Tropicarium

The Budapest Tropicarium does not only present a part of the deep sea world but also a tiny bit of a tropical rainforest, where the sky thunders every quarter of an hour, rain starts to fall and lightning zigzags over the lazily lying Mississippi alligators. Besides, the Tropicarium can boast with the largest sea aquarium in all Central Europe, the shark aquarium containing 1.4 million litres of salt water, housing 8 two-meter-long sharks and hundreds of colourful fish of other species, swimming around in peaceful harmony. In addition to the enormous fish-tank, there are 50 other ‘smaller' aquariums and terrariums (meaning 5-40.000 litres each!) on site.

You can watch:

• fish species of the Hungarian fauna
• squirrel monkeys, birds, snakes, alligators from a rainforest
• chameleons, giant turtles, spiders and scorpions
• fish species from the fresh waters – with piranhas
• sand tiger sharks, leopard and brown sharks. Sharks feeding from 15 to 16 pm every Thursday

Opening hours

Every day of the year between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The ticket office closes at 7 p.m.

In the Christmas period - on 24th, 25th and 31st December and 1st January - we have modified opening hours. The ticket office closes one hour before the closing time on these dates, too.

24th December                10-14

25th December                12-19
31st December                 10-18
1st January                        12-19

Contact information:

Address: 1222 Budapest, District XXII, Nagytétényi út 37-43. (South Buda area)

The Tropicarium is situated in the Campona Shopping Centre (www.campona.hu).

Tel: 06-1-424-3053, web: www.tropicarium.hu, E-mail: matrai@tropicarium.hu

How to get there:

By car directly from motorways M0, M1 and M7, via highway 6 or from Nagytétényi út. (Free parking facility of 1800 places for cars and buses).

By bus from Móricz Zs. körtér by bus 3, from Kosztolányi D. tér by bus 14 and 114. Bus 233 connects with the city centre (Astoria, Ferenciek tere).

Visitors have to take off all three buses at the bus stop in Lépcsős utca.

By train: Through the train station named Budatétény next to the Campona.

Prices:

Adults   (18-62 years)                                                                                 2300HUF

Children (4-18 years)                                                                                 1600HUF

Students (full time student card is required) (18-26 years)               1900 HUF

Pensioners (over 62 years)                                                                       1600 HUF

For group prices, Budapest and Hungary Card discounts, please visit the Tropicarium website: www.tropicarium.hu

Caves in Budapest

Sights to be Seen – Caves Edition by Funzine

CASTLE CAVES (VÁRBARLANG)

Formed by the movement of thermal waters, and already in use over half a million years ago, the extensive cave system stretches nearly ten kilometers under the belly of Castle Hill. When the city was under Ottoman rule, the system was expanded for military purposes and it has proved useful many times throughout history, most notably during World War II, when thousands used it as a shelter – there is even an urban legend that post used to be delivered to families who were taking refuge in the caves during this period. Now you’re more likely to find tourists than postal staff roaming the caves, trying to cool off or soak up some moist, mineral-rich air. It’s is a great place for an only-in-Budapest afternoon of exploring.

Úri utca 9.

PÁLVÖLGYI CAVE

It is a lesser known fact that Budapest boasts approximately 200 caves, which were created by the same springs that supply the city’s medicinal thermal waters. The stunning and highly protected Pálvölgyi Cave was discovered in 1904, thanks to a hungry sheep under which the nearby quarry caved in. Famous for its beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, Pálvölgyi is Hungary’s second longest cave with its length exceeding 19 kilometers, 500 meters of which is open to the public (from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.). The temperature is around 10 degrees, so wrap up warm, leave your high heels at home and be prepared to climb ladders. To get there, take bus 65 at Kolosy tér and get off at Pálvölgyi Cseppkőbarlang.

Szépvölgyi út 162.

