Photo by Sean Kirkham

In Budapest, when a woman approaches you on Vaci Utca and asks you to accompany her to the local watering hole for a drink, you are naturally wary. The Russian and Hungarian mafia have for ages taken advantage of innocent tourists by luring them into seedy dives and then charging exorbitant fees.

However, when we were approached by 27-year-old Sophie Lorincz we knew we were in good shape. Sophie is a breath of fresh air. She’s Budapest’s new “it-girl,” effortlessly fluent in three languages. We recently spent a delightful afternoon with her. Well connected in the nightlife scene, she tipped us to the fact that female tourists always get in free to Budapest bars and clubs. (A perk? A curse? Ladies, you decide.)

A beautician by trade, Sophie can be found at Sebastian Grand Salon during the day—when she isn’t rushing off to the gym, that is. She also is a professional make-up artist, and does a fair amount of fashion shoot work on the side.

During the night she often frequents Mozaik, a popular restaurant in the city center. Her favorite night? “Sundays!” she exclaims. It’s when Mozaik offers a 50% discount on food.

Sebastian Grand Salon is located at Andrássy út 13, and can be reached by telephone at +36 1 268-0458. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Metro: Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út.

Sophie can be reached directly for an appointment at +36 70 386 4640.

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Photo by Pont-TERV

According to local historians, the origin of April Fools jokes goes back to 1623 and a Hungarian court jester, Miklós Móka, who encouraged peasants to play little tricks on the nobility. For years it was common to send young children off to the shops to buy mosquito fat, umbrella seeds, or violin keyboards. Today, mild jokes are the norm.

Sometimes, of course, the jokes fall flat. This year (2007), a journalist in Somogy County caused panic when he wrote an “April Fools” article about a new bridge set to open tomorrow. According to the article, the bridge, which was constructed over a wide valley, had collapsed in the middle. As an extra punch-line, he included a doctored photo.

Today, he’s being threatened with court action. Alas, who will get the last laugh?

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Photograph by Conundrum37

The elegance and nostalgia of the steam train can warm even the most unromantic hearts. Recognising this, Hungarian State Railways is offering the chance to step back into the Belle Époque of rail travel with its “nosztalgia” train excursions.

There are a wide variety of excursions to choose from: a candle-lit romantic meal with live music; day trips to the Danube Bend or Esztergom, ancient coronation city of the Hungarian kings; “photo journeys” through the most beautiful Hungarian countryside, stopping at landmarks and views.

Prices are very reasonable, even for rail Cheapos like us. The day trip to the Danube Bend, for example, costs just HUF2800 (€11.20; $14.90) in first class, and your ticket includes coffee in your own compartment and entrance to the Visegrad castle.

The magnificent king of steam trains, the Royal Hungarian Express, undertakes longer trips to Bulgaria, Istanbul, Slovakia, Poland, Bosnia, and the Dalmatian coast—but prices for these luxury offers are considerably higher!

Visit the nostalgia train Web site for details.

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Photograph by sgoralnick

If political intrigue, embassy cocktail parties, and the world of fashion do it for you, Budapest has been delivering the goods of late.

We’re talking, first off, about the Budapest Discussions, a series of expert talks sponsored by the British Embassy in Budapest in collaboration with the Dutch and Swedish Embassies and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The most recent lively (no, really) meeting open to the public covered agriculture and rural development in the European Union, and was followed by a reception with free food and drink. Once we got through the formality of British security, we found the Embassy itself to be quite breathtaking. Naturally, we did it up.

Next up: proof that being on a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the finer things in life. Top luxury women’s designer fashion group Escada, opens its flagship Budapest store to the public tomorrow, March 28, 2007, at Dorottya ul. 3. Tomorrow evening’s event includes a cocktail reception and fashion show. Be sure to get there early to nab a free gift bag.

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Photograph by ALA-Gator

We finally got around to taking a look at our April issue of Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. Our favorite item therein? Well, thanks for asking. We found Marilyn Holstein’s “Gently Down the Stream” suggestive, even inspiring. Holstein’s article is essentially a narrative of her river cruise journey from Nürnberg to Budapest.

We have to confess that we’ve never been cruise people. They’ve just never really appealed to us. But the thought of a small cruise wending its way down a river is infinitely more appealing than the thought of a massive jumbo ship lumbering across open seas. The intinerary Holstein describes is quite lovely, to boot. In addition to Nürnberg and Budapest, her cruise took in Kelheim, Regensburg, Passau, Melk, and Vienna. It’s not difficult imagining how gorgeous this journey would be during the summer.

For gold-star Cheapos, Holstein’s budget may be out of reach. The cheapest cabin we found on her Viking Lines cruise was $1799 for “E” class accommodations.

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Photograph by Sean Kirkham

Down Nádor Utca they stride, business men in tailored suits mixing with dapper Hungarian hipsters. It is 7 p.m., still early enough for tourists to stroll about and city buses to zoom by, though too early for the dinner set to head out for their standard night of debauchery.

