An Unforgettable Experience Awaits
Famed for its State Opera, Erkel Theatre and Royal Academy of Music, Budapest is one of the music centres of Europe.
Trip Highlights
A healing dip in Széchenyi Spa Baths
Original instruments at Franz Liszt Memorial Museum
A performance at the Hungarian State Opera House
A cruise down the River Danube
Performance Venues
Millenaris Stage
This professional stage is situated in a popular city park in a residential area of Buda. Changing rooms, professional lighting and tiered seating for the audience are some of the facilities available. We recommend a lively and popular programme for this venue.
Fisherman’s Bastion
On the Buda side of the Danube, the Fishermen’s Bastion is located on the ramparts of the Castle District overlooking the Parliament Building and the river. Concerts here are a popular summer attraction and are a great opportunity to get a dramatic tour photograph for the group!
Holy Spirit Church
This quirky church has a stunning interior and a very hospitable local audience. Performances are usually in the evening and a sacred or traditional repertoire is requested. This is an ideal venue for groups wishing to experience a more intimate atmosphere and to meet the locals.
St Stephen’s Basilica, Esterzgom
The tallest building in Hungary, this is a truly impressive venue to perform in, with a huge dome and reverberation that is truly spine-tingling. Service participations and concerts are both welcome, and singing here is a rare opportunity.
Szentendre Market Square
This charming town was once a centre for visual art, apparently because of the light in the town. A firm favourite on any ‘Danube Bend’ itinerary, the town’s central square regularly hosts visiting bands and is popular with tourists. The local parish church welcomes choirs for performances.
St Matthias Church
With its distinctive tiled roof, the church is one of the most recognisable sights in the city. Liszt’s Hungarian Coronation Mass was first performed here in 1867. Choirs of a high standard can perform at Mass.
Recommended excursions
Castle Hill
The charming crooked streets of Budapest’s Castle District are packed with historic sights and attractions. The elegant neo-baroque Royal Palace is home to three museums and the National Széchényi Library, the Matthias Church boasts a rococo spire that pierces the skyline. There are houses surviving from medieval times that provide a window on the past.
The Parliament Building
Visit Budapest’s impressive neo-Gothic Parliament House on the Danube embankment. On a tour of the building, a guide brings it to life with commentary and anecdotes. Students get up close to its turrets and arches, and wander through the Great Vaulted Hall and the magnificent Session Room.
Tip: The Parliament Building is so vast it contains more than 20km of staircases.
Franz Liszt Memorial Museum
Come and see how the 19th-century composer, virtuoso pianist and conductor Franz Liszt lived. The museum is a reconstruction of his last flat in the city where he lived from 1881 and 1886. It contains his original instruments, furniture, books, scores and personal objects and memorabilia.
Tip: In the concert hall nearby, the museum arranges Saturday matinée concerts for its visitors.
House of Terror
Here, students can find out about life under the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in 20th-century Hungary. It is also a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building. Part of the exhibition is in the basement cells that the communist ÁVH (secret police) used to break the will of their prisoners.
Széchenyi Spa Baths
Take a dip in the healing waters of the Széchenyi Thermal Baths – one of the largest spa complexes in Europe and the first thermal bath of Pest. Set in a neo-baroque building in City Park, its water is supplied by two thermal springs. Students can swim in the pools and try the whirling corridor, underwater bubbles, neck shower and water beam back massage
Opera Performance
Take in a performance at the prestigious Hungarian State Opera House, set in a beautiful neo-Renaissance building on the Champs-Élysées of Budapest – the Andrássy út. It seats 1,200 and is known for its incredible acoustics. Gustav Mahler was director here from 1887 to 1891. Operas are also performed at the Erkel Theatre – less splendid but larger and more modern.
Typical accommodation
Atlas City Hotel ★★★
Why groups like it:
- Great location for visiting Blaha Lujza Square, Arena Plaza and the Hungarian National Museum
- Easy to get to the Hungarian State Opera House and St Stephen’s Basilica
Facilities:
- Luggage storage
- Satellite TV in rooms
- Internet access with free Wi-Fi in the lobby
Hotel Griff ★★★
Why groups like it:
- Situated in the suburbs, it’s close to the Budapest Convention Centre and Gellert Thermal Baths
- Within easy reach of the Citadella and Liberty Statue
Facilities:
- Private bathroom with shower
- Free Wi-Fi access and satellite TV
- Luggage storage
Hotel Eben ★★★
Why groups like it:
- There’s a coffee shop where your group can hang out together
- 5-minute walk from the Metro station and near many places of interest
Facilities:
- Private bathroom with shower
- TV in rooms
- Free Wi-Fi in the lobby
Hotel Novotel Budapest Centrum ★★★★
Why groups like it:
- Great location next door to the Jewish Museum with Blaha Lujza Square Metro station nearby
- The hotel is an intriguing, protected Art Nouveau building and has been since 1911
Facilities:
- All rooms have private bathrooms with a combination bath and shower
- Free Wi-Fi access and satellite TV
- All rooms have tea and coffee making facilities
Itinerary suggestion
1 Fly to Budapest
2 Arrive at Hotel
3 Evening meal
1 Breakfast
2 Visit the Castle District on Buda Hill, St Matthias Church, the Chain Bridge and the Parliament Building
3 Evening meal
4 Performance in the Church of the Holy Spirit
1 Breakfast
2 Visit the Danube Bend and the towns of Szentendre, Visegrad and Vac
3 Concert in St Stephen’s Basilica in Esztergom
4 Evening meal
1 Breakfast
2 Visit the Liszt’s Museum and the Gellert Spa Baths
3 Sing at Mass in St Matthias Church
4 Evening meal
1 Breakfast
2 Fly to the UK
3 Arrive home
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The itinerary was excellent and all venues had enthusiastic audiences
Writhlington School
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