Established by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 1980, World Tourism Day is observed in numerous cities around the world as local officials organize special programs to demonstrate important cultural attractions for domestic and international travelers. This annual attraction always revolves around a main message, and in 2017 the event aims to raise awareness of sustainable tourism and promote responsible travel among the international community, along with decision makers in the public and private sectors.
The host country of this year’s World Tourism Day is Qatar, but anyone can join the fun even here in Budapest, where several activities entice urban dwellers to tour the city, including events that are suitable for English-speaking visitors. While participating in some of the programs doesn’t require any language knowledge, attendance at many of the events is only available after preliminary registration and the official website for booking a spot is not optimally English-friendly, so it might be good to have a Hungarian friend to help you with the process. Regardless, below we present some intriguing activities with direct links to their registration page for those who don’t speak the local language:
Tour around Buda Castle aboard an electric minibus
On September 27th, eco-friendly vehicles take visitors around Budapest’s oldest neighborhood for free, passing by many of Buda’s famous landmarks, including the Chain Bridge, Várkert Bazaar, Fishermen’s Bastion, and Matthias Church. Buses depart every 20 minutes from 9:30am till noon from the Lánchíd Street parking lot at Buda’s Clark Ádám Square, and anyone can ride the bus free of charge during this period without preliminary registration.
Discover relics of music history at Hard Rock Cafe
On World Tourism Day between 10am and 9pm, free tours start continually on the hour to take rock ’n’ roll aficionados around the sprawling collection of music memorabilia inside Budapest’s Hard Rock Cafe. During the trip, guests can take a closer look at legendary guitars and admire the on-stage outfits of stars like Mick Jagger, Slash, and Rihanna. A guided session takes about 20 minutes and tours run in Hungarian, but English-language guidance is available on request. Click here to register to the event.
Learn history from headstones at the Fiumei Road Cemetery
Opened in the 19th century, one of the country’s biggest national burial sites serves as the final resting place for notable Hungarians, with around 1,500 graves being registered as protected sites. On September 27th beginning at 2pm, a group of 30 embarks on an enlightening walk around the cemetery to absorb its somber scenes and history during an English-language guided tour. Register on this link to confirm your attendance.
Address: Budapest 1086, Fiumei út 16-18 (walks start from the cemetery’s entrance) More details
Admire Budapest from a central perspective aboard a Danube tour boat
Immerse in Budapest’s riverfront sights from aboard a Danube riverboat that takes voyagers between Margaret Bridge and Rákóczi Bridge while passing by monumental landmarks, including the Parliament, Buda Castle, and Várkert Bazaar. The cruises are operated by the MAHART tour-boat company, and trips kick off continually on the hour from 10am through 5pm from dock 5/A of Pest’s Vigadó Square pier. While this is the only program on this list that is not free, anyone who registers in advance on the official local website for World Tourism Day gets a 40% discount from the price of the tickets, valid only for September 27th.
Explore the city during an English-language bicycle tour
On September 27th beginning at 11am, a small group of visitors pedals across town during a three-hour English-language guided tour that takes active adventurers to many of the city’s key landmarks on both sides of the river, with the tour embracing Buda’s Castle District and several landmarks in downtown Pest, including the iconic Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes’ Square, and City Park. Joining the rolling excursion is free of charge for those who register on this link in advance for CITYRAMA’s special event.
Meeting point: CITYRAMA office - Budapest 1054, Báthory utca 22 More details
Grab great goods during the Night of Shopping Streets
With plenty of exciting exhibitions, high-spirited gallery openings, and enchanting street music, Budapest’s frequented thoroughfares fill with even more life than usual on World Tourism Day, offering a fascinating range of free programs to urban dwellers: restaurants along Ráday Street cook up mouthwatering meals, District V’s Falk Miksa Street welcomes culture aficionados with open galleries, and melodic music entices passersby on Bartók Béla Boulevard. Programs generally start in the afternoon and run through the evening hours.
Attend a free concert at Budapest’s Downtown Parish Church
On Friday, September 29th, anyone who visits Pest’s riverfront church near Elizabeth Bridge can enjoy melodic music by a trio of celebrated Italian composers – Donizetti, Rossini, and Puccini – alongside the sacred Tu es Petrus by Magyar maestro Franz Liszt, all performed amid holy scenes. The concert starts at 6pm, and the 50-minute event is open to anyone without prior registration.
Address: 1056 Budapest, Március 15. tér More details
While all of this year’s World Tourism Day events provide plenty of appealing activities across Budapest, we are already eagerly anticipating September 27th of 2018, as according to news reports, next year Hungary will be the host country of this global initiative.
Megjelent első bookazine-unk, ne maradj le róla!
Már 15 éve lélegzünk összhangban a fővárossal. Jubileumi kiadványunkban mindent megtalálsz, ami magazinunk és eddigi munkánk esszenciája. Gasztronómia, kultúra, városi legendák és Budapest arcai, interjúk, történetek és a legjobb helyek – úgy, ahogyan mi látjuk a fővárost.
Rendeld meg itt vagy keresd a nagyobb könyvesboltokban!
hirdetés
