WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Friday he’s considering granting Hungary an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy as he sat down with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the White House. “We’re looking at it because its very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas,” Trump said.
Orbán said it’s a “vital” issue for his landlocked country, and said he planned to discuss with Trump the “consequences for the Hungarian people” if the sanctions took effect.
In comments on Friday, Orbán said he would present Trump with several “suggestions” for implementing an exemption.
“I’m not asking for some kind of gift from the Americans or some kind of unusual thing. I am simply asking for the realization that the sanctions recently imposed on Russian energy puts certain countries like Hungary, which do not have access to the sea, in an impossible situation,” Orbán said on state radio. “I’m going to ask the president to acknowledge that.”
A large delegation of cabinet members, business leaders and numerous right-wing political influencers with close connections to Hungary’s government accompanied Orbán to Washington. The delegation rented a 220-passenger commercial jet from Hungarian carrier Wizz Air for the journey.
Prior to Orbán’s arrival on Thursday, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a resolution calling on Hungary to end its dependence on Russian energy.
The resolution was co-signed by 10 senators including Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, as well as Democrats Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware. It “expresses concern that Hungary has shown no sign of reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels,” and urges Budapest to adhere to a European Union plan to cease all Russian energy imports into the bloc by the end of 2027.
“Europe has made extraordinary progress cutting its energy ties with Moscow, but Hungary’s actions continue to undermine collective security and embolden the Kremlin,” Shaheen wrote in a statement. The resolution, she continued, “sends a clear message that when it comes to buying Russian energy, all allies should be held to the same standard, and that includes Hungary.”
On Friday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Washington that he will sign a bilateral nuclear energy cooperation agreement with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Hungarian state news agency MTI.
The deal will involve Hungary’s first-ever purchases of American nuclear fuel, which it currently buys from Russia, and introduce U.S. technology for the on-site storage of spent fuel at Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant. The agreement will also include cooperation on small modular reactors.
After arriving in Washington, Orbán and some of his top officials met with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who in September was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after an election loss. Orbán posted on social media: “We stand firmly with the Bolsonaros in these challenging times — friends and allies who never give up. Keep fighting: political witch-hunts have no place in democracy, truth and justice must prevail!”
Megerian and Spike write for the Associated Press. Spike reported from Budapest
A content creator and her friends were impressed by the palatial decor when they visited a café often praised as ‘the most beautiful in the world’, but there was one drawback
15:22, 24 Oct 2025Updated 15:30, 24 Oct 2025
A content creator has complained about the price of water in an expensive hotel (stock)(Image: Getty)
A content creator who went to one of the most beautiful cafés in the world loved her experience at the famous venue, but couldn’t believe the prices on the menu, especially after discovering how much a bottle of water would set her back.
Posting her financial ordeal on TikTok, Claudia Sierra and her friends revealed to her 45,000 followers on the platform the eye-popping price tags at the New York Café in the Antara New York Palace Hotel, Budapest.
The café is considered one of the most historic and luxurious cafés in the world and is beloved for its interior decoration, featuring chandeliers and frescoes. It was also a meeting point for Hungarian artists.
Discussing what she observed before she went in, Claudia said of the stunning restaurant: “Look at the coffee shop where we stopped for a cup of coffee. They can take my ribs out right here, I don’t care.
“All I see is people flipping through the menu on repeat, trying to find something reasonably priced.”
Upon flicking through the menu themselves, Claudia and her friends became shocked when they saw how much a bottle of San Pellegrino water cost, €12.50 (£10.91), a figure reflected in an online version of the menu.
A friend of Claudia’s said: “The water bottle costs 12.50 euros.”
Instead, the group opted for tap water to save a little bit of money.
Another friend added: “Oh, we’re going to have such a good breakfast! I’m crying. Thank goodness they gave us a little bit of tap water to wash down the biscuit.”
The water isn’t the only pricey item on the menu, with a cappuccino costing €11 (£9.59) and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with sour cream flavoured salad priced at €16 (£13.95).
Claudia and her friends aren’t the first people to note how high prices can be in popular restaurants. Luxurious eateries have long been alluring for the experience of being in them, and being able to say you’ve visited.
Earlier this year, another content creator visited Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane in London, a venue which has just 13 seats at the sushi counter and is one of the UK’s most expensive restaurants.
The restaurant, which launched in 2023 and was masterminded by Shinji Kanesaka, charges around £420 per person for its set menu. So impressive is the experience, that one visitor described it as ethereal.
They wrote on Google: “The most amazing sushi I’ve ever had outside Japan. Awesome food, service and atmosphere. Only 13 sushi bar seats in entire restaurant, 9 in main and a more private 4 seater. Pricey but ethereal.”
On the expense, one diner wrote: “Yes it is expensive, however the experience is extremely intimate with only a few small sittings each night. Further to this the ingredients used are absolutely the best on offer.
“I have honestly never been served a blue lobster and the Kobe beef was certainly as good as the best wagu I have previously tried in Japan.
“The whole team was extremely professional and very attentive. The Sake pairing was again exceptional with the sommelier describing each in amazing detail.”
Following the end of the Second World War, Hungary had increasingly come under the control of their liberators from Germany, the Soviet Union.
Following democratic changes in Austria, some Hungarians had hoped for similar concessions in their country, but those hopes were quashed with the establishment of the Warsaw Pact in 1955, placing Hungary behind the so-called ‘Iron Curtain’. Demanding democratic changes and the withdrawal of Soviet forces, Hungarian students held a demonstration in Budapest on October 23rd 1956. The demonstration drew popular support and the crowds grew and similar protests broke out across Hungary. This led to the Soviets deploying tanks on the streets of Budapest in an attempt to take back control. Violent rebellion then erupted in all parts of Hungary, with uprisings removing the local government. A new democratic government ousted the ruling communist party.
On October 28th the Soviets called for a cease-fire, withdrew their troops and pledged to re-establish free elections.
However, on November 3rd 1956, the Soviets changed their minds. The new government was arrested and within a week the Soviet military had crushed the rebels and the short-lived revolution was over.
While the revolution may not have been successful, it was still seen as a significant event that hardened international opinion against the more oppressive aspects of the Soviet Union.
A draft regulation approved by European Union energy ministers would phase out Russian import contracts by January 2028.
Published On 20 Oct 202520 Oct 2025
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European Union states have agreed to halt Russian oil and gas imports by 2028, severing an energy link they fear helps fuel Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Almost all EU energy ministers voted in favour of the draft regulation, which applies to both pipeline oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), during a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
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It would require EU members to phase out new Russian gas import contracts from January 2026, existing short-term contracts from June 2026 and long-term contracts in January 2028.