CAVE CHAPEL

Located on the side of Gellért Hill and accessible from Gellért tér (famous for its charming spa bath and hotel), this little chapel is actually built in a cave in the underbelly of the hill itself. The traditional church elements and the natural beauty of the rocks complement each other perfectly. Founded by Pauline monks in the 1920s, it only reopened in 1989 after having been closed for almost 50 years as part of an unsuccessful attempt by the Communist leadership to eliminate the Catholic Church (the Secret Police raided the chapel in 1951 and arrested the entire order sentencing the superior Ferenc Vezér to death!). Today, it can be visited by tourists, but be sure to check that it’s open on the day to save yourself a steep uphill walk. The tranquility of the tiny chapel makes it an ideal place for contemplation.

Gellért tér

SZEMLŐHEGY CAVE

A little sibling of Pálvölgy Cave, the gorgeous Szemlőhegy Cave inside the Buda Hills is well worth a visit for its spacious passages, dotted with dazzling pea grit formations (unique in Europe!), rock and crystal formations of various sizes. However, not only is the cave pleasing for your eyes but thanks to its cool, humid and wonderfully clear air, it does wonders for your health, particularly for your respiratory system! Presently, a 300m section of the 2km long cave passage is open to the public (Tue.-Sun. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the tour takes about 40 minutes). And since it is a less challenging stroll than the one in Pálvölgy Cave, feel free to bring your little ones. English language guided tours are available, just make sure to book ahead.

Pusztaszeri út 35.

MOLNÁR JÁNOS CAVE

You don’t have to leave the city for a bit of an underground dive – just go the 2nd district to find the largest active thermal water cave system in the whole world. Named after the pharmacist who analyzed the chemical components of the water in the passages above ground level in 1856, the cave provides the thermal water for Lukács Thermal Bath. The average 20-23 °C temperature of the water (thanks to the combination of cold karstic and hot thermal water) would be ideal for a swim, but you need special permits for visiting and diving. Should you be a trained scuba diver, you might explore parts of the 62 m deep and 2.5 km long passages – though the exact parameters of the cave are still unknown. And it’s all just a few steps away from the Buda side of Margaret Bridge…

Frankel Leó út

FERENC HILL CAVE

The 5600 m long cave is considered the most exciting in the city for its intertwining, labyrinthine passageways. Like all the Buda caves, this was also formed on the tectonic plate borders. You need to make an appointment to visit the protected cave, but it’s worth it if you’re into narrow passageways and getting down and dirty. The cave is also used for a preventive and therapeutic alternative in the treatment of children with asthma. There are several routes to explore, the easiest one is recommended for five-year olds and motivated adults who aren’t familiar with the term ‘claustrophobia’. Entering through an iron trapdoor, you’ll get to see flat and smooth surfaces, stalagmites (very rare in the Buda caves), and a refreshing average temperature of 9.9°C.

Törökvész u. 70.

CAVE DWELLING MUSEUM

It might come as a surprise to many that in the middle of the 20th century over 1000 poverty-stricken people lived in 300 wretched cave-homes, hollowed out of limestone in Budafok. Living in a cave sounded a very romantic and cheap (costing only 400 forints) idea in the 19th century, but by the 20th, the reality of sometimes ten people living in a dark, dank hole with no electricity and filled with nasty smells hit home. Realizing the serious health risks, the communist government relocated the cave-dwellers – the last family moved out in 1967. Opened in 1971, this one-of-its-kind museum is the only cave that was left intact, storing its original furniture. Open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Veréb utca 2-4.

JÁNOS HILL GATEWAY

You can trust us to show you some hidden treasures of Budapest – now it’s a hole in the ground, boasting the title of “gateway”. You could easily walk past the János Hill Gateway, but if you follow the red signs leading to János Hill from Szépjuhászné, turn left at third junction and look to your right, you’ll find the entrance to the 17 meter-long tiny cave, the János Hill Gateway. The passage doesn’t require any climbing skills, it’s at least 1.5 m wide in all directions. It doesn’t offer a great selection of geological wonders, but towards the exit, the upper section of the cave forms a dome, with two smallish windows to the top of János Hill. How’s that for art (or, in this instance, architecture) imitating nature?