Lukács Pálfalvi sips a café macchiato as he stares out at the goulash society crowd frequenting Terv Presszo, in the trendy financial district of Budapest. At the top of his game, Pálfalvi awaits his next potential client. The 31-year old is a part of Hungary’s new generation of young entrepreneurs. A graphic designer by trade, he is the owner of a small but successful web-related company, Ultramarin. Originally from the countryside, Pálfalvi has lived in Budapest for the past 13 years.

In addition to Terv—which provides an incredibly affordable cup for those on a budget—he also frequents Kultiplex for loud music and dancing.

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Photograph by Kenko.

Hungary has seven neighbouring countries. With the Slovak border at its closest point only 40 km (25 miles) from the Hungarian capital, daytrips from Budapest often extend out of the country. We suggest venturing north and visiting the small Slovak gem of Nitra, an originally Celtic settlement with 6,000 years of history.

Nitra is best known for its castle district, with buildings from the 14th through the 18th centuries. It is a wonderfully atmospheric and peaceful place. Rather less well known—though also intriguing—are Nitra’s links with the world of Bonsai. The town has its own Bonsai centre in the pedestrian street alongside the Synagogue, and it regularly hosts the annual International Bonsai, Suiseki, and Tea Exhibition.

This year the exhibition will run from April 12 to April 15 in the Agrocomplex of the Agricultural University.

There is also a rich and varied café life in Nitra, and plenty of good restaurants. Recommended are the brynzové halušky (noodles with ewe’s cheese and sour cream) and Slovak beer, which has an excellent and well-deserved reputation. Na zdravie!

Nitra can be reached by train out of Budapest’s Nyugati (West) station. The journey, via Nové Zamky, takes approximately two hours.

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Photograph by SunCat

There are many reasons to visit Szentendre, the old Serbian artist village on the Danube bend. There is one, though, guaranteed to leave sweet memories for visitors of all ages—the Chocolate Museum (Csokimúzeum), on Bogdány Street 2.

The exhibition here is dedicated primarily to the work of master confectioner Dobos, who worked in pre-refrigeration days, when a cake would take at least ten days to finish.

You might think that it would be almost criminal to eat such genuine applied art. Yet this is exactly what you are invited to do in the museum coffee house, where you can enjoy a slice of Dobos gateau, made exactingly to the specifications of the original recipe. Don’t miss the hot chocolate, either. It is one of the finest you will ever taste.

To get to Szentendre, take the suburban HÉV train. The journey takes 45 minutes; a one-way ticket costs HUF230 (€.95; $1.25).

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Painting by Miklos Barabas reproduced courtesy of Kogart House

“The Face of Art” at Kogart House is the latest exhibition to open to spectacular reviews in Budapest.

Kogart House is situated on Andrássy Street, in a building renovated with the help of private funding from banker Gábor Kovács. Kovács acquired the building in 2003 with the express goal of bringing contemporary art to the masses.

“The Face of Art” showcases the evolution over the past two centuries of portraits and self-portraits by Hungarian artists. The museum’s top three floors are dedicated to constantly changing temporary art shows. The stately portrait of Hungarian music composer Liszt Ferenc by Miklós Barabás (see above) alone makes a visit to Kogart House worthwhile. With open terraces and spacious, well-lighted spaces, the museum is also aesthetically very pleasing.

And for those with tired museum feet, the bottom floor of the Kogart House has been turned into a cozy restaurant where coffee and cake is served until closing.

Kogart House is located at Andrássy Street 112. It is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day. Admission runs HUF1200 (€4.90; $6.50) for adults and HUF600 (€2.45; $3.25) for students and seniors.

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photograph courtesy of Jonathermal

For a spa holiday that won’t break the bank—in a beautiful country setting, no less—head for the mercifully untouristy village of Kiskunmajsa in the south of Hungary. Here you can relax in 20 hectares of landscaped park, bathe in both clear and brown mineral waters, swim in the sandy-shored lake, strengthen your immune system in the sauna and jacuzzi, enjoy the four large water slides, and even play giant chess or mini golf—all for the unprincely day-pass price of HUF1500 (€6; $8).

There is accomodation on site, from basic motel-style digs for HUF8500 (€34; $45) for four people per night to luxury wooden cottages, priced around HUF17,000 (€68; $90) per cottage per night. Alternatively, you can find cheap bed and breakfast accomodation in the village itself, where you will be served hearty Hungarian food paired with some good regional wines.

In the village, you can also order a private open carriage ride to explore the surrounding countryside and see an unspoiled rural Hungary—even if the ride is a little bumpy! Check out the spa’s comprehensive Web site.

From Budapest, Kiskunmajsa can be reached by train in two to two and three-quarters hours, depending on train type.

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