Rumbach street synagogue, one pillar of the famous synagogue triangle in Budapest was closed for renovation works for almost three years. From the 19th of July the synagogue is open for visitors, so that you can admire the interior of the building designed by Otto Wagner in the 1860’s.
The synagogue is of moorish architecture and surely you’ll be amazed by the abundance of colours: blue, purple and golden. There will be concerts, performances, exhibitions and conferences held in the building and you can also have some coffee and snack in the cafeteria.
The lake Balaton is the number one destination of Hungarians in the summer months. It’s the greatest freshwater lake in Central Europe and is famous for its wine regions, cute little villages, beautiful castles and of course the magnificent views over the lake.
You can book the tour or contact me for further details. I’ll make sure to include in the itinerary all the sights you would like to see.
I'm still not sure when Hungary's borders will reopen and travellers can visit Beautiful Budapest, so here is another building for you to admire from a distance. The Academy of Music is a real jewellery box in the 6th district of Budapest. It's a music university and a concert hall that opened in 1907. The style is a very interesting mixture of Gothic and Art Nouveau but you might see elements of Classicism, too. The facade is so ornate that it will take you some time to spot the statue of Franz Liszt right above the entrance. Franz Liszt, the most famous Hungarian composer founded the music academy in his home in 1875 and the academy got named after him in 1925. The building can be visited, there are guided tours, but the most amazing experience is to go to a concert, so that you can admire the building and music at the same time. Most of the programs were either cancelled or are held online and personally I can't wait to go in person hopefully in the near future.
I’m still not sure when Hungary’s borders will reopen and travellers can visit Beautiful Budapest, so here is another building for you to admire from a distance.
The Academy of Music is a real jewellery box in the 6th district of Budapest. It’s a music university and a concert hall that opened in 1907. The style is a very interesting mixture of Gothic and Art Nouveau but you might see elements of Classicism, too. The facade is so ornate that it will take you some time to spot the statue of Franz Liszt right above the entrance. Franz Liszt, the most famous Hungarian composer founded the music academy in his home in 1875 and the academy got named after him in 1925.
The building can be visited, there are guided tours, but the most amazing experience is to go to a concert, so that you can admire the building and music at the same time. Most of the programs were either cancelled or are held online and personally I can’t wait to go in person hopefully in the near future.
Great news from Budapest: from the 14th of May the fascinating building of the Parliament of Hungary can be visited again, there are tours every day between 9.00 AM and 3.00 PM. What's more important is that the ticket prices have been reduced by 50%: EU citizens: HUF 1600 / person non-EU citizens: HUF 3200 / person I think it's a great opportunity to visit the Parliament now, I often tell that this really is one of the most spectacular buildings of Beautiful Budapest and definitely is a must-see when you visit my city. As for now the COVID regulations are very strict: "The House of Parliament is open for visitors with an immunity certificate or immunity certificate application as well as for minors under their supervision; after their body temperatures are taken. The use of hand sanitisers installed in the Parliament building and the Visitor Centre is mandatory. Wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth is recommended. Please observe the social distancing rule and keep a 1.5-metre distance from others. Visits are to be undertaken on the sole responsibility of the visitors." The only problem is that it's impossible for individuals to book a tour in advance, tickets can only be purchased on the spot on the day of the visit. I'm an official Tour Guide partner of the Parliament Visitor Center with special permissions so if you book a Full-day tour with Parliament visit with me I can book your Parliament tickets in advance. The Parliament visit can be incorporated in other tours, too, just let me know about your preferences!
Great news from Budapest: from the 14th of May the fascinating building of the Parliament of Hungary can be visited again, there are tours every day between 9.00 AM and 3.00 PM. What’s more important is that the ticket prices have been reduced by 50%:
EU citizens: HUF 1600 / person
non-EU citizens: HUF 3200 / person
I think it’s a great opportunity to visit the Parliament now, I often tell that this really is one of the most spectacular buildings of Beautiful Budapest and definitely is a must-see when you visit my city.
As for now the COVID regulations are very strict: “The House of Parliament is open for visitors with an immunity certificate or immunity certificate application as well as for minors under their supervision; after their body temperatures are taken. The use of hand sanitisers installed in the Parliament building and the Visitor Centre is mandatory. Wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth is recommended. Please observe the social distancing rule and keep a 1.5-metre distance from others. Visits are to be undertaken on the sole responsibility of the visitors.”
