Budapest's Finest 2018 Summer by Budapest Brand Nonprofit Zrt.

FRIDA KAHLO's works debut in Hungary

Back in the saddle in the city

SUMMER | 2018

The Captivating Castle District

culinary adventures in budapest

the five star city guide

Free pu bl ic ation

At Budapest's Gate: Visegrád & Esztergom

Photo: © Szilvia Csibi

introduction

The welcoming metropolis

Budapest, the spice of Europe!

Our city Budapest is one of Europe’s safest capitals, with a thriving economy, vibrant cultural life, and a position on the Danube with its surrounding hills that is truly amazing. Budapest is located in the middle of the continent, and is easily reachable from anywhere, be it by air or land or water. Our welcoming city is large without being too big either. The city is at once beautiful, filled with life, vivid with a unique atmosphere, and contains many opportunities for growth. Budapest and Hungary are increasingly conscious of their distinct and attractive identities.

With the articles in our summer edition we invite our readers to explore the most beautiful points of the capital of Hungary and its environs. That is not to say that beauty is Budapest’s only virtue! As a destination, Budapest can be considered the spice of Europe. It is no coincidence that our wonderful capital city captures the hearts of all who visit! This is a city of the young, where all visitors are youthfully rejuvenated in the city’s bustle, its terraces, the promenade on the banks of the Danube, on Margaret Island or in the centre of the city. These locales affect visitors of all ages.

Budapest can become Europe’s new hub, ensuring outstanding quality of life for its residents and visitors. It is a home and engine for innovation, constantly attracts economic players, is fertile ground for scientific and political dialogues reflecting on the future, and an authentic space for creating and introducing cultural works. Budapest is a place that will increasingly host significant international events, where our strengthening universities draw increasing numbers of local and international students, and where we can live an inspiring, safe and user-friendly life in the city.

Bustle and the variety of choice spice up the days of both tourists and local residents. Budapest awaits all its visitors all summer with open arms, be they solitary travellers, groups of friends, or official guests at business meetings or conferences. The city offers them numerous specialities and unforgettable days that will entice them to visit again.

Should you visit Budapest for only a few days or for a longer period, I wish you a pleasant and memorable stay enriched with wonderful memories. Balázs Fürjes State Secretary for Budapest and the Agglomeration

Intellectual and cultural life in the Budapest summer is very rich, with open air concerts, theatre shows and gastronomic specialties making the city exceptionally attractive. In this issue we present District I, which is rich in historical monuments. Its highlight is the ever-reborn and breathtakingly beautiful Buda Castle, which is a favourite destination for tourists. Look into the tiny confectioneries and cafés, but don’t leave out the now 80-year-old Margaret Island Open-air Stage, which hosts concerts and presentations by global stars in a spectacular setting. We visit the restored cellars of a palace, where, during wine dinners, we can get to know the finest-tasting wines Hungary has to offer. We review the recently renovated National Riding School, looking back over the history of Hungary’s famous equestrian sports. Budapest: the spice of Europe. In the upcoming days and weeks you are likely to encounter this new slogan of Budapest tourism. To convince you of its accuracy, I wholeheartedly recommend the articles in our magazine. Teodóra Bán Director Budapest Festival and Tourism Center 1

2018 | Summer

CONTENT

The Buda Castle District

At Budapest's Gate: Visegrád & Esztergom 18 20 23 26

Cultural quarter

City Guide

Frida Kahlo's works debut in Budapest 30 A jubilee season on Margaret Island 34 RIgoletto: Giuseppe Altomare 's iconic role 35 Erwin Schrott at the Summer Festival 38 Cesare Lievi at the Budapest Wagner Days 40 The Armel Opera Festival 42

At Budapest's Gate: Visegrád and Esztergom

Frida Kahlo's works debut in Budapest

Back in the saddle in Budapest

A regal residence

Visegrád - watching over the Danube Esztergom: the birthplace of King Saint Stephen Lósi Major

Buda Castle, where past and present meet 4

Back in the saddle in Budapest Culinary walks for the sweet of tooth Tasting Table wine dinners The winemaking women of Tokaj Programme corner

46 52 56 58 62

On the cover: The Matthias Church with the Holy Trinity statue (Photo: © István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu)

To see the location on the map, simply scan the QR code with your smartphone.

HE ADER

Formula 1 Magyar Nagydíj 2018 Budapest 27-29 July

Ticket hotline:

+36 1 266 20 40 +43 1 796 94 90 www.gpticketshop.hu www.gpticketshop.com

4 Photo: © István Práczky

Buda Castle, where past and present meet The centuries have left their mark on Buda Castle and its surroundings, which make up the Castle District, which itself is a significant portion of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is central Budapest. The dominant part of Budapest’s District I, it has been rebuilt from ruins time and again, and preserves the treasures of previous eras as new developments continue to mould it. As the royal seat and the country’s administrative centre for centuries, Buda Castle has played a significant role in Hungarian history. But it may come as a surprise to discover that of the three cities that united to form Budapest in 1873, this was the youngest. Óbuda to the north and Pest across the Danube were both built onto Roman ruins, but Castle Hill only began to be settled in the mid-13th century. Pest and the royal seat in Óbuda were razed during the Mongolian invasion of 12411242, consequently King Béla IV established a new town and fortress on Castle Hill in 1243 for the German settlers from Pest.

A panoramic view of Buda Castle from Gellért Hill

A regal residence

Photo: Viktória Fürjes

Text: András Oláh

Construction commenced on the territory of today’s royal palace in the mid-1300s. Begun under Louis the Great, work gained momentum in the 15th century during the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg and later Matthias Corvinus, under whose rule Buda enjoyed its golden age. Matthias’s court was considered a centre of renaissance scholarship and art. His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, estimated to hold 2,500 volumes, was famous across Europe, with only the Vatican Library being larger than it. 6

The Buda C a s tl e dis trict

At this time the population of Buda was roughly equally split between Germans and Hungarians. The vibrant and lively commercial hub also had important Italian and Jewish communities. Following the loss at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I looted the capital, albeit it was only in 1541 that Buda Castle and the country’s middle third became part of the Ottoman Empire for the next 145 years. The conquerors built mosques and baths, and added towers and bastions to the fortress, most of which have survived into the present. After multiple unsuccessful sieges, the Holy League organised by Pope Innocent XI retook the castle in 1686 after a months-long struggle, but due to the battle and fires nearly all of the medieval palace and town were destroyed.

with the Vice-Regal Council relocated into the buildings formerly occupied by the Franciscans and Clarisses. The Royal Chamber responsible for finances moved into part of the Jesuits’ buildings, while the military command moved into the Carmelite monastery. These institutions, and from 1867 their successors, the Ministries of the Interior, Finance and Defence operated in the Castle District until the end of World War II.

The earliest surviving depiction of Buda from the famous Nuremberg Chronicle

A page from a Corvinae volume with King Matthias’s portrait

From the good old days into darkness Life began anew in the reconquered city, as the new residents used the medieval cellars and walls to construct their new buildings, and a baroque city grew up based on the medieval street network. The military and church were the first to claim Buda, as the Jesuits, Franciscans, Clarisses and Carmelites built monasteries. The castle’s past as a centre of education was reinforced when Empress Maria Theresa relocated the Hungarian Royal University from Nagyszombat into the rebuilt but unused Royal Palace. Buda once again became Hungary’s capital during the reign of Emperor Joseph II (1780-1790) by replacing Pozsony (today Bratislava). The king disbanded the religious orders that operated in the castle and moved important government administrative bodies into their former monasteries, 7

pied Hungary, and in October that year the fascist Arrow-Cross formed a government with their support. The Nazi and Arrow-Cross terror was ended by the Red Army, who besieged Budapest over the winter of 1945 for nearly two months. The city suffered greatly, with only one building in the Castle District escaping without any damage.

The equestrian statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy

The Matthias Fountain depicting a hunting party, by Alajos Stróbl

Buda embodied continuity until World War II. The 1848 Revolution that began on 15 March ended peacefully, as the protestors that compiled the 12 points for reform had their demands accepted by the Vice-Regal Council. The Habsburg Empire later provoked an armed conflict, however, and the castle which was in Austrian hands was only liberated by the Hungarian Army in May 1849 after a 17-day siege. The anniversary of this day, 21 May, is the annual commemoration day for the Hungarian Defence Forces. Two decades later, in 1867, the Habsburg Empire and the Hungarians agreed to the Great Compromise. To demonstrate the founding of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Emperor Francis Joseph was crowned King of Hungary in the Matthias Church, and Empress Elisabeth was crowned queen-consort. Following World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Royal Palace became the residence of Admiral Miklós Horthy, Hungary’s governor. The Castle District also provided the locations for the embassies of Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, the Vatican and the Knights of Malta. In the final years of World War II, the castle was witness to dramatic events. On 19 March 1944 German troops occu-

The Castle District provided a home to culture, science, tourism and hospitality in the final four decades of the 20th century. The turn of the millennium brought with it some changes as well, since the Sándor Palace on Szent György Square became the Office of the President. Recently, the idea of restoring the Castle District’s administrative role has been suggested. The former Hungarian Defence Forces Headquarters was renovated, and following reconstruction works the adjacent Carmelite Monastery will become the new location for the Office of the Prime Minister. Plans have also been drawn up to relocate other ministries as well. As a part of the Liget (City Park) Project, the Hungarian National Gallery will relocate from the Royal Palace, and the palace’s reconstruction can commence. Those planning to walk through the Castle District should start at Clark Ádám Square on the Buda side of the Chain Bridge by the roundabout. This is where the “0” kilometre stone is, which was created by Miklós Borsos, and represents the

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

On the cusp of changes

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

The Buda C a s t l e dis t rict

Wandering the cobblestones Maria Theresa’s former palace was expanded between 1896 and 1905 with new wings based on the plans of Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann. After 1956 the complex was modernised to house the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and the National Széchényi Library. The History Museum’s permanent collection draws upon a rich collection of artefacts to illustrate Budapest’s and its predecessors’ more than thousand-year history, as well as Buda

The Sándor Palace is the official residence and office of the President of Hungary

The main entrance to the National Széchényi Library located in the Lions Courtyard

Photo: oszk.hu

starting point for the distances measured on most of Hungary’s major roads. Another interesting feature located here is the adjacent Buda Castle Funicular. Rising 50 metres on a 95-metre track, it was modelled on the one in Lyon and was the second in the world, opening in 1870. Next to its lower station on the castle wall the Grand Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hungary can be seen. This work by Károly Lotz, dating to 1808, features Francis Joseph’s motto: "Virtutis Confido" (“My trust in the ancient virtue”).

