A Must-See: The Central Market of Budapest

Yes, I agree, it’s becoming more and more of a tourist attraction, it’s hard to believe that it still is one of the favorite shopping places of Budapesters.

I went to the market with my grandmother for the first time when I was some 5-years-old. Honestly, that time I couldn’t tell he difference between the poors’ and riches’ aisle but was fascinated by the smells and the products.

The visit of the 120-year-old building, which looks exactly like a train station is part of my Foodie Tour (except on Sundays when it’s closed), I’d be glad to introduce you to our shopping and eating culture and I’ll also make sure you taste the best sausage and strudel at the market.

36 Hours in Budapest by The New York Times

 I’ve received this article from three guests of mine at different occasions – and thank you so much guys for your preparations before your actual trip to Budapest. I need to tell that most of the places recommended by The New York Times are both fun and nice, still, I have the impression I can show you so much more when you come to visit my beautiful city.

Feel free to ask for my special recommendations!

A Must-See: the Széchenyi baths

To show how much local people love the Széchenyi baths, I can tell you that we also have a nickname for it and call it simply ‘Szecska’. It opened in 1913 and has a total of 18 indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It’s one of the most richly ornate buildings of the city with an architecture combining Neo-Renaissance and Classicist elements. One really has to see the main foyer where both the statues and mosaics are all realted to water and bathing culture.

I only recommend going to the Szecska in the summer for those who don’t mind crowds but it’s really quiet and enjoyable in the winter. I can take you to the Széchenyi if you book the Baths of Budapest  walking tour with me.

More information about prices and opening hours.

 

  • Budapest Baths Private Walking Tour
  • Budapest Baths Private Walking Tour

A Must-See: the Gellért baths

Bathing and bathing culture have always been an important part of our everyday life. According to a survey I’ve just read 30% of the locals go to the baths regularly. It’s fun, very relaxing and has healing effects, too. I can show you some of the most authentic Budapest baths if you join me for a tour.

The Gellért bathhouse is the most elegant bath complex of Budapest. The building is one of the most amazing pieces of the Budapest Art Nouveau and  opened in 1918. When you have a look at the richly ornate facade of the building its hard to imagine that before the construction of the elegant hotel, the place had been referred to as to the muddy baths, where both people and animals had their regular bath.

The thermal baths are fed by the mineral hot springs of the Gellért hill. The water is rich in  calcium, magnesium, hydrocarbonate and sulfate. The water temperature varies from 35 °C to 40 °C.

Don’t miss the Turkish section where the walls are so nicely decorated with colorful mosaics. The bath can be visited throughout the year, if you happen to be in Budapest in the summer, you can also take advantage of the outdoor wave pool.

Pictures of Budapest and Hungary

My two greatest passions are tour guiding and photography. I’ve been involved in photography in a way or another my entire adult life and I always try to catch the beauty I see walking around Budapest every day. Some of my pictures are on Instagram, too: – https://www.instagram.com/kravianszky/

 

TH Awards – Private Tour Company of the Year

I’m the extremely proud winner of Travel and Hospitality Awards’ Private Tour Company – of the Year 2018 in Hungary. This is an award I appreciate a lot and it’s also a great feedback showing that my guests are happy with my services as their private Budapest tour guide. It’s time to celebrate!

A Must-See: Memento Park

We toured the Memento Park today, an amazing exhibition “in the shadow of Stalin’s boots”.

All the Communist monuments of Budapest were taken from our streets after the political changes as they reminded our people of the dictatorship, of the despotism of the Communist leaders. Instead of destroying them all – which idea was by the way supported by many of the Budapesters – some of these statues were installed in a thematical statue park in the 22nd district of Budapest. According to the conceptual designer, the “park is not about the statues or the sculptors but a critique of the ideology that used these statues as symbols of authority”.

I remember very well many of these statues standing on our streets, most of them had special nicknames and funny stories were also created about them. I’m happy to share these stories with you and tell you about the monumentality of the arts during the Communist era where the main objective was to create new idols to be adored by the proletariat. I’ll also tell you why you can see only the boots of Stalin, and I’ll introduce you to the ideology of the era which ended recently, some 28 years ago.

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