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!
My travellers always ask me which baths are the best, which one they should go to. There are plenty, they are all different. You can book the Budapest Baths tour with me so that you can get more ideas about the Budapest baths and their history. Here is a little video for you to show what you can expect when you go to Széchenyi baths in the City Park:
You can reserve tickets online in advance if you’d like to skip the line.
A very cute little garden hidden in the 5th district of Pest, near Astoria and Kálvin tér. A real gem when you’re discovering the hidden parts of Downtown Pest.
The views from the top of Buda hills are magnificent. There are some great spots to watch sunrise or sunset from, one of my favourite spots is on top of Gellért hill, by the Statue of Liberty. Don’t miss the views during your stay in Budapest!
My travellers often ask me to recommend some great museums to visit during their stay in Budapest. I’ve put together a list of the museums that I like and that I think would be a great addition to your Budapest experience. I’ve just updated the list, so that you can have the most amazing cultural Budapest experience.
History lovers:
Hungarian National Museum – all about Hungarian history from the ancient times to nowadays. the most significant item on display is the coronation robe of the Hungarian kings from 1000. The interior of the museum is just magnificent.
Hospital in the Rock – a museum in the cave system of the Buda Castle District that served as an underground hospital during WW2. Amazing stories from the war and a very detailed presentation.
Budapest History Museum – dedicated to the history of the Buda Castle complex and Budapest. You can visit the old parts of the castle as well as the newly renovated royal halls.
Memento Park – although it’s located outside the city centre, it’s worth a visit. The cemetery of the old statues of the communist era puts on display Hungarian history in the second half of the 20th century.
Glass House – former Swiss consul Carl Lutz saved the life of thousands of Hungarian Jews during WW2. The museum is dedicated to his amazing work and to all people who found peace and safety in the Glass House of Budapest.
Art lovers
Fine Art Museum – hundreds of thousands of pieces from all the different periods of European fine arts. Plan to spend a couple of hours to see them all.
National Gallery – an amazing collection of Hungarian art form the Middle Ages to nowadays. The museum is located in the Royal Palace of Buda and offers magnificent views over the city.
Ludwig Museum – the contemporary art museum started from a private collection and is expanding dynamically year by year. You can admire art from the late sixties to present time.
Ráth György villa – the Art Nouveau fans (myself included) will love this exhibition near the City Park. It’s the home if György Ráth, former director of the Museum of Applied Arts with very unique interiors, furniture and art from the late 19th and early 20th century.
Kiscelli Museum – showcasing the cultural history of Budapest from the 18th century to nowadays. It’s located a little further from the city centre, but it’s worth the extra time.
Photography lovers
Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center – located in the Art Nouveau Ernst House in Nagymező utca is named after Robert Capa, the first photo journalist of the world with his war reportage on the Spanish Civil War, WWII, China, and Vietnam.
Mai Manó Ház – the Hungarian House of Photographers with temporary exhibitions showcasing the works of some of the greatest Hungarian photographers from the 21th and 21st century.
Music lovers
Liszt Museum – the little museum is located in the home of composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, and actually, you’ll feel like you’re visiting him personally. Most of the items are original and belonged to Franz Liszt.
Don’t forget that most of the Budapest museums are closed on Mondays, always check the opening hours before your visit! Feel free to get in touch with me for further details and more information or if you feel like that there is something else you’d like to add to this list.
There is this beautiful building along the Danube, one that everybody notices from across the river because it stands out with its beauty and charm. The Pesti Vigadó is a concert hall, an exhibition space, and also a pretty building to discover. The building is from 1859 and was designed by Frigyes Feszl, whose main concept was to create a truly Hungarian Romantic style. The building was unfortunately badly damaged during WW2, but was rebuilt to its original style and beauty. You can buy tickets for a tour in the building or for an event, you won’t be disappointed.
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!
I was organising my Beautiful Budapest photographs last week and found some real gems. My Art Nouveau tour is really very popular, I understand why, the buildings are magnificent, the stories are very interesting and there is so much amazing symbolism about the Hungarian Art Nouveau. Here is a little gallery of my top favourite Budapest Art Nouveau details.
I’m spending a lot of time in Budapest every day, I consider myself very lucky to be able to see the changing of seasons, and I try to capture those special moments. Have a look at this photo gallery to see the four different faces of the Buda Castle Garden Bazaar in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Book a Buda Castle Walking tour with me to see the beautiful Royal Gardens for yourself!
I’ve had the chance to visit the interior of the State Opera House shortly after it reopened after long years of renovation works. The interior is just magnificent. I’ve always felt overwhelmed by the style and grandeur of the building, and I wasn’t disappointed. I love the colours, the smells, the amazing Neo-Renaissance design and ornaments. Visiting the building is like a time travel to the late 1800’s.
