached an estimated 400,000 visitors who have seen headline acts such as Snow Patrol, Placebo, Lily Allen, Manic Street Preachers, Miss Platnum, The Prodigy, The Ting Tings, Primal Scream and Fatboy Slim on the Main Stage.

Sziget has certainly come a long way since its inception as a local student event in 1993; now it even has its own ‘party train’ bringing festival goers across Europe to Budapest. In fact, it is reckoned that 50% of the total audience is comprised of people from outside Hungary.

Sziget is held on Óbudai-sziget, or Old Buda Island, a 266 acre site, creating its own festival town on the site of Budapest’s shipyard. There is a camp site at the festival as well as an area for caravans. Recently, a VIP camping ticket has been introduced which allows ticket holders, amongst other ‘extras’, to make full use of the outdoor swimming pool on the island. This pool used to be open to everyone during Sziget but overcrowding led to it being closed down until the introduction of this new scheme.

The island itself can be reached from Budapest by bridge, although some people prefer to make use of the local boat service. In the past, more ‘exuberant’ festival goers have tried to swim across but, in such a fast-flowing river as the Danube, this really isn’t to be recommended.

Budapest itself has become a very popular destination for visitors during recent years, as more and more people have recognized it as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. In addition to the many wonderful buildings in the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are also some stunning examples of modern architecture and, of course, the majestic Danube. A recent survey came to the conclusion that Budapest has the best quality of life of any city in central Europe and the 20 million visitors here each year will understand why.

Practical Budapest Information

Flights to the city’s international airport, Budapest Ferihegy, are plentiful with, amongst others, British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Jet2.com flying from various British airports. There are plenty of bus and train services into the city itself, where the internal public transport network includes a four line Metro system. The infrastructure of the city is completely adapted for tourists with a wide range of hotels and hostels.

The Sziget Festival takes place in August and will undoubtedly continue to develop its reputation as one of the biggest, friendliest festivals of the European circuit. Full details concerning tickets and the programme appear on the official Sziget website.

One of Europe’s premier cultural festivals, the Budapest Spring Music and Dance Festival takes place at the end of March each year. Fast becoming one of Europe’s leading short break destinations – upwards of 20 million people visit each year – the beautiful city of Budapest attracts a host of world class performers to its 200 or more separate events.

Budapest is justly known for its rich classical heritage, with illustrious composers such as Bartók, Erkel and Liszt to the fore – and their works are sure to be significantly featured each year. Indeed, opera, ballet, recitals and concerts have always been the cornerstone of the festival’s programme. Additionally, jazz, folk, rock, operetta, musicals, modern dance and theatre are all catered for every year, as well as musical genres from all over the world. There are also plenty of special events and activities for children – films, story-telling, circus, games and, of course, music.

The Budapest Spring Festival takes place in some of the city’s most prestigious venues – places such as the National Gallery, the Hungarian State Opera House, the Palace of Arts, the Matthias Church and the Franz Liszt Academy. Some of the most popular concerts take place in open-air venues.

Since its inauguration in 1981, the Budapest Spring Music and Dance festival has developed into not only the largest cultural event in Hungary, but also one of Europe’s major events, bringing in music and dance lovers from all over the world – and then totally captivating them. Because of the undoubted success of the festival, some of the major events do sell out quite quickly, so tickets need to be ordered well in advance. The official website of the Budapest Spring Festival contains all the information about events, ticket availability and ordering procedures.

The city of Budapest is a truly beautiful place to visit – especially in the spring when the gardens around, for example, the Royal Palace, begin to burst into bloom. Located on the banks of the Danube, and with a stunning array of architecture, this city – sometimes referred to as ‘the city of spas’ – offers plenty of interest to visitors of all ages. The development of the main Ferihegy International Airport and the encouragement of low-cost airlines, has further encouraged foreign visitors. The hotel infrastructure is now fully geared up to cope with the demands of the modern traveller and there is plenty of accommodation, at a variety of prices.

