Where are the best places to watch this year’s fireworks?
When choosing where to watch this year, it's particularly worth keeping in mind that the area covered by the visual show will be considerably smaller than last year. Starting at 9pm, the evening spectacle will be concentrated along a roughly 1.5-kilometre stretch of the Danube between Margaret Bridge and the Chain Bridge, with organisers saying the Buda side will offer the best views of the fireworks.
This also means that some of the more southerly spots that offered good views of the 20 August fireworks in previous years may be less ideal this time around. For the best experience, it's worth focusing on the area around Chain Bridge and Margaret Bridge, as well as panoramic spots on the Buda side overlooking this stretch of the Danube. Batthyány Square, the Buda embankments, the Buda Castle and the area around Fisherman's Bastion are all obvious choices again this year. Mansfeld Péter Park and the area around the Tomb of Gül Baba should also offer great views, just as they did last year. Gellért Hill and the Garden of Philosophersare reliable favourites for watching the fireworks every year. If you'd rather avoid the crowds in the city centre, Normafa and Hármashatár Hillare good alternatives, while the lookout terrace on János Hill is another option worth considering.
Road closures and traffic restrictions to expect
Traffic restrictions are already in place in Budapest as preparations get underway for the 20 August celebrations. According to the police, for example, stopping is prohibited between 8 and 22 August on the Danube side of the Sztehlo Gábor Embankment, between Margaret Bridge and Halász Street. It's worth checking the latest road closures and traffic changes on the police website before setting off.
Three days, 10 venues across Budapest
On 20 August at 9pm, a roughly 30-minute audiovisual show will begin, using light and visual effects projected onto the façade of the Parliament to tell a story beginning with the birth of the Carpathian Basin. The show will conclude with around 10 minutes of fireworks. According to previously announced plans, the spectacle will also feature a 1,500-drone show, as well as special illumination of Margaret Bridge and Chain Bridge. The fireworks themselves, however, will be smaller in scale than in previous years: rockets will be launched from three barges instead of nine, with the entire evening show concentrated along the 1.5-kilometre stretch of the Danube between Margaret Bridge and Chain Bridge.
Organisers are preparing a three-day celebration, with programmes taking place at 10 main locations across Budapest, including Margaret Island, Műegyetem Embankment, Kossuth Square and Szabadság tér, Várkert Bazár, the Buda Castle District, City Parkand the area around St Stephen's Basilica. On 20 August, the day begins at 8am with the flag-raising ceremony and the swearing-in of new military officers at Kossuth Square, followed by a military and air show. The programme will also retain the traditional highlights of the 20 August celebrations, including the Holy Right procession, the Festival of Folk Arts, as well as a range of family, cultural and music programmes. The Parliament will be open to visitors without advance registration, while a visit to the Carmelite Monastery will require prior registration.
The celebrations will be organised on a budget of HUF 4 billion, a fraction of last year's HUF 14.5 billion - and of the HUF 17.5 billion originally earmarked for this year. The figures are not entirely comparable, however, as this year's event was planned on a smaller technical scale from the outset. For the full programme, it's worth browsing the official Szent István Day website.
(Cover photo: Csudai Sándor - We Love Budapest)
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
