Page 65 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Budapest

BUD APEST THROUGH THE Y EAR  63

Average Daily Hours of Sunshine
Sunshine Chart
Hours Budapest enjoys some
12 of the sunniest weather
in Europe, with an average
9 of 8 hours of sunshine
each day from April to
6 September. During the
sticky months of high
3 summer (June, July and
August), the Buda hills
provide a welcome refuge
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec from the heat of the city.
Summer
The long hot days of summer
are made for relaxing on
Margaret Island or sun-bathing
and swimming at the city’s
open-air pools.
June
Budapest Summer Festival
(Jun–Aug). Margaret Island
provides one of the major
venues for this summer-long,
open-air festival. The Margaret Formula One racing in the Hungarian Grand Prix
Island open-air theatre is the
largest in Budapest and hosts July city’s largest church
excel lent Hungarian and interna- Hungarian Formula One (see pp120–21) provide a
tional performances of grand Grand Prix (end Jul). The perfect opportunity to study
operas, ballets and concerts. biggest event in the Hungarian the lav ish interior decoration
(www.eng.szabadter.hu) sporting calendar takes place of this extraordinary building.
Danube Carnival at Mogyoród. The Vajdahunyad Castle
Inter national Multicultural (www.hungaroring.hu) Summer Music Festival (mid-
Festival Various venues host Concerts in St Stephen’s Jul–Aug). This open-air festival
music and dance events. Basilica (Jul–Aug). Organ features excellent classical as
(www.dunakarneval.hu) and choir concerts in the well as jazz, ragtime and gypsy
music. (www.vajdahunyad.hu)
August
St István’s Day (20 Aug).
St István, the patron saint of
Hungary, is celebrated with
mass in St Stephen’s Basilica
followed by a huge procession.
The day ends with fireworks
along the Danube.
Festival of Folk Arts (around
20 Aug). Masters of Hungarian
folk art set up at Buda Castle,
offering workshops and selling
their crafted items.
(http://mestersegekunnepe.hu)
Sziget Festival (Aug). Several
stages and a camp site are set
up on Óbuda Island for this
popular week-long festival
of rock, folk and jazz, which
features top bands such as
The Kooks and Iron Maiden.
Fireworks to celebrate St István’s Day (www.sziget.hu)

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