The capital city of Hungary, Budapest hosts the biggest cultural event in Hungary, the Budapest Spring Festival, with amazing orchestras, brilliant chamber concerts, jazz sessions, contemporary dance performances, cultural film screenings of some of the best emerging artists with a vast number of venues that house these international performers in a way that can only be supplied by this unique historic city.

The Name Budapest was created from three historic towns joining together Buda, Obuda and Pest in 1873. The River Danube goes through the middle of the city forming a unique transport path along its length.

Budapest has a long and fascinating history which easily draws you in as you meander around its gorgeous streets. Budapests historic heritage links in well with the Budapest Spring Festival as it is a bustling thriving city bringing in many brilliant artists over the years. Seeing the particular worth of its heritage it has managed to keep its wonder and charm, and is well known as the Queen of the Danube. Its other name is the City of Spas, as there are a dozen spring baths complexes provided for by over a hundred natural thermal springs.

This 2009 Budapest Spring Festival the theatre section of the Budapest Spring Festival features Hungarian première The Park by Botho Strauss and Puccini’s Turandot, conducted by Péter Oberfrank which will be a performance that is not to be missed out on.

Orchestral concerts include performances by Joshua Bell & the Camerata Salzburg and Oleg Maisenberg & the Kremerata Baltica, while on the jazz front there is the Nigel Kennedy Quintet, featuring the famous English violinist.
I saw the Nigel Kennedy Quintet when they played the Salisbury Festival in the UK and they were fantastic and for those of you who are culturally energised it is well worth going along to this amazing city and festival.

Obviously if this year you where thinking of going Gorilla Trekking in the heart of Africa or organising a tailor made holiday in India who am I to stand in your way, what I am saying is that Budapest spring Festival is an event that shouldn’t be missed.

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