The only problem is that it’s impossible for individuals to book a tour in advance, tickets can only be purchased on the spot on the day of the visit. I’m an official Tour Guide partner of the Parliament Visitor Center with special permissions so if you book a Full-day tour with Parliament visit with me I can book your Parliament tickets in advance. The Parliament visit can be incorporated in other tours, too, just let me know about your preferences!
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 equestrian statue of Count Gyula Andrássy is at the Parliament building. He was a great politician and statesman, one of the key figures preparing the Compromise that created the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1867.
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 equestrian statue of Count Gyula Andrássy is at the Parliament building. He was a great politician and statesman, one of the key figures preparing the Compromise that created the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1867.
We were finally very lucky to enjoy a lovely spring weekend with great weather and a lot of sunshine. Yes, our borders are still closed and we have absolutely no idea when travellers can visit our Beautiful Budapest, so here is a short video of the Heroes square - City Park area to get a little taste of the Budapest spring.
We were finally very lucky to enjoy a lovely spring weekend with great weather and a lot of sunshine. Yes, our borders are still closed and we have absolutely no idea when travellers can visit our Beautiful Budapest, so here is a short video of the Heroes square – City Park area to get a little taste of the Budapest spring.
I know that life is getting more and more difficult for all of us around the world. Now that there are more than 50 million people around the world who've had the virus and over a million people died, I can't tell how grateful I am that my family and friends are safe and healthy. In Hungary the figures have been terrible for 2 months now (as of today there is a total of 114 778 registered COVID-19 cases and 2493 people died), still, it took ages for the government to introduce new restrictions. Finally, the Parliament will decide tomorrow about the introduction of the measures below as of the 11th of November: General curfew is to be instated between 8.00 PM and 5.00 AM, all forms of assembly will be forbidden.Shops and services must close by 7.00 PM, restaurants must close, food delivery will remain possible. Recreational facilities, including gyms, indoor swimming pools, museums and theatres must close, too.There will be a general ban on all events. All sporting events must take place behind closed doors, without spectators. Family gatherings and private events may only be attended by a maximum of 10 people.Only kindergartens, nurseries and primary schools will stay open for children under 14, higher education is to be continued online. As a reminder, these are the rules about entering Hungary (from the 1st of September until further notice): only Hungarian citizens and foreign citizens who have a permanent Hungarian residence permit can enter Hungary in passenger traffic and they are subject to home quarantine for 10 days,foreign citizens are not allowed to enter Hungary, (entry into Hungary from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia is regulated separately), the exceptions:foreign citizens who arrive to Hungary for international sports or cultural events can enter Hungary without restriction (they must have
I know that life is getting more and more difficult for all of us around the world. Now that there are more than 50 million people around the world who’ve had the virus and over a million people died, I can’t tell how grateful I am that my family and friends are safe and healthy.
In Hungary the figures have been terrible for 2 months now (as of today there is a total of 114 778 registered COVID-19 cases and 2493 people died), still, it took ages for the government to introduce new restrictions. Finally, the Parliament will decide tomorrow about the introduction of the measures below as of the 11th of November:
General curfew is to be instated between 8.00 PM and 5.00 AM, all forms of assembly will be forbidden.
Shops and services must close by 7.00 PM, restaurants must close, food delivery will remain possible. Recreational facilities, including gyms, indoor swimming pools, museums and theatres must close, too.
There will be a general ban on all events. All sporting events must take place behind closed doors, without spectators. Family gatherings and private events may only be attended by a maximum of 10 people.
Only kindergartens, nurseries and primary schools will stay open for children under 14, higher education is to be continued online.
As a reminder, these are the rules about entering Hungary (from the 1st of September until further notice):
only Hungarian citizens and foreign citizens who have a permanent Hungarian residence permit can enter Hungary in passenger traffic and they are subject to home quarantine for 10 days,
foreign citizens are not allowed to enter Hungary, (entry into Hungary from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia is regulated separately), the exceptions:
foreign citizens who arrive to Hungary for international sports or cultural events can enter Hungary without restriction (they must have a negative PCR test result performed within 3 days prior to entry and an authentic ticket for the sports or cultural event),
foreign citizens studying in Hungary or participating in family events might be exempted from the prohibition,
foreign citizens who arrive to Hungary to perform some business or economic activity are also exempted from the prohibition.
