Budapest – “The Pearl of the Danube”

Routes Europe 2013 will take place in Budapest one of the world’s most beautiful cities where 2,000 year old Roman ruins and 400 year old Turkish monuments can be found side by side. The city, which is divided into two parts by the meandering Danube boasts, broad boulevards, parks, vibrantly painted churches and Art-Nouveau Mansions as well as lively cafes and world class music venues.

As the largest city in Hungary, Budapest is the country's political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation hub. Created in 1873 with the unification of the twin cities of Buda and Pest it is technically one of the youngest capital cities in Europe though the history of the settlement dates back as far as the second millennium BC providing the city with a rich and varied culture.

Hungary is known as the gem of Central Eastern Europe because of its excellent location and progressive developed infrastructure it is the most easily accessible area in the region. Perfectly located within two hours’ flying time of almost all major European destinations, Budapest Airport, host of the 2013 event, offers a route network of 88 destinations and has a catchment area of 13 million people within a three hour drive. In addition, the airport is easy to get to from neighbouring countries such as Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia Romania & Croatia. To find out more about this year’s Host, click here.

Tour Programme & Football Tournament

Budapest is a beautiful and historic destination and we recommend all delegates make time to explore the city. In addition to the core business elements of Routes Europe our Host, Budapest Airport and its partners, have kindly arranged a variety of complimentary and paid for tours which are on offer to all registered Routes Europe delegates. There will also be a chance for delegates to play in a football tournament and show off their football skills.

Explore the region by visiting the historical sites of Budapest and experience the legendary Hungarian hospitality by registering for one of the complimentary city tours taking place on Saturday 11thand Sunday 12thMay.

Further tours will be available for a small fee and more details can be found online. Find the footprints of the Barbarians, where the Roman ruins and Turkish monuments can be found side by side or trace early Catholicism and visit the largest operating synagogue in Europe. All tours are subject to availability so book early to avoid disappointment. For more information and details on how to book your place on any of these tours click here.

This year Routes and the Budapest Airport Team are offering delegates the chance to play in a football tournament hosted by Budapest airport. You can submit yourself as part of a team (max of 5) or as an individual. The tournament is open to all delegates and will take place at 09:00 on Sunday 12thMay at the Kör Stadium. Click here for more information and to sign up for this fun pre-event activity.

Restaurant Offers

Budapest Airport, the Hungarian National Tourist Office and Routes Europe have teamed up with restaurants in the local area to bring delegates exclusive offers on a range of food and drink during the event. These offers include discounts and free drinks and are all listed online along with a link to each of the restaurants’ websites for more information. These offers are only valid on Sunday 12th May and Tuesday 14th May. Click here for more information on these generous offers.

Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…