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu Photo: btm.hu

The Buda Castle Funicular’s lower entrance along with the 0 Kilometre Stone

Medieval wall remnants located inside the Budapest History Museum

Castle’s 800-year history. The Budapest Card provides free entry to the museum. The National Gallery, which is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, documents Hungarian visual arts and is Hungary’s largest public collection, while the National Széchényi Library collects written and printed materials about Hungarian culture. The library contains many medieval texts, and 50 surviving volumes from Matthias’s library. From the palace head north on Szent György Street to Dísz Square, which was a market square in the Middle Ages, and received its name from the palace’s honour guard who paraded here in 18th-19th centuries. In the middle of the square stands György Zala’s Honvéd monument in memory of the castle’s recapturing in 1849. The Fehérvár round bastion nearby features an equestrian statue of Artúr Görgey, who led the successful siege, which was sculpted by László Marton according to a design by György Vastagh Jr. The Old Hussar statue on Dísz Square’s corner by Zsigmond Kisfaludy Stroble stands in memory of Maria Theresa’s legendary Hungarian mounted forces. The Holy See’s embassy operated between the two world wars in the Habsburg Palace at 4-5 Disz Square. Papal Nuncio Angelo Rotta, who helped save many of the persecuted during World War II, had his office there. The Tóth Árpád Promenade, which offers pan-

Photo: Viktória Fürjes

The Buda C a s t l e dis t rict

Kapisztrán Square have hosted the Hungarian Military Institute and Museum since 1927. Országház Street, which runs parallel to Úri Street, ends at the Anjou Bastion, where the last pasha of Buda, Abdi Pasha the Albanian, Photo: Viktória Fürjes

oramic views of the Buda Hills and Krisztinaváros below begins here and then heads north. From the steps found along this path one can descend to the Hospital in the Rock Museum on Lovas Street, which operated during the Siege of Budapest and was later transformed into an atomic bunker during the Cold War. The Budapest Card offers a 30 percent discount there. Úri Street, which also begins at Dísz Square, heads all the way to the Castle District’s northern end. Along the way on the corner of Szentháromság Street the equestrian statue of the 18th century Hussar General András Hadik stands, which was sculpted by György Vastagh. As one of Maria Theresa’s military commanders, Hadik captured Berlin during the Seven Years’ War, then forced the Prussians to pay a ransom for it. Across the street the restaurant Jamie’s Italian, named after the famous British chef, recently opened. A few buildings over the capital’s oldest confectionary, the Ruszwurm, can be found, which has continuously operated in this location since 1827. Formerly a high society destination, the confectionary featuring original Biedermeier furniture is noted primarily for its krémes (a custard, whipped cream and puff pastry dessert). Úri Street ends at Kapisztrán Square at its northern end. The Franciscan warrior monk Saint John of Capistrano, after whom it is named, assisted with his army in the defence of Nándorfehérvár (today Belgrade) in 1456, which was under siege by the Ottomans. The Nádor Barracks at

The Tóth Árpád Promenade on the Castle District’s western side

The equestrian statue of Field Marshal András Hadik

The Buda Castle District’s symbol: the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle (popularly known as the Matthias Church) and the Holy Trinity statue

The statue of Pallas Athene on the corner of the old Buda town hall

fell in battle with a memorial marking the spot. Országház Street’s intersections with Kard and Fortuna Streets appeared in Woody Allen’s 1974 film Love and Death, as the building stood in for 19th century Saint Petersburg. Országház Street also leads to Szentháromság Square, which has a baroque Trinity memorial in its centre. The square’s defining feature is the Matthias Church, which is officially known as the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, and which dates back to when the castle was built. Frigyes Schulek’s reconstruction works completed in 1893 gave it its present-day appearance. The adjacent neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion was completed in 1905, with an equestrian statue of King Saint Stephen designed by Alajos Stróbl standing before it. The old Buda city hall’s baroque building stands at Szentháromság Square’s southwestern corner. On the building’s corner on the first floor a statue of Pallas Athene stands, holding a shield emblazoned with Buda’s coat of arms.

Photo: Viktória Fürjes

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

Another square opens from the northeast corner of Szentháromság Square, which is named after András Hess, the 15th century printer who produced the Chronica Hungarorum in 1473, which was the first book printed in Hungary. The square is dominated by the Hilton Budapest Hotel that opened in 1976 according to plans by Béla Pintér, which sought to blend the medieval and modern. The hotel’s site was previously a Dominican Monastery erected in honour of Saint Nicholas. This monastery’s surviving church tower is situated between the hotel’s two buildings. Heading north from Hess András Square is Táncsics Mihály Street, which is named after the political prisoner who was held in the Joseph Barracks and Prison at no. 9 before his release in 1848. The building, as well as the neighbouring ErdôdyHatvany Palace, are situated on the former site of the medieval royal residence. According to certain sources, this baroque palace completed in 1769 once hosted Beethoven, who donated two pianos to Countess Anna Mária Erdôdy in 1808. At present the building houses the Institute for Musicology, the Archives for 20th-21st Century Hungarian Music, as well as the Bartók Archives. In Mátthias’s era, 26 Táncsics Street was the residence of the Jewish prefecture’s leaders, while in the Turkish era Syrian Sephardic Jews constructed a temple on the site. Fortuna and

Photo: Gyöngyi Sztudva

The Buda C a s t l e dis t rict

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

Táncsics Streets meet at Bécsi kapu Square, where the eclectic, neo-baroque Lutheran Church of Buda Castle stands. The National Archives of Hungary rises on the square’s northern side. This richly decorated building, with its Zsolnay tiledroof, has collected and protected written records and documents since 1753.

Víziváros beneath Castle Hill On the northern and eastern slopes of Castle Hill one can find Víziváros (“Water Town”), which during the 1686 siege was completely obliterated. In the 18th century this area was revived as the Upper and Lower Market Square on the site of today’s Batthyány and Szilágyi Dezsô Squares. Multiple baroque buildings survive from this era, as does the majority of the palaces erected along the Danube in the 19th century. Batthyány Square is named after the first Prime Minister of Hungary, Count Lajos Batthyány, who became prime minister during the 1848-1849 Revolution and Failed War of Independence. His statue stands at the square’s southern end, holding the April Laws in his hand. At the opposite, northern end of the square is a statue of Ferenc Kölcsey, who composed the words to the National Hymn. The defining building on this end is the baroque church complex consecrated in 1757. On Joseph II’s command, nuns from the Order of the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth who cared for the sick were relocated here and the building was restructured as a hospital, which today operates as a retirement home. The Parish Church of Saint Anne at the square’s southern end was consecrated in 1761 to replace the medieval parish church destroyed during the Turkish occupation. Since the square

Looking down a street in the Castle District towards the Lutheran Church

The Ruszwurm is Buda’s oldest confectionery

Photo: .wikimedia.org Photo: Dániel Kovács - wikipédia.hu

The former Fehér Kereszt Inn on Batthyány Square

Photo: budapestinfo.hu

A French atmosphere on Fô Street, at the Pavillon de Paris and the French Institute of Budapest

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

was filled in the 19th century, the ground level of many of the baroque buildings is below the current street level. The Fehér Kereszt Inn operated in the 18th century in the residential building at 4 Batthyány Square, where according to legend in 1757 the Venetian adventurer Giacomo Casanova stayed while soothing his gout with Buda’s healing waters (and running off with one of the maids, true to his reputation). In addition to numerous other famous guests, Joseph II also stayed at the house on two occasions, while Beethoven is said to have listened in wonder in the upstairs ballroom to the playing of the Gypsy violinist János Bihari. Budapest’s VI. Market Hall stands on the square’s south-eastern end, which today houses a supermarket and other stores. The square is also an important transportation hub, for beneath the surface in 1972 an M2 metro station and the H5 suburban railway terminal began operating, which are complemented by the multiple bus and tram lines that also touch the square. Heading south on Fô Street or Bem Embankment we will find the Reformed Church named after the Justice Minister and Reformed Church provost Dezsô Szilágyi, which was built with bricks in a neo-gothic style according to plans by Samu Pecz in 1896. A fountain decorated with a statue of the architect stands on the square, who in addition to designing the National Archives’ building also planned the Great Market Hall and the Reformed Church on Városligeti Avenue. Continuing on Fô Street, we will arrive to Corvin Square, which has the atmosphere of a baroque small town. At its southern end one can find the Capuchin church and friary. Following multiple reconstruction works, the church gained its current appearance in 1856 based on Ferenc Reitter’s plans. The square’s northern end features the Budai Vigadó Concert Hall, which like the Pesti Vigadó host-

The Budai Vigadó Concert Hall

Photo: Viktória Fürjes

The Buda C a s t l e dis t rict

The café and interior of the Ybl Kreatív House in Buda

Saint Stephen’s Basilica and the Hungarian State Opera House, he also planned the Main Customs House (today Corvinus University’s main building), the church at Bakáts Square, as well as the Castle Garden Bazaar and Castle Garden Palace, in addition to numerous apartment buildings. The recently renovated Castle Garden Bazaar hosts family programmes and concerts, while its southern wing hosts a permanent exhibit on World War I. The northern wing hosts temporary exhibitions of fine art. The V4 House that also operates here will be used to host talks and conferences (and various scholarly and cultural events) while Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Visegrád Group that consists of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Várkert Palace opposite the Garden Bazaar will reopen this year as the Ybl Buda Creative House.

