WAMP Design Fair!

The WAMP design fair will move back to the 1st floor of Bálna Budapest on March 12.

Culture

Peti

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:15:36 GMT Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:15:36 GMT

Hungarian designers will present their own designed, small series products, be it clothes, jewelry, accessories, home furnishings or photos.

More than 100 Hungarian creators, designers and artists will join the fair in March, this year. It is a great pleasure for us that, in addition to the old exhibitors, we are constantly being joined by new ones who raise the standard of WAMP with their wonderful products.

Ilka Mészely joins the WAMP Design fair for the first time!

We are excited to see what illustrations, prints and books you will bring with you!

The Cukorka Szabóság is coming to us for the first time in March!

Neither a headband nor a scarf, but a scarf with a special wire that hides many ways to wear it! In addition, at WAMP you can already meet the pieces of the new collection!

The Finnish Nokia is changing its logo, which has been used for almost 60 years!

The company's new logo consists of five different shapes, from which the word Nokia can be read.

News

Peti

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:25:33 GMT Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:25:33 GMT

The word Nokia can be read instead of the previously used blue logo. In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Lundmark said that the brand has been associated with smartphones so far.

Today it is a company dealing with Nokia Enterprise technology. The CEO spoke about this before the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC), which starts on Monday in Barcelona.

According to MTI's report, Lundmark took over the management of the Finnish company struggling with economic difficulties in 2020, and then outlined a three-step strategy to settle the company's affairs. Nokia continues to focus on the development of its service business, its main focus in the future will be the sale of telecommunications equipment to other businesses.

The legendary frontman of Republic died ten years ago!

László Bódi, stage name Cipő. He worked together with the band on more than 20 albums.

Culture

Peti

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:16:32 GMT Fri, 31 Mar 2023 11:16:32 GMT

The frontman and singer of the band Republic, László Bódi "Cipő", is 47 years old. Every lyricist has his own world.People pick up Cipő's songs from time to time not because they want to interpret them with a literary dictionary. László Bódi's music gives a visceral feeling that you don't get anywhere else, that's what makes him unique, what makes him unrepeatable, what makes him Cipő.On February 15, 2013, one of the most iconic songwriters and performers of Hungarian popular music was hospitalized. His chronic heart rhythm disorder led to a heart attack. They tried to revive him on the spot, and then the arriving paramedics started fighting for his life. They finally made it to the hospital, but they couldn't wake him up from deep anesthesia.

Guns N' Roses will play a concert in Budapest this summer!

Guns N' Roses has announced the locations of their 2023 tour, they will also play a concert in Budapest's Puskás Arena in July!

Event

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:09:23 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:09:23 GMT

The rock group from Los Angeles, founded in 1985, will start its world tour in Tel Aviv on June 5. Axl Rose and his band will also perform in Budapest's Puskás Arena: the concert will take place on July 19, and members of the official fan club, Nightrain, will be the first to get tickets, starting at 10 a.m. on February 22. The possibility to buy tickets will also be available to registered Live Nation members starting at 10 a.m. on February 23. Full ticket sales start at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 24, so it's worth being on the lookout and getting to the machines on time.

WORLD TOUR GUIDE DAY IS COMING!

Great program option for the weekend!

Event

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:50:33 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:50:33 GMT

This year, the World Tour Guides Day is being held for the 20th time, which we especially like because you can once again get to places you normally wouldn't - and you can explore the area with tour guides - and they always give you new knowledge and experiences. Such is the visit to the Conti Street prison, where Cardinal Mindszenty was held, but you can also get to know Viziváros, the royal palace or the Hárshegy district on an exciting guided walk.

Although most of the walks, boat and bus trips are already full, there are still quite a few that you can register for or there are still places, so it's worth browsing the event page. For example, there are still places available to visit the prison on Conti Street, the treasure hunt on Margitsziget and the MÁV station walk. What's more, it's worth checking out programs outside of Budapest, because there will be exciting walks in Dunakeszin, Esztergom, Gödöllő, Sopron and Vác.

If you are looking for a real Hütte atmosphere!

If you want cozy lights, hot drinks and pleasantly spicy food, this is the place for you!

Gastronomy

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:33:59 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:33:59 GMT

Despite the mild weather, there will still be severe frost, snowfall and shivering here. In times like these, those who want to relax need warmth. But we are rarely lucky enough to travel to the mountains, relax in a small wooden house, we stay in the city or the agglomeration and relax for a few hours in the evening with friends, family, and our partner. For this, it is worth choosing the most homely location, our available luxury cannot be compromised! We also show you some reliable tips if you want a cool atmosphere and thus create your own winter fairytale world.

• NOCSAK BÁR

• 360 BAR

• INTERMEZZO RESTAURANT & ROOF TERRACE

• CZAKÓ KERT

• BEREG EMBASSY BAR & CAFE

• BALLOONBAR

• BUJA DISZNÓ-K LIGET

• PALETTA BUDAPEST

• KIS TIROL FOGADÓ

• ZSENGÉLŐ

Wine tasting on the Danube!

A boat trip on the Danube combined with a wine tasting can be a pleasant program to start spring.

Culture

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:10:24 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:10:24 GMT

As the good weather approaches, we yearn more and more to be close to nature. You can choose from several dates and buy your ticket for the ship departing from Akadémia port. Along the way, you can taste 7 special wines, while you can admire the Budapest panorama from a really special point of view. Look for the programs to experience additional entertainment options.

Coca-Cola's new, more environmentally conscious bottle arrives!

Soon, we will also be able to find the bottles with the caps attached to them on store shelves. This is how Coca-Cola tries to reduce the amount of discarded plastic waste.

Gastronomy

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:59:19 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:59:19 GMT

According to the announcement sent by the manufacturer to Forbes.hu, the design of the bottles and caps will not change, but the two will be connected by an accessory consisting of a plastic thread and a ring.

After wrapping, the cap must be folded back until you hear a small click. After the bottle has been emptied and the cap has been closed, it can be thrown into the selective waste container.

The purpose of introducing the new caps is to support the reduction of packaging waste and to increase the circular economy with recycled caps.

The current transformation is in line with the company's commitment to sustainability, which contributes to the collection of 100 percent of beverage bottles by 2030.

Fixed-cap products will be on store shelves at the beginning of this year.

Ice Rink Night!

On the night of January 7, we can party at more than 30 locations!

Culture

Peti

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:52:32 GMT Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:52:32 GMT

On January 7, 2023, you can slide on the ice under the cover of night in more than thirty places. The highlight of the event will once again be the Városligeti Art Ice Rink in Budapest, where with extended opening hours from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and from 9:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. with hockey games. As part of the program, Rádió1 will be installed, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Cooky Mix and a wish program will be played from the loudspeakers.

Locations by county:

Budapest

Városliget Artificial Ice Rink

Hello Buda Winterland

Buda Ice Rink Ice Garden

Downtown Korizó

Spike tent

Mátyásföld Ice Hall

Budapest Park Ice World

Pest

Maiden Village Ice Rink

Budakalász Community Artificial Ice Rink

New Ice Ice Rink Budaörs

Tököl Ice Dome

Budapest Mayor visits Kyiv!

Gergely Karácsony joined the mayors of Warsaw, Prague and Bratislava on a visit to the Ukranian capital.

News

Peti

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 12:37:48 GMT Mon, 30 Jan 2023 12:37:48 GMT

The municipal leaders visited Kyiv following the invitation by local mayor Vitali Klitschko – writes 24.hu.
During the visit the mayors also met high ranking state officials as well as the mayor of Bucha, where a
mass murder took place at the hand of invading Russian troops. Karácsony and his colleagues also had
the chance to meet European Union diplomats during their visit.
The aim of the visit was to let the mayors see the damage done to Ukraine by the invading Russina
forces as well as to talk about the infrastructural and humanitarian aid they can provide to Kyiv’s
citizens.
Gergely Karácsony was joined by Bratislava mayor Matúš Vallot, Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and
Prague mayor Zdeněk Hřib. Mayor Klitschko thanked the dleegation for their help, specifically
mentioning generators and buses that help the citizens in the Ukranian capital carry on with their lives,
while Russian troops are still attacking the eastern parts of the country. According to Klitschko, the war
resulted in at least 3.6 million internal refugees while the number of people who have left the country
ever sincet he invasion is nearing 8 million.
Following their official programme, the four mayors returned to Warsaw, where the Hungarian mayor
spoke about his experiences in Kyiv and Bucha. Karácsony pointed out that the four cities have
established the Association of Free Cities because they want peace and solidarity for the people of
Europe. Karácsony blamed the Hungarian government for not communicating honestly about the
current situation.

Budapest Széchenyi bath joins the best in Europe!

The historic spa entered the top 7 wellness places ont he continent.

Lifestyle

Peti

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 12:31:59 GMT Mon, 30 Jan 2023 12:31:59 GMT

Budapest’s Széchenyi spa joined the likes of Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon as well as England’s Thermae
Bath Spa amongst the best places to unwind and relax – writes enbudapestem.hu.
According to the rankings, the number one spot was claimed by Greece’s Palia Kameni hot springs,
located on an island in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Santorini. It is a picturesque location that is hard
to get to: the springs can only be accessed via boat and swimmers can only splash between the waves
from the anchored vessel.
Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon took second place. With its recognizable blue waters it is considered to be
one of Iceland’s most scenic locations.
The list has been especially kind to Hungarian spas, as next to the Széchenyi spa, that celebrates the
110th anniversary of its opening, the largest swimmable thermal lake of the world, Lake Hévíz also
added to the list compiled by the British tabloid The Mirror.
Other locations include the above mentioned British Bath, that saw its first spa-goers thousands of years
ago. Discovered almost 3 millenia ago, Bath was visited by ancient Saxons and Celts as well.
Luxury French wellness location Bains De Dorres also made the list, along with the swiss high end spa
7132 Therme Vals, renowned for its spectacular views.

Former Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer, FRED WHITE, dies at age 67.

His brother and bandmate Verdine White shared the news of his death on his social media page.

News

Peti

Tue, 3 Jan 2023 18:50:18 GMT Tue, 3 Jan 2023 18:50:18 GMT

The band Earth, Wind & Fire was founded in 1971 in Chicago.
Their music can be classified into several styles: jazz, rock, pop, dance, R&B.
The band has received numerous accolades over the decades: they won 6 Grammy Awards and 4 American Music Awards, and in 2000 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame into.
Jeremiah Green, founding member and drummer of the American rock band Modest Mouse, also died in the past few days after being diagnosed with cancer shortly before.

The epic LEGO lion moved to a new location!

The impressive sized plastic feline guarded the Chain Bridge until its stone brethren returned from renovation.

Event

Peti

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 16:05:03 GMT Fri, 30 Dec 2022 16:05:03 GMT

As we wrote earlier, the 173 year old iconic Széchenyi Chain Bridge is undergoing renovations, however
recently public transport, taxis as well as cyclists were allowed to use the river crossing while some
minor construction is still ongoing.
To celebrate the renovation of the bridge, Budapest’s City Hall partnered with LEGO to erect a replica of
the four stone lions guarding the bridge on both sides. The epic beast was built as a 1:1 model of the
statues, using 850 000 LEGO bricks.
The build of the massive LEGO statue took 560 hours. It measures 5,8 meters in lenght, 2,45 meters in
height and it weighs in at a hefty 2.8 tons – the stone statues ont he other hand are much heavier, 10
tons each. However, if you wanted to see the plastic lion, you can no longer find it around the Chain
Bridge.
That is because the original stone lions returned to their rightful place so their LEGO-based colleague
had to move – writes We Love Budapest. Now it’s laying at Városháza park, just near City Hall, where a
lot more people can see it. The bricks used to build the lion were treated with anti-freeze so the special
statue can withstand the winter cold.
At the moment it is unknown whether the lion will remain a permanent fixture at Városháza park, so if
you have a bit of time to spare, make sure to walk by to check it out while you still can!

Tragic-fated singer honored by square name!

Juli Fábián passed away in 2017, at the age of 37.

Culture

Peti

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:58:26 GMT Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:58:26 GMT

Juli Fábián was a singer well known to fans of Hungarian jazz and pop, but also abroad as she has several
songs in English with collaborators Zoohacker. The enormously talented artist’s career however was cut
short when she succumbed to cancer in 2017, after previously having recovered from the illness in 2012.
Recently Budapest’s City Hall announced on their Facebook page that Juli Fábián’s memory will live on in
the Hungarian capital, after having a square named after her.
The newly minted Juli Fábián square can be found in Budapest’s 9th district, also known as Ferencváros.
Quite fittingly, the square is in front of one of the biggest outdoor concert venues, Budapest Park, that is
also considered the largest such venue in Europe.
Juli Fábián was often performing ont he stage of Budapest Park, that also held a commemorative
concert following her passing.
The venue also plans a block party in the singer’s memory: the event called Fábián Juli Utcabál wil take
place ont he 9th of July 2023.

Keep your eyes peeled for Budapest’s iconic ’light trams’ !

The festive trams will transport passengers during the holiday season.

Lifestyle

Peti

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:41:19 GMT Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:41:19 GMT

Citizens of the Hungarian capital as well as tourists visiting Budapest during December’s festivities are
always delighted when they encounter one of the few special trams of the public transport company
BKK, adorned with festive lighting during the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The transport company started its tradition a 13 years ago with a single tram along line number 2, the
one rolling past such iconic landmarks as the Hungarian Parliament building. The festive tram proved to
be an instant hit with the people of Budapest as well as tourists, with many wonderful photos appearing
on Facebook and Instagram, depicting the LED-covered vehicle whoosing by.
For the 2021 holiday season BKK pulled out all stops – only figuratively of course – and rolled out an
entire fleet of trams and other vehicles, kitted out with festive decoration. This year there are 6 trams, a
special trolley bus as well as Budapest’s special cogwheel train (fogaskerekű) sporting LED-lights and
other decorations as well.
According to the information on the BKK website, the special light trams show up on the streets after
3pm every day, until the 6th of January 2022. The trams will travel along 12 lines across the city, so if
you want to snap a few good photos for your feed, you can check on BKK’s website (scroll past the initial
Hungarian text to see the spreadsheet with the dates).

Fotók: https://bkk.hu/utazasi-informaciok/kozossegi-kozlekedes/unnepijaratok/fenyvillamos/

Awesome Art Deco Exhibit Opens in Budapest!

The roaring 20s come alive in the National Gallery’s latest offering.

Culture

Peti

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:36:26 GMT Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:36:26 GMT

Over 250 posters, outfits, furniture and wonders of industrial designs bring alive the 1920s and 1930s in
the National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria – MNG). The latest exhibit called Art Deco Budapest –
Plakátok, tárgyak, terek (1925-1938) opened on the 12th of April.
MNG’s latest exhibition is special as it does not focus on the body of work by a single artist or a school of
creators, rather a lifestyle and a source of design inspiration going strong ever since. The Art Deco style
is quite typical of Budapest, with many prime examples of it still visible in the shape of building sas well
as a few vintage signs hanging over the Hungarian capital’s streets.
The core of the exhibition is part of the extensive collection of MNG: the graphical collection of the
gallery is so substantial, it could’ve produced the exhibits alone, however, the Széchenyi National Library
(Országos Széchenyi Könyvtár – OSZK) as well as the Museum of Applied Arts (Iparművészeti Múzeum)
also contributed with a few special works of art.
Seven years of research preceded the exhibition, that enabled the curators to feature a few rare, never
before seen pieces. The range of the exhibit has a wide spectrum from china tea sets through books and
dresses as well as the most popular part, a wide array of art deco posters used for advertising. Visitors of
the gallery will be able to get a taste of everyday life almost a century ago, with paper bags and various
packaging materials from department stores.
Probably the most valuable exhibit is a special poster by József Bottlik: a poster for Fritz Lang’s
Metropolis, of which only a single one remains intact – the piece was lent to the MNG by the OSZK.
The exhibition is open until the 28th of August.

Furious man holds wrong doctor at gunpoint!

The Budapest resident assaulted a member of a local hospital – in error.

News

Peti

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:01:43 GMT Sat, 26 Nov 2022 11:01:43 GMT

This summer a 48 man walked into the Jahn Ferenc Dél-Pesti Hospital and threatened a doctor with a
gas gun – writes 24.hu.
The unnamed man appeared at the hospital on the 23rd of July, heavily inebriated. Although the
visitation hours have passed, the man said he is there to visit his mother, whom she cannot visit
otherwise, so security let him through for a few minutes.
However, the man apparently didn’t consider his mother’s care to be satisfactory so he entered into an
argument with the doctor in charge. During the altercation, the man pulled out a gas gun and trained it
on the doctor, threatening to fire. The two men started scuffling, during which the doctor tried to
wrangel the gun away from the man. As a result, the gun went off, luckily nobody was injured. The
attacker lost consciousness though, as a result of being thrown tot he floor by the doctor. Following
that, the hospital staff treated him before alerting the authorities.
The prosecutor’s office requests a prison sentence against the man who they charge with violence
against a public official.
According to Bettina Bagoly, spokesperson for Budapest’s Public Prosecutors’s Office, the perpetrator
plead guilty and said he regrets the incident.

Cars to be banned from the Chain Bridge?

Budapest’s iconic landmark is undergoing renovations, but drivers might have to forget the 173 year old river crossing.

News

Peti

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 10:53:57 GMT Sat, 26 Nov 2022 10:53:57 GMT

Many tourists visit Budapest only to marvel at the city’s beauty, the crown jewel of which is the
Széchenyi Chain Bridge, that was finished in 1849. The landmark was shut down last year for some
much needed renovation – even the iconic lion statues have disappeared for some TLC. The stone beasts
returned in October, with a special twist – one of them was temporarily replaced by a life-size LEGO
statue.
The two-lane bridge usually sees bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour, so no wonder, that many
urbanites wanted cars to be banned from the bridge for decades. This might now become reality.
According to Telex some vehicles might return tot he Chain Bridge after the 16th of December, however,
civilian cars might not be among them.
Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony earlier told the news outlet that he sees quite a few reasons not to
let cars back onto the bridge. The mayor is in support of an initiative by several NGOs and climate
activists who are lobbying for only buses and bicycles to be allowed to cross the Danube at this
particular junction.
Gábor Kürti, president of the Hungarian Bicycle Club even went as far to say it would be a mistake of
historic magnitude to let cars once again have free reign over the bridge.
Anything can happen in the coming months, as the renovation will be officially finished in the second
half of 2023. But Budapest motorists might have to make peace with the fact that they are no longer
welcome on the Chain Bridge.

Hungary returns to the world of professional cycling!

After a five year hiatus the country once again has a team to compete in the major cycling competitions.

Lifestyle

Peti

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:37:40 GMT Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:37:40 GMT

Hungarian cyclists such as Attila Valter, Erik Fetter, Barnabás Peák, Márton Dina or Péter Kusztor have
been a staple of international contests for a number of years now, however the country missed at least
one team to keep the pros together since 2018 – reports Telex.
However that changed now as recently the Epronex-Hungary team was introduced with the aim of
participating in international contests organized by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world
governing body of cycling.
The sport became quite popular in the country in recent years as Hungary organized its own contest
Tour de Hongrie as well as moonlighting as the starting stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia.
The Epronex-Hungary team though is not new as it has been in operation since 2016, however so far it
lacked the continental designation that would’ve allowed the team to compete in the major cycling
competitions throughout Europe and the world.
The team has already gathered 197 UCI points this year and now the team is slated to collect further
qualification points that could.

Budapest’s iconic lions return!

Visszaadják szobrait Magyarország legismertebb hídjának.

News

Peti

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:32:30 GMT Mon, 14 Nov 2022 18:32:30 GMT

Az elmúlt egy évben Budapestre látogató turisták bizonyára csalódottak voltak, amikor meglátták a
magyar főváros egyik nevezetességét, az ikonikus Lánchidat,
amelyet 2021 tavaszán a nagyon szükséges felújítás miatt bezártak.
Magyarország legrégebbi kőhídja 1840 és 1849 között épült, azonban utoljára
mintegy 33 éve újították fel. Az építkezés még tart, a munkálatok 2023-ban fejeződnek be, de az
autók és buszok valószínűleg decemberben térhetnek vissza a hídra, de a gyalogosoknak jövő évig kell várniuk,
hogy a Lánchídon átkeljenek a Dunán.
A felújítás nagy mérföldköve október közepére készült el: a négy ikonikus oroszlánszobor közül kettő
a hidat őrző (két oldalon) október 18-án visszaadták. A két macskaszobrot
a budai oldalra szállították és darukkal emelték vissza talapzatára. Az oroszlánokat 3 darabban távolították el
, így miután visszakerültek a helyükre, a képzett természetvédők feladata lesz újra összerakni őket.
Videót tett közzé Facebook-oldalán a budapesti BKK közlekedési vállalat azon a napon, amikor az oroszlánok visszatértek
méltó helyükre Budapestre és a magyarok szívébe.

The fireworks on August 20 will be cancelled!

Due to unfarvolabre weather conditions, the fireworks will not be held!

News

Peti

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 19:58:10 GMT Sat, 20 Aug 2022 19:58:10 GMT

Originally, this year's August 20 festive fireworks in Budapest were to be held on Saturday from 9 p.m. After the recently concluded meeting, the competent body decided to postpone the closing event.

THE FIREWORKS ARE PLANNED TO BE POSTPONED TO SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 FROM 9PM.

The operative group responsible for the safe conduct of the national holiday on August 20 met as early as 7 a.m. The meeting was convened to discuss the development of the weather situation and, if necessary, to decide on the necessary steps to safely hold outdoor events.

It was already decided that the air parade planned for Saturday at 9 p.m. will not be held based on the recommendation of the experts of the Hungarian Defense Forces. The celebratory fireworks were originally supposed to start at 9 p.m., but after the meeting that ended recetly, the compotent board decided not to organize the closing event.

A new tram service has started in Budapest!

Tram line 2B has started, which provides a direct connection between Pesterzsébet, Pacsirtatelep and downtown Pest, the mayor of Budapest announced on her social media page.

News

Peti

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 19:34:48 GMT Sat, 20 Aug 2022 19:34:48 GMT

The BKK announced on its website that from this weekend Pesterzsébet can be reaced directly from Pesterzsébet without having to transfer: the 2B tram line will start on Saturday, August 13.

Starting as part of the development of the interwoven tram network in Pest, the new tram connection between Pesterzsébet, Pacsirtatelep and Jászai Mari tér, making it accessible without a transfer to Budapest XX. from the district, tram 4 and 6 at Boráros tér, M4 at Fővám tér, M1 at Vígadó tér ,and M2 at Kossuth Lajos tér.

Kristóf Milák is the fastest rising star of the Hungarian swimming sport!

Another championship on the horizon for the Hungarian swimming sensation.

News

Peti

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 14:14:50 GMT Sat, 20 Aug 2022 14:14:50 GMT

Last week marked the end of Budapest's Swimming World Championship where Hungarian phenom, Kristóf Milák reigned supreme in the men's 200 meter butterfly stroke, crowning his victory with a new record.

Milák's achievement was the second world record seen in Duna Arena the location of the swimming contest.His was one in five of the medals collected by the Hungarian national team. Milák also won a second gold medal as a member of the men's relay team in the 200 meter freestyle.

This year's Swimming World Championship was organized in a rush as it was originally planned in Fukuoka Japan 2021. However, local organizers opted to postpone the event in the wake of the emergence of the coronavirus' omicron variant. The championships were supposed to be held this May, but the Japanese organizers signaled their intention to postpone the event for yet another year. That's when Hungary stepped up and in only four monzhs they prepared the stage for Milák's recordbreaking win.

According to Index.hu following the Budapest-based event Kristóf Milák will have a few days to rest and regenerate before beginning preparations for the European Championships, that will kick of fon the 11th of August in Italy's capital, Rome. The Swimming World Championship will be back in Budapest in 2027, as the Hungarian capital won the right ti organize back in 2019.

Dune 2

Hollywood blockbuster returns to Budapest to shoot!

Culture

Peti

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:44:29 GMT Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:44:29 GMT

The crew is currently working in Italy, but they will come back to Hungarian capital in late June. David Lynch's 1984 sci-fi classic Dune saw a reboot being shot in Budapest prior to ist 2021 premiere.

The sci-fi epic features Hollywood heavyweights Timtohée Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Javier Barden, Charlotte Rampling as well as Dave Bautista, with Denis Villeneuve at the helm. The first installment of Dune was critically acclaimed following its premiere and according to Villeneuve's plant it's now time for the second part.

According to Telex.hu the production is wrapping in Italy before moving the crew to Budapest. The second installment of the film follows the second part of Frank Herbert's book that rose to cult status following its release.

Apart from the above mentioned talend, Warner Bros. recentlyannouced a slew of further stars joining the production:

Léa Seydoux will play the role of Lady Margot, and she will be joined by the likes of Florence Pugh, Cristopher Walken as well as Austin Butler.

The studio also announced that it will move the planned preimere of the second Dune film from the 20th October 2023 to the 17th November of the same year.

Messi overtook Puskás, close to the podium

He is already in fourth place in te everlasting ranking of goals scored in the natiaonal team.

News

Peti

Mon, 6 Jun 2022 18:28:33 GMT Mon, 6 Jun 2022 18:28:33 GMT

Lionel Messi entered the field in the 162 national team match at the preparation match aga1inst the Estonians, ahead of Ferenc Puskás, who was at the top of the list for decades. Puskás has scored 84 goals in about half of the matches and 85 matches ( in Hungarian colors).
Messin has a good chance of improving another position in the leaderboard, with the podium's current thirdplace finisher Mokhtar Dahari scoring 89 national team goals.
Leaderboard leader Cristiano Ronaldo has further improved his record thanks to a double against Switzerland, currently with 117 hits.

The national recorders:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 117 goals/188 matches
2. Ali Daei (Iran) 109/149
3. Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) 89/142
4. Lionel Messi (Argentina) 86/162
5. Ferenc Puskás(Hungarian) 84/85

Enrique Iglesias concert at the MVM Dome

June 12, 2022 (Sunday), 8 pm - Budapest, MVM Dome

Culture

Peti

Mon, 6 Jun 2022 17:48:01 GMT Mon, 6 Jun 2022 17:48:01 GMT

Ticket sales for Enrique Iglesias' mega concert in Hungary will begin on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 10 a.m. on June 12, 2022 at the MVM Dome stage. Accompanied by the band and dance troupe of Enriqe Iglesias, he travels to Europe for only three concerts, of which Budapest is one of the stops to the delight of the fans.

Enrique Iglesias last performed in Hungary in March 2018. Then in a moment the tickets ran out and the world star gave two full married concerts. (Organizers have predicted that the artist will give only one concert this year.) What is certain, however, is that we will see the same stage, light, sound, laser, and pyrotechnics that characterized the greatness of the recently concluded U.S. tour.

His songs and albums are among the most played on every continent. The mega party will feature hits such as Sube me la radio, Duele el corazón, Loco, Heart Attack and Bailando. produced billions of views! Although our announcement is not official, we know that a song is being prepared for a premiere, which is a real honor for the Hungarian audience.

In his 25-year career, he has sold more than 170 million records. Enrique is still one of the most important pop singers of our time. He was voted the audience’s favorite artist at the 2016 American Music Awards, and in 2016 and 2017, he won 5 awards at the Latin American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Year Award.

In 2020, he received the greatest accolade of his life for being named Top Latin Artist of All Time.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite-internet comes to Hungary

The Tesla founder brought his space-based internet provider to Central Eastern Europe.

Event

Peti

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:10:46 GMT Tue, 24 May 2022 16:10:46 GMT

Elon Musk promised Starlink-access to battle-weary Ukraine after the invasion by Russia and he was quick to deliver on his words. Starlink is currently active in the neighbouring country, however, editors of PCWorld.hu pointed out that the service has already been accepting registrations from Hungary since last year. Now a fresh press release by the company confirmed its launch in the region, covering Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia as well as Hungary.

Prospective users first have to register on the official Starlink website, before getting to the financials. Downpayment for a Starlink antenna costs 260 000 HUF with an additional 23 000 for delivery. After that the monthly fee costs 35 000 HUF which is about 3 times the price of combined internet-tv-telephone subscriptions offered by other companies.

According to SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink the service comes with a guaranteeed download speed of 250 Mbps that is probably around 100-150 Mbps according to PCWorld's speed test results. This means that Elon Musk's service is mainly aimed at those who don't want or cannot access broadband services by other providers.

Australian Open 2022 men's final: Rafael Nadal wins record-breaking 21st Grand Slam with five-set victory

The 35-year-old Nadal defeated 25-year-old Daniil Medvedev.

Lifestyle

Mia Balogh

Tue, 10 May 2022 13:30:31 GMT Tue, 10 May 2022 13:30:31 GMT

Rafael Nadal broke a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic by claiming his 21st Grand Slam title Sunday, coming back to beat Daniil Medvedev, 2-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, in the 2022 Australian Open men's singles final. Nadal rallied from two sets down -- just the third comeback from 0-2 at a major for Nadal in his career and first since 2007 -- to win the marathon five-setter.

"One month and a half ago, I didn't know if I was going to be able to be back on the tour playing tennis again," Nadal said in his post-match speech. "And today, I am here in front of all of you having this trophy with me and you really don't know how much I fought to be here. I can't thank you enough for all the support that I received since I arrived here."

Nadal was sidelined with a recurring foot injury since last May, even having to undergo an operation that left him on crutches just four months ago. Then, in December 2021, Nadal suffered from a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Following Nadal's first-round victory at the 2022 Australian Open, he told Eurosport Spain: "A month and a half ago I didn't know if I would play tennis again at a professional level due to various factors, including the problems I've had with my foot and with COVID."

This was the second Grand Slam meeting for Medvedev and Nadal, who are establishing an epic intergenerational rival. The pair faced each other in another final, at the 2019 US Open, which was also a five-set match in Nadal's favor. Medvedev, 25, has a near-identical playing approach as Nadal, returning far behind the baseline and covering the court with impressive speed. On paper, Medvedev holds the advantage as a better hard court player whereas Nadal is known to be more dominant on clay court. At 6 feet, 6 inches, Medvedev also sports a massive serve and impenetrable defense.

For more info: https://www.cbssports.com/tennis/news/australian-open-2022-mens-final-rafael-nadal-wins-record-breaking-21st-grand-slam-with-five-set-victory/

Hungary knew about the Russian invasion in advance?

A shocking revelation by Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council states that Hungary’s leadership could possibly have been informed by Russian president Vladimir Putin about his country’s invasion of Ukraine, a neighbor to both nations – writes RTL.hu.

News

Mia Balogh

Tue, 10 May 2022 13:24:38 GMT Tue, 10 May 2022 13:24:38 GMT

According to the news site’s informations, Danilova s a guest of Ukraine’s Rada TV said that Putin might have given advance warning to Hungary about his plans. According tot he Ukrainian politician, Hungary even expressed intentions to acquire a part of Ukraine that previously was a territory of the Central European country.

Danilov blamed Hungary for not respecting democratic values required by NATO, of which hungary is a member since 1999.

„Hungary openly commits itself to cooperation with Russia” – said Danilov during his TV stint. „Moreover, Budapest was warned in advance by Russian President Putin that an attack on Ukraine was imminent. They see how Hungary is behaving and for some reason they expected to be able to win back their territories. But that’s not going to happen […] I also wonder what the consequences of such behavior of a country will be after the war.”

The german-language news site Ungarn Heute reminded readers that this is not the first time this possibility was mentioned. Back in March, the former Foreign Minister of Poland, Radosław Sikorski wrote on Twitter that Putin and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán has reached an agreement ont he division of Ukraine.

From the Hungarian side the only reaction to this allegation came from Tamás Menczer, under-secretary of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, who called Danilov’s accusations fake news.

Awesome Art Deco Exhibit Opens in Budapest

The roaring 20s come alive in the National Gallery’s latest offering. Over 250 posters, outfits, furniture and wonders of industrial designs bring alive the 1920s and 1930s in the National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria – MNG). The latest exhibit called Art Deco Budapest – Plakátok, tárgyak, terek (1925-1938) opened on the 12th of April.

Culture

Mia Balogh

Tue, 10 May 2022 13:21:24 GMT Tue, 10 May 2022 13:21:24 GMT

MNG’s latest exhibition is special as it does not focus on the body of work by a single artist or a school of creators, rather a lifestyle and a source of design inspiration going strong ever since. The Art Deco style is quite typical of Budapest, with many prime examples of it still visible in the shape of building sas well as a few vintage signs hanging over the Hungarian capital’s streets.

The core of the exhibition is part of the extensive collection of MNG: the graphical collection of the gallery is so substantial, it could’ve produced the exhibits alone, however, the Széchenyi National Library (Országos Széchenyi Könyvtár – OSZK) as well as the Museum of Applied Arts (Iparművészeti Múzeum) also contributed with a few special works of art.

Seven years of research preceded the exhibition, that enabled the curators to feature a few rare, never before seen pieces. The range of the exhibit has a wide spectrum from china tea sets through books and dresses as well as the most popular part, a wide array of art deco posters used for advertising. Visitors of the gallery will be able to get a taste of everyday life almost a century ago, with paper bags and various packaging materials from department stores.

Probably the most valuable exhibit is a special poster by József Bottlik: a poster for Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, of which only a single one remains intact – the piece was lent to the MNG by the OSZK.

The exhibition is open until the 28th of August.

Pizza World Championship

Celebrity chef Lázár Kovács achieved great results  at the Italian competition.

Gastronomy

Peti

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 16:18:56 GMT Wed, 27 Apr 2022 16:18:56 GMT

Hungarian team awarded at the Pizza World Championship

Between the 5th and 7th of April, Italian Parma saw the best of the best of pizzamakers converge on the city to compete for thisyear’s Pizza World Championship. About 700 contestantsarrived from 36 countries, among them the Hungarian team, ledby the renowned Hungarian chef Lázár Kovács. While the main event is usually a lock for the locals, Lázár and his pizzamakingpartner László Damu achieved quite a feat by finishing in the7th place, thereby becoming the best foreign team.

The Pizza World Championship hs many categories – classic, deep dish, pizza on a baker’s shovel and also a gluten-free category. The Hungarian team participated in each of these, claiming 7th place in the classic category with their vegan dishcalled the Green Cheese pizza.

The delicacy combined grilled vegetables and garden herbs, complete with microgreens, roasted pistachios and walnut-flavored green pesto, as well as the Hungarian specialtyPálpusztai cheese, yellow tomatoes, green pea caviasr and porcini mushrooms, all coming from ecological farms. The composition was drizzled with sesame oil as well as oastedsesame seeds.

The judges not only appreciated the flavors but the design of thepizza as well, resulting in the Hungarian team claimming theBest Art Design award of the competition as well.

Following the championship, Kovács and his team visited thenearby Piaggio factory as well, where they picked up a speciallymade Piaggio truck with a built-in pizza-oven inside. They willuse the special vehicle to bring their award-winning dish toHungary so locals here can taste the win as well.

Keep your eyes peeled for Budapest’s iconic ’light trams’

The festive trams will transport passengers during the holiday season.

Lifestyle

Mia Balogh

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:23:07 GMT Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:23:07 GMT

Citizens of the Hungarian capital as well as tourists visiting Budapest during December’s festivities are always delighted when they encounter one of the few special trams of the public transport company BKK, adorned with festive lighting during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The transport company started its tradition a 13 years ago with a single tram along line number 2, the one rolling past such iconic landmarks as the Hungarian Parliament building. The festive tram proved to be an instant hit with the people of Budapest as well as tourists, with many wonderful photos appearing on Facebook and Instagram, depicting the LED-covered vehicle whoosing by.

