Every year, around the 20th of August, St. Stephen’s day, you can meet great Hungarian Folk Art designers and artists, truly amazing people creating Hungarian handicraft products in the Buda Castle District.
The best of the local pottery, jewellry, wooden products, ceramics, fabrics an much more can be seen and purchased. You can also try some of the hard work as weaving, sewing or doing embroideries. Also, it’s a great opportunity to taste some Hungarian treats!
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.
My food and wine tours are really popular, it makes me very happy as I’m very proud of our gastronomy and of the wines my country has to offer.
The new tour takes you to Tokaj, probably the most known Hungarian wine region, that’s where Tokaji Aszu, the most famous Hungarian sweet white wine comes from.
The tour includes the visit of several little villages and local winemakers, it also introduces you the Jewish heritage and traditions of the Tokaj wine region. Let me know if you’re interested, I’d be happy to send you more details.
I always encourage my guests to take public transport, it’s cheap, convenient and very easy. What’s more is that you can enjoy such a great view from the trams, buses or boats, don’t miss it!
When we are touring the Danube Bend I usually try to include the visit of the Castle complex including the Upper Castle and the Royal Palace, too.
The miracle that we are able to see how royals lived in the 15th century is due to a passionate Hungarian archeologist who had discovered the ruins of the palace in an orchid, we are tremendously grateful to the archeologists who recreated the lavish interiors of the Gothic-Renaissance palace.
The barely 5.000 sq feet stone house built in the 1300’s was rebuilt and extended several times and transformed to a fabulous royal residence with 350 rooms by King Matthias. Legend is that marble fountains were filled with red wine in the 15th century. The Gothic cloisters, Renaissance loggia, living quarters of our kings and queens, amazing fountains and gardens are to be seen in the Palace as well as items and relics from the Middle Ages.
The second largest park of Budapest, the locals’ favorite, a beautiful green oasis in the middle of Pest. There are so many things to do and to see in the City Park. You can visit the 150-year-old Budapest Zoo, the City Circus, enjoy the truly relaxing warm water of Széchenyi bathhouse, admire the various architectures of Vajdahunyad Castle or simply have a picnic topped with a boat ride on the lake.
Although Füvészkert seems to be hard to pronounce but it’s surely woth a try, as it’s a true hidden gem in the 8th district of Budapest.
The oldest and largest botanical garden of the city is from the 1770’s and is home to more than 7.000 plant species on a 3-acre area. The 150-year-old Chinese gingko is the oldest tree in the park.
You can admire the tropical and subtropical plants in the Palm House, Amazonas water lily in the Victoria glass house and the rich collection of palms, cactuses, bromelias and orchids. It’s one of the major locations in Ferenc Molnár’s ‘Paul Street Boys’, a famous Hungarian novel.
I love the evening tours, I tell my guests all the time that Budapest has two entirely different faces as it looks different during the day and during the night. My favorite building is the Parliament, it looks like a magnificent gingerbread cake with all the lights and colors of the night.
The largest Budapest park, the place chosen by princess Margaret when she gave up her life as a princess and started a new life in the monastery or an island where lepers lived isolated a long time ago; it is literally the favorite park of the Budapesters. I’m not a big fan of comparing places to other places but I can tell that it’s like our very own Central Park.
Unfortunately we very rarely include the visit of the island in the tours, because it’s a rather long walk from the city center. Still, when we do, my guests always appreciate it because it’s pretty, unique and it’s also an off-the-beaten-path experience.
The best method to discover the island is to rent a special bicycle for maximum 6 people. I’d suggest to ride all the way from the south to the north and not to miss the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, the small zoo, the Water Tower. Also, take some time to enjoy the music of the Musical Fountain.
I’m very much honoured because my Trabant tour will be included in a French TV show about Budapest. The idea is a really good one, it gives tips and recommendations about what to do in my lovely city when you visit Budapest for 2-3 days.
The filming was a very special experience for me, I can’t wait to see the cut version which I’ll share once I have it.
Whenever you see a picture of Budapest, chances are high that it’ll be taken of the magnificent Parliament building. It’s the largest and the most expensive building which was ever built in Budapest.
You might wonder why a small country like Hungary has the second largest Parliament building in Europe. The answer is simple, by the time of its construction Hungary was three times bigger than it is today. Also, by the end of the 19th century public buildings meant to express strength and power. Let me tell you more about the building, book a “Pest Walk” with me, let me amaze you by the grandeur of the building.
There are guided tours every hour, it’s about 1 hour and you can see the most beuatiful parts of the building and the 1000-year-old Hungarian royal crown. You can buy tickets in advance or on the spot and I can also help you booking tickets.
Yes, it’s that time of the year, there are several Christmas Markets in downtown Budapest open during the 4 weeks of Advent. You can eat traditional Hungarian dishes, drink mulled wine and amazing hot chocolate and do some Christmas shopping, too. Don’t forget to watch the unique video mapping show over the St. Stephen’s Basilica and to try our special treat, the Chimney Cake (Kürtöskalács). Enjoy!
The Buda Castle district is the oldest part of Buda, many of the buildings are originally from the Middle Ages. Buda became the capital of Hungary by the middle of the 13th century, the castle and the medieval town were constructed in the top of the Castle hill.
I don’t want to disappoint you but The Castle district is not a real castle. The Hungarian Medieval castle, residence of many of our great kings, constructed in Gothic and Renaissance architectures was destroyed in the 17th century. Only some parts of it are accessible in the Budapest History Museum, unfortunately the rest of the castle rest in the ground now.