Photo: Viktória Fürjes

ed concerts, balls, and large social events. Since 1952 this eclectic building has helped preserve Hungarian folk music and dance, provided a home to the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, and has operated as the Hungarian Heritage House since 2001 with the mission of collecting, documenting, processing and preserving folk traditions from the Carpathian Basin. Following large-scale renovation works, it will reopen in September 2018. The French Institute located nearby on the corner of Fô and Pala Streets has operated since 1991 in a building deigned by Georges Maurios. The institute also includes the Pavillon de Paris bistro, which is worth noting for those looking to enjoy French cuisine. The southern end of Víziváros is Ybl Square, and a statue by Ede Mayer commemorates the architect after whom it was named. The architect for

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

The Aranyszarvas House’s decorated entrance

Tabán is located at the southern end of Castle Hill in a valley between Gellért and Nap Hills, under which the covered Ördög Stream flows. This area received its name, which derives from the word Tabakhane, during the Ottoman occupation, in reference to the workshops belonging to curriers and tanners. After the Turks were evicted, Hungarians and Germans, as well as Serbs fleeing the Ottoman Empire settled here, who also provided the area with its other name, Rácváros (“Serb Town”). Residents performed agricultural work on the surrounding slopes, of which viniculture was prominent. Wines produced here were sought after as far away as England, but the phylloxera blight of the 1880s destroyed the vineyards. This neighbourhood, which had a village-like feel to it and consisted of single-story houses, was levelled in the first half of the 20th century, despite its popularity with the Photo: bgyh.hu

The Turkish bath in the renovated Rudas Thermal Baths

Tabán

artistic crowd that led some to call it Budapest’s Montmartre. Planned to become a bathing centre, World War II placed the plans on hold, which later never came to fruition. Among the handful of surviving buildings from this area is the Arany Szarvas (Golden Stag) House, which gave Szarvas Square its name, and which since 1695 has operated as a pub, later becoming a centre for Serb and Hungarian literary life in the 19th century. On the eastern side of Váralja Street, which winds up to the Royal Palace, stands a building erected in the late 1700s in which the doctor Ignác Semmelweis (1818-1865), “the saviour of mothers” was born. Semmelweis was noted for introducing disinfection standards in the hospital where he worked, which dramatically lowered incidences of childbed fever. His work was only acknowledged after his death, however, when Louis Pasteur confirmed his germ theory. The Semmelweis Museum now operates in this building. The Attila Road church in Tabán was converted from a mosque built by Musztafa Szokollu Pasha in 1566 into a Catholic church in the 18th century, consecrated in honour of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Döbrentei Square, which was built around the Buda bridgehead of the reconstructed Elisabeth Bridge in 1964, features of a statue of Empress Elisabeth by György Zala. Above the waterfall at the bridge’s end is the seven-metre tall statue of the Bishop Saint Gellért (Gerard) by Gyula Jankovits. The hill’s namesake was an 11th century Benedictine priest from Venice who was an important ally of Saint Stephen’s. Following Stephen’s death, he was captured during the pagan uprising of 1046, and according to legend thrown from the hill at the spot where his statue now stands. Multiple thermal springs can be found at the foot of Gellért Hill, the waters of which have been used for millennia to heal. The Rudas Thermal Bath dates back to the Roman era, while in the Middle Ages the Knights Hospitaller erected a church and hospital on the site. King Matthias connected it to the Rác Baths and the Royal Palace with a covered corridor, and in 1572 Musztafa Szokollu converted it into a thermal bath. The Budapest Card offers holders a 20 percent discount on admission.

Krisztinaváros Following Buda’s recapture from the Turks, the area west of Castle Hill was kept for military purposes until the end of the 18th century, when the ban on construction in the area was lifted through the intervention of Maria Theresa’s daughter Archduchess Maria Christina. The area was then named after her in gratitude. 16

The oldest building that can be found here is the chapel built in 1694 by a chimneysweep in gratitude that his family survived the plague. The image of Mary brought back from a pilgrimage to Italy survived the chapel burning down in 1723 unscathed, so that the rebuilt chapel itself became a site of pilgrimage, which Maria Theresa herself visited in 1751. Expanded into the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, it was the site for the marriage between the greatest Hungarian, Count István Széchenyi and Crescence Seilern. Perpendicularly across the intersection the Budai Színkör Theatre once stood in the Horváth Garden Park, which originally opened as a Germanlanguage theatre before becoming a summer theatre until it closed in 1937. Hungary’s rich theatre history is preserved nearby at 17 Krisztina Körút in the Hungarian Theatre Museum and Institute. The district’s north-western area features the Vérmezô (“Blood Meadow”) park, which received its name after the seven leaders of the Hungarian Jacobin movement (which was committed to overthrowing Habsburg absolutism) were executed there. This meadow frequently hosted military parades and folk festivities. During the siege of Budapest in 1945, it also served as landing strip for supply planes. After the war the Vérmezô was converted into a park. The Déli Railway

The statue of Empress Elisabeth at the foot of Gellért Hill, with the Saint Gellért memorial in the background

Photo: Gábor Nagy - cseszenyi.hu

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

The Buda C a s tl e dis t rict

Station on the Vérmezô’s western flank is one of Budapest’s busiest. Its predecessor opened in 1861 and served western Hungary and Lake Balaton. The station building was destroyed in World War II, with the current edifice designed by György Kôvári and opened in 1975. This transport hub is also the terminus for the M2 metro line.

The Csészényi Café is one of Krisztina Körút’s characteristic places to meet

Photo: Gábor Bejó

HE ADER

At Budapest’s Gate:

Visegrád & Esztergom One of Hungary’s most beautiful regions is the Danube Bend a little north of Budapest, where the river’s flow changes direction from east-west to north-south. If the previous issue of Budapest’s Finest left you with a desire to visit the artistic city of Szentendre, then it is worth continuing further up the Danube to Visegrád and Esztergom. What ensures that you will have lasting memories is not only the fascinating beauty of the landscape, but also the especially important moments in Hungarian history that occurred here, as well as the sporting and culinary opportunities.

Esztergom Basilica and Castle as seen from the Danube

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Visegrád watching over the Danube

One of Hungary’s oldest settlements, this small city of 1,800 residents receives over 300,000 tourists each year. In addition to the city’s outstanding historical role and traditional sights, visitors can also enjoy extreme sporting activities.

Photo: marcipan74 / indafoto

Texts: Zsuzsa Mátraházi By car simply heard north from Budapest on Route 11, and after the 42nd kilometre you will see the city’s gate. Although it was built in the 20th century, it blends well with the surroundings that have been populated since the Bronze Age. During the reign of Constantine the Great, the Romans erected the Ponts Novatus fortress onto Sibrik Hill, as one of the most important structures along the Roman Empire’s Danubian Limes fortified frontier. With the arrival of the Hungarians, this area became the property of Grand Prince Árpád’s brother Kurszán. The first Latin-language record mentions Visegrád in 1009, a name that is Slavic in origin and means “upper castle”. The first castle on the hill was built with remains from the Roman fortress, but it was destroyed during the Mongolian invasion.

A castle for the crown jewels Construction of the castle system that extended from the Upper Castle to the Water Bastion by the Danube was launched in 1250 by King Béla IV and his wife. The king focused on the lower castle’s hexagon-shaped residential tower, which was 20

The danube bend

The building has since become known as the Solomon Tower in reference to King Solomon being held in Visegrád by his cousin, King Saint Ladislaus. By the time it was built, however, Solomon had long passed, therefore it can be safely said that he was not imprisoned in the tower that now bears his name. Béla IV built closer to the Danube, while his wife the Queen consort Maria Laskarina sold her jewellery and turned this income towards developing the Upper Castle. The two castle sections were completed with the defensive wall that extended to the Water Bastion on the riverbank.

Photo: hotelvisegrad.hu

unique for its time. The flatness of the walls is broken by twin windows, and the halls were heated with columned fireplaces. Hygiene was also taken into account, for the western side featured a toilet shaft. The sixth floor featured a machicolated gallery, while in peaceful times there was an external wooden corridor one floor below.

The famous Congress of Visegrád was held in 1335. Charles invited John I of Bohemia and Casimir III of Poland to Visegrád to settle to their differences over John’s claim to the Polish throne and Casimir’s claim to Silesia. Additionally, they agreed to develop a new trade route that would bypass Vienna. In 1991, following their predecessors, the leaders of these countries met once again in Visegrád so that they could cooperate to further their interests with respect to European integration. With Slovakia’s independence in 1993, the group became known as the Visegrád Four.

Photo: Kornél Almási / Youtube.hu

Construction of the Royal Palace began around 1320 by King Charles I, who later relocated the royal seat to this favoured residence. The Illuminated Chronicle names Visegrád as the location of the assassination attempt against the royal family in 1330. According to the text, on 17 April 1330 one of the lords, Felicián Záh, arrived unexpectedly to the Royal Palace at lunchtime and attacked the royal family with his sword. At first causing slight injury to the king, he attacked Queen consort Elizabeth, and cut off four of her fingers as she defended her children. It took Elizabeth’s high steward to disable the attacker.