For the 2021 holiday season BKK pulled out all stops – only figuratively of course – and rolled out an entire fleet of trams and other vehicles, kitted out with festive decoration. This year there are 6 trams, a special trolley bus as well as Budapest’s special cogwheel train (fogaskerekű) sporting LED-lights and other decorations as well.

According to the information on the BKK website, the special light trams show up on the streets after 3pm every day, until the 6th of January 2022. The trams will travel along 12 lines across the city, so if you want to snap a few good photos for your feed, you can check on BKK’s website (scroll past the initial Hungarian text to see the spreadsheet with the dates).

Hungarian rock-legend dies from covid

Legendary musician and songwriter János Kóbor has passed away at the age of 78, following a short battle with covid.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:17:17 GMT Fri, 10 Dec 2021 13:17:17 GMT

János Kóbor was Hungary’s equivalent of Mick Jagger.

The Hungarian rock band Omega is one of the few that cold become well-known in other parts of the world as well, a huge feat if you consider that they could even conquer Western Europe during Hungary’s communist/socialist era that ended in 1989.

Grief swept across the country as the news broke on the 6th of December, that the front man and singer of Omega, legendary musician and songwriter János Kóbor has passed away at the age of 78, following a short battle with covid.

Although Kóbor – born on the 17th of May 1943 – started playing music in high school, in a band called Ciklon, his musical career became synonymous with Omega, one of Hungary’s most iconic bands ever. Omega first performed on the 23^rd of September 1962, in one of the dormitories of the Budapest Technical University (BME).

Omega piled up a number of achievements during their decades of activity. They were the first beat band to publish an album in 1968, they were the first Hungarian rock band to visit the West, and to date they have the most records sold in Hungary (1979’s Gammapolis, that sold 650 thousand copies) as well as the most records by a Hungarian band sold abroad (1977’s Time Robber, with over 1 million copies sold).

Though it’s less known outside of Hungary, but Omega inspired an international act as well: the 1994 hit single White Dove by German rock legends Scorpions covered Omega’s iconic Gyöngyhajú lány (Girl with the pearl hair). The two bands had a friendly relationship, with Kóbor and Scorpions Singer Klaus Meine singing Wind of Change together in Budapest’s landmark Heroes’ Square in 2014, to mark the 25^th anniversary of Hungarian democracy.

Iron Maiden will rock Hungary next summer

Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden were supposed to perform at Budapest’s Groupama Arena this June.

Event

Viki

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:27:14 GMT Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:27:14 GMT

Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden were supposed to perform at Budapest’s Groupama Arena this June, however, due to the covid-pandemic the band had to cancel their world tour – writes Telex.hu.

According to the portal the group will return to Budapest in 2022, as their whole tour was moved to the next year when the covid-crisis hopefully will be tamed further as more and more people are getting vaccinated in the country and all over the world. Currently about 6 million Hungarians received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Hungary is seeing the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with more and more cases reported each day.

The Iron Maiden concert is now slated for the 7th of June next year. It will mark the 13th time, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees will perform in Hungary. Their first gig happened in 1984, when Hungary was still „behind the iron curtain”, and under socialist rule. Back then they performed in the parking lot of the since demolished Budapest Sports Arena, while their last performance saw them rocking out at the 2018 Volt Festival.

House of Unicum reopened

The Unicum House will reopen on May 25th.

Lifestyle

Viki

Thu, 8 Jul 2021 08:20:28 GMT Thu, 8 Jul 2021 08:20:28 GMT

The Zwack Museum is a very personal, intimate collection of photographs from the Zwack family but also a treasury of old posters and personal memorabilia dating back over two hundred years which tell the story not only of Unicum and the Zwack family. Here you can see the bottles and the machines of the past and the old distillery, which is called the heart of Unicum. It is located in Budapest at headquarters of the company where the production also happens.

For groups and individual visitors the program contains a visit to the old distillery as well, namely the "Heart of Unicum" which is now in its original condition since it has been renovated based on the original photos that remained. More than 100 years old distilling systems, stone barrels - used for extraction - and aromatic herbs that might be a part of the Unicum's secret recipe are exhibited in this tarnished building.

Budapest Restart card, get the most out of your stay!

All advantages in a row. See more. Save more.

News

Viki

Thu, 27 May 2021 10:20:43 GMT Thu, 27 May 2021 10:20:43 GMT

If you are planning to visit Budapest, take advantage of the free Budapest Restart Card services: free public transport, 20 museums with no entry fees, free entry to the Lukács Bath, free walking sightseeing tours, a cave tour and free entry to various visitor centres.

During the period of validity of the Budapest Card, you have unlimited travel within the administrative boundary of the capital on BKK routes: tram, trolleybus, metro, bus, boat and suburban railway (HÉV). Whether ambling on foot, puttering along on a Tuk-tuk, gawking from a sightseeing bus, zipping about on a two-wheeled Segway or cruising on a ship, Budapest, as a true world-class city, offers tourists from every corner of the world a wide range of sightseeing options.

Your card also includes discounts at popular restaurants.

For more info, please visit www.budapestinfo.hu/budapest-card

Biggest festivals have cancelled this summer

The Sziget, Balaton Sound and VOLT festival  back to you in its full glory in the summer of 2022.

News

Viki

Thu, 27 May 2021 09:49:12 GMT Thu, 27 May 2021 09:49:12 GMT

Due to the global pandemic, the festival industry operates in a really unpredictable environment and the safety of their visitors as top priority in these challenging times. You will attend these festivals in the summer of 2022.

The Sziget team are busy shaping up the lineup for the return to The Island of Freedom in 2022. They can promise that the lineup will be bigger than ever!

Stay tuned with us for the latest news.

Budapest Park is open

Budapest Park will reopen the gates on May 28.

Event

Viki

Thu, 27 May 2021 09:31:45 GMT Thu, 27 May 2021 09:31:45 GMT

Europe's biggest open-air entertainment centre waiting for you with largest LED screens, lights and sound systems. You can enjoy the latest DJ sets until the sun comes up. Tomorrow the real party will start on several dance floors in the Budapest Park and we can support the Champions League final together on May 29.

See below some of the first month's concert offerings:
Margaret Island
Halott Pénz
Punnany Massif
Irie Maffia
Aurevoir. + Parno Graszt and many others.

For more information please visit www.budapestpark.hu/en/pages/event-changes

Visiting Budapest during at the pandemic

What if you are a tourist and not having a Hungarian immunity card

News

Viki

Fri, 21 May 2021 12:51:45 GMT Fri, 21 May 2021 12:51:45 GMT

Currently, you can pass the border with two negative PCR tests taken within three days or an immunity certificate from few specific countries.

Where can you go during your visit to Budapest? You could go to restaurants and bars with any immunity card or negative PCR tests.
Czech, Turkish, Slovenian, Northern Macedonian and Bahraini passes are also accepted in the popular Széchenyi Bath and the Budapest Zoo too.

Bad news, in the museums only Hungarian card are accepted currently.

We hope that these restrictions do not bother you and you will visit Budapest soon.

Hungary will play in front of a full house

Tickets are sold out!

Event

Viki

Fri, 21 May 2021 12:26:30 GMT Fri, 21 May 2021 12:26:30 GMT

Ticket sales for Hungarian fans for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2020 started again on Wednesday afternoon and the interest was so huge that all tickets were sold out in one hour. So, there will be a full house at the matches in the 68,000 Puskás Arena.

The Hungarian national team will play at least three matches in the group rounds of the European Football Championship:

• June 15 (Tuesday), 18:00: Hungary-Portugal (Budapest)
• June 19 (Saturday), 15:00: Hungary-France (Budapest)
• June 23 (Wednesday), 21:00: Germany-Hungary (Munich)

The Portugal-France match on June 23 (Wednesday) and one of the eight-finals will take place in Budapest, but ticket sales for these events have not yet been opened to Hungarian fans.

Budapest’s spas are gradually reopening

Six spas are already open to visitors in Budapest From May 1st including the popular Széchenyi Bath.

Lifestyle

Viki

Fri, 21 May 2021 12:00:46 GMT Fri, 21 May 2021 12:00:46 GMT

The opening rules are being closely monitored due to the pandemic. Visitors are forbidden to enter the bathing area without slippers.

The opening spas are the Széchenyi, Rudas, Gellért, Lukács, Paskál and Csillaghegy Árpád Thermal Baths.

In front of the cash desks and at the buffets, keeping a safe distance is compulsory. The use of masks covering the nose and mouth is compulsory for all guests during entry and for the duration of their stay in the enclosed areas of the baths, except for the pool area, sauna, and steam room. Masks are not required in the open-air parts of the spas. Tickets are available at the same prices as before the coronavirus pandemic, with the option of children’s, student, and pensioner tickets, as well as the family ticket which offers substantial discounts.

Outdoor catering to restart when 3.5 million vaccinated in Hungary

Encouraging news as a first step in reopening.

News

Viki

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 08:26:17 GMT Thu, 31 Dec 2020 08:26:17 GMT

Bars and restaurants might once more begin serving customers outdoors once the amount of Hungarians inoculated against Covid-19 reaches 3.5 million, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán aforementioned on Facebook on Wednesday.

The terraces of the bars and garden areas of the catering units can open. These services can be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. It's important to note that guests do not have to wear a mask, but waiters do. The operator of the catering unit is responsible for compliance with the rules. Violations of security measures may result in fines or the closure of the restaurant. Guests who don't follow the rules can expect a fine.

Orbán conjointly proclaimed that whereas kindergartens would open up and therefore the lower grades of primary faculties would come to their school rooms on April 19, 5-8 graders would occupy home and press on with their on-line categories till May 10. The govt has determined “to proceed bit by bit and punctiliously,” Orbán aforementioned, and asked oldsters for “patience and understanding”. Orbán welcome the speed with that the national vaccination programme was being enforced and thanked doctors, nurses, also as those concerned within the procural and distribution of coronavirus vaccines. He aforementioned “we ar going well, we tend to can be the quickest in Europe administering the shots”.

Things that have changed in Budapest this year

You won't even recognize some parts of the city!

News

Budnews

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 08:24:15 GMT Tue, 29 Dec 2020 08:24:15 GMT

No matter how long and chaotic this year was, there was no shortage of developments, monumental reconstructions, new buildings and good examples. In addition to the numerous reconstructions, renovations, and demolition, there are currently a lot of investments taking place in Budapest. We would now highlight the 4 largest ones: Várnegyed (Castle district), Városliget (City Park), Budapest Déli Városkapu (Southern City Gate) and the renovation of Metro line M3.

City park

The Mihály Mőcsényi Botanical Garden, named after the dominant figure of Hungarian landscape architecture, was handed over, where 335 different varieties of plants were planted, and a dog park was opened. The new 2-kilometer long Running Circle of the City Park is the capital’s largest one, and the most versatile outdoor sports center, the Városliget Sports Center, also opened its doors. The Városliget Promenade has also been established, with the 800-seat Museum Underground Garage is located below it.

Although they are not ready, the Ethnographic Museum designed by Napur Architect and the House of Hungarian Music designed by Sou Fujimoto are also structurally complete, the latter already has its iconic roof and glass walls.

Castle District

This year, the buildings of the Main Guard and the Royal Riding School in the Csikós courtyard were rebuilt according to the original plans of Alajos Hauszmann, and even the Stöckl staircase connecting the two buildings was completed in 2020. Among the smaller reconstructions, the iconic well of the Buda Castle, the Matthias Well, also referred to as the Hungarian Trevi Fountain, is ready, and the construction of the St. Stephen's Hall in the palace is also nearing completion.

Budapest Southern City Gate

The Southern City gate is hallmarked by the huge MOLheadquarters, but there are some other novelties in that area. The renewal of the student city and the construction of the new athletics stadium (also by Napur Architect), has also started. During the spring, architects and civilians began collecting signatures to build a park on the South Pest Riverbank instead of the stadium, but the initiative failed.

Metro line M3

The renovated southern section of metro line M3 has been completed, so now we can board the metro in Kőbánya-Kispest and travel with it all the way to Nagyvárad Square. Our journey from there will continue with the torture of metro replacement buses, as the renovation of the middle section of the blue metro began in November. This is the last major stage, but the renovation of Deák Square and Kálvin Square is still to come.

Can’t wait next year to see the newest developments of the city!

Finally: Tesla comes to Hungary

Three job applications are already available and the description for one of those suggests that they have the intention to open a Tesla store in our capital, too.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:39:50 GMT Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:39:50 GMT

After the installed Superchargers and the plan of opening some new repairing stations in Budapest, now it seems like those who thought that Tesla has much bigger plans in Budapest were right: an actual Tesla store might be opened in our capital in the future – Portfolio.hu writes.

On 17 December, the company has made three jobs available to apply on their official career site: they are looking for a Service Manager, a Senior Service Technician and a Service Technician in Budapest.

You can check out the details and even apply by uploading your English language CV here: https://www.tesla.com/en_EU/careers/search#/?region=3&country=42

By taking a look at these positions, we really feel that the responsibilities and requirements of their future Service Manager suggests that they are looking for someone who is reliable and who is able to do many different tasks – maybe even help in a store opening? ;)

We still don’t know the answer for this but one thing is certain: when it comes to purchasing a car, it would be more practical to do so directly from the manufacturer in Hungary rather than having to leave the country for it.

Source: Portfolio.hu

Watch The Nutcracker in your home for free

If you can’t imagine Christmas without watching The Nutcracker live, well, we good news: this fairy tale ballet is made available for one day in the OperaLive series on 24 December 2020 on Facebook and Origo.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:49:08 GMT Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:49:08 GMT

The Nutcracker is as much part of Christmas in the Hungarian Opera as glittering trees and beigli cake for the Hungarian families – this enchanting ballet has been performed almost every year since 1950, apart from the aftermath the bloody Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and the restauration of the Opera House in 1981-82.

So it was a big question what will happen this year, in the middle of the second wave of the coronavirus. Luckily, the Hungarian State Opera has made all their cancelled live shows available online, in the OperaLive series, where a recorded full performance of The Nutcracker from 2016 will be available this Christmas for one day. And it is free.

What to do if you would like to stream it? Well, it is good to know that it will be available to watch from 3 p.m. on 24 December until midnight on 25 December 2020 on the Facebook page of the Opera https://www.facebook.com/Operahaz and Origo.hu.

Source: Opera.hu , WeLoveBudapest.com

Hungarian cartoon characters come to life on sweaters

Dr. Bubó, the Checkered-eared Rabbit and Pom Pom can now be worn on clothes, phone cases and even masks.

Culture

Budnews

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:44:50 GMT Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:44:50 GMT

If there is one thing that will certainly bring back the childhood of all Hungarians, it is undoubtedly the cartoons of the 70s, 80s, 90s. Almost all of the legendary Hungarian cartoon heroes were born at that time: the funny characters of Dr. Bubó, the owl, Pom Pom, the cute fury thing, Gombóc Artúr, the biggest fan of chocolate and the Rabbit with Checkered Ears are now very retro, but they have not lost any of their popularity.

Maybe that’s why Vates has just dusted off these heroes and made a collection of them without which we don’t know how we could live. The cartoon characters now appear on T-shirts, sweaters, phone cases and even masks!

All we can add to this is that this winter there will be probably no cooler clothing item than the Dr. Bubó hoodie, and if you pair it with a Checkered-eared rabbit mask, even the jacket will not prevent everyone from knowing how cool the Hungarian cartoons are. ;)

https://vates.hu/collections/mesekollekcio/products/dr-bubo-fekete-pulover?variant=32971950424139

https://vates.hu/collections/mesekollekcio/products/kockasfulu-nyul-maszk?variant=32972009799755

https://vates.hu/collections/mesekollekcio/products/pom-pom-eco-telefontok?variant=32971977982027

5 things why Budapest is the perfect destination in 2021

2020 has not turned out as planned, but it’s time to look ahead to 2021.

News

Budnews

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:14:43 GMT Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:14:43 GMT

2020 was undeniably a strange year. It put us in situations we could never have imagined before. That’s why more people than ever have been waiting for this year to end, and now that we’re only days apart from this date, we’re looking ahead. We hope that in 2021 everything will go back to normal, so now here comes the 5 reasons why it will be worth returning to Budapest and Hungary next year.

The city is still beautiful. Of course. The Parliament, the Buda Castle, the historic city center, the Heroes' Square are all waiting for tourists to return in all their splendor. As life revives, so do these popular places.

There will hopefully be festivals next year. Not much is known yet about next year’s events, but it is likely that the organizers will strive to hold all possible events. And given that vaccinations have already begun in several European countries, we do not think that will be an obstacle.

The prices are very reasonable. Thanks to this year’s decline in tourism, prices have dropped significantly everywhere, be it airplane tickets or accommodation. If you book your trip now for next year, you can literally find offers for pennies, and the vast majority of accommodations can be canceled free of charge.

The baths in Budapest are still the best in Europe. While cheapness is true for all tourist destinations now, spas are something you won’t find anywhere else in Europe. Forgetting the long, hectic winter is no better than relaxing in one of the beautiful historic baths of Budapest.

Many sights have been renewed. The renewal and transformation of the City Park is making good progress, the expansion of Millenáris Park has been completed, the renovation of the legendary Klotild Palace has also been completed, another section of the M3 metro has been completed, countless parks and buildings have been renewed… you won't even know the city if you've been here a long time ago.

Will you come and see?

DIY: bejgli, the Hungarian Christmas cake

Bejgli is made for hundreds of years according to the recipe below.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:09:28 GMT Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:09:28 GMT

Hungarian gastronomy has many special dishes, and it is no different with the Christmas menu. Bejgli, our Christmas “cake” is traditionally filled with walnut or poppy seed, these days even with chestnuts, cherries, prunes, but there are also sour cherry-poppy, chestnut-plum, apple-poppy and cabbage versions. Folk belief is that nuts should be eaten against hex and poppies bring wealth to the house.

Bejgli is originally from the Silesian region and this type of Silesian cake has been known in Europe since the 14th century. The name of this yummie Christmas cake came to Hungary through German and Austrian mediation and spread in the second half of the 19th century. From that time on, we began to celebrate Christmas according to German fashion in Hungary. But how is this traditional delicacy made?

Ingredients for 2 rolls:

For the dough:

• 200 ml milk
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 20 g yeast
• 50 g wheat
• 250 g butter or margarine
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 lemon

For the filling:

• 250 g ground walnuts
• 250 g ground poppy seeds
• 200 g sugar
• 200 ml milk
• 100 g raisins
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 1 lemon
• 250 g butter
• 250 g margarine

Preparation:

For the bejgli dough, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm milk, add yeast and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Pour the flour into a bowl and melt the butter. First add the yeast milk and 2 egg yolks to the flour, then the butter, salt and the grated lemon zest. Knead the dough well together: we need to get a relatively hard, flexible dough. Let it rest in a warm place while we prepare the fillings.

Put the minced walnuts and poppy seeds in a separate bowl and mix them with 100-100 g of sugar and 100-100 ml of milk. The vanilla sugar is also divided in half and mixed with the fillings. If you like, you can also mix raisins and grated lemon zest.

We divide the dough into 2 parts and create rectangles the size of a baking tray. Spread the filling in a thickness of 1 cm over the entire surface and then gently roll it up. Place the two bars in the baking tray, keeping in mind that they are still rising during baking. The top of the bejgli is smeared with the remaining egg yolk, to which we can mix 1 tablespoon of milk to make it even more beautiful in color. Prick them with a fork and put it in a 200 degree Celsius oven for approx. 50 minutes for a nice golden brown in.

Beautiful photos about the ‘magical’ Budapest

Budapest is a wonderful place, even has its own charm in these cold and grey winter months. Well, this is exactly what you can see and feel by looking at the following pics.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 13:05:37 GMT Thu, 17 Dec 2020 13:05:37 GMT

If you can’t stop loving Budapest, no matter the season, we are sure that you can’t wait to admire the city in these cold, foggy winter days.

Our capital is beautiful even in winter, and by looking at the photos of the well-known photographer Krisztián Bódis’, you might even feel that Budapest is a magical place.

‘Seen from above, the city’s bridges, towers, churches and castles look even more magical when covered in mist’ – WeLoveBudapest writes about the photos.

Photos and source: https://welovebudapest.com/cikk/2020/12/3/ilyen-a-csodas-kodos-teli-budapest-bodis-krisztian-fotoin

Tickets are now on sale for The Weeknd in Budapest in 2022

The Canadian R&B star plays the Papp László Sportaréna on 4 November 2022.

Event

Viki

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:55:01 GMT Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:55:01 GMT

The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Toronto. The superstar singer will be performing 1 event in Budapest on Friday 4th November 2022 at the Arena.

The Weeknd could be a look into the future of the music industry, and the only way to find out for sure is by joining the ride. Either way, it’s going to be unforgettable.

The edge of City Park has been renewed: it became so beautiful!

We can walk along the promenade created in 56-osok tere, at the top of the new underground garage.

News

Budnews

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 15:07:32 GMT Tue, 15 Dec 2020 15:07:32 GMT

City Park is in the middle of a huge renewal, and the newest step is the opening of the renewed 56-osok tere. This square is a long rectangle along Dózsa György út and has been used by the city as a car park for decades. It was the venue of many concerts and processions, but now it seems like a real park. Although underground garage has been set up underneath, it still shows a more livable picture than its predecessor.

The so-called City Park Promenade was created on the site of the former parking lot, where more than 100 deciduous trees, 4,000 shrubs and about 40,000 flower bulbs and perennials were planted. The promenade is located between the new building of the Ethnographic Museum and the Városliget Theater planned on the corner of Dózsa György út and Ajtósi Dürer sor. Currently it can be approached from the Ethnographic Museum from the side, because it is bordered by the theater construction area from Ajtósi Dürer sor.

The three-storey underground garage has parking lots for 800 cars, but its most unique feature is that the garage showcases 12 Hungarian artists on the walls from László Moholy-Nagy to Ilona Keserü, Dóra Maurer, Imre Bak and Victor Vasarely. The garage is also perfect for cyclists: an enclosed bicycle storage with changing rooms and showers has also been set up on the top level of the garage.

Budapest among the most underrated foodie destinations in the world

According to an American gastro blog, our capital is one of the lesser known but amazing foodie destinations in the world.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:38:57 GMT Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:38:57 GMT

You might agree with us that this is not the best time to travel but it definitely is the best time to plan your next journey – maybe your next gastro adventure. No ideas yet? Then the following compilation might inspire you.

At the gastro blog Chef’s Pencil, 250 chefs and foodies were polled about which place they thought was the most underrated foodie destination. They could name countries, cities, or regions. And what a surprise, in the cities rankings, Budapest came in second, preceded by Cape Town and followed by Chicago.

Check out their top 10 here:

1. Cape Town

2. Budapest

3. Chicago

4. Melbourne

5. Mexico City

6. San Sebastian

7. Bergen

8. Hong Kong

9. Montreal

10. Napoli

They write that ‘some of the places might already be well-known and appreciated for their gastronomic excellence, but people felt they still lack the international recognition they truly deserve’.

We think that these amazing places with exciting gastronomy might be hidden gems now but this will change probably quite soon.

Source: https://www.chefspencil.com/most-underrated-foodie-destinations-country-rankings/

Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal was photographed at an iconic location of Budapest

Perdo Pascal was photographed for Entertainment Weekly at the Gellért Hotel.

News

Budnews

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:01:31 GMT Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:01:31 GMT

In recent years, we have almost accustomed to celebrities walking and photobombing in Budapest, but now during the lockdown? Well, it seems we don’t have to miss famous guests, as several pictures of the Mandalorian star depicting Budapest have been uploaded to social media lately.

The Chilean-American actor has already been to Budapest in September to shoot The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, but he seems to be in Hungary again. According to Gellért Hotel, the actor has been in Budapest since the beginning of November, of course due to the shooting of his new film.

And the reason why the news are about this visit again is that Entertainment Weekly has chosen Pascal as the “EW's Entertainers of the Year”, and the pictures taken for the article are shot in one of the suites of Gellért Hotel overlooking the Danube. The pictures also feature the hotel’s staircase and Szabadság Bridge, while the actor recently posted a picture of Margaret Bridge on his own community page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQjENDHXnz/?utm_source=ig_embed

Favorite of the week: edible takeaway cup for soup

This is already a thing in a small café in Buda.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:36:37 GMT Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:36:37 GMT

We’ve heard of edible coffee cups and straws, but an edible cup for soup? Yes, this is an existing thing in Spatula café / breakfast restaurant on Béla Bartók Street. Before the epidemic, Spatula was a real cute little gemstone: a café-breakfast place with a lunch menu and homemade cookies. Nicely furnished, homely cafe, with kind service, locally made, simple but varied dishes, sandwiches, breakfasts, a daily changing soup-main course-lunch and 3-4 types of homemade cookies.

If there’s no pandemic, it’s the perfect place for college students having an Italian-roasted coffee or cheese-ham croissant in the morning, and office workers who come here for lunch. It is not a tourist destination; it is mainly visited by the locals.

But this year, due to the epidemic, seating is no longer an option, so Spatula (as all other places) had to be prepared to serve take away. The owner, Mary, decided to realize her idea and make the edible takeaway “mugs”. The invention named ’eat your cup’ is not only creative and delicious, it is also very environmentally friendly.

https://www.facebook.com/302611880326910/photos/a.303105776944187/769401920314568/

“The idea is being seen elsewhere in the world, but in Hungary I haven’t seen it done by anyone,” the owner says. “I won’t reveal the recipe, but I could most liken it to a vegan bread, only of course it’s much thinner - but that’s what makes it a complete lunch with the soup. We are currently making peppercorns and green pea cream soup. We tested the mugs a lot, it can withstand a minimum of 25 minutes, but I have experienced 40 minutes a few times.”

If that’s all we can thank for the quarantine period - although we wouldn’t say it was worth it - but the world became a little better place.

Csepel bikes will replace the heavy, green MOL Bubi bikes

The cult Hungarian bicycle brand, Csepel is launching a completely new, lighter shared bicycle fleet in Budapest.

News

Budnews

Wed, 9 Dec 2020 11:32:44 GMT Wed, 9 Dec 2020 11:32:44 GMT

If you have been to Budapest in the past 6 years, we’re sure you saw the green bikes of the city. This is MOL Bubi, the public bike system of the city. The bike system is now suspended and not just because the winter. The MOL Bubi bike sharing system will be renewed after 6 years!

News arrived that Csepel Ltd, the classic Hungarian bike brand had won the tender for the renewal: from next spring, lighter, Hungarian made bikes will form the fleet instead of the heavy old ones. BKK has announced the best offer in terms of value for money a few days ago. The company's 5-year offer includes the following:

• 1,200 new bicycles with a weight of 21.4 kg each,
• operation of 158 bike stations,
• planning and licensing of new collection stations, relocation of old stations,
• construction of a new software background system,
• development of a new, user-friendly mobile application.

Can’t wait to see and try the new bikes!

Wow! Kate Hudson and her brother wear Nanushka

The world-famous siblings are now on the cover of Health magazine, and both of them are wearing clothes from the Hungarian brand Nanushka.

News

Mia Balogh

Tue, 8 Dec 2020 08:54:58 GMT Tue, 8 Dec 2020 08:54:58 GMT

We are always happy when we see the success of Hungarian enterprises so we can’t wait to tell you the news: Kate Hudson and her brother Oliver chose clothes from Hungarian fashion brand Nanushka for their newest magazine cover.

Borsonline reports that Kate wears snake-patterned jacquard pants with a matching top, while her brother chose some pieces from the 2020 Fall-Winter collection – these items contain recycled material.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHbVXaVJ74H/

Kate and Oliver Hudson are not the first world-famous actors to wear Nanushka. Previously, Emma Watson and Jennifer Lawrence chose some of the brand’s clothes for their photoshoots.

Source: Borsonline.hu

Guests smashed a luxury restaurant in Budapest – here is why

After enjoying a luxurious dinner in Onyx, the only restaurant with two Michelin stars in Hungary, guests were politely asked to gram hammers and smash the place.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Mon, 7 Dec 2020 12:23:19 GMT Mon, 7 Dec 2020 12:23:19 GMT

‘Last supper’ – this was the name of the unique dinner held recently at Onyx, Hungary’s only restaurant with two Michelin stars. Eight guests were chosen back in October to enjoy for free the seven-course dinner with matching wines for each meal, of course. Anna Niszkács, the founder of the restaurant and her mother also joined them, and they must have had a good time together.

The surprise came after the dessert: guests were served hammers and other strange tools. No wonder that everybody became a bit confused. After that, the invitees dressed in protective gear and literally smashed the place.

You might ask okay but why? Well, 444.hu writes that this wasn’t a real dinner after all, but a great marketing trick – got all the permits necessary as a film shot – to let everyone know that they start the reconstruction of the place, which was decided by Anna Niszkács back in 2019, and of course it was filmed. So the founder’s next big project is to create a video about the renovation, a serious film even worthy of being on Netflix.

The ‘Last supper’ project was quite mysterious but in the end, we are sure that everyone who participated enjoyed it very much. And the guests didn’t even have to worry because of the coronavirus, because everyone was rapid tested before the event.

Source: 444.hu; diningguide.hu

Best parlor candies of the year announced

Parlor candy, the typical Hungarian Christmas candy called ‘szaloncukor’ has its own competition of course – let us give you a list of this year’s winners shortly.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Fri, 4 Dec 2020 08:51:22 GMT Fri, 4 Dec 2020 08:51:22 GMT

109 flavours were nominated in the competition called ‘Best Szaloncukor of the year’ and the winner is the salted caramel flavored parlor candy from Demeter Chocolate in Kiskunlacháza. The coconut cream szaloncukor from Gyula Kézműves Cukrászda came in second, followed by Stühmer’s pistachio creamed dessert.

In the sugar-free category, the winner is Sulyán confectionery – their almond, prune, walnut, dark chocolate parlor candy was ranked as best in its category in this year’s competition. The second was Stühmer’s milk chocolate szaloncukor filled with peanut cream, and the third place goes to almond-chocolate parlor candy from Tesco Finest.

The best handcrafted szaloncukor was also chosen: the first place went to the Kézműves Cukrászda’s milk chocolate with hazelnut nougat szaloncukor. It was followed by Demeter Chocolate’s Irsai Olivér grape brandy product, and Sulyán confectionery’s salted pumpkin seeds and white chocolate truffle flavored parlor candy.

Which one would be your favourite dessert? Write us in a comment! ;)

Hungarian confectioner created masked Santa Claus for this year

Even The New York Post writes about a Hungarian confectioner who actualized Santa Claus for this pandemic Christmas season: his creations wear a small edible marzipan mask.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:15:43 GMT Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:15:43 GMT

According to the Hungarian tradition, Santa Claus brings sweets to the good kids on 5 December – on the eve of St. Nicholas Feast Day. And on Holy Night, it’s the baby Jesus who brings all the gifts. Anyway, children and even grownups with a sweet tooth love those tiny chocolate Santas, sneaking in the majority of the households this time of the year.

And this year, some of them are well, let’s say actualized: the creations of a Hungarian confectioner, Laszlo Rimoczi wear marzipan face masks. ‘I think by the time Santa comes he will have to wear a mask because Santa has to show a good example to people,’ Rimoczi told Reuters.

The confectioner had simply wanted to raise the spirits of chocoholics down in the dumps about COVID-19. Instead, people worldwide went wild, snowing him under in online orders – adds The New York Post.

Now, he makes about 100 pieces of his St. Nicks a day in his workshop, located about 45 miles south of Budapest.

Source: NewYorkPost.com

The Hungarian Fantasy Museum has opened

Museum objects have magic power in this unique collection.

News

Budnews

Wed, 2 Dec 2020 09:11:46 GMT Wed, 2 Dec 2020 09:11:46 GMT

The Knowledge Department of the Hungarian National Museum is calling on the most famous representatives of the realm of fantasy to tell about the authentic stories of real objects in the real world… Let’s enter the Hungarian Fantasy Museum, the newly opened, special and unique online collection and examine the objects of the National Museum from the point of view of magic and supernatural forces.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIBQACvBBr6/

The Hungarian Fantasy Museum shows the magic behind the exhibited items by juxtaposing a famous magic object and a museum object. A different magical world unfolds every day with a different object, or a different character of a magical universe. If so far anyone had thought that Ferenc Erkel's conductor's wand, II. Ulászló's ornamental sword or the Seuso treasure has no magic power, your opinion is guaranteed to change!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHqDaoNhq-U/

The Semmelweis Museum of Medical History, Library and Databank, a member institution of the Hungarian National Museum, also joined the initiative, as it preserves a large number of documents and “magical” objects directly related to alchemy, “magic”, ancient and folk beliefs. The virtual collection of the Hungarian Fantasy Museum is selected partly by selecting from these, partly by more distant associations, representing the diversity of the museum's material.

Search instagram for #magyarfantasymúzeum and see a miracle!

Unique findings were found during the renovation of the Citadel

Celtic pottery and the remains of a former observatory wall were found.

News

Budnews

Tue, 1 Dec 2020 08:51:01 GMT Tue, 1 Dec 2020 08:51:01 GMT

The fate of the most significant cityscape element of Budapest, the Citadel - and Gellért Hill - has been a huge question for decades. Its special character, past, and adherence to many layers of meaning also pose challenges to the professionals, politics, and public opinion. The "What to do with the Citadel?" question has been answered this summer: the building will be renovated and a museum commemorating the freedom struggles of the Hungarians will be established in it.

Despite being in a prime location in the city, despite being at the top of every boot lists for tourists, the Citadel is somehow always the „stepchildren” of the city. This bad situation is because of the many meanings and functions that the Citadel has had over many decades - centuries - but the situation is also complicated by the fact that opinions are also divided about its possible use. At least they were divided for a long time, but this year a government decision was made to establish a museum in the Citadel.

Preparations for the renovation are currently underway, meaning an assessment of the condition of the building and a comprehensive archaeological study of the area, thanks to which the experts have found plenty of exciting memories and findings. For example the remnant of the wall of the university observatory, built on Gellért Hill in 1815 on the initiative of Palatine József, which was the most modern observatory in Europe in its time!

And if it’s not enough, a World War I. cannon base made in the Monarchy was also revealed during the excavation, just as Celtic potteries, Roman coins, and Turkish coins and pottery fragments have also been found. Renovation work will continue on the demolition of a World War II. air defense bunker in the Citadel’s inner courtyard. The first phase of the development is expected to be completed by 2022, during which the inner courtyard of the fortress will be renovated, and the outer walls and the surrounding environment will be tidied up.

We can’t wait to see the end result!

Hortobágy among top 25 destinations in the world

According to National Geographic, these are the most inspiring travel destinations for 2021 and the future – the surprising but heart-warming fact is, that a Hungarian region, Hortobágy is also on their list.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:57:39 GMT Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:57:39 GMT

If you really miss travelling and can’t wait to start planning your next journey, let us give you some inspiration thanks to National Geographic who decided to rank the top 25 destinations to visit in the future – maybe in 2021 already, if everything goes well.

So you can check out the whole list with interesting places like some regions of Canada or Korea here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/features/best-of-the-world-2021/

And you can also find a Hungarian region, the Hortobágy on their list. ‘The broad spaces of Hortobágy National Park are nature-made for social distancing. Covering nearly 200,000 acres of the Great Hungarian Plain in eastern Hungary, the expansive World Heritage site preserves the largest remaining native grassland in Europe as well as pastoral traditions dating back millennia’ – they write about this huge puszta (barren land).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrqru5nsUtg

Hortobágy is also home for some 340 bird species, that make the park one of central Europe’s best birding locations. But if you are not keen on birding, don’t worry, you’ll find so much more interesting things, animals here, like racka sheep and some 300 of the Przewalski’s horses.

