A Must-See: Buda Castle Funicular

The cute little cable car has been transporting millions of passengers from the Chain Bridge to the top of the Castle hill (or the other way) since its opening in 1870. You might have seen it appearing in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, too.

Originally it was operated by steam and was destroyed in WW2. Since its reconstruction it’s been an electric cable car.

My insider tip: if you want to avoid long lines, don’t take it to go to the top but take it to descend to the Chain Bridge from the Royal Palace.

  • Buda Castle Funicular
  • Buda Castle Funicular

The hand of St. Stephen

A very special relic, the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first Christian king who was crowned in 1000. The legend is that his body had been exhumed before he was canonised and that’s when his right hand and arm were found mummified. This relic can be seen today in the St. Stephen’s Basilica.

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.

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.

Statues of Budapest: Holy Trinity Monument

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.

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

100th review on TripAdvisor

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!

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.

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