We decided to celebrate the National Day by hiking around the beautiful Buda hills. We hoped to enjoy some splendid view over Budapest from the top of the Elisabeth tower but couldn’t wait until the fog eventually lifted. It was a beautiful day shared with many other hikers who visited the area despite the sad weather.
I’m not exactly the person who gets invited to the Presidential Palace very often but we were very lucky with my guests last weekend when the doors of the Sándor Palace were open and the public could walk around the beautifully designed interior.
Compared to the relatively simple outside the interior is surprisingly richly ornate, at times I felt like walking around the Versailles Palace. The building is from 1806 and was the residence of the country’s prime minister from 1867. That’s when Queen Elisabeth or Sisi visited the handsome count Andrássy several times after enjoying a performance at the Castle Theatre next door.
The building was restored and became the seat of the offices of the President in 2003, the actual furnitures are reproductions of the originals. The entire restoration was conducted in accordance with the original blueprints. The garden is absolutely stunning with a great view over the Pest side. There is no guarantee we can tour the interior when you book a tour in the Buda Castle district but I’ll find a way to show you something just as beautiful as the Sándor Palace.
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.
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.
