Winter in Budapest: From Hot Springs to Hot Mulled Wine

Winter presents unique travel opportunities in any cold weather destination, and Budapest, Hungary is no exception: see architectural masterpieces shrouded in snow, share in the joy of Christmas festivities, snuggle by a fire with a mug of hot cocoa, mulled wine or steaming coffee and watch the passersby, skate on a frozen pond in front of a castle, capture the mood of a city bustling under gray skies and dramatic storm clouds...

Budapest not only offers attractive winter activities for tourists, the exchange rate between the American dollar and Hungarian Forint ensures bargain prices this year.

Spending the Christmas Holidays in Budapest

The annual Christmas marketat Vörösmarty Square runs from the end of November until the day before Christmas. Budapest's Christmas market is widely considered one of the most charming in Europe with skillfully crafted handmade folk art items for sale and entertainment by folk bands, dancers and puppeteers. This Christmas market draws more than 600,000 visitors each year.

The Advent season in Budapest is the best time of year to visit the famous Gerbeaud Confectionary. This legendary café, established in 1858, was once visited by the Hapsburg royal family and for generations has been a Budapest favorite for its delightful desserts. But during the Advent season, another Gerbeaud tradition draws the crowds in- Gerbeaud's Advent calendar. Each day at 5 p.m. from December 1 to December 24, to the chimes of Szilvia Kárászy, a window in the Advent calendar opens to display a new piece of contemporary artwork. The fanfare includes a light show and musical accompaniment.

Margitsziget (Margaret Island) transforms into a winter wonderland for the Christmas season.

Fireworks over the Danube mark the start of the New Year.

Winter in Budapest: Beyond the Holidays

Ice skating at Europe's largest open air ice skating rink in Városliget (City Park) with Vajdahunad Castle as a backdrop and Heroes Square near at hand can be romantic or merely friendly. The rink capacity is a whopping 7000 skaters but only about half that number typically glide across the crystalline surface in the Városliget rink. Skating here is a pasttime that has endured since the middle of the 19^th century.

The winter Budapest tourist can enjoy the view from the Buda Hills with a ride on the Libegőski lift.

Memento Park is not a winter attraction per se, but the symbolism of visiting communist era statues and mementos in the chill of winter is a psychic complement to the Cold War-esque thematic presentations including the path leading nowhere and Stalin's crushing boots.

The café culture is splendid in Budapest, providing the chilled winter tourist with a toasty haven in which to enjoy the hot mulled wine and tower cake typical of the region or a satisfyingly warm mug of coffee or tea. Famed cafés in addition to Gerbeaud include New York and Ruszwurm.

A geological fault line between the Buda Hills and the Great Plain has blessed Budapest with abundant thermal waters appreciated for their curative properties. 123 distinct springs feed Budapest Turkish baths and spas whose natural temperatures range from a brisk 14 degrees centigrade to a baking 96. Anticipating the warm spa as the finale to an outing on a cold winter's afternoon provides delectable contrast, while the freedom to abandon the cold outdoors altogether in favor of the hot baths is an excellent reason to choose a spa hotel for your winter sojourn to Budapest.