The proposal must now be approved by the European Parliament, where it is expected to pass.
The plan is part of a broader EU strategy to curb Russian energy dependence amid the war in Ukraine – and follows persistent calls by United States President Donald Trump for European states to stop “funding the war against themselves”.
‘Not there yet’
Lars Aagaard, Denmark’s energy minister, called the proposal a “crucial” step to make Europe energy independent.
“Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we are not there yet,” Aagaard said. His country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
The EU has already brought down Russian oil imports to just 3 percent of its overall share, but Russian gas still makes up 13 percent of gas imports, accounting for more than 15 billion euros ($17.5bn) annually, according to the European Council.
Nevertheless, these purchases make up a relatively small portion of Russia’s overall fossil fuel exports, which mostly go to China, India and Turkiye, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Hungary and Slovakia – which are diplomatically closer to Moscow – both opposed the latest EU initiative, but it only needed a weighted majority of 15 states to pass, meaning they could not block it.
“The real impact of this regulation is that our safe supply of energy in Hungary is going to be killed,” Budapest’s top diplomat, Peter Szijjarto, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
The text approved on Monday allowed specific flexibilities for landlocked member states, which include Hungary and Slovakia.
In addition to the trade restrictions, the EU is negotiating a new package of sanctions against Russia that would ban LNG imports one year earlier, from January 2027.
The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Kaja Kallas, said earlier on Monday the new sanctions package could be approved as early as this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Hungary in the very near future, where he will meet United States counterpart Donald Trump for a second summit on ending the war in Ukraine. The first – in Alaska in August – failed to result in any agreement.
But, with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued in 2023 for Putin’s arrest over the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during Russia’s war with Ukraine, how will the fugitive from justice make it to the negotiating table?
Signatories of the 1998 Rome Statute, which established the Hague-based court in 2002, are required to arrest those subject to warrants as soon as they enter their territory – which theoretically includes airspace, which is also considered sovereign territory under international law.
Hungary, which recently stated its intention to withdraw from the agreement – making it a safe space for Putin – is surrounded by countries which would be bound by this.
However, the ICC, which has 125 member states, has no police force and hence no means of enforcing arrests.
So what awaits Putin on his upcoming jaunt?
The Israeli state aircraft, ‘Wing of Zion’, which briefly flew over Greek and Italian territory before carrying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on to New York for the United Nations General Council meeting last month, is seen at the International Airport in Athens, Greece, on June 13, 2025 [Stelios Misinas/Reuters]
Isn’t Hungary technically an ICC member, too?
On paper, yes. But it’s on the way out.
In April, right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the country would be ditching the ICC’s founding document when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit. Netanyahu is also on the ICC’s most-wanted list for Gaza war crimes – his arrest warrant was issued earlier this year.
The Hungarian parliament approved a bill back in May to trigger the withdrawal process, which becomes official one year after the United Nations Secretary-General receives a written notification of the decision.
Given Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto’s comments on Friday on the “sovereign” country’s intent to host the president with “respect”, ensuring he has “successful negotiations, and then returns home”, Putin seems safe from any arrest on Hungarian soil.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attend a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, July 5, 2024 [Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters]
What about airspace? Could he be intercepted mid-air?
As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, “many questions” need to be resolved before Putin sets off on his journey. One of those questions is likely to regard the president’s flight path.
Putin will probably want to avoid the Baltic states after recent violations of Estonia’s airspace by Russian jets, which have put the region on high alert for a potential overspill from the Ukraine war. The Baltics could well force a hard landing.
Friendly Belarus might provide a convenient corridor between the Baltics and Ukraine further south, but this would set the president on course for Poland, which has historically strained relations with the Kremlin and recently warned Europe to prepare for a “deep” Russian strike on its territory. Russian drones have also recently breached Polish airspace.
Slovakia, which is led by Moscow-leaning populist Robert Fico, is still guzzling Russian energy in defiance of Trump’s orders to European countries to stop oil and gas imports, and may be more accommodating. Indeed, Fico is on a collision course with fellow EU members over sanctions against Moscow. But Putin would still need to cross Poland before reaching Slovakia.
Putin’s direct route to Budapest, therefore, appears littered with obstacles.
What about a more circuitous route?
Putin may be inspired by fellow ICC fugitive Netanyahu, wanted for crimes including using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinian civilians in war-ravaged Gaza, who avoided several European countries on his way to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York last month.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Wing of Zion plane briefly flew over Greek and Italian territory, but then ducked south, entirely avoiding French and Spanish airspace before heading over the Atlantic, according to FlightRadar24.
Flying south could be an option for Putin as well. Georgia, whose Georgian Dream governing party suspended Tbilisi’s bid to join the European Union, is a signatory to the Rome Statute but could potentially be relied on to turn a blind eye.
And Turkiye, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, but which has long walked a tightrope between Russia and NATO and hosted previous attempts between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators on ending the war, could be amenable to allowing the Russian president to pass.
From there, the main obstacle would be Greece, providing a route through the Balkan states to Orban’s respectful welcome.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony at the Lion’s Courtyard in Budapest, Hungary, on April 3, 2025 [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]
Has Putin made other trips since becoming an internationally wanted war criminal?
Putin has clearly limited his travels since the ICC warrant was issued.
Last year, he hopped over the border to ICC member Mongolia, where he was treated to a lavish ceremony featuring soldiers on horseback by Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.
Mongolia has very friendly relations with Russia, on which it depends for fuel and electricity. The country has refrained from condemning Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and has abstained during votes on the conflict at the UN, so it was little surprise to see the red carpet being rolled out.
Flying to Alaska for a bilateral with Trump last August was easy since the president could completely avoid hostile countries, flying over his country’s huge land mass over the Bering Strait to the US, which is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.
Similarly, this year’s visit to “old friend” and neighbour Xi Jinping for a huge military parade and a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation posed no problems since China is not a party to the ICC.
This month, the Russian president met Central Asian leaders with whom he is eager to bolster ties in Tajikistan, which has signed up to the Rome Statute.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague, Netherlands, on September 22, 2025 [File: Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters]
Will Putin ever be arrested?
The arrest warrants mark the first step towards an eventual trial, although the capture of Russia’s president is almost inconceivable.
Only a few national leaders have ended up in The Hague.
The former Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, surrendered to The Hague earlier this year to face charges of crimes against humanity. The charges pertain to extrajudicial killings committed during his widely condemned “war on drugs”, which killed thousands of people.