Also humans are quite interesting here, like a few hundred shepherds and cowboys, called csikós, and herdsmen who have their puli dogs – this is an ancient Hungarian breed with a coat like a mop. They are really cute by the way. ;)

So we hope that now you definitely feel like visiting the Hortobágy in the near future – like and share our article, if we are right. ;)

Source: nationalgeographic.com

Amazing video about life in Budapest in the 1930s

If you have always wanted to see Budapest in an era long gone, for example in the thirties, well, we have some good news for you: we can take you for a short time travel, thanks to a video found in YouTube.

Culture

Mia Balogh

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 10:21:10 GMT Fri, 27 Nov 2020 10:21:10 GMT

In this short film, you can see the Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge, the Parliament building, Keleti and Nyugati Railway Stations. It is also visible how busy the metropolitan life used to be, with all the people in a rush and trams, buses and the automobiles.

The panorama from Buda Castle and the night view of the city is also fantastic, just like seeing so many people walking on the famous Duna Korzó – especially in these lonely days when the city is so deserted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFjAw7aE4ek

In the comment section, some people praise the beauty of Budapest, others say thank you to Benedictus21, who uploaded the video, while some others think they were born too late – they would prefer to have lived in this époque.

What do you think? Like and share our article, if you loved this video. ;)

Coffee-flavored Unicum has arrived

The best-known Hungarian alcoholic brand received a special twist.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:48:23 GMT Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:48:23 GMT

If someone has to name Hungarian alcoholic beverages, then in addition to the different pálinkas, everyone will surely think of Unicum. The original Unicum is a Hungarian herbal liqueur or bitters, drunk as a digestif and apéritif created in 1790. These days it has lemon, plum and Risevra versions, and now the newest flavor is here.

Unicum Barista is all we could wish for: Unicum and coffee in one cup. Unicum Barista is matured in oak barrels with Arabica coffee extract, and has a unique, bitter yet tasty flavor. Zwack has been developing the Unicum Barista for three years, combining the traditions of the centuries-old past of bitter liqueur consumption with the already well-known arabica coffee. But the Barista doesn’t stop there, the oak barrel maturation gives the drink its final character.

“It is a great pleasure for us to report on a development in this extraordinary, challenging period with the presentation of the Unicum Barista, which is an important milestone in the life of Zwack Unicum and in the domestic history of liqueur and coffee production. We have come a long way in recent years to create a special drink that faithfully reflects the Hungarian traditions of these two areas in all its elements.” said Sándor Zwack, Chairman of the Board of Zwack Unicum Plc.

Happy birthday Budapest!

The Hungarian capital has its 147th birthday this year.

News

Budnews

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:31:25 GMT Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:31:25 GMT

Everyone knows that the Hungarian capital is Budapest - but that wasn’t quite the case 150 years ago. Budapest was born in 1873 from the merger of Buda, Óbuda and Pest, since then, the official birthday of Budapest is 17 November, although noting particular has happened on that day. Well, yes, Budapest was technically born, but the 3 cities made for the merger many, many years ago.

The natural process of urban development, with the increase of population, new constructions, millions of business, social, political and other connections almost making the three parts one by itself. On the other hand, the leadership of the age was officially prepared for the obvious integration, but of course a lot of work had to be done: the councils of the separate cities had a constant working relationship with each other for years.

During the spring of 1873, the elaboration of the cities was already carried out by the so-called a committee of thirty-four appointed members - ten from Buda, twenty from Pest and four from Óbuda. The design of the new crest of the city were made by Lajos Fridrich and the crest collector Gusztáv Altenburger, with the help of a number of excellent scholarly experts, and although many discussions surrounded its finalization, everything that was important was included. We still use this crest today, one hundred and fortyseven long years later (though not unbroken).

So let's celebrate now, happy birthday, Budapest!

Cultural artefacts of metro line M3 are moving to Museum of Transport

510 works of art from the rebuilt stations of metro line M3 have been added to the collection of Museum of Transport.

News

Budnews

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 11:08:27 GMT Tue, 24 Nov 2020 11:08:27 GMT

Reconstruction work of metro M3 arrived to its final phase: renovation of the middle section between Lehel tér and Nagyvárad tér began on 7 November. And just as during the previous phases, the specialists of Museum of Transport saved many valuable works of art in cooperation with BKV.

The renovation of M3 metro was already accompanied by the restoration of works of art at the stations and the collection of furniture and other infrastructural elements of museum value. The closed middle section is no exception, with more than 500 works of art migrating to the collection of the Museum of Transport.

From the very beginning, the museologists have professionally selected objects from the stations that are valuable from the point of view of transport history, including orange and lemon benches, passenger information boards, maps, stone cladding, metal cladding elements and mechanical tools.

As Miklós Merczi, an employee of the Museum of Transport, said: “The permanent exhibition of the new Museum of Transport is still at the beginning of the planning process, but we will definitely want to present metro relics. For this, in addition to the fact that the Museum has a duty to collect and preserve all transport-themed relics for posterity, it was absolutely necessary to collect the M3 objects for our exhibition."

Hungarian director to work with Liam Neeson

Nimród Antal is going to direct Liam Neeson in the upcoming thriller Retribution, shooting is planned to start in spring in Berlin.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 09:40:46 GMT Mon, 23 Nov 2020 09:40:46 GMT

According to Deadline.com, companies like Studiocanal, The Picture Company and Jaume Collet-Serra’s Ombra Productions have set Hungarian film director Nimród Antal to direct Liam Neeson in an action-thriller movie called Retribution.

The new thriller’s plot seems to be similar to the one of Speed: a businessman discovers that a bomb has been planted in the car he is driving, by an unknown assailant, who tells the driver to execute a series of commands throughout the day or the bomb will be detonated. The businessman’s family is also in the car – Origo.hu summarizes.

The movie will be a remake of the acclaimed Spanish film El Desconocido – released in 2015, and nominated for 8 Goya Awards –, with a script by Chris Salmanpour and Andrew Baldwin.

Who is Nimród Antal?

American-born Hungarian director, screenwriter and actor Nimród Antal was born in the US to parents of Hungarian descent, but in 1991, he took his father’s advice and moved to Hungary to study at the Hungarian Film Academy. After graduating, he began work in the film and television industry. He returned to Hollywood in 2005, to pursue a career there.

He directed Kontroll, Predators, Metallica: Through the Never and The Whiskey Bandit (A viszkis). The latter one tells us the story of a Hungarian bank robber who became popular because he could always trick the cops but finally he was arrested and spent several years in jail.

Source: Deadline.com, Origo.hu, en.wikipedia.org

Budapest to host MTV European Music Awards again in 2021

After co-hosting the event this year, Budapest will be the host of MTV European Music Awards in 2021, as well.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 13:29:40 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2020 13:29:40 GMT

You must have heard that this year’s MTV European Music Awards gala was co-hosted by London and our capital on 8 November but we have some even bigger news: in 2021, Budapest will host the full event! This is pretty cool, right?

This year, we think that Budapest proved to the world that we really deserve this opportunity. Hungarian supermodel Barbara Palvin and French DJ-producer David Guetta emceed the MTV EMA from our capital.

‘The Széchenyi Baths was the backdrop for a performance of Guetta’s hit Let’s Love with the British singer-songwriter Raye, and the Hungarian cities of Veszprém and Esztergom had cameos in the online show’ – Hungarytoday.com writes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiaesQqsJg0

The 2020 MTV EMAs were hosted by Little Mix and feature performances for example from Alicia Keys, Sam Smith, Maluma, YUNGBLUD, Doja Cat, Zara Larsson, Karol G, Little Mix, Madison Beer and 24kGoldn.

The event has been broadcasted from European cities since 1994, but in our region, Budapest was the first city to co-host the MTV EMAs which now draws the attention of around 1 billion people from 180 countries.

Source: Hungarytoday.com, MTV’s YouTube Channel and Ridikul.hu

Say goodbye to MOL Bubi bikes

The well-known communal bicycle network MOL Bubi will be shut down from the end of November, a new communal cycle-hire system will follow.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:20:49 GMT Thu, 19 Nov 2020 14:20:49 GMT

MOL Bubi was a popular bike hiring system for all those who wanted to discover Budapest on two wheels or go to work in the capital sometimes by bike but didn’t want to buy a bicycle.

Now we have to say goodbye to this one due to an overhaul of the network, Telex.hu writes, by adding that Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) promises that a new communal cycle-hire system will be available in 2021.

‘From 29 November, the MOL Bubi communal bicycle network is closing down across Budapest while changes are made to the system. It’s not yet clear how long the shutdown will take place. Budapest Transport (BKK), which oversees the operation, will reimburse holders of seasonal passes. Full details to follow’ – WeLoveBudapest.com adds.

Source: Telex.hu, WeLoveBudapest.com

New guerilla statue showed up in the city

You would never guess what it is or where it is.

News

Budnews

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:49:23 GMT Wed, 18 Nov 2020 10:49:23 GMT

Our favorite contemporary sculptor is undoubtedly Mihály Kolodko. Kolodko is a Transcarpathian sculptor or better to say guerrilla sculptor, because his works are often published in public spaces without permission. Most of his sculptures are located in Uzhhorod (Ungvár), but after he moved to Hungary in 2017, his works (mainly the popular mini-sculptures) have started to appear in the city.

This was exactly the same thing a few days ago when a statue of Mr. Bean's teddy bear appeared on the former British Embassy building. Of course, the mini-statue was again the work of Mihály Kolodko, and the photograph of the statue also appeared on the artist's community page. In the past few days, this small bear became a must see in the Budapest, just as Kolodko’s other works.

His first statue in Budapest was the miniature statue of Főkukac, known from a Hungarian cartoon. The 15 cm statue is located opposite the Parliament on Halász Street. Kolodko enjoys depicting television cartoon or puppet figures in his works, he has already formed, among others, Mekk Mester and Süsü the Dragon (who are also well-known characters of Hungarian cartoon series), Lisa Simpson or Kermit the Frog from the Muppet show.

We are curious: have you seen any of his artworks in Budapest? Or do you plan to try to find them next time?

Budapest has green festive lighting this Christmas

This year, the city’s Christmas decorations will also keep environmental considerations in mind.

News

Budnews

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 12:52:55 GMT Tue, 17 Nov 2020 12:52:55 GMT

Instead of the usual lighting garlands (which caused damage to the trees), 20 trees will be decorated with red hearts, golden bells and spheres in the Városháza Park, using a total of 440 ornaments. On the section of Andrássy út from Deák Square to Oktogon, there will be 182 ornaments stretched between 26 pairs of wood, containing about 60% completely organic materials. These ornaments are also recyclable or biodegradable, thus reducing the ecological footprint of the capital.

Photo: BDK

The transformed Vörösmarty Square will have colorful ribbon spheres imitating Christmas tree decorations, which will evoke a decorated Christmas tree. On the elliptical columns in the middle of the square and around the Lion well, a total of 16 ribbon ornaments can be seen, that are the smaller versions of the original ones previously found on the high columns of the square. The city administration thus preserves the atmosphere of the decoration of the square. We can't wait to see it live!

Joe Biden spent his honeymoon in Hungary

It happened back in 1977 but he and his wife must remember these precious days of their lives.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:48:15 GMT Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:48:15 GMT

As the next president of the United States of America, Joe Biden is now in the centre of media attention so the papers try to dig out as many interesting stories of him as possible. It is the same in Hungary: we just read that Mr. Biden and his wife Jill spent their honeymoon in Hungary back in 1977.

Well, it was a quite unusual honeymoon for an American politician at the time, as it was on the other side of the Iron curtain. ‘According to a report in Népszabadság at the time, the Bidens spent a couple of days in Budapest. They were received by István Huszár, vice-president of the Council of Ministers, Rudolf Rónai, president of the Institute of Cultural Relations, János Nagy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and István Török, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade’ – HungaryToday.com writes.

The Bidens also visited lake Balaton, and they were accompanied also by Joe Biden’s two sons from his previous marriage, Beau and Hunter.

Well, we hope that despite the relations between the Democrats and Hungary, the next American president still has nice memories about our country, lake Balaton and Budapest.

Wow: this is Hungary’s most expensive burger

The Hundredbuck$Burger will be available from 18 November in Szeged, but the exclusive meal comes with a price tag which might make you think twice about the tasting.   

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:05:16 GMT Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:05:16 GMT

A few years ago I enjoyed a nice lunch somewhere in the downtown of Budapest, and I remember how surprised we were with my friends when I discovered a hamburger for more than 6000 HUF (16 EUR) on the menu of the restaurant. I thought this was quite expensive, no matter how delicious this burger might have been. Well, I had no idea that in 2020, a six times more expensive hamburger will be created in Hungary.

To be more precise, the luxury burger will be available in Szeged, in the Famous – Steak, Burger & More restaurant, from 18 November, and this delicacy will be only made for orders, maximum twice a day – delmagyar.hu writes.

And the price, well, the name Hundredbuck$Burger is not a coincidence: it will cost 37 990 HUF (105 EUR), so it is even more than hundred dollars – 123, to be precise.

Why is it so expensive?

Well, probably because of the ingredients: the burger will be made with 250 grams of wagyu beef, covered in edible gold. Furthermore, goose liver with garlic, Roquefort blue cheese, truffles and madeira sauce from Portuguese red wine will be also put into the black buns coloured with the ink of squid.

This delicacy will be served with a bottle of Louis Francois champagne, fries with parmesan cheese and mayonnaise with garlic. The first ten costumers receive a cap and those who want a photo, will get it on the spot, of course.

If you decide to taste this burger anyway, it is also good to know that you will be able to tell about yourself that you will have tried one of most expensive hamburgers in the world – because the Hundredbuck$Burger is also on this illustrious top 10 list.

Source: delmagyar.hu

Best new places in November 2020

Hut, bonbons and venison on the list.  

News

Budnews

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:19:20 GMT Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:19:20 GMT

2020 is not the year of tourism and hospitality: coronavirus epidemic has hit the sector very hard. But despite the difficult situation, new places opened even in the past months, where it would be great to have a dinner or mulled wine. Let’s see what are these new places.

Venison Gusto

Premium salamis made from venison, water buffalo and gray beef, fragrant sausages that are favorite of Michelin-starred restaurants - this is the Venison Gusto on Margaret Boulevard. They believe in the tradition of the good old days, all their gourmet-smoked products come from and made of the finest Hungarian venison, and are based on traditional Hungarian recipes.

Alpine hut at KisBíró

Not only the holiday, but also the ski season will be missed this year. To at least preserve some of the experience, Lajos Bíró thought big, and made a real hut on the terrace of the legendary KisBíró Restaurant. The restaurant set up an unadulterated Austrian hut on the terrace and even if you don’t have the skiing experience, the second best thing that can happen in a ski paradise will be possible here in the city.

Matcha Tsuki

Matchas and cakes made with matcha are becoming more and more common in Budapest, but so far we could have it mainly in specialty cafes and everything-free dessert shops. Now, the first place dedicated to matcha has opened, and there is really no shortage of cake and drink offer. Scanning the counter and the drink menu gives the feeling that what can be made with this green material can be found here. The main products include hot and cold drinks, whole cakes, traditional and „free” matcha cookies, and during summer you can choose from several types of ice cream.

Grumpy Budapest

If we have to summarize Grumpy Budapest in a few worlds, we would say the Brasserie and Bar is an outstanding place with French, Italian, Hungarian and fusion dishes. Eclectic style casual place with dishes like real Italian carbonara, chili con carne, vegan torltilla, or specialties like French veal stew in mushroom-cream sauce.

Zax

ZAX is a new craft candy store in downtown, whose quality chocolates open a new world after the world of sweets on supermarket shelves. Their main priority is to use products with the highest quality, the owners have traveled all over the world to explore the best places where cocoa is grown extensively. Vanilla from Madagascar, hazelnuts from Piedmont, and almonds from California or the Mediterranean countries are the raw materials of their offer.

Rubik's Cube is sold to a Canadian toy factory

The company that owns the iconic game is sold for 15 billion (!) Forints.  

News

Budnews

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 11:49:47 GMT Wed, 11 Nov 2020 11:49:47 GMT

If we’re talking about a famous Hungarian invention, it is quite certain that 10 out of 10 people would mention the Rubik's Cube. The game, which has become iconic, was invented by Ernő Rubik Jr. back in 1974, originally as an educational aid. But some years later, when the game was launched on the world market, it had an unsurpassed success. This means that in the past few decades, more than 350 million have been sold from the magic cube!

And now the story of Rubik cube arrived to a new turning point: it has been sold to a Canadian company. The Huffington post wrote that the Canadian Spin Master toy factory is acquiring Rubik’s Brand Limited, a company that owns the Rubik’s Cube, for $ 50 million USD (more than 15 billion HUF). Spin Master is one of the biggest players in the gaming industry that has become a giant by buying iconic games like Rubik's Cube one after another.

Rumors didn’t mention whether Ernő Rubik would leave the company or how much he would receive from the purchase price, but this is an interesting change in the life of the most famous Hungarian game either way.

Hungary will manufacture one of the best combat vehicles in the world

Hungary will not only have one of the most modern infantry combat vehicles in the world, but we will manufacture them for our soldiers.  

News

Budnews

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:26:06 GMT Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:26:06 GMT

We rarely report significant developments in the military industry - partly because they are not very common and partly because this is not our main profile. But now Hungary announced to start manufacturing one of the world's most modern infantry combat vehicles, the Lynx, in cooperation with the German Rheinmetall, which is the largest investment of Hungarian military development in the past decades. The Lynx will be used within the Hungarian Armed Forces, and Hungary will also manufacture combat vehicles for export.

It is not yet known exactly where the factory will be built, what production capacity it will have, and how they will schedule the production of combat vehicles. So why Lynx is so unique? Well, depends on its configuration, it can be

• infantry fighting vehicle,

• command vehicle,

• reconnaissance vehicle,

• technical rescue vehicle,

• and also function as a medical vehicle.

It is not yet known exactly which model we will produce, with what capacity, and to which countries we will deliver it, but it is undoubtedly the most exciting military industry news of recent decades.

Hungarian photographers awarded at IPA photo contest

These days, we can’t wait for some great news so here is one for today: Hungarian photographers are also among the winners at International Photography Awards.   

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 9 Nov 2020 13:13:55 GMT Mon, 9 Nov 2020 13:13:55 GMT

This year, more than 13 000 entries from 110 countries arrived to International Photography Awards (IPA). From Hungary, 50 photographers entered the contest, both in the professional and non-professional/student categories. There were 13 categories in total – telex.hu writes.

So the Hungarian photographers managed to bring home several awards this year. Mea Baráth won the People/Lifestyle category, Márton Mogyorósi recieved first prize in Architecture/Other category, while the well-known Bence Máté came in second in the Nature category.

Congratulations to all the artists who entered this prestigious competition and of course for all the winners – we are proud that this year, also Hungarian photographers were among the best in this photo contest.

Source: telex.hu

Hungarian glowing bike lane is a must-see

  Have you ever dreamed of cycling in an enchanted countryside? Here is a bike path which can give you this impression, we suppose.   

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 6 Nov 2020 08:00:32 GMT Fri, 6 Nov 2020 08:00:32 GMT

We have just read about a sparkling initiative: part of the EuroVelo6 cycle route near Esztergom, by the Danube is illuminated in a special way. The track is fluorescent, thanks to some special particles which were added to the bike lane’s building material. So in the end, this bike path can absorb and restore the sunlight during the day, and reflect it back in the dark.

It is not only safe but provides also a fantastic experience – riding your bike on a bike lane like this could be like cycling in an enchanted countryside, or in a fairy tale, right? ;)

Photo

This is a pilot project, but according to Magyar Közút, this technology can hopefully be used elsewhere, too, in the future. ‘We received a lot of positive feedback from cyclists riding on these sections. We are very confident that this pilot project will work well in the long run and we will be able to use it in other locations, as well’ – WeLoveBudapest cites them.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com, Velo.hu

Hungarian dishes among best in the world

Newest important recognition for the Hungarian cuisine: traditional dishes and desserts are mentioned among best ones in the world.    

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 5 Nov 2020 11:22:39 GMT Thu, 5 Nov 2020 11:22:39 GMT

We all know that Hungarian cuisine is fantastic, but it is nice to see from time to time that other people and websites agree with us, too. Recently, TasteAtlas published their ‘Best Traditional Foods in the World’ list – based on more than 63 000 votes –, and yes, we can find also Hungarian specialities in the compilation.

‘Pizza Margherita from Napoli, Italy has been voted the best world known traditional dish in the world. The second best is the Turkish Adana Kebab, followed by the Japanese Ramen and Peruvian Lomo Saltado’ – they write on their website.

The triumph of the stuffed cabbage

One of the most popular Hungarian dishes, the goulash finished 39^th on the list, while another yummy favourite, chicken paprikash is 88^th. But wait for the big surprise: in the Meat Dishes category, our stuffed cabbage is on the first place, absolute winner! Fantastic, right?

And we have also a nice result in the dessert section: traditional Hungarian cake zserbó is the 5^th on the best desserts list. Hungarian cuisine was ranked as 20^th best in the world.

About TasteAtlas

TasteAtlas contains a database of more than 10,000 traditional dishes and local food products. Furthermore, they have a nice interactive website, where you can find a collection of the best meals of the world’s countries.

Source: https://www.tasteatlas.com/best , 24.hu

Kollázs has been selected as one of the 10 best hotel bars in the world

The list includes the bar of Four Seasons Hotel along with places like the Connaught Bar in London or the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg.   

News

Budnews

Wed, 4 Nov 2020 09:04:35 GMT Wed, 4 Nov 2020 09:04:35 GMT

We have hundreds of great bars in the city – if you’re our regular reader, you probably know that. And maybe now you can’t come to Hungary for several months due to the epidemic, it’s good to know what to expect when you’ll finally be here.

Well, CNN made a listing about the best hotels bars of the world and guess what! A Hungarian bar is on the list! Yes, of course, it’s a subjective list, like any other similar lists, but if you see Kollázs, you will agree with Alia Akkam, the writer of this year’s top list.

Kollázs Brasserie & Bar is a contemporary brasserie in Budapest, overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Danube River. The Hungarian word for “collage” highlights creative combinations in all aspects of the dining experience: it’s vibrant and inspiring, yet casual and affordable.

As Budapest emerges as a modern metropolis, Kollázs perfectly captures the dynamic spirit of the city: historic yet contemporary, timeless yet fresh, glamorous yet relaxed. This place promises to become one of Budapest’s most popular dining destinations – welcoming with understated, informal elegance.

The bar of Gresham Palace is a 1906 Art Nouveau masterpiece, originally built for the Gresham Life Assurance Company by Zsigmond Quittner and József Vágó. It retains gobs of Secessionist-style features, including Zsolnay ceramic tiles, Miksa Róth-made stained glass, wrought-iron railings and peacock gates - totally a must-see place!

At Kollázs we can taste Hungarian and French dishes from the Rotisserie and the Kitchen. This means authentic, rustic brasserie dishes with a twist, combination of a few pronounced flavours, more innovative dishes based on high quality local produce, more sophisticated, yet simple presentation.

By the way, this is not the first time that CNN has chosen a bar from Budapest as one of the best bars in the world. Last year, for example, New York Café was chosen as the most beautiful café house in the world.

New film of Lili Horvát won grand prize in Chicago

Preparation to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time won Gold Hugo on the 56th Chicago International Film Festival.   

News

Budnews

Tue, 3 Nov 2020 16:16:29 GMT Tue, 3 Nov 2020 16:16:29 GMT

Films of Hungarian directors are performing very well in the recent years, and now we have another award. And by „we” I mean, Lili Horvát, who got one of the main prizes, Gold Hugo of Chicago International Film Festival with her new film “Preparation to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”. As the jury's reasoned, Gold Hugo went to Horvát:

“For her captivating love story, in which she examines the thin boundaries between love, obsession and madness through the mysteries of the brains and souls of two neurosurgeons. For her honest, empathetic portrayal of a woman in a captivating performance by Natasa Stork. For its rich, deep colors, subtle cutouts, timeless visual style, highlighted by the use of 35mm film”.

By the way, this is not the first international award of Horvát’s new film: it won the Fipresci Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics at the Warsaw International Film Festival, and the film’s protagonist, Natasa Stork became Best Actress at the Antalya International Film Festival. Congratulations!

Hungarian lookout of the year is simply amazing

Not only the view from here is amazing but the sphere lookout in Balatonboglár itself, too – it was recently chosen lookout tower of the year in Hungary.   

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 2 Nov 2020 12:47:22 GMT Mon, 2 Nov 2020 12:47:22 GMT

The ‘Lookout of the Year’ competition was announced for the first time in 2020 and with more than 3900 votes, the winner is Xantus János Gömbkilátó, a sphere lookout in Balatonboglár.

According to the following video, it was made of aluminium, in 1963 by the young architect team of the Székesfehérvár Metalworkers Company, and it served as a temporary sight at the Budapest International Fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb-AGj2-H6c&feature=emb_logo

The sphere is 165 meters high, 15 meters in diameter, and it was made of 240 huge triangular plates. But it has the same importance that it offers an amazing panorama of Lake Balaton – an absolutely must-see when you visit this region.

Source: Hamuesgyemant.hu , Hungarytoday.com

Ozzy Osbourne will perform in Hungary again in 2022

The new dates of the deleted No More Tours 2 concert series have been announced.  

Event

Budnews

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:47:04 GMT Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:47:04 GMT

Ozzy Osbourne is a living legend and we can almost say he is coming home to Hungary – he visited us 3 times during his career. He would have come to Hungary for the fourth time in 2020, but his concert tour was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. Now we have the new dates of his European tour, No More Tours 2, which has been postponed from this autumn to 2022.

The now 71-year-old musician will start touring on January 26, 2022 in Berlin and will have his closing concert on March 16 in Glasgow. Other stops on the European tour will be Prague, Zurich, Madrid, Bologna, Mannheim, Hamburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Dortmund, Munich, Nottingham, Dublin, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Budapest. The frontman of Black Sabbath will perform in front of the Hungarian audience on February 2 in the Papp László Budapest Sport Arena.

This concert will be the fourth time that a Grammy-winner musician will come to Hungary. He first performed at the Kisstadion in 1998 when Black Sabbath was re-formed, then at the Papp László Budapest Sport Arena in 2010, and then in 2016 at the band's farewell concert, also at the Sports Arena.

The ticket sales will begin on November 2, 2020 at 10 a.m. so get ready! We are pretty sure that the event will sold out soon.

The renovated southern section of M3 metro is ready

The tunnel, the rails, the safety equipment and the stations have been renewed.  

News

Budnews

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 08:30:50 GMT Thu, 29 Oct 2020 08:30:50 GMT

The renovation of metro line M3 has arrived to another big milestone. One and a half year after the renovation work has started, the southern section of the busiest metro line is completed.

During the renovation, worn-out tunnel elements, the railway network, railway and safety equipment, information elements and the electronic network of the metro line were completely renewed. All stations on the southern section have been refurbished, given clean and modern look and, of course, became more comfortable, better suited to the expectations of the 21st century.

At the four completely renovated stations, 7,200 square feet of new wall coverings were used and 6,700 square feet of walking area was renewed. The passenger area of the stations has also been completely renovated, a unified passenger information system has been built, modern lighting is provided by 1,563 new LED luminaires and 364 new speakers have been installed. And if it wouldn’t be enough: 225 cameras guarantee the safety of passengers.

From now on, M3 metro is running on the entire line, but the already closed stations in the middle section (Arany János utca, Ferenciek tere, Corvin negyed and Semmelweis Klinikák) will remain closed from the traffic. Reconstruction works of the middle section will continue in the coming months.

Hungarian actresses recreate iconic Psycho scene

We all remember the famous ‘shower scene’ from the movie Psycho which is now recreated by 60 Hungarian actresses for the 60 th anniversary of the film.    

News

Budnews

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:42:24 GMT Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:42:24 GMT

It might be hard to believe but it’s true: Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic movie, Psycho was made 60 years ago. For this anniversary, Hungarian director, Zoltán Vozó Végh – a big Hitchcock fan by the way – made a special short film in which the well-known shower scene is recreated by 60 Hungarian actresses.

The director said that the project simply started as a love-project for the movie and quickly turned into a special commemoration of Hitchcock’s masterpiece.

In the video, you can see Hungarian actresses like Gabi Gubás, Laura Döbrösi, Petra Haumann, Eszter Ónodi, Bori Péterfy, Nóra Trokán, Andrea Szulák, Erzsi Pásztor or Mari Törőcsik.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3zU6VPZFUM&feature=emb_logo

The shooting was complicated by a lot of things, for example they ran out of warm water several times and it wasn’t easy to find an authentic shower curtain… but we think that in the end, the director and all the contributors can be satisfied with the result.

Like and share our article, if you like this special short film. ;)

Source: 24.hu

Where does the name of Budapest come from?

This is what Buda and Pest originally meant.  

News

Budnews

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:38:25 GMT Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:38:25 GMT

Almost everybody knows that the Hungarian capital was established by the unification of Pest, Buda and Óbuda in 1873. But what do the words „pest” and „buda” mean? Historians and researchers have revealed the most likely origin of the names of Buda and Pest.

Buda

According to one explanation, Buda, the brother of King Attila the Hun, lived most of his life in the area and then presumably died here as well - the area was christened Buda by the locals in his memory.

Another explanation is that during the Roman Empire, the water sources that we still use to this day were discovered in the city and surrounding areas, so it proved obvious that the settlement was given the name Aquincum, derived from the Latin word aqua (water). It is conceivable that along this logic, the word Buda comes from the word voda used in the Slavic language family, which also refers to an area rich in spring waters.

Pest

The Greek Claudius Ptolemy's mentions an important Roman fortress, Contra-Aquincum as Pession in his work Introduction to Earth Mapping, which is similar to the word Pest. It is conceivable that the name of our capital dates back to antiquity, as the remains of the mentioned fortress can still be seen on March 15th Square.

On the other hand, the word Pest in the Slavic language family also means furnace, stove and cave. According to this explanation, the name may refer to the time when the Hungarian people upgraded the yurt for a house built of stone, and for this process set up plenty of furnaces in the area.

According to a more probable theory, the meaning of the cave and the hot furnace could also refer to the Gellért Hill thermal water cave, as it was still called Pesti Hill in the Árpádian era. Hence the name of the city that later formed on the opposite side became Pest.

Budapest to co-host virtual MTV European Music Awards in 2020

Hungary will co-host one of the most important awards ceremonies of the music industry this year. London will be the other host of the virtual gala.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:59:19 GMT Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:59:19 GMT

This is the first time for Hungary to be the host of MTV European Music Awards gala – four Hungarian locations were selected for the virtual show broadcast, which is ‘virtual’ this year, due to the pandemic. London will be the other host of the popular event.

Check out the nominees:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giwy6_kZWMo

The virtual gala will be organized on 8 November, so save the date and don’t miss it.

It is a huge opportunity for Budapest, not only to prove that we are capable to co-host a huge event like this, but also because the iconic sites of our capital can be seen by nearly one billion people in 200 countries on television and via the internet.

Source: hvg.hu

Budapest Festival Orchestra among top 10 in the world

BBC’s Classical Music magazine compiled the best symphony orchestras across the globe – the Budapest Festival Orchestra is also included.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 08:55:43 GMT Fri, 23 Oct 2020 08:55:43 GMT

The well-known and popular Budapest Festival Orchestra has been chosen among the top 10 symphony orchestras in the world by Classical Music magazine published by the BBC. They shared their compilation in alphabetical order so it’s not really a list, but anyway, it is a fantastic achievement from a Hungarian ensemble to be among the best of the bests.

In their article, the publication highlights that under the lead of its director of music Iván Fischer, the orchestra became one of Europe’s most important ensembles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJnpbhadKcc

‘Fischer is a dynamic leader and refuses to play by the book – which is why he gets the results he does. The BFO has break-out groups specialising in period instruments, contemporary music and Balkan folk which gives his players musical freedoms that in turn feeds back into the main ensemble’ – they write.

Congratulations to the Budapest Festival Orchestra for this absolutely fantastic result.

Source: https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/worlds-best-orchestras/

Christmas market to move online in 2020

The main Christmas market in Budapest, on Vörösmarty Square won’t be organized this year – well, at least not in its traditional form.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:52:41 GMT Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:52:41 GMT

One more thing to change in 2020: we must say goodbye to this year without taking a walk at the most well-known Christmas market of the city, traditionally held on Vörösmarty Square. Some good news: we can still shop online.

The organizers of the event decided to do so because the second wave of the pandemic is expected to reach its peak during the weeks of advent in Hungary. But they still want to help local craftspeople and artisans so they decided to present the Christmas fair online.

‘The public will still be able to buy unique Hungarian handicraft products as gifts through a festive web portal showcasing artisanal and creative workshops. More details to follow’ – WeLoveBudapest.com writes.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Team got into the world final

István Veres and the Hungarian team got the 9th place in the European championship.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 11:19:42 GMT Wed, 21 Oct 2020 11:19:42 GMT

The Hungarian team made it again: we made it to the 2021 final of Bocuse d'Or. This year - as usual in previous years – 10 European team got the opportunity to compete in the world final: Norway became the first, Denmark got the second place, Sweden has third place, and the Hungarian team led by István Veres, the chef of Babel, finished in ninth place and made it to the world final in Lyon next year.

The contestants had to compete in a meaty topic at the international chef's competition this year: the Estonian quail was the central element of the competition. Chefs had to use its offal and serve it with quail eggs. This dish had to be prepared on a plate, and the obligatory raw material for the dish was African catfish farmed in southern Estonia.

In Hungary, these ingredients sound quite unique, but fortunately the teams had a lot of time to prepare, and the Hungarian chef, István Veres kept the Estonian quail on the menu at his previous workplace, so he had experience with this unusual fish.

Another goal of the team was to show certain features of Hungarian gastronomy in the competition dishes, so the Hungarian team tried to use domestic ingredients a flavors. As István Veres is of Transylvanian origin, Transylvanian motifs appeared in the design of the bowl, menu card and box, and the jury seems to have rewarded this creativity.

In addition to the competing team, there was another Hungarian participant in the competition: Tamás Széll. As each participating nation could delegate a member to the jury, Hungary delegated Széll, who won the European Bocuse d’Or championship in 2016 and became and the 4th place finisher of the Lyon World Final in 2017. We are curious to see if we succeed in repeating this success next year.

Legendary Hungarian restaurant has reopened in London under a new name

Gay Hussar is waiting for its guests with new owners and new name.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:17:31 GMT Tue, 20 Oct 2020 06:17:31 GMT

London's well-known Hungarian restaurant, Gay Hussar has reopened – from now on under the name Noble Rot. Gay Hussar was originally opened in 1953 by a man named Victor Sassi, who worked at the Gundel restaurant in Budapest as an intern, then opened a Hungarian restaurant in London. The Gay Hussar restaurant closed after 65 years in May 2018, but has now reopened, thanks to two London entrepreneurs, Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew - says The Financial Times.

The restaurant got its original name from Imre Kálmán's first operetta, The Gay Hussars. The word “gay” was originally used for cheerful, lecherous people, it only became a word for homosexual people decades later. Probably this change in the word’s meaning is the reason why the owners decided to rename the restaurant.

There is another reason behind the name choice: Keeling and Andrew used to trade with wines, they even had a wine magazine, and that is where the name, Noble Rot comes from. Noble rot - as experts say - is essential for making noble wine.

The new owners changed not only the name, but also completely remodeled the interior, although left some Hungarian dishes - such as goulash and casino eggs - on the menu. If you are in London, try the new Noble Rot and tell us, how you liked it!

Budapest among most the world’s most walkable cities

Our capital is not only one of the most wonderful places in the world but also happens to be on the list of the most walkable cities, preceding for example Barcelona and Berlin.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:59:04 GMT Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:59:04 GMT

Online travel website Tourlane.com published a list recently, for the 29^th annual World Walking Day – their compilation is like a special guide to the top 50 most walkable cities in the world, and it includes Budapest, too.