Photo: Wikipedia.org

The Hungarian crown jewels were guarded in the Upper Castle until 1529 with only brief exceptions. One example was when Queen consort Elizabeth of Luxembourg and her lady-in-waiting Jánosné Kottanner removed the Holy Crown from the treasury during the night of 10-21 February 1440 so that her unborn child, the future Ladislaus V, could be crowned several months later in Székesfehérvár.

Photo: danubetourism.eu

Photo: Csaba Almássy - Építészfórum

Photo: hotelvisegrad.hu

The Hotel Visegrád on the Danube’s Banks

Matthias’s Paradise on Earth A paradise on Earth is how the scholars, philosophers and artists who arrived from faraway lands to Matthias’s court described it. This splendour, however, ended with the Turkish era. Visegrád was nearly completely destroyed during the battles for the castle and city, with the surviving parts demolished on the orders of Austrian Emperor Leopold I in 1702. In the 19th century the settlement’s parish priest argued for the protection of the ruins, as a result of which archaeological digs began in 1872 on the site of the Upper Castle and Solomon Tower, followed soon after by reconstruction works. All of the sites mentioned in this article are open to the public, with the King Matthias Museum featuring furnishings that evoke its original state, along with late-gothic wall and central fountains, and a film that transports the viewer to the settlement’s golden age. The annual Palace Games medieval festival will be held this summer from 13-15 July. The Games feature a tournament of knights, medieval games, costumed live figure chess, an international archery competition, markets, and food and drink from the era. And if you have already come to Visegrád, the Zugfôzde Pálinka Museum awaits guests throughout the year ready to discover its past and present, but we recommend against driving after a tasting tour. Instead, stay at one of the wellness hotels with their pools and spas or at the many comfortable guesthouses. Those looking for culinary delights should drop in to the Ördögmalom Forest Restaurant in Apátkúti Valley that features wild game and trout. Visitors to the Renaissance Restaurant can travel back in time 500 years to sample King Matthias and Queen consort Beatrix’s favourite meals. And instead of your cholesterol, raise your adrenaline level at the Canopy Adventure Park with its multiple zip-lines.

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Esztergom

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The birthplace of King Saint Stephen

The Mária Valéra Bridge, which connects Hungary with Slovakia

Construction under the Árpád dynasty Esztergom Castle’s origins date back to the period when the Hungarians had only recently arrived into the Carpathian Basin. Géza became Grand Prince around 971, who chose the Castle Hill at Esztergom as his residence. His son Vajk was born there, who after succeeding his father as Grand Prince, was crowned as King Stephen on Christmas Day in 1000. According to Hartvik’s Legend, the crown used in the ceremony was sent by Pope Sylvester II to the future ruler. The foundation of the Christian Hungarian State occurred through this coronation ceremony. Miklós Melocco’s statue dedicated in 2001 at the castle’s northern round bastion pays tribute to this event.

A sculpture of Saint Stephen’s coronation, by Miklós Melocco

Photo: dka.oszk.hu

Ever since the Roman era this settlement near the Danube Bend has been an important location on the commercial route that connected Central and Eastern Europe. By the early Middle Ages, Arab merchants heading north and west had written accounts of its market. Consequently, it is no surprise that the princely tribe of the conquering Hungarians chose this area as their base.

Esztergom Castle was an important location for diplomacy and domestic directives during Stephen’s life. As the structure of the Church in Hungary was being developed in the first decade of the 11th century, works began on a cathedral to honour Saint Adalbert. In addition to commercial routes, military campaigns also crossed through the city. 23

The process of transforming Esztergom from a royal seat to a religious centre began in 1198. It is also worth noting that Hungary’s first mint operated here until the 13th century, and it was also around this time that one of the country’s largest Armenian communities lived in the city. Just as Visegrád and Vác further downstream were destroyed during the Mongolian invasion of 1241-1242, so Esztergom was also devastated. As a result of this, in 1249 King Béla IV temporarily resettled the royal city’s citizens inside castle hill’s defendable walls, while at the same time he renounced use of the royal palace in favour of the archbishop.

The cradle of Hungarian humanism

Photo: wikiwand.com

The castle and city suffered greatly after the Árpád dynasty died out at the beginning of the 14th century, due to the wars of succession and the oligarchs. In the mid-15th century the castle and Saint Adalbert’s Cathedral were rebuilt. Cardinal János Vitéz, the Archbishop of Esztergom (1465-1472) and also King Matthias’s tutor, began work on the development of the renaissance archbishop’s palace by converting the mediaeval royal palace. According to Antonio Bonfini’s historical work, “he built an expansive dining hall in the castle, and before the dining hall he constructed a majestic elevated corridor from red marble. At the dining hall’s end, he attached the gothicvaulted sibyls shrine, where we can count all of the sibyls”, as the chronicler is quoted by the Esztergom branch of the Hungarian National Museum. Renowned European scholars and artists were frequent visitors at the time. The castle also had a water machine that was

The famous fresco from Archbishop János Vitéz’s workroom (detail)

unique in Europe, which carried water 156 metres up to the castle from a spring, and which operated into the 17th century. “…He also built warm and cold-water baths, and a double garden, which he ornamented with verandas that were crowned with corridors. Between these at the cliff he erected a round bastion, which was divided into various halls and rooms, and which at the top was decorated with various windows. It also included a chapel. He almost always resided here himself, because rising above the Danube, it provided a splendid view and looked onto the beautiful gardens. The place is well suited for philosophising and introspection”, Bonfini continued. The castle’s character fundamentally changed following the defeat at the Battle of Mohács. If the creation of a renaissance centre had previously been the aim, reinforcement works became ever more important. Esztergom was unable to escape Buda’s fate either, and in 1543 it fell into Turkish hands. The Turks built several minarets, mosques and baths, the memory of which are today preserved in the Viziváros (“Water Town”) area beneath the castle. The city was retaken in 1683 from the Turks, but its memory was preserved in a janissary marching song, while a plane in the Turkish Air Force was recently named Estergom. In 2005, a copy of the Esztergom Castle was built in Ankara.

A papal visit Esztergom regained its important role in the Church in the 1800s, and works began on building the impressive basilica that stands to this day, which is quite large even by international standards, and which has 17-metre thick walls. From the crypt to the top of the dome it is 100 metres, making it the tallest building in Hungary. The altarpiece painted in 1856 by the Venetian artist Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti is the world’s largest altarpiece painted onto a single canvas, and it is an enlarged version of Titian’s “Assumption of the Virgin” located in Frari. The church’s crypt is also a grandiose struc-

Photo: Esztergom Basilica Treasury

Work on Saint Adalbert’s Cathedral was completed in the 12th century. The cathedral’s western entrance, the Porta Speciosa, was completed sometime between Archbishop Jób’s arrival in 1183 and the death of King Béla III in 1196. During Béla’s reign the royal palace underwent major improvements.

The Calvary of King Matthias, which is part of the Esztergom Basilica Treasury’s collection

Photo: bazilika-esztergom.hu

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Unparalleled treasures Among Esztergom’s numerous museums the Cathedral Treasury stands out. Visitors can see artefacts from the 11th century, but its most valuable object is King Matthias’s golden Calvary cross. This golden crucifix on a stand is the country’s most valuable piece of jewellery. Also worth noting is the 15th century Suki Chalice, which is one of the world’s most decorated gothic chalices. The Christian Museum contains paintings from the 13th to th 19th century by Hungarian, Italian, German, Dutch and Austrian painters. The “Four Virtues” painting from János Vitez’s former workroom can be seen in the Esztergom Castle Museum, which was given the European Heritage Label. It was determined in 2007 that the figure of Temperantia was an early work by a young Botticelli.

Esztergom and the 21st century The Mária Valéria Bridge crosses the Danube to Štúrovo in Slovakia. Opened in 1895, it was de-

stroyed for the first time in 1919 by Czechoslovak legionnaires, and again in 1944 by the retreating Wehrmacht. The rebuilt bridge opened in 2001. The lamp and boat parade held each year on the Danube as part of the May Day festivities is an unparalleled sight worth seeing at least once.

Photo: suzuki.hu

ture. Among the hundreds of gravestones, several were discovered among the ruins of the mediaeval church. This is the final resting place for the archbishops János Vitéz, who tutored King Matthias, and Dénes Szécsi, who crowned him. According to his will, Cardinal József Mindszenty’s ashes were relocated here in May 1991. Mindszenty had been persecuted by both the fascists and communists, and had originally been interred in Austria. When he visited Hungary in 1991, Pope John Paul II paid his respects at Mindszenty’s grave.

The altarpiece in Esztergom Basilica

The unique S-shaped emblem that is recognised around the world has also left its mark on the city, since after communism the Japanese motor company Suzuki built a plant in Esztergom to assemble its 5-door hatchback Swift models. The first example of this “people’s car” rolled off the assembly line in 1992. In 1996 the 100,000th Hungarian Suzuki Swift was produced, with production of the Wagon R+ and Ignis also moving here. By 2014 the number of produced vehicles surpassed 2.5 million. Following the popular small cars, in 2015 the larger Vitara and SX S-Cross models with more features were also produced. Electric Suzuki Swifts were revealed at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, so we can take that as a hint towards what the future may hold.