The former Liberian president and warlord, Charles Taylor, was convicted in 2012 by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, which held proceedings in The Hague. He was found guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Would a future Russian leader decide to forcibly hand Putin over, as was the case with Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic, extradited to The Hague after his removal in 2000, for atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia wars?
That would necessitate a seismic shift in the Kremlin’s power dynamic, which seems unlikely for the time being.
STOCKHOLM — Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, whose philosophical, bleakly funny novels often unfold in single sentences, won the Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for his “compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”
The Nobel judges praised his “artistic gaze which is entirely free of illusion, and which sees through the fragility of the social order combined with his unwavering belief in the power of art,” Steve Sem-Sandberg of the Nobel committee said at the announcement.
“László Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the Central European tradition that extends through (Franz) Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterized by absurdism and grotesque excess,” the Nobel judges said.
The work that won the Nobel Prize in literature
Zsuzsanna Varga, a Hungarian literature expert at the University of Glasgow, said Krasznahorkai’s apocalyptic and surreal novels probe the “utter hopelessness of the condition of human existence,” while also managing to be “incredibly funny.”
Varga said Krasznahorkai’s near-endless sentences made his books the “Hotel California” of literature – once readers get into it, “you can never leave.”
Other books include “The Melancholy of Resistance,” a surreal, disturbing tale set in a small Hungarian town, and “Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming,” the sprawling saga of a gambling-addicted aristocrat.
Several works, including his debut, “Satantango,” and “The Melancholy of Resistance” were turned into films by Hungarian director Béla Tarr.
Varga suggested readers new to Krasznahorkai’s work start with “Satantango,” his debut, which set the tone for what was to follow.
“Satan who is dancing a tango — I mean, how surreal can you be?” she said.
Krasznahorkai has also written several books inspired by his travels to China and Japan, including “A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East,” published in Hungarian in 2003.
How Krasznahorkai came to win
Sem-Sandberg said that Krasznahorkai had been on the Nobel radar for some time, “and he has been writing and creating one outstanding work after another.” He called his literary output “almost half a century of pure excellence.”
Krasznahorkai, 71, couldn’t immediately be reached for his reaction. He didn’t speak at the announcement.
He was born in the southeastern Hungarian city of Gyula, near the border with Romania, and has since traveled the world. Throughout the 1970s, he studied law at universities in Szeged and Budapest before shifting his focus to literature.
Krasznahorkai has been a vocal critic of autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, especially his government’s lack of support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
But in a post on Facebook, Orbán was quick to congratulate the writer, saying: “The pride of Hungary, the first Nobel Prize winner from Gyula, László Krasznahorkai. Congratulations!”
In an interview with Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet earlier this year, Krasznahorkai expressed criticism both of Orbán’s political system and the nationalism present in Hungarian society.
“There is no hope left in Hungary today and it is not only because of the Orbán regime,” he told the paper. “The problem is not only political, but also social.”
He also reflected on the fact that he has long been a contender for the Nobel Prize in literature, saying: “I don’t want to lie. It would be very interesting to get that prize. But I would be very surprised if I got it.”
Previous awards for Krasznahorkai and the other Nobels this year
Krasznahorkai has received many earlier awards, including the 2015 Man Booker International Prize. The Booker judges praised his “extraordinary sentences, sentences of incredible length that go to incredible lengths, their tone switching from solemn to madcap to quizzical to desolate as they go their wayward way.”
He also won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in the U.S. in 2019 for “Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming.”
The American writer and critic Susan Sontag once described Krasznahorkai as the “contemporary master of the Apocalypse.” He was also friends with American poet and writer Allen Ginsberg and would regularly stay in Ginsberg’s apartment while visiting New York City.
He’s the first winner from Hungary since Imre Kertesz in 2002. He joins an illustrious list of laureates that includes Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro.
The literature prize has been awarded by the Nobel committee of the Swedish Academy 117 times to a total of 121 winners. Last year’s prize was won by South Korean author Han Kang for her body of work that the committee said “confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”
The literature prize is the fourth to be announced this week, following the 2025 Nobels in medicine, physics and chemistry.
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday. The final Nobel, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, will be announced on Monday.
Nobel Prize award ceremonies are held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. Nobel was a wealthy Swedish industrialist and the inventor of dynamite who founded the prizes.
Each prize carries an award of nearly $1.2 million, and the winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and a diploma.
Manenkov, Lawless and Corder write for the Associated Press. Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Lawless from London. Justin Spike contributed to this report from Budapest, Hungary.
Budapest in Hungary is home to hearty dishes such as goulash, blood sausage, pörkölt, somló trifle and lángos. It has been named the authentic food capital of Europe
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The beautiful city of Budapest is the place to go for a top dinner(Image: Getty Images)
Budapest has been named as Europe’s best city for authentic food experiences.
The Hungarian capital is the place to go if you’re after delicious food served up in independent restaurants. It is also a relatively short three-hours away from the UK on flights that cost from £14.
To help tourists expand their palettes, Saga Holidays conducted a study to uncover Europe’s most authentic food destinations by analysing 5,000 restaurants across 125 European cities. Researchers picked through Google review data to track how often diners praised restaurants and dishes as ‘authentic’, alongside an overall sentiment score, to create a final ranking of authentic food cities.
Food can be a celebration of culture and for many, it can be what holiday itineraries revolve around. Yet, while nearly 8 in 10 Brits (79%) say finding authentic food is important when abroad, three-quarters admit that they struggle to know where to go beyond the tourist hotspots.
Budapest (98/100) tops Saga Holidays’ authentic food ranking. There is a good reason why Budapest is known as ‘The Paris of the East’. In addition to its grand, towering town houses and city blocks that bear more than a passing resemblance to the French capital, it also shares a love of fine, artery-clogging dining.
Hungarian cuisine is hearty and filling, with a heavy use of meats. Among the must-try foods are:
Goulash: A hearty beef soup with potatoes and carrots.
Hortobágy crêpes: Hungary’s more refined take on enchiladas—these savory crepes are stuffed with stew or minced meat and topped with a creamy paprika sauce. They make excellent starters or even a main course.
Pörkölt/Paprikás: A thick stew, either plain or mixed with sour cream, often mistaken internationally for goulash. Catfish served with curd cheese and dill noodles are a particularly fine version.
Roast sausage and blood sausage (hurka-kolbász): Best enjoyed at authentic butcher shops like Pinczi, accompanied by pickled vegetables, mustard (or horseradish), fresh white bread, and a cold beer.