How did they make this ranking? They ‘mapped the walking distance between the top five attractions in hundreds of destinations around the world, and created a final shortlist of 50 cities where the total does not exceed 10 miles. Forget crowded subways, enclosed spaces, and expensive taxis—don your walking shoes and take to the spacious streets of the world’s most exciting cities’ – they write.

According to the website, two Italian cities are the most walkable ones in the world: Florence is the first, Venice is the second. These amazing cities are followed by Riga, Athens, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Madrid, Porto, Tallinn and Stockholm.

Budapest shares the 24^th place with Vancouver and Bristol, and Tourlane.com highlights the City Park, Heroes Square, Hungarian Parliament Building, Fisherman’s Bastion and Buda Castle as top 5 attractions of our capital.

They also add that walking is the best way to discover a new destination. ‘It’s free, easy, and healthy, helping you to find out what makes a city unique. Walking also benefits the environment—as fewer vehicles means fewer emissions. As many cities have top attractions clustered near each other, walking is often faster than other modes of transport to explore top highlights’ – they write.

Source: https://www.tourlane.com/most-walkable-cities/

Are you looking for a free outdoor program in Budapest?

If yes, let us recommend you an interesting photo exhibition, The Legends of the Buda Castle at the Várkert Bazár.

News

Mia Balogh

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 10:42:04 GMT Sat, 17 Oct 2020 10:42:04 GMT

A new photo exhibition, The Legends of Buda Castle presents you the everyday life of the Castle District, by showcasing the life stories and portraits of long-term residents at the Várkert Bazár.

‘Openness, heritage, co-operation, passion and emotion – these are just some of the words that the photography students at the Moholy-Nagy University of Arts & Design had in mind when presenting their images to visitors above the city’ – We Love Budapest writes.

They add, that among the portraits, you can see photos of residents of the Castle District like for example a crown guard, a rabbi, a parish priest, a bus driver and descendants of several famous people. They all live there, and in their own way, each and every one of them is a fan of this quarter of the city.

This interesting photo exhibition, showcasing 27 photos can be visited until 15 November, on the southern panorama terrace of the Várkert Bazár. It is free of charge, and last but not least, if you choose this program for a lazy Saturday afternoon, your date or long-time partner will be enchanted, that’s for sure. ;)

16-year-old Hungarian boy is world’s best young macro photographer

Tamás Koncz-Bisztricz triumphed at Close-up Photographer of the Year contest, and three other Hungarians managed to be among the best, as well.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 06:41:36 GMT Thu, 15 Oct 2020 06:41:36 GMT

Young Close-up Photographer of the Year – this is the title, won recently by a 16 years old Hungarian talent, Tamás Koncz-Bisztricz. His photo called ‘Little Ball’ (Kis Gömböc), showing a Sminthuridae amazed the jury.

The photo:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEWHCZgB2J/

The young photographer’s achievement is even more mind-blowing because he only started to take macro photos last December, after visiting a successful Hungarian photographer, Csaba Daróczi. He convinced the young talent that close-up photography is really interesting and worth dealing with – sokszinuvidek.24.hu writes.

Three more Hungarians were awarded at the competition. Csaba Daróczi (Nature Photographer of the Year in 2019), Bence Máté (a well-known Hungarian nature photographer) and another young talent, Bori Papp, who is only 12 years old.

Source: Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu , sokszinuvidek.24.hu

Hungarian – gypsy woman won the greatest recognition of world music

Mónika Lakatos, singer of Romengo and Gypsy Sounds (Cigány hangok), received this year's Womex Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Music Expo.

News

Budnews

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:16:41 GMT Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:16:41 GMT

What Oscar means for actors, Womex is the same for world musicians. The WOMEX Artist Awards is the greatest recognition of folk and world music, that now a Hungarian-gypsy woman won for the first time ever. Mónika Lakatos is the first Lifetime Achievement Award winner of Gypsy origin.

The singer joins a truly illustrious list, as the World Music Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to performers and orchestras since 1999 such as Hugh Masekela, Värttinä, the Kronos Quartet or Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. On the Hungarian side, the Muzsikás Band received the Artist Award in 2008.

Mónika Lakatos is distinguished from the representatives of the Oláh Gypsy musical tradition by her magical singing voice and impressive presence, her endless humility towards music. She learned her first songs as a child, in the Gypsy community of Nagyecsed. She won a talent show in 1996 in folk song category. Mónika strengthened Romano Drom between 2000 and 2003, but her main formation is the Romengo band, founded in 2004, whose musicians, including her husband, Mihály Rostás "Mazsi", combine the musical traditions of the Oláh Gypsies with newer sounds, such as Latin music.

She is also featured in Cigány hangok, which includes several family members of hers. She devoted her first solo album, Romanimo to slow songs, breaking with established trends. This album was among the top 5 records in World Music Charts Europe.

Congratulations!

Art Nouveau cocktail bar has opened in Gresham Palace

Signature cocktails divided into past, present and future sections, Japan-inspired dishes, crystal glasses... The highest luxury has arrived to Budapest.

News

Budnews

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 11:02:46 GMT Tue, 13 Oct 2020 11:02:46 GMT

One of the most outstanding works of Hungarian Art Nouveau architecture is undoubtedly the Gresham Palace, where the newest bar of the city opened in this spirit. Múzsa (Muse) keeps Art Nouveau traditions in mind in every way. The East-West encounter, Art Nouveau, the golden age of Budapest, creative female power and elegance appear in all details in Múzsa, not only in the interior, but also in the gastronomy offer.

Their main focus is on the drink selection, which would fit in any luxury hotel or bar in any major city in the world. The dishes were designed to not overwhelm but to highlight these specialty cocktails.

The signature cocktails, divided into past, present and future sections, are bold and special in appearance and ingredients. The cocktails evoking the past come in beautiful Varga crystal glasses, but the drinks of the present and the future received an amazingly beautiful serving of their own design.

They make sure that the backbone of the cocktails is made up of drinks that meet international trends, such as gin, rum or tonic, but also that, wherever possible, a Hungarian attachment point appears in them, either in raw materials or culturally.

The East-West motif appears on the menu with Asian-inspired, especially Japan-inspired dishes supplemented in many places with premium domestic ingredients. Art Nouveau is also manifested in the fine patterns of the wonderful Herend porcelain in which we get the food.

If you can come to Hungary again after the lockdown, Múzsa is definitely worth trying!

The ’Archduke's Palace’ in the Buda Castle is being rebuilt

These days only the ruins of the once beautiful building can be seen.

News

Budnews

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 19:39:33 GMT Mon, 12 Oct 2020 19:39:33 GMT

The castle district is one of the most beautiful parts of the city. Buda Castle, Fisherman’s bastion, Sándor Palace, Dísz tér are the favorite places of both tourists and citizens. But there is still a dark spot on the map of the area: this is the former palace of Archduke József. As we walk from Dísz tér to Buda Castle, we now find a ruined field on the right side of Szent György tér. But the Archduke's Palace and its garden, which once stood here, will be rebuilt in all its glory in the next few years.

The palace has interesting history: the original building was built in 1789, and called Teleki Palace. József archduke bought the place in 1892 from the treasury, and after the relocation of the High Command, he undertook a large-scale, historicist-style transformation based on the plans of Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl.

The neo-baroque building with a French garden and a (horse-drawn carriage) garage was completed by 1906. The palace was badly hit during the siege of 1945. In 1951, a workers' hostel was set up in it, which resulted further deterioration. After lengthy disputes, the building was completely demolished in 1968, although it could have been saved.

The area has been undeveloped ever since, but in January 2019, a decision was made to rebuild the Archduke József's Palace, the Neo-Renaissance garden and the courtyard barn within the framework of the National Hauszmann Program.

In terms of the function of the palace, it will be an office building, but its outer wall structure, ornaments and internal, representative rooms will be rebuilt as authentic replicas of the original building. Its supporting structure will be made of reinforced concrete, and the rooms used as offices will have a modern design. Its most beautiful spaces - the glass-roofed staircase and the two-storey ballroom - will also provide a venue for events, and the restored representative spaces will also be open to the general public.

Future visitors of Buda Castle will also be able to take a walk in the Neo-Renaissance garden of the building complex. The garden will be connected to the medieval Jewish ritual bath below, the Mikve, which will be accessible by both stairs and elevator. Visitors will also be able to go down to the Western Gardens outside the castle wall on the former Ybl stairs, which are part of the reconstruction.

According to the information, the garden of the palace was once bordered by an ornate, arcaded wall from St. György tér and two magnificent gate structures were connected to it, which are also being rebuilt in an age-old form. Similarly, the building of the former courtyard stable at the Fehérvár Rondelle end of the plot complex will be rebuilt. Archaeological excavations will begin at the Fehérvár Rondelle in the near future, in an area where such thing has never happened before. The plans will be ready this year, and the work will begin thereafter.

Hungarian screenwriter among most promising in the world

Kata Wéber, screenwriter of the award-winning movie Pieces of a Woman is on Variety magazine’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch list.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 9 Oct 2020 16:52:58 GMT Fri, 9 Oct 2020 16:52:58 GMT

Hungarian screenwriter Kata Wéber is among 2020’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch, compiled by the well-known Variety magazine – Origo.hu writes.

Her latest work, Pieces of a Woman was presented at the Venice Film Festival and achieved great success. You might have read already that the leading lady of the movie, Vanessa Kirby received the Coppa Volpi Award for best actress, and the Jury of Venice Classics also awarded the movie. The film was also screened at the Toronto Film Festival, and Netflix purchased the rights for its international distribution.

‘Last year’s list of screenwriters included Shia LaBeouf (“Honey Boy”) and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”), while previous years saw Charlie Kaufman (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Jennifer Lee (“Frozen”) and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (“Star Trek”) among the ranks’ – Variety.com writes.

So Kata Wéber is among the top 10 most promising screenwriters of the world, which is fantastic, congratulations to her!

And now, check out Variety’s 2020 class of 10 Screenwriters to Watch:

Tracey Deer and Meredith Vuchnich, “Beans”

Clare Dunne, “Herself”

Shaka King and Will Berson, “Judas and the Black Messiah”

Viggo Mortensen, “Falling”

Andy Siara, “Palm Springs”

Kemp Powers, “One Night in Miami”

Emma Seligman, “Shiva Baby”

Kata Weber, “Pieces of a Woman”

Remi Weekes, “His House”

Tracey Scott Wilson, “Respect” (2021)

Source: Variety.com

O Sole Mio – Hungarian competitor’s photo among funniest in the world

Hungarian hobby photographer Roland Kránitz’s photo of a ‘praying’ ground-squirrel is among the best at the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – you can still vote for it.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 8 Oct 2020 12:18:53 GMT Thu, 8 Oct 2020 12:18:53 GMT

Some might think that it’s a praying ground-squirrel, others say it looks like an opera singer – anyway, Hungarian hobby photographer Roland Kránitz’s photo made its way to be among the best pictures at the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, funniest nature photography contest in the world.

You can check out the finalists in 2020 here: https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/vote-affinity-photo-peoples-choice-award.php

And if you like the photo entitled ‘O Sole Mio’ you can still vote for it. Click on ‘Vote for this image’ on the photo, then fill out your email address. Then you will be sent a link to confirm your vote. You can optionally join their mailing list, so you will also have the chance to win an iPad.

Source: Sopronmedia.hu

World-famous brands that almost no one knows are Hungarians

IT company, fashion brand and skincare products are on the list.

News

Budnews

Wed, 7 Oct 2020 12:28:49 GMT Wed, 7 Oct 2020 12:28:49 GMT

Everyone knows that Rubic Cube is Hungarian, and most of you probably knows that Wizz Air is also a Hungarian company. But what about Nanushka, Omorovicza or Prezi? Let's see some of the most appreciated Hungarian brands.

Omorovicza

The Omorovicza journey began over 2,000 years ago, when the healing properties of Hungary's thermal waters were discovered and the first thermal baths were built, but let’s skip some years. At the turn of the millennium, Stephen de Heinrich de Omorovicza was living in Budapest when he first met US diplomat Margaret, Chief of Staff at the US Embassy in Hungary. Stephen fall in love with her, and at a point took Margaret to the bath his family built. The couple enjoyed and observed the healing power of these waters on their skin and decided to embark on a quest to harness its curative power...

Stephen and Margaret (and their team) incorporated the properties of the healing waters into a skincare range. Together, they developed and patented the Healing Concentrate™, a unique complex that is able to deliver the therapeutic minerals to the deepest layers of the skin.

Prezi

Prezi is a Hungarian presentation software company founded in 2009, with offices in Budapest, San Francisco, and Riga. The word prezi is the short form of "presentation" in Hungarian. The company's flagship platform is a visual storytelling software alternative to traditional slide-based presentation formats. Prezi presentations feature a map-like overview that lets users pan between topics, zoom in on details, and pull back to reveal context. It was said to be the major competitor of the market leader Microsoft Powerpoint

Nanushka

Nanushka is probably the most well-known Hungarian fashion brand in the world. Born and raised in Budapest, Sandra Sandor graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2005. Soon after that, in 2006 she launched her own label Nanushka. Szandra Sándor's clothing is now distributed in 40 countries and shipped directly from the webshop to more than 100 countries. Last year, she opened a temporary so-called pop-up store in Los Angeles, and with her fall-winter collection she had a huge success at the New York Fashion Week.

Where East meets West, the brand draws inspiration from the spiritual journey through cultures and time, effortlessly combining function with flair. Nanushka delivers a modern, versatile, day to night wardrobe for the modern human with the aim of creating a new informal form of beauty. With clothing designed in Budapest and produced in Europe, the collections showcase the finest craftsmanship and materials.

Devergo

Devergo brand was founded in the late ’80s by Renata Sartori and Paolo Bolzonella in Noale, northern Italy. During these years, together with the then newly released Energie, Replay and Diesel, they brought a youthful, new and fresh approach to the Italian jeans market. In October 1992, a small company established by a Hungarian and a Greek youngster started to distribute the brand in Hungary. By 1999, the Hungarian company had succeeded in acquiring the brand name and got legal protection over the name - both in terms of production and distribution.

Budmil

The name of this brand is very talkative: Budmil is created from the words Budapest and Milano. Budmil LLC. was established in 1990 with capital of several thousand USD. Budmil collection originally started with sports bags and backpacks. The range of goods continuously widened and nowadays budmil distributes fashionable street wear together with enlarged choice of bags. The continuous growth of own retail network resulted in 41 brand shops all over the country.

Hungarian doctors are testing a new coronavirus medicine

It eliminates the disease in six days.

News

Budnews

Tue, 6 Oct 2020 06:35:26 GMT Tue, 6 Oct 2020 06:35:26 GMT

Ever since the coronavirus epidemic broke out earlier this year, the world has been desperately looking for a solution, a cure for the disease. Currently, about half a dozen research centers in the world are testing vaccines. In the meantime, Hungary is testing a substance that helps to recover those who are already ill.

The medicine called favipiravir was developed in Japan and was approved by the National Institute of Pharmacy for domestic tests a few days ago. Based on the experience available so far, favipiravir is suitable for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate coronavirus infection, and is being further investigated by Hungarian medical universities and the National Institute of Pulmonology.

We received a hundred doses from Japan for these clinical trials, which is enough to treat a hundred patients in five health centers. If the clinical trial will be successful, it may take up to half a year to fully authorize the medicine, but until then, these tests will make the new type of pill available to some patients in Hungary.

The House of Hungarian Music awarded again

Although it is not ready yet, the House of Hungarian Music has already won some prestigious awards – let us tell you shortly about the latest one.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 5 Oct 2020 14:55:47 GMT Mon, 5 Oct 2020 14:55:47 GMT

‘Best Use Of Music In Property Development/Real Estate’ – that’s the name of the latest award won by The House of Hungarian Music. This award is a given at the most prestigious international competition of the music industry, the Music Cities Awards.

This year, the international jury selected the Hungarian House of Music together with two buildings in the United States for the final in the ‘Best Use Of Music In Property Development/Real Estate’ category, which was finally won by the Hungarian edifice.

The jury was impressed by the unique concept of the building. ‘It was very convincing how the musical content appears beneath the spectacular appearance of the house in a well-thought-out manner: the three functions of the building – museum, performance art, education – are also separated from each other in the space. With its unmatched design as well as architectural and technical solutions fostering sustainable development, the building will serve as a worthy venue to its visitors’ – said director of Music Cities Events Luke Jones.

Last year, the House of Hungarian Music was awarded as the world’s best public building and before that, also for the best public building in Europe, at the International Property Awards.

The building is almost ready: according to the plans, it can be visited by the end of 2021.

Researchers found the first Hungarian dinosaur egg

The remains of a few centimeters, oval-shaped eggshells with a peculiar surface were found at the excavations at Iharkút and are thought to come from a small predatory dinosaur.

News

Budnews

Fri, 2 Oct 2020 08:15:33 GMT Fri, 2 Oct 2020 08:15:33 GMT

Dinosaur eggs have never been found in Hungary – until now. Some years ago researchers working at the Iharkút excavations succeed and now it is proven. The first Hungarian dinosaur egg was identified by the versatile examination of some few millimeters small, 85 million-year-old eggshell fragments – said biologist Edina Prondvai, a member of the Paleontological Research Group of MTA-MTM-ELTE to MTI.

The biologist added that the shell fragments had been known for a couple of years, but it was possible to definitively prove the origin of the maniraptor dinosaur only this year with crystal structure studies performed on eggshells in collaboration with a South Korean research team.

The discovery is special because it originally studied the eggshell to prove that the eggshell will bear no resemblance to the eggshell structure of dinosaurs but of geckos today. But surprisingly, the first results confirmed the original suggestion of Hungarian researchers that the eggshells of Iharkút are nothing but the remains of raptor eggs.

"The identified egg residue is not only the first Hungarian fossil dino egg, but also the first egg representing this type of eggshell in the whole Europe, and even, to the best of our knowledge, in the world,"- emphasized the biologist to MTI.

The first Hungarian dinosaur egg will be on display as part of the permanent exhibition of the Hungarian Museum of Natural History.

Jamie Oliver brings new restaurant to Budapest

He already has two restaurants in Budapest but now Jamie Oliver has made his American diner-style meals available in our capital, as well.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 1 Oct 2020 12:36:41 GMT Thu, 1 Oct 2020 12:36:41 GMT

Although Jamie Oliver had to close a couple of restaurants in other countries due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that it doesn’t bother his plans in Hungary: the British star chef has made available his American diner-style meals recently in Budapest, as well.

His Jamie Oliver’s Diner restaurant has not been open yet, so you can’t dine in, but their top picks can be delivered to your door with Wolt. Or, if you still prefer the restaurant-felling, you can taste some of the dishes from the blackboard offers at Jamie Oliver’s Italian in the Buda Castle.

What to expect?

The star chef wanted to create a diner menu with classic American dishes, but with healthy and locally bought ingredients.

According to their website: “All our ingredients are sustainable and as local as we can make them. There are plenty of gorgeous healthy dishes, as well as some more indulgent ones that I have tried to keep in check. Whatever you choose, every dish is guaranteed to make you smile.”

And the menu, well, if you know a few things about American diners, you can figure it out ;) you can choose for example hamburgers, fries, nachos, BBQ and cheesecake.

Jamie Oliver plans to open up a place sometime in the future, but we don’t know exactly, when and where this is gonna be in the city.

Like and share our article, if you can’t wait to try a big and healthy burger from Jamie Oliver’s Diner restaurant. ;)

Source: hvg.hu, https://hu.jamieoliversdiner.com/en/diner-budapest/

Nicolas Cage and other stars arrive in Budapest

Hungarian websites have already written about Nicolas Cage filming in Budapest but he is not the only world-famous celebrity spending some time in our capital nowadays.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:12:02 GMT Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:12:02 GMT

You might have read that Nicolas Cage is currently working on a movie in Budapest: he is filming ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ in our capital. The Oscar-winning actor plays himself in the movie which also stars Tiffany Haddish.

The actress, who played in the multi-award winning comedy Girls Trip in 2017, is also expected to join him soon in Hungary. But it is also possible that she is already here.

But the fans of TV series can be much more excites by the fact that Pedro Pascal is also in Budapest. Rumour has it that he plays in ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ with Nicolas Cage.

The Chilean-born American actor, known from Game of Thrones, Narcos, The Mandalorian and also stars in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 movie was overheard saying he is stuck in here due to the borders being closed but apparently, he is having fun exploring the city.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFZncK2seq4/

Source: Borsonline.hu , hu.ign.com

World Press Photo Exhibition 2020

For the first time ever, Hungarian photographer won the first prize in environmental protection category.

Culture

Budnews

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:11:39 GMT Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:11:39 GMT

The World Press Photo exhibition has a long tradition in Budapest and is one of the most visited cultural events every year, that is on display for the 43rd time this year. This is the most significant international competition for photojournalists and documentary photographers with 4,282 photographers from 125 countries submitting 73,996 photos for this year’s exhibition.

The uniqueness of this year is that a Hungarian woman won a first prize for the first time: Esther Horvath's photo of polar bears became first in the environmental protection category. The photo shows a scientific expedition near the instruments of the Polarstern research ship, and two curious bears examining the flags.

The exhibition in Budapest is complemented by three accompanying exhibitions, films and multimedia from the Digital Storytelling competition swaying in the cinema hall opening from the exhibition space. József Tóth's cartoonist-photographer's exhibition entitled My EXAMPLES shows portraits of Hungarian photographers: this is also worth browsing through, the captions are especially fun in the gap-filling portrait gallery. At the other end of the corridor, the Next-Image Mobile Photo exhibition presents the best Hungarian photos of this year, taken with a mobile phone, together with the works of six invited photographers.

Date: 24. September – 25 October

Venue: Hungarian National Museum

More info & tickets: https://mnm.hu/en/exhibitions/temporary/world-press-photo-2020-stories-matter

Free beach may open on the Danube shore next year

This has not been possible since the ’70s.

News

Budnews

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:22:48 GMT Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:22:48 GMT

Integration of Danube into the life of Budapest has been a hot topic for decades, which is a demand of residents and NGOs for at least such a long time. Swimming in the Danube wasn’t always forbidden: until the '70s it was possible to swim in the Budapest section of the river. Then, it has been banned, so for the past 50 years only the sight, ducks, and coastal restaurants have remained. Now, there is serious hope that this situation will change, as two NGOs made a successful test day again on the Roman shore area of the river.

On the test day, they built up a buoy system, water rescue station, and they also set up a lifeguard tower with flags, so they fulfilled all the conditions one could expect from a beach. Water rescue is extremely important in case of a river, and the Danish-style flag system indicates water quality. Although the water of the Danube in this northern region has been excellent for bathing for many years, but in heavy rains, pollution may enter the water, so this checking system can help a lot to the people bathing here.

The form in which the beach can be realized has not yet been decided: NGOs want a real free beach, while the municipality would give the maintaining rights to an organization. The tender has not been announced yet, the opinion and needs of the residents are being assessed by the local government for the time being.

About Római-part

The story of Római part dates back to the 1800s, when the first restaurants, beaches and boathouses appeared in this area, the northern outskirt on the city. The sparkling summer mood has increased ever since: now there is a central, less than a kilometer-long coast that has as many bars and restaurants as the downtown has in an equal area. Although great variety of restaurants can be found here, the prevailing style is the real retro vibe, which hasn’t changed since the mid-90s, with self-service taverns. If you walk a little north, you meet the real beach feeling: bars are only from meters from the Danube here, and you can enjoy your drink with your feet in the cool water. This is the area where the free beach may be realized.

Wow: the newest Danube Bridge will we amazing

The highly anticipated Galvani Bridge will be useful and important concerning the traffic in Budapest but the newest bridge will be also quite imposing.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:39:04 GMT Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:39:04 GMT

As you can already know from Hungarian media – and also from our site –, the new Danube Bridge, also called Galvani Bridge is more than just a dream now: it will be realized. This month, the project already reached a next important stage: the planning of the tram lane which will pass through the bridge has started.

Furthermore, we can already show you how the bridge will look like, thanks to Dávid Vitézy, CEO of the Budapest Development Centre, who shared the following video on his YouTube channel.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=hqsigkXdCOk

As we have already mentioned in a previous article (http://budnews.hu/news/News/1612/this-is-the-next-step-concerning-the-new-budapest-bridge), it is going to have four pillars, 2x3 lanes and it is going to be 500 metres long. It will also have a tram line.

Once finished, it will ease the traffic in the city centre: 55 thousand cars can be diverted from the downtown bridges and thousands of vehicles from Üllői road. And it will probably help the development of the southern parts of Budapest, too.

Hungarian director’s award-winning movie Pieces of a Woman lands at Netflix

Netflix bought the worldwide rights of Kornél Mundruczó’s new English-language movie, Pieces of a Woman so we all can probably check it out there in the near future.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:30:21 GMT Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:30:21 GMT

Kornél Mundruczó is a well-known, multi-award winning Hungarian movie director, who has recently directed his first English-language film called Pieces of a Woman. The movie tells us the story of a woman, who loses her newborn baby.

She is played by Vanessa Kirby who took the Best Actress Volpi Cup at last Saturday awards ceremony for this year’s Venice Film Festival. Her partner in the film is LaBeouf, and they star alongside Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmie Falls and Ellen Burstyn.

“As a European filmmaker, I couldn’t be more excited and appreciative of finding my home for this film with Netflix. Their taste in independent cinema feels like the United Artists of the 1970s. The true champions of filmmakers and original voices for today," the director said in a statement about the distribution deal with Netflix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC3aOXokDuc&feature=emb_logo

Source: Hollywoodreporter.com

Bach for Everyone: the 2-month free concert series has started

  The largest event series of free classical music in the Carpathian Basin is held for the 6th time.

Culture

Budnews

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 09:43:54 GMT Wed, 23 Sep 2020 09:43:54 GMT

We didn’t have many programs this year: most festivals were canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic. This happened to Bach for Everyone Festival too, which, thankfully, is being replaced this fall.

Bach for Everyone Festival is the largest series of free classical music events in the Carpathian Basin, which is, of course, built around Bach's oeuvre. The festival lasts for more than two months, but the exact programs are only published a few days or a few weeks in advance, as it would be risky to plan ahead due to the epidemic, so it is worth checking the newly announced concerts regularly on the official website.

And one more thing, why we highly recommend to participate if you can: in addition to the free programs, the organizers also put emphasis on charity, we have the opportunity to support the Hungarian Child Rescue Foundation.

When and where?

This year, we can meet Bach's music in more than 100 settlements in the Carpathian Basin from 16 September to 31 December.

The most common Hungarian street names and their meanings

You've probably heard of "Petőfi utca" and "Ady Endre utca", but do you know, who they were?

News

Budnews

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 06:48:36 GMT Tue, 22 Sep 2020 06:48:36 GMT

Every country has "favourite" street names. These can be Main Street, or King's Road, and almost every country named some of their streets after prominent historical figures. In Hungarys, these are the most common street names: you can be sure to find them even in the smallest village.

Sándor Petőfi

Sándor Petőfi was a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He is considered to be Hungary's national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. He is the author of the Nemzeti dal (National Song), which is said to have inspired the revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary that grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire. It is most likely that he died in the Battle of Segesvár, one of the last battles of the war.

Lajos Kossuth

Lajos Kossuth was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and Governor-President of the Kingdom of Hungary during the revolution of 1848–49. With the help of his talent in oratory in political debates and public speeches, Kossuth emerged from a poor gentry family into regent-president of Kingdom of Hungary. Kossuth's bronze bust can be found in the United States Capitol with the inscription: Father of Hungarian Democracy, Hungarian Statesman, Freedom Fighter, 1848–1849.

Ferenc Rákóczi

Ferenc Rákóczi was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Today he is considered a national hero in Hungary, just as the first two men.

Endre Ady

Endre Ady was a turn-of-the-century Hungarian poet and journalist. Regarded by many as the greatest Hungarian poet of the 20th century, he was noted for his steadfast belief in social progress and development and for his poetry's exploration of fundamental questions of the modern European experience: love, temporality, faith, individuality, and patriotism.

György Dózsa

György Dózsa was a Székely man-at-arms from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasants' revolt against the kingdom's landed nobility. He was eventually caught, tortured, and executed along with his followers, and remembered as both a Christian martyr and a dangerous criminal. During the reign of king Vladislas II of Hungary (1490–1516), royal power declined in favour of the magnates, who used their power to curtail the peasants' freedom.

Budapest’s dessert for 2020 is so mouth-watering

Budapest’s dessert for this year looks yummy. Even its name is appetizing and exciting: pear and caramel mousse cake, by Szamos Marcipán confectionary.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 13:10:03 GMT Mon, 21 Sep 2020 13:10:03 GMT

The Hungarian Chocolate and Sweets Association was searching for Budapest’s dessert for the third time this year, and the winner of their competition in 2020 is the pear and caramel mousse cake, made by the Szamos Marcipán confectionery.

Okay but what is this sweet treat like? Well, it is the combination of several textures. The base is a Sacher sponge cake, with a vanilla mousse on it, layered with cold pear puree and topped with caramel – Origo.hu writes.

Fans with a sweet tooth could taste it for the first time at this year’s Sweet Days (Édes napok) Budapest Chocolate and Sweets festival, held from 18 to 20 September in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Source: Origo.hu

Summer discounts continue at Rudas and Széchenyi Baths

If you decide to visit these baths in Budapest, you can still buy your tickets for almost half-price, until the end of October.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:12:31 GMT Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:12:31 GMT

Earlier this year, Lukács, Széchenyi and Rudas baths have lowered ticket prices for their reopening because they wanted to encourage their guests to continue visiting (and of course more new guests, too, for a visit).

As WeLoveBudapest.com writes, the promotion was officially announced to run until 31 August, but both the Széchenyi and Rudas continues to keep their discounted prices. And so does Gellért Baths, too, which reopened on 1 September, and its discount lasts until 31 October.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

Sweet Days at the Basilica

Sweetest weekend of the year is finally coming up: visit St. Stephen Square at the Basilica from 18 to 20 September and enjoy some sweet treats – you absolutely deserve it.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 11:57:56 GMT Thu, 17 Sep 2020 11:57:56 GMT

Of course we know that everyone is talking about the second wave of the pandemic and the precautions we should make even if we just stop by the small grocery store down on the corner.

But we at BudNews believe that people don’t stop craving for all the good things in these dark times, on the contrary: we all want some positivity in our everyday lives now more than ever. And as we all know, chocolate boosts the happiness hormones ;) so what about a short trip to the Basilica, to pamper your taste buds with some sweets? Of course, with your masks on and with hand sanitizers in your bags…

If you say yes to it, let us tell you a little bit more about the program: from 18 to 20 September, Sweet Days Chocolate Festival will be organized at the Basilica, near Deák Square. The is a free-to-attend gastro event, to be more precise, the 4^th biggest free open-air festival revolving around chocolate and artsy confectionery, where you can try the very best of Hungarian sweets.

Are you ready for it? ;)

Wizz Air has significantly reduced the number of flights due to the second wave of coronavirus epidemic

Radically fewer flights depart and arrive in September.

News

Budnews

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:12:53 GMT Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:12:53 GMT

Wizz Air has introduced the largest flight reduction in its history: from September only the most sought-after destinations are available to passengers.

According to the decision of the Hungarian government, from September 1, foreign citizens will not be able to enter the country due to the epidemic, and returning Hungarian citizens will face 2 weeks of mandatory quarantine. Due to the drastically reduced traffic, the Hungarian low-cost airline introduced a larger degree of flight reduction between September 7 and 30, during which only the most sought-after destinations will remain available to passengers.

The remaining flights between 7. and 30. September are the following (flight/week):

• Budapest - Stockholm Skavsta 2
• Budapest - London Luton 7
• Budapest - Eindhoven 5
• Budapest - Paris Orly 2
• Budapest - Brussels Charlerooi 2
• Budapest - Basel 2
• Budapest - Milan Malpensa 2
• Budapest - Athens 2
• Budapest - Dortmund 2
• Budapest - Berlin Schönefeld 2
• Budapest - Malta 1
• Budapest - Larnaca 1
• Debrecen - London Luton 2

If Wizz Air canceled a particular flight, affected customers can claim 120% of the original fare in Wizz Air points, refunded to their Wizz Air account, or 100% refund according to the original method of payment, or passengers can choose a free booking option.

Journey by Moonlight inspired the newest Hungarian gin

The taste of this new-wave gin is not dominated by juniper, but a fresh, unique blend of different herbs, organic citrus and spices.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 08:32:02 GMT Tue, 15 Sep 2020 08:32:02 GMT

Gin has become popular beverage in recent years, enough to think about the international and domestic success of Opera Gin. Now another Hungarian gin has been born: after two years of experimentation, Mrs Millicent speakeasy gin is here.

The name may be familiar to many Hungarian people, as it was inspired by one of the characters in Antal Szerb's best-known novel, Journey by Moonlight. Millicent Ingram is a wealthy American young woman studying art history and coming to Europe on a study trip, where she meets the protagonist of the novel, Michael. She is relaxed, vibrant, naive and refreshing. Mrs. Millicent gin was born from this milieu.

"I wished to have a gin brand next to our pálinkas for years." said Mónika Czakó, owner of Bestillo. “Fresh citrus used for gin is available when the fresh ingredients for pálinka brewing are no longer available; so this way we can create the best spirits continuously.”

The new gin is available in the shops of Bortársaság and online.

Hungarian photographer won the most prestigious astrophoto award

The photo draws attention to an important problem.

News

Budnews

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:41:17 GMT Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:41:17 GMT

Fantastic Hungarian success was achieved at this year's international astrophotography competition at the Royal Museum in Greenwich. Rafael Schmall, colleague of the Zselic Star Park won first place in the “People and Space” category in the world's most prestigious competition on this topic, the „Insight Investment Astronomy of the Year 2020”. The value of success is increased by the fact that the prestigious recognition will come to Hungary for the second time after László Francsics' overall first place last year.

The image, titled “Prison of Technology,” not only earned the jury’s recognition for its brilliant photographic solution, but also draws attention to an important issue with its choice of subject. In the image taken with a long exposure time, the thin white stripes in the foreground of the stars are actually commercial satellites. There are more and more of these objects around our planet: Starlink alone, company of Elon Musk, plans to launch more than ten thousand pieces, and they’re not the only ones.

Although the satellites are not visible to the naked eye, they increase the brightness of the sky measurably. Despite the fact that we are building larger and more professional astronomical telescopes at a significant cost, the sky, which is becoming “noisier” due to satellites, makes scientific research difficult or even impossible. This disruptive effects causes inconvenience to researchers and amateurs scanning the stars as well.

Rafael Schmall, who has a serious reputation in Hungary, has already received recognition from NASA and twice won the National Geographic Hungary Astrophotography of the Year award, and these days he even has a permanent exhibition of his pictures in the Zselic Star Park near Kaposvár.

Sports centre in the City Park opens

From 3 September, you can try more than a dozen activities in Budapest City Park sports centre, the newest playground for sport lovers in the city.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:36:24 GMT Fri, 11 Sep 2020 09:36:24 GMT

Football pitch with artificial grass, three multifunctional sport fields, a basketball arena, chess-, teqball- and ping-pong tables and among other facilities, also a climbing wall is waiting for all of us who would like to play sports in the City Park.

The newest place in town where we can spend our free time in an active way is called Budapest City Park sports centre, and it was built on a 36 000 square-meters plot of land near the Ajtósi Dürer sor and Dózsa György út intersection.

If you would like to visit the place and try something in there, you can do it for free because most of the amenities – except for two sport fields available for rent – can be used free of charge by the public.