You can walk up the hill along the ramparts of the Medieval Castle to get to the 18th century Baroque Palace which houses the Budapest History Museum and the National Gallery. The cobblestoned streets of the historical old town of Buda lead you to the Matthias Church, one of the oldest churches of the city originating from the 13th century. If you have some time, you really need to climb the 197 stairs to the church tower from where you can have the best view over our beautiful city.
From the top of the Fisherman’s Bastion you can enjoy the panorama over the Parliament building and the Pest side.
Continue your walk in the civilian town, admire the unique architecture of the National Archives and wonder around the old Jewish quarter. Probably the most interesting fact about the distric is that there is a 12 km long underground cave and cellar complex underneath the Castle District. There are 2 museums where you can discover this unique labyrinth. The Hospital in the Rock was a military hospital during WW2 and a nuclear bunker during the Communist era. The Labyrinth museum is all about scary fun and you might also meet Dracula, the infamous vampire count.
I’d be glad to show you the famous attractions and the hidden treasures of the neighborhood, too, book the Buda Castle walk!
You might find that Hungarian people adore sweets, one of the locals’ favourites is the marzipan. The smooth and sweet almond paste can be a nice addition to a great cake and little or large figurines are often created of it, too.
Do you know what Michael Jackson and the Budapest Parliament building have in common? They can both be made of marzipan. The sweetest museum of Hungary is located in the heart of the town of Szentendre where you can admire dozens of statues made of marzipan. You’ll see full-figure marzipan statues of famous Hungarian people, celebrities from all around the world, Hungarian buildings and a lot more. You can also see the atelier with the ladies creating new figurines every day.
Don’t forget to buy some sweets in the shop after the tour in the museum. I’ll happily show you around the museum if you book the Danube Bend tour by car.
Probably your first impression is that all Hungarian dishes are red and hot. It’s somehow true but I’m sure I can change your perception if you decide to book a Foodie tour with me. Paprika is of course is the most important ingredient of our cuisine, it’s actually something we should be grateful for being dominated by the Turks for 150 years.
When you visit Hungary, you have to try all our different specialties. You need to taste fresh sausage and hot dog at a butcher’s, our delicious cakes in the 100-year-old cafés, fresh pastry at the bakeries, goulash soup prepared in a cauldron over open fire, artisan ice cream and chocolate, lángos, our delicious deep-fried fritter and all the pickled vegetables.
The old Hungarian proverb says that those who are eating must drink, too, so don’t forget to taste some of the best Hungarian wines.
One of the oldest churches of Budapest, a working church, an amazing place for wedding ceremonies, Matthias Church, where you can actually feel and see our history of thousand years in Europe. The church is located on the very top of the Castle hill, in the heart of the Buda Castle District.
There are very few places where you can see both Christian and Muslim ornaments, this church is one of them. It looks shiny and new from the outside, I’m sure you’ll be amazed by its interior too, especially after I reveal all its dark and funny secrets during the Buda Castle Walk. We might also climb to the spire, so that you can enjoy the amazing view from the top of the world. You can admire the stunning roof structure which is decorated by 250.000 ceramic tiles and can also see the church bells.
Halloween stands for ‘All Hallows’ Evening’ , the night before the Christian ‘All Saints’ Day’. Although Halloween with all the pumpking carving and trick-or-treating is getting more and more popular in Hungary, still, we celebrate traditionally the two following days; All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
All Saints’ Day is the day of all of the saint souls, who are not mentioned in the calendar by name. It’s a National Holiday in Hungary, probably because all work has been forbidden on this day for centuries, because of the respect for the dead. According to folk tradition, during the night between All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day deceased go to the house of their loved ones. That’s why in the villages an extra plate was placed on the table, with bread, salt and water on it.
All Souls’ Day is to commemorate and remember one’s beloved ones who had passed away. Local cemeteries are usually crowded and beautiful with tons of fresh flowers, candles and lampions.
Yesterday we celebrated the 60th anniversary of Hungary’s revolution against the Communist dictartorship, the presence of the Soviet troops and the Stalinist totalitarianism.
My father was 5 years old in 1956. This is his story. He was abbout to accompany his uncle to bring a radio to some friends. There were fights all over the streets, all around the city. My father and his uncle tried to get from the city center to another district of Pest. When they reached the Liberty bridge my father spotted a huge tank at the Pest side of the bridge. He was frightened. But then, he saw that there was a piece of cloth stuffed in the muzzle of the tank. He was relieved. He said to himself that he wasn’t going to die that day.
Let me tell you more, book the Communist Budapest Walk!
Private tours are run exclusively for you and your family or friends. It’s a very special experience with unique atmosphere. You tell me what you would like to see, what you’re interested in and I tailor-make the tour accordingly; it’s fully customized and personal. I’m very fortunate because most of my guests have become my friends.
I tell you everything you need to know and you can ask anything you would like to know. You don’t have to wait for others, you set the pace of the tour. I understand that there are many people looking for a more personal, off the beaten path experience. I’m sure I can provide with what you’re looking for.
You’ll feel like a local, you’ll experience the city through the perspective of a true local.
I’m very pleased to welcome you, hopefully I’ll see you soon in beautiful Budapest.
I’m a licensed, professional tour guide, I speak in English and in French, I offer personalized private tours in both Budapest and the magnificent Hungarian countryside. I promise to show you all the most important attractions and the hidden gems of my city, too.
Please contact me for further details, I’d be glad to put together a detailed itinerary for you, so that you can make the most of your stay in Budapest.