Lángos: Hungarians traditionally eat it with salt, garlic, sour cream, and/or cheese. The wild versions topped with sausage or kebab are mostly designed to appeal to tourists.
Somló trifle: A delicious walnut sponge cake dessert layered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Chimney cake: A sweet, spiral-shaped pull-apart bread roasted over charcoal and coated in your choice of toppings—usually nuts, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, cocoa, or coconut flakes.
Budapest local Vernazza has put together a fantastic guide for first-time visitors to the Hungarian capital. The guide offers many great suggestions for places to eat, drink, party, and much else. It also includes some advice about cultural customs that may come as a shock.
“Brusque service by waiters is one of the most common complaints of tourists about their visit to Hungary. Prepare for that, but also remember that the lack of US-style overly friendliness is not necessarily rudeness in itself, just formality,” Vernazza writes.
For the more authentic experience, stay away from the tourist traps around Váci utca, along the Danube and on Andrássy út. Menus displayed in English outside a restaurant are typically a sign that an eatery is not frequented by locals, as is a host tempting you in.
“Waiters in folk dresses, excessive decoration, or live gypsy music are sure signs of a place you don’t want to eat at. In case you prefer the folksy experience, one exception to this rule is Paprika Vendéglő next to Heroes’ Square,” Vernazza continues.
The Sunday farmers’ at Szimpla ruin pub serves up artisanal, vegan and otherwise niche products, while more traditional fare is often on offer from the outdoor stalls of Hunyadi tér, Fény utca or the Lehel tér hall.
In terms of restaurants, Budapest is a big city of nearly two million that stretches about 35km from east to west, so where you decide to eat will likely depend on where you’re staying. Here are some of the more hotly tipped options:
Rosenstein (a traditional Hungarian restaurant)
Két Szerecsen (cozy Hungarian)
Olimpia (casual fine dining)
Borkonyha (business casual fine dining, Michelin-star)
Portugal earned a 3-2 victory at Hungary in their UEFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, with Joao Cancelo scoring a late winner, two minutes after the hosts had equalised, to put them in control at the top of Group F with two away wins from two.
The visitors came from behind to lead thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty, but almost let the three points slip when conceding late on before Cancelo’s goal rescued the win to add to their 5-0 success in Armenia on Saturday.
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Hungary took the lead in the 21st minute when Barnabas Varga met Zsolt Nagy’s inch-perfect cross into the box with a header which went in off the upright, before Portugal drew level 15 minutes later through Bernardo Silva’s close-range effort.
Portugal went in front after Varga handballed a Ronaldo flick-on in the area, and the 40-year-old buried his spot kick into the bottom corner.
The goal took Ronaldo level with Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz as the joint-top scorer in World Cup qualifiers on 39. He also extended his international record to 141 in 223 games.
Hungary, who drew 2-2 away to Ireland on Saturday, looked to have done the same in Budapest when Varga headed his second of the night six minutes from time, but the hosts were unable to hold on.
Two minutes later, Cancelo struck a first-time shot from outside the area after a Bernardo Silva pass to leave Portugal top of the group standings on six points.
“It’s never easy once you fall behind, and we showed a lot of character, just like against Germany and Spain [in the Nations League] in June when we were losing but managed to come back,” said Silva.
“Today, once again against a tough team, we managed to come back. Even when they scored after 80-something minutes, we still managed to score the winner.”
Armenia, who beat Ireland 2-1 earlier on Tuesday, are second with three points, with Hungary and Ireland on one point.
Ronaldo scores Portugal’s second goal from the penalty spot on September 9, 2025 [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]
Norway register double-digit win against Moldova
Norway’s Erling Haaland scored five goals and substitute Thelo Aasgaard added four more as they hammered hapless Moldova 11-1 to take another huge step towards qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
With five games played, the Norwegians top Group I on 15 points, six ahead of second-placed Italy, who have a game in hand. Moldova’s worst defeat leaves them bottom of the group with no points.
The group winners qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup, while the runners-up go into a playoff.
Haaland’s beautifully cushioned pass teed up Felix Horn Myhre to break the scoring deadlock with a sixth-minute tap-in, and Martin Odegaard should have made it two a minute later, but he blazed the ball over from close range.
The Norwegians did not have to wait long for another goal as Haaland rattled home in the 11th minute, snapping up a loose ball in the box and sweeping it into the far corner.
Haaland slotted home his second to round off a Norwegian counterattack in the 36th minute and completed his hat-trick before halftime.
Moldova keeper Cristian Avram forced him to go wide, but Haaland recovered the ball and chipped it brilliantly in at the far post to make it 4-0.
Odegaard netted a fifth in first-half stoppage time, and seven minutes into the second half, Haaland struck again, scoring his fourth with a header as Norway ran riot in front of their home fans.
Substitute Aasgaard struck twice, either side of an own goal by Leo Ostigard, and he got his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 79th minute before Haaland added the 10th, his ninth goal in five World Cup qualifiers.
Aasgaard completed the rout with a flicked finish in second-half stoppage time to complete a rare double-digit margin of victory.
Norway’s Erling Haaland scores their fourth goal to complete a hat-trick against Moldova in their UEFA World Cup qualifying match at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway, on September 9, 2025 [Fredrik Varfjell/NTB via Reuters]
England dominate Serbia
England took a huge step towards automatic qualification for the World Cup, with captain Harry Kane paving the way for an impressive 5-0 victory away to main Group K rivals, Serbia.
Criticised for a laboured home win over Andorra at the weekend, England produced their best display under Thomas Tuchel to take full advantage of a timid Serbia display and maintain their 100 percent record in the group without conceding a goal.
Kane headed England’s opener from Declan Rice’s corner in the 33rd minute, and minutes later Noni Madueke scored his first senior international goal to double the lead.
Seven minutes after the break, it was Ezri Konsa’s turn to open his England account and put the visitors in cruise control with a close-range finish.
Serbia’s night went from bad to worse when Nikola Milenkovic was sent off in the 73rd minute for a foul on Kane, and from Rice’s resulting free kick, Marc Guehi arrived to make it 4-0.
Substitute Marcus Rashford rounded it off with a late penalty after a foul on Ollie Watkins as England moved to 15 points from five games and a seven-point lead over Albania.
Serbia’s first defeat in the group leaves them third on seven points, with a game in hand.
The group winners qualify for next year’s finals, with the runners-up going into the playoffs.
