I was lucky today to perform a real, in-person tour, I can't even describe how delightful it was. After months of delivering virtual tours and not being able to connect with my travellers in person I was starving for the real personal touch. Walking around the city is always magical, but it's even more magical now as there are only very few people around that visitors might feel they are the only tourists in Beautiful Budapest. We were the only ones in Matthias Church and St. Stephen's Basilica and really felt like being part of a very exclusive club :) Unfortunately our borders are still closed for tourists (except if they come from a few selected countries) so I can't encourage you to come and visit now but if you happen to be in Budapest for any reason, contact me for a tour, you won't regret it!
I was lucky today to perform a real, in-person tour, I can’t even describe how delightful it was. After months of delivering virtual tours and not being able to connect with my travellers in person I was starving for the real personal touch.
Walking around the city is always magical, but it’s even more magical now as there are only very few people around that visitors might feel they are the only tourists in Beautiful Budapest. We were the only ones in Matthias Church and St. Stephen’s Basilica and really felt like being part of a very exclusive club 🙂
Unfortunately our borders are still closed for tourists (except if they come from a few selected countries) so I can’t encourage you to come and visit now but if you happen to be in Budapest for any reason, contact me for a tour, you won’t regret it!
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!
The golden age of the famous coffeehouses of Budapest was at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. However, we see now the renaissance of the coffeehouse and coffee culture. We try to see different coffeehouses on our foodie tours so that travellers can sample the best Hungarian coffee and cakes. I've already posted about Central and Book cafés, although I should have started with Gerbeaud, as it's the probably the most famous and known coffeehouse of Budapest. The story of the Gerbeaud family is very impressive, Emile Gerbeaud, the French bonbonnier was invited to Budapest by Henrik Kugler, the owner of the very popular cake shop and coffeehouse on Vörösmarty square. Emile Gerbeaud's contribution to the cake shop was a huge success, he invented and created a great assortment of bonbons that were sold in millions every year. He overtook the business and the Gerbeaud name became a highly renowned trademark not only in Budapest but all over the European continent. The Gerbeaud Café was the ladies' coffeehouse at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century, meaning that young ladies frequented the place in the hope of finding a rich husband. Even now there are rumours and urban legends about how lady guest can give a secret sign if they are in search of a husband or a lover. Join my foodie tour if you'd like to know more about the details and this beautiful café of Budapest.
The golden age of the famous coffeehouses of Budapest was at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. However, we see now the renaissance of the coffeehouse and coffee culture. We try to see different coffeehouses on our foodie tours so that travellers can sample the best Hungarian coffee and cakes.
I’ve already posted about Central and Book cafés, although I should have started with Gerbeaud, as it’s the probably the most famous and known coffeehouse of Budapest.
The story of the Gerbeaud family is very impressive, Emile Gerbeaud, the French bonbonnier was invited to Budapest by Henrik Kugler, the owner of the very popular cake shop and coffeehouse on Vörösmarty square. Emile Gerbeaud’s contribution to the cake shop was a huge success, he invented and created a great assortment of bonbons that were sold in millions every year. He overtook the business and the Gerbeaud name became a highly renowned trademark not only in Budapest but all over the European continent.
The Gerbeaud Café was the ladies’ coffeehouse at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century, meaning that young ladies frequented the place in the hope of finding a rich husband. Even now there are rumours and urban legends about how lady guest can give a secret sign if they are in search of a husband or a lover. Join my foodie tour if you’d like to know more about the details and this beautiful café of Budapest.
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.
Get in touch with me if you'd like to schedule a private virtual tour!
Save the date! 20th of March, 2021, Travel From Home Virtual Tours Festival organised by TheWaysBeyond. You’ll have the chance to visit virtually several destinations around the world, I’ll be your virtual tour guide in Beautiful Budapest. Stay tuned!
It’s about time to announce Travel from Home, the first virtual guided tour festival @travelfromhomewithus a new project we have been working on for a while already with our dear partner @beyondromaniatravel and @sofar_virtualtours – a team of smart and passion master students from Sorbonne Nouvelle university.
