Summer freedom on the bridge

You probably already know that Budapest is divided into two parts by the river Danube: Buda on the western bank, and Pest on the eastern bank. The two parts of the city have a very different atmosphere and layout, which is clearly visible if you are standing on one of the 12 bridges connecting them.

 

#budapest #hungary #eurotrip

Marcin Chwesiuk (@chwes) által megosztott bejegyzés,

Some of the bridges are big and winding, with hundreds of thousands of people passing them each day, while others only connect smaller islands to the mainland upriver. Be them big or small, old and new, the bridges are the focal points of the city, and everyone living in the city has a favorite. Some people like the timeless elegance of Lánchíd:

 

What colours shall we paint this bridge today? How about sunset? #budapestagram #budapest #lánchíd #bridges #citylife #architecture #aroundtheworld #aroundeurope #sunset

Cristina Roman (@cristinasmess) által megosztott bejegyzés,

While others prefer the bustling, happy noises of people heading to Margitsziget through Margithíd:

 

#margithíd #margithid #duna #danube #danuberiver #hajó #dunaihajós #június #juny #budapest #budapestview #budapestcity #budapestagram #budapeststreets #budapesthungary #budapestlife #budapestlove #budapestvisuals #budapeststyle #hungary #magyarország #magyarország #iloveyoubudapest #momentsinbudapest #storyofbudapest

Pindroch Szilárd (@pindrochsz) által megosztott bejegyzés,

It is quite certain, however, that this summer, one bridge wins the heart of all. Szabadság híd, the Bridge of Freedom, was built in 1896, and connects the 9th and the 11th districts. Its place in the city is a rather prominent one, since it continues directly from Szent Gellért square, reaching Pest at Vámház avenue, the southern part of Kiskörút. In the summer of 2016, civilian groups started a 'bridge occupation movement', whose goal was to free Szabadság híd from traffic on the weekends and transform it into an outdoor meeting place for those who would like to chill on their days off on a special location.

 

#welovebudapest #summerinthecity #summerinbudapest #thisisbudapest #budapestagram #studyinbudapest #studyabroad #andrassyuni #budapest #hungary #szabihid #szabihíd #valyo

Andrássy Universität Budapest (@andrassy_uni) által megosztott bejegyzés,

Not surprisingly, people loved the idea.

 

? City lights ? #szabihíd #BudaPest

Gabesz Csobánki (@gaben_) által megosztott bejegyzés,

Activities include early morning yoga classes, acrobats, live music, people smoking hookah, or drinking wine. Basically, you can do anything and everything that you want, as long as it's not illegal, and doesn't disturb others. In the meantime, the river in gently lulling under you, and you can watch the sun set above the city from the best possible vantage point.

The project got the name Szabihíd, which combines the shortened form of szabadság, meaning freedom, and híd, meaning bridge. Szabi also means holiday, or a time when you don't have to work, emphasizing the fact that you don't have to go out of the city if you want to have a quick weekend getaway. Sometimes, transforming a space that you already know, using it in a way that you haven't thought possible before is enough to do the trick.

 

#szabihíd #piknik #valyo photo: @tomee80

Valyo - Város és Folyó (@valyovalyo) által megosztott bejegyzés,

How to cool down in style

The days are warming up and you might be wondering how people are coping with the heat in Budapest. Although the weather is relatively cool now compared to the real summer months, when temperatures can reach 40°C, it's good to be prepared and to have some tricks up your sleeves for the times when sitting in the shades are simply not enough.

#1 Cool by the river

One of the best things about Budapest is the Danube: although you can't always see it, the river is a constant humming presence in the back of your mind. It's enough to look at the gently lulling water to feel refreshed, but it's best if you camp out in one of the riverside cafés to enjoy the view and sip a cold drink. As an added bonus, temperatures are always a bit cooler by the river, since the water generates a light breeze. If you want to add a touch of beach living, you can add Fellini Bistro on Római part, where you can relax in deck chairs, while the waves are lapping at your feet.