England’s Marcus Rashford scores their fifth goal from the penalty spot against Serbia on September 9 [Andrew Boyers/Action Images via Reuters]
Ogbene, who has since made the switch to fellow Championship side Sheffield United, said he spent “a lot of hours getting to know my body” and “watching clips” to help him return physically and tactically sharper for pre-season this summer.
“Watching a lot of football for nine months, you learn a lot more. When you’re immersed in it it is 100 miles an hour and the stuff the manager says you don’t really understand but when you’re out of it and watching from the side it’s a really good education,” he explained.
“I spoke to John Egan and Gavin Bazunu, who had previous Achilles [injuries]. I spoke to them about their journeys so I made sure I put those things in my rehab early, and I had a very smooth and successful rehab.
“I’m so glad it has paid off I had a wonderful pre-season and my body has felt as fit and strong as it has ever been so I am excited.”
Ogbene will be hoping to add to his 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland in this international window as they begin their World Cup qualifying campaign.
They host Hungary on Saturday in Dublin before travelling to face Armenia on Tuesday and Ogbene is targeting two wins to help them get their Group F campaign off to a flying start.
“I hope everyone goes in with the mentality that we want to get six points. That’s how the manager sees it and that’s how I see it. I want us to get six, minimum four but I don’t want to sit here and say I want four points,” Ogbene added.
“I think we can beat Hungary if we do the right things and we can beat Armenia. The way the guys are training, we want six points.
“I’m very happy with what I saw [in training] and I have a really good feeling about this camp.”
The six-time MotoGP world champion is undefeated since June and is rapidly closing in on another riders title.
Ducati’s Marc Marquez has delivered a masterclass at the Balaton Park Circuit, winning the first Hungarian Grand Prix in 33 years to secure his seventh straight sprint and main race double and stretching his championship lead to a commanding 175 points.
KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi joined Marquez on the podium on Sunday as reigning champion Jorge Martin came fourth – his best finish on the Aprilia since his return from injuries.
Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez, second in the championship behind his brother, could manage only 14th place after an early fall on the opening lap.
Against the picturesque backdrop of the largest lake in Central Europe, pole-sitter Marc Marquez lost the lead on lap one to drop out of the podium positions, but his tyre strategy proved decisive.
Having clinched his 13th sprint victory of the season on Saturday, Marquez had another good launch to lead into turn one.
But Bezzecchi took the lead on the next turn, as Marquez made contact with the Aprilia and lost speed to drop to fourth.
“Luckily for both of us, I was able to save the crash, and he just continued his way. But from that point, the race changed a bit,” Marquez said.
Bezzecchi and then-second-placed Franco Morbidelli were on soft rear tyres while Marquez was on the medium compound with the Spaniard easily climbing to second once his tyres were fully warmed up.
Acosta also made a smooth overtake on Morbidelli to move up to third, but he had a gap of nearly two seconds with Marquez, who had virtually erased Bezzecchi’s lead as they continually exchanged overtakes.
Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezzecchi, left, and Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Marquez in action during the Hungarian Grand Prix [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]
Marquez pounces
Marquez patiently bided his time, staying on Bezzecchi’s rear wheel. The inevitable moment came on lap 11 when he pounced, using the Aprilia’s slipstream to reclaim the lead before streaking away.
“When I saw that the soft rear tyres started to drop – I was with the medium – I started to attack,” he said. “I had a super nice rhythm. I was flowing on the track.”
Five laps later, Acosta attacked Bezzecchi on the same straight heading into turn one, guiding his KTM past the Aprilia on the inside and carrying that momentum into the next turn to take second.
“I needed the extra grip from the soft [tyre] in braking, so I risked it with the soft. But for us, maybe it was better [to use] the medium,” Bezzecchi said.
Although Acosta had Marquez in his sights, the six-time champion found another gear towards the end of the race and extended his lead to more than three seconds to secure the victory.
However, the second-year MotoGP rider was happy with second place after destroying his bike in a qualifying crash.
“I just want to thank every one of them because yesterday they were working until 2am in the morning to just bring two completely new bikes for this [race],” Acosta said.
The Aprilia garage was all smiles when Martin, who started 16th on the grid, set a fastest lap before finishing fourth – suggesting that injury struggles are now behind him.
Marc Marquez celebrates winning the Hungarian Grand Prix with his Ducati teammates [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]
St. Stephen of Hungary (Szent István király) was the first king of Hungary and he laid the foundation of the state by converting the Magyar people to Christianity.
After a serious military loss in 955 AD, Hungarian tribal leaders decided to abandon their nomadic existence. Stephen, the Grand Prince of the Hungarians, realised that conversion to Christianity would be a way of strengthening the idea of Hungarian nationhood.
Stephen received the “Sacred Crown” from Pope Sylvester II becoming Hungary’s first king on Christmas Day in 1000 AD, ruling until his death on August 15th 1038. Stephen was buried next to his son, Imre in St. Mary’s Church in Székesfehérvár. His remains were later transferred to Buda. His Holy Crown has survived the centuries since and it is now Hungary’s most precious treasure.
Stephen was made a saint on August 20th 1083. He became the patron saint of Hungary. As part of the canonization process, King Stephen’s remains were dug up and legend has it that his right hand had not decayed at all. The hand was removed from the body and can still be seen in St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest.
August 20th was first celebrated in 1092, when another saint king, Ladislaus I declared it a sacred day.
Until 1687, August 20th was St. Stephen’s feast day and thus became Hungary’s national day, even after the feast day itself has switched around in the calendar a few times. August 20th has been a national holiday since 1771 when Queen Maria Theresia changed it from a church feast to an official national holiday.
In 1945 Communist leaders prohibited celebrations due to its religious nature and in 1950 it was changed to Constitution Day. It was reinstated as a celebration of St. Stephen in 1990 by the Hungarian Parliament.
United Kingdom’s Lando Norris holds off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia to win Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris has held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on a one-stop strategy and slash the Australian’s Formula One lead to nine points going into the August break.
Norris completed 39 of the 70 laps on Sunday at the Hungaroring on a single set of hard tyres while Piastri stopped twice and closed a 12-second gap to just 0.6 at the finish with a nail-biting chase to the chequered flag and a near-collision.
George Russell took a distant third, 20 seconds down the road, for Mercedes and his fifth podium of the season.
“I’m dead. I’m dead. It was tough,” gasped Norris, who started in third place – with Piastri second – and then went down to fifth after being squeezed at the start.
“We weren’t really planning on the one stop, but after the first lap, it was kind of our only option to get back into things.
“I didn’t think it would get us the win. I thought it would get us maybe into second.”
