Where to go in Budapest???

naaldvoerder · Jun 29, 2008

I'll be going to Budapest next week. Does anyone know a good place to buy film in this city?

Thanks Jaap jan

Annemarieke · Jun 30, 2008

I don't know about film, but I do know about a beautiful place for photography:

Keripesi (spelling?) cemetary

That is....if you like taking pictures of old gravestones.

Brian Jeffery · Jun 30, 2008

When I was there last year film 35mm film seemed to be available but it is scarce. Don't know what you use, but I found choice limited, for example, the only B&W films I found were Ilford Pan 100 and Pan 400. Don't know about 120 as I only had 35mm then. How things change

I would definitely recommend taking plenty of film with you,

Brian

Uhner · Jun 30, 2008

Annemarieke said:
I don't know about film, but I do know about a beautiful place for photography:

Keripesi (spelling?) cemetary

That is....if you like taking pictures of old gravestones.

Kerepesi Temetö – it is situated close to Keleti pu (one of the train stations) on the Pest side. If you are into cemeteries, or interested in socialist realism in architecture/monuments, this is indeed a must to visit.

Film can be hard to find In Budapest nowadays. If I were you I would bring what I need.

tim_walls · Jun 30, 2008

I was in Budapest at the end of last year, and managed to find a little second-hand shop that was like heaven. Walls covered in boxes of film, and Foma & Forte papers stacked up to waist height - it was great! (Oh, and a plentiful supply of very cheap Zorkis/Feds/etc.)

Of course, I can't remember an address; but I'm pretty sure it was somewhere along the walk from Blaha Lujza tér to Erzsébet Hid (Elizabeth Bridge) - I think along Szabad Satjó út or Kossuth Lajos utca; it was opposite a small square with what looked like a modern brick/concrete bus station on one side (I don't think it was a bus station, but it looked like one!) and a statue of a chap wearing a cape on a large plinth in the middle of the square/garden.

Hopefully that might be enough for someone who knows the area properly to identify the location!

Anyway, enjoy Budapest - it's an absolutely beautiful place, and the locals are very friendly with it. The language isn't as hard as it first appears either! Try a trip to the Statue Park on the edge of town where all the Soviet-era statues have been relocated to - my avatar is a photo of one of them . (If you take that route by public transport, it'd be worth at least having a phrasebook with you as its not really a tourist route and you need to change buses in the middle of nowhere - when I did it I nearly missed the stop entirely; fortunately some of the other people on the bus had worked out where we were going and made sure we got there!)

Markus B · Jun 30, 2008

There are one or two small photographic stores in the Westend galleria which has some film. It is probably neither the cheapest or the best sortiment but it is not hard to find (or the Westend galleria isn't hard to find). Budapest is a very nice town and I will probably go there again next year.

naaldvoerder · Jun 30, 2008

Thanks guys and girls,

I'll be sure to look for all places you suggested.

Thanks, Jaap Jan

P.S. I wouldn't mind owning a Zorki or Fed....I'll try to find that place to!

Mike Crawford · Jun 30, 2008

tim_walls said:
Try a trip to the Statue Park on the edge of town where all the Soviet-era statues have been relocated to - my avatar is a photo of one of them . (If you take that route by public transport, it'd be worth at least having a phrasebook with you as its not really a tourist route and you need to change buses in the middle of nowhere - when I did it I nearly missed the stop entirely; fortunately some of the other people on the bus had worked out where we were going and made sure we got there!)

Agree with Tim about Statue Park. http://www.szoborpark.hu/index.php?Lang=en
Great place and he's right about the transport getting there being a bit of a challenge. Give yourself 60 - 90 minutes to get there from town in case you miss the connecting bus in the middle of nowhere, though I think there is an official bus once a day from town which would make it easier.

Uhner · Jun 30, 2008

I can’t remember if Tim’s directions to the second hand shop are correct. It is possible that the shop he mentions is on Vamház Krt. close to Kálvin tér – or we could be talking about two different shops. Anyway, these two addresses are fairly close to one another.

ntenny · Jun 30, 2008

tim_walls said:
Anyway, enjoy Budapest - it's an absolutely beautiful place, and the locals are very friendly with it.

Hear, hear. I've been there several times and it's an amazingly photogenic city, with several very different faces: grand old architecture on the Buda side, urban grit on the Pest side, weird little eccentric corners all over the place, river views, island parks...really something for everybody. Allow lots of time for just wandering around.