János-hegy

Join one of our caving tours in Budapest and Hungary: Caving tours

What to do in Budapest with children?

Some program suggestions for famillies visiting Budapest.

Half day excursion in the Budapest Zoo. You can meet about 1000 kinds of animals in 10 ha. The biggest attraction is the gorilla baby born in the zoo in 2011. More information here: Budapest Zoo

Excursion in the Buda Hills with the cog railway, with the children railway and the chairlift. You can find a half day Buda Hills tour itinerary here: Tour with the children railway

2 hours trip with the RiverRide, the bus floating in the Danube. First you can see the inner city of Pest by the bus then the bus splash into the waves of the Danube and cruise in the river like a boat. Try it. For more information and booking here: Budapest floating bus

A day in the Aquaworld, Budapest’s waterpark with a lot of outside and inside slides waits for you all year. Free shuttle bus starts from the Heroes’ Square. More information: Aquaworld Budapest

Tropicarium Fish of Hungarian waters, just as well as creatures living in tropical rainforests, in the depths of the world's seas and oceans are on show here. They are housed in environments that very closely resemble their original ones.

Pálvölgyi and Szemlő-hegyi caves: In the Szemlő-hegyi cave visitors can tour about the hiking route of about 250 meters on comfortable concrete sidewalks and stairs, and can get familiarised with the pisolite precipitations and gypsum crystals, counting almost unparalleled in Europe, abundantly covering the walls, by an effect illumination, which enhances and makes perceivable the beauty of the images and formations of the cave passages.
The longest cave of Budapest is the 20.1 km long Pál-völgyi-Mátyás-hegyi cave system located in the Duna-Ipoly National Park. It is a real multi-level labyrinth system with most of its chambers under the residental districts of Budapest. More information: Budapest caves

Book an adventure caving tour in the Pálvölgyi cave: Caving tour

Transport Museum: Europe’s oldest transport history collection. Wonderful collection of old cars, motorbikes, reconstructured railway carriages and airplanes. Address: 1146 Budapest, Városligeti körút 11. Opening hours: Tu-Fr 10-17, Sa-Su 10-18.

Railway Museum: Europe's first interactive railway museum opened on 14 July 2000, displaying over a hundred railway vehicles and equipment of varying ages on a site of over 70,000 m2. The fleet is comprised of fifty engines, twelve operational and thirty-eight cosmetically restored, plus a wide range of rolling stock: railcars, self-powered rail cars and hand-carts, inspection cars, steam cranes, snow ploughs and other curiosities. Visitors can not only admire the old machines: they can also try them out. They can drive a steam engine, travel in a car converted for rails, operate a hand-cart, ride on the turntable and on the horse tram. More information: Railway Museum

Ecseri Flea Market

If you are tired of the Budapest sightseeing tours and want some really unique souvenirs from Hungary, spend some hours with visiting the Flea Market of Budapest.

Starting Point: Budapest, XIX, Nagykőrösi út 156.

Getting there: From Határ út metro station (line nr 3) by bus nr 84E or 89E, 4 stops (8 minutes) – Stop name: Naszód u. (Használtcikk piac). From the bus stop through the pedestrian bridge.

Opening Times: Mon-Fri 8 -16.; Sat 6-15; Sun 8 -13

The Flea Market in Budapest is said to be one of the best in Europe, and this is the place to come for great second hand products. This is though not to cheap, so I would rather recommend this place to those interested in old and special products, and who are willing to pay for it.

In the Ecseri Flea Market you will find old instruments, chairs, tables, paintings, nazi and communist symbols and other old stuff. Bargaining is allowed and recommended! Take care: some of the products not so old and not so valuable as they can be seen.

