Evening star., 1937-05-02
HUNGARY AGAIN
ON TRAVEL MAP
Summer Season Opens in
June, With Gay Back.
ground.

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May L.
Hungary is once again on the travel
map OF Europe, and with two great
events, its June Fortnight and later
in the season its festival for St.
Stephen, 1t is attracting more and
more visitors each Summer. This
year the June Fortnight In Budapest
will extend from the Sd to the 18th,
with operas, ballets and concerts each
day. La Traviata," La Farza del
Destino," LA Boheme," and "Fidelio"
are among the operas to be performed,
while the Hungarian Philharmonic
has scheduled four concerts and the
Hungarian Ballet two performances.
The festival for. st. Stephen. with
tens of thousands coming to Buda-
pest for the celebration and thousands
taking part in the great procession
in which the royal saints relics are
carried, does not come until August,
the l4th to the 23d, but between this
and the June Fortnights Budapest will
be at its gayest.
What city could fail to be gay, with
all the advantages and attractions
Budapest has? Its gypsy orchestras,
its fashionable corso, its six beautiful
bridges spanning the Danube must
certainly be named but first and fore
most for travellers are its location and
the approach by night. Many who
visit the city favor the trip by water,
leaving Vienna on an express steamer
In the morning and coming into Buda-
pest after nightfall. Then, with
thousands Of lights lighted, its bridges
illuminated, the waters Of the Danube
mirroring the lights along its banks,
Budapest is indeed . place OF en-
chantment.
On the right bank Of the river stands
the royal palace. with more than 800
rooms, and farther down rises st. Gel
lert Hill, its great citadel towering
above a statue OF the saint. One bank
OF the river Is fiat and low; on this Is
Pest; the other, hilly and. uneven. Ii
the site of Buda. For Budapest l.
really two cities, Buda the old, Pes,
the comparatively new. Both take
their names from ancient times, for
Pest Is so called because that WORD
means "oven," referring to the kiln:
the Romans built there for brick max.
ing. Buda may be an old word fol
watch tower. or. some believe. the
name of the brother of Attila.
An ancient setting with modern at
fractions, that is the Budapest Of to-
day. In Summer it becomes a city ol
open-air cafes, of gypsy music, Of
| swimming and sports. It's favorite
promenade, the Corso, extends miles
along the Pest side OF the river and i.
reserved for strollers. Rows and rows
Of chairs where travellers may sit anc
watch the life of the city line it, and
its cafes are very popular. all Buda.
pest. it seems, coming there for tht
lunch hour.
Another favorite place of the city's
residents Is the Gellert Hotel anc
Bath. While Budapest does not have
| an ocean at its door to bathe in, II
has something almost as good, the poo
Of the Gellert. There the waters are
agitated into large and realistic ocear
| waves, and when guests tire Of the
swimming they may lounge or dine n
ease on terraces overlooking the pool
Gypsy music may be heard in Buda.
pest at most any hour Of the day. Thl
gypsy orchestras do not, however, ap-
pear in costume. and many an Amer.
ican has been surprised to learn thai
the bands Of good cafes. in smart eve.
ming dress, were really gypsy ones.
Hungary's gypsies play by ear. If Z
cafe visitor will merely whistle tune
for them a time or two, they will i'm.
mediately play it for him. They otter
tire of the city, however. and return te
semi-nomadic life on the borders o,
the Hortobagy. the great Hungarian
| plain.