Why Do We Consider Budapest a Good Place?
How can Budapest outperform Dubai, Sydney, Vancouver, Rome or Paris? A number of travel magazines seek global answers to this question.
1.(Repeatedly after 2013) Budapest was elected the second best city by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller in 2015. The top-ranking Florence scored 86.53 points out of 100, while Budapest scored 86.09, outscorin Tokyo, Paris, London and Rome, among others.
2. Two nights at a four-star hotel, a bottle of wine, a cocktail per person, a two-course dinner and the expense of a taxi to and from the airport, as well as the accommodation. These were the items considered by TripAdvisor, whose travellers evaluated Budapest as the best-value city in 2014.
3. According to Britain’s The Guardian, Élesztő Craft Beer Bar is among the best beer bars in Europe. In addition, the paper points out that Budapest (due to its ruin pubs and night bars) is the best party city in Europe, and Hungary is experiencing a revolution in craft beer as unique brews appear with no end in sight.
4. Budapest’s Margitsziget (Margaret Island) is presented by the Irish Times as the fifth best jogging site in the world, right behind Dublin, Los Angeles, London and Sydney. Besides the beauty of the Danube, the island and the scenery, the 5.350 m running track is praised by the evaluator.
5. The German Spiegel Online presented the spas of Budapest as No 1 in its listing of resorts in 2012. The special retractable roof structure of Gellért Spa was highlighted, as was the diversity and variety of programmes hosted in the Széchenyi and Rudas baths.
6. CNN Travel voted the Market Hall at Fővám Square the best market in Europe. The fresh goods and the easy-to-navigate, transparent building were pointed out in particular. Built in the late 19th century, the lighting and cooling systems installed in the three-storey, 10,000 m2 Market Hall represented state-of-the-art technology of the time.
7. The route of tram No. 2 in Budapest was elected one of the ten most beautiful routes by National Geographic. It provides the most stunning view of the Parliament, the Buda Castle and Matthias Church. The cars, which are adorned with Christmas lights in December, pass the Danube Promenade and the row of hotels in Budapest.
8. According to an online listing by Lonely Planet, Budapest is the best winter destination. The leading publisher of travel books recommends Budapest before Dubai, Vancouver and Lebanon. According to Lonely Planet, Hungarians make great use of the wintertime, and besides viewing the fascinating cityscape, tourists are encouraged to visit cafés and spas.
9. Financial Times reported Budapest as the most attractive Central Eastern European premises for capital investment in 2014-2015. The same evaluation presents Hungary among the top 10 in the category of cost effectiveness and business environment.
10. In 2015, Hungary’s image film was recognised as the best in Europe by the UN World Tourism Organisation. Besides the already renowned special national products (called Hungaricum), a special emphasis was put on the most attractive items of tourism – i.e., Balaton, Budapest and health and conference tourism.
