Eszter Boros

Budapest is renowned for its thermal baths, wonderful wines and world heritage architecture. It’s also one of Europe’s most popular incentive travel destinations. Here Senator Meetings & Incentives‘ Eszter Boros, partner and country director for Hungary, reveals five things in the city she’s looking forward to sharing with planners in the months ahead.

Photos | (Top of page) Panoramic view of Budapest from Fisherman’s Bastion. Photo by VitalyEdush | Canva. All other photos courtesy of Senator Meetings & Incentives. 

Cruise down the Danube River. The city of Budapest was officially created on November 17, 1873, when the separate towns of Buda, Óbuda and Pest were unified. A river cruise offers spectacular views of Buda and Pest.

Shop at the famous Great Market Hall and then take a cooking class to learn more about the country’s cuisine. Opened in 1897, the Great Market Hall is filled with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, fish and more. Its top floor is lined with stalls selling home-made meals. It’s the perfect place to pick up some Hungarian paprika.

Have a picnic and wine tasting at a vineyard in the Etyek wine region. Just 30 kilometres from Budapest, the area has been dubbed the Hungarian Napa Valley. Home to approximately 120 operating wineries, it is best known for its fresh, crisp white and sparkling wines.

Help you draw up a seating plan for your client’s gala dinner in the Museum of Fine Arts’ beautiful Roman Hall. Severely damaged in World War II, the Roman Hall has been closed to the public for more than 70 years. The 8,180-square-foot space was completely restored as part of the Museum’s  2015-2018 reconstruction and renovation. The richly-painted room is designed to evoke the basilica church square.

Have a glass of champagne on the terrace of a rooftop bar overlooking the beautifully illuminated city. At the beginning of the 20th century, Hungary was second only to France in sparkling wine production, with six to eight million bottles a year being enjoyed throughout Europe. While production declined dramatically during the two world wars and under the communist regime, it is flourishing once again.

(Photos | 1. St. Andrea Wine and Skybar. 2. Leo rooftop bar.)

Senator Meetings & Incentives is a full-service destination management company operating in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia. It is represented in Canada by Select Group Marketing (SGM).