Sights to be seen - Wine and Pálinka edition

One nice selection from the Funzine Magazine:

TÖRLEY SPARKLING WINE CELLARS AND MUSEUM
József Törley, who studied the production of champagne in its birthplace, France, opened his sparkling wine factory in Budafok back in 1882. Why there? The gentleman realized that the caves carved out of Budafok’s chalky limestone slopes resemble the soil of the Champagne region and therefore provide ideal conditions for sparkling wine production. The fame of his beverages rose like a meteor and he soon became a supplier of the Habsburgs and even exported to Paris! And for lovers of trivia, the mined limestone of Törley was used for the construction of the Parliament building. Why not take a bubblicious tour in the cellars, to learn about the secrets of sparkling wine-making and then tickle your tongue with the fizzy nectar?
1221 Budapest, Anna utca 5-7.

ZWACK UNICUM HERITAGE VISITORS’ CENTER
It’s unlikely that any traveler could visit this country and not be tempted (or forced) to try this dark, bitter liquid. But where does it come from and what’s its history? Well, unfortunately we’ll never be able to tell you what it’s made of as it’s a complex mixture of more than forty herbs, and the recipe is top secret! However, it is possible to visit the center of this famous Hungarian beverage that spans six generations to learn about the family’s history. You can also see a collection of 15,000 miniature bottles, and of course, you can get a taste of the stuff in the center’s tasting room. Open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For English language tours, make an appointment 48 hours in advance at museum@zwackunicum.hu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call +36.1.476.2383.
Soroksári út 26.


BUDAFOK CELLAR SYSTEM
We can all agree that Hungary has some darn good wines. Yet, it is a lesser known fact (and a crying shame that it is) that Budapest boasts one of the largest wine cellar systems in the whole world, still in use. The cellar labyrinth, hollowed out of limestone, spreads out like a giant web, with a total length of nearly 100 km. No kidding. Size seems to matter to these folks…one of the cellars showcases the biggest barrel in the world, a 1022-hectoliter monster, which could provide each and every resident of Budapest with a half glass of wine! To visit the cellar maze, you have to book ahead (call +36.1.227.0070). And after the tour, why not tingle your taste buds at Borkatakomba (‘wine catacombs’), a funky restaurant located in the labyrinth?
1222 Budapest, Nagytétényi út and around

MUSEUM OF AGRICULTURE
Inside the enchanting building of the Vajdahunyad Castle, the Museum of Agriculture showcases all things agricultural since 1897. Its huge collection covers everything from the origin and history of animal and plant farming in Hungary to viniculture and viticulture. Aha! Here’s a true treat for science-lover wine fans. The exhibition, which was totally pimped up in 2004, takes you on a trip from the very beginnings of wine-making in the Carpathian-basin up till today’s latest vinicultural tricks and secrets. Did you know that until the end of the 19th century, one-third of the Hungarian population lived on wine-making? No wonder, it (the skill of wine-making, not wine) is in their blood. Magyarland is wine-land; just ask the UNESCO World Heritage people about Tokaj-Hegyalja!
City Park


HOUSE OF HUNGARIAN WINES
After two years of financial hibernation, the House of Hungarian Wines, under new management, has just opened its gates again. The cellar museum is an ideal spot both for tourists on a city break – as it’s located near one of Budapest’s flagship sights, the Buda Castle – and for those who live here and would like to know more about local vinos and get a bit more confident when standing in a wine shop trying to choose the perfect bottle. Spearheading the project, Dénes Solnay proudly announced at the opening that they would soon include pálinkas and fizzy wines in their selection, too and promised to invite wine-makers to the museum regularly to mingle with the visitors. Wine tastings are available; expect fair prices!
1014 Budapest, Szentháromság tér 6.


NATIONAL WINE MUSEUM
The National Wine Museum stretches across an 800 m2 cellar system ensuring a perfect ambience for wine tasting. Learn about Hungary’s 22 wine regions in the museum, then step on their Tasting Avenue and test how wine-smart you got back at the exhibition. There’re 4000 different vinos from 150 wineries to choose from plus a wide range of pálinkas, too (Be warned, if you sample pálinka, you’ll need to have a substantial meal beforehand). Look for the classic plum, peach or apple versions, or go for a less traditional blackberry, blueberry, quince or elderflower flavor; otherwise ask the cellar masters for advice. Take a peek into all the tricks and secrets of wine- and pálinka-making, too. More info (also in English, German and Russian) at www.bor-kor.hu.
2000 Szentendre, Bogdányi utca 10.

