The Herend Porcelain

Hungary is very famous for porcelain production, one of the greatest manufacturers is Herend. The factory has been producing porcelain for almost 200 years. The factory is based in the little village of Herend, near Veszprém, I’d be happy to include the visit of the factory when we are touring the Lake Balaton and its surroundings.

Herend porcelain has won several prizes at different expos and exhibitions. After a famous Herend set had been presented at the London World Expo in 1851 Queen Victoria ordered a dinner set, the pattern got named in her honour “Viktória”.

The visit of the Herend Porcelain Museum is very interesting, the “Mini-Manufactory” displays the porcelain making in a series of rooms; visitors are shown the preparation of plaster casts, shaping, piercing, flower making and the various painting techniques. After the visit you’ll be invited for a coffee or tea served in Herend porcelain.

 

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Day trip to Bratislava

We just spent a beautiful day in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It’s only a 2-hour drive from Budapest, and is the only capital in Europe bordering two countries; Hungary and Austria.

We started the tour at Slavin, at the memorial dedicated to the liberation of Slovakia in April 1945. We took a pleasant walk around the Bratislava Hrad, the castle which looks like an upside down table, the towers of the castle are so similar to table legs. Unfortunately the castle was almost entirely destroyed in a fire 200 years ago, still, the view from the top of the hill over Bratislava is really pretty.

We toured the quaint little old town, visited St. Martin’s Cathedral and the gorgeous Cardinal Palace topped with a giant  cardinal’s hat. We discovered the town’s unique statues, the Man at Work, the Paparazzo and of course Napoleon’s soldier, too. We also enjoyed a traditional local lunch on the main square before returning to Budapest.

 

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Hungarian Wines – the Etyek-Buda Wine Region

The wine region is very often named Budapest’s vineyard because of its closeness to the capital city. It was officially formed in 1997 although local wine production originates from the Middle Ages. Due to calcareous clay soils the region is famous for the production of high acid sparkling wines.

Because of the region’s ecological environment the most important characteristic of the wines are their imparting, vibrant acidity. The best-known white types are Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Gris. Red wines are still an exception in the region but you can taste some interesting Pinot Noir and Cabernet, too.

Local winemakers are absolutely charming and would be happy to offer you not only their best selection of wines but a light lunch, too, join my “Etyek Wine Tour” to see and taste more!

 

Etyek Private Driving Tour
Etyek Private Driving Tour
Etyek Private Driving Tour
Etyek Private Driving Tour
Etyek Private Driving Tour
Etyek Private Driving Tour

 

Budapest Spring and Easter Fair

Don’t forget to check out the Spring and Easter Fair on Vörösmarty square, it’s open until the end of April. You can buy local, artisanal handicraft products, pottery, ceramics, jewellry and leather products. There are workshops and concerts every weekend. Also, you can taste the most fantastic treats of the Hungarian cuisine, traditional Easter dishes as ham and knuckle, and great cakes, including of course the festive  chimney cake.

 

Happy Easter!

Let me tell you about the funniest Hungarian Easter tradition. That’s the so-called “watering” of Easter Monday. According to the old traditions water or more preferably perfumed water is sprinkled on girls. Nowadays men usually use perfume but a few decades back they poured large buckets of ice cold water on the screaming ladies. It’s a nice tradition, also, it helps women to remain fresh and beautiful all year long. In exchange the men get nicely decorated, hand painted Easter eggs.

 

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Lake Balaton Tour

Hungarian people named the lake Balaton the Hungarian sea almost a hundred years ago. That’s where most of us spend at least a few days in the summer, go camping for a school excursion or ice skating in the winter. That’s also where many of our friends from East Germany spent their summer vacations during the communist era, but that’s an entire different story.

The lake is about 80 km long, it’s the  biggest freshwater lake in Central Europe. The water is of a very beautiful green, and is smooth and silky, no wonder that the neighborhood is the number one tourist destination of locals. It’s a holiday resort, the paradise of sailers, windsurfers and kiters, the venue of a few great summer music festivals and a perfect quiet place for chilling out.

The Lake Balaton Tour takes you to the pretty Northern shore of the lake, a mountainous region with extinct volcanoes, highlands and several wine regions. The tour also includes rarities of the Hungarian architecture, I show you around the medieval castle of Nagyvázsony, the castle-town of Veszprém and the elegant Festetics palace of Keszthely. We visit charming little towns, like Tihany, which is said to be the richest Hungarian town and Balatonfüred, where we can take a little walk at the marina.  let’s not forget about food and drink, I’ll introduce you to local farmers of the Kál basin and winemakers of the Badacsony wine region.

