Budapest
Budapest, courtesy of His Holiness Franz Josef, rests in Vienna, is a particularly beautiful European capital, with spectacular and particularly impressive architectural buildings. Budapest is actually two cities sitting on the banks of the Danube - the old 'Buda' where the emperor's palace and other government buildings are located and the newer 'Pest' which serves as the more active commercial and tourism district of the city. The two parts are connected by several beautiful bridges, most of which can be crossed except for the Chain Bridge, which is currently undergoing extensive renovationIt turns out, that the vocabulary of most Hungarians in the English language parallels my command of their language... Most Hungarians do not speak English, the younger ones can hold a broken conversation. Even in the tourist places, English is not really a star, but you can easily manage even without knowing the language using hand and foot movements and in my case also raising eyebrows, an art which I have developed into a language in itself.
Hotels
Budapest is full of hotels and vacation solutions, many of the local residents of the city have chosen to rent out their apartments for vacation purposes and receive thousands of euros a month in return, in a city where the average salary is only about 600 euros a month and move to live in the cheaper suburbs. You can choose Airbnb-style apartments, which Budapest is full of. The apartments are usually large and spacious, fully furnished including full kitchen equipment (of course not kosher) and even a washing machine. Please note, compared to hotels, the apartments do not have towels changed every day and, of course, cleaning and housekeeping services, for those who like strangers to arrange things for them... the prices of the holiday apartments are also better than those of hotels, even four stars and the conditions in them do not fall at all.
Those who are interested in the hotels should first check their location in relation to the Jewish Quarter, the central place in the city where you can find the Orthodox synagogue on Kizinchi Street and several kosher restaurants nearby, along with proximity to the tourist sites and very easy access to public transportation. Many times the best deals you will find will be in more distant hotels, sometimes 15-20 minutes drive from the city center.
Currency and conversion
Although Hungary belongs to the European Union, they still use the local (and annoying) currency - the forint, although in many places it is possible to use euros or dollars. Pay attention to the conversion rates, not every exchange is the same and the differences can be tens of shekels per conversion. It is recommended to use the XE app to get the exact representative rate as a payment of up to 5 forints per euro is considered quite reasonable.
Forints can be purchased in Israel, for example at Bank Hapoalim, but the recommendation is not to bring all your money in Hungarian currency in advance so that you don't end up with money that cannot be converted in Israel back to shekels. The Hungarian currency will usually be in the thousands, so pay attention that you do get the appropriate excess, it is also recommended to take a look online at the pictures of the bills before the trip, so that you don't just get colored papers from the occasional scammer. In general, prepare yourself to receive many forint coins, some of which are completely worthless (less than half a penny in Israeli value), unless you accumulate a very considerable amount of such coins.
It is recommended to take a euro with you and convert the amount you will need every day according to the estimate for that day. It is worth paying attention, in many shops as well as in restaurants they will be willing to accept euros, often at the representative exchange rate itself with no conversion fee at all, or at an extremely low fee, so it can be more profitable than converting all the money in advance to the local currency and paying the conversion fee.
It is recommended to stay away from the red and orange changelings scattered throughout the city, although it is always worth checking each place individually, because there are good surprises in several places.
The change that is considered the most profitable is the "Iranian" on Kirli Street, a few tens of meters from it there is also the "Syrian" which is slightly more expensive, but still relatively profitable. At the Iranian, there is a considerable queue at the entrance every day, and it closes relatively early (five, most days)..
Kosher food
In Budapest there are several kosher restaurants at completely reasonable prices, much cheaper than a meal in an Israeli restaurant. Most of the restaurants are concentrated in the Jewish quarter area which is considered one of the central and convenient places in the city. These recommendations do not examine or refer to the level of kosher of the restaurants and everyone will do as their rabbis instruct them. Also note that you always check that the information is still relevant and that the supervision has not been removed or changed.
Dairy restaurants
'Tel Aviv' restaurant on Kizanchi Street: provides light and nice Israeli-style breakfasts, focaccia, shakshuka, soups, etc., all hot and fresh. For breakfast, it is recommended to make a reservation in advance or wait at the entrance to the restaurant, sometimes about half an hour. In the restaurant you can buy in the morning, if you haven't finished it yet, the famous Hungarian cake - Galil Hakurtosh. By and large, it's just a nice cake, and in the absence of sauces/ice cream or any other perfection in the kosher version of the cake, I came to the conclusion that it's a reasonable cake with the texture of Crocs, with too much hype.
The 'Brooklyn Bagel' restaurant on Sderot Ofgesti: a little further from the Jewish quarter. Different bagels with spreads and salmon, bagel pizza, salads and desserts. It is not about culinary brilliance, but about simple bagels with simple salads only. Even here in the morning it is recommended to reserve a table in advance. Check with the restaurant for the closing hours because they sometimes close earlier than the time stated online.