SKANZEN
The take-a-walk-into-the-past open air museum of Szentendre (just a short HÉV ride from the capital), Skanzen, features outdoor exhibitions divided into the regions of Hungary. If you wander around the Upland Market Town section, you’ll find some references to the area’s historical wine region; this is the home of Tokaj and the red wines of Gyöngyös. Here you can wander around 18th and 19th century style stone buildings, and see taverns, cellars and workshops. Find old fashioned wine presses with wooden ceilings, apparently built in 1699 and renovated in 1832, which are still used today! The wine press is based on the earliest pressing mechanism design, while the furnishings of the building will make you feel like you’ve entered the home of an 18th century serf.
2001 Szentendre, Sztaravodai út 63.

ROYAL WINE HOUSE AND CELLAR MUSEUM
Permanent and temporary collections in a 1400 m2 cellar labyrinth of the Royal Wine House and Cellar Museum above the city in the castle district. You can, if you dare, wander around the maze of 16th century cellars by yourself but guided tours (also in English and German) and audio guides in eight languages are available, too. If the museum has whetted your appetite (or shall we say thirst), you can choose from a wide range of wines, fizzy wines and pálinkas on the spot at their wine shop. Not sure what to pair a good wine with? Why not try fine music? From this fall on, the museum will organize Wine and Music nights in co-operation with the Grazioso Budapest Chamber Orchestra. More info at www.kiralyiborok.hu!
1014 Budapest, Szent György tér

Sights NOT to Be Seen

 The Funzine Magazine gathered the sights not to be seen in Budapest

KÖKI

Kőbánya-Kispest, or KÖKI as locals call it, is one of the final stop of Metro 3, the blue line. It used to be a shabby and we’d say kind of risky area for a first-time Budapester. Thankfully, though it’s now going through a total reconstruction. Still, we’d advise you to avoid it for a little while – until the constructions are over – as it’s pretty difficult to find your way around.

BÉKÁSMEGYER BLOCKS

The reason we included the Békásmegyer concrete heaven in our selection is that it’s basically an area not really pleasing to the eye. The place is crammed with huge concerete communist blocks of flats, so it’s only recommended for 20th century history fanatics and young architects on what-to-avoid trips.

JÓZSEFVÁROS

It’s the eighth district of our lovely capital and it used to be a red-alert area for tourists. Even an animation movie called Nyócker was made as a parody to the unbearable situation. Thankfully, the rehabilitation has already started in the form of the grand Corvin Promenade project, so we’d say south of Baross utca is safe now, moreover worth checking it out. Just to be sure, still stay away from the area between Baross utca and Rákóczi út.

BORÁROS TÉR AREA LATE AT NIGHT

While it’s a busy-bustling transportation hotspot, Boráros tér is not the place to hang around (especially on your own) late at night. You don’t need to be afraid, though, it’s usually just a bunch of drunken homeless sleeping around, so if you’re heading Pest on the Petőfi híd, no worries, just make sure you don’t stay around long. Hint: it’s not the best meeting point to agree on after 10 p.m.

AKÁCFA UTCA 15.

Got busted on the streetcar because you didn’t have a valid ticket on you? Well, you either pay your fine on the spot (6,000 HUF, which is roughly 21 EUR) or you have to head to –nowhere other than – Akácfa utca 15. to pay your 12,000 HUF fine (yup, 42 EUR). Here the ever-cheerful BKV personnel await you with their invoice books and a potentially judgemental smirk on their faces. Only visit this place if the friendliness of the ticket inspectors hasn’t managed to win you over elsewhere in the city.