July 2013 - Budapest Guide

Budapest in August

Posted on July 27, 2013November 27, 2013 by Budablogger

August is just around the corner and if you are coming to Budapest in August, you might be wondering what’s going on and what activities and programs you should not miss for the world.

If that is you, then keep on reading. As you pack your suitcase for your trip to Budapest, make sure to bring some sun lotion, shorts and some clothes in which you can enjoy temperatures getting close to and sometimes above 35 Celsius.

Events in August
There are quite a lot of things happening in Budapest in August, and here you can read about the most important events taking place.

Sziget Fesztival
The biggest and most important event taking place in Budapest in August is the Sziget Fesztival. This is arranged at Hajogyari sziget (island), a bit to the north of the Margaret Island. This festival is visited by almost 500,000 people and more than 400 bands, groups and artists make sure the festival turns into the party of the year in Hungary.

Sziget fesztival 2013: August 5th – August 11th

Hungarian National Day
Hungary has three national days, but the biggest of these is St. Stephens Day which is celebrated on August 20th. This is the only national day with no political interest, so normally this is a very peaceful day with cool programs and activities. The highlight of the day is at 21.00 when there is a beautiful firework show along the Danube. More than 1,000,000 people come to the Danube to watch this show, so if you want a good place to watch the show from, make sure to arrive around 20.00. If you want to watch the fireworks from the best places available, book a room in one of the top five star hotels along the Danube, for example Marriott.

Jewish Summer Festival
This festival which celebrates the Jewish culture, music and food is arranged every year and is a very important festival in the life of the citizens in Hungary. There are quite a lot of venues in use for this festival, but the main area is in the seventh district of Budapest, near the Synagogue in Dohany street.

Jewish Summer Festival 2013: August 25th – September 2nd

Handicraft Festival
The Handicraft festival, also known as the Festival of Folk Arts, is arranged in the Castle of Buda, or at least around it. At this festival you can see the finest of Hungarian handicrafts, so be prepared to see beautiful hand painted eggs, wood crafting and similar beauties. In addition you can listen to Hungarian folk music, see folklore performances and get a taste of some traditional Hungarian festival food at this festival.

Handicraft festival 2013: August 17th – August 20th

Other recommended August activities
The mentioned programs and festivals might have been the most important, but there are lots of other programs worth checking out while in Budapest. A river cruise on the Danube is always a winner, and an excursion to Szentendre or some wine tasting should be done if you are not familiar with the wonderful taste and diversity existing inside the wine production of Hungary. If you want even more tips, read our article about Budapest in July which contain lots of advises valid for August as well.

These were just some tips and advises to those coming to our beautiful city in August. If you have further advises, experiences or thoughts that you believe could be interesting for people coming to Budapest, write a comment and share your insight!

Bubble festival in Budapest (Buborék Fesztivál)

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Budapest Guide

This weekend a Bubble festival (Buborék Fesztivál) is arranged in Budapest at the Elisabeth square, next to the popular club Akvarium.

The opening day of the festival was yesterday and it will last until tomorrow, so if you have the chance, drop by the square to see what this cool festival has to offer. The program is going on at the square from 14.00 until 02.00 and at the square there will be concerts, DJ and lots of bubbles to drink. Because after all, bubbles is what the festival is about, bubbles in drinks.

That again means that at the festival which has free entrance you can taste champagne, sparking wine, prosecco and lots of other tasty and famous drinks. As the sun goes down, the party starts, so this might be one of the best places if you want to party and dance before and after midnight!

The Buborek fesztival is arranged for the second time this year, first time was in 2012. Hopefully that means that it was a success in 2012 and that it is a festival that we can count on in the years to come!

Bubble festival 2013 (Buborék fesztivál 2013)

July 26th-28th
Erzsebet square

Going to be real hot this weekend!

Posted on July 24, 2013November 28, 2022 by Budapest Guide

In June we had some days with extreme heat in Budapest, and in the coming days it is coming back again, and it might get even warmer.

The National Weather company has reported that temperatures are expected to rise to more than 35 Celsius, maybe even to 40 Celsius in some places. Here you can see what temperatures are expected the next seven days, according to Met.hu.

Weather in Budapest — Temperatures expected in Budapest until July 31st

In such warm weather it is important to drink enough, find some shade and then relax some more. A popular place to visit on such days is the St. Stephens Basilica and the beach at the Margaret Island. Do not forget to use sun lotion, and if possible, stay away from the sun between 11.00 and 15.00.

Read more about the climate in Budapest and Budapest average temperatures.

Barbecue and spriccer festival – pictures

Posted on July 21, 2013 by Budapest Guide

This weekend visitors to the Kopaszi Dike can enjoy the barbecue and spriccer festival. If you are in town at the moment, visit the festival this evening and enjoy the great atmosphere.

Here you can see some pictures from the festival to see what you will miss if you do not visit the festival.