I’d highly recommend to buy a ticket for an evening performance or to buy a ticket to visit the Opera – there are guided tours in English every day at 1.30 PM, 3.00 PM and 4.30 PM. Private tours are also available, please let me know if you’re interested, I’m happy to include the Opera visit in a driving or walking tour.
Many of us have been surprised earlier this year to learn that visitors need to buy a ticket to see the interior of St. Stephen’s Basilica. So far the general opinion was that the house of God is open for everybody and visitors only had to pay a small amount of donation at the entrance.
You need to buy the tickets in advance at the ticket office, which is located to the right of the church. The ticket price is HUF 1.200 (about EUR 3) per person. Be aware that during wedding ceremonies you are only allowed to a small part of the interior and the church is closed for visitors during church services.
I’ve had a group of interior design students from the US who booked an Art Nouveau tour with me. I thought they would be interested in seeing the villa of György Ráth, first director general of the Museum of Applied Arts of Budapest.
His home is an amazing source of inspiration for art lovers. One really feels like visiting a family with great sense of art and culture. The British, Austrian and French Art Nouveau are all on display and one can also admire the Oriental influence, as well as the Transylvanian roots appearing in Hungarian art at the turn of the century. The 600 pieces of art in the exhibition represent all branches of applied art: jewellery, furnitures, Zsolnay ceramics, Tiffany glassware, amazing paintings and sculptures.
The museum is open for the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM.
You know that I love Budapest and I love the public transportation of the city. Some of you also know that my personal protest against the Russian aggression in Ukraine is that I refuse to buy petrol and haven’t driven my car for a while. The video below shows what I experience and see every day while I’m riding the local metro and trams.
I don’t really share posts on politics or my own political views. This post is different though, because I’ve just started to realise how politics affect travellers’ choices. I’ve just received two cancellations because travellers decided not to visit Hungary because of the country’s prime minister’s political statements and approach.
I think generalisation is dangerous. I think that it’s impossible to form an opinion about a country by this country’s politicians’ statements or approach. That won’t tell you anything about the country’s people, its culture, its architecture, its history. Also, it’s just a temporary state, a snapshot in Hungary’s history of over a 1000 years. And none of the election results shows what all the Hungarians think or how they feel. I think that’s the same all around the world and many of you agree with me.
My travellers are always encouraged to ask questions, I’m happy to discuss everything and anything and I think I always succeed in changing preconceptions or clarify things. I just love to spend time with open minded people who try to understand our country and our culture and also what led to the actual political status quo.
Again, I respect other people’s choices and I don’t want to change them. But the cancellations meant to me that the travellers formed an opinion about me and my country without actually knowing us and it hurts a lot. And, more importantly, Budapest is Beautiful no matter what the politicians do or say. Let me know if you’re interested in seeing it for yourself!
Just a couple of pictures I’ve taken on my tours to show you how beautiful Budapest and its surroundings are in spring.
The Citadel on the top of Gellért hill is being renovated, and unfortunately the entire area is closed because of the construction works. It also means that a truly popular tourist attraction of Budapest is closed and it’s impossible to enjoy the most magnificent views over Buda and Pest. The very bad news is that it remains closed for another few years and it’s impossible to estimate when it reopens. It’s just my personal opinion that they could have left a little path open for the tourists to enjoy the view, but that’s not the case.
You can still take a walk on Gellért hill, and you can climb to the statue of Saint Gellért from where you’ll have a great view over the Pest side of the river.
Some of you know how much I love this time of the year, I love the smells and the colours of spring and I’m fascinated by the blossom of the cherry trees all along Tóth Árpád sétány in the Buda Castle district. Walk with me to see more!
I’m taking a lot of pictures and videos while I’m walking around my Beautiful Budapest. Here is a little video to show you some of the attractions I’ve taken recently. I hope by seeing it all of you will want to see it for yourself. Don’t hesitate to book a tour with me, so that you can have the most amazing Budapest experience!
There are a few buildings that I love in Budapest, Mai Manó House is one of them. It’s such a special building near Andrássy avenue, full of little details and a facade that tells you many stories. We walk by the building very often while we discover the Pest side of the river.
It was designed for Mai Manó, photographer of Emperor Franz Joseph in the 1890’s. As he was a renowned photographer, his profession was clearly demonstrated on the facade, you can see the little angels holding cameras and you can also observe the muses of photography. The main front of the building is full of colours and is richly decorated by colourful ceramic tiles. The style is Neo-Renaissance with a lot of flower and animal motifs.
The House of Photography is home to permanent and temporary exhibitions, and the interior is just as fascinating as the outside.