Transport within Budapest is similarly very straightforward. As well as having Europe’s second oldest underground railway system, there are trolleybuses, trams, taxis and a good suburban train system. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the airport, about 16 kilometres outside the city, is well-known for unlicensed taxi drivers offering rides into the city centre. Make sure your taxi has the Zóna Taxi company logo on. Alternatively, there are trains from Terminal 1 right into the Western Station in the city or you can catch a Bus 200 from either Terminal 1 or 2 to the nearest Metro station.

Although many people like to travel south, towards the Mediterranean countries, in the spring, there is much to be said for heading instead to Hungary. Budapest is beginning to warm up quite nicely at the end of March, and the Spring Music and Dance Festival is a wonderful reason to visit.

Hungary is undoubtedly a country of great contrasts and the variety of festivals in Hungary helps typify some of those contrasts perfectly. This is a country, after all, where you will still find small village festivals with folk traditions and rituals barely changed over the centuries. But it is also where some of the world’s most illustrious musicians make their way for cultural events of international significance. For many visitors from overseas, Hungary mainly means Budapest – and this captivating city also boasts almost an entire calendar year of top class festivals on different kinds. Of course, the Budapest Spring and Autumn Festivals are the most widely known, but there are many more.

For example, in January and February every other year – held on even-numbered years – the breathtaking Budapest International Circus Festival attracts thousands of overseas visitors to the city to watch some of the world’s greatest circus performers in action.

In March or April, Budapest’s own Titanic International Film Festival comes to town, bringing with it a host of international names. There hardly seems a month pass by without a Festival of some kind in the city, but special mention has to be made of the Sziget Festival, now established as one of Europe’s leading music and cultural gatherings. Held each August on Óbudai-sziget, an island in the middle of the Danube, this impressive 266 acre site hosts fabulous acts every year and attracts nearly 400,000 visitors. Organisers estimate that just about half of the festival goers come from outside Hungary so the atmosphere is very cosmopolitan.

The Spring Festival, at the end of March, with 200 or more separate concerts and similar occasions, has the added advantage of taking place in some of the city of Budapest’s most iconic buildings. World class performers in the fields of opera, ballet, classical music and even jazz, rock and folk, can be heard in venues such as the stunning National Gallery and the Hungarian State Opera House.

The Autumn Music Festival, established in 1992, held over ten October days, has consciously sought to highlight not only the works of the great classical Hungarian composers but also explore new developments in contemporary music and art. Both the Spring and Autumn Budapest Festivals now are amongst the most prestigious annual events in the country each year and have justifiable international reputations.

Festivals in Hungary means much, much more than simply festivals in Budapest, however. The country has a long folk tradition and is very proud of its heritage, which is reflected in many of the festivals held each year. Each part of Hungary has its folkloric traditions, which it is keen to maintain and celebrate. Prominent amongst these festivals is the Körös Valley Folk Arts Festival held in the town of Gyula, where there is a wide range of handcraft, music, dance and drama every July and August.

The spectacular landscape around Lake Balaton, and the small towns of Öcs, Pula, Kapoics and Monostorapáti host the charmingly named Valley of Magic Festival during June and July. Over 50 separate venues share out more than 800 individual events.

One of the more bizarre Hungarian festivals is the Busójárás Festival in the southern part of the country. Sometimes referred to as the Mohacs Carnival this fancy dress masquerade commemorates a famous occasion when the locals frightened away the Turkish invading armies: it is a spectacular affair.

Much more decorous is the August Debrecen Flower Festival when a parade of floats decorated with, especially, asters, carnations and dahlias takes to the streets.

In addition to the Spring Festival in Budapest, the end of March is a popular time for other events in a similar style. The Nagykanizsa Spring Arts Festival has many Hungarian and international orchestras, groups and artists attending, as do similar festivals in Szombathely and Szentendre.

Finally, the country also has a long tradition of Christmas markets during December – the best known being that held in Vorosmarty Square in Budapest – which, if you time your visit carefully, could coincide with one of the choir and organ recitals held in Matthias Church during the run-up to the festive season.

Whichever of the many festivals in Hungary you plan to visit, you can be sure that you will discover a country full of colour, variety and passion – and stunningly spicy authentic goulash!