Race winner Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the #4 McLaren MCL39 Mercedes takes the chequered flag during the Grand Prix in Hungary [Clive Rose/Getty Images]
The win was Norris’s fifth of the season and third in the past four races to Piastri’s six. It was also McLaren’s seventh one-two in 14 races.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was a frustrated fourth after starting on pole position but losing out with a two-stop strategy and a five-second penalty for erratic driving as Russell challenged.
Fernando Alonso finished fifth for Aston Martin ahead of Sauber’s sixth-placed Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
Lance Stroll was seventh for Aston Martin ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson with Red Bull’s reigning champion, Max Verstappen, and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli completing the top 10 scoring positions.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, an eight-time winner in Hungary, started in 12th place for Ferrari and finished there.
The Briton was lapped by the leaders six laps from the chequered flag.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari leads at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix [Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Despite witnessing soaring visitor numbers in recent years, a ‘beautiful’ European hotspot has been stung with an FCDO warning following its dystopian political direction
The country has sparked huge backlash following a controversial new law(Image: Getty Images)
Brits have been warned about travelling to an increasingly popular European hotspot, following concerning new legislation. Last year, a whopping 8.7 million international tourists flocked to Hungary – lured in by the country’s dark history, stunning architecture, and cheap booze.
Many holidaymakers will have headed straight to Budapest, Hungary’s capital, renowned for its huge thermal spas, underground bars, and plethora of cultural attractions (including the only McDonald’s in the world that transforms itself into a nightclub). Here, you’ll find the fairy-tale complex of Fisherman’s Bastion, the spectacular St Stephen’s Basilica, and the powerful Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.
Hungary attracts millions of tourists every year, but has recently come under fire for banning Pride(Image: Getty Images)
Acclaimed for its low-cost food and beverages, Hungary has become increasingly popular amongst Brits with a slew of major UK airports flying directly to the country – including Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
However, on Thursday, July 17, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its advice for LGBT+ travellers, under its ‘safety and security’ page. The warning comes after tens of thousands defied Hungary’s dystopian ban on Pride – spearheaded by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s swiftly implemented law that makes it an offence to hold or attend events that involve the ‘depiction or promotion’ of homosexuality to minors.
While same-sex sexual activity is legal, and Budapest is known for its openness and liberal tolerance – showing affection in public outside the capital could result in ‘unwanted attention’. “Hungary has passed legislation allowing the banning of rallies and marches that depict or promote LGBT+ identities to minors,” the FCDO states.
Tens of thousands defied the dystopian ban(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Participants could be identified by facial recognition technology and face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian Forints (approximately £433.71). The Hungarian government classified Budapest Pride 2025 as illegal under this legislation.”
While the Pride event has officially ended, Brits travelling to Budapest over the summer period should be aware of changing attitudes towards LGBT+ people, and the risk that public affection may garner outside of the tourist-riddled capital.
The FCDO has updated its travel advice following the LGBT+ crackdown(Image: Getty Images)
The FCDO also warns that tourists in Hungary can often be targets for ‘petty crime’, including bag-snatching and pickpocketing. This is more likely to occur in busy places like on public transport, in train stations, at markets, or bustling attractions.
“Some bars, clubs and restaurants might charge high amounts for food and drink,” the body added. “Tourists have been taken to cashpoints with demands for the money to pay the bill. Always ask to see the menu and price list before ordering food and check your bill carefully before paying.”
There have also been reports of drinks being spiked, particularly in Budapest’s bars. Travellers are therefore advised to always buy their own alcoholic drinks and make sure to ‘keep sight of them’ at all times.
Has Hungary’s LGBT+ crackdown put you off visiting? Email [email protected] for a chance to share your story
Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary and the United States returned to Earth early Tuesday after the 20-day SpaceX Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. They parachuted into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California.
Thousands to march in Hungary’s capital despite government ban, highlighting EU-wide resistance against anti-LGBTQ laws.
A record number of people are expected to attend a Pride march in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, defying a ban that marks an unprecedented regression of LGBTQ rights in the European Union.
The event on Saturday comes after Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling coalition earlier this year amended laws and the constitution to ban the annual celebration. Orban’s government has consistently argued that the legislation defends traditional family values and protects children.
While the prime minister has been emboldened by the anti-diversity offensive of President Donald Trump in the United States, his own initiatives have drawn protests at home and condemnation from the EU and rights groups.
The nationalist leader on Friday said that while police would not “break up” the 30th edition of the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of “legal consequences”.
Despite the risk of a fine, more than 35,000 people are expected to gather at 2pm (12:00 GMT) near Budapest’s city hall, an hour before the march begins.
Ministers from several EU countries and dozens of European politicians are expected to attend in defiance of the ban, reminiscent of events in Moscow in 2006 and Istanbul in 2015.
“We’re not just standing up for ourselves … If this law isn’t overturned, Eastern Europe could face a wave of similar measures,” Pride organiser Viktoria Radvanyi said.
Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban.
Thirty-three countries have also spoken up in support of the march.
While parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($580). The latest legal changes empower the authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who take part.
Freshly installed cameras have appeared on lamp posts along the planned route of the march.
However, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony has insisted that no attendee can face any reprisals as the march – co-organised by the city hall this time – is a municipal event and does not require police approval.
“The police have only one task tomorrow, and it is a serious one: to ensure the safety of Hungarian and European citizens attending the event,” Karacsony said during a briefing with visiting EU equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
Far-right groups have announced multiple counterprotests along the planned route of the procession.
Justice Minister Bence Tuzson this week sent a letter to EU embassies cautioning diplomats and staff against participating because of the police ban.
Several EU countries have informed their citizens of the potential of fines through travel advisories.
Since Orban’s return to power in 2010, the country of 9.6 million people has been steadily rolling back LGBTQ rights.
Legal changes have, in effect, barred same-sex couples from adopting children, prevented transgender people from changing their name or gender in official documents, and a 2021 law forbade the “display and promotion” of homosexuality to under-18s.
In March, politicians passed a bill targeting the annual Pride march, amending the 2021 law to prohibit any gathering violating its provisions.
A month later, parliament also adopted a constitutional change to strengthen the legal foundations for the ban.
“Orban is employing a tried-and-tested recipe ahead of next year’s election by generating a conflict,” political analyst Daniel Mikecz told the news agency AFP. Orban was “polarising society”, he added.
Voter opinion polls suggest Orban’s Fidesz party has been losing ground to the opposition.
The first Pride march was held in 1970 in New York to mark the anniversary of the city’s Stonewall riots in June 1969, which created the gay rights movement.