One of the cars that rolled off the assembly line at the Suzuki Factory in Esztergom

Lósi Major Travel back in time at the Danube Bend Text: Júlia Csikós • Photos: losimajor.hu

If you have tired of wandering the big city, have become exhausted from the summer heat, or simply pine for a slice of green countryside, Budapest’s surroundings offer countless and easily accessibly opportunities for discovering truly hidden gems. Budapest’s Finest travelled north to Lósi Major just outside Verôce in the Lósi Stream Valley to discover this wonderful farmstead. Those arriving should expect to travel back in time, for the farmstead depicts a Hungarian village from a hundred years ago. It only takes half an hour from Budapest to find yourself in a different world. Upon entering the farmstead’s gate, you will find a renovated rustic inn, a massive outdoor kitchen, antique wooden houses and a chapel, as well as an endless green lawn and plenty of grazing goats. Lósi Major’s owners Szilvia Petka and Gábor Baracsi took us on a tour of the property. The farmstead dogs enthusiastically greet visitors, and their pack seems to feature one of at least every Hungarian breed: there’s a vizsla, a komondor, a puli, and of course the requisite mutt that just showed up one day. Despite the surroundings contemporary to the era, Lósi Major is not an outdoor museum, but rather a functioning operation. The sizable herd of goats grew by forty in the spring, pro-

viding an excellent source for producing goats’ cheese, which the owners are always happy to involve guests in. In addition to the dogs and goats there are also chickens, a few sheep (some from the racka breed), four horses, and an indeterminate number of (nonetheless loved) cats, not to mention the two alpacas. Szilvi and Gábor do not slaughter the animals, almost all of which are like family, and guests are always welcomed with goat’s cheese, tasty garden tomatoes and peppers, fresh eggs, and honey-sweetened elderberry drinks. Lósi Major functions primarily as an events location, but they also host vintage weddings, children’s camps and teambuilding activities, as well as plenty of individual or family guests. After serving numerous generations, the farmstead’s 150-year-old wooden houses were transported to Verôce from Subcarpathia. The farmstead offers several different types of accommodation. The small houses can fit 6-7 guests, the pension’s lower level can sleep 12 in a group room, while

The danube bend upstairs there are rooms for 2-4 guests, so that there is accommodation for 40 guests in total. “This location was originally meant to be an equestrian centre”, Gábor reveals, “But we had a different idea for it. We frequently rent the Major out in its entirety, and you can pretend that the entire farmstead is yours for a few days.” Szilvi added “But we are also here in case you need any help.” The pair took over the Major’s operations in the spring of 2016, having worked in a downtown architectural office before that. The estate’s owner could no longer operate it by himself, so the adventurous young architects seized the opportunity to bring their dreams to life. Although they had organised non-profit children’s camps for over a decade, and they love nature and animals, it goes without saying that they took a lot onto their shoulders. “We attended the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, where we learned a little of everything. But even so it wasn’t easy… When the well pump broke in the winter, we spent hours unsuccessfully trying to find a repairman willing to come out to an eight-hectare farmstead in the countryside in freezing temperatures. The internet is quite useful, of course, but if you don’t have water, there’s no heating, and we also have to think of the animals. We had to solve everything ourselves.” Lósi Major’s team has since expanded to five, and although all of them live on the farmstead, the workday frequently still stretches from dawn to dusk. But Szilvi has no regrets. “We never worked as much before in our lives, but we also know that it’s worth it here. We discovered the Major when we were scouting locations for our own camp, which is called “Sindeon”. It is a true equestrian adventure camp, and we needed a place where we can take our horses and where the costumed kids with their wooden swords would not bother anyone.” The farmstead is surrounded by forest on all sides, and it hosts annual adventure and equestrian camps for children. The costumes, flags and tents are sewn by Szilvi, while Gábor makes shields and carves knight-

ly swords, all of which combine to create a magical fairy-tale atmosphere for the Sindeon camp. “The kids frequently visit us outside of the camps as well, sometimes even spending the weekend. We work, build, and fix the electric fence… They eat an enormous amount, but they earn their keep,” Gábor said. “Making progress is sometimes a lot slower if they also ‘help’, but at the same time they learn not to ask for responsibilities, but to find them, as well as that you have to clean up after yourself… These values, the joy derived from a job well done, is what we wish to impart in them, all the while enjoying their company, since we truly love having them around.” Naturally Szilvi and Gábor cook not only for the children. While they do not operate their own restaurant, they are nonetheless happy to prepare a set menu for up to 40 guests if discussed in advance. They use their own and local ingredients, and there is never a shortage of good pálinka or fine wines to accompany the meals, which are served in their 19th century inn with antique furniture. “On one occasion we gave a tour of the grounds to a young couple who live abroad through Skype, when they were scouting for wedding locations,” Szilvi recalled. “This is not a palace, there are no manicured lawns, but you can step onto the grass or pet the animals. Everything here is real and authentic, which in today’s world is valuable unto itself.” Lósi Major’s owners warmly await all interested parties for a goat cheese tasting, a refreshing elderberry drink, animal petting, equestrian programmes or for a relaxing weekend outing. Since the summer months host many private events, they ask you to call or email in advance of your visit.

losimajor.hu facebook.com/losimajor/

28 Photo: Jal Lux

Cultural Quarter Audiences, theatre personnel and concert organisers frequently overlook events held during the summer break. But the classical concert, theatre and exhibition season does not end with the start of June, instead it gains new momentum in large part due to the influx of tourists. Events are organised somewhat differently, however, as the Erkel Theatre, which usually performs works from its repertoire, will stage a special performance of the world famous musical Billy Elliot. Open air performance venues fill up during the summer, including Budapest’s two unparalleled outdoor theatres. One is found in Városmajor Park, which will showcase exciting performances to domestic tourists, and the other is the Margaret Island Open-air Stage, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with international stars from the worlds of music and dance. In Buda Castle the Hungarian National Gallery will hold an exceptional exhibition focusing on the works of Frida Kahlo, which will be presented to audiences within a unique context unavailable anywhere else. The violinist Ara Malikian will perform at this year’s Budapest Summer Festival

Self-Portrait with Monkey

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The painter of love and sorrow Frida Kahlo’s works debut in Budapest Text: Györgyi Orbán • Paniting reproductions: The Hungarian National Gallery

The exhibit contains 33 works, among them paintings, drawing, graphics, prints and photographs. The portrait of Kahlo taken by the Hungarian-born New York-based photographer Nickolas Muray, who carried on a ten-year affair with the artist after they met in New York, is considered one of the best of her. The exhibit will feature – in addition to Kahlo’s trademark self-portraits – Itzcuintli Dog with Me and Self-Portrait with Monkey, as well as The Broken Column from 1944, which depicts pain and suffering.

Photo: img.culturacolectiva.com

Hungarian audiences will see the paintings of the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (19071953) for the first time in Budapest from 6 July – 4 November in the Hungarian National Gallery. The Museo Dolores Olmedo of Mexico City, which has some of Kahlo’s finest works in its collection, has generously loaned many of her outstanding creations for this exhibition. Adriána Lantos, the exhibition’s curator revealed: “The Budapest exhibition is based on eminent works from this collection, but it will be complemented by works from other Mexican private collections”.

Nickolas Muray with Frida Kahlo in the workshop at Coyoacán (1941)

Without Hope

Henry Ford Hospital

The curator mentioned that the exhibit’s material has been divided into five sections. The first reveals Kahlo’s evolution as a painter and features her self-portraits. In the second the poetry of pain is depicted in the images, while the third section introduces works derived from Mexican traditions. The fourth contains fantasy images and works that depict the power of lush Mexican nature. Lastly, the fifth section is devoted to Kahlo’s tempestuous and passionate marriage to Diego Rivera and to her lovers – both men and women – who are expressed through paintings. The exhibit will also feature an installation on Kahlo’s archaeological collection of pre-Columbian art. Kahlo was a beautiful, temperamental and intelligent woman with a good sense of humour. What appears in her works is her will to live, enthralling creativity, her passionate marriage to Diego Rivera, and vibrant Mexico, which allows us a glimpse into the artist’s suggestive inner world filled with bodily and spiritual torment. It is no accident that she is the best-known Mexican painter in the world, for her life was depicted in the 2002 film Frida directed by Julie Taymor, which starred Salma Hayek, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Curator Adriána Lantos also spoke in regards to Kahlo’s life, adding that her Hungarian origins are simply the stuff of legend. German researchers determined that her father was a German named Wilhelm, who was born in Germany and emigrated to Mexico at the age of 19, where he adopted the name Guillermo. Kahlo’s father was a photographer who was commissioned by the government to take architectural photos, and he

Photo: © Columbia Tri Star

Salma Hayek portrayed Frida Kahlo in the film directed by Julie Taymor

married a Mestizo woman named Matilde with whom he had three daughters in addition to Frida. Originally intending to be a doctor, Kahlo was involved in a bus accident that left her spine and pelvis injured, along with a broken leg. As a result, she would have to wear a plaster corset for the rest of her life and underwent 30 operations. Following the accident, Kahlo received a canopy bed with a mirror above her head and began painting during this painful time. Miraculously, she improved considerably and met the famous painter Diego Rivera, whom she soon married. The elephant and dove found each other, her parents said of the large and frog-faced man and the small, fragile woman. Rivera recognised Kahlo’s talent and convinced her to continue her work. Favourites of Mexican left-wing circles, the pair led a rich social life and provided shelter between 1936-1938 to Leon Trotsky and his wife after they fled the Soviet Union. Until her death, she and Rivera lived in La Casa Azul in Coyoacán, on the outskirts of Mexico City, in the house where she was born. This single-story U-shaped house is painted blue to keep evil spirits at bay, while the tropical garden was developed by Kahlo and is her considered part of her oeuvre. She also had two Mexican hairless dogs. Pre-Columbian statuettes have been placed in the small recesses in the interior walls, and a pink pyramid rises in one corner of the garden, with Aztec figurines on its steps. Since 1958 La Casa Azul has functioned as the Frida Kahlo Museum. Kahlo’s passionate marriage to Rivera ended in divorce in 1939, since he began an affair with her sister Cristina. After this Kahlo pursued an unrestrained life, having affairs with women such