#2 City of Spas

If the Danube can't cool you down anymore, and you'd like a more submerged experience, you can choose from a wide selection of bathing places in the city. Although the logical thing to d would be to select a beach, you should really do as the Hungarians do, and visit a spa. Besides refreshing you, the water is also great for your health and will provide an experience you won't soon forget. The city has 15 public thermal baths, each unique in its own way. Some of them offer a wide variety of activities, such as Rudas, where you can go partying on Fridays and Saturdays. If you prefer a quieter experience, you should visit Gellért bath, housed in a beautiful art nouveau building. The old kid's pools of the bath have been transformed into a bar and restaurant, making it one of the best places to relax after an afternoon of swimming.

#3 Caveman style

Probably not the most obvious place to spend your day, but definitely the most logical one. The Buda mountains are teeming with cave systems for you to explore, providing hours of amazement and fun. If you've never explored caves before, you'll be dumbstruck by the intricate stalactite and stalagmite formations in the Pál-völgyi cave, but you can also take the chance to improve your allergy or the effects of smoking in the Óbuda Saltcave. There are numerous other alternatives to choose from, but one thing is common in all of them: the air is refreshingly cold, and you can forget the heat of the city for a couple of hours.

#4 Hello sailor

Yes, it's the Danube again. If the banks don't cool you down enough anymore, hop on one of the BKK ships and take a turn on the river. The ticket is about the price of two beers, but will keep you chill much longer. The breeze above the water combined with speed of the boat is enough to make you feel cold on even the hottest days in the summer. Just don't forget to use suntan lotion, because it's easy to get a burn!

#5 Afternoon getaway

And if you really can't take it anymore, just hop on a train. One of the cool things about Budapest is that it has a very quick train line to both Lake Velencei and Balaton. You can reach the first beaches of Lake Velencei in under 30 minutes, which makes it ideal for a quick afternoon dip after studying all day. With your student ID, the ticket costs next to nothing, and the beaches are free - could it be any better? If you are more adventurous, you can even travel a bit further, and have lángos on the shore of Balaton. Depending on where you are heading, you can reach the Eastern end of the lake in roughly an hour.

City Profiles: Pécs

You can check out what you can study as an international student at the University of Pécs here.

International adventures

Pécs is a truly unique city to live in as a student, both because of the sizzling university life and the natural beauty of the region. Pécs is located in county Baranya, near the Croatian border, so the sea is always just a couple of hours of driving away. Imagine coming out of class on Friday and swimming in the Adriatic sea in the evening! If you are the adventurous type, it’s a no-brainer – you only need to get a couple of friends together to rent a car and drive a few hours to hit the beaches. But don’t get discouraged if you are not a big fan of water either, because you can also explore picturesque Serbia, which also very close.

Sun on the hillside

Pécs has a pretty exceptional location even if you don’t count the fact that it is near the border. It is surrounded by plains on the southern side and the famous Mecsek mountain in the North. The southern altitude of the city gives it a strong Mediterranean feel, but the wind coming down from the mountain cools and clears the air in the evenings during the hot summers. If you know anything about wine, at this point you might already suspect that this area has to have some good ones to offer. And how right you are! This is, in fact, called the Pecsi wine region, which covers an astonishing 8.23 square km. The region’s special climate means that the air is dry and there’s a lot of sunlight, so only the Villányi wine region can be compared to Pécs. The area produces both red and white wines, with riesling being the most popular, but Pécs is also home to one of the country’s biggest champagne producers as well.

Culture

Pécs is the Heidelberg of Hungary, as the saying goes – and you can see that the city was not Europe’s cultural capital in 2010 for nothing. The whole thing starts with architecture. You might remember from your World History studies, that the Ottoman Empire spent quite a long time enjoying their reign in Hungary. Although it is probably not the fondest and proudest time of the nation’s history, it did leave us with a lot of cool things including music, new vocabulary, and amazing architecture. Pécs is where you can see it at its best: whether you stand in the shadow of the mosque of Pasha Qasim the Victorious, or marvel at the Jakovali Hassan Mosque, you’ll see how seamlessly and organically the city grew around its historic buildings. An interesting modern example of the cityscape accommodating cultural needs is Múzeumutca, or Museum Street, which was named after the fact that every house in the street is some kind of a museum. It’s both very practical, and beautiful. A similar enterprise is Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, a transformed factory, which has become a city within the city with its  5 hectares of museums, concert halls, galleries, and theaters.