Source: Origo.hu

Unique fire truck open-air museum opened in Budapest

A new fire truck museum has opened in Újpest, where we can see real historical specialties, e.g. red painted fire chariots and a steam syringe. Little "flame knights" can even try out the old fire trucks!

News

Budnews

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:54:57 GMT Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:54:57 GMT

It has been 150 years that the fire department of Újpest was established in 1870, then in a voluntary form. In honor of the one and a half centuries of flame knights, the IV. district fire brigade opened a unique fire truck museum in the courtyard of the barracks in Szent László tér.

The museum is unique even in Europe: we can see, for example, the last remaining Hungarian-made right-hand drive fire truck that served corporate fire brigades, and the exhibition also showcases the products of the heroic age of Hungarian machine building: the red-painted fire chariots once rolled off the conveyor belts of MÁVAG, Csepel, Rába and Icarus.

The real curiosity of the museum is a steam syringe that was still towed by horses to the fires at the end of the XIX. century, and that is still functional today. So much so that the jet of water reaches up to the top of a ten-storey panel house!

The open-air museum has no opening hours, but anyone can view the special historical monuments by prior appointment. The open-air museum can be visited free of charge after contacting the organizers via email (tuzoltoskanzen@gmail.com) or phone (+36-70-334-8135). Until then, watch the video below - the text is in Hungarian, but the pictures speak for themselves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0lCpnFE4yc

Sleeping and dining cars on international trains suspended

If you are planning to leave Budapest in the near-future, and you would cross the borders on a train with sleeping and dining cars, you should know about these important changes.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:44:25 GMT Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:44:25 GMT

You must have heard about the re-introduced Hungarian border closure from 1 September, but what if you choose to leave our beloved capital by train in the near-future?

Well, if you wanted to travel by using a sleeping and/or dining car on the train, it might be useful information to you that these services will be suspended by Hungarian Railways (MÁV), in line with government measures, and in order to protect their staff on the trains. Sleeping cars will be replaced by regular ones.

In the international timetable for train traffic, there are no restrictions – MÁV said recently. They added that they will reimburse the price of the international train tickets valid for September without handling costs if someone would prefer cancelling their trip.

Mátyás Fountain renovated and unveiled

Beautiful fountain located in Buda Castle, also called the ‘Hungarian Trevi’ regained its splendour thanks to a recent complete renovation.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:41:10 GMT Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:41:10 GMT

We are sure that you already know: Buda Castle is an amazing place with a lot of super selfie spots in there. Now it is even more attractive, with Mátyás Fountain, named after the Hungarian King Mátyás, and the statues around it having been renovated recently.

And it was unveiled to the public a few days ago by the grandson of the well-known creator of the fountain, sculptor Alajos Stróbl. The grandson, who is also called Mátyás just like the famous king, also took part in the nine-month reconstruction of this landmark. He said that it is a great feeling to see its rebirth.

The fountain, often referred to as the ‘Hungarian Trevi’ is much more than a beautiful detail in the Castle District: it has a history. It survived two world wars but suffered severe damage during the second one.

It had only been partially reconstructed, but in 2020 it not only received a refurbishment but was also cleaned with a special process and got a new lighting.

If you take a walk in the Castle District, we highly recommend you to visit this landmark – and try to arrive by sunset so you can see how wonderful colours illuminate the carving of the king and his entourage on a hunting expedition.

Source: Origo.hu , WeLoveBudapest.com

New silence regulation came into force in the party district

These are the new rules in the entertainment district of Budapest.

News

Budnews

Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:37:02 GMT Wed, 9 Sep 2020 12:37:02 GMT

Local government of the 7th district of Budapest has implemented very serious rules in the past few weeks. It has long been a problem in the district that the area is almost uninhabitable because of the locals and tourists who have fun here: a lot of people have moved out of the area in recent years due to the daily partying that lasts until dawn. But from midnight on August 26, only restaurants and entertainment venues that meet the strict criteria system can be open after midnight.

The recently adopted decree puts an end to this “golden age”: from now on, strict rules regulates which places can be open between midnight and 6 am in the area bounded by Király utca – Erzsébet körút – Rákóczi út – Károly körút.

These expectations include the incorporation of a power control device (limiter) into the sound system; ensure that guests do not take the spirits out into the street; no packaging or freight transport is carried out between ten o'clock in the evening and eight o'clock in the morning; places should make their toilets accessible to everyone after midnight, not just guests; the pavement in front of them have to be cleaned daily with a high-pressure cleaner; they have to employ a separate person to keep order among the guests; eliminate disposable plastic cups and provide a reusable cup with their own logo instead; enter into a separate waste shipment contract; and if that weren’t enough, special doors have to be installed depending on the capacity: a photocell or automatic door is installed under 100 people, a sluice entry and exit system is installed above 100 people, and even a traffic counter is necessary above 150 people.

There are about 400 restaurants and bars in the affected area, about a third of which, 138 have applied for extended opening hours after midnight by the given deadline. 109 of these have been licensed so far, and it seems we don’t have to say goodbye to the prominent party venues. Affordable places like „Ördögkatlan”, „4-es, 6-os”, „Gong brasseries”, „Kakas”, and high-capacity nightclubs and ruin pubs such as „Ellátóház”, „Szimplakert”, „Füge udvar”, „Udvarrom”, „Doboz”, „Fogas-Instant-Robot” komplex or „Cat Club” can still be open after midnight.

Nice to meet you Samantha! Let's get to know the newest salad bar of the city

Healthy food, good wibes and a hint of girly fun. This is Samantha.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Fri, 4 Sep 2020 08:05:44 GMT Fri, 4 Sep 2020 08:05:44 GMT

Buda side of the city is getting better and better: a new outdoor place opened, this time in the expanded Millenáris park. Health-conscious snacks, many programs, Hello Wood’s pink-painted wooden pavilion, white chairs, and sunbeds. But let's see itt from the beginnings.

There is only a few better place than Millenáris to create a healthy and cool bar: due to the nearby playgrounds, there are many mothers and fathers with small children who would happily rest a bit, and Buda residents are also hungry for seating, relaxing places in the area.

The newest place we're talking about is Samantha — like Samantha from Sex and the city. The place is very similar to this fictional character: sexy, cool, health-conscious, but she doesn’t despise evening entertainment either.

The profile of Samantha is diverse: there are three types of menus - breakfast (9-12: 00), lunch (12-15: 00) and dinner (17-23: 00) - and the offer is basically made up of light, healthy ingredients, it is based on hearty bowls, toasts, and wraps. For example the Moana Salmon Poke bowl that consist of marinated salmon accompanied by avocado, purple cabbage, edamame beans, and in honor of the Hawaiian national dish, it comes in a half-cut coconut.

As for the drinks: the range of drinks is also very wide, which can open new horizons in the evening. In addition to juices, they offer a unique collagen drink, which is for those who value fitness drinks and want to take extra care for their bodies.

If you're not an evening person, don't worry. They even have morning yoga, body art classes, and daytime chat programs for the next few weeks.

Another American Street food is conquering Budapest

Corn dog  is here to make people falling in love with it.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Thu, 3 Sep 2020 08:27:22 GMT Thu, 3 Sep 2020 08:27:22 GMT

There is a restaurant for every dish of almost every nations in Budapesr, yet more and more places are popping up that find a niche market. The latest one is Egypálcás, which adds one piece of American culture, the Corn Dog to our homeland.

Sausage dipped in dough rarely shows up in our small country, but now an entire store has been dedicated to it on Vas Street. Corn dog is essentially a sausage drawn on a chopstick, which is then dipped in some thick dough and fried in oil.

In the small, friendly store, the owner, Heni does everything - she gets the ingredients, she makes the dough, and of course she cooks our chosen corn dog as well. Although corn dog is basically a simply street food, Heni tried to add a few extras to the basic recipe to make it even better. Thus, in addition to the standard corn dog (HUF 770), we can ask for a version that is rolled in pancake dough (HUF 880) or french fries (HUF 980) before baking.

We can vary it further by asking for a little cheese in the dough, or by changing the sausage to cheese ín the corn dog. For the finished corn dog, you can also choose from several dips, such as nacho, various salsa or jalapeño.

But the best thing that convinced us that Egypálcás will be one of our favourite places is the tetris on the counter. It's exatly the one that we had in our childhood, and while you may think you’ve outgrown this a long time ago, we guarantee you’ll hit the opportunity.

Huge film park has opened in Hungary

The newest cinema/adventure park in Europe has opened in a Hungarian village.

News

Budnews

Wed, 2 Sep 2020 08:52:15 GMT Wed, 2 Sep 2020 08:52:15 GMT

Probably the most special theme park in the country opened a few weeks ago. The Cinemaqua Film and Nature Park shows the world of cinematic wonders over a huge area of ​​30 hectares. A visual world with original scenery items awaits you with 21 scenes in this small village called Kisvárda.

Among the venues of the special cinema park you can get to know the Film Palace, there is a venue called American Promenade, a real adventure ship and a pirate ship, a 17th century American village, a fabulous wonder garden, a gold washer scene, a real kingdom, a dinosaur park, a circus tent, an airplane hangar and a unique maze.

And the best thing is that there are many objects here that are not forbidden to touch at all, the whole park was built on the concept of “experience the film world” for which we, adults were as enthusiastic as the kids. The park offers all day recreation for literally everyone, the only downside is the price: an adult ticket is HUF 6,900 (5900 for locals) and the children's ticket is HUF 6,200 (4,900).

Anyway, this is a must see for once in a lifetime!

New package-free shop opened in Budapest

Newest addition to the eco-friendly shops in the city, næked is not only a package-free store but also a community place – it is absolutely worth visiting.

News

Mia Balogh

Tue, 1 Sep 2020 14:19:16 GMT Tue, 1 Sep 2020 14:19:16 GMT

If you consider the protection of our environment as a very important case, well, you must know that there are more and more eco-friendly, package-free stores available to do your grocery shopping.

And yes, there are some nice and friendly ones in Budapest, too, like Ligeti shops, Ne pazarolj! and the newest addition to the list, næked. The name of the place is a funny play on words, because naked refers to ‘goods without packaging’ but another word, neked means ‘to you’ in Hungarian.

The næked project was brought to life by two Hungarian girls, Noémi Gyöngyösi and Flóra Orosz who had big plans of creating an eco-friendly hotspot in Budapest, but the pandemic delayed their plans.

Finally, their dream came true, with a lot of work actually: they set up this beautiful Scando chic shop in an old wine cellar, renovated and embellished with their own bare hands, We Love Budapest writes.

‘They wanted it to function as a community place as well, which is why they offer mugs and jugs of teas – lesser-found milfoil, horsetail, marsh mallow as well as elderberry, linden and lemongrass – and Peruvian 100% Arabica Huabal Cajamarca coffee’ – they add.

What do you find in næked?

Well, almost everything you’d need in your kitchen: nuts, oils, pulses, dried fruit, cosmetics and cleaning products. And yes, you can also purchase some new paper bags and containers, if you forgot to bring your own ones to refill. ;)

Where to find næked?

The address is 4 Schwartzer Ferenc Street (district XII), and their opening hours are the following: from Monday to Friday, from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturday between 11am-3pm.

If you would like to know more about them, check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/naeked.budapest/

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

Russian bistro in Szolnok among world’s best restaurants

With this recognition, they made it to the top 10 percent of the world’s best restaurants.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 09:39:58 GMT Mon, 31 Aug 2020 09:39:58 GMT

You might have heard about restaurants in Budapest getting important awards and recognitions but now a small family restaurant, Balalajka Russian Bistro in Szolnok (located in the Eastern part of the country) has made it to the headlines because they recently got the Travellers’ Choice award from Tripadvisor. With this recognition, they made it to the top 10 percent of the world’s best restaurants.

This is not their first award: before that, Forbes Magazine declared it the ‘most Russian’ restaurant in Hungary. Besides, the owners even got a prestigious state award from Moscow, as well, for their work in gastronomy and culture.

What do they offer?

If you are a fan of traditional Russian food, culture and music, you will love it because the owners, András Kolozsvári and his wife Kátya, who was born is Siberia present all of these authentically. Kátya even plays the Russian instrument balalajka, from where the bistro got its name so don’t be surprised if some authentic balalajka music will be added your Saturday supper. ;)

Source: szoljon.hu

Jason Momoa is in Budapest again

He is here for some additional shooting for the upcoming movie Dune, so chances of bumping into him in the city are quite good now.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 07:47:48 GMT Fri, 28 Aug 2020 07:47:48 GMT

If Jason Momoa is on top of your list of all the film stars you would love to have a selfie with, well, some good news for you: the Hollywood hunk returned to Budapest recently.

As far as we know from the Hungarian media, his plane landed a couple of days ago, and yes, a lucky girl already managed to take a selfie with him:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEDtSrLgIYc/

Probably she won’t be the only one because we think that in a beautiful city like Budapest, it’s impossible to resist the temptation of leaving your hotel room and doing something in the city – whether you are a celebrity or not. Do you agree? ;)

Jason Momoa is back in town for some additional shooting for the upcoming movie Dune, the monumental sci-fi movie by Denis Villeneuve. According to Bors.hu, the shooting will last until 25 August so the actor will probably stay here until then.

Other stars of the movie like Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya can also be in Hungary again, as HungaryToday.hu writes.

‘Officially, the shooting ended in July 2019, but as with all large-scale movies, additional shooting is common; this doesn’t mean that there are any issues with the quality of the already existing scenes or the film’s production’ – they add.

Source: Bors.hu, HungaryToday.hu

New pier opened at Liszt Ferenc Airport

The change is huge compared to the old facility .

News

Budnews

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:17:12 GMT Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:17:12 GMT

Budapest Airport is getting bigger and bigger, which is well shown by the new passenger waiting area.

The new facility, called pier 1, is now completed and commissioned for passenger. The extensive glazed surfaces and wooden beams of the 11 500-square-meter structure create a Scandinavian vibe, and the aircrafts are parked at only a few meters from the building, making boarding and disembarkation faster and more convenient than ever. (Which means we can forgot the ugly tin city, thank God!)

The new building satisfies all needs; passengers can spend their time before departure in a beautiful and comfortable environment that is spacious and fully meets epidemiological criteria.

Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, the CEO of Budapest Airport emphasized, “I am very proud of the new pier and the feedback we are receiving from passengers, airline partners, and ground-handlers who are completely satisfied with the new facility. This building is one of the gems in our series of airport development projects that have been ongoing for more than a year now, and it clearly demonstrates that the continuous improvement of service quality is our top priority.”

We totaly agree with Mr. Schnitzler. The new pier is the most beautiful part of the entire airport, we think that it even beats the VIP lounge with those ornaments hanging from the ceiling.

The new 11 500-square-meter pier ensures that passengers can arrive or wait for departure in a bright, heated and air-conditioned building which also offers shops and extra services to satisfy travelers’ needs. The facility provides 8 pedestrian boarding gates directly connected to aircraft stands, enabling a smooth and convenient boarding process. There are also 6 boarding gates where buses transport passengers to airplanes parked on remote stands.

The new facility can comfortably accommodate up to 5000 passengers at the same time, offering 2500 seats in total in its spacious waiting areas. But our favorite thing in the new pier is undoubtedly the 580 USB chargers. No more dead batteries here!

The new pier 1 features convenient waiting and rest areas, 3 high-capacity obstacle-free toilet blocks, a smoking terrace, and even a coffee shop and a newspaper stand will open in the next few weeks. It has direct connection to Terminal 2A that does not require passengers to leave the comfort of the building at all, as they can reach the spacious 120-meter-long new building from the main terminal building through a new connection equipped with escalators and elevators.

Let all our desires come true like this!

The most important rule to comply on public transport

Fewer and fewer people follow the rule to cover their face so Budapest Transport Centre has to be more strict.

News

Budnews

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 16:51:23 GMT Tue, 25 Aug 2020 16:51:23 GMT

People are becoming more and more bored with the precautions introduced because of the coronavirus. Everyone took the rules a little looser, which unfortunately resulted more and more new infections across Europe.

According to a non-representative survey by BKK (Budapest Transport Centre), almost 100% of passengers wore mask in the spring, but now this is around 85%, due to the loosening of the obedience during summer.

That is why BKK draws the attention to the rules of traveling public in its latest communication. They emphasized the fact that as the epidemic situation has not yet ended, public transport can still be used only with a face covered with a mask or scarf.

The transport company draws attention to this rule on every possible surfaces, and it is the primary task of ticket inspectors and passenger coordinators to enforce the passangers to wear a mask. Anyone who is unwilling to cover their face with a mask or scarf after their request may be removed from the vehicles according to the conditions of travel.

The communication also states that the rules also apply to BKK employees, so if, for example, an inspector demonstrably fails to comply with health protection regulations, BKK will enforce labor law consequences.

Don't leave your mask at home!

Gellért Bath reopens with more friendly prices

In a few days, the historic Gellért Bath opens its gates again – with more affordable ticket prices.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 08:06:28 GMT Mon, 24 Aug 2020 08:06:28 GMT

In March, all the historic baths in Budapest closed because of the pandemic. Many have reopened since then but one of the most well-known, Gellért Bath remained closed. Now, it will reopen: after 1 September, we can visit this amazing place again – and with more friendly ticket prices.

Let’s see how the ticket prices have changed

The reopening also means lower prices in Gellért Bath, which has been not only one of the most popular but also one of the most expensive historic bath in the city.

Before the pandemic, a daily ticket with a locker on weekdays cost 6300HUF (18 Euros) and 6600HUF (19 Euros) on weekends. From 1 September, the same tickets are going to cost 3900HUF (11 Euros) on weekdays and 4500HUF (13 Euros) on weekends.

Renting a locker for 15 visits used to cost 81 400HUF (242 Euros), but now it is going to become a lot cheaper, 51 000HUF (146 Euros).

The so-called Zsigmond Clubcard continues to provide some discounts at the bath: with this card, you can buy a ticket for 2900 HUF (8.3 Euros) all days of the week.

It seems that only one thing can be more expensive: renting a cabin meant 400 or 500 HUF (1.1 – 1.4 Euro) extra charge per visit, depending on weekdays or weekend, but now it is going to cost 1000 HUF (2.8 Euros) all week.

Source: TurizmusOnline.hu

Budapest is one of the best European cities for digital nomads

In a new study, best European destinations for digital nomads were ranked – and yes, Budapest is also on the list. To be a little bit more precise, in the top three.

Lifestyle

Mia Balogh

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:23:16 GMT Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:23:16 GMT

We all know that digital nomads only need their laptop and reliable internet connection to work, but many of them also enjoy the comfort of co-working spaces or nice cafés. Of course, there are many more other factors which are important for them, just like for the rest of us, like affordable rent prices and entertainment possibilities. But which cities can be the best choices for digital nomads in Europe?

A British insurance company named CIA Landlords conducted a study by focusing mainly on workers based in London. They looked at their perspectives of moving to cities that are located in time zones GMT or plus or minus three hours. It took into consideration the cost of living for essentials – rent, transport, bills and wi-fi costs, takeaway and pint prices, as well as cost per night for an Airbnb.

"However, when everything is considered, it is Madrid which comes out the winner. It has lots of tourists with great places to visit and lots of things to do. The rent at £895 ($1,175) isn’t cheap but it is served by lots of low cost flights and a low cost of living. Istanbul and Budapest came second and third" – Forbes.com writes.

So our capital came in third in the list which is not so bad after all. ;)

The results of the study were published by Forbes magazine.

Source: Forbes.com

Cloe Cafe – a place to visit and to fall in love with instantly

Beautiful, elegant, girly wonderland in the downtown with wonderful cakes and cool champagne… who could resist to a visit at Cloe Cafe?

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:19:27 GMT Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:19:27 GMT

When you feel a little bit tired from sightseeing, and would like to have a break and enjoy a nice cake, a coffee or a glass of champagne, you can choose from so many nice and friendly places to do so in the downtown.

But what about an exquisite date with your best girlfriends or with yourself (yes, the well-deserved me time)? Well, if you say yes for it, try Cloe Cafe – you will see from the street already, that this is an extraordinary place.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDTJ4lHhefM/

By entering the door, you will smell the mix of cakes, flowers and luxury perfume – this fits perfectly to the atmosphere in there. And yes, you will spot one of the best selfie spots in the café in just a second.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCQkePfhBCS/

When I visited the place with one of my best friends (a girl, obviously ;)), we were enchanted at the same moment we entered. A friendly waiter showed us a nice table and brought us menu cards.

We pointed at two cakes at random, my friend chose a lemonade and I decided to try their champagne, made in a collaboration with Laposa winery. We were both satisfied with our decisions. The champagne and the lemonade were quite delicious and the cakes… oh my, those cakes were heavenly!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD06P0fBc69/

The place is absolutely amazing, we would highly recommend a visit in there for everyone who likes girly, elegant, beautiful and friendly cafés with lots of flowers and premium quality food, desserts and drinks.

The prices, well, if you compare their prices to other cafés, you may find that Cloe Cafe is not quite cheap: my cake and champagne were around 3300 HUF (almost 10 EUR). But if you are willing to pay for super quality food and drinks, and of course for the unique atmosphere, this place will be absolutely worth visiting.

Our tip: check out the restroom, as well, because it is also luxurious. And under the stairs, you will find another awesome selfie spot. ;)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCoXxa1p7lv/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsywIRh4w_/

Opera Gin Budapest won prestigious award

Following the Red Dot Design Award, the only Hungarian gin won a gold medal at the competition of the market-leading London magazine, The Spirits Business’ annual The Global Spirits Masters in the field of premium gins.

News

Budnews

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:11:31 GMT Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:11:31 GMT

If somebody should mention famous Hungarian alcoholic drinks, they would probably say the good Hungarian wines, Unicum, pálinka, or maybe the craft beers. But Gin? Well yes, we have our own gin brand, that now won another prestigious award.

The Global Spirits Masters is one of the world’s largest spirits blind tasting competition, and is characterized by the fact that the number of participants breaks a record every year: in 2019, more than three hundred items of gin alone competed. Although the number of entrants this year did not reach the previous year as a result of the coronavirus, the field of Gin Masters 2020 was still dense with nearly two hundred entries.

This is why we are so proud that Opera Gin Budapest won gold medal in the Premium Gin category, obtaining outstanding scores (between 80-89) in the blind tests from the judges. As The Spirits Business highlighted, the Opera Gin deserved attention for its “great texture” and “elegant, dark chocolate notes”.

Opera Gin is Hungary's first premium category London Dry gin. The main component of this gin is juniper berries, and we can discover spices such as angelica root, coriander seed, iris root, liquorice, grapefruit peel, Vietnamese lemongrass, aniseed, lavender and cubeb. The drink also has a secret ingredient: this is the poppy seed, which is a 100% Hungarian ingredient, as we are world leaders in the consumption of it.

These are Hungary’s birthday cakes in 2020

Although the central ceremony on August 20. was called off this year, the Country’s Cake was chosen, and now we can taste it in confectioneries across the country.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:08:42 GMT Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:08:42 GMT

August 20 is the largest state holiday in Hungary, the celebration of state foundation. There are many traditions attached to it, one of which is the election of the Country’s Cake. It’s not August 20th without the Country’ Cake, not even if all other ceremonies are canceled. So (much to my delight) the competition took place, and winner of the Country’s Cake and Country’s Sugar-Free Cake competitions was announced.

The Country’s Cake in 2020 is a creation called Curiositas, by Krisztián Füredi from Hisztéria confectionery in Tápiószecső. The country 's cake must always have some kind of Hungaricum, some characteristic Hungarian taste and tradition in it. In the case of Curiositas, this is quince. The cake has a really special and good-sounding taste: white chocolate sponge cake with saffron quince jelly, biscuit-white chocolate crispy layer, hazelnut ganache, almond mousse, and on top of it a milk chocolate coating makes it perfect.

The sugar-free cake of the country sounds similarly exciting. This is the Midsummer Night's Dream, a specialty of Jókenyér Confectionery in Pilisszentiván. The taste of the cake is determined by the cherry: it contains pleasantly sour, cinnamon sour cherry jam, light sour cherry whipped cream and cream-oatmeal cream. The cake is covered with sugar-free white chocolate, which is covered in a wreath-like layer of lyophilized cherries. Of course, the sugar-free cake of the country does not contain added sugar, and according to the data of the National Association of Hungarian Dietitians, it contains 13.3 g of carbohydrates and 252.5 kcal per slice, so it is perfect for diabetics as well.

The cakes can be tasted in confectioneries across the country from August 19th.

What to do in Budapest on August 20?

If you came specially for the national holiday but all programs are cancelled, visit one of these beautiful places instead.

News

Budnews

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:07:36 GMT Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:07:36 GMT

If you have long planned to visit Budapest and watch our biggest state celebration, then now you are maybe disappointed that there won’t be any programs. However, there is no reason for this, as the city still has a lot of beautiful sights. We gathered where to go, where to enjoy August 20th and the beauty of the city.

Check out Buda Castle and the castle district. Castle Hill contains many of Budapest's most important medieval monuments and museums, like the impressive Buda Castle, a massive 200-roomed palace. Castle Hill is also home to a number of excellent statues and you can see the Fisherman’s Bastion here. The late 19th-century Fisherman's Bastion is built on the spot where in the Middle Ages the local fishermen had their defense installations.

Margaret Island is Budapest's main recreation and recuperative center for most locals. It has a beautiful Rose Garden, a musical fountain, ruins of the Dominican convent, once home to Princess Margaret, a water tower, a large open-air theater and Palatinus Bath, the biggest in Budapest. It is an isle on the Danube between Buda and Pest and offers beautiful parks, padded jogging path, a petting zoo, restaurants, so enjoy a walk, some active time or just a nice picnic here, it will be unforgettable!

Take a walk on Andrássy Avenue, the main boulevard of Budapest. The 2.4 km long Andrássy Avenue is the main boulevard of Budapest. It connects Erzsébet Square and Heroes’ Square and has splendid palaces, important cultural buildings, and expensive shop on the two sides. Admire the beautiful buildings, for example the Hungarian State Opera House (Andrássy Av. 22). If you don’t want to walk or you don’t have enough time for it, choose M1 metro line which runs under Andrássy Avenue, so you can visit these sights faster and without getting tired.

At the end of Andrássy Avenue, you’ll find Hősök tere, with the Millennium Monument at its centre, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Műcsarnok on either side. City Park (Városliget), the largest park in Budapest can be found beyond the square. Here you will find Széchenyi Thermal Baths, the Zoo, the Circus, the Museum of Agriculture and a pond that offers ice skating in the winter and row boating in the summer. City Park is the most popular recreational point of the city, so don’t miss it.

Várkert Bazár or Castle Garden Bazaar is one of the main works of Miklós Ybl. It has been fully renovated and saved from complete destruction a few years ago and now it’s one of the most beautiful places of the city. The monument is part of world heritage and it’s the best place to take a walk on the gloriett ramps and to enjoy the Renaissance garden.

Luke Evans: ‘Budapest is one of my favourite cities’

In a recent video, he tells us a few things about his favourite places in our capital and he highlights that Budapest is one of his favourite cities.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 08:10:10 GMT Fri, 14 Aug 2020 08:10:10 GMT

Instead of telling us some secrets about his series called The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Luke Evans takes us on a tour of Budapest in a ‘behind the scenes’ video.

The Alienist was shot on our capital so the actor lived here for a couple of months. And of course, he had some time to know the city and to find some favourite places to hang out.

“Budapest has great food, great people” – he said in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di36HrAHXbE&feature=emb_logo

“You go across Liberty Bridge which is a very beautiful bridge, one of my favourite bridges in Budapest over the Danube” – he continued.

“Hiking up to Gellért Hill is something that everybody has to do when you are coming to Budapest. […] I like to do it early in the morning when there is no tourist; the sun rises and it shines right down the Danube. It is just a beautiful thing to get to the top of the hill and look down” – he added.

He also talked about thermal baths and the Margaret Island which he calls a floating garden in the middle of the Danube. He thinks that Budapest is one of the most amazing cities in the world, “which is absolutely worth a trip”.

Like and share our article if you agree with him. ;)

No larger events in Hungary after 15 August

After announcing that this year there will be no firework, we have to spend this summer without big public events and festivals, too.

Event

Mia Balogh

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 15:16:51 GMT Thu, 13 Aug 2020 15:16:51 GMT

According to the new restrictions announced, “the Hungarian government has declared a ban on all public events attracting more than 500 people beyond the initial 15 August deadline” – We Love Budapest writes.

We already know for a while that the annual fireworks for Hungary’s national day, 20 August were called off – we wrote about it here: http://budnews.hu/news/News/1687/the-biggest-national-holiday-of-hungary-is-called-off

We were still hoping that some of the big concerts and open-air festivals that we were waiting for so long can be organized but it is already sure that we have to wait a little bit more for these to finally happen.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

Wow: a wolf cub was spotted in Hungary

The forester who spotted the baby wolf says that it was not the first time that he saw wolves in the nature but he could not film them – until now.

News

Mia Balogh

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:10:49 GMT Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:10:49 GMT

It is not unusual that wild animals are seen in Hungary. Every year, brown bears come to the Bükk National Park from Slovakia, but you could have read also about lynxes and wolves in some areas of the North Hungarian Mountains.

By mentioning wolves, well, it happened a couple of days ago that a forester, Balázs Szívós saw a wandering wolf cub in the Bükk Mountains.

The forester saw the baby wolf alone, the mother was not present, and he had a couple of seconds to film the cub. Then he shared this special video on his Facebook page, 24.hu reported.

https://www.facebook.com/100001432486988/videos/3395630667161316/

This was not the first time he spotted wolves in the Bükk Mountains, but he could not film them previously. The exact location where he saw the cub remains the forester’s secret, to protect the animals.

In Hungary, there are only 20-60 wolves living in the wild in Hungary, which means 6-7 packs wandering around in the Northern Hungarian Mountains. If you see wolves in the nature, don’t be scared because they usually avoid humans, so that’s the best thing you, too, should do in the wild.

Source: 24.hu

You haven’t seen anything like this before: here’s the country’s most secret car and motorbike museum

Never-seen vehicles and the most beautiful memories of our childhood in one place.

Culture

Budnews

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:13:27 GMT Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:13:27 GMT

You can expect many beautiful things walking on the Balaton Uplands: good wines, lavender fields, a wonderful view. But the most special car-motorbike museum in the country? Yes, even that, because Index found probably the most special car-motorbike collection in the country! This is the Káli auto-motor museum, Professor Kaáli's own extraordinary private collection. If the name sounds familiar, you’re thinking it right. He's the same Doctor who is the founder of the world-famous Kaáli Institute and to whom 25,000 children owe their lives.

But how will a world-renowned medical professor have a car and motorcycle collection owner? Well, Géza Kaáli Nagy has put together a collection of more than a hundred cars and motorcycles from his wealth of medical patents, and which is a really exciting and impressive selection of cars and motorcycles, a testament to super taste.

The history of the museum dates back almost a century. The first piece of the collection was a Harley Davidson FXRS Low Rider purchased in 1987, that rofessor Kaáli did not sell when he moved home from the United States. He also brought home the 1989 Jaguar XJS sports car and the Cadillac Coupe de Ville from 1977. Soon after, Kaáli decided to try to get the family cars to which he has a personal memory, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The idea has become reality during the decades: a private museum, one of the most unique in the country. Over the past few decades, the collection has developed with the help of Hungarian veteran car specialists, showcasing roughly 100 years of the history of cars. Knowing that the Ford T-Model was born in 1908, this means that we can get a glimpse into the entire history of driving.

The collection takes place on two levels in the house: the upper level is home for motorcycles, on the garage level there are two large rooms with cars. Here you can find such special vehicles as the Csepel 125 motorcycle, the Pannonia T model, the BMG 100 Hungarian small motorcycle, the 1939 SHB 98, the Harley-Davidson FXRS Low Rider, or the complete series of Pannonia motorcycles (12 types). As for the cars: Opel Olympia, Adler Triumph Junior 1E, Opel P4, Vauxhall Velox, Fiat Special F3, Borgward Isabella coupe, classics of the socialist car industry, a 1927 Ford T-Model, a 1914 Belgian Fabrique Nationale Model 1950 , Messerschmitt KR200, Porsche 356B, Citroën DS21, Maserati Merak, Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, and Austin 7 Ulster Special are all part of the collection.

And what’s even more impressive about this private collection is the immaculate condition of cars and motorcycles. They are in a good working condition almost without exception, and they even have a valid license plate.

Unfortunately, the museum can only be visited by invitation, so we cannot show ticket purchase information, but if you want to see the cars right now, you can see pictures of the unique cars here.

Long section of Andrássy út service roads is transformed into community space

The roughly 200-meter long section is closed from car traffic and open to pedestrians.

News

Budnews

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:10:02 GMT Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:10:02 GMT

Terézváros (one district of Budapest) Municipality made a big decision and closed the service roads of Andrássy út on the section between Vörösmarty utca and Rózsa utca from car traffic, and turned the area into a community space from 5 August to 18 October.

According to the announcement on the official website of Terézváros Municipality, it isn’t possible to drive or park a vehicle on the service roads between Vörösmarty and Rózsa utca, and cars that remained on the said section will be removed from the site.

On the closed section, the municipality created a community space and a promenade, where street benches, restaurants and cultural events take place. We can see a selection of the best works of ARC exhibitions of previous years, portraits of residents and works by contemporary artists. Worth checking out!

Top 5 most summerish bars in Budapest

During summer, one always looks for something a little different than in winter, fall, or spring. Enjoy the sunshine, the warmth, the nature. The same considerations also play a huge role when choosing a place to drink in the evening. Here is our completely subjective top 5 list of the best summer places.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Sat, 8 Aug 2020 08:10:43 GMT Sat, 8 Aug 2020 08:10:43 GMT

PONTOON

This member of the summer nights in Budapest does not have to be introduced to anyone. Various acoustic concerts, cold drinks, and if we get hungry, the masterpieces of Blitz Pizza arrive. If we are preparing for the evening party here, it is worth arriving early, because the tables are running out quickly, but if we are planning an afternoon conversation, we can expect a particularly peaceful, calm atmosphere.

Dunaparty Megálló

Halfway between Újbuda and Budafok, behind a former factory, there is a classic buffet, the Dunaparty Megálló, which has been converted to a bar from a British bus 15 years ago. They started with classic lángos, fish and pancakes, but last year a special American bus also boarded next to their red London companions and offers well-packed hot dogs. At Dunaparty Megálló we can get beer and lemonade for a friendly price, and enjoy the proximity of the Danube.

Két Rombusz

Talking about buses: no one should miss Két Rombusz, the ruin pub on the Roman shore: if we see two ruined double-decker buses behind a green fence, we’ve reached our destination. In addition to the cheap drinks and lángos, we also love it because the concept. We can spend time in the red faux leather-covered seats of the buses, there are hammocks, pillows and benches closer to ground level. It is accompanied by a romantic atmosphere and the fact that the Danube is at your fingertips.

Hippie Island

Hippie Island is a cult place on Margaret Island. You can find your place on the huge inner terrace even if you want to have a cocktail sitting at a table, relax in a beanbag chair or watch the match of the day on a projector. Hippie Island is always full, but thanks to its size, we can always find another table for ourselves.

Fruska Picnic & Bistro

Provencal atmosphere in the greenest part of Lágymányos, on the Kopaszi dam. Whether you’re aiming for an afternoon chill or a nice weekend, it’s worth coming by bike to the calm, green island and then sitting in Fruska for a fine wine and a few good bites. If you want an even more romantic, chilling experience, you can pre-order a picnic basket and drinks from the menu, and then you can lie down in the grass in any place of the dam to enjoy the summer.

