July 2019 - Budapest Guide

Formula 1 at Hungaroring on August 4th in 2019

Posted on July 11, 2019July 11, 2019 by Budapest Guide

This year’s Formula 1 race at Hungaroring outside Budapest is getting closer. Are you coming to Budapest to see the race? Do you think Hamilton will win yet another race?

It has almost been all about Mercedes so far in the Formula 1 season so far. Lewis Hamilton and his mate Bottas have won most races so far, but before they all get to Budapest, they will race at Silverstone in England and at Hockenheim in Germany. It was during the Austrian Grand Prix that the first non-Mercedes driver won a Formula 1 race this year (Verstappen), so it will be very interesting to follow the drivers as they come to Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton has a good habit of winning in Hungary, but can he win at Hungaroring once again?

Hungaroring 2019

The main race will be arranged at Hungaroring outside Budapest on August 4th, starting at 14.00. If you want to get to the race it is often easiest to order a taxi from the reception at your hotel. You might just jump on a taxi as well, but that is a risky business and will often turn into a very expensive experience.

Do not forget to start early. There are thousands of Formula 1 fans that will move in the same direction as you before the start of the race, meaning that this often takes a lot of time and it is better to be one hour early than one hour late! Once you leave the venue, there will yet again be thousands of people going in the same direction as you, so it might take some time for you to get back to the center of Budapest again after the race.

Watch the Formula 1 race on TV

Haven’t gotten hold of tickets for the races yet? You can buy them outside the venue as well (that is also risky business). You might be lucky and get some good tickets, but you are most likely to pay a lot for your tickets (much more than you should), and you might even end up with fake tickets, so it is not recommended to go for such a solution.

In other words, if you do not have a ticket for the race yet, maybe you should just watch it on the TV instead. The official broadcaster of Formula 1 in Hungary is M4, and this is a free state-owned channel. So, if you turn on the TV in your hotel room and look for M4, you will most likely find the channel and be able to watch Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, and the rest of the drivers.

You can also watch M4 online at mediaklikk.hu if you do not have a TV in your hotel room or in your apartment.

Other programs in Budapest

If you want to know more about other programs in Budapest, look around here in our Budapest Guide. You can read about fantastic wine dinners, excursions, brewery visits, and guided tours, so you will for sure be inspired and find some cool activities suitable for you as you look around!

Enjoy Budapest while watching the Amazon Original series Hanna

Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019 by Budapest Guide

Sometimes it can be cool to watch a city you love on the TV screen. Nothing can be compared to walking along the Danube in Budapest enjoying the city during daytime and nighttime, but if you cannot do so at the moment, enjoying Budapest on your TV can be very nice as well!

A few days ago, I had the chance of watching the Amazon Original TV series named Hanna. It is based on the movie from 2011 carrying the same name, and it was released earlier in 2019. The first season consists of eight episodes, and it has been recorded in several countries, including Hungary. But, as I started to watch Hanna, I knew nothing about that.

Is that Budapest or not?

During the first episode and the start of the second, I often sat with the feeling that this could have been recorded in Budapest (partly). But, I didn’t see any famous buildings, so I didn’t know anything for sure. But then, towards the end of the second episode, I suddenly lost all doubts and knew that they had to have recorded parts of the Amazon series in Hungary.

The picture above was what made me 100% sure that they had been recording scenes to this series in Hungary. Well, it might not be Budapest, but I at once recognized the peer for the Danube cruises in Szentendre. If you haven’t been to Szentendre yet, you better try it. It is a really beautiful city worth visiting!

They are chatting with the city of Szentendre in the background.

By now, I knew that they had recorded in Hungary, and it was much easier to recognize buildings and to know things for sure after this. Of course, much of the recordings take place in streets hard to know something about for sure, but in the very end of episode 2, those who have left with a plane from Ferihegy 1 in Budapest, will feel at home.

They haven’t used Ferihegy 1 for public flights for quite a lot of years, but it is often used for recording movies and TV shows, and it is very easy to recognize.

And when you get to Hanna season 1 episode 3, you will also see a lot of clips from the Liberty square in Budapest, including the cafe in the middle of the square, the former stock buildings, and also a parking lot in Budapest.

Shooting episode at the cafe in the middle of the Liberty square in Budapest

It is important to know that the story doesn’t take place in Budapest. As a result, they always hide any text that might imply that it is recorded in Budapest. But, if you have a sharp eye and a love for Budapest and Hungary, you will for sure find even more scenes in the Hanna series on Amazon showing different areas and buildings in both Budapest and Hungary.

If you want to know more about Hanna and how you can stream it, check this article on amazonprime.fromabroad.org.

Have you seen Hanna? Or maybe some other TV show or movie packed with scenes from Budapest? Write a comment and let us know about it!

The biggest Jesus statue in Hungary – Blessing Jesus statue in Tarcal

Posted on July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 by Budapest Guide

Hungary is so much more than just Budapest, and since 2015, Hungary and the village of Tarcal has given a home to the biggest Jesus statue of the nation.

You probably don’t have any clue about where Tarcal is located (yet), but let us tell you quickly that the village is located in the Tokaj region, only a few kilometers from the village of Tokaj. And yes, this is in the heart of the wine region, meaning that you will pass by lots of vineyards as you drive around in this fantastic area.

The statue was built after a man named Petró Attila discovered some drawings of a Jesus statue in a chapel not far from the location of the current statue. He then provided the material for the statue, and the sculptor named Sandor Szabo (also from the area) was the one actually creating the statue. It has been made of five large stones and as you stand closer to the statue, you can easily see the five stones placed on one another.

The height of the statue is 8,5 meters and it has a total weight of approximately 50000kg.

The Jesus statue in Tarcal seen standing in front of it

While most Jesus statues is shown with the savior standing with open arms, this open is standing with one arms at his chest, while the other is kind of waving, or showing a blessing towards the people watching.

And yes, the name of the statue is Aldo Jezus Szobor, meaing the Blessing Jesus statue, which means, it is portraying Jesus blessing the people.

How to get to the statue?

As you drive through Tarcal, you will see big signs taking you all the way to the parking lot of the statue. From there you have a 500 meter walk (might feel like a bit more) to get to the actual statue. This is a very nicely built way with lots of benches along the way for those who want to rest before the finish the road. It might not be easy, but you can actually bring your stroller as well, considering that it is quite nice way all the way up to the statue. You might get warm, but it is completely possible!

Once at the top you can enjoy the full statue, and you can also enjoy a beautiful view towards Tarcal on one side, and towards a small hidden lake at the other side.

View towards Tarcal and the rest of Tokaj from the statue.

Beautiful view towards a "hidden" lake just beneath the statue. — Beautiful view towards a “hidden” lake just beneath the statue.

There are several benches up by the statue making this an even better place for an excursion, or for a stop on a pilgrimage trip, or maybe between a couple of wine tasting programs in Tokaj!

For more information about wine tasting programs in Budapest and elsewhere, check this site. Do not forget to share this with your friends on Facebook and if you need any help or have any questions, please write a comment and we will do our best to help you out!