Nightlife

From the exceptional possibilities when it comes to culture and number of university students living around the city, it is no surprise that Pécs is also a favorite when it comes to parties. It’s enough to look at some of the insane festivals they organize, such as The Pécsi Student Days (PEN), Rockmaraton, P.DAY, Fishing on Orfű, the Summertime Blues & Jazz Festival, to mention a few. Pretty cool for a city with a population of 25 000 people, right? But once you go there, you’ll soon understand that there is something in the air in Pécs – or at least that is what the local musicians say, of which there are many! If Debrecen is the home of rock, then Pécs is certainly the heart of the underground music scene. The sheer number of concerts is enough to keep you occupied for months, and then there is the biggest theater festival in the country in the summer, and ballet, and folk dance, and and and… The list is endless.

Specialities

The Zsolnay factory is the most important Hungaricum of the city. Originally a manufacturer of tiles, porcelain, and stoneware, it has become the cultural backbone of the region. The factory was opened in 1853, and has become famous because of the invention of pyrogranite, which took the Vienna World Expo’s breath away in 1873. Here’s what the Zsolnay website says about it: „[It] came into existence through the continuous development of architectural ceramic materials, and was created specifically to substitute for the costly stone carvings on the facades of historical buildings. It is architectural ceramics fired at high temperatures with a grainy structure resembling to sandstone. Pyrogranite is well suited for both external and interior applications either unglazed or with various glazes (majolika-, eozin-, salt glaze). The Pyrogranite plant within the Zsolnay factory was established in 1895. Eosin is based on the reduced-pasty luster technique already in use by the Persians in the 7th century. So in fact, it I not a new inventions, but the further development of an old, traditional procedure of which Vilmos Zsolnay developed an array of unique varieties.”

City Profiles: Debrecen

You can check out what you can study as an international student at the University of Debrecen here.

Discover the Eastern part of Hungary

Debrecen is the second biggest city in Hungary, home to more than 200 000 people, and an important place in the history of Hungary. Because of its location, it’s the perfect place both to study and as a holiday destination. Debrecen is 220 km east of Budapest, which is a mere 2 and a half hours train ride. It is also only 35 kms from the Romanian border, which makes it a perfect starting point to discover two amazing countries at once. Debrecen is part of the Great Hungarian Plain, also known as Alföld, a plain occupying the southern and eastern part of Hungary. It’s okay if you’ve never heard about it, as it is at the same time a very specific and a completely everyday region. Alföld is huge, it covers about 56% of the country: this means that as long as you are not in the North Hungarian Mountains or in Transdanubia, you are probably walking the Great Plain.

Pannonian Steppe

Debrecen is located nearby Hortobágy National Park, one of the only places left where you can find the original Puszta landscape. The Puszta is a grassland biome, an exclave of the Eurasian Steppe. The word in Hungarian simply means ’plains’, which reflects the landscape pretty well, in which your eyes can roam for miles without anything breaking the horizon.  The puszta is characterized by saline steppes and salt lakes, and includes scattered sand dunes, low, wet forests and freshwater marshes along the floodplains of the ancient rivers. There aren’t many trees in sight, the wildlife, however, is amazing. There are hundreds of different bird species, which makes it an ideal place for bird watching. If you visit Hortobágy National Park, you can also learn a lot about the region’s agriculture, and see the famous Hungarian grey cattle, racka, hucul horses, wallowing buffalos, goats, and other domestic animals.

Culture

In 1849, Debrecen was the capital of Hungary for a short time when the Hungarian revolutionary government fled there from Pest-Buda (modern-day Budapest). What is more, in April 1849, the dethronization of Habsburgs and the independence of Hungary was proclaimed here by Lajos Kossuth at the Great (Calvinist) Church (Nagytemplom). But it’s not only history that makes Debrecen so interesting when is comes to culture. Home to the University of Debrecen, the city has been the intellectual center of the region since the 16th century. The city also hots a number of festivals, such as DESZKA, a theater festival celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2016, which features audience talks, professional lectures, a workshop and an exhibition. One of the most popular events int he summer is the Flower Parade, which has been around for more than 40 years. This is a one-week celebration of flowers, displaying both international and HUngarian performers.