This time of the year I usually do some sort of summary of the most popular tours I delivered the previous year. Last year was special with mostly virtual and social distancing tours so I decided to put together a list of the tours I really would like to do more in the new year. Here comes my wish list for 2021 “THE GRAND BUDAPEST” WALK: a great introduction of Budapest to first time visitors or travellers who only have one day to see the main highlights and some of the hidden gems. BUDAPEST ART NOUVEAU WALK: the most stunning Art Nouveau buildings and their mysterious secrets are to be revealed on this tour. A great option for architecture fans or first time visitors. COMMUNIST BUDAPEST WALK: I grew up in the 1980's so I can share with you a lot of stories from the Communist era which is still considered as one of the most painful periods of Hungarian history. GYOR, SOPRON AND THE ESTERHAZY PALACE IN FERTOD: three magnificent examples of the greatest Hungarian Baroque architecture, the visit of Győr, Sopron and the simply outstanding Esterhazy Palace in Fertőd. BAROQUE TOUR IN GÖDÖLLŐ AND HOLLÓKŐ BY CAR: I'm in love with Baroque style, on this tour you'll understand more about both urban and rural Baroque architecture and about the lifestyle of Hungarian everyday people and royalty from the 18th century to nowadays. Hopefully we can travel again very very soon and I can take you to the most amazing places in Budapest and Hungary you'll never forget.
This time of the year I usually do some sort of summary of the most popular tours I delivered the previous year. Last year was special with mostly virtual and social distancing tours so I decided to put together a list of the tours I really would like to do more in the new year. Here comes my wish list for 2021
“THE GRAND BUDAPEST” WALK: a great introduction of Budapest to first time visitors or travellers who only have one day to see the main highlights and some of the hidden gems.
BUDAPEST ART NOUVEAU WALK: the most stunning Art Nouveau buildings and their mysterious secrets are to be revealed on this tour. A great option for architecture fans or first time visitors.
COMMUNIST BUDAPEST WALK: I grew up in the 1980’s so I can share with you a lot of stories from the Communist era which is still considered as one of the most painful periods of Hungarian history.
GYOR, SOPRON AND THE ESTERHAZY PALACE IN FERTOD: three magnificent examples of the greatest Hungarian Baroque architecture, the visit of Győr, Sopron and the simply outstanding Esterhazy Palace in Fertőd.
BAROQUE TOUR IN GÖDÖLLŐ AND HOLLÓKŐ BY CAR: I’m in love with Baroque style, on this tour you’ll understand more about both urban and rural Baroque architecture and about the lifestyle of Hungarian everyday people and royalty from the 18th century to nowadays.
Hopefully we can travel again very very soon and I can take you to the most amazing places in Budapest and Hungary you’ll never forget.
Because of the time difference most of my virtual tours these days are delivered after sunset, giving a very special atmosphere to those tours. Besides enjoying the views, learning more about Budapest and its history visitors also have the chance to explore the night scene, with all the magical lights and colours. Book a tour today to be part of an exciting fairytale!
Because of the time difference most of my virtual tours these days are delivered after sunset, giving a very special atmosphere to those tours. Besides enjoying the views, learning more about Budapest and its history visitors also have the chance to explore the night scene, with all the magical lights and colours.
Book a tour today to be part of an exciting fairytale!
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.
Ok, the timing might not be ideal. But. I originally created a Facebook profile for my tour guiding services some 5 years ago but I never really had time to take care of it and to publish enough interesting content. Now that I only deliver virtual tours obviously I have more time to work on my tours and profiles and uploaded some pictures and information. I'll try to post as often as I can so that you can learn more on my beautiful city and country: Please like, share, comment, send me messages, so that I can see that you're checking back on what's new in Beautiful Budapest!
Ok, the timing might not be ideal. But. I originally created a Facebook profile for my tour guiding services some 5 years ago but I never really had time to take care of it and to publish enough interesting content. Now that I only deliver virtual tours obviously I have more time to work on my tours and profiles and uploaded some pictures and information.
I’ll try to post as often as I can so that you can learn more on my beautiful city and country:
