And for everyone else, arrive either on first or economy class to the Hungarian capital.
I'm always in the biggest trouble on a vacation with what to do during the couple days to get the most out of my staying. It’s even hard to choose from the numerous guidebooks, and they contain only the best-known, most patterned information. Of course, there are some great editions, for example this or this or that, or my personal favourite, but amazon.com lists books dealing with Budapest in 33 pages. So we look through the entire list, and selected the best ones for you. We were looking for unique editions that describe Budapest beyond the traditional thematic, according to some interesting point of view.
I wouldn’t be Hungarian, if don’t recommend a gastro-themed book on the first place. Food Wine Budapest is the first culinary guide to Budapest, containing dozens of restaurant, café, and shop reviews; and descriptions of Hungarian dishes and wines. But the reason why I love this book really much is the practicality: it contains the vocabulary you’ll need, because one obstacle to discovering Hungarian food and wine is the difficult Hungarian language. And if you like this theme as much as I, you can find another great reading here from the same author.
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The Critical Guide is the ultimate insider's guide to Budapest. It doesn’t require other special theme: this book is made through the eyes of people living here. Non-stop facts and opinions about the proud monuments, the shabby little shops, the grand boulevards, the Art Noveau cafes, the ruin pubs, the latest restaurants, the best bars, the most un-missable museums. This book leads the readers on interesting routes that encompass major Budapest landmarks, giving background to these while pointing out myriad obscure sights that provide revealing context to the city’s real character. And the biggest advantage: 41 Fool-Proof Maps, with which we cannot be lost.
Budapest: A Guide to Twentieth-Century Architecture
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Here comes another specialty from Amazon. We found this gem well hidden on the very umpteenth pages of the site, but it was worth the effort. This guide looks at a broad range of architecture in Budapest, providing an understanding of the historical and political contexts that have shaped it. It focuses on significant projects built since 1990 as well as providing practical information for visitors. Compulsory reading for those who are interested in architecture.
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The Cultural Guide is a personal and informative introduction to Budapest, mingling history with anecdote, exploring past and present, naturally from a highly culturally point of view. Travel writer Michael Jacobs begins his cultural guide with lively essays, interwoven with some of the author's own experiences, dealing with key aspects of the city's life, history, and culture. Jacobs also includes a series of six walks arranged by district, enabling visitors to experience the city's evolution for themselves, and featuring all the major sites and a personal selection of less well-known, often neglected ones. This book has many new things to show even for me, the inborn Budapest girl.
Only in Budapest: A Guide to Unique Locations, Hidden Corners and Unusual Objects
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This book is for lonely wolf, who are wishing to escape the crowds and understand cities from different and unusual perspectives. If you want to see unique locations, hidden corners and unusual objects, check out this comprehensive illustrated guide to more than 80 fascinating and unusual historical sites of Budapest, for example Hidden caves, Turkish baths, eccentric museums and forgotten cemeteries. From the Romans and the Magyars to the Habsburgs and the Soviets explore things such as; The Children's Railway, Rabbit Island, the Hospital in the Rock and follow in the footsteps of Gul Baba, the Saviour of Mothers, Harry Houdini, a much-loved empress and the mystery of Raoul Wallenberg. But the reason why Only Budapest is my favourite book is that it’s split into chapters, presents curiosities of Budapest with short stories, as running text, not only as a set of information.
+1 Traveling Triumphs: The Improbable in Budapest and Beyond
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This brings us to the encore book, which is definitely not a guide, but a novel, or rather, a biographical story: the adventures of the first-time author Jeff Davis threw Europe to Budapest, from the first love to the nightmares, but always keep up hope. In the Hungarian capital, of course. If you are not only interested in the data but also the soul of the city, we recommend The Improbable in Budapest and Beyond for sure.