Nightlife

One word: Tankcsapda. You probably cannot live in Hungary without knowing them. At this point, the band is almost a Hungaricum, and guess what – they are from Debrecen! Being the home of the influential rocka band, and many others as well, Debrecen is famous for its indie music scene, and even has a Rock School! If you prefer to just hang out, however, you can enjoy the by now almost tradition ruin pub feel in Roncsbár, which doubles as grill garden in the evening. If you want a bit more ecotic location, you can also visit Lovarda, a huge cultural and conference centre converted from a military equestrian facility, conveniently located on the Kassai Street campus of the university.

Specialties

There is something about Hungarian cities and sausages. Am I right? All joking aside, Debrecen has a flavor of its own, the famous Debrecen double sausage. Why have one when you can have both! The sausage comes in four different versions: pork, beef, a mixture of pork and beef, and (kosher) lamb. You can’t go wrong with either. Although you can get “debreceni” in most supermarkets and even some eateries in Budapest, it’s best to go the source and enjoy it in style in Debrecen, with a beer to chase it down with.

City Profiles: Szeged

You can check out what you can study as an international student at the University of Szeged here.

Open spaces

Szeged is the third biggest city in Hungary, and the main regional center of Alföld, with a population of 162 621 over 281 km2 . Yes, this means about 578 people for each km2 ! In comparison, this number is 3350 for Budapest, 3931 for Vienna, and 26 720 for New York. Szeged is not crowded at all: people have plenty of space, which is also visible in its architecture. The city is characterized by wide avenues, huge parks, magnificent palaces, and buildings that utilize the available space horizontally, instead of for striving to reach the skies. The architecture is eclectic but surprisingly modern. The main reason behind this is that a huge flood in 1879 basically erased the city, so it had to be rebuilt completely in the coming years. Because of this, it’s pretty easy to get around down. As a result of the strategic planning at the turn of the century, Szeged’s great winding avenues form concentric circles, with smaller avenues connecting them.

A hint of the Mediterranean

Szeged is often called the City of Sunshine, and it’s not surprising why. Since it is located near the southern border of Hungary, its climate is a bit warmer than the rest of the country, and it also gets the most sunshine hours. The city lies on the banks of Tisza, which is the second biggest river in the country. In the summer months, you can see people kayaking up and down the river, and just generally enjoying the gush of cool air in the heat. Partly because of its wonderful weather, Szeged is an ideal place for festivals. The two most important are the Szeged Open Air Festival, and Szeged Youth Days. The former is a prestigious theater festival, while the latter is one of the biggest music festivals of the year. More info about festivals here.

Culture

The sizzling cultural life in Szeged is of course not only restricted to the Open Air festival. The city is also home to Szeged National Theater, one of the biggest theaters operating in two buildings. Szeged also has a number of museums and galleries hosting exhibitions that are visited by people all over the country. The biggest museum is Móra Ferenc Museum, located in the Palace of Public Education, on the riverside. Visitors can learn about the folk culture of the region, watch paintings and "meet" Earth. The University of Szeged also has a world famous botanical garden, which you should not miss if you are horticulturally inclined.

Nightlife

It’s probably not surprising that the city home to one of the biggest universities of the country takes its nightlife really seriously. If you’ve ever been out partying Budapest and liked it, you’ll probably do all right in Szeged as well. Besides the wide selection of bars and clubs, Szeged also has some rather surprising venues that you need to check out. TiszaDOKK, for example, is a bar on the river – but do not imagine the kinf od party boat that is oh so common in Budapest. This place is actually a pier, with small boats and everything! Another fabulous place is Várkert, which is mainly open in the summer and serves as the most popular concert venue. And the reason is pretty simple: you can rock out in the ruins of the old castle! How cool is that?

Specialities

As most Hungarian cities, Szeged also has its special Hungaricums, or those things that are unique to its region. One of these are the traditional slippers, which are beginning to be rediscovered because of their simple elegance and beauty. Their history goes back to the times of the Turkish occupation and spread after the big flood in 1879 - which destroyed the whole city - when as part of the rebuild, all of the streets got covered with stone. These slippers are covered in velvet and are decorated with the country's typical flowers: poppy, knapweed, wheatear and lily of the valley. Szeged is also famous for Pick szalámi, a cured cut meat, and, of course, because of their paprika, the most important element of the traditional dish of the region. One of the biggest inner wars of the country if the great Fish Soup Debate, or which city makes the best Halászlé: Szeged or Baja? Here is the recipe from Szeged’s website of the traditional fish soup, if you’d like to try it on your own. But you know what? Why don’t you come to Szeged and try it here?

