February 2023


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UPDATES | 5 48 HOURS IN THE PARIS OF THE EAST...


With the announcement that Ryanair will begin twice-weekly flights from Belfast to Budapest from April this year, KIRSTY JOHNSTON tells us why it’s her favourite city for a quick romantic getaway and why you should make this the year you visit...


NESTLED among the ageing grandeur of Eastern Europe, the romantic city of Budapest radiates the sort of magnetic charm that draws you into its beautiful, bustling streets and squares and tempts you never to leave. Known as ‘the Paris of the east’, Budapest is a historic city of contrasts, one that treasures the old while still embracing the new. With its wide avenues and regular tram networks, it is also a city that is surprisingly easy to get around.


The city has a tonne of boutique hotels and hip apartments to choose from however for a truly romantic getaway I recommend staying at the Danubius Health Spa Resort.


River


Located in the middle of the Danube between


Margaret bridge and


Arpad Bridge in what is universally considered Budapest’s finest green spot, Margaret Island (Margisziget) is home to two stunning hotels, the Danubius Health Spa Resort and the Danubius Grand Hotel.


The 100 hectares of scenic parkland on the island is kept peaceful and quiet by being sealed off to traffic. The park itself is a beautiful mixture of century-


old chestnut avenues, English, Japanese and French gardens alternated with the ancient ruins of a nunnery and an old water tower. The island is also home to the Palatinus Baths, the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest. We


stayed northern Overlooking at the the section


star Danubius Health Spa Resort on the


luxurious of


the Danube four- island. River this


luxury property boasts balcony views of the Danube and surrounding parkland. Don’t forget to make a reservation at the hotel spa and take a dip in the Thermal Baths. The first bath, in which it is recommended you spend no more than 15 minutes, is deliciously hot and will instantly relax tired muscles, while the second pool, which you are advised to visit immediately after the hot pool is an ice- cold watered walk-way where guests are instantly refreshed. I must admit, the ice-cold water was certainly a shock to the system after the hot bath. I can thoroughly recommend the Relaxing Massage. It’s a slow massage with steady,


stroking movements


combined with a mix of effective oils which are gently absorbed into the skin to enhance the feeling of wellbeing and relaxation. After mine I certainly felt completely relaxed as I sipped some


chamomile tea. The unique Salt Cave experience,


which draws on the healing effects of salt, it should definitely be part of your Budapest experience.


This exciting


treatment uses a cave constructed specially with rocks of salt from the Dead Sea and is an excellent therapy for relaxation and boosting the immune system.


First guests are gently seated and reclined to a laying position on seats resembling old-fashioned deck-chairs from Brighton Pier,


before


being tightly cocooned in two warmed blankets, as the cave is quite cold.


e xpe ri enc e l


The salt cave a


s t s 45-minutes,


during which we were treated to a journey of sound including lapping waves and relaxing rain patter. In fact the experience is so relaxing that it’s hard not to doze off, which I did… twice. Refreshed from our massage and salt cave experiences we hopped on the coach headed for the ‘Pest’ side of the city where we enjoyed an hour-long romantic evening Danube sight-seeing tour on the Legenda boat. The River Danube flows through the city along a stretch of 28 kilometres and onboard the Legenda we had the opportunity


to witness the legends


of Budapest come alive while sipping champagne.


The city of senses certainly lived up to its name at dinner as we dined at the Apetito Restaurant on the ‘Buda’ side of the city in the Castle District. We got to sample some delicious duck and salmon from the taster menu before being served our meals. I opted for the duck pate to start then


the chicken and paprika for my main - the spice originated from Hungary - and we shared a cheese board to finish. The meal was complimented by a selection of Cal Tibor house whites, reds and, of course more champagne.


The next morning we set off for a visit to the picturesque Szechenyi Thermal Bath in City Park, one of the largest and grandest spa complexes in Europe. Here we indulged in the hot baths, saunas, steam rooms and cooler pools with neck showers, water beam back massagers and a whirling corridor. A full day’s entrance to the baths is £35 and a 20-minute massage is also £35. After the baths we headed to Franz Liszt Square, where we had lunch at Karma. Here I enjoyed the hot cheese cream soup and the chicken with eggplant in a divinely serene setting, the restaurant isn’t called Karma for nothing. Before we headed to the airport there was just enough time to visit the Great Market Hall, it is the city’s largest indoor market, situated on the ‘Pest’ side. This beautiful and busy market attracts both tourists and local shoppers for the wines, cheeses, sweets, textiles and many other cars on its three floors. Perfect for picking up some last minute traditional souviners to take home.


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