City Park will be car-free

Car traffic will be banned from the entire City Park and Heroes’ Square.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 6 Aug 2020 13:10:43 GMT Thu, 6 Aug 2020 13:10:43 GMT

According to one of the latest government decisions, the popular City Park and the Heroes’s Square will be totally car-free in the future, the promenade will be used only by pedestrians and cyclists.

24.hu writes that cars will be banned from the Koós Károly sétány in the park, and also Állatkerti körút (Zoo Boulevard), outside of peak hours. Traffic restrictions do not affect trolleybuses, of course.

Furthermore, the iconic tourist attraction Heroes’ Square will be completely car-free. Parking our cars on the surface will be prohibited in City Park except for a short section of the Zoo Boulevard. Instead of that, a new underground garage will be built on Dózsa György Road, we can leave the car there and walk to City Park.

A new P+R parking lot will be built, as well, suitable for 1500 cars, this will be located possibly on the outer Hungária körút, east of the park. A new road and tram overpass will be also designed, to connect districts 13 and 14. This will possibly help the cars coming off the M3 motorway to avoid the area of the City Park.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com, 24.hu

Hungarian film won two awards at Bollywood Film Festival

Important recognition for Le Collier (The Necklace) : the short film collected two awards at Indo-Global International Film Festival in Mumbai.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 5 Aug 2020 07:57:51 GMT Wed, 5 Aug 2020 07:57:51 GMT

Over the past years, Hungarian films have received quite a few awards, some of these are even internationally important, as well. Last week, we read about a new Hungarian short film, Le Collier (The Necklace), which won two awards at one of the world’s biggest film festivals in Bollywood.

Kristina Goztola and Péter Halmi’s new movie, a French-Hungarian co-production. It tells us the story of a beautiful Italian woman who goes to Paris, where she reads to an elderly, blind man, Michel, each night. Then she finds out that the man is hiding a precious necklace, and she becomes obsessed with it.

Check out the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=48&v=_NqqASWrhTA&feature=emb_logo

The short film was selected into one of the biggest film festivals, the Indo-Global International Film Festival in Mumbai and it collected the Best Director Award in the short film category and the Special Jury Award, too. There was no award ceremony because of COVID-19, the winners were notified via e-mail.

It was not the first time that this movie was presented: it debuted at the Bangalore Short Film Festival on June 7, and later, it was presented at the Sweden Film Awards on July 3, where it was awarded for its visuals. It was also screened at the Rome Prisma Independent Film Awards and at Madrid Film Awards.

Source: Blikk.hu

Hungarian concrete trash can conquers the world

‘Binn’ is in the final of one of the biggest architectural competitions in the world.

News

Budnews

Tue, 4 Aug 2020 11:55:47 GMT Tue, 4 Aug 2020 11:55:47 GMT

We received some very strange news a few days ago: a Hungarian concrete litter bin will be there in the final of one of the most prestigious architectural competitions in the world. The Hungarian VPI Beton, the brand that created this concrete Binn, has made it to the finals of the Architizer A + Award.

VPI’s explicit goal was to create a trash can that fits nicely into a wide variety of cityscapes, while operating as efficiently as possible. The concrete body and the galvanized, powder-coated steel cover not only provide a pleasant appearance, but also guarantee its usability and durability - says the Hungarian manufacturer.

We didn’t know it before, but a trash can is one of the most complex public objects in terms of design. It has to meet a wide range of different needs: in addition to easy installation and maintenance, simple emptying and closing are also important considerations.

By the way, Binn can already be found in several places in Hungary, including the recently renovated Vörösmarty Square and Podmaniczky Square in Budapest. VPI’s other furniture designs can be found in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Romania, but Binn is a Hungarian rarity for the time being.

Kornél Mundruczó's new film was selected to compete in the program of Venice Film Festival

Pieces of a Woman pictures a shocking, sensitive topic with the help of world stars.

News

Budnews

Mon, 3 Aug 2020 07:54:16 GMT Mon, 3 Aug 2020 07:54:16 GMT

Kornél Mundruczó's name is probably familiar with many of you. He’s one of the most famous contemporary Hungarian directors, and his new film, Pieces of a Woman has been chosen to the competition program of this year's 77th Venice International Film Festival. This means, the festival will be the world premiere of the director's first foreign-made, English-language work.

Kornél Mundruczó, who is world-renowned for his film and theater work, has his seventh feature film with Pieces of a Woman, that tells the story of the consequences of a tragic home birth in Boston. As the young mother’s (Vanessa Kirby) grief shakes her entire family, the woman chooses her own path in which she not only learns to live with her loss, but also becomes able to move on.

The screenplay is the work of Kata Wéber, based on her own multi-award winning play. The music was composed by the world-renowned Oscar-winning composer, Howard Shore. The protagonists of the film are Vanessa Kirby and Shia LeBeouf, but Oscar-winning Ellen Burstyn, Molly Parker, Iliza Schleizinger, Benny Safdie and Sarah Snook also have their roles.

Why is a giant fish in Budapest city centre?

The downtown is an interesting place, we all know that, but lately, it is made even more interesting by the Big Fish – let us tell you shortly about this installation.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:03:33 GMT Thu, 30 Jul 2020 09:03:33 GMT

Nowadays, if you take a walk in the city centre of Budapest, near Deák Square, you will see a giant fish installation there. What is it, and why is it out there?

Well, this is the so-called Big Fish, a see-through statue made of metal mesh, which is not only an art project and the giant bin for all our plastic waste, but also an awareness-raising project of the plastic pollution all around the planet.

They would like to raise awareness that our individual plastic rubbish should be minimised and kept to a minimum.

And it is not only a coincidence that it is placed to Deák Square now: for a couple of days, Plastic Free July is still on. But if you would like to begin a new life without single-use plastics, you can start anytime, no matter the month or the date.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

These are the best beaches at Lake Balaton in 2020

35 beaches were graded, let us resume those who earned the five-star evaluation.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 08:56:52 GMT Thu, 30 Jul 2020 08:56:52 GMT

In Summer, a lot of Hungarian families are heading to Lake Balaton for some water fun and refreshment. And it is not surprising that in these days when COVID-19 is still a current menace, folks don’t really want (or dare) to travel abroad so more people are interested in a vacation at the biggest Hungarian lake.

Lake Balaton offers many beaches so the question is which are the best ones? Kék Hullám Zászló (Blue Wave Flag) is an annual competition to help find the answers for that. Each year, the beaches are put into different categories based on several aspects.

This year, 35 beaches graded, HelloVidek.hu writes, and finally, here is the list of the best ones.

Five-star beaches at Lake Balaton include Balatonföldvár East Beach, Zamárdi Main Beach, Balatonalmádi Wesselényi Beach, Balatonberény Municipal Beach, Alsóörs Municipal Beach, Balatonfüred Esterházy Beach, Balatonfüred Kisfaludy Beach, Szigliget Municipal Beach, Csopak Municipal Beach, Balatonederics Zöld Hullám Beach, Vonyarcvashegy Lido Beach, Keszthely City Beach, Gyenesdiás Diási Játék Beach, Gyenesi Lido Beach, Balatongyörök Municipal Beach, Balatonszárszó Mikszáth Street Central Beach and Badacsonytomaj City Beach.

Source: Hellovidek.hu

Giant anteater was born in Budapest Zoo

One of the newest additions to the brood of the Budapest Zoo is a baby anteater – we have already seen it, let us show you a photo about the baby.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:48:27 GMT Wed, 29 Jul 2020 12:48:27 GMT

The third offspring of the anteaters Isabela and William can be seen already in Budapest Zoo. The gender of the baby is still not known, because it is lying on her mother’s back who carries the small one all the time.

We have already seen the mom and the baby: the offspring was moving only once but her mother was more active, she couldn’t stop walking around. She is quite friendly by the way: came close to the glass wall of her house several times. She also has a courtyard, where our photo was taken.

‘Giant anteaters have powerful front legs and huge claws to allow them to dig out termite mounds looking for food, consumed with their long, sticky tongue. In recent weeks, all numbers of creatures have been born or arrived at Budapest Zoo, from a red panda to Parma kangaroos and flamingos’ – We Love Budapest writes.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

New luxury hotel opened in the Parisi Courtyard

New 5-star hotel opened in the heart of Budapest: Parisi Udvar Hotel Budapest in the former building of Parisi Courtyard.

News

Budnews

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:43:47 GMT Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:43:47 GMT

This building, Parisi Courtyard is one of the most interesting buildings of Budapest. It was one of the first business houses in Hungary in a modern sense. The ground floor, inner part of it is the Parisi courtyard, which was the only shopping court in Budapest operating from the beginning of the 20th century.

The historicizing eclectic office, tenement and business building, which mixes the Moorish and Gothic styles, was not seriously damaged during the Second World War, but the emerging socialist system nationalized it in 1949 as part of bank real estate, “renovated” its interiors and remodeled its apartments. It was the headquarter of a bank that time, then the building was declared a monument in 1976.

Despite the various works, the condition of the house was constantly destroyed, and the poorly lit, dark Parisian courtyard was emptied in parallel. In the summer of 2014, the municipality managed to sell the house: the buyer became Mellow Mood Group's project company, Párizs Property Kft., for 7 million euro.

They converted the former Brudern house to a 5-star hotel in four and a half years. The development cost 55 million euros, which the owners expect to come back in 15-20 years. The Parisi Udvar Hotel Budapest is one of the dozens of Chicago-based Hyatt brands maintained in 54 countries for The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, which has two more members in Europe, the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes and the Hotel Sofia in Barcelona. The Parisi Udvar Hotel is open to the public since 11 June this year.

"We consider the Four Seasons Hotel on Széchenyi István Square to be our main competitor," the owners said, adding that they would be satisfied if the average occupancy of their luxury hotel was above 90 percent.

7 (!) Hungarian buildings were awarded in the world's most prestigious real estate development competition

We won 2 gold and 5 silver medals.

News

Budnews

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 06:51:59 GMT Tue, 28 Jul 2020 06:51:59 GMT

This year brought an amazing Hungarian success in the International Real Estate Federation’s (FIABCI) World Prix D'excellence 2020 Award: a total of 7 Hungarian buildings won some recognition.

The two gold medals were won by the Vigadó of Buda in the Heritage category, and Tomb of Gül Baba in the category called Public Infrastructures / Amenities. The Ecodome office building in the 1st district was awarded a silver medal in the Sustainable Development category, Gül Baba’s Tomb also got a silver medal in Heritage category, while the Váci Greens Office Building and Promenade Gardens became second in the Office category, and Pangea Hotel in Nyíregyháza became silver-medal winner in Hotel category.

This year, the jury of this prestigious international competitions included 63 professionals from 31 countries, representatives of special sectors of real estate development profession. The properties were competed on the basis of four aspects: the concept and result of the real estate development, the standard of architecture and urban architecture, the quality of construction and the duration of the implementation.

Explore the Danube Bend with these new boat lines

Hop on – hop off possibility and extremely cheap ticket prices are waiting for you, and of course the beautiful Danube Bend which is worth exploring.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 07:56:16 GMT Fri, 24 Jul 2020 07:56:16 GMT

The Danube Bend is such an amazing place, absolutely worth visiting. Now you can do this thanks to some new boat lines. The so-called Circle line started on 3 July, after the surprising popularity of the Nagymaros-Zebegény train replacement boats.

The Circle line operates on the following line: Visegrád-Nagymaros-Zebegény-Dömös-Nagymaros-Visegrád. It offers the possibility for hop on - hop off so you can explore the Danube Bend just like the City of Budapest with some of the tourist buses. ;)

And from 17 July, two new boat lines are also introduced: the one from Szentendre to Visegrád via Leányfalu and Tahitótfalu, and the other between Esztergom and Zebegény. On the longer line, boats sail once a day, while on the shorter one, they sail twice a day.

On both routes, passengers can buy a day ticket of 500 forints (1.5 euros) allowing you hop on and hop off. If you would like to bring your bike, no problem: with a ticket for 200 HUF (0.6 euro) it is also possible.

Check out the specific schedules here (it is in Hungarian):

https://mahartpassnave.hu/hu/menetrend-2/dunakanyari-kirandulohajok/dunakanyarkorjarat/

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com and Index.hu

Red panda arrived in Budapest Zoo

The newest addition to the colourful brood of the zoo is a male red panda who arrived here from Germany, hopefully to find love with the lonely female red panda of the zoo.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 08:30:32 GMT Thu, 23 Jul 2020 08:30:32 GMT

Once upon a time there was a lonely red panda girl in the Budapest Zoo who felt that true love will never find her. But one day, all of a sudden, the miracle happened to her: she found a young red panda man in her cage.

This is how the fairy tale of the lonely red panda girl of the Budapest Zoo would begin, according to us. Aurora, resident of the zoo for many years, recently got a new companion, a one-year-old male called Bendegúz.

Now everyone is hoping for a happy end, or at least a happy summer romance so they could not only have fun together but also have cubs. And this would be a very important step in trying to save this endangered Himalayan species.

New rooftop bar opened with almost 360-degree panorama

Liz and Chain Sky Lounge is on the top of the Marriott Hotel and is an absolute must-see place!

Gastronomy

Budnews

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:14:08 GMT Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:14:08 GMT

Opening a rooftop terrace has become a very popular idea in recent years, but the new Liz and Chain Sky Lounge bar undoubtedly stands out from the field due to the Marriott Hotel’s lucky location. We can see the entire bank of the Danube from Gellért Hill to Buda Castle (and beyond), we can admire the length of the Danube, the bridges, the two-sided view of the center of Pest, the Parliament and the Basilica. This newest place of the city is absolutely a must see place because of this mesmerizing panorama!

The Liz and Chain Sky Lounge Bar is open from 16 July until the autumn season, from Thursday to Saturday from 17:00 until midnight. From Sunday to Wednesday, they also undertake to host private events and private events. In addition to cocktails and cool drinks, there will also be a kitchen, served hot and cold food, tapas, desserts à la carte – so everything we might wish for. Keep in mind when booking that the place is likely to be particularly popular during the sunset hours, so book on time!

The biggest national holiday of Hungary is called off

The ceremony and fireworks on 20 August is cancelled due to the epidemic.

News

Budnews

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 09:33:49 GMT Tue, 21 Jul 2020 09:33:49 GMT

20 August is Hungary's biggest holiday, the Day of the Foundation of the State, when we celebrate our country with numerous programs, Street of Flavors, a craft fair, air parade and fireworks. But this year will be different: due to the threat of the epidemic, all this will lag behind in 2020. This year, no events other than the officer inauguration will be held on this 4-day long weekend.

The decision is more than unexpected, as the news was about a larger-than-ever ceremony a few weeks ago, but the chief medical officer and the operative staff considered the situation. They said that the provisions taken so far have paid off, as the number of active patients has been steadily declining since May. Now the functioning of the economy, the relaunch and the daily lives of people are slightly affected by the restrictions, and this is not worth risking.

This event series would have moved hundreds of thousands of people and could unfortunately be the focal point of another wave of infection, so there will be no fireworks and St. Stephen's Day celebrations this year. But if you are planning a trip to Budapest, don't cancel it, because the city is beautiful even without the ceremony!

A new funicular is planned to be built on the Citadel

The Citadel is one of the most beautiful sights in the city, but it is currently hard to approach.

News

Budnews

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 09:26:25 GMT Mon, 20 Jul 2020 09:26:25 GMT

In the last more than a hundred years, more than a dozen plans have been made to facilitate access of Gellért Hill. This is one of the major hotspots of the city, where a park, a monument, a museum and a bath were planned. Now that the government has decided to renovate the Citadel, which has been empty for years, it has become important to also dust off the funicular plans.

The peak of Gellért Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not only historically but also touristically important for Budapest, which was visited by hundreds of buses a day during the normal pre-epidemic season - even though not much is expected to do here at the moment. There was a tourist hostel and restaurant in the former "Hungarian Bastille", but the museum is not yet built. According to the government's decision in June, a museum presenting the freedom struggle of the Hungarians will be included in its walls by 2023, after the renovation.

This also made it important to rethink the transport and accessibility of the place, to trigger the influx of tourist buses in a way that is more environmentally friendly and does not burden the access roads or disturb the population. The plan for the funicular (or the lift to be built in the belly of the mountain) had already emerged during the millennium preparations, but was never implemented.

Going back to the present, the government's decision was published last Friday, according to which the case of the Citadel and the Gellérthegy Funicular became a matter of special importance from the point of view of the national economy and an investment of special public interest - quotes welovebudapest.hu. The preparation of the Gellérthegy Funicular will be prepared jointly by the capital and the Budapest Development Center (BFK) - in this case the preparation means the elaboration of the investment and professional concept and a feasibility study. Anyway, the construction started relatively quietly more than a year ago.

After preliminary preparation, the funicular can be built in as little as 12-13 months, they say. Based on its planned route, you will start next to Döbrentei Square, cross Hegyalja Road in a tunnel, then continue on Orom Street to the terminus next to the Citadel, according to Dávid Vitézy's entry. The track, with a total of 300 meters, would have electrically powered, zero-emission and barrier-free cabins of 40 seats each, which could cover the distance in 2 minutes.

Private railway company to begin service in Hungary

Vienna and Prague will be available from Budapest also with the private company RegioJet’s trains.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:57:57 GMT Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:57:57 GMT

According to magyarnemzet.hu, a Czech private railway company called RegioJet is going to operate trains between Prague, Vienna and Budapest from 31 July. They promise high-quality on-board service and lower prices than the Hungarian Railways.

They also promise that their ticket prices will be not only more affordable but there is also one more important detail: the prices won’t change before the departure. Furthermore, everybody will receive discounts.

On the trains, there will be three classes – supposedly that means three different ticket prices –, these are called standard, relax and business. But three things will be in common: each an every passenger will get a seat reservation, tea or coffee and can choose from several magazines and newspapers.

It is important to mention that travellers will be able to use these trains only for international journeys, so international tickets must be bought.

Source: magyarnemzet.hu

Wow: this is the Ice Cream of the Year

This year, 62 ice cream creations entered the ‘Ice Cream of the Year’ competition, here are the winners.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 07:43:55 GMT Thu, 16 Jul 2020 07:43:55 GMT

Are you a big ice cream fan? Probably yes, because if you read this, you must have clicked on our article. ;) Well, let us assure you that we love good ice cream, as well, so we are happy to announce you the winner of the annual ‘Ice Cream of the Year’ competition in Hungary.

The combination is called passion fruit and caramel, and it was created by confectioner Norbert Dobó from Balatonfüred. He also received the silver medal for his honeycomb toffee and vanilla creation.

Although both award-winning ice creams were created by the same confectioner, these sweet couldn’t be more different from each other.

‘In the vanilla ice cream, we combined slightly more classic, more traditional flavors, whereas the passion fruit and caramel ice cream strengthens our new line, a more modern combination’ – Dobó said after the announcement of the results.

This year, two bronze medals were handed out: one to Renáta Somogyi from the Bringatanya Ice Cream Parlor in Gyenesdiás for her ice cream ‘Lime with a hint of mint’ and Andrea Koncz from the Sissi Ice Cream Parlor in Gödöllő for her ‘Treasure of Modena’.

A total of 62 creations entered the ‘Ice Cream of the Year’ competition is 2020, and after the regional semi-finals, 13 creations made it to the final.

Source: Ridikul.hu

Hungary’s newest thermal bath is open

Our country already has several well-known baths and spas, but from time to time, there are some additions to the list – like now, the thermal bath in Bábolna, opened recently.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:56:16 GMT Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:56:16 GMT

According to magyarepitok.hu, the new thermal bath in Bábolna can welcome almost 1 000 guests in summer and 340 people in the winter months.

Three thermal pools, a fun pool and a sauna can be used by the guests. And next to the facility, there is a park and a boating lake, as well, so it also offers the opportunity for a romantic getaway (or at least, a romantic half an hour while Granny is taking care of the kids).

The water is useful to treat gynaecologic and musculoskeletal disorders and is beneficial also against inflammations in the body and for the cardiovascular system.

After looking at some pics about the thermal baths, we think that it is modern and beautiful, and it is absolutely worth visiting.

But this is not all, the town has further plans to make this facility even more attractive for the visitors. For example, they are planning to build a swimming pool next to the bath and later, more pools, a sauna and a steam room, as well.

Source: magyarepitok.hu

New street food court opened in one of Budapest's favorite places

If you're visiting the Roman coast in the northern part of Budapest, be sure to check out the Miamor court.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 18:48:32 GMT Tue, 14 Jul 2020 18:48:32 GMT

The Roman coast has been one of the busiest parts of Budapest for years. Countless restaurants await visitors right on the banks of the Danube during the summer, with delicious food, cocktails, beer, wine, music, and an inimitable „Roman coastal” atmosphere. We didn’t even think anything was missing from the neighborhood, but the latest place proved that there is something what we didn’t think of. This is Miamor food court, which awaits visitors with an extra twist. But let’s start with the beginning.

If you go to the Roman coast of Budapest, you can find a super new place between Két Rombusz and the Fellini - Nap bácsi combo. Miamor food court looks like a nice place even at first sight from the outside, thanks to its friendly and inviting image. Entering the garden, we find the stage opposite the entrance, next to the guest house there is a sandy sports court with two beach volleyball courts, and there will even be a playground in the coming weeks, so Miamor is perfect for the whole family.

Being a street food court, the courtyard includes an ice cream counter overlooking the street, a Mexican food cart for meat lovers (Ladrillos), a vegan burger cart (Las Vegan’s), and a bar, and in early August, Pizza Me also moves into the courtyard. This means that the food supply of the Roman coast is expanding even further and the traditionall offer of the neighbourhood is shifting towards the trendy downtown supply.

https://www.facebook.com/112146680529060/photos/a.119289219814806/121627712914290

In addition to food, Miamor also offers concerts and the aforementioned rentable sports fields, so it’s not only good for eating or organizing a friendly evening, but also for playing sports, beach volleyball or watching a good movie or a concert.

And Miamor is expanding even further: it can currently accommodate roughly 200 people, but they want to increase that number up to 300-400 people. There are also plan to take advantage of the upper and lower shores of the Danube shoreline, and even want to set up a floating venue on the water. The Instagram photo wall and the 5x3 meter LED wall will soon arrive, which will be set up behind the stage and where we can watch movies and major sports broadcasts, but they will be careful not to turn it into a sports pub.

Miamor is open every day, from early afternoon to evening on weekdays, and closes at midnight on weekends. By the way, they are open from March to the end of October, and there will be a larger event tent so that we can have parties here in bad weather and occasionally even during the winter.

Budapest Urban Games will be held again

The unique city sport day, BUG will be held for the fifth time, during which four sports can be tried out on August 29 in a special environment.

News

Budnews

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:07:43 GMT Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:07:43 GMT

Undoubtedly, Budapest Urban Games is one of the most special sport events in the city, as you can try yourself in 4 different sports at the iconic points of Budapest. According to MTI, this year there will be opportunities to participate in swimming, running, yoga and street workouts, where new rules will ensure the safety of those who want to compete.

According to the announcement, each event will be led by sports experts, in addition to swimming across the Danube, those who interested can try running and yoga at the Citadel, and street workout in front of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. It will be possible to swim the Danube across between the Pest end of the Szabadság Bridge and the quay of the University.

Participation in the BUG is subject to registration, as last year the capital’s sports event attracted around 5,000 entrants, and this year the organizers expect even more participants. According to the announcement, it will soon be possible to register for the event on the website of Budapest Urban Games.

He is the winemaker of the year

In Hungary, we have several really good oenologists but who is the ‘winemaker of the winemakers’ in 2020?

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 07:49:17 GMT Fri, 10 Jul 2020 07:49:17 GMT

The ‘Winemaker of the winemakers’ award is quite prestigious because the winner is selected every year by the 50 best winemakers of Hungary. In 2020, the jury chose Károly Áts, the owner of the Áts Family Winery in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region as winemaker of the year.

Who is Károly Áts?

His name is absolutely worth memorising (and of course his wines are worth tasting, too), but you might be interested in some more details about him – let us tell you a little bit more about this winemaker.

For many years, Károly Áts was the chief oenologist of Royal Tokaj. Then in 2012, he won the title of “Winemaker of the Year” and started his own family winery. Since 2013, he has been the chief oenologist of Grand Tokaj.

‘Károly Áts believes that a winemaker’s personality always seeps through the wine, and his wines therefore radiate happiness and joie de vivre. He always thinks positively, as he believes that otherwise joy will not permeate the wine, for good wine can only be made by a happy winemaker. Áts considers himself a happy man, whose work is also his hobby. Born and bred in Tokaj-Hegyalja, grapes and wine always played a part in his life through his father. His aim is to return nature’s gifts through his wines and to bring joy to wine drinkers’ – grandtokaj.com writes.

‘In 2002, Károly Áts created Áts Cuvée, the now legendary late-harvest Tokaj sweet wine that bears his name. In 2006, American magazine Wine & Spirits awarded his 1999 Tokaji Essencia 100 points. In the same year, he was chosen as “Winemaker of the Year” in Tokaj-Hegyalja. In 2009, his 2003 Betsek Aszú wine was an absolute winner and his 2007 dry Furmint a category winner in the “Top 100 Wines” competition of the daily Népszabadság. In 2012, he was awarded the titles “Winemaker of Wineries” and “Winemaker of the Year.” In recognition of his outstanding professional work in the service of development of the Tokaj-Hegyalja Wine Region, Áts received the Civil Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2014’ – they add.

Source: Origo.hu , Grandtokaj.com

New way for refreshment at the stations of metro line 3.

If you would like to cool yourself down in the summer heat, or reload your water bottle, you will have the opportunity to do so at 8 stations of metro line 3.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 9 Jul 2020 08:24:57 GMT Thu, 9 Jul 2020 08:24:57 GMT

Summer days are quite hot in Budapest, and these dog days are probably even harder to bear if your bottle runs out of water. What can you do then: buy a drink in the closest supermarket or try to reach your apartment or hotel room without drinking anything.

In the near-future, you can also choose to reload your bottle at eight stations of metro line 3 – drinking fountains were already placed there, and the one located in Lehel tér was already handed over to the public – Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu writes.

In addition to this place, you will be able to refresh yourself or reload your water bottle at seven other metro 3 stations: Dózsa György út, Göncz Árpád Városközpont, Forgách utca, Gyöngyösi utca, Újpest-Városkapu, Újpest-Központ and Nagyvárad tér.

Food trucks will be placed on two iconic locations of Budapest

Soon we can have a good meal on the lower quay and in the City Hall Park.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Wed, 8 Jul 2020 10:13:15 GMT Wed, 8 Jul 2020 10:13:15 GMT

Two frequented locations of the capital, the lower quay of Pest and the City Hall Park will be transformed into a real summer buffet for this season. The two locations will soon feature food trucks and mobile pavilions, and will be open for pedestrians. We can enjoy the food trucks on the quay on 18-19 July and from 25 July to 13 August, and in the Town Hall Park from 18 July to 13 September.

The purpose of the quay opening is on the one hand, that city dwellers should discover this part of Budapest as well, and on the other hand, to look at the city from a slightly different perspective. To be tourists where they live. During this period, the quay will be open to pedestrians, cyclists, dogs and families, bringing the Danube closer to those who live here.

Városháza Park (City Hall Park) is one of the busiest iconic downtown public spaces in Budapest. The final arrangement about the neighborhood is in progress, but in the meantime Budapest wants to create a solution that is a new experience for the people of Budapest and the tourists visiting here. This summer, the park awaits us as a “pop up” park with gastronomic and tourist services.

Special kangaroos arrived to Zoo Budapest

Parma wallaby was thought to be extinct, but now 3 of it can be seen in Budapest.

News

Budnews

Tue, 7 Jul 2020 12:12:43 GMT Tue, 7 Jul 2020 12:12:43 GMT

When talking about kangaroos, we all think of the “classic” kangaroo native in Australia, although there are several species of this animal. There are about seventy different species of kangaroos in Australia and the surrounding islands, such as the Parma wallaby, which is a cute, tiny kangaroo species. The Parma wallaby, also known as the white-throated wallaby, is only 3-6 kg as an adult and lives in Eastern Australia, including the northeastern part of New South Wales, along the Great Dividing Range, and prefers dense undergrowth habitats.

The special animal was discovered in 1845, and only a few decades later it was thought to be extinct because their herds were very scarce due to the foxes. No live Parma kangaroos were seen until 1965, when a population was found on the island of Kawau in New Zealand, and later smaller groups were found also in Australia.

With the Parma wallabies, four kangaroo species are presented in Budapest: in addition to the Parma wallabies, red-necked or Bennett kangaroos, small brush-tailed rat kangaroos, and Western gray giant kangaroos, also known as sooty kangaroos. The new Parma wallabies were housed in common catwalk with the gray giant kangaroos.

Two Hungarian places among the world’s best wine restaurants

Fiaker and Felix Kitchen and Bar won the Award of Excellence for the first time.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Mon, 6 Jul 2020 09:29:59 GMT Mon, 6 Jul 2020 09:29:59 GMT

Wine Spectator wine magazine announced this year’s Award of Excellence and 2020 became a fantastic year to us, Hungarians. We won not only one, but two awards: Fiaker and Felix Kitchen and Bar both got the Award of Excellence.

The prestigious wine magazine, which dates back several decades, has been compiling its international list of the world's most recommended wine restaurants since 1981. The most serious wine offer is a condition for entry, and Fiaker at Madách Square has become worthy of international recommendation with a wide selection, vintage depths and wines from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The magazine said, Felix Kitchen & Bar has become one of the most exciting places with its wine list of more than three hundred items. The restaurant opened its doors in the former Várkert Kiosk building just over a year ago, but with its wine concept it has already come into the spotlight of the international trade press. It is a rarity in Hungary to have hundreds of wines and champagnes in one place on the drink menu.

Máté Horváth, sommelier of Felix Kitchen & Bar highlighted to welovebudapest.hu that the award is not only a positive feedback that the dreamed concept is moving in the right direction, but he also sees the innovation recognized. The wine bar restaurant did not place itself in the fine dining category and it’s not only wine bar, rather complementing the wine experience with a narrower but quality bistro food offer. The wine offer is based on the Austrian wines marketed in KisBécs for many years, and this selection has been developed with the territories of the Monarchy, among which Hungarian items received a similar emphasis. In addition, wines from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Transylvania, Slovakia and northern Italy can be tasted on a regular basis.

With this recognition, Felix Kitchen & Bar and Fiaker Bistro & Wine Bar are among the best restaurants in the world. Congratulations to both places!

MotoGP racetrack to be built in Hungary by 2023

MotoGP is the fourth among the most-watched sporting events in the world, so it was high time for Hungary to take part in this popular motorsport.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:06:25 GMT Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:06:25 GMT

A new, modern MotoGP racetrack will be built in the eastern part of Hungary, near Hajdúnánás, a town located in the Miskolc-Debrecen-Nyíregyháza triangle. The uniquely-lined track will offer a special experience for the audience but also for the racers because they will drive here counterclockwise.

From when? According to the plans, the first MotoGP race will be organized here in 2023. Hungarian speed motor world champion Gábor Talmácsi recently said at a press conference that there are 20 races each year which will be increased to 22 soon, and the Hungarian racetrack will be part of it.

And the racetrack won’t be built for one MotoGP race per year, on the contrary: according to Nemzeti Sport, it will be open for 200 days a year.

Source: Origo.hu , NemzetiSport.hu

Finally: indoor pools reopen in the country

After the outdoor pools and lidos, indoor pools also got the green light to reopen in Hungary.  

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:03:59 GMT Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:03:59 GMT

The majority of beaches and lidos in Hungary already got the permission to reopen weeks ago but the indoor pools, saunas, and all the thematic elements were not allowed to welcome guests again.

But as Turizmus reported, from 18 June, all indoor swimming pools in the country can reopen since the state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic has come to an end in Hungary. So you can enjoy swimming in your favourite indoor pools again, just like a couple of minutes in the sauna or some relax in the Jacuzzi.

Although everyone is asked to wash hands and taking showers frequently, and also to keep the distance from others, especially in the indoor places – for example in the dressing rooms.

The baths are asked to pay attention for sanitising and ventilating the indoor areas frequently – some places will be sanitised in every half an hour –, and the management should also pay attention to their workers, more precisely, only healthy colleagues are allowed to work in the facilities.

Source: Turizmus.com

Budapest is the most business-friendly city

Big encouragement for all those who are planning to start their business in Budapest: our capital was chosen as the most business-friendly city in Europe.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:01:03 GMT Wed, 1 Jul 2020 09:01:03 GMT

Budapest is not only a beautiful city but also an important business hotspot: we read on emerging-europe.com that our capital was named emerging Europe’s most business-friendly city, while other important centres in the region were also recognised.

‘The Hungarian capital, which won by a wide margin, topped two of the eight categories (Brand, and Local Authority Support). The other categories were won by Tbilisi (Economic Potential), Łódź (Business Climate), Bucharest (Pool of Talent), Sofia and Tallinn (Smart City Development), Warsaw (Infrastructure and Connectivity), and Prague (Quality of Life)’ – they write.

How did they decide the winners of each category? Emerging Europe invited 70 global location experts and foreign direct investment advisers to weigh up the merits of 75 cities in the emerging Europe region. These cities are either national capitals or have a population of more than 200 000.

So the experts voted, and Budapest came in first in two categories. But what can be the main attraction of the city? As Andrew Wrobel, Emerging Europe‘s founding partner said: ‘Budapest is a magnificent city with a great business ecosystem and a long history of innovative ideas’.

Well, we have nothing to add, Budapest is simply fantastic and inviting – also if you think of business or investment. Like and share our article if you agree with is. ;)

Source: emerging-europe.com

Musical Budapest, the biggest musical event of the city is coming

We can enjoy 200 free mini concerts in different parts of the city during the summer.

Event

Budnews

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 13:13:14 GMT Tue, 30 Jun 2020 13:13:14 GMT

Musical Budapest (in Hungarian: Zenélő Budapest) starts its sixth season in July, bringing the most beautiful outdoor venues and historical spaces of our city to life with the magic of music. Over the years, Zenélő Budapest event series has become an almost essential part of the summer life of the capital. This year, nearly 200 mini-concerts will be held at eight popular venues in Budapest, such as the Margaret Island Music Fountain, the Kunsthalle, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Castle Garden Bazaar’s Gloriette, the courtyard of the Foundry at Buda Castle, the Savoyum Terrace in front of the National Gallery, the National Museum and the terrace of the Hegyvidéki Cultural Salon.

Unique chamber music ensembles have been made for each venue, specially composed for this occasion, which are perfectly adapted to the past and historicity of the given building. Classics in jazz, a saxophone quartet, a concert reminiscent of a swing era, harpsichord brass players, a female string quartet, Transylvanian folk music and woodwinds are also included in the diverse repertoire. In the chamber music programs we can hear the works of such world-famous composers as Vivaldi, Mozart, Schubert, Rossini, Liszt, Erkel, Tchaikovsky, Bizet. The performing artists are members of the most prestigious orchestras and ensembles of Hungary, soloists, as well as young talents, who also have the opportunity to introduce themselves.

Zenélő Budapest program series is a unique initiative in the world, because such a comprehensive series of free outdoor music programs cannot be found in any other major city. But in Budapest, the audience can enjoy 20 minutes of free mini live music concerts at beautiful outdoor venues during July and August. Can’t wait to see! Check out the detailed program here.

New image film of Budapest is here with the music of Ivan and the parazol

This is the fourth video from the “Spice Of Europe” campaign.

News

Budnews

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:21:30 GMT Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:21:30 GMT

The Hungarian Tourism Agency launched its campaign called Spice of Europe last year, and now the series got its 4th part. The aim of the new short film is to present: Budapest is truly a four-season destination, which always holds exciting event and surprises. The new image video aims the younger generation with fast cuts, swirling images and music by Ivan and the Parazol.