The beautiful city of Budapest is getting close to another lockdown, so the best thing to do is to enjoy a virtual tour from the comfort of your armchair, take a walk with me in the Old Town of Buda, Downtown Pest, Heroes Square and City Park or the Jewish Quarter.
budapest castle district private live virtual tour
Vác is a cute little town on the left bank of the Danube, it's some 25 minutes drive from Budapest. The visit of Vác can be included in a customised Danube Bend day trip. It's such a beautiful Baroque jewellery box, I strongly recommend a short visit. We had been fortunate to tour Vác with my travellers before the borders of Hungary got closed again on the 1st of September. The mummified remains of 265 people were found in 1994 in the crypt of the Dominican church, they had been laid to rest in hand painted, wooden coffins in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bodies didn't decompose but were mummified naturally because of the favourable air conditions and dry settings. The findings were extraordinary and not only because it's a veritable gold mine for ethnographers about 18th century Hungarian everyday life and funeral traditions. It's also a fantastic source for medical researches, a large number of tests have been performed by scientists on the mummified remains related to tuberculosis, HIV researches and they could also confirm C section had been performed as early as in the 18th century in Hungary. The coffins are simply beautiful, all colourful, all hand-painted, all prepared with a lot of care, it's very much like the fascinating celebration of life and death in a small Vác museum.
Vác is a cute little town on the left bank of the Danube, it’s some 25 minutes drive from Budapest. The visit of Vác can be included in a customised Danube Bend day trip. It’s such a beautiful Baroque jewellery box, I strongly recommend a short visit. We had been fortunate to tour Vác with my travellers before the borders of Hungary got closed again on the 1st of September.
The mummified remains of 265 people were found in 1994 in the crypt of the Dominican church, they had been laid to rest in hand painted, wooden coffins in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bodies didn’t decompose but were mummified naturally because of the favourable air conditions and dry settings.
The findings were extraordinary and not only because it’s a veritable gold mine for ethnographers about 18th century Hungarian everyday life and funeral traditions. It’s also a fantastic source for medical researches, a large number of tests have been performed by scientists on the mummified remains related to tuberculosis, HIV researches and they could also confirm C section had been performed as early as in the 18th century in Hungary.
The coffins are simply beautiful, all colourful, all hand-painted, all prepared with a lot of care, it’s very much like the fascinating celebration of life and death in a small Vác museum.
I'm a huge admirer of the Hungarian Art Nouveau movement and I'm more than proud to show travellers around the magnificent Budapest Art Nouveau buildings. For me, the home of György Ráth, first director of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts is a veritable jewellery box, both the building and the artworks and furnitures on display are unique. The villa was originally Ráth's family home and was furnished with pieces of his private collection, today it houses the permanent exhibition "Art Nouveau – a Hungarian Perspective". Every room is different, the furnitures and pieces of art were selected and put on display with such a unique care and taste, it's like visiting an elderly family member where every single item is authentic and they all tell you a different story. When you visit the museum, don't forget to take a walk along Városligeti fasor, where you can admire fascinating Art Nouveau villa buildings.
I’m a huge admirer of the Hungarian Art Nouveau movement and I’m more than proud to show travellers around the magnificent Budapest Art Nouveau buildings. For me, the home of György Ráth, first director of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts is a veritable jewellery box, both the building and the artworks and furnitures on display are unique.
The villa was originally Ráth’s family home and was furnished with pieces of his private collection, today it houses the permanent exhibition “Art Nouveau – a Hungarian Perspective”. Every room is different, the furnitures and pieces of art were selected and put on display with such a unique care and taste, it’s like visiting an elderly family member where every single item is authentic and they all tell you a different story.
When you visit the museum, don’t forget to take a walk along Városligeti fasor, where you can admire fascinating Art Nouveau villa buildings.
The cute little cable car has been transporting millions of passengers from the Chain Bridge to the top of the Castle hill (or the other way) since its opening in 1870. You might have seen it appearing in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, too. Originally it was operated by steam and was destroyed in WW2. Since its reconstruction it's been an electric cable car. My insider tip: if you want to avoid long lines, don't take it to go to the top but take it to descend to the Chain Bridge from the Royal Palace. Buda Castle FunicularBuda Castle Funicular
The cute little cable car has been transporting millions of passengers from the Chain Bridge to the top of the Castle hill (or the other way) since its opening in 1870. You might have seen it appearing in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, too.
Originally it was operated by steam and was destroyed in WW2. Since its reconstruction it’s been an electric cable car.
My insider tip: if you want to avoid long lines, don’t take it to go to the top but take it to descend to the Chain Bridge from the Royal Palace.
