Mummy, why is New Year coming in winter and cold? Survive Happy New Year 2013 as a Hungarian

So here we are, after the end of the world (do you remember? it was 21 december 2012), sound and safe, fat after all those Christmas feasts and cookies, and in the usual winter depression. Actually, I never understood why the New Year has to come in the middle of the December-January transition full with darkness, cold, snow and depression... I'd rather have it in spring when the flowers blossom, it would make more sense, wouldn't it?... Anyway, long story short, this is how we do it today and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and see what you need as a Hungarian to glide into 2013 with luck and happiness :)

And… ACTION 2- Hungarian Hollywood: Budapest!

I was curious about the hungarian film-studios who assisted in the many foreign productions and found out that Korda Film Studio – one of the five biggest  film-studios near Budapest is open for visitors. I was really excited about it and on a nice and sunny Sunday afternoon I visited the film-studio in Etyek.  

This our Budapest Contemporary Art Pulse tour

"I am a huge fan of art, the meditations of art history, and generally curious about the culture and accomplished artists in the local scene of any destination that I travel to. Local avant garde, fashion, sculpture, and designer handicrafts are inspiring and allowed for my brain to digest the cultural history absorbed from a traditional tourist agenda...

And… ACTION 1 - Hungarian Hollywood: Budapest!

The star couple in Budapest

Over the last few years Hungary has became home to many international film productions. Two years ago, Angelina Jolie directed her first film in Budapest and a year after that, her husband filmed a zombie movie, called World War Z in Hungary. This summer, another american blockbuster, Die Hard 5 chose Budapest as it’s filming location.

The Coolest Hungarian souvenirs, batch 1.

I love Budapest T-shirt? Naah. I love Hungarian Girls T-shirt? A little bit better, but come on, really? You can do better! We start a series with cool souvenir suggestions - real 21st century Hungaricums, made by Hungarians for travellers and compatriotrs... With love.

Goose Liver Festival in Budapest

Now the festival season is upon us, why not venture up to the Buda Castle for this year's annual Goose Liver Festival. You will have chance to taste all of the Hungarian goose liver dishes Hungary has to offer. These dishes are based both on traditional and redesigned recipes with wines from the Tokaj region (this years guest) and other Hungarian delicacies, at pretty decent prices!

Let the Festivals Begin...!

Many festivals grace the sands of our beautiful country, and with summer fast approaching it is time to start preparing! Here a few of Underguide's favorite festivals...!

Budapest Pálinka Festival 10th-13th May, 2012

The Hunyadi Court in Buda Castle plays host to the spring Pálinka Festival the aim of which is to introduce high-quality Hungarian fruit brandies, pálinka in Hungarian, to both locals and tourists.

Musical programs, concerts enhance the atmosphere during the 4-day event.

This year the focus will be on pálinkas made from apricot.

Daily tickets: 2 000 HUF includes a tasting glass, 4-day pass (includes a tasting glass): 5 500 HUF.

Opening hours: Thurs-Fri: 14.00-02.00, Sat-Sun: 14.00-24.00

More information: Budapest Pálinka Fesztivál

A Doggie Dog World - A Guide to Hungarian Dog Breeds

With Summer venturing just around the corner, walking through Budapest is becoming more and more like a zoo with every new ray of sunshine, as dogs of every breed from Chihuahua to Great Dane roam the streets of Budapest (accompanied by humans, of course). As hundreds of breeds and mixes cross my path, non stand out so much as the Hungarian dogs themselves... 

Dog lovers out there, prepare to fall in love with the 9 top Hungarian dog breeds, starting of course, with the wonderfully mop-like Puli.

One little Piggy... Hungarian Pig Cutting Feast

This weekend was definitely a first for me... throughout my year in Hungary I have experienced many traditions and festivals, but non so intense as the one and only Pig Cutting.

Arriving at the Hunters Hut in southern Hungary (so far South that my phone tried to connect to a Serbian network), I really didn't know what to expect... we hopped out of the car, and before I could even stand up properly, my dog ran over to what looked like a small whale in a cage! This was by far, one of the biggest pigs I had ever come in contact with. I knew that without a doubt, that this was the last night on earth for this little pig... and soon... to be blunt about it... he would be in mine, and many others' bellies!

When a hobby becomes a profession – the way to the professionalism

Energetic, dynamic, well-prepared… and guests love her! Maybe that’s the reason why Eszter Talabér, the young guide of budapestUNDERGUIDE, has been voted the second best in “The Guide of Year” competition. Apropos of this had a chat with Eszter about her career in guiding.


Journalist Szilvia Pasztor interviews Eszter Talabér about this prestigious award...

Is this the future of Restaurants?

This week, I had the pleasure of indulging in many wonderful and delicious restaurants in Budapest (my mother was over), and evening after evening we sought out some of the more unusual and interesting restaurants that Budapest has to offer... 