The new video, entitled Budapest 365 was filmed for a whole year, as it presents Budapest in all four seasons. It also features Hungarian gastronomy, festivals, the Városliget ice rink, summer afternoons, the frozen Danube and the Budapest metro – among many other things. The video shows the city through the eyes of the people living here: the short film features Katinka Hosszú and Tamás Széll, as well as athletes, painters, dancers, sculptors and tattoo artists, and even the world champion of Rubik's Cube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHLKl8WOuu4&feature=emb_title

Earlier parts of the Spice of Europe series have already featured main attractions, cultural and artistic diversity, spas, high-quality services and hospitality, and now the main target became the young, experience-seeking families and individuals.

The undisguised goal of the current campaign is to restart tourism after the epidemic, therefore, on June 1, the first domestic campaign was launched, followed by a campaign focusing on the wonders of Budapest for the domestic audience. In parallel with the border openings, foreign campaigns were also launched, including the Budapest - Spice of Europe video. In the first period, the Hungarian Tourism Agency will promote Budapest in Austria, Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Israel.

Hungarian Dúzsi wines among the best ones in the world

Their rosé and one of their red wines were recently acknowledged.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:47:41 GMT Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:47:41 GMT

Dúzsi winery from Hungary received 34 medals at the world’s biggest rosé competition in Cannes, France, so they are the leaders of the contest, Origo.hu writes. They add that one of the winery’s products, the ‘kékfrankos’ was chosen as the best one from sixteen different wines in a competition in France.

And this is not all: one of their red wines won the grand prize at the biggest wine competition in the world. Although there have been some fantastic results achieved by Hungarian winemakers, this is the biggest success so far in a renowned competition like that.

The winemaker, Tamás Dúzsi and his family started to deal with wine more than 20 years ago and they became very successful in a couple of years – now it is not an exaggeration to say that they are a world-famous winery.

What is their secret? “You have to make good wine, you have to aim for premium quality, and it is not enough to achieve it once, you have to make the best wines you can, all the time” – said Tamás Dúzsi Jr.

Source: Origo.hu

Programs for the weekend that are NOT canceled

Although many programs have been postponed due to the coronavirus, these 3 will be held.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:02:35 GMT Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:02:35 GMT

XIII. Czech Beer Days in Budapest

Czech Beer Days in Budapest will be held for the 13th time, hosted by WestEnd Millennium Roof Garden. In addition to small and large breweries and Czech beer specialties, we can taste distillery specialties made from Czech beers and other Czech spirits.

Location: WestEnd Millennium Roof Garden

Date: 24 – 28. June 2020.

Unofficial Lángos Day

Although ‘lángos’ has no official world day, but the unofficial event at Zsiráf last year proved to be so successful that it will be held several times this year. For the first time on June 28, when lángos-fans a can get real specialties, and where we can compete on a lángos-eating competition.

Location: Zsiráf

Date: June 28, 2020, 4:00 PM

Douglas Kirkland: Coco Chanel & Marilyn Monroe

Douglas Kirkland has fulfilled more than two thousand assignments since the ’60s, taking photographs of more than six hundred celebrities from Marilyn Monroe to Angelina Jolie. The pictures of the multi-award winning Kirkland have already been shown in countless exhibitions around the world, but the two exciting intimate works that look into the lives of world stars can be seen for the first time in Hungary.

Venue: House of Hungarian Photographers (Mai Manó Ház)

Date: 20. June - 5. July, 2020.

Cool: First rooftop bar with a pool opened in Budapest

We know where you can go for some refreshment this summer.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:52:12 GMT Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:52:12 GMT

When you can’t decide between visiting a pool or a lido for a nice swim or spending some quality time with your loved one(s) in a nice rooftop bar in the city centre, well, we know the solution for that: it is called Sky Bar & Pool by Cortile Hotel, and it happens to be the first rooftop bar with a pool in Budapest.

The bar is located on top of Cortile Hotel not far from the Opera and the whole place is amazing – although they are still in a ‘soft opening period’ so some changes are surely expected on the terrace (more plants and better lights, and to make the rooftop more intimate overall, for example).

But they already own the essentials for a fantastic summer evening: a nice pool, cocktails and an exclusive, intimate atmosphere where you can relax and have a good time.

To create this atmosphere, there will be only a few tables available, so we suppose that it will be highly recommended to reserve a table. Or to write them an e-mail if you would like to arrive with more people because it will be also possible to organize your own pool party under the stairs. Sounds quite fancy, right? ;)

Opening hours are the following: from Tuesday to Saturday, from 4 pm to 10 pm, but on Sunday and Monday they are closed.

For more info and selection of drinks click here: https://cortilebudapesthotel.com/hu/skybar/

Puskás Aréna will host this year’s UEFA Super Cup

2020 UEFA Super Cup got new date and venue.

Event

Budnews

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 08:37:22 GMT Tue, 23 Jun 2020 08:37:22 GMT

This year will not pass without exciting events in Budapest. The European Football Association (UEFA) announced that this year's European Super Cup Final will be held at the Puskás Arena in Budapest. The final game between the Champions League winner and the European League winner will take place on 24 September. The original location would have been Porto, but the entire European football calendar has been rewritten because of the corona virus epidemic.

UEFA's decision means that after the final of the 2019 Women's Champions League, another serious UEFA event will arrive to Hungary. UEFA has also decided to organize the remainder of the Champions League from 7 to 23 August. Four clubs have already made it into the top eight, Leipzig, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and PSG already secured their place in the quarterfinals. In four pairs, rematches couldn’t be held due to the corona virus epidemic, these will take place in August.

The craziest Hungarian superstitions

Spilled salt, shoes on the table, empty wallet. We'll show you what it means!

Culture

Budnews

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:52:15 GMT Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:52:15 GMT

Everyone is a little superstitious, whether they admit it or not. This is most evident when we look for an explanation for something and cannot find a rational answer to it. We have now gathered the most common and crazy Hungarian superstitions.

• If the door does not open inwards but opens onto the street, bad luck will hit the house.
• New shoes should not be left on the table because it brings bad luck.
• It is believed that if someone sees a chimney sweep, they should grab their button, and if they wish something, it will be fulfilled.
• If a picture falls off the wall, someone from family or friends will get sick or die. If the glass of the picture is also broken, we may be even more unlucky.
• The four-leaf clover protects you from discomfort. Whoever finds such a clover will be fortunate.
• A horseshoe placed over the door brings good luck to the people of the house and protects them from trouble and disease. A horseshoe posted in the bedroom drives away nightmarish dreams.
• The open ladder forms a triangle and brings bad luck to anyone who walks under it unless you cross your fingers in the meantime.
• A black cat running across the road in front of us from right to left means good luck, if the other way around, it is misfortune.
• Giving someone an empty wallet means the giver will never be rich. Always have a coin in our wallet, and we will not be poor.
• Spiders brings good luck. It is believed that when a spider descends on a human, a guest comes or money comes to the house.
• Accidentally spilled salt causes annoyance or minor quarrel. These can be avoided by throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder.
• If someone’s right eye twitches, there will soon be a child blessing in their family, and if the left eye twitches, there will be death. The itching of the left eye is a pleasure and the right eye is a grief.
• If you break a plate that wasn’t cracked before, you could be in bad luck.
• If someone's left palm is itchy, it means money for the house, but if it is right, that person will spend money.
• If we accidentally drop an egg and it breaks, we hear good news, if it gets intact or just cracks, bad news is expected.
• In Hungarian folklore, luck avoids the house for 7 years in which a mirror was shattered. It matters a lot, who breaks the mirror, because they won’t get married for seven years. However, if the mirror shards are collected and buried in moonlight, bad luck will avoid them.

New passenger centre to be built at Keleti Railway Station

The lower-floor passenger area at the Keleti will get a makeover until summer 2021.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:17:20 GMT Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:17:20 GMT

Have you ever been to the Keleti Railway Station? If yes, you might remember the lower-floor area – on the same level as the entrance of metro lines 2 and 4. It is a very retro place, right? Well, it will be refurbished soon: the 200-250 sqm space will get a makeover until the summer of 2021.

There will be a lot of smaller and bigger changes actually. Mostly bigger ones like a total of nine new windows and two for customer services will be open (one of these will be a workplace for disabled people). Information and customer service offices will also be opened here. Besides, 18 ticket machines (some of these on the platform level) will make it easier to buy tickets for everyone.

The waiting areas and the toilets will be renovated, there will be a luggage storage on site and the whole place is expected to be much more family friendly with a new children’s corner.

The refurbishment works are expected to begin at the end of 2020, and the new wheelchair-friendly passenger area is promised to be ready for summer 2021.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.hu , BBJ.hu

Refurbishment begins on tramlines 4-6

Some important information for all those who use the public transport or drive in the city centre of Budapest.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:08 GMT Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:00:08 GMT

Summer is not only the season of so much outdoor fun, visiting lidos, enjoying a nice ice cream or a cold beer in a ruin bar but also a lot of refurbishment work is scheduled for this season in Budapest.

Now, for example, the section of tramlines 4-6 between the Buda side bridgehead of Petőfi híd and the Karinthy Frigyes út will be modernised. More precisely, the old rails will be replaced by new ones which are easier to maintain - Centre for Budapest Transport writes in their announcement.

Important changes expected

Preparation works have begun on 11 June. And although the refurbishment happens at the Buda side of the city, it will cause some important changes. From 15 June, trams will take passengers between Széll Kálmán tér (Square) and the Buda side bridgehead of Petőfi híd. From there, replacement buses will run between the Buda side bridgehead and Móricz Zsigmond körtér or Újbuda-központ.

As we have already mentioned, there is a preparation phase, from 11 to 14 June. In this phase and in the third one, which comes from 15 July to 5 August, replacement buses will replace the trams between Corvin-negyed and ‘Dél-Budai végállomások’. That means the terminals in South Buda: Móricz Zsigmond körtér or Újbuda-központ, depending on which tram, 4 or 6 you take.

If you would decide to choose your car and drive instead of using the trams and replacement buses this summer, please note that there may be some traffic restrictions in the area of Buda side bridgehead of Petőfi híd, Corvin-negyed and Baross utca.

But let us tell you a good alternative for trams: Centre for Budapest Transport suggests you to use the metro line 4 as another possible transport option between South Buda and the city centre.

Budapest after the lockdown - what the Telegraph recommends

The Telegraph’s travel writer, Alia Akkam writes about our capital like a local – in English. Take a glimpse into her article about the city and check out which bars and pools she recommends.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 09:53:31 GMT Wed, 17 Jun 2020 09:53:31 GMT

“Shopping at supermarkets and drugstores between the hours of 9 am and noon remains the domain of those 65 and over, but terraces, a lively staple of Budapest summers, beckon to the rest of the city residents once again. Even indoor dining and imbibing is now possible at restaurants and bars" - writes Alia Akkam, travel journalist for the Telegraph.

She add that she visited 7^th district, Szimpla Kert and Kőleves Kert for some nice drinks, and she also writes about the beaches and thermal baths. “Relaxing in these gurgling pools alongside strangers is another beloved Budapest ritual, but all the vaunted historic ones, including Széchenyi, Gellért, and the Ottoman-style Rudas, are still shuttered for the time being. However, this pastime can once again be relished, albeit on a different scale, amid the open-air pools of modern Paskál in the residential Zugló neighbourhood, or better yet, at Palatinus Strand. Both reopened on May 30,” she said.

Alia Akkam also highlights that it was strange to arrive in the 7^th district, the so-called party district and see that there are no tourists but hopefully life returns back to normal – slowly but surely –, and we all can return to our favourite places in our favourite city. ;)

Check out the full article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/hungary/budapest/articles/postcard-budapest-reopens-lockdown/

Best and most unique ice creams of the city

These places are already open, so don’t hesitate!

Gastronomy

Budnews

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 06:14:17 GMT Tue, 16 Jun 2020 06:14:17 GMT

Summer means one thing for sure: ice cream! Now as the city started to open, ice-cream parlours are also await visitors. Now we collected the best places you should try if you’re in the city.

Cloud 9

Iced desserts are waiting for us in small paper cups with dried and fresh fruits, crumbs and sponge cakes of different flavors around it, so we get not only an ice cream, but a complete iced dessert. This place is specially recommended for those who are open to special combinations such as violet-blackcurrant-yogurt or mango-passionfruit-coconut.

Gelarto Rosa

You've probably heard of the city's rose-shaped ice cream: Gelarto Rosa at the St. Stephen’s Basilica. Their secret is simple but great: cold, creamy and really good ice cream served in beautifully arranged rose shape, it is so good to see how these beautiful and tasty ice creams are created! Try their sorbets or macarons as well, you won’t be disappointed.

A confectioner girl and her husband, who grew up in Italy, got enough of not being able to buy perfect ice cream to their children, so they founded Fagyi. There’s plenty of flavors to choose from, they offer about 100 flavors - not all at once, of course. From classic basic flavors to fantasy-inspired ice creams, we can find everything we might wish for.

Levendula Artisanal Ice Cream

Atmosphere of Provence, excellent Italian and Hungarian ingredients, and the fruit flavored ice-creams that do not contain milk. This is what you can experience if you buy ice cream in Levendula Artisan Ice Cream Shop. You can taste classic and special flavors, like lavender-lemon, strawberry-balsamic vinegar and of course chocolate or vanilla.

MAMO Gelato

MAMO was created to bring the traditions of Italian ice cream making to Budapest and they made it. Their ice creams are simply perfect, and we love that they use chocolate and biscuits to make their sweet treats and to decorate them. Ice creams are made with Italian ingredients and machines. They are not afraid of extreme flavors, and there are many fantasy ice creams besides the classics.

Gelateria Pomo D’Oro

If you like Italian ice cream, you will love Gelateria Pomo D’Oro. This is the little sister of the well-known Pomo D’Oro restaurant, and brings the same quality and Italian hospitality. Their ice creams are made exclusively from premium Italian ingredients with excellent expertise and they also have cakes and other sweets.

Fragola

If you take a walk in Budapest, you can find several Fragola ice cream parlours. They have classic and some extraordinary flavors, for example buckthorn and mascarpone-chestnut. If you opt for classic flavors or something sugar free, don’t worry: you will enjoy these sweet treats as well.

Hungarian National Gallery and Museum of Fine Arts reopens

Several museums in Budapest will reopen in the second half of June.

Culture

Budnews

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:10:01 GMT Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:10:01 GMT

We have developed a serious lack of culture in recent months, so we were very pleased that the Hungarian National Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts will reopen in the second half of June after three months of forced closure. This means that we can see all the permanent exhibitions of these institutes:

National Gallery has:

• Gothic Art in the Hungarian Kingdom, 1300–1500 exhibition
• Late Gothic Winged Altarpieces exhibition
• Art in the 19th Century exhibition
• From Delacroix to Vasarely exhibition
• Nude Sculptures from the Turn of the Century exhibition
• Variations on Realism – From Munkácsy to Mednyánszky exhibition
• Modern Times – Hungarian Art Between 1896 and World War II exhibition
• Shifts – Hungarian Art After 1945 exhibition

Museum of Fine Arts showcases:

• Ancient Egypt exhibition
• Classical Antiquity exhibition
• European Art 1250-1600 exhibition
• European Sculpture 1350-1800 exhibition
• Art in Hungary 1600-1800 exhibition

And if you’re here, don't miss out the renewed Romanesque Hall and Renaissance Hall which are simply mesmerizing!

Larger events cannot be organized yet, but small guided tours will start soon, so get ready!

Beautiful video: Hungary welcomes you back again

After the lockdown, life is returning to our country and yes, Hungary welcomes you back – as it is highlighted also by the following short film.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 09:40:07 GMT Fri, 12 Jun 2020 09:40:07 GMT

A new short video, created by the Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ) presents some of the highlights that are waiting for everyone looking to rediscover their favourite places now reopening, or happy to find new ones.

The message is simple: ‘Magyarország visszavár!’ which can be translated as Hungary welcomes you back. Because summer can’t pass without great experiences. ;)

Check out the video which takes you to amazing places like for example Szentendre, Zebegény, Lake Balaton and the Royal Palace of Gödöllő.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOuL5gWQFnQ&feature=emb_logo

Like and share our article if you can’t wait to discover the beauties of our country again.

Super rooftop bars reopened after the lockdown in Budapest

Great news for all of us who like having a nice drink in a nice bar at the end of the day: the best rooftop bars in Budapest are open again after the lockdown – let’s check out where to go for the best view and one (or more) drinks.

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 14:17:38 GMT Thu, 11 Jun 2020 14:17:38 GMT

Are you looking for an elegant, sophisticated rooftop bar in Budapest? Then St Andrea Sky Bar or Toprum can be your new favourite. Which one to choose? Well, if you are a fan of quality wine, we suggest St Andrea but Toprum is a great choice, as well. Anyway, both rooftop bars are open again and their staff is happy to welcome all of us again.

When you drink, you should eat, too – this is an old rule but easy to forget. Well, to be sure that you’ll eat something during the night out, visit Intermezzo Restaurant & Roof Terrace. It is impossible not to choose something from their awesome food offer. ;)

Time to choose a nice new summertime cocktail, right? If you don’t have a new favourite yet, then visit 360 Bar, Memorise Skybar or High Note SkyBar. Explore their old and new creations and find your next fav cocktail for summer.

If you are looking for a beautiful and unique garden venue in the city, reserve a table in Sky Garden Rooftop Terrace, atop Mystery Hotel. Enjoy their bar snacks and great cocktails, the view with Buda Castle, Citadella and Fishermen’s Bastion will be only the bonus.

Some spots like Leo Budapest (at the Buda side of the city) and Liebling are still closed but we really hope that these places reopen again quite soon, too.

Budapest reopens: cinemas, theaters, museums and spas may be opened by the end of the month

The government will decide in mid-June.

News

Budnews

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:31:47 GMT Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:31:47 GMT

After the long months of epidemic, it seems like life can finally return to normal. Outdoor baths, gardens, restaurants may already be open, and soon all other cultural institutions may welcome guests.

Hungarian Parliament will vote on terminating the general restrictions on June 16, and if this will happen, the current restrictions will be replaced by epidemiological preparedness. As part of this, restrictions on events and entertainment venues will remain in place, but theaters, museums, cinemas and spas may open after the end of the emergency.

The measures concerning the protective distance, the use of masks, and those regarding events and entertainment venues are examined by the operational group, and there is no change in them yet. The shopping time slot between 9am and 12 pm for the elderly people will also remain for the time being.

Discover Budapest on two wheels!

The Bicycle Club has compiled a map of bike routes that can be explored by anyone, even beginners.

News

Budnews

Tue, 9 Jun 2020 07:09:08 GMT Tue, 9 Jun 2020 07:09:08 GMT

2020 is the year of biking – thanks to the epidemic. But for the new bikers, situation in Budapest is quite difficult. Many of us do not know where designated bike routes are or what are the most pleasant local destinations.

Fortunately Bicycle Club made a map about the bike path of Budapest, which is really a gap filler. They have created a map of Budapest Bike Circles, on which they show natural and built heritage, green areas, the routes along the Danube, and even new bike lanes.

These bike routes are perfect for sightseeing and also good for practice, as you can try several bike-friendly solutions on them, from separated bike lanes to traffic-calmed streets. Most of the routes can be intertwined and can be explored with an average city bike, even with family.

The routes are marked with different colors on the map, you can read their descriptions by clicking on each route or point. You may want to zoom in on the map because multiple routes partially overlap - making it easier to start on one road and continue on another. The layers (City tours for beginners, Suburban tours, Budapest Greenways, Budapest 100) can be switched on and off as desired. Check out the full map here and start exploring.

Citadel of Budapest is turning into a museum

The building will get a new function soon.

News

Budnews

Tue, 9 Jun 2020 06:59:12 GMT Tue, 9 Jun 2020 06:59:12 GMT

The Citadel is one of the main attractions of Budapest, yet it is in poor condition. Its utilization has been an issue for years, which now seems to be solved as the Castle Capitol decided to establish a museum commemorating the freedom struggles of the Hungarians in it - after a renovation.

Why this place is so important? The hill got a privileged role in the national mythological memory early in the 11th century, as it was the venue of the martyrdom of St. Gellért. The most important idea that still define the discourse about the place comes from Széchenyi, according to whom the function of a national pantheon - Walhalla - should be built for the greats of the nation. Instead this idea, a really practical military base was built on the Gellert Hill after the fall of the War of Independence, which was demilitarized only at the turn of the century, but was not found a new function until the 1960s. Moreover, in 1947, the Liberation Monument, an iconic statue of Budapest was erected in front of the Citadel, which became a symbol of Soviet oppression.

Knowing all this, it is understandable that this place is difficult to utilize due to the unclear fields of meaning and special character, and holds serious mental and professional challenges for architects, politicians or historians. But as it has significant role in the cityscape, Budapest has to do something with it. So let’s see what future holds for the building.

According to the current government decision, a museum commemorating the freedom struggles of the Hungarians will be established in the building of the Citadel, and its surroundings will be arranged and landscaped. The first phase of the developments will last until 2022, and after the archaeological and design work, the renovation of the Citadel's inner courtyard and outer walls will begin. The exhibition will be implemented in the second phase until 2023, with preparatory work also assisted by a group of historians and experts. Can’t wait to see the results!

Budapest at night - as you have never seen before

The photo provides a unique perspective on Budapest at night.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 5 Jun 2020 09:45:17 GMT Fri, 5 Jun 2020 09:45:17 GMT

A lot of fantastic and unique snaps have been taken in Budapest but let us show you something you might have never seen before: this is how our capital looks like from the International Space Station (ISS).

Do you see the dark line running through the city? That is the Danube, and you can see also the bridges on the river. The Pest-side of the city (on the right) has a flatter topography and is more residential than the Buda-side (with the hills).

The photo was taken on 18 March 2020, with a Nikon D5 digital camera with a 200-millimeter lens by a member of the Expedition 62 crew. The picture is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observation Facility and the Earth Sciences and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center.

Source: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146764/budapest-at-night

3 things to enjoy in Budapest after the lockdown restrictions

There are so many experiences waiting for us in Budapest again – here are our top 3 favourites.  

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 4 Jun 2020 07:45:10 GMT Thu, 4 Jun 2020 07:45:10 GMT

Although some precautions are still necessary like wearing a mask in the shops and also while using the public transport, life is slowly but surely returning to our capital. Check out our ‘happy list’ with the top 3 activities we all can enjoy again in Budapest.

1, Rooftop bars – What about a nice drink above the city? You can have one (or two) with your family, friends or colleagues in several rooftop bars: for example St. Andrea Wine & Skybar, The Sky Garden Rooftop Terrace and High Note SkyBar are already open.

2, The Castle District awaits – The open-air archaeological site in the Castle District in Buda can be visited for free again, and the themed Buda Walks are also being relaunched, in Hungarian – We Love Budapest writes. But if you would like just to take a walk in the Castle District and taking some photos, never mind, it is a highly anticipated experience on our list, as well. ;)

3, Chill in the City Park – If you love the outdoors, and prefer meeting friends for example in the City Park, well, you also have the possibility to chill out there on a blanket or to have a small picnic together. Bring your dogs, too, they will love it out there.

What we really miss, is all the music programs, concerts and festivals we won’t have for a while now but we really hope to enjoy these again one day, hopefully quite soon with our loved ones.

What are the top programs and activities on your list that you can’t wait to try in Budapest? Write us in a comment. And don’t forget to share our article, so your friends will also see that life is returning to one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Budapest. ;)

These beaches are already open in Budapest

Some of the beaches and lidos reopened for the last weekend of May, for the Children’s Day but some historic and popular baths still remain closed.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 4 Jun 2020 07:37:49 GMT Thu, 4 Jun 2020 07:37:49 GMT

Although it was not sure when the beaches, lidos, spas and pools in Budapest can be reopened for the upcoming summer season, we have some good news for the water fun lovers: some of the beaches in the capital are awaiting us again.

From the past weekend, 30 May, lidos such as the Római Strandfürdő, Palatinus, the Csillaghegy Árpád, the Paskál and the outer baths and gardens in Aquaworld reopened, We Love Budapest writes.

Tickets (except for Aquaworld) can be bought here: http://jegyvasarlas.budapestgyogyfurdoi.hu/ and new rules must be obeyed just like paying attention to social distancing, wearing flip-flops and frequent handwashing.

If you prefer the seashore atmosphere, you can enjoy this, too on Lupa Beach which awaits us again from 22 May.

The bad news is that the most popular ones like Gellért and Széchenyi baths will remain closed for a while. Lukács, Rudas, Veli Bej are also closed, just like Király and Dandár. But we really hope that as the restrictions in the country and in the capital are eased gradually, these baths can be reopened soon.

The secret Japanese Garden of the city reopened

Not Margaret Island is the only place where you can see beautiful Japanese Garden in the city!

News

Budnews

Tue, 2 Jun 2020 08:19:36 GMT Tue, 2 Jun 2020 08:19:36 GMT

There’s a secret Japanese garden in Zugló, that not even the townspeople know. The Japanese Garden, founded in the first half of the last century (1928) on three thousand square meters was the first such attraction in the country. Legend has it that in the 1930s, the heir to the throne of Japan also visited the facility, which he liked so much that after he returned home to Japan, he sent several trees to the institution in Zugló. It is said that some of the plant rarities still visible today are descendants of these imperial gift trees. The garden has been renovated from public donations in recent years, but now the country's first Japanese garden can be visited again in all its splendor.

Address: Budapest XIV., Kövér Lajos utca 1. Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8 am to 8 pm, Saturday to Sunday: 8 am to 4 pm

Prices: Admission costs HUF 500 for adults and HUF 300 for children.

If you like the Zugló Japanese Garden, we recommend you to check out the other Japanese gardens in Budapest as well. Each is equally wonderful, but each is a little different, so if you have time, it’s worth visiting all of them.

Japanese Garden at Margaret Island

Margaret Island is the most versatile and intimate oasis in Budapest, where you are guaranteed to recharge. Especially if you take a walk in the mini paradise inside the island, alias the Japanese Garden. The perfect harmony of lush vegetation, huge rocks and beautifully designed water architectures provides an eye-catching, heart-pleasing sight.

Japanese garden in the Zoo

You can admire one of the largest Japanese gardens in Hungary in the Zoo Budapest, which was established in the 1960s. The authentic Japanese atmosphere is provided by rivers, lakes, stones, stone lanterns, bridges and of course, the wonderful Japanese plants. In addition, you can view our valuable National Bonsai Collection in a separate pavilion here.

Budapest to get a new tramline

So far, this is the most important development in the capital’s transport infrastructure this year.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 29 May 2020 09:03:19 GMT Fri, 29 May 2020 09:03:19 GMT

There are always some smaller or bigger renovation or construction works going concerning the public transport system of Budapest, but the latest project is the most important one in the capital’s transport infrastructure in 2020: Budapest will get a new tram line.

We Love Budapest writes that the construction works of a new tramline from Soroksári út in south Pest to Haller utca further north have already started on 23 May.

‘According to an announcement by Budapest transport company BKK, a new pair of tracks will be established between Haller utca and Soroksári út, and the existing southerly connection will also be renewed. As a result, passengers will be able to travel in a total of six directions at the Soroksári út junction’ – they write.

The new tram line can be quite useful also because it will mean an alternative access to the city centre without having to change at Nagyvárad Square. M3 metro line’s long-term renovation works are still going on so we suppose that a good alternative for the underground would be welcome by many travellers. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

Top 9 terraces that are already open

You can have the first cocktail or coffee of the season at these places.

Gastronomy

Budnews

Thu, 28 May 2020 10:02:21 GMT Thu, 28 May 2020 10:02:21 GMT

Now that the world is reopening after the epidemic, Budapest started to open up too. The terraces of restaurants and cafes could be opened in Budapest for a week, so let's see where you can drink the first coffee of the season.

Fellini Római Kultúrbisztró

The striped chairs are on the Danube shore again! Fellini is a perfect place even for those who are afraid of the downtown terraces. The Fellini atmosphere can’t be spoiled even if the deck chairs are 1.5 meters apart.

Majorka

One of the loveliest places of Városmajor awaits with the usual burgers, sandwiches, salads, snacks and cold drinks. Child-friendly garden, huge trees, peaceful, calm atmosphere. We love it.

Jardinette

Jardinette awaits with real Hungarian dishes and great drinks in the beautiful garden. Perfect for a romantic date.

Nap bácsi

One of the most lovely waterfront locations of the city awaits with its usual flavors and atmosphere. The wide shore is perfect if you don’t want to start the season on a crowded terrace right away.

Élesztőház

Budapest's first craft beer pub awaits with good domestic and foreign beers, great spirits and the unmistakable atmosphere.

Mazel Tov

The city’s largest shakshuka and hummus place has also opened its doors - but despite the large internal area, due to the mandatory distances, we have to book table in advance.

KIOSK Pest

The favorite place of Március 15. Square has also opened. The lovely summer atmosphere is guaranteed - just keep the right distance.

Bambi Eszpresszó

If you love retro, Bambi is the place of your dreams! The sausage is crunchy, the hot sandwich is adorable, and the beer is cold – but to be honest, it’s not a fancy restaurant.

Moné Garden

The excellent Hungarian cuisine of the recently opened Moné Restaurant is also available on their hidden small terrace below the Castle. In addition to the great dishes, cocktails and a good assortment of wine await us.

Hungary’s first car safari park opened near Budapest

Adventure awaits – from now on, you can experience the atmosphere of an exotic car safari in Hungary, as well. Let us tell you a little bit more about that.  

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 27 May 2020 12:04:55 GMT Wed, 27 May 2020 12:04:55 GMT

Budapest has a zoo and of course a well-known circus but now we have an even more exciting, new program tip for you: Hungary’s first car safari park opened its gates in Szada (approximately 30 kilometres from Budapest).

The park covers 5 hectares and almost hundred different animals (some of them owned by the Hungarian National Circus, others by the Florian Richter Circus) can be seen there, for example exotic animals like elephants, camels, giraffes but also donkeys and the so-called zebrams which are the mix of zebras and donkeys.

The visit in the park is totally safe because only cars with non-open tops can drive in, and everyone can only drive on the marked path.

The park is open from 12 pm to 5 pm on weekdays, but on weekends and holidays, it can be visited from 10 am to 5 pm. Before the trip, you will need a short registration for one of the available dates: https://magyarnemzeticirkusz.hu/szafari/ . We checked on 21 May and the next date available for reservation was 3 June, but for later next month, they have plenty of free dates.

About the ticket prices, we found the following information: entry is for free for kids under 2. Between the age of 2 and 14, the entrance fee is 1500 HUF, and for adults, it is 2000 HUF.

If you decide to book an available date and visit the park, you will also help the Hungarian National Circus, because they were left without income after the outbreak of the epidemic.

Source: magyarnemzeticirkusz.hu

Wizz Air celebrates its 16th birthday with unique video

Wizz Air cabin crew performed a unique dance on the birthday of the company.

News

Budnews

Tue, 26 May 2020 07:27:10 GMT Tue, 26 May 2020 07:27:10 GMT

We have never seen such thing before! Wizz Air celebrated the 16th anniversary of its first take-off on May 19 with a special video: flight attendants, pilots and the ground staff danced in masks and rubber gloves in the birthday video.

https://vimeo.com/420043966

The first Wizz Air aircraft took off from Katowice to London on 19 May 2004. The airline has since been honored by 240 million passengers with its trust and loyalty, while its fleet now includes 121 modern Airbus aircraft. With an average age of just 5.4 years, it is the youngest fleet in Europe, with an increasing share of the world's most efficient narrow-body aircraft, the state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo.

The coronavirus epidemic forced Wizz Air to stop, but as previously reported, their 16 flights from Budapest resumed from the first days of May. A mask is mandatory on board, and other rules have been introduced to avoid infection, but at least we can travel abroad.

Let’s meet the tradition of Hungarian blue-dyeing

These unique textiles are part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

News

Budnews

Mon, 25 May 2020 12:49:17 GMT Mon, 25 May 2020 12:49:17 GMT

We rarely deal with folk traditions here at budnews.hu, but now we would still show you something beautiful. This is blue-dyeing, a special coloring technology in Hungary. Blue-dyeing is a color-patterning technology used on textiles, which derives its name from the fact that the pattern in its original form typically appears in white on a blue background.

Blue-dyeing dates back more than five hundred years. It came to Hungary from India through Western Europe and it’s a heavy craft whose science passes from father to son. This and the strong physical work are the reason why the number of its makers is constantly decreasing. There are only 6 blue-dyeing workshops in Hungary and only twenty in Europe as a whole.

https://idastyle.cafeblog.hu/2018/05/30/248/

The basis of blue-dyeing is indigo cold painting in painting baths sunk into the ground, and from the first half of the 19th century, hot painting is also used. The special features of the blue-dyed clothes are the pure cotton material, the unique deep blue shade, the size and color fastness, and that the white color of the individual samples is given by the linen base material.

The blue-dye fabric has played a significant role in Hungarian folk costumes and home textiles in recent centuries, and it is still popular today. As of November 2018, blue-dyeing is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Budapest among best cities in the world for remote working

Budapest is a good choice even if you have to work remotely, according to a new report: our capital is fifth on the list.  

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 22 May 2020 08:32:55 GMT Fri, 22 May 2020 08:32:55 GMT

The Remote Working Index report by Broadband Deals looked at 50 of the world's most popular cities, ranking them based on the following factors: average internet speed, availability of food delivery, the remote working jobs available, the cost of a laptop, and the cost of living.

According to the ranking, Bucharest, Houston and Las Vegas are the three best cities for remote work, followed by Atlanta in the US and Budapest.

In our capital, you can have fast internet speeds of 41 Mbps, while the cost of living is GBP 470.39 per month, and 2.33% of the jobs give workers the opportunity for remote working.

We are not only surprised that Bucharest is the first in the compilation but also by seeing the last city on the list which is Rome, with only 0.61% of the jobs offering the work from home option, internet speed of 16 Mbps and relatively high cost of living, GBP 729.18 per month.

Source: https://broadbanddeals.co.uk/remote-working/ and https://bbj.hu/analysis/budapest-5th-best-city-in-world-for-remote-working_182332

Budapest Airport wins prestigious award for seventh time in a row

Liszt Ferenc International Airport wins award for the best airport in Eastern Europe in the seventh consecutive year.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 21 May 2020 08:56:08 GMT Thu, 21 May 2020 08:56:08 GMT

Liszt Ferenc International Airport is not only the aerial gateway to Hungary but also a multi-award-winning airport: we read recently that it has won the award for the best airport in Eastern Europe for the seventh time is a row.

The annual Skytrax award, which is handed out at the World Airport Awards, is one of the most important awards in the industry – partly because the travellers themselves decide about it, based on tens of thousands of rankings received from passengers from all around the world.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the award was handed over in a virtual form to Liszt Ferenc International Airport, which celebrates its 70^th birthday this year.

Source: Turizmus.com

One of the best Hungarian confectioneries to open in Budapest

Mónisüti has already conquered the Balaton region, now their desserts are available also in Budapest and they are looking for a permanent location in the capital. 

Gastronomy

Mia Balogh

Wed, 20 May 2020 11:09:03 GMT Wed, 20 May 2020 11:09:03 GMT

If you are a fan of Hungarian desserts and know a few of the top confectioneries in the country already, you might have heard about Mónisüti. It’s true that they are working in the Balaton region, but their sweet treats are very well-known and they are among the top 10 Hungarian patisseries according to Dining Guide.

Furthermore, Mónisüti is a success story (without exaggeration), because the founder, Mónika Kalmár Kövérné managed to build a successful and popular enterprise from her love and blogging about baking.

