Statues of Budapest: Julianus and Gerhardus

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.

Julianus and Gerhardus, Hungarian monks who travelled all the way to near the Ural Mountains in the 13th century to find Magna Hungaria, the territories where the Hungarians had lived before they started their migration to Europe and conquered the actual territories of Hungary.

Kalocsa tour

The reason why I love family researches a lot, is because it’s always a great experience to do the research and to find out more about my travellers’ relatives and family who were originally from Hungary. The other reason is that we usually go to beautiful Hungarian villages and towns to see where and how the family members lived 100 or 200 years ago.

Last week we visited the town of Kalocsa which isn’t just another cute little Hungarian town but it’s also famous for the local paprika. We went to see the local Paprika Museum to find out more about the most popular Hungarian spice.

Statues of Budapest: Carl Lutz Memorial

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.

A beautiful memorial commemorating Carl Lutz, Vice-Consul of the Embassy of Switzerland in Budapest who saved tens of thousands of Jews between 1942 and 1945. The statue is in Dob utca, near the Gozsdu Courtyard.

Szentendre Light Festival

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.

A Must-See: Shoe Memorial

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.

Must-See: The Upper Castle of Visegrád

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.

  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád
  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád
  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád
  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád
  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád
  • The Upper Castle of Visegrád

Must-See: Vajdahunyad castle in the City Park

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!

  • City Park of Budapest
  • City Park of Budapest
  • City Park of Budapest
  • City Park of Budapest

The Herend Porcelain

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.

Fun moments in May

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!

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