You might have noticed already how much I’m fascinated by the Art Nouveau movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. I love the design, the colours, the shapes and the fantastic symbolism, the stories the buildings and objects tell us. We were fortunate enough to discover this beautiful little gem of Art Nouveau in the 6th district of Budapest with my travellers who were looking for their family roots in Budapest earlier this year.

The house is from 1904, designed by the Hungarian architect genius Albert Kálmán Kőrössy for the Sonnenberg family. Like many other buildings from the same period of time this building was also in a very bad shape by the end of the 20th century. Some of the residents decided to restore it to its original beauty, and they have been doing an amazing job. It is a very long and expensive process, some of the stained glass windows were already restored, and they are just exquisite. I cannot wait to see the rest of the project.

Join me for an Art Nouveau walk to find out more about this super exciting time period and the symbolism of Hungarian Art Nouveau. Also, you’ll find more details about the Sonnenberg house and the restoration process here.

We stumble upon these little brass plaques in the pavement of the streets of Budapest, we see most of them on the Jewish Quarter walking tour. These little plaques remember people who were killed in the Holocaust, placed in the pavement in front of the building they lived, their last address of choice.

I love the idea of never forgetting people. I love how discreet these little plaques are and how they make you think, the actual train of thoughts that can take you much further than intended. I also love that this is probably the largest ever Holocaust memorial, still, you only see little parts of it. The amazing project of Gunter Demnig began in 1996 and about 95,000 plaques have now been placed across Europe. Don’t forget to look “down” sometimes. I can promise you that once you notice a plaque, you’ll all of a sudden see them all. Here is a little gallery of the ones I’ve come across the last couple of days.

The reason why I love the Gödöllő and Hollókő tour is because it is a great opportunity to explore the magnificent Hungarian Baroque architecture, urban and rural, exquisite and ordinary. It is not just a travel back in time, it is also a great way to learn more about Hungarian culture and about the life of our predecessors, the lifestyle that defined our everyday life and culture today. In addition, you will have the chance to meet some very friendly local people who cherish the local traditions and try to keep them alive. I have more pictures for you of the Gödöllő palace and Hollókő.

A little photo gallery from the thousands of photographs I’ve been taking while walking around my Beautiful Budapest. These are not the most famous attractions, but some hidden gems that you can discover when you book a tour with me. The reason why I’m sharing these with you is that I very much like the colours, the vibes, the ambience of these places. Feel free to contact me for more details!

Riding Budapest Eye, the ferris wheel located in the heart of the city centre is always a great experience, especially when the weather is nice and you have an amazing view from the birds’ eyes view 🙂

Belgrade church, a very popular spot of our Danube Bend or Szentendre tours. This is a real hidden little gem surrounded by trees, the Serbian Orthodox Church of Szentendre. Unfortunately the church is only open for visitors on weekends, however, I highly recommend to see the interior to see the magnificent iconostasis.

 

Here is another Budapest attraction that I see almost every day, thanks to all the Budapest tours that you’re booking with me. Have a look at how the Fisherman’s Bastion looks like in spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Did you know that Budapest has multiple beaches where you can swim in the Danube? My personal favourite spot is Római Part with magnificent views, very unique character, a nice range of recreational activities, cool bars and great food. Don’t miss to walk around a little bit to see the old boathouses!