Budapest

Budapest is…

What you’ll discover when you go on an incentive to Budapest

• Metro line 1 in Budapest is the oldest metro line on the European mainland. In the entire world, only the London Underground is older.20% of the Hungarian population lives in Budapest, that’s 1 in 5!
• Most people ‘know’ that Budapest originated from two cities: Buda and Pest. But there is actually also a third: Óbuda, in the northwest of Budapest.
• Paprika is one of the best-known Hungarian products and it is therefore widely used in Hungarian cuisine and exported. Hungarians eat more than 500 grams of paprika powder per person per year!
• Budapest is known by various nicknames. ‘Paris of the East’ and ‘City of Baths’ are two of them.
• Hungary has several famous music festivals, but one of the largest in the world is held in Budapest: Sziget.
• Getting ill in Budapest? Small chance according to the Hungarians. Both the alcoholic Palínka and the thermal baths have a healing effect.
• The number 96 is very important in Hungary. Hungary was founded in 896, and it has been a celebrated figure ever since. Buildings in Budapest cannot exceed 96 metres, and the Hungarian national anthem is sung in 96 seconds (if you keep the right pace ).
• Speaking of which: thanks to Budapest’s 1000th anniversary, metro 1 was built (so that people could reach the festivities in the City Park, which was still outside the city at the time) and the Parliament was designed in honour of the anniversary.
• Hungarian names are enshrined in law. Do you want to give your child a different -new- name? Then it must first be approved by the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This is why so many Hungarians have the same names (and there is a name day for everyone!)
• The right hand of St. Stephen (the first Christian king of Hungary) is not only on display in St. Stephen’s Basilica: it is also carried in a parade through Budapest during the national holiday on 20 August.
• The Great Synagogue isn’t just big: it is the second largest synagogue in the world. Only New York’s is bigger. The Great Synagogue can accommodate 3000 people!
• As it turns out, there is a lot to see in Budapest: travellers spend an average of 5.7 days in the city! For comparison: 5.8 days in London, 2.8 in Berlin and 3.9 in Amsterdam.
• In Budapest you can experience a temperature difference of around 60°C: from -21°C in January  to +37°C in July and August…

Credit photos: Budapest Brand/Dorottya Bartha