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Photo: Bethlehem Imaz

as the dancer Josephine Baker, or with men such as even Leon Trotsky. After a year, Kahlo and Rivera remarried in 1940, but from that point forward Kahlo’s love for her husband was only like that for a child. Her frail physical condition worsened and from 1950 onwards she was confined to a wheelchair, with her right leg needing to be amputated in 1953. Nonetheless, she carried on with the motto “Have the courage to live because anyone can die”. For the opening of her first Mexican exhibition, Kahlo was transported in her bed wearing a beautiful Tehuana dress with a floral headpiece and rustic jewellery. Following much agony, she passed away in the summer of 1954 at the age of 47 from a pulmonary embolism, but according to her diary, suicide cannot be ruled out either. The pre-Columbian ceramic urn that guards her ashes rests in La Casa Azul. Kahlo’s painting style cannot be said to belong to any movement, because, as she emphasised, what she wanted to give through her work was herself. In her paintings, she honestly, openly and bravely depicted herself, the suffering woman. Breton, the father of French surrealism, organised an exhibition in Paris for her, and she was the first Mexican painter to have a work purchased by the Louvre. Kahlo’s work was also featured in New York and twice in Mexico together with other surrealists. Her work was perhaps most significantly inspired by pre-Columbian art. Native American artwork flourished from 2000 BC to the era of European colonisation in the 16th century. Frida’s personal archaeological collection is also from this era, and she loved to wear traditional dress from the Tehuana of Southern Mexico.

The Broken Column (1944)

A Hungarian-English catalogue with pictures of the collection was produced for the occasion of Frida Kahlo’s first exhibition in Budapest, and it includes scholarly articles by the Museo Dolores Olmedo, an introduction by the Hungarian curator Adriána Lantos, a biography of Kahlo, and a bibliography of works about her. Furthermore, lectures will be held in regards to Kahlo’s impact on world art, on visualisation, fashion and jewellery. In addition to this catalogue, the Gallery’s gift shop will also contain a variety of Frida Kahlo-related objects. Casa Azul, the blue house that guards Frida Kahlo’s ashes

A jubilee season on Margaret Island Texts: Rita Szentgyörgyi

Photo: Teodóra Bán

The Budapest Summer Festival has assembled an exceptionally rich programme this season on the occasion of the Margaret Island Open-air Stage’s 80th anniversary. Audiences will be entertained by the most renowned Hungarian and international stars, super-productions, large-scale opera and operetta performances, as well as spectacular ballet, classical, pop and crossover concerts.

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Photo: seragoesch.com

The programme will open with the enormous free gala concert “Barefoot in the Park” on 9 June at Margaret Island’s Grand Meadow, featuring the Eurovision-winning violinist Alexander Rybak performing together with the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra. In addition to Rigoletto, this season opera lovers will also be treated to János Szikora’s staging of Richard Strauss’s spine-chilling Salome.

The season’s outstanding premiere will be Emmerich Kálmán’s grand operetta The Circus Princess performed by the artists of the National Theatre of Miskolc together with acrobats from the Capital Circus of Budapest. The world-touring spectacular ballet performance by the Great Gatsby Ballet will also arrive to Margaret Island with its star soloists. Following their exceptionally well-received performance last year, the world famous Béjart Ballet Lausanne will return with their exciting performance of The Magic Flute. Additionally, the coloratura soprano Zita Szemere will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth by singing his and George Gershwin’s works. The traditional concert by the Hungarian National Philharmonic will feature Ernst von Dohnányi’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor performed by Balázs Fülei, with the second half of the evening consisting of Carl Orff’s classic Carmina Burana featuring the soprano Erika Miklósa and the baritone Levente Molnár. The violin virtuoso Ara Malikian will also visit Hungary to perform his colourful repertoire. Following the rapturous acclaim for his performance at the 2017 CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival, the DJ Jeff Mills will perform once again with the Danubia Orchestra Óbuda. They will perform Planets, which is a fusion of classical and electronic music that explorers the nine planets of the solar system. And what better way to arrive to the performances than by boat on the Danube? The D12 boat stops each hour at the island’s dock, from which it is only a few minutes’ walk to the theatre entrance located beneath the Margaret Island Water Tower. 35

“Rigoletto’s vulnerability is quite relevant”

Giuseppe Altomare is a point of reference in the opera world

Photo: Euribiade di Tebe

One of the outstanding events at this year’s Budapest Summer Festival will be the Italianlanguage performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The opera production will bring international stars to the Margaret Island Open-air Stage, as the title role will be sung by the world-famous Italian baritone Giuseppe Altomare, who will make his Hungarian debut. What ties do you have to Hungarian musical life? Seemingly none, although I collaborated on a performance of Il trovatore in Italy with the conductor Balázs Kocsár, who is currently the Hungarian State Opera’s musical director. Based on the photographs that I’ve seen of the Margaret Island Open-air Stage and Miklós Szinetár’s staging, I can say that I look forward with anticipation to seeing this exceptionally beautiful place and meeting its cultured audience. I would like to provide a memorable experience. For decades Leo Nucci has been considered one of the world’s most famous Rigolettos. What influence did this great artist have on you? Nucci has an insurmountable head start on me, having adorned the costume of Verdi’s eternally relevant court jester more than 500 times. I myself have performed as Rigoletto between 60 and 70 times, and was once a cover for Nucci in Piacenza with Daniel Oren conducting. During my vocal studies I had the opportunity to meet other famous Italian Rigolettos, such as Piero Cappuccilli and Aldo Protti, and had the pleasure of discussing their approach to the role. On one hand I follow in the footsteps of the great Italian baritones, on the other I tread my own path. I don’t wish to compare myself to others. How would you define your relationship with Verdi’s music and Rigoletto’s personality? Verdi is opera’s Shakespeare, a contemporary classic. Few composers in music history have better known or understood what hides within the human spirit. Rigoletto primarily requires a psychological immersion, for he is one of Verdi’s most complex and contradictory figures. The court 36

jester’s costume hides a physically deformed man, who is at once pliable, cynical and malevolent. But he is also wounded, and a being exposed to his pure fatherly feelings. I consider Rigoletto’s vulnerability especially emphatic and relevant in the present. He is a constant object of ridicule and scorn due to his physical disability. His emotional journey is one of extremes, with his expressions ranging within a scene from high-handed mockery of the Duke of Mantua’s victims to concern for his daughter. Shortly after sing the aria “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata”, he searches desperately for his missing daughter, whose abduction by the courtiers he unwittingly assisted. Vengeance, fatherly love, self-sacrifice. Rigoletto runs the gamut of emotions in Verdi’s masterpiece. Over the previous years, you’ve specialised in Verdi’s baritone roles within the traditional repertoire of Italian opera. Personal choice and happenstance both played a role in this. I do not wish to appear immodest, but I’ve become a reference point internationally in terms of interpreting the baritone roles from Verdi’s oeuvre. I’ve sung his operas exclusively over the previous two years, and recently debuted in the role of Iago at the Teatro La Fenice. My repertoire includes Nabucco, Giorgio Germont from La traviata, Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra, and La battaglia di Legnano in collaboration with the Maggio Musicale. I have been shaped by the hands of many excellent masters over the years. Among them two of my teachers, Franco Corelli and Carlo Bergonzi unequivocally nudged me in Verdi’s direction. Both of them said that my vocal attributes, and full but tender baritone are perfect for the legatos and bel canto phrases typical of Verdi’s works. I continue to train myself to this day so that I can preserve my abilities. I learned from Bergonzi that it’s not worth straining your vocal chords, since sooner or later that will have negative consequences. Early in my career I threw myself into singing, learning technical knowledge, proportionality and fine-tuning with the passage of time. You originally graduated with a degree in politics. What drew you to a career singing opera? I began as an amateur singer in a music-loving family. My older brother learned piano at the Conservatory of Lucca. I assisted him at one of his concerts, where his teacher took note of me, and pushed me to train myself. He kept telling me to do something with my singing until one day he told me that he had organised an audition with the German baritone Rudolf Knoll. Knoll taught at Mozarteum University Salzburg, where I was soon admitted afterward. I can provide a long list of the masters who helped me in my career, from Iris Adami Corradetti to Aldo Danieli and Silvano Carolli. I officially made my debut as an opera singer at the Torre del Lago Puccini Festival in a performance of Gianni Schicchi. You are primarily associated with Italian opera productions, such as Marcello in La bohème, Sharples in Madama Butterfly, the Count di Luna in Il trovatore, Silvio in Pagliacci, Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, Renato in Un ballo in maschera, the Marquis of Posa in Don Carlos, Escamillo in Carmen, and Count Almaviva and Don Giovanni. Was this a conscious decision?

