Thanks to the Liget Budapest project, a 120-year-old attraction came back to life in the City Park – though nobody was there in 1896, the Balloon Lookout was already around on the occasion of the millennium exhibition,
– emphasized the CEO of Városliget Zrt. When speaking with Magyar Nemzet. He noted they are proud that the project allows them to restore multiple old legacies to their former glory.
According to Benedek Gyorgyevics, the hot-air balloon to be launched on May 1st will be tethered to the ground and filled with helium gas; it will practically function as an open-air elevator over the Mimóza-hill located next to the Széchényi Baths. The hot-air balloon ride reaches its maximum 150-meter height in only 5 minutes, and comes back down in the same amount of time. It is decorated with Pál Szinyei Merse’s work, “The Balloon”, similar to the nearby playground.
Aside from the pilot, 30 people over the age of 6 are allowed to join, who can enjoy the view of the City Park and the capital as long as the weather is clear. According to the CEO, visitors can choose from a variety of tickets, going up during the day or even at night. Children’s tickets cost 5,000 HUF, adults 7,000 HUF and families 20,000 HUF.
Zoltán Závodszky, CEO of BallonKilátó Zrt., explained safety procedures at a press conference before Tuesday’s test flight. He explained that,
The design of the Balloon Lookout placed special emphasis on compliance with safety standards; its use is completely safe and all components comply with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) standards.
The CEO also explained that the balloon does not pose any environmental burdens as the six thousand cubic meters of helium required for filling is a natural, non-reactive noble gas, which is non-toxic, non-flammable and entirely safe.
The City Park project goes beyond the capital
Culture does not belong exclusively to the capitol, and so the City Park does not only belong to the VI, VII, and XIV districts,
– highlighted Benedek Gyorgyevics in connection with the resurging debates between the government and the capital on the implementation of Europe’s largest cultural investment. The CEO of Városliget Zrt. said that the City Park project could only be demonized while it was on the planning stage. The reality leaves less room for debate because anyone who has visited the City Park can see for themselves that everything is going according to plan. “Contrary to accusations, nobody is destroying the park, just the opposite: bigger, better quality green spaces and cultural attractions greet visitors. That is exactly why I am confident that the plans for the New National Gallery, the Hungarian House of Innovation, and the City Park Theater will soon be realized,” Benedek Gyorgyevics emphasized.
