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.
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.
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!!
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!
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!
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.
I’m spending most of my time walking around Budapest and touring around beautiful Hungary. I’m amazed to see that my country attracts more and more tourists every year. Yes, it’s a great thing. But at the same time it’s overwhelming, too.
I’d like travellers to have the most perfect Budapest experience, and I have a few tips for you to consider to make sure your visit is enjoyable and is good for our city and our people, too, leaving some living space to the Budapesters.
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!
That’s a Hungarian saying, that’s probably how Hungarians try to find some comfort when they can’t see the sun for weeks. Budapest really is beautiful all year around but it shows most of its splendor in the sun.
Originally they were all built as single family homes, most of them were designed by the same architect so that the avenue has a harmonious look. They symbolize old wealth and old aristocracy. I’m happy to show you around our beautiful Andrassy avenue and tell you the stories of these beautiful buildings.
My favorite part of the year Budapest is getting more colorful and beautiful ever day. This is cherry blossom in the Buda Castle District. Come and see for yourself!
Yes, Pécs is one of my favorite destinations so I’d like to encourage you to book a tour at your earliest convenience. Once you have a look at the pictures below I’m sure you’ll fall in love with the city, too.
Pécs is very unique because the entire Hungarian history is on display in the city’s architecture, spirit and charm. You can learn so much while just walking around the cobblestoned streets.
We start the tour discovering the 1700-year-old Early Christian Necropolis, the well preserved burial chambers of the Romans fron the 4th century. We continue in the 11th century Basilica on Dóm square, an important symbol of the continuous fight of the Hungarians for Christianity. We tour the ruins of the Turkish baths, the only Turkish age mosque in Hungary that has remained intact together with its minaret and the 13th century Catholic church converted into a mosque in the 1540’s and reconverted into a Catholic church in the 1680’s. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to notice the special combination of the Muslim crescent moon and the Christian cross topping the church, reminding us of the peaceful coexistence of different religions. We admire the harmonious Baroque architecture and also have a look at the Vasarely museum.
After the city tour I take you to the Zsolnay quarter, the completely renovated and restored Zsolnay factory buildings where the most beautiful Hungarian porcelain and ceramic products have been manufactured since 1853.
We visited this cute little village last week as it was part of a family research I was working on for my guests arriving from Australia. I’ve never been to Szentkút before but I’m very much impressed by this enormous pilgrimage site, it’s just too bad it was deserted this part of the year. I understand it’s much more crowded in August when open air masses are held for hundreds of thousands of people.
The fountains have been famous for their healing power for some 700 years now and is declared a National Shrine since 2006.
The Hungarian “Székelykáposzta” is a great dish combining sauerkraut and pork stew, a nice meal to warm your body and soul on a cool day.
Drain 2.2 pound sauerkraut in a colander, rinse it gently under cold water and let it sit in the colander for a few minutes. Put half of the cabbage in a large saucepan, put in 1.3 pound diced pork rib and cover with the other half of the cabbage. Add 4 bay leafs and water to cover it and cook gently for 2 hours on low.
Heat 5.25 oz lard in a large saucepan on medium heat. Toss in 2 large chopped onions, cook them with a pinch of salt until they soften up. Remove saucepan from heat, stir in 3 teaspoon paprika powder with the onions until they’re fully coated. Put the saucepan back on the heat, turn it up to medium-high, and add 1.3 pound diced pork shoulder or leg. Cook until all the meat has browned. Once the meat is browned, add 1 tablespoon paprika paste or cream, 1 large chopped tomato and 1 diced bell pepper. Pour in water until it covers the meat, bring it up to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook slightly uncovered stirring occasionally for about 90 minutes.
Pour the pork stew in the cabbage stew, cook on medium low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a small saucepan on medium high. Add 2 tablespoon flour, stir until it’s browned, add 1 teaspoon paprika powder. Add 1 cup cold water, mix it and add the flour mixture to the cabbage. Add half of the sour cream, bring it up to a simmer.
You can serve the cabbage dish with the other half of the sour cream.
I guided several tours in the Northern part of Hungary this summer and Sopron has become my guest’s most popular destination, honestly, I can understand why. That’s the reason why this visit is part of my new tour to Győr and Sopron. The little town is situated near the border to Austria, a beautiful Baroque town rich in medieval architecture.
