NO WOMAN, NO BUDAPEST - Gwen Stephani and Sissi and more

Gwen Stefani, Sophia Loren, Sissi - three different stunning ladies and all have a connection to Budapest. We found out about this and a lot more on the "Open Art Studios - Women in Budapest' walk organized by budapestUNDERGUIDE.

Nóra Soós - photo by Gabriella Szendrey

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.

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).

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #10 - Museum of Applied Arts

We are at number 10 with the Art Nouveau treasures around in town - this time we visit the Museum of Applied Art, a beauty on the ugly square of Corvin Negyed. Our favourite master, Ödön Lechner and Franz Joseph the "gipsy emperor" are important figures. And breaking news: the cupola of the cupola has been removed recently due to endangering passersby by falling into pieces...

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #9 - Postal Savings Bank

Postal Savings Bank- currently the Hungarian Treasury

Simply the building with the most beautiful roof in Budapest...

Let's see the history of the building and the mastermind of architect behind it!

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #6 - Róth Miksa Memorial House

 The Róth Miksa Memorial Building was closed for August but now it is open again. Oddly, more foreigners are visiting it than Hungarian - Róth Miksa's glassworks and mosaics are world-famous and the memorial house reveals a lot about this artist and his life.

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #3- Art Nouveau House

In this house, from the decoration of the facade, the arrangement of the interior, through the forms of the furniture, the colours of the stained glass to the graceful female figures on the lamps, Art Nouveau fills everything.

Emil Vidor, a student of Ybl, inspired by Belgian Art Nouveau and German Jugendstil, designed mansions villas and houses for the elite. He combined the craft of European masters with Hungarian, historicist elements. As many other architects of the time, he liked to apply Zsonay majolicas for decoration.

Hungarians do not smile but have nice Basilicas - by expat Amrit Chima

The Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert

Daniel took me away from the city to Esztergom.

The city is 28 miles northwest of Budapest where the Danube snakes west toward Austria, forming a natural border between Hungary and Slovakia. From the tenth to mid-thirteenth centuries, Esztergom was the country’s capital and is now the center for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Not much of a shock, then, that the highlight of our trip was a visit to the city’s church, which is also the tallest building in Hungary—The Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St. Adalbert.

I prefer to simply call it The Basilica.

Valley of Arts - a different festival on the Hungarian Mediterrenean

Summer is festival time here in Hungary. There is barely a free weekend to take a beer and chill out in Budapest, since there is always a friend calling you with the tent on her/his back already, ready to convince you to accompany him/her on the train trip to the chosen festival, to reduce your alimentation to beer and hotdog for a few days, to make short dreams in a sleeping bag, to dance in one second to techno and in the next one to heavy rock and to return back with a few things lost, hair in rasta and unknown numbers in your phone...

....................do you feel like escaping?

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #2 - Paris Department Store

You might have come across already one of budapestUNDERGUIDE's Art Nouveau programs (http://szecesszio.eu/en), taken part on a free walk on Saturdays or you might have found one of the treasures on the Urban Geocache game. To get you in the turn of century mood, we will publish from now on regularly something about Art Nouveau, Liberty, Modernismo, Secession, or whatever you might call it in your language.

This week, we will tell you about the Paris Department Store - it is a must-see with its Lotz-room!

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #1- Philantia Flower Shop

Philantia Shop window

You might have come across already one of budapestUNDERGUIDE's Art Nouveau programs (http://szecesszio.eu/en), taken part on a free walk on Saturdays or you might have found one of the treasures on the Urban Geocache game. To get you in the turn of century mood, we will publish from now on regularly something about Art Nouveau, Liberty, Modernismo, Secession, or whatever you might call it in your language.

This week, we have Philantia, a little jewelry box on the menu.

Urban Geocache – Art Nouveau Treasure Hunt

urban geocache - art nouveau treasure hunt

Treasure hunting is cooler than ever - pirates, adventurers and small children have been venturing day by day on new quests in search of that pot of gold, that secret ingredient or the favorite chocolate of theirs. The 21^st century hype, the Geogaching games have revived the excitement of the true outdoor treasure hunts' excitement.

Whats up Budapest? Spa, girls and art is in the air - Regular Underground Partyguide

Boys… I am sure you love spring. Girls slip those baggy clothes & warm trousers off and change them for short skirts, high heels & nice blouses. And girls… you can’t deny you die for the vision of hot guys wearing only one shirt nicely showing their muscles.

Spring is still a few weeks away, but I know a secret place where you can see the beloved other gender already wearing these sexy outfits… That is nothing else than hot parties. Let’s see what we have for this weekend.

Friday

The Budapest New Technology Meetup Group is celebrating its 4^th birthday so what else could done than throwing a party for them. On Friday night Merlin will host all the brightest minds and coolest ideas. Let them be on their wings with a crazy party!

Whats up Budapest? - Regular Underground Partyguide

Even though the partyguide has always been - and will be - a very enthusiastic promoter of Budapest nightlife, this week we have to mention a very sad story related to our beloved partylife. Last weekend three young girls died in West Balkan at a „teenager party” because of the too big crowd. This article is dedicated to their memories and to safer and happier parties.

This weekend some places cancel their parties to remember the three girls. Maybe the best thing in Budapest is that you can always go to a nice pub to have a great chat with your friends – and some beers of course. Here is „pub-list” for the weekend:

Tűzraktér: Artists, wannabe artists, feel-like artists and other nice people are usually sitting in the rooms of Tűzraktér – which rooms are decorated by the same artists, wannabe artist and nice people. Good music, sometimes nice concerts and exhibitions and the only place in town, where you can have a Club Mate!

STRICTLY UNIQUE AND HUNGARIAN! Part 2. - Siberian Eco Shoes and Eco Lamps

Did you know that flat shoes are sexy and they can be bought in Siberia? No, not in Russia, in the Siberia of Budapest. Let me introduce you to Anna Zaboeva  and her world of shoes.

And did you break your favourit mug, or inherited a too worthy porcelain set? Time to turn them into your unique lamps: cut, glue, dream and switch on the light :)

 Discover Hungarian Design Part 2.

Alternative Party Guide - On the path of Budapester intellectuals

This week everybody is ill in Budapest more or less. Coughing, sneezing, fever, bed, sleeping. Did too much party las week and year??? No need to worry, just relax a little. Our selection for this weekend for you is chilly program with cafes, spas and museums. 


On the path of intellectuals
People here are snobbishly proud of the marvellous intellectual heritage accumulated through the centuries, the relentless vibe, the coffeehouse life of which Budapest is the catalyst, the crown, the motor, the centre, the flame – whatever you like. 

STRICTLY UNIQUE AND HUNGARIAN! Part 1. - Hidden design galleries

Ever wondered what that retro small building is in the middle of Gödör? It looks useless, for some strange reason renovated, there are skateboarder guys wooshing back and forth in front of it and sometimes you can catch some exhibitions inside. It is our Design Terminal!

And have you ever thought that th graffity is and three windows in the street of the synagogue hide a design shop and silk screenig atelier?

Discover Hungarian Design Part 1.

whats up budapest? - regular underground partyguide

First of all, sorry for putting the guide on friday evening, internet was far today :) But the night is young and anyway there is tomorrow

Have you ever thought about having weekends in just one period of the year (for example in summer only)? That would be awful. But don't worry, even though  the late summer days we had this November are coming to an end, there are still weekends. This means you can go out, even when it is so hard moving out of the warm and comfortable room.  Keep in mind, weekends are the only time when you can go out and spend the other day with sleeping.