Szentendre is a little postcard village, one of the three villages we visit on the Danube Bend tour. It’s a very short drive from Budapest and is equally popular among tourists and locals.

This weekend was very special, the entire village was beautifully lit up for the Light Festival. A truly amazing end-of-the-summer wonderland.

The most poignant Holocaust memorial in Budapest is at the Pest side of the Danube River near the Parliament. That’s where thousands of people were killed in 1944 and 1945 by the militiamen of the nazi Hungarian Arrow Cross party. Before these people were shot and their bodies were carried away by the Danube River they had been ordered to take of their shoes.

I’m starting a new series to introduce you the most famous statues of Budapest and some of the hidden gems, too. These are the beautiful monuments of Budapest we usually see on our walking or driving tours in Buda and Pest.

The Holy Trinity monument is in the Buda Castle District, near the Matthias Church. It was erected at the beginning of the 18th century by the people who had survived the Black Plague and wanted to show their gratitude to God for saving their lives.

The Danube Bend tour is one of my most popular tours, as it includes three very different little villages along the Danube river.

Visegrád is one to the towns we visit, it’s famous for the Royal Palace and the Upper Castle, both belonged to the amazing complex of fortification built after the invasion of the Mongols in the 13th century.

The castle was originally built as a heaven for nuns and was paid for by the wife of the Hungarian king Béla IV. Today you can still see the remains of the massive fortification walls and the panoramic view over the Danube Bend.

I’m ever so grateful for all your kind words and reviews. This one is even more special because this is the 100th review I’ve had on TripAdvisor. Thank you very much for all the kind words and comments!!

What a treat! Just like VIP

We booked an 8 hour tour of Budapest. This turned out to be one of the best moments in our lives. We were greeted by Julia in the lobby of our hotel. She was already waiting for us. She took us to a huge black limo, which was at our discretion for the whole day. This car could even access blocked streets! Just like magic, the blocking posts just opened for us only. We felt like real VIPs. She took us to so many places. Her English is perfect. I do speak Hungarian, but my spouse speaks only English. We’re had absolutely no problem understanding everything. Julia gave us a lot of information about the past, present and a little future about the city, also about the country. Budapest is really a magical city, Julia made it even more attractive. We can’t wait to do it again. Oh, and let’s not forget the secret places she took us to. On our own we would’ve missed so much! She recommended some excellent restaurants, which we really enjoyed. 
We ended the day in the evening, tired but happy. It was a perfect getaway. We loved it. I recommend it to anyone who wants to have fun and at the same time learn about Budapest. 
Thank you Júlia! This will stay with us for ever. Can’t wait for the next time!

The castle was originally built temporarily for the 1896 millennium exhibit to showcase all the different architectural sites of Hungary in one complex of buildings. The project was so successful that the building needed to be rebuilt in a permanent form when the exhibit was over.

Ever since it’s one of the most visited attractions of Budapest, hidden in the beautiful City Park. It serves as an important movie set, too, so don’t be surprised when you see these buildings in Hollywood movies.

The visit of the castle is included in most of my Budapest walking or driving tours, please contact me for further details!

Visiting the Herend Factory is always a special experience. The dedication and the talent of people making the most famous Hungarian porcelain products is simply amazing.

During the tour one can see all the different phases of porcelain making and can also learn a lot about the ‘white gold’. I recommend to include the visit in the Lake Balaton tour to make this tour even more authentic.

I’m spending most of my time walking around Budapest and touring around beautiful Hungary. I’m amazed to see that my country attracts more and more tourists every year. Yes, it’s a great thing. But at the same time it’s overwhelming, too.

I’d like travellers to have the most perfect Budapest experience, and I have a few tips for you to consider to make sure your visit is enjoyable and is good for our city and our people, too, leaving some living space to the Budapesters.

  1. Support local businesses: hire a local guide, eat local, drink local. 
  2. Instead of doing bus tours take public transportation and walk.
  3. Forget about guide books and the must-see attractions. Try and discover the city for yourself.
  4. Don’t invade specific baths/museums/bars/restaurants. It’s so sad to see that local people can no longer go to these places because they are overcrowded.
  5. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do back home.

I’m happy to have met realy great people and to have had the chance to show them around my beautiful Budapest and some of the Hungarian countryside, too. It was a real pleasure!