We refer to Sopron as to the most loyal Hungarian town because its citizens rejected the offer of Austrian citizenship in a referendum after WW1 when two thirds of the Hungarian territories got detached from our country. The anniversary of the referendum is celebrated every year.
During the tour we visit 13th century churches with Romanesque and Gothic structure, the Fire Tower, which is the town’s symbol since its construction in the 1600’s and apartment buildings from the 18th century. You’ll see where our great king Matthias was accomodated when he was besieging Vienna in 1482 and where Franz Liszt gave concerts in the 1800’s. I’ll also show you the ruins of the ancient Roman settlement, you can see the ruins of the town hall and the market from the Roman era.
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.
Probably the most beautiful wine country in Hungary, Villány offers great quality red and rosé wines and exceptionnal wineries with an amazing view over the surrounding hills. The number one domestic stronghold of wine tourism is the Villányi Borút -Villány Wine Trail- which was the very first Wine Trail brought to life in Hungary. Book the “Pécs and Villány Tour by Car” if you want to see and to learn more!
The area altogether is about 1800 hectares, the climate is of sub-mediterranean character with a hot summer, mild winter and a lot of sunshine. The southernmost mountain of Hungary protects the grapes from cool north winds.
Excavations prove that the Romans cultivated grapes in the area some 2000 years ago. As far as we know our ancestors started winemaking as early as in the 1060’s. Villany wine region had its first golden age during the early 1800′ after the arrival of German settlers. They introduced advanced agricultural know-how, technics and a new grape, known today as Kekoporto, which became number one in the region’s wine making.
During the second half of the 20th century the Villány vineyards were nationalized, the legacy of the quantity production will probably continue to be felt for decades in plantations with low densities and widely paced rows, originally designed to accommodate oversize tractors. It’s easy to see the differences between a collectively cultivated tract and a privately owned plot even today.
The Villány vine varieties and wines are Kékoportó, Kékfrankos and Cabernet Sauvignon, Hárslevelű. Italian Riesling and Leányka.
Villány winemakers are among the most successful participants in Hungarian and international wine contests and exhibitions. Wine producers and cellars of Villány have been awarded the titles “Wine Producer of the Year” and “Wine Cellar of the Year” several times.
The most known Hungarian dish is probably the Goulash soup, it’s served with fresh white bread and is a real treat. Find below the recipe, and let me know if you need recommendations about where you can get the best Goulash in Budapest or in Hungary.
In a large soup pot over medium heat saute 2, finely chopped onions in 2 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil), stirring frequently until lightly browned, don’t let them brown. Add salt and 2 tablespoons of paprika (you can avoid getting the paprika burnt by adding the paprika while the pot is not over heat, stirring it for a few seconds).
Turn the heat high and add beef cubes (2,2 pounds beef chuck roast, tenderloin or sirloin, chopped into 1 inch * 1 inch cubes), stir for 3 minutes until the meat is seared on all sides. Let the meat simmer in its own juice while adding ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, some salt, ground black pepper and 1 bay leaf, pour enough water to cover the content of the pan and let it simmer on low heat, until the meat is almost tender (1,5 – 2 hours), add water if necessary to keep it 1 inch above the level of the meat.
Add 1 bunch parsley, 1 tablespoon tomato paste and vegetables (peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces): 4 carrots, 2 parsley roots, 4 medium potatoes. Add 2 or 3 cups of water (or beef broth) to keep a soup consistency. Add salt if desired. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the meat is tender.
Serve with freshly made spatzle/spatzel.
We’re just back from another great countryside tour. We visited Eger, a small town today with exciting history. The Eger Castle witnessed the extreme courage and patriotism of its defenders who withstood the Ottomans’ 5-week-long siege in 1542.
We started by discovering Eger’s Basilica and the University, which is home to the Camera Obscura, Eger’s Eye, probably the most interesting thing in town. There are only 3 camera obscuras around the world, it’s so much fun to spy on what’s going on around the city.
We took a pleasant walk in the old town and tasted some Lángos, which was delicious. We visited the castle, the scene of the fight in 1552, I was telling stories from ‘The eclipse of the crescent moon’, a Hungarian novel about the great victory of the Hungarian defenders of the Eger Castle.
After visiting the local wine museum in the afternoon we drove to the Valley of the Beautiful Women and tasted the best red and white wines of the Eger wine country.
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.
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.