One evening brought us to 'Sir Lancelot', where the staff dress in medieval costumes, the food consists mainly of large chunks of meat from every animal, the beer comes in 1 liter tankards, fire breathers, belly dancers & sword fighters interrupt the dining and the meal is presented with no cutlery, meaning that in essence, the whole thing is eaten with your hands...! Now, as wonderful as this experience was (and it really was an incredible experience, and I would recommend this to all), the next evening brought an even more unusual gastronomic experience, on the complete opposite side of the 'era' spectrum, with a concept that was completely new and unusual for me... this was the 'Cyber Gastro' known as Kaja.hu.

Kino Cinema & Café

There is a place in Budapest which i really like. A good friend took me there after school, and ever since then we have never stopped going there - before school, after school and instead of school - until it eventually became one of our favourite hangout places in all of Budapest.

Well, I dont really know what it is that makes a bar the perfect hangout, but to me Kino Cinema and Cafe has it all to be one of the best hangouts in town.

Hungarian House of Photography - The embassy of our nation's photographers

Hungarians are everywhere, and amongst the best... We do like to believe this here in the Carpatian basin and in the case of photography this sentence gets quite close to the truth: World wide famous camera holders were born here...

Did you know that Robert Capa's surname means shark in Hungarian (Cápa)? Or did you know that it was the Hungarian photographer Martin Munkácsi to inspire Bresson to start shooting pictures?

Get to know closer everything about Hungarain photography now and then on the English speaking lecture series at the Hungarian House of Photography (Mai Manó Ház).

Janus Winery - A Vineyard like no other..!

During my time in Budapest, I have had the pleasure of tasting many wines, some good - some not so good, but a vineyard that I stuck out to me the most, not just because of the incredible taste of the wine, but the experience it brought with it, was the Janus vineyard in Villány.
My first real Janus experience brought me out of Budapest, into the wonderful region of Villány in southern Hungary, where the 'Janus Szülinapi Borzsongás' (The Janus Birthday Bash) of 2011 was happening.

Pesti Disznó - The first Hungarian Tapas Bar

Ever heard of a traditional/modern Hungarian tapas bar? Neither did I, until, with the help of Underguide, I discovered the wonderfully refreshing ‘Pesti Disznó’ , and a new-yet-traditional interpretation of Hungarian gastronomy.

WAMP - Hungarian Design & Gastro Fair

Having cancelled my weekend snowboarding trip due to a severe case of the man-flu, my Sunday was completely and utterly free, leaving Budapest once again as my snow-covered playground... A little bird told me about a unique contemporary 'design & gastro' fair named WAMP, held only a few tram stops away, so I figured 'Why not?'

Now, I've been to these 'contemporary' markets before, and I've found that often they are simply a meeting place for the quirky, alternative and experimental young artists out there, and even though they intend to invite everyone from every age, profession and social class, they end up attracting the select few who are already involved with this sort of thing. I am happy report that with WAMP, this simply wasn't the case!

Ladies with pearls - Ferenciek tere (square)

Ferenciek tere, a beautiful square right in the heart of Budapest.

If this place had to be person, it would certainly be a noble lady. The elegant shapes, frolic curves and  ornaments of the lofty buildings hide even more surprise inside than the fancy decoration on the facades. Modern integrates perfectly into the old style as the light, steel arcs of the snow-white suspension bridge extend over the Danube.      

Let me introduce you to the twin ladies posing on the two sides of the road, Klotild and Matild. Klotild to the south and Matild to the north are perfectly symmetric images of each other. Their names are half real and half part of urban imagination. The land where the two buildings stand now was bought by Archduchess and Princess Clotilde (precisely Marie Adelheid Amalie Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). She imagined a magnificent gateway to the Elisabeth Bridge; the two buildings, as graceful ladies, welcome people crossing by. The glass paintings are the masterpieces of the Róth Miksa atelier, the one that prepared the glass windows of the House of Parliament, of the Gresham Palace or the National Bank. The towers are topped by the Archduke's crown. 

The Tale of an Irishman's first Budapestian Party..

As an Irish person living in Budapest, it’s easy to see things a little differently than the the hungarians… Particularly the night life… it is safe to say that the Budapest night life is incomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced. Growing up in Dublin, Ireland, the clubs are good, some may even say great, but there are far too many ‘mainstream’ venues that flood the Dublin scene... 

I still remember the first time I discovered one of Budapest’s most underground, untainted (by this I mean not filled with drunk tourists) and absolutely authentic clubs I have ever found…  Corvintető!

New World Order 2012 - Discovering contemporary Hungarian fashion in Budapest

Dora Mojzes

Over the past few years numerous young and talented fashion designer emerged in Budapest and started their own brands to rethink and revitalise the Hungarian fashion scene. Numerous showrooms and fashion stores have been created to offer high quality, unique design clothes for fashion-lovers who are looking for something unusual and unique, not available in bigger ordinary stores.