Meat restaurants
The Carmel restaurant is also on Kiznichi Street. A meat restaurant located in the basement of the old building. The food is quite traditional and home style. Here, too, it is recommended to reserve a table in advance, and no, you can wait a long time for an available table.
The 'Hana' restaurant is also on Kiznichy Street - in the courtyard of the Orthodox Synagogue of Budapest. The restaurant has a simple home style and according to tradition the same food has been served there for about 150 years.
'Meet Up' restaurant on Sip Street, a fast food style restaurant, shawarma, schnitzel in a baguette and the like.
Kosher supermarkets
If you are looking to purchase kosher products to prepare a meal for yourself or just to buy something to snack on, you can go to the 'Kosher Market' on Dohany Street, which is also close to the Jewish Quarter. In the supermarket you can find Israeli dairy products, various pastries, products from the country and more at quite reasonable prices if it is not about Israeli wine which will be double the price. The dairy products for example are at a fairly reasonable price when Israeli milk produced by "Shefa" costs very similar to its price in Israel and delicacies are even slightly cheaper than the Israeli price.
Another place to buy products is the small supermarket behind the Hana restaurant in the Jewish quarter. There it is a much smaller store, but also there you can find cans and other products.
Tours and trips
The amount of Israelis in Budapest is very large, many tourists from Israel come to visit the Hungarian capital and hardly five minutes passed without hearing loud Hebrew next to me. There are several Israeli tourist guides operating in the city who operate a series of paid tours throughout the city. Some also take day trips to the banks of the Danube and the Austrian Vienna, which is about a two-hour drive from Budapest and you can take a tour of the old city center (Hering - district 1) and the large SCS shopping mall, where the Primark branch is also located. The walking tours cost about 20-30 euros per person, with the long day trips costing about 80 euros per person. You can also take Segway trips in the city and experience both parts within an hour.
You can also take a cruise on the Danube, there are several companies and tours and some of them also have instruction in Hebrew. The cruise is very nice, although it is not clear that a walk along the Danube will provide you with a less interesting view. Those who purchase a two-day public transport pass also receive the cruise as part of the package. In general, you can also use the outstanding application to order taxis, make the connection already in Israel if you only take a surfing package without the option of receiving SMS messages. The prices for taxis in Budapest are significantly lower compared to the prices of taxis in Israel
Recommended sites
The Royal Palace - The emperor's palace which includes gardens and many magnificent buildings. The palace also has a royal guard changing ceremony every hour, from the palace that is on a hill you can get a spectacular view of Pest. The palace is in the Buda area of ​​the city and you can also tour the Fisherman's Citadel
The Parliament Building - a particularly magnificent building, huge and magnificent with many turrets, a magnificent huge dome and many magnificent rooms. You can visit the building by purchasing tickets in combination with instruction in English. The building is lit up at night and it is a beautiful sight.
The Shoe Memorial - a memorial to the many victims of the Holocaust who were murdered on the banks of the Danube. The monument consists of metal shoe models standing right on the banks of the Danube close to the Parliament building. The monument, which was erected only a few years ago, stands in a strategic location, but it is not even illuminated at night. Miraculously, if you search for it on Google Maps, you will be sent to a nearby street. Despite my attempts to correct the location on Google, they refuse to confirm the change of location I suggested and insist that the monument is somewhere else... antisemitism or just bad service? decide for yourself.
The Great Market - a huge indoor market, a paradise for souvenir lovers, in most stalls you can find the same products at slightly different prices from stall to stall... In general, after five stalls, you've seen all the options that stretch over hundreds of meters. You will also see the same products in the many souvenir shops around the city, although at slightly higher prices. It is recommended to focus on the things unique to Hungary such as the "Secret Box", wooden boxes that open in a complex and unique way and can be an attraction for children. You will also find embroidered maps, although it is likely that behind them you will also find the label "Made in China". Unlike most shops in the city, in the market you can haggle on the price and get a small discount.
On the first floor of the market you can find fruit and vegetable shops at extremely reasonable prices and you can indulge in a huge and juicy pineapple made in Costa Rica for about NIS 9 and more.
Margit Island - lovers of parks and nature will enjoy the island located in the middle of the Danube with well-kept gardens, walking paths, running and lawns. The place also has huge fountains and at night there is a light show combined with the fountains which is considered a spectacular show
Shopping
Lovers of shopping and brands will enjoy the main shopping street, Vatzi, with its luxurious avenue of brands, although the prices there are quite high, better prices can be found according to the unproven rumor in the large shopping malls Arena and Arcade and the Premier outlet complex, although even there the prices are not particularly lower from Israel
It is likely that in the stores where the Hungarians themselves shop, the prices are lower than in the places that aim to capture the wealthier tourists from the local population.
Summary
Budapest offers a European experience at cheaper prices than its Austrian neighbor, the city itself is full of spectacular sights that I have only touched on a small part of the possibilities. You can find quite a bit of material in Hebrew about tourist sites in a city that has become absolutely accessible for the average Israeli tourist.