Barbecue and spriccer festival pictures

Ancient burial masks at the National Museum

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Have you ever thought about that what do you want to do in 2013 summer? Unfortunately at lots of places the weather is not suitable to beach, so we recommend you the beautiful and special cities’ discover firstly.

There are so many interesting attractions in a foreign country’s capital or other cities, but when the temperature reaches the 30 or more degrees, people would like to spend their free time at the beach or in a spa, but not in a museum. But here comes the time, and the capital of Hungary, Budapest knows it!

In the center city, exactly at the Hungarian National Museum at the Múzeum Boulevard there are lots of incredibly interesting exhibition in this year. One of them is the best temporary exhibition, the Ancient burial masks exhibition, which is available between 22 June and 13 September 2013. At the exhibition visitors could know more about the conquistador Hungarians’ funerary customs. It is known, that the Hungarians lubricated the dead people faces’ with a special material, what harden during the years and became a mask. Unfortunately, today there are only ten masks, and those, who visit the National Museum for this fantastic exhibition, could see photos about these.

Spend some lovely day in the capital of Hungary, Budapest and meet with the Hungarians’ habits and culture! Have a great time!

Ancient burial masks
Hungarian National Museum
June 22th – September 13th

Manu Chao concert in Budapest 2013

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Budapest Guide

Another famous star will visit our country on 7 September 2013, Manu Chao! His music is very colorful; he sings in French, Spanish, Arab, Portugal, English and Wolof language, he frequently changes the language in one song.

In his lyrics the topics include love, life in a ghetto and immigration. He openly undertakes his political views in his art too. He uses lots of music style, for example Rock and Roll, French chanson, salsa, reggae, ska and Algerian raï. These influences reached him with the French immigrates, the Spanish contacts, but mostly when he traveled to Middle-America after the band Mano Negra broke up. Manu Chao is well known member of the alternative music community in Paris, however he is not famous in the whole world.

José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao or Manu Chao was born in 21 June 1961 in Paris. However, his parents are Spanish; Manu was already born in Paris, because the family fled from the home country because of Franco’s dictatorship. His career started in Paris too. He was the member of several popular French alternative band before the foundation of Mano Negra.

He played in Hungary 5 years ago, and who knows when will be the next time, so do not think about it twice, if you are a real music fan too. The atmosphere will be revolutionary. So do not miss Manu Chao on 7 September 2013 on the Budapest Park’s stage! Have fun!

Manu Chao Budapest 2013
September 7th
Park Budapest

Van Gogh exhibition in Budapest

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Budapest Guide

If you visit to Budapest before 30 November in 2013 make sure to visit the Vam Design Center where you can experience a marvellous exhibition named Vincent Van Gogh’s Dreams.

The famous artist’s 200 paintings are exhibited in a special form, renewed with the most modern technic in 3D form. The artist’s most famous paintings renewed with digital technic, so the visitors could see the masterpieces as the artist originally imagined and painted the original colors. The pictures were printed in photo form with the best lights. There are 7 3D animations in the exhibition, and through them Vincent Van Gogh’s works are become explored again, new stratums and details come to life. The exhibition’s visitors get 3D glasses and with these you could enjoy the amazing animations.

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most outstanding persons of the post-impressionism. The specifics of his work are human’s and creator’s suffer. The impressionists didn’t recognized and laughed at him, but in his paintings there are all the future arts’ signs. He was one of the artists, who became famous after his death.

To visit this exhibition will be quite different from visiting a normal museum, so why not pay it a visit and experience this unforgettable (hopefully) exhibition.

Van Gogh exhibition
Until November 30th, 2013
Vam Design Center

Gábor Ősz exhibition at the Ludwig Museum

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Budapest Guide

People usually say that the capital of Hungary, the scenic Budapest is the most beautiful in the period of late spring and summer. At this time everybody is on the outside and enjoy the sunshine. There are lauds of open air programs and other exhibitions in the city, for example the exhibition of Gábor Ősz in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest. He is a Hungarian photographer lives and works in Amsterdam.

Gábor Ősz was born in 1962 in a Hungarian city, Dunaújváros. He started his studies in 1982 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hungary, and he graduated in 1986. He started his work in Hungary, but he moved to the capital of Netherland, Amsterdam in the 90s, and he lives and works here. Moreover he had exhibition in France and in the United States of America too. His beloved picture composing device is the camera obscura or the hole camera, the gist of which is that light gets into a dark cell or box through a tiny hole, and this light draws the upside-down image of the outer world within the camera obscura, on the side opposite the hole.

The artist’s newest exhibition will be in the capital of Hungary, in Budapest at the Ludwig Museum between 26 July 2013 and 3 November 2013. If you will spend some days on Budapest during this period, you definitely should visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art and let the works of talented Hungarian photographer enchants you. Have a great time!

Gábor Ősz exhibition
July 26th – November 3rd
Ludwig museum