Photo: Franco Lannino

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I did not consciously plan my career, and fortunately I never had any dream roles, since opportunities found me. I had a highly successful guest performance in Seoul in Pierluigi Pizzi’s staging of La traviata, and I recently sang Iago in Mexico. I have been invited to perform in the near future at the Bregenz and St. Gallen festivals, as well as in North America. Dario Argento’s staging of Macbeth, in which you performed the title role, made waves from Pisa to the Montecatini Opera Festival. As a traditional singer, what is your attitude towards modern staging solutions? I’m not modern in the sense that in my opinion, modern stagings in most cases do not add to the works, but instead detract from them. Dario Argento’s interpretation of Macbeth is among the exceptions. He did not falsify the story, rather he transported it to the era of the First World War to reflect on the decaying of European civilisation. He retained the work’s spirit in how he handled the three witches in the chorus. Independent of this, my experiences in the majority of cases is that trendy theatres are not good for opera. Many wish to renew a piece by going counter to its musical and lyric requirements. They do not respect the composer’s intentions, and the story on the stage is not in harmony with the music. I respect the directors who are capable of breathing new life into a work within the confines of tradition, and do not strive to assault the work with their own vision. On occasions such as the latter, I feel that they underappreciate the audience. I’ve stood at the end of a performance where the singers and orchestra received ovations, while the set piece and direction were met with jeers. What’s your relationship with contemporary opera? I’m somehow of the opinion that, like it or not, I’ll give experimentation a chance. Most recently it was in Venice, at the Teatro La Fenice that I sang the baritone lead role in Henze’s Eleg y for Young Lovers. The role was a great challenge, and I was critically acclaimed, but even so I did not feel it as my own. In truth, the music that I can authentically interpret and which I enjoy the most is the type that I can completely immerse myself into. The classical and primarily romantic repertoire is dearest to me. After all, the essence of every artistic profession is that the performer should enjoy themselves just as much as the audience. eng.szabadter.hu

“Take risks and remain true to your commitments” Erwin Schrott will perform at this year’s Summer Festival

“I’m loquacious, curious, and Uruguayan,” the Montevideoborn Schrott says of himself, and considers it quite amusing that he is compared to Marlon Brando due to his macho appearance. He is also probably the world’s only tattooed Don Giovanni as a result of the ink on his neck, and this role is the one that he has performed most frequently. What makes Mozart’s famous protagonist from Seville memorable is his authenticity, explosive energy, passionate love of women and a desire to win others over. “You have to assume the risk and remain true to what you have committed yourself to. I consciously decided to only perform roles that were tailored to me, which I can perform, because in addition to singing, I really love to perform on the stage,” Schrott revealed in an earlier interview. Erwin Esteban Schrott has been enamoured with music since his childhood. His father was a tango singer, his mother was passionate about classical music, and one of his grandfathers was a founding member of the blind orchestra in Uruguay. From Piazzolla to Led Zeppelin and Maria Callas recordings he has absorbed a plethora of musical influences. As a child he played piano, and by the age of 8 he was part of the chorus in the Montevideo Opera’s staging of La bohème. Schrott commenced his vocal studies under the tutelage of the mezzo-soprano Franca Mattiucci. Schrott debuted in Montevideo at the age of 22, performing the role of Roucher in Andrea Chénier. He then performed Timur from Turandot, Colline from La bohème, Sparafucile from Rigoletto and Ramfis from Aida in Santiago, Chile. His European debut followed his South American performances, and Schrott trained himself further through a scholarship in Italy under such notable teachers as Leo Nucci and Mirella Freni, who taught him to decline the roles that could damage his voice. 38

Photo: Jason Bell

On 15 July the Margaret Island Open-air Stage will host the From Opera to Tango gala concert by Erwin Schrott, the world-famous bass-baritone and one of the opera world’s most engaging stars. On that night Schrott will blend the most beautiful arias from the opera canon with sensual tango music. This outstanding singer made his Budapest debut in 2010 at the Spring Festival. In 2015, he won Budapest audiences over with a magnificent performance of Don Giovanni, his emblematic role, while in 2016 Schrott reprised the role for three nights in the Erkel Theatre.

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Schrott shot to stardom in 1998 when he won the first prize at the Operalia World Opera Competition founded by Placido Domingo. Following that, the doors of the world’s great opera houses swung open to receive him. With his commanding appearance, actor’s intuition and richly textured voice, Schrott has performed roles such as Banquo from Macbeth, and Masetto and Leporello from Don Giovanni earlier in his career. In 2000 he debuted in New York’s Metropolitan Opera as Colline from La bohème, while he won the audience over in La Scala by performing as a soloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater under the conduction of Riccardo Muti. His first opera role in La Scala was in 2003, performing the title role in Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto. Later that year Schrott sang Leporello at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. He earned even greater recognition and unparalleled popularity through the title role of Don Giovanni. Schrott debuted in the role of the libertine in the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala in 2006, followed by a Japanese tour. He also met the Russian star soprano Anna Netrebko on the stage while she performed the role of Donna Anna, and the two were considered the opera world’s dream couple for seven years, having a son in 2008 after they married. The majority of Schrott’s performances over recent years have been limited to four or five opera houses: the Metropolitan, the Royal Opera House, La Scala, and the Wiener and

Bayerische Staatsopers. In performing Mozart’s roles, he has also taken the stage in the title role from The Marriage of Figaro on multiple occasions in Salzburg, at the Paris Opera, and at the Baden-Baden Festival. From the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona to the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and the Chorégies d’ Orange Festival he has worn the costume of Boito’s Mefistofele, which is in his repertoire alongside the same role from Gounod’s Faust. Performing in Wagner’s dramas remains one of the bass-baritone’s dreams. Schrott, who is considered a national icon at home, also conducts, but limits himself to Piazzolla and symphonic pieces with his own orchestra. He never studied conducting, but learned from watching giants such as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti and Zubin Mehta. “Had I not found my way in the genre of opera, I would happily have become a chef. I’ve been to numerous countries around the world, and everywhere I go I enjoy culinary delights. Seafood is my favourite with some light white wine. In addition to this, I like to try local specialities. I also try to spend my weekdays with as much love for life and passion as when I’m on the stage”, Schrott added. eng.szabadter.hu

An Italian among Germans, a German among Italians

Cesare Lievi to direct at the Budapest Wagner Days Text: Anna Tóth

Photo: 2017 - Ph Christian Penocchio

The Budapest Wagner Days will be held once again for the 13th occasion in the Hungarian capital at Müpa Budapest. Launched in 2006, the festival is highly recognised from Berlin to London and New York. Previous years have seen performances of Tristan und Isolde, but this year will witness an exciting new staging, as not only are the performers world famous, but so is the director.

Cesare Lievi lives a dual life, for he feels as much at home in German-speaking lands as he does in his native Italy. In fact, these days he works abroad more frequently than he does at home. From this it becomes apparent that Lievi has a solid grasp of German literature and naturally the language as well. Lievi encountered the story of Tristan a long time ago when he was quite young. One of his high school teachers was a fan of Wagner, and he told the class the legends of Tristan and 40

Parsifal. While studying philosophy at university, Lievi also became quite interested in linguistics (especially German linguistics). From the beginning, he has approached works analytically regardless of whether he is translating or directing them, and his staging of Parsifal with Riccardo Muti in the Teatro alla Scala was an important milestone in his career. Lievi has difficulty finding the right words to express his methods as a director, and his experiences are also hard to define,

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Photo: Federico Buscarino

Photo: Sacha Vasiljev

since these methods constantly change. What Lievi considers much more important is that he successfully chose a career in a creative genre that uses the most effective tools for communication and expression. This can also explain why he does not describe his own directing style in a single category. Lievi is not experimental or avant-garde, old or modern. But there is one thing on which he is firm: no matter the amount of ways to pull together a theatre performance, what is most important is that the end result be a good one.

Anja Kampe in the title role of Isolde

Lievi’s diverse repertoire, which features plays and musical pieces, including works by Wagner, Richard Strauss and of course Italian composers, helps him feel more at home in both the country of his birth as well as in German-speaking lands. And not merely from a geographic perspective. Lievi goes between living his life in the Italian or German way. He works less in Italy, having had only 10-12 premieres, which were primarily in Milan, Palermo or Bologna. Among his numerous projects abroad he is most fond of Zurich, where he has returned on multiple occasions and directed works by Mozart and Richard Strauss. At times even he becomes amazed when he stops to consider how little he works with Verdi’s compositions despite being Italian. An earlier performance in Zurich is why the audience at the Budapest Wagner Days will get to discover his new interpretation of Tristan und Isolde, for it was in Zurich that Lievi collaborated with Ádám Fischer, the artistic director for the festival, who asked him to bring his production to Budapest. Although he knows the performers, Lievi has yet to work together with them. But he has a long history with the set and costume designers Maurizo Balo and Marina Luxardo, since it was difficult to imagine staging such a prestigious and demanding production together with people whom he would only meet for the first time, and who are responsible for the production’s visual presentation.

The multi-faceted Cesare Lievi has translated numerous works by Hölderlin, Goethe, Ticke, Hofmannstahl and Lorca, and directed plays by Kleist, Pirandello and Arthur Miller, among others. His more noted opera stagings are La clemenza di Tito, Parsifal with Riccardo Muti’s musical direction, I due Foscari, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, which he helped stage at the Metropolitan Opera, Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Schnittke’s Gesualdo, and Siegfried from Wagner’s tetralogy. He has also directed Cecilia Bartoli and Ruggero Raimondi.