At first, she baked for a confectionery in Keszthely but now, after conquering the Balaton region and Transdanubia, their cakes are even available in Budapest: you can order from a list on their Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/monihazhozsuti/ ) by Wednesday of each week and your order can be picked up at Babka at the end of the week. Larger orders can even be delivered to your home in the capital.

Some more good news: they are already looking for a permanent location in Budapest – we hope we’ll know more about it soon and we can inform you about that. We can’t wait for their delicious deserts. Yum! ;)

Source: WeLoveBudapest.com

2 renovations begin in the Castle district

The promenades of the hillsides facing the Danube will be restored.

News

Budnews

Tue, 19 May 2020 14:01:45 GMT Tue, 19 May 2020 14:01:45 GMT

When we walked up from Clark Ádám Square to Buda Castle on the eastern slopes of Castle Hill, overlooking the Danube, we are always astonished because of the condition of the park, roads and stairs - with their life-threatening and fragmented elements. But now, finally, this neglected part of the Castle district is finally being renewed.

The renovation of the Ellyps Promenade and its surroundings is an element that everyone will love for sure. An important point of the renovation program is that the Castle should be easily reached on foot, from several directions. The renovation of the green surfaces and the stairs, promenades and the surrounding hillsides are both important elements.

As a first step, the northern part of the promenade, around the Tunnel, was tidied up - the fragmented staircases and paving elements were put in place, the existing, fragmented stone blocks were removed and rebuilt with a new foundation. Soon the paths on the other side of the Castle Hill Funicular will also be tidied up. In addition to the roads, new, unified style public furniture elements - benches, rubbish bins - will be placed, and the dilapidated vegetation will also be renewed. And it’s not all that happens in that neighborhood!

In addition to the promenade, there will be another major renovation in the Castle district at the same time: Szent György Square will also be renovated and greened. Szent György Square is one of the most important squares in the Buda Castle District and also in Budapest. The place is usually used by a lot of people (when there is no epidemic situation), so its condition has already required a lot of renovation. During the works, which are expected to start in the summer, the fragmented pavements of Szent György Square will be renovated, a lot of new plants will be planted in the beds, and the lawn surface will also be renewed.

The tidy gardens suitable for relaxation and walking have always belonged to the view of the Buda Castle, and were perhaps the most versatile works in the history of Hungarian garden art. The green areas surrounding the Castle and located area within the walls tended to create a sense of homelessness and neglect in recent decades, but this will end in some month! We can’t wait to see the upshot!

Pubs celebrate the reopening of Budapest with free beer

A total of 10000 pints of beer will be given for free in more than 30 pubs.

News

Budnews

Mon, 18 May 2020 10:53:38 GMT Mon, 18 May 2020 10:53:38 GMT

A big party is coming in Budapest: FIRST Craft Beer thanks the perseverance and disciplined behavior of people of Budapest during the epidemic situation with a total of 10000 pints of free craft beer.

The initiative is called „Half full” which comes from the proverb that says the optimist always sees the glass as half full. In the current situation, it is difficult to be optimistic, but there is always hope that things will be better soon. And until now, 30 pubs joined the initiative, so probably FIRST Craft Beer is right with this optimistic attitude.

Venues such as the Simpla Kert, Zsiráf, Élesztőház, Mazel Tov or Beer Brothers joined to the event. The event will be held on the first Thursday after the reopening of the city, and in return for the free beer, FIRST only asks consumers to post a picture or video of their beer on their social media pages with the # feligtele hashtag.

Check out the official Facebook event, and drink a beer for our health!

Renovation of Nyugati Railway Station begins

Budapest's most famous railway station will be renewed in the next 2 years.

News

Budnews

Fri, 15 May 2020 09:29:27 GMT Fri, 15 May 2020 09:29:27 GMT

Taking advantage of the lower traffic, major renovation work begins in the Nyugati Railway Station building. Reconstruction of the roof structure will begin this week, just as renovation of the overhead line network of the track hall and the passenger information system.

“As part of the development, the roof structure of the railway station will be reconstructed on more than 8,200 square meters, the overhead contact line network in the track hall will be renewed and the passenger information system will also be modernized. During the works, the passenger hall of the railway station will be closed. " - said Róbert Homolya, President and CEO of MÁV Zrt. at a press conference.

According to the transport company, the investment is necessary because Nyugati Railway Station is the busiest railway station in Hungary with 18 million passengers a year and 480 passing trains a day - and it has not undergone extensive renovation work in the last 40 years. The total cost of the developments is nearly 9 billion Forints, the construction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022, so if you see renovation works at the train station in the coming years, don't be surprised.

Artist performs coronavirus inspired dance in Budapest

Watch the 21 years old Hungarian dancer performing his moves for a melody that mirrors the molecular structure of the coronavirus.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 14 May 2020 08:32:07 GMT Thu, 14 May 2020 08:32:07 GMT

21 years old Hungarian dancer, Zsolt Vencel Kovacs performed a really special dance on the deserted Heroes’ Square in Budapest: for the World Dance Day, the ballet dancer moved to the strains of a melody that mirrors the molecular structure of the coronavirus – The New York Times writes.

So we can say without exaggeration that this is something you might have never have seen or heard before. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgwdGctca4I&feature=emb_logo

About the music:

The composition was created by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier in April. They transformed a model of the SARS-CoV-2’s structure via a computer, giving a different note to different proteins’ amino acids, creating the melodies.

If you would like to listen to the whole composition, which would take almost two hours, you can check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/user-275864738/viral-counterpoint-of-the-coronavirus-spike-protein-2019-ncov

About the dancer:

Zsolt Vencel Kovacs is a dancer of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet, but when the borders were closing, he returned home to Hungary. Now he’s working in a bakery but did not stop practicing – he dances at home, and hopes he can return to Lithuania once the restrictions ease.

With his dance for this special composition, he is challenging also other choreographers to perform their own interpretations of the "COVID melody" at other famous and beautiful locations.

"The aim is to make squares and sites that have emptied because of the coronavirus, popular. At the moment, even the statues feel lonely" – he said, by adding – "So that when this epidemic is over, these squares could be filled with people again."

Source: nytimes.com

Queen saying thank you even to Hungarian healthcare workers in new video

Queen and Adam Lambert say thank you for the healthcare workers in their own way – it is unique and touching in the same time. Their video also showcases a special vehicle, check it out.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 13 May 2020 09:56:20 GMT Wed, 13 May 2020 09:56:20 GMT

According to Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, world-famous music band Queen with American lead-singer Adam Lambert published a new single ‘You Are The Champions’ – the song with the same title is a remake of their hit song ‘We Are The Champions’.

It premiered two weeks ago on Brian May’s Instagram page, and is quite special also because each member of the band performed and recorded their part in their homes.

In the video, many famous sights of the world are showcased, including Budapest’s Castle District and a Hungarian ambulance car on which you can read ‘Dorog’ – this is a Hungarian town in Komárom-Esztergom county. You can see it at 0:31 in the video.

Check it out here – well, it might bring tears into your eyes, just like it did into ours. ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=7LcLqIHzNkY&feature=emb_logo

The vehicle is quite special because it is one of the last serving ambulance cars of its type. The fleet of these vehicles had been renewed and in most places, there are yellow-coloured modern ambulance cars already.

Source: Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu

The Museum of Fine Arts received a prestigious award

Reconstruction works of the Museum of Fine Arts has been awarded with one of the most prestigious international heritage recognitions.

News

Budnews

Tue, 12 May 2020 06:58:12 GMT Tue, 12 May 2020 06:58:12 GMT

Museum of Fine Arts went through a huge renovation in the past years. The renovation closed a three-decade-long process to correct the damage caused by the former inappropriate changes, and integrated new facilities to meet the needs of a modern museum. During the reconstruction, the damage caused by the unprofessional alterations that characterized the post-World War II period was restored, and at the same time the building was housed with all features that are essential in a modern museum. The imposing Romanian Hall, which was used as a warehouse is now perfectly restored, the museum's outdated heating, building and security system was also modernized. The exhibition halls are now air-conditioned, most of the roof structure was renovated, and new exhibition and public spaces and modern storage rooms were created in the building.

The comprehensive renovation and modernization of the Museum of Fine Arts has affected nearly 15,000 square meters, which is about 40% of the museum’s floor space. During the renovation, a new, underground, modern restaurant and café was also built. After the building has been renovated, visitors can rediscover the face of the museum that the designers had originally envisioned.

Now, two years after the reopening the museum building has won the European Union Cultural Heritage Award (Europa Nostra) in the Preservation category. The Jury remarked that “this is an excellent recuperation of the splendour of an early 20th-century museum. It represents a long-term and thoughtful effort to reinstate the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest – an important institution in Europe – and is underpinned with a thoughtful philosophical basis. The modern interventions have been properly integrated and are appropriate for the additional needs of the museum”.

This Eurpa Nostra award is one of the biggest recognitions: the award recognizes and presents best practices and examples in the field of heritage conservation, restoration, management, research and related education and training. Year after year, applications are received from all over Europe, judged by a jury of independent experts, who then select the winners.

Congratulations!

Chairlift on Normafa will be completely renewed

The new Budapest chairlift will have 80 four-seater chairs, thus increasing the capacity of the chairlift.

News

Budnews

Tue, 12 May 2020 06:54:17 GMT Tue, 12 May 2020 06:54:17 GMT

The Budapest chairlift is one of the favorite attractions of the hikers: the structure takes up to János Hill in a beautiful place, from where you can also reach the Elizabeth Lookout Tower within a short walk. The lift was originally built in 1970, and it really needs a decent renovation by now.

The charlift is in such poor condition that the task is to demolish the current lift and to build a new one with nine new support columns. The new chairlift will be located where it is today, and will also be a single-line, roundabout facility. The biggest difference is that it will have four-seater hammocks instead of the current two-seater, with a total of 80 unit narrowly 30 meters apart.

The renovation also includes redesign and construction work of the existing buildings. The modernization also affects the cableway, the renovation and development of the chairs, columns and reception buildings, the lighting system, the energy supply - but not all sources are available yet to start the work, so we can't say exact dates ever for the beginning of the construction work.

When do the beaches open in Hungary this year?

Normally, beaches in the capital open in May but this year’s pandemic changes this routine, as well.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 8 May 2020 09:06:27 GMT Fri, 8 May 2020 09:06:27 GMT

According to the Hungarian government’s decision made in the end of April, the open-air pools and beaches in the countryside can open after 4 May but what about the beaches in Budapest?

The baths and beaches highlighted that they will pay attention to the government’s information about how the virus spreads and what can they do to prevent it. They are also analysing the measures international bathhouses and beaches take, and they make their own plans by taking these international measures into consideration.

According to their current plans, employees will start the preparation and maintenance work of the pools – of course by being careful about preventing the virus to spread – once the lockdown ends.

Source: nlc.hu

Hungarian cartoon character gets mini statue in Budapest

Another tiny but super cool thing worth checking out when the pandemic ends and we can rediscover Budapest again.  

Culture

Mia Balogh

Thu, 7 May 2020 10:15:33 GMT Thu, 7 May 2020 10:15:33 GMT

Hungarian sculptor Mihály Kolodko is famous for his miniature sculptures which can pop up anywhere in Budapest. And these tiny masterpieces are always a hit: WeLoveBudapest writes that there are a lot of Instagram posts by delighted visitors who discover these unique sculptures during their time in our capital.

Well, we are sure that Kolodko’s latest creation is going to be popular, as well. Because it features actor Gyula Bodrogi and the ‘good old’ Süsü the Dragon, a classic children's TV character he lends his voice to. The sculpture shows you the actor as he is pulling the dragon costume off his head.

When the pandemic ends and we all can return to the streets of Budapest to rediscover the city, we highly recommend you to go find this masterpiece. A little help: it is displayed in downtown, at Szabadság Square.

Check out a short video about the creation and display of the statue:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2886530264793768

Like and share our article if you can’t wait to be in Budapest again. ;)

So funny: Hungarian couple recreates famous movie scenes in the lockdown

They recreated 21 famous movie scenes and they nailed it.

Lifestyle

Mia Balogh

Wed, 6 May 2020 10:05:22 GMT Wed, 6 May 2020 10:05:22 GMT

When the lockdown gets really boring, we mean REALLY BORING, what can you do? Well, a young Hungarian couple, namely Fanni Kovács and Norbert Hosszú had a very funny idea: they recreated some iconic movie scenes and posters by using only some household items – and their creativity, of course.

The result is absolutely hilarious, check it out:

Photos: https://www.boredpanda.com/couple-recreates-famous-movie-scenes/

"Norbi and I are performers and entertainers. We mostly work with events, so the pandemic has interfered with our plans a lot," Fanni told Bored Panda. "For example, we are the leaders of an improvisational theatre called Improvokál."

However, the couple wanted to do their best and try to find some positivity during these difficult times. "I am a huge movie buff and Norbi loves movies from the '70s and '80s, so our love for the craft is what inspired this series. When we were still at university, we loved dressing up whenever we had the chance so thanks to those days, we have had a lot of accessories and costumes."

Source: Boredpanda.com

There will be no Sziget, Volt or Balaton Sound festival this year

This will be a sad summer.

News

Budnews

Tue, 5 May 2020 07:27:19 GMT Tue, 5 May 2020 07:27:19 GMT

Summer is unimaginable without festivals. Not only in Hungary, but all over the world, these 3 months are about music concerts and joy. This year, however, it will be different. After several foreign festivals, the biggest events in Hungary have announced: the party won't take place this year. This means that for the first time in 27 years, this summer will pass without Sziget Festival, and without the other large domestic festivals, Telekom VOLT Festival and Balaton Sound.

The details about ticket redemption and how to proceed aren't known yet: according to the organizers, the first thing to do now is to find the optimal solution for pre-order ticket buyers, be it next year's usability of tickets or the process of refunding. Analyzing the international examples, many solutions have already come to light.

“For us, the primary consideration now is to give our guests the best possible solution and to be able to enjoy these world-class festivals together next summer. It is also inconceivable that the enduring and beloved work of 27 years, our achievements and, last but not least, the opportunity for the festival experience of our millions of visitors so far, would be zeroed out from one moment to the next. So for now, we ask for patience, we are looking for a solution, but it would certainly mean a lot if the visitors who had already bought the ticket in advance treated this as an investment for next year's festival.” - added Tamás Kádár the main organizer of the Sziget Festival.

Restrictions remain in Budapest and Pest county, but the rest of the country may return slowly to normal life

According to the new regulation, the exit restriction will be abolished nationwide from May 4, with the exception of Budapest and Pest county.

News

Budnews

Mon, 4 May 2020 13:41:25 GMT Mon, 4 May 2020 13:41:25 GMT

After two months of quarantine, there is a small hope that life could finally return to normal. Well, partly. From this week on, the rules will be loosened in Hungary, everywhere except Budapest and its surroundings. Let's see the details:

• The restrictions remain in Budapest and in the territory of Pest county.
• Everyone is obliged to keep social distance with other people, (except those living in common household), and to keep as far as possible, at least 1.5 meters from other people.
• Everyone is required to wear a face mask to cover their mouth and nose (such as a medical mask, scarf, kerchief) in shops and on public transport.

In the other parts of the country:

• All shops can be open and can be visited by shoppers.
• Public areas and parks will also be open to the public with maintaining the social distance.
• It is allowed to open the garden or terrace of restaurants, cafes, confectioneries, buffets, espresso bars and to eat the ordered food or drink there, but it is forbidden to stay inside the catering shop, except for those employed there. An exception is the delivery and transport of takeaway food.
• Beaches can open from May 4, as well as open-air baths, open-air museums and zoos.
• The protected shopping time slot of elderly people above 65 still remains.
• Open air markets can also open.
• Religious community ceremonies, civil marriages and funerals can take place. The social distance must be maintained all of these.
• Higher education institutions will be open to students according to the decision of the Rector. Visiting dormitories is prohibited.
• Sports events can be held indoors without spectators.
• Participation in training organized by the sports association as well as for amateur sports, recreational sports and mass sports is allowed.

Southern railway will be built in Budapest

Three new stops will be established at important junctions.

News

Budnews

Fri, 1 May 2020 08:18:19 GMT Fri, 1 May 2020 08:18:19 GMT

Although now it’s all about the coronavirus situation, life doesn’t stop. Budapest Development Center announced their first big project: the new Southern railway of Budapest. This will connect Kelenföld with Ferencváros and not only track expansion is expected during the investment, but also three new stops will be opened, and the railway environment will be rehabilitated and noise pollution will be reduced.

The concept originally presented in February this year is to implement a railway development that will make transport easier for the suburbs - by allowing suburban trains to enter Budapest from the agglomeration - but also for the benefit of Budapest residents.

The head of Budapest Development Center said: “such a railway development has not taken place in the inter section of Budapest for more than 100 years and is the first railway investment in decades to benefit commuters and brings new trains in Budapest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CFwM-Gu7EU

Three new stops ofthe renovated line will be ’Nádorkert’ in the XI. district, that connects the tram network of Buda and the Inforpark, ’Danubius’ creates the possibility of transfer and connect to the HÉV (suburban railway) and the Danube-side areas in addition to Soroksári út, ’Népliget’ creates the connection to M3 metro and the surroundings of Üllői út.

The frequency will be 10-15 minutes instead of the current half an hour, and with the new trains, the Buda agglomeration, the area of the Southern City Gate and Kőbánya-Kispest, as well as the Pest agglomeration and the airport will be connected.

In addition to modernizing and speeding up transport, the development aims to reduce car traffic and improve air quality, as well as regulate the immediate surroundings of the stations and solve the sound insulation of stops, which is an important element of the project.

Wow: Budapest among greenest European cities

Our capital is not only beautiful but also made its way to National Geographic’s top five forward-thinking cities in Europe. Let’s see what they think about Budapest.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:56:41 GMT Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:56:41 GMT

It is true that nowadays the number one topic for people all around the world is COVID-19 but in the meantime – partly thanks to the Earth Day, which happened to be in the last week, 22 April – there is still a lot of conversation going on about climate change and eco-friendly solutions all around the world. Countries and big cities are looking for greener ways which is very important for our future on the planet.

Recently, National Geographic listed the top five forward-thinking European cities and we are so glad that Budapest is also on their list.

Our capital stands proudly in the middle of the compilation, preceded by Lahti, a Finnish city that might become carbon-neutral by 2025 and Lisbon, which is halving its CO2 emission. Under the name of Budapest, we’ll find Lyon, the gastronomic centre of France, and Edinburgh, the UK’s greenest city with 112 parks.

“The Hungarian capital recently saw the launch of the crowd-funded Green Guide Budapest map. Printed using soy-based ink, the free fold-out guide aims to steer visitors away from the usual attractions by highlighting parks, markets, and eco-friendly stores around the city,” - National Geographic writes about Budapest.

Budapest is going greener and greener, and we are looking forward to see how this tendency continues after the pandemic.

Like and share our article if you can’t wait to visit our beautiful, forward-thinking capital. ;)

Budapest is getting built in Minecraft

If you love Budapest and you are a fan of Minecraft, you will love this.

News

Mia Balogh

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:40:11 GMT Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:40:11 GMT

There are already a lot of real-life locations like New York City rebuilt in the virtual world of Minecraft but there are still a lot to do in there. Now the youngest architects-to-be are invited to help create some parts of our capitals in a project known as MineBudapest.

Until 10 May, kids and anyone who is interested can help build the virtual city. Four categories are available right now: the Ervin Szabó Library, Kecskeméti Street, Károly Gardens and Szent László Hospital.

How to participate? It’s easy. First go to https://minebudapest.hu/login and register, then begin your construction in Minecraft. Once your building is complete, submit it for approval. Top three winners will be rewarded, of course.

Most famous botanical garden of Budapest has reopened

Füvészkert can be visited with these conditions:

News

Budnews

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 06:38:52 GMT Tue, 28 Apr 2020 06:38:52 GMT

Almost everything is closed down in Budapest due to the coronavirus epidemic, but the first signs of loosening the regulation are already here. Füvészkert has been closed so far, but from Monday, the Botanical Garden of ELTE will welcome visitors again - revealed a Facebook post of the botanical garden. We must register in advance on their Facebook page by selecting the day of the visit, but the main thing is that we can see the beautiful flowers and trees again.

„The Botanical Garden of Eötvös Loránd University has been closed so far due to the coronavirus epidemic, but it can be visited again from Monday 27 April with prior registration. Pre-registration can be done here at the event, selecting the day of the visit from the events, clicking on BOOKING. During the daily opening hours of the Garden, max. 400 people can enter. Our opening hours and entrance fees are unchanged. The greenhouses are closed. We ask that you keep a distance of 2 meters from each other and wear a mask when visiting the garden.” - says the official announcement.

Discover the Budapest of the 1940’s in a treasure hunt computer game

In the game called The Lost Bridge, we explore the old city center of Budapest looking for treasures, and then we get back to today on an adventurous journey.

News

Budnews

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:10:38 GMT Mon, 27 Apr 2020 09:10:38 GMT

A new video game is always a good thing, but in quarantine, it’s a real gift. We found a new, special (and in addition free) game: The Lost Bridge which is both a sightseeing and a treasure hunt. It's like taking a creative walk in Budapest as a time traveler: the walkable area is the bridge and its surroundings a few hundred meters, but from here you can see a much larger slice of the city. In one direction we can see and observe the Petőfi Bridge and in the other direction to Margaret Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpJ7QjIrlY&feature=emb_title

In the game, we take a guided tour sometime in the first half of the 40s, meanwhile we collect well-hidden contemporary coins. However, to put them all together, we have to deviate from the proposed route... Meanwhile, contemporary music and radio broadcasts are played, old posters decorate the walls and evoke the atmosphere of the age.

The reward of the game is a cool sightseeing boat trip with the former St. Imre steamer. And the exploring doesn't end here. We first go to the times after the siege of Budapest, and then we have to find our way back to the present.

The game is a first person view (FPV) PC game with a free-to-discover track, route suggestions, stress-free and non-violent gameplay. Download it here.

Hungarian football player in top 10 goalkeepers in the world

This is the first time in history, that there is a Hungarian name on FourFourTwo magazine’s list – let’s see who is this and where can we find him in the compilation.  

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:35:02 GMT Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:35:02 GMT

If you are a football fan and watch international matches regularly, you must have heard Péter Gulácsi’s name. He was the goalkeeper of Liverpool and Hull City, then he continued his career in Red Bull Salzburg and then in his current team, RB Leipzig.

In 2019, he was named Bundesliga’s top performer, and this year, he is on FourFourTwo magazine’s list called ‘best goalkeepers in the world’: although they missed to spell Gulácsi’s name correctly (they wrote ‘Gulasci’), he was ranked 6th by the editors of the magazine.

‘The signing of Peter Gulasci, from sister club RB Salzburg in 2015, might have been the smartest piece of business Leipzig ever did. Since joining the side for £2m, the Hungarian has been nothing short of sensational over the five seasons since.

Tall, quick off his line, great in the area and a supreme shot-stopper, Gulasci is arguably the best goalkeeper in Germany. His save percentage of 73.6% is excellent but, in truth, Leipzig’s joint league-low goals against column has as much to do with his organisational and communication skills as his stopping ability’ – they write.

10 best goalkeepers in the world according to fourfourtwo.com :

10. David de Gea (Manchester United)

9. Ederson (Manchester City)

8. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

7. Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan)

6. Peter Gulácsi (RB Leipzig)

5. Keylor Navas (PSG)

4. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

3. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

2. Alisson (Liverpool)

1. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

Source: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/

Budapest awaits

Beautiful short film shot in the deserted Hungarian capital that can’t wait to be full of life again.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 07:20:37 GMT Thu, 23 Apr 2020 07:20:37 GMT

‘Budapest awaits!’ – this is the message of Budapest Festival and Tourism Centre (BFTK) aimed at locals and tourists. They shot a beautiful video with this message, which means that the Hungarian capital can only have its special atmosphere thanks to all of us, and the city can’t wait life to return to the streets and community spaces again.

In the video, you can see some of the most amazing sights of our capital: Buda Castle, Heroes’ Square and Széchenyi Baths (with its empty pools).

Although these world-famous, iconic sites are all empty, these are also filled with special dynamism thanks to the dance moves of contemporary choreographer János Feledi and cimbalom artist Miklós Lukács. The dance and music fills hearts with hope and anticipation –help all of us hope that we can see each other in the streets of Budapest again, soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8IDxVQChJU&feature=emb_logo

Like and share our article if you like this message and the video, of course. ;)

Source: nlc.hu

Monsters rule the streets of Budapest - only figuratively, of course

Empty streets of Budapest are filled with fantasy creatures of Hungarian graphic artists.

News

Budnews

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 06:57:09 GMT Wed, 22 Apr 2020 06:57:09 GMT

The streets of Budapest are almost extinct - we have seen beautiful videos about this in recent weeks. Or aren't they? Hype and Hyper design and lifestyle magazine, that focuses on urban life and innovations, invited a couple of Hungarian graphic artists and creators to revive the vacant spaces of the city with their works and fill Bertalan Soós' photos with colors, shapes, their own visual world and creatures.

And the result speaks for itself: colorful charming creatures overwhelmed the underpasses, the quay, Vörösmarty and Deák Squares. On the one hand, pictures show the lovely, colorful face of the city, which unfortunately is hidden now even from the locals, while on the other hand, these pictures can be considered as a curved mirror for society. Like this picture of a pigeon and a granny: in Hungary there is a rule that people over the age of 65 can only go to the shops and pharmacy between 9 AM and 12 AM, while younger people allowed to do so only after 12 AM. And the granny in the picture is ready to defend this prerogative even against pigeons...

Check out the full Hype and Hyper series by clicking here.

Hungarian girl won World Press Photo 2020 in the Environment category

Eszter Horváth won the first prize in the Environment, singles category.

News

Budnews

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:34:04 GMT Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:34:04 GMT

This year’s World Press Photo winners have been announced last week in Amsterdam: the grand prize went to Chiba Yasuyosi, Agence France-Presse’s (AFP) Chief Photographer for East Africa and Indian Ocean for his photo Straight Voice, in which a young Sudanese man recites a poem at a demonstration. But what is even more exciting for us is that a Hungarian photographer, Eszter Horváth won the Environmental category this year.

Eszter has been involved in the photography of the Arctic Sea since 2015, and last year she captured the everyday life of the German research ship Polarstern in the Arctic. On the award-winning image, a polar bear and a cub are curiously examining equipment placed by Polarstern researchers on an ice floe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9C6mHpKMvm/?utm_source=ig_embed

We need to know the background of the image to understand its real meaning: the Arctic harbor is some of the fastest-retreating sea ice on the planet and has twice the average global heating rate. This will strongly affect the global climate in terms of increasing temperatures and sea-level rise, yet Arctic climate system processes are poorly represented in climate models.

Eszter’s photos have already appeared in National Geographic, Geo magazine, the New York Times and Time, and we’re sure we’ll see her unique photos again in many magazines after that. Congratulation!

Beautiful encouraging message to Hungary

If you have only a minute to watch a video today, watch this one, you won’t regret it.

News

Mia Balogh

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:23:03 GMT Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:23:03 GMT

The latest video of Hungarian Tourism Agency (Magyar Turisztikai Ügynökség) is much more than a touristic campaign film. It also has an important message: take care of each other and together we will make it, we can overcome these difficult times, referring to the current coronavirus pandemic.

In the first part of the video, you can see well-known places from all over the country, which are now deserted. Then happy people can be seen who are having fun together. The music is also important, Visszajövök by Bagossy Brothers, which means ‘I come back’.

The short film will be broadcasted on Hungarian national television and various social media platforms, too.

But enough of talking, check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-vGT5FaDMI&feature=emb_logo

Source: sokszinuvidek.hu

Reconstruction of metro line 3 continues

Despite of the coronavirus pandemic, the reconstruction works of the blue metro line in Budapest did not stop.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:21:01 GMT Fri, 17 Apr 2020 07:21:01 GMT

As we have already reported, the reconstruction works of two metro stations on metro line 3, Arany János Street and Ferenciek tere have begun. Check out article about this here: http://budnews.hu/news/News/1601/two-metro-stations-closed-in-budapest-city-centre

According to webradio.hu, demolition work is currently being done in the middle section of this metro line, the so-called blue line, and it is not affected by the current coronavirus pandemic.

On the contrary, the decreasing number of passengers on public transport due to coronavirus actually benefit the construction because conditions for work are more ideal – some works are proceeding faster than expected. According to BKV’s plans, testing processes can begin in the summer.

And if everything will continue as scheduled, the reconstruction of the middle section of the blue metro line will proceed in July: the next step is closing the Corvin-quarter and Semmelweis Clinics metro stations, according to plans.

Népszava has reported that the handover of the section from Népliget to Kőbánya-Kispest is scheduled for fall 2020. And the reconstruction of the whole blue line is hoped to be finished by the end of 2022.

Source: webradio.hu

Budapest - The Silent City

The empty streets and squares are even more captivating thanks to the music – check it out now.

News

Mia Balogh

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:01:04 GMT Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:01:04 GMT

Do you remember Botond Nahimi’s video about the empty streets of Budapest? http://budnews.hu/index.php?node=news&id=1609 Well, he is not the only filmmaker who was inspired by the sheer beauty of our capital: Márton Bohn directed a short film entitled ‘Budapest – The Silent City’ which showcases the deserted streets, squares and trams without passengers.

Sights like the Citadella, Heroes’ Square, the Chain Bridge and the Parliament building and landmarks like Keleti railway station can be seen in the video, and the music is presented by Margaret Island. Singer Viki Lábas is presenting A csend (‘Silence’), lyrics by Péter Gerendás.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drTMdwnGPg0&feature=emb_logo

Oscar-winner Son of Saul’s protagonist, Géza Röhrig works as ambulance worker in New York

When Son of Saul won the Oscar in 2016, the whole world got to know the names of László Nemes Jeles and Géza Röhrig. We haven't heard much about the Hungarian actor since then, as he hasn't become a celebrity and mainly lives in New York. But what's even more surprising is what he's been doing these days during the coronavirus epidemic!

News

Budnews

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:16:35 GMT Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:16:35 GMT

Géza Röhrig, the protagonist of Son of Saul is not sitting at home, waiting the pandemic to end, but working as an ambulance worker in New York! And this is not even the first time for the actor: he had been doing this work seven years ago for about half a year, and he was recently called back by his former boss. He took a six-hour course, because his ambulance exam was expired and then Röhring was able to get back to work. “There are a total of a hundred thousand such people like me, which means that almost every infected registered person “gets” a volunteer, which is pretty good,” - said the actor in a Facebook video.

The actor works at night with the local fire department, doing the work with well-equipped cars.

By the way, devoted work is not new to the actor: Géza Röhrig is working as a corpse-washer for many years in New York, which means he washes bodies before burial. All our respect is his!

Amazing invention: Hungarian breathing machine would breath 50 people at a time

The machine, which also drains the exhaled air from the patient's environment through a filter system, is made in Budapest.

News

Budnews

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:46:11 GMT Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:46:11 GMT

Researchers at the University of Óbuda are working on an amazing development: they are working on a mass ventilator system that works even in camp conditions and solves the breathing of many people at the same time.

Miklós Kozlovszky, Dean of János Neumann Faculty of Informatics, Head of the EKIK BioTech Research Center, came up with the idea of the mass ventilator in the first days of March, before the pandemic was declared. His aim was to save the lives of more people at once, while protecting health workers and reducing the risk of infection. The key to the latter is that the exhaled air is also removed from the patient’s environment through a filter system, so there is a much lower risk of doctors and nurses catching the disease.

"We are designing a mass ventilator that can ventilate up to 5-10-50 or even more people at a time, protects healthcare workers, and can even be operated outside a hospital, in ad-hoc camps, in halls," they write in their briefing.

If the project succeeds, it will change not only the coronavirus situation, but also any epidemic causing similar respiratory problems in the future. And the best part of the story is that they plan to make the product designs available for free, so any company can produce the product in the future!Follow the MassVentil Project on their official Facebook page, because something very big is going on in Budapest!

Hungarians abroad: these are the most Hungarian cities in the world

As you can not come to Hungary for a long time, let's see if you live in one of those cities, where the Hungarian diaspora is large, thus you can enjoy the Hungarian cuisine and culture from home!

Culture

Budnews

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 07:56:40 GMT Mon, 13 Apr 2020 07:56:40 GMT

Unfortunately, this year it's unlikely that many of you will get to Hungary, so we are trying to show you alternatives to feel the Hungarian culture a little closer to you. That is why we have gathered the biggest cities, where there are a lot of Hungarians and so you can find Hungarian restaurants, shops, programs and communities relatively easily. If you live in one of these, you are in luck!

In addition to the Carpathian Basin, most Hungarian people live in the following places:

London

Half of the 350,000 "English Hungarians" live in the capital, London, which means that London is the 5th largest Hungarian city in the world! There are also estimates that says it is second on this imaginary list after Budapest, because probably there are even more Hungarian people in London than the statistic says. In terms of Hungarian population, the first Scottish city on the list is Edinburgh, which is the 10th largest "Hungarian settlement" in the United Kingdom.

Munich

Nearly half of the Hungarians in Western Europe chose Germany, and 75 percent of the approximately 120,000 Hungarians live in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse. Roughly 80% of the members of the Hungarian ethnic group in Germany have been granted German citizenship, which means that there are at least as many people who have settled in the country on a permanent basis.

Cleveland

There is no exact answer to how many Hungarians may live in the United States at present, but it is estimated that there may be more than one and a half million Hungarians who consider the United States their home. Although the American Hungarians are mostly live in small diaspora, but there are still real Hungarian islands, where the local Hungarians form a larger group. Most Hungarian, nearly 200,000 people live in Ohio, including tens of thousands in Cleveland.

Chicago

Another American city with big Hungarian colony: according to the latest statistical statement, which is now a few years old, there are 72,920 Hungarian-speaking individuals from Greater Hungary living in and around Chicago. This means that Chicago is the seventh largest Hungarian city in the world!

Buenos Aires

There are Hungarians in all South American countries, but most people are estimated to have settled in Argentina, with approximately 40 to 50,000 Hungarian people living here, mostly in Buenos Aires. Although the self-identity and language skills of the Hungarian descendants are uncertain in many cases, the organization is still the strongest here. It is estimated that about 10% of South American Hungarians participate in Hungarian community life regularly.

Ducklings learned to swim in Lukács Baths

This baths had the cutest visitors.

News

Mia Balogh

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:42:16 GMT Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:42:16 GMT

The famous baths and spas in Budapest are closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic but Lukács Baths still welcomed some ‘special guests’: over the last weekend of March, a mother duck and her ducklings were spotted in the baths’ outdoor pool.

Luckily, someone managed to take some snaps of the duck mom teaching her little ones to swim, and three pictures were posted on Lukács Baths’ Facebook page with the following caption: ‘Although our spa is closed, our swimming pools are still a hit’.

Until now, the post reached 6.8 thousand reactions, seven thousand shares and 259 comments, with for example someone saying that this is already the post of the year.

https://www.facebook.com/Luk%C3%A1cs-Gy%C3%B3gyf%C3%BCrd%C5%91-%C3%A9s-Uszoda-195505851021738/

Like and share our article if you agree with us that these ducklings are super cute. ;)

5 super exhibitions that you can visit online

Don't worry even if your trip to Budapest has been canceled! We look forward to seeing you in a few months, and in the meantime, week after week, we will gather the experiences you can participate from distance.

News

Budnews

Thu, 9 Apr 2020 07:40:29 GMT Thu, 9 Apr 2020 07:40:29 GMT

We have already collected the best Instagram accounts of the city and the films, books, music and food you that flies you to Budapest immediately, and now we show you 5 mesmerizing exhibitions that you can see from your couch. The text is in Hungarian in most places, but today, fortunately, the built-in translators of the browsers give