After cleaning the fish take out the fish milk and eggs. Cut off the fish heads and tails and cook it with sliced onion.

Add enough water to cover the meat. Boil covered for an hour. Add paprika and salt.

Put broth in a soup pot, add water and heat. Add fish morsels, fish milk, and eggs, paprika, peppers, salt. After 15-minute  boiling add the hot peppers, paprika, and tomatoes. Low boil until fish is done, stir gently as to not break apart the fish.

Ingredients

- 1 kg of carp

- 0,5 kg of catfish

- 25 dkg of sturgeon

- 25 dkg of pike

- 30 dkg of red onion (Mako)

- 25 g Szeged Paprika Powder

- 10 dkg pepper, 5 dkg tomato

- 2-3 hot pepper (or chili) and salt

The Best Places to Study in Budapest

No matter how comfortable your apartment is, sometimes you just need a break. Especially, if you are supposed to be studying. It’s easy to go with the usual choices and try studying at the library or on campus, but this often leads to hanging out with classmates. To offer a solution, we looked around to find some places where you get the two most important things for a long study session: good cafe and someplace you can plug in your laptop.

#1 Coffice Budapest

Where? 1052 Budapest, Vitkovits Mihály utca 8.

What? Coffice is short for co-working office, a new initiative aiming to prove that working from a home-office does not necessarily mean a lone-office. You can meet a lot of freelancers and young professionals here, which is really inspiring and a great motivator. Coffice is ideal both if you want to study alone and if you want to bring your study group: the design makes it easy to arrange the perfect set-up for whatever you want to do.

#2 Konyha

Where? 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 8.

What? In English, Konyha means Kitchen – but much better than your own kitchen at home. If you are one of those people whose main form of procrastination is opening the fridge and staring inside for a minute without getting anything just to repeat the performance 15 minutes later, then this is the place for you. In spirit at least, you probably shouldn’t stare into their fridge. Konyha is at the entrance of the ever-so-popular Gozsdu udvar, right in the middle of the city center, so you can easily convince yourself to study all day and reward yourslef with a couple of drinks afterwards. Konyha has lovely windows downstairs for people-watching, and squishy couches upstairs to get comfortable, so you can find your perfect spot (and get great food)!

#3 Kelet

Where? 1114 Budapest, Bartók Béla út 29.

What? Kelet looks like a library, but it’s so much more. If you like the idea of studying in a library, but find it too quiet, or you just prefer being able to have great tea and coffee on your table while you do so, this is your place. Kelet is also a gallery with exciting temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, and popular place for literary events. And, although it is not a book shop, you can grab any book you fancy if you bring another book in exchange. Is there a better way to refresh your library? Just try to keep in mind that you are there to study, and not to read all day J

#4 Gólya

Where? 1083 Budapest, Bókay János utca 34.

What? Although not exactly in the city center, Gólya (Stork), is definitely worth the trek. What makes it special is that it is a co-operative bar and community house in the 8th district, so it fills multiple functions at once: being a regular in Gólya means being part of a community. On warmer days, you can take advantage of the quiet garden, which is ideal if you like studying in the open air, but you don’t like the noise that usually comes with it. Gólya opens a bit late at 11.30, but if you arrive early and work through the afternoon, you can enjoy a selection of great programs after your study session, including concerts, film clubs, lectures, of discussions.

#5 Massolit Books & Café

Where? 1072 Budapest, Nagy Diófa utca 30.

What? If you liked Kelet, you will also love Massolit, the perfect fusion of a bookstore and a café. Just like its other sibling shop in Krakow, Massolit is an independent foreign language book store, selling both used and new books, especially related to academia. They pride themselves on having books on subjects that you don’t usually find in Hungary, so you might even find some new resources while you are browsing the shelves in your well-deserved study-break. And at great discounts, too! What is more, Massolit also has its own pastry chef, so you will soon get addicted to studying…or to Massolit, anyway.