As pressure mounts from the EU and his domestic rivals, Hungary’s prime minister is rallying allies to paralyse European institutions.
A “Trump tornado” has swept the globe, bringing with it a wave of “hope” for a return to “normalcy and peace.” So declared Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a strikingly blunt keynote speech at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest.
Originally a platform for United States Republican Party politicians and theorists, CPAC has, in recent years, evolved into a global forum for radical right-wing forces. Its arrival in Europe was facilitated by the Foundation for Fundamental Rights – a government-organised NGO backed and funded by the Orban administration.
While Orban lavished praise on Donald Trump, this year’s CPAC had a distinctly European focus. After 15 years in power, Orban faces growing opposition at home. Public frustration over entrenched corruption, economic stagnation and increasingly hostile relations with Hungary’s allies has eroded his popularity. A newly emergent opposition movement, led by former Fidesz insider Peter Magyar, is now polling 6 – 8 percentage points ahead of Orban’s Fidesz–KDNP coalition, posing a serious challenge ahead of the 2026 general election.
In response, the government has ramped up attacks on dissent. Fidesz recently introduced a series of sweeping legislative proposals that threaten opposition politicians, independent media, NGOs and private businesses with Russian-style crackdowns. June’s LGBTQ+ Pride march in Budapest was among the first casualties – banned on the grounds of “child protection”. Alongside these measures, the government has begun rewriting electoral laws and funnelling state resources towards potential Fidesz voters.
Alarmed by Orban’s escalating authoritarianism, 20 European Union member states this week issued a joint declaration urging him to reverse the new measures. They called on the European Commission to deploy the full range of rule-of-law mechanisms should the laws remain in place. Orban’s behaviour is no longer just a domestic matter. His confrontational, transactional approach increasingly paralyses EU decision-making – a luxury the continent can ill afford amid intensifying challenges from Russia, China and the second Trump administration. European unity is not merely a motor of prosperity; it is a cornerstone of collective security.
The Article 7 process – a rarely used EU mechanism that can strip a member state of voting rights for violating fundamental values – was triggered by the European Parliament in 2018 due to concerns over judicial independence and media freedom in Hungary. While the European Council has discussed the matter eight times, it has yet to move forward with a vote on sanctions. That may soon change as tensions continue to mount.
CPAC 2025 thus served as a strategic platform for Orban to consolidate and expand a coalition of radical right-wing Central European leaders – particularly those with a realistic shot at gaining or retaining power. His aim: to forge a bloc capable of obstructing any EU efforts to sanction his government, whether by suspending voting rights or slashing financial transfers. The EU is already withholding over 20 billion euros ($23bn) in structural funds from Hungary – a figure that could rise, creating a serious political liability for Orban ahead of the 2026 elections.
Orban’s ambition is to entrench support among regional allies – and it is telling that the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have yet to join the growing list of countries condemning Hungary’s recent democratic backsliding. Through CPAC, the Visegrad Group – a longstanding alliance between Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic — and the “Patriots for Europe” group – a far-right alliance in the European Parliament launched by Orban and allies in 2024 – the Hungarian leader is laying the foundations for a counterweight bloc designed to frustrate EU countermeasures.
This makes the presence of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Poland’s Mateusz Morawiecki – of the Law and Justice (PiS) party – at this week’s event especially significant. While neither of their parties belongs to the Patriots group in the European Parliament, they remain political allies with growing mutual dependence.
Orban has developed a near cult-like following on the European far right: he consistently wins elections, offers a ready-made ideological narrative, and has poured resources into building a pan-European coalition. But his greatest limitations are Hungary’s small size and his own deepening isolation from the European mainstream. Should far-right parties enter government elsewhere in Europe, they may opt to distance themselves from Orban – as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has already done.
CPAC underscored the scale of Orban’s effort to preserve the influence he has worked so hard to build. He cannot take on the EU alone. He needs allies if he is to realise his vision of “occupying Brussels” and unleashing his own “tornado” of “civility” across Europe. The Patriots group, Hungary’s Visegrad neighbours and a Trump-led Washington may yet serve as vehicles for that ambition – and for Orban’s own political survival.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Twenty countries in the European Union have called on Hungary to repeal its archaic ban on Pride and other LGBTQIA+ events.
Earlier this year, Hungarian lawmakers passed two pieces of legislation that further restricted the rights of the country’s LGBTQIA+ residents.
In March, the ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill that would make it illegal to organise or attend events that violate Hungary’s “child protection“ laws, which prohibit the “depiction or promotion“ of homosexuality to those under 18.
The legislation also allows police to use facial recognition cameras to identify individuals attending the events and give out fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints.
After being introduced in the parliament, the measure was swiftly passed and signed into law by the country’s extremely conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
A few weeks later, lawmakers passed an amendment to Hungary’s constitution, banning LGBTQIA+ public events and declaring that only two genders – male and female – would be recognised.
In response to the draconian law and amendment, LGBTQIA+ organisations, activists and allies have slammed the government and Orbán, with many taking to the streets to protest.
The horrific pieces of legislation have also caught the attention of 20 EU countries, which urged Hungary to revise its harmful measures in a statement released on 27 May.
“We are highly alarmed by these developments which run contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights, as laid down in Artice 2 of the Treaty of the European Union,” they wrote.
“Respecting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people, including LGBTIQ+ persons, is inherent in being part of the European family. This is our responsibility and the shared commitment of the member states and the European institutions.
“We therefore call upon Hungary to revise these measures to ensure the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens are respected and protected, thus complying with its international obligations.”
The declaration was backed by France, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Czechia, Cyprus, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia, Finland, Slovenia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
In addition to the joint statement, EU affairs ministers met in Brussels that same day to discuss Hungary’s harmful and anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.
“I think it’s time that we consider the next steps, because this is getting pointless in continuing these hearings,” EU affairs minister of Sweden Jessica Rosencrantz, told the Associated Press.
“[The EU is] not a geographical union but a union based on values, and in that sense, we have to act strongly against countries not living up to our common principles.”
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Travellers can’t stop raving about this cheap and cheerful city less than three hours from the UK, that is home to a slew of free attractions (and, more importantly, £1.20 pints)
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Budapest is a perfect blend of history, cheap booze – and ‘healing’ waters(Image: Getty Images)
Escape the daily grind and explore this stunning EU city that won’t break the bank. Renowned for its majestic architecture, ubiquitous history, and geothermal spas – Hungary has long shimmered under the tourist spotlight.
