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.

Ádám Fellegi piano artist's House concert

Ádám Fellegi is one of the most well-known Hungarian piano artists and he has been providing many of us with a unique program. His speciality is giving special house concerts - ring the bell, go upstairs, chat with him and enjoy his performance seated in his living room. 

We said performance, and we mean it. It is not purely like listening to a composer's masterpiece (the plays change every few months) - it is getting involved in the world of that music.

Luca Day - 13 december - Witchspotting and asking for love hints from pigs

Luca did not bring presents, but punished

Eastern Central Europe is a place where Drakula and other scary faces feel at easy - woods, gloomy weather, medieval castles... So considering this, you won't be surprised to read that we have a very famous witch in Hungary, namely Luca. Her figure got mixed up with that of Saint Lucia, the bride of Jesus who lived in Syracusa - and from this not very usual fusion many entertaining and creepy folk traditions and superstitions were born...

First Christmas mood in Budapest- by expat Amrit Chima

 Vörösmarty Tér:
the crowd drinking mulled wine

It’s getting cold here now and the days are becoming shorter and shorter. With only a wink of daylight before the sun dips back below the horizon around 4 in the afternoon, I’m left shivering in the dark beneath my down jacket. But although many grumble about it, I love these wintry days; I head to my favorite café on Andrássy út, to my cozy corner table where I write and meet friends.