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View over the Balaton, Tihany, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky View over the Balaton, Tihany, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky
Tihany Abbey, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky Tihany Abbey, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky
Baroque Palace in Keszthely, Hungary, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky Baroque Palace in Keszthely, Hungary, Lake Balaton castles and palaces Private Tour by Julia Kravianszky

 

Budapest Art Nouveau

Why do I like Art Nouveau so much? Because it’s probably the one and only architecture being different in the different European countries. Every country has a special, unique and very characteristic style and it’s nicely reflected in the cities’ architecture.

I very often guide tours of Budapest Art Nouveau buildings (Art Nouveau walk), I find their architecture, their ornaments and their stories absolutely stunning. The most important caracteristics of the Hungarian Art Nouveau are  the asymmetrical shapes and curved lines, floral and plant-inspired ornamentation, animal patterns and the rich use of mosaics and ceramic tiles.

Although the period of the Hungarian Art Nouveau didn’t last too long, the colorful and richly ornate buildings looking like jewellery boxes dominate our cityscape even today. The most beautiful furnitures, tea sets and pieces of art can be found in the House of the Hungarian Art Nouveau – Magyar Szecesszio Haza.

 

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Hungarian Wines – the Eger Wine Region

The Eger region’s wine culture has a history of over a thousand years, and essentially it has always determined the life of the local people. The most recognized red wine of the region is the Bull’s Blood (“Bikavér”) but white wine is also produced due to the favorable environment.

The climate is characterized by relatively late spring and is rather dry. The soil is varied, the most typical is brown forest soil covering volcanic rhyolite tuff.

By the beginning of the Communist era, as a result of nationalization quality production got replaced by quantity production and led to producing unpretentious wines. Because of the terribly poor quality of the wines both domestic and international reputation declined considerably. By the end of the 1970’s the Eger wines became in fact high acid, often bitter and astringent, even dilute. The renaissance of the region’s wines and wine production started in the mid-1990’s and it’s time to be very proud of them, again.

One of the best-known Hungarian wine brands is the Bull’s Blood of Eger. It ‘s medium-bodied and is characterized by a deep ruby color with relatively high acidity. Its smoothness is due to the extended ageing (12 months) in oak barrels. Bull’s Blood is a cuvée, and officially it has to contain at least three different grapes.

As for the local whites, one can taste a great variety of Riesling, Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Traminer, and Zenit wines.

Book an “Eger and wine tour by car” with me if you’re interested in taking a walk around the vineyards, talking to local farmers and winemakers and learning about all the secrets of the magical Bull’s Blood!

 

A Must-See: The Great Synagogue

The Great Synagogue is one of the most beautiful buildings of Budapest with unique architecture. It looks like a Mosque from the outside, the interior is very similar to the interior of a Christian church, still, it’s the most important cultic and cultural center of the Budapest Jewish community. Don’t miss to visit the interior and the Jewish Museum together with the garden and the park of the Synagogue with moving Holocaust monuments. I’m happy to show you around the building and the neighborhood as part of the “Jewish Quarter Walk“.

Great Synagogue, Budapest
Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
Budapest Jewish Quarter Private Walking Tour
Best of Pest Private Walking Tour
Best of Pest Private Walking Tour

Budapest sightseeing by public transport

I very often tell my guests to walk as much as they can, walking around is probably the best way to discover a new place; you have enough time to admire even the smallest details and to absorb the atmosphere of the city.

But, if you feel you’re too tired to walk, you can also choose public transport. Here is a list of some of the best options if you’re about to explore the everyday life of locals. And, don’t forget to validate your ticket!

Metro #1, the 120-year old metro connects the city center with the City Park. Taking the metro is a real time-travel, some of the stations are authentic from the end of the 19th century.

Tram #2, the streetcar or tram (short for tramway) rides all along the Pest side of the Danube river between the Margaret and the Petőfi bridges. Famous for the best view over the Parliament and the beautiful Buda hills.

Bus #16, the one and only bus taking to you to the historic old town of Buda, the buses are small and usually very crowded. It crosses the river on the 170-year old Chain Bridge and the journey ends on the cobblestoned streets of the Buda Castle District.

Funicular: it’s exactly like the one that appears at the beginning of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, it’s great fun although very busy, take it from the top of the Castle hill to the Chain Bridge if you want to skip the line.

 

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