In fact, a record-breaking six million holidaymakers flocked to the country’s capital, Budapest, last year – a whopping 24 per cent increase compared to the year before. It’s a great base for those wanting to inter-rail around Europe on their gap year – and make a perfect city break year-round.
Unlike most European capitals, Budapest is an affordable city that won’t wreak havoc on your finances. For example, the average pint costs £1.20, while dinner for two (without booze) in a ‘moderately-priced’ restaurant will set you back around £10.
Budapest is great for all types of travellers, especially those on a budget(Image: Getty Images)
Keeping under budget in Budapest is also easy as many of its main attractions are free. You can hike Gellért Hill – which only takes 30 minutes – and get rewarded with sweeping views of the city, Here, you’ll also find Citadella, a mighty fortress built after the 1848–49 War of Independence to defend the city from further insurrection.
If you’re not wanting to break a sweat, stroll along City Park with a coffee – or take advantage of the shade at Ervin Szabó Central Library. “Housed in a former 19th-century palace, the Ervin Szabó Central Library invites visitors to take a break from the dizzying pace of the Hungarian capital and unwind in regal surroundings,” explains Lonely Planet.
The guide continues: “Spaces that once functioned as grand dining rooms and living quarters have been converted into a number of truly dazzling public reading rooms. Giant chandeliers dangle above plush armchairs, enticing visitors to spend an afternoon flicking through one of the two million-plus texts that line the library’s shelves.”
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History buffs will need to head over to Pest and Óbuda to explore the Roman ruins. “Aquincum is the most complete Roman civilian town in Hungary and contains both a world-class museum and an open-air archeological park,” Lonely Planet added. While there is an entrance charge for this attraction, you can get a glimpse of the ruins without paying.
On the banks of the Danube River, close to the Hungarian Parliament building, you’ll find sixty pairs of old-fashioned shoes made from iron. These are a sobering memorial to the Hungarian Jews who, during 1944-1945, were shot on the banks of the Danube River.
The shoes on the Danube river are an emotional sight(Image: Afp/AFP via Getty Images)
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Of course, no trip to Budapest is complete without making the most of its ‘healing waters’. Often touted as the world’s ‘Spa Capital’, Budapest is home to an array of geothermal pools, which are an integral part of Hungarian culture. Széchenyi Thermal Bath, one of the largest bath complexes in Europe, is by far the most popular – and tickets cost less than £20.
Geothermal spas are huge in Hungary – but you will have to splash out on tickets(Image: Getty Images)
If a jam-packed itinerary isn’t your kind of style- don’t worry. Budapest is a compact city filled with mouth-watering food markets, themed-bars, and beautiful architecture. It’s the perfect place to roam around and just see what takes your fancy.
You can fly directly to Budapest from most major UK airports, including Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle, Birmingham, London Stansted and Luton. Flights, which take an average of two and a half hours, can be bought for as little as £37 in June.
Booze isn’t the only cheap thing in Budapest, with a wide range of accommodation suiting different budgets. For example, a weekend’s stay (Friday, June 20-22) at the Chill & Stay – a two-bedroom apartment – costs just £135, based on two adults sharing. For those wanting a more luxurious city break, check out the Continental Hotel Budapest, which sits on the former site of Hungaria Bath. You can stay in a standard double or twin room on the exact same nights for £261.
*Prices based on Skyscanner and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.
What’s your favourite European city? Let us know in the comments section below
The New York Café in Budapest is one of the most beautiful cafes in the world, with marble columns, frescoes and crystal chandeliers making it the perfect place to take a selfie
Tourists queue for hours to take the perfect Instagram picture
Envision a café where the décor takes centre stage, outshining the coffee itself. A grand establishment that magnetises swarms of Instagram enthusiasts trying to capture the perfect shot for their feeds. Welcome to the New York Café in Budapest, where the entrance proudly proclaims it to be “the most beautiful café in the world.”
It’s a claim that’s hard to dispute. This 125-year-old café, with its majestic marble columns, breath-taking frescoes, and dazzling crystal chandeliers, entices thousands of visitors and TikTok enthusiasts to marvel at its splendour.
As you step inside, you’re transported to a scene reminiscent of a grand European palace, complete with intricate frescoes, glittering chandeliers, and stately marble columns. It’s like entering a time capsule from the opulent Belle Époque era (a period aptly named the “Beautiful Age” in French).
The New York Café menu features a mix of Hungarian and international dishes, fancy cakes, and freshly brewed coffee.(Image: Portia Jones)
The New York Café is a hotspot for tourists, welcoming approximately 2,000 customers daily, with queues stretching down the boulevard.
Situated on Erzsébet körút Street, the shop was initially constructed in 1894 under the guidance of Hungarian architect Alajos Hauszmann. It began as the Hungarian headquarters for the New York Life Insurance Company, whose owners envisioned a coffee house within the building.
The café’s interior was meticulously crafted by Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl, who infused it with an Italian Renaissance flair. The ceilings feature intricate frescoes by artists Gusztav Mannheimer and Ferenc Eisenhut.
Built in the Italian Renaissance style, the New York Cafe is the most famous cafe in Budapest.
Hungarian coffee culture
The New York Café menu offers a blend of Hungarian and international dishes, decadent cakes, and freshly brewed coffee. Afternoon tea for two is priced around €72.50, which equivales to £61.10, and main courses range from €23 to €36, which equivalates to £19 and £30.
It’s one of the prime spots to sample Hungarian cakes, including Dobos Torte, a Hungarian classic featuring layers of sponge cake and chocolate buttercream topped with caramel; Sacher Torte, a rich chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam; and Opera Cake, which boasts layers of almond sponge, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache.
The food and drink are served with an artistic flair, though reviews vary, and its steep prices often draw criticism from Trip Advisor reviewers. If you’re not averse to spending a bit more, try their 24-carat gold cappuccino, paired with Valrhona chocolate and raspberry cake, for a lavish start to your day.
Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
The Cafe is actually located within the historic 5* Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, a grand stay in the heart of Hungary’s capital.
Within this majestic and historic building, you’ll discover a modern hotel boasting 185 rooms, a cave spa and high-end restaurants. 19th-century grandeur and Italian Renaissance style have been seamlessly combined with contemporary features to create a luxurious city stay.
Rooms vary in price and size, ranging from classic and superior to suites, and are elegantly adorned with plush Italian furnishings and sleek mod-cons.
Their gourmet buffet breakfast offering is particularly noteworthy. It includes a generous spread of locally sourced produce, featuring pastries, pancakes, cold cuts, cheese, and eggs cooked to order. Just keep an eye out for the selfie-takers!