By the way, the Labyrinths of Buda Castle are a complete tourist trap. The other obvious attractions are mostly worthwhile, IMHO, but that one's a waste of time.

-NT

Allen Friday · Jun 30, 2008

One of my favorite restaurants is on the Buda side of the city. I forget the name in Hungarian, but the name translates as "Duck." Guess what their specialty is? Nice restaurant, a bit expensive for Budapest, but cheap compared to a similar meal in Paris or London or even Prauge. Not a tourist trap like so many places on the Pest side.

Annemarieke · Jul 1, 2008

The statue park I found rather disappointing, but there are plenty of other very good possibilities for photography in Budapest.

frdrx · Jul 1, 2008

Though I wouldn't want to take pictures there, I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Széchenyi thermal baths.

tom_micklin · Jul 1, 2008

frdrx said:
Though I wouldn't want to take pictures there, I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Széchenyi thermal baths.

But nearby the baths are some great places for photos.
Jak chapel and Vajdahunyad Castle in particular. In fact, the entire City Park area is very nice.
Have fun, it's an amazing city.
Tom

Uhner · Jul 1, 2008

Well, since frdx mentioned thermal baths. My favourite in Budapest is Rudas Fürdö. The oldest parts of the structure were built by the Turks in the 16th century. The cupola above the baths is truly magnificent.

plummerl · Jul 1, 2008

I was there in March and found a shop on Jozsef Attila utca near Sas utca that stocked quite a bit of film (including 4x5). They had quite a bit of used equipment as well. Unfortunately, the name escapes me. This is about a block north and west of Deak Ferenc ter.

larry

Aurum · Jul 9, 2008

tim_walls said:
...Anyway, enjoy Budapest - it's an absolutely beautiful place, and the locals are very friendly with it. The language isn't as hard as it first appears either! Try a trip to the Statue Park on the edge of town where all the Soviet-era statues have been relocated to - my avatar is a photo of one of them . (If you take that route by public transport, it'd be worth at least having a phrasebook with you as its not really a tourist route and you need to change buses in the middle of nowhere - when I did it I nearly missed the stop entirely; fortunately some of the other people on the bus had worked out where we were going and made sure we got there!)

Having been to Hungary several times, once through Budapest at high speed in a taxi, one thing to know if you can't speak Hungarian, is that second languages spoken are German, English or Russian.

In the western side of Hungary, Lake Balaton, Veszprem area where I was working, German tends to be spoken as a second language as much as English, and the younger people will have a smattering at least.

The older members of the population will have been taught Russian as a second language in school, this was AFAIK a country wide thing, but not necessarily a popular one.

BTW, especially with the older members of the population, the Russians aren't necessarily remembered fondly shall we say....

Also BTW, Don't bother googling "Hungarian Phrasebook" unless you like Monty Python. I remember having to explain this in a bar in Veszprem to a Hungarian chap, who was puzzled why I couldn't find Hungarian phrases online.

Finally, the local firewater is Called Unicum. I like it, but it IS an acquired taste. It was originally a herbal medicine, so may not be to everyones taste. Cough sweets in Vodka is a good description.
The "Ladies Version" Unicum Next, is citrus in flavour, and is usually more understood by Western Europeans

naaldvoerder · Aug 3, 2008

Thanks guys, i did find most of the locations you suggested!!!

Jaap jan

Irrev.Rev. · Jul 12, 2009

Budapest to Prague

Will be in Budapest next week and will continue to Prague by boat and bus.
Since last posts, any dramatic changes in prices of film and processing sites?
Will be shooting 120 and 35mm.

John

cmo · Aug 2, 2009

What are the good places in Budapest for street photography? E.g. where are the hungarians, and not the tourists?

ntenny · Aug 2, 2009

cmo said:
What are the good places in Budapest for street photography? E.g. where are the hungarians, and not the tourists?

Most places, really, except for the Castle district (which, however, is worth a visit anyway) and the high-street shops in Vaci utca. The Pest side seems like a clear winner over the Buda side for street photography in general.

-NT

Ian David · Aug 2, 2009

frdrx said:
Though I wouldn't want to take pictures there, I thoroughly recommend a visit to the Széchenyi thermal baths.

Go to various different baths if you have time. Gellert baths are pretty cool too...

Where to go in Budapest???

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