Interestingly enough, this man whose life has been defined by the theatre and his love of the genre recently advised young talents competing for positions in the theatre against pursuing this type of career. His opinion, expressed in an interview with an Italian magazine, was directed specifically towards Italian youth, because of his deep love for the theatre. Lievi does not see a contradiction between his personal enthusiasm and dedication to theatre and the interview’s contents. He frequently mentions the important role that good fortune has played in shaping his career, and how it provided him with regular work. In a country where theatre fulfils such an important role, but where audiences are shrinking, it can lead to great disappointment in talented youths, who despite all their hard work cannot fulfil their dreams. To reverse this trend in Italy, Lievi says, there is a need for reforms and political will. A version of this article originally appeared in the May-July 2018 issue of Müpa Magazin. • mupa.hu

An international opera festival in Budapest & vienna Text: Györgyi Orbán • Photos: armelfestival.org

The Armel Opera Festival has promoted contemporary works, composers and performers through five opera premieres annually since 2008. The festival is always preceded by the Armel Opera Competition, in which a jury of international experts judges the participating singers’ vocal attributes as well as their acting abilities. The singers selected in this two-round competition receive roles in the festival’s productions, with the final part of the competition being their performance in the Armel Opera Festival’s productions, through which they can win the Best Performer Award. Performances this year will be held from 1-5 July in Budapest at the Müpa Festival Theatre and in Vienna at the MuTh (Musik und Theater). Festival Director Ágnes Havas revealed that the opening performance will be held in Müpa Budapest on 1 July. The NorrlandsOperan company will perform Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck in a modern staging. The French soprano Jeanne Gérard, one of the competition’s successful participants, will sing Amore. Also at Müpa Budapest on 2 July the 200-member company from the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad will premiere the delightful comic opera Friar Cira and Friar Spira. Based on the novel Pop Cira i pop Spira by the Senta-based writer Stevan Sremac (1855-1906), it is a satirical tale of two Orthodox priests in a rich village in the Banat. The noted Serbian composer Dejan Despic wrote the music to this humorous work, which will feature the 42

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Romanian-French tenor Antonel Boldan. In Vienna on 3 July the MuTh will host a performance of Gergely Vajda’s The Giant Baby puppet opera by the Kolibri Theatre. The libretto was written by Gergely Vajda and Péter Horváth, which is based on the work of the same name by Tibor Déry. The performance will be directed by János Novák and will feature the French mezzo-soprano Agathe de Courcy from the competition. Also in Vienna on 4 July in the MuTh, Kossuth Prize-winning composer Péter Eötvös’s opera Lady Sarashina will be performed under the direction of András Almási-Tóth. The composer’s wife and compositional partner Mari Mezei wrote the libretto based on Ivan Morris’s English translation of the 11th century Japanese lady’s diary. The baritone Máté Fülep

from the competition will be joined by Andrea Meláth, Imai Ayane and Yoshida Makiko. The festival’s closing programme will be on 5 July at Müpa Budapest, with a French-Belgian co-production that combines Calamity Jane to her Daughter by Ben Johnston and Billy the Kid by Gavin Bryars, with the libretto for the latter written by Michael Ondaatje. Each year the French-German ARTE Concert television channel broadcasts the Armel Opera Festival’s performances, and they can be viewed for up to six months afterwards on the channel’s website. armelfestival.org

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

City Guide Visitors to Budapest will discover classic European values, historical traditions and modernity, top-notch cuisine and a liberated spirit. International sporting events offer excitement, as each summer the thermal baths take on a whole new character and restaurant terraces fill with lively crowds late into the evenings. Among the many available leisure activities in the city, in this issue we highlight the National Riding School. The facility’s main entrance and grand tribune were designed by the excellent architect Vilmos Ruppert, who also designed many notable buildings across the city. And let us not forget the countless cafés and confectioneries. English-language tours operate to guide international guests so that they will not become lost within this “urban jungle”. Those wishing to sample wines are also in for a treat with English-language wine dinners. It is simply impossible to become bored in Budapest.

Back in the saddle in Budapest

The renovated National Riding School reopens Text: András Oláh • Photos: Eszter Gordon

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The noble tradition of horse racing was only resumed in the early 19th century in Hungary, over a century after the end of the Turkish occupation. Count István Széchenyi, who initiated and financially supported much of the era’s significant developments, became acquainted with horse breeding and racing during a trip to England. Széchenyi was one of the founders and initiators of the Track Racing Society (1827), which from 1842 onwards operated as the Hungarian Equestrian Society. The first horse race in Pest was held in 1827.

In more recent times the Kincsem National Equestrian Programme was launched in 2012. This comprehensive plan involves the renovation of state infrastructure, support for equestrian tourism, horse breeding, equestrian sports and equestrian heritage, as well as the modernisation of regulations. One of the programme’s outstanding achievements occurred this February, when the National Riding School’s complex of 140 buildings reopened following large-scale renovations. This impressive facility features an all-year track, a show jumping course, a practice course, two covered riding halls, four pens, 176 stables, a horse walking machine, a lunging circle, a veterinary centre, as well as offices, storage facilities, and conference and recreation rooms. The listed main building, known as the Kóbli, regained it classical clubhouse characteristic, and a Knowledge Centre containing conference rooms and offices totalling 770 square metres was also built. The institution hosts equestrian Olympic sports, and prepares top-flight pentathletes for world championships, while also being suitable for hosting international competitions. In addition to this, the Tattersall Sport Association operates from here, as does the Lendület riding school, and there are also opportunities for therapy and rehabilitation

Kincsem and the next generation

The golden age of equestrian sports in Hungary was in no small part due to the success of Kincsem (“My Treasure”), the horse known as the “Hungarian Wonder”. A thoroughbred born in Hungary, between 1876-1879 she won all 54 races that she competed in, winning races outside the Empire in places such as Great Britain, Germany and France. Numerous photographs, paintings and statues were made of the horse, with Béla Tóth’s statue of Kincsem standing in front of the venue that bears her name.

The most famous horse during the 1960s was Imperiál. Between 1962-1964 this thoroughbred won 20 of 25 races across three seasons, placing second twice, winning the Hungarian and Austrian Derbies, the Socialist Countries Grand Prix, and two Austrian Prix, among others. Imperiál’s greatest success was placing second at the Baden-Baden Grand Prix, all the while remaining undefeated in Hungary. Of Imperiál’s 531 descendants, 348 raced, totalling 900 prizes domestically and internationally. A statue of the horse by Béla Domonkos stands in Kincsem Park. In the 2000s the most successful Hungarian horse was the thoroughbred Overdose, which placed highly in international rankings and between 2007 and 2011 won 15 of 18 races, 14 of them in a row.

Two million crowns for prizes

The total prize money for the Budapest races at the turn of the 20th century was nearly two million crowns, and the era’s most prestigious prizes were the Magyar St. Leger, the Király, the Királyné, the Nemzeti and the Szent István Prix. The most important races held at Dunakeszi-Alag were attended by the king and queen consort, as well as numerous European rulers. Behind the Hungarian National Museum, at today’s Pollack Mihály Square, the National Riding School was built in 1857 according to the plans of Miklós Ybl. This block of buildings, which at the time contained a firing range, exercise and fencing halls, was quite popular, but during the siege of Budapest in World War II it was unfortunately gutted by a fire. The institution that opened in 1878 across from Keleti Railway Station preserves this institution’s name to this day. In honour of the 18th century English racehorse auctioneer Richard Tattersall, the first harness derby was organised in 1883 on the grounds of this facility, and simply called the Tattersall. The site’s ribbon cutting ceremony was held in 1894, as was the first horse race featuring dressage and show jumping. In 1931 Europe’s second largest covered riding hall was built on this site. This impressive Bauhaus building designed by Ferenc Paulheim Jr. was damaged during World War II, with only the main building and a row of stables surviving.

riding. Veterinary students are also frequently invited as a part of their studies. This summer the National Riding School will host several competitions: the regional show jumping competition in late June-early July, the national show jumping qualifier and Grand Prix from 13-15 July, while from 21-22 July it will host the CDN-A dressage competition. The Kincsem National Equestrian Programme also ensures that hussar military traditions are preserved. The establishment of an honour guard tasked with state protocol events belongs to this programme, as does the exhibition of the horses trained in the hussar riding school. This facility and the Royal Riding School, which is being rebuilt as a part of the reconstruction of the Royal Palace, will receive a special responsibility in increasing the drawing power of equestrian tourism. Buda Castle’s equestrian tradition is considerable. In addition to the competitions it hosted during the Middle Ages, a riding hall and stable were also built next to the palace in the 18th-19th centuries according to Alajos Hauszmann’s plans. The Riding School built in a historicist style opened in 1901, before which the equestrian statue “Lófékezô” by György Vastagh Jr. once stood. The building suffered extensive damage during the siege of 1944-1945 and was demolished. According to current reconstruction plans, the riding school will be connected to the palace courtyard via the rebuilt Stöckl steps and a wide ramp. The Royal Riding School planned to open later this year will be the base for the Hungarian Defence

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Forces’ reconstituted honour guard, but the multipurpose building will also function as an events centre and exhibition hall in addition to equestrian events. Kincsem Park, which originally hosted horse races and which has a similar name to the aforementioned programme, was renovated together with private funds, as a result of the closing of the harness racing track on Kerepesi Road. Since 2004 its straight and oval flat racing track can also host harness races, and the new and modern tribune can seat 3,500 since 2005. The Park still has its original listed buildings, such as the main entran-

ce, the first-class tribune, the second-class tribune and the stables, all designed by Vilmos Ruppert. The park places considerable emphasis on the safety of the animals and jockeys, and the cleanliness of the races. In addition to constant veterinarian oversight, an anti-doping group also operates at the racetrack, with the samples tested by an independent and accredited laboratory based in Cologne. As part of the constant development, Kincsem Park’s infrastructure will expand with a greyhound track, and in the future the National Pentathlon Centre may also be built here. In several years the park will also be able to host high

Hungarian horse breeds Among Hungarian horse breeds, the Nonius from Mezôhegyes and the Shagya Arabian from Bábolna are the most popular, with the Kisber Felver and the Furioso-North Star bred from the Thoroughbred being a favourite for equestrian sports or leisure riding. The Nonius excels in dressage and show jumping, while the Gidran is suitable for saddling or driving. Among the traditional horse breeds, the Magyar Hidegvérû is the most endangered, while the small Hucul, considered the pony of the Carpathians, is kept these days purely for tourism purposes, although it can still be saddled or used as a draft horse.

calibre “black type” races. As such, the top horses from Europe will be able to compete alongside the best Hungarian horses within the framework of the Kincsem Prix and the József Marschall Memorial Race (named after the most successful Hungarian horse driver). On 23-29 June 2019 the park will host the World Modern Pentathlon Championships, as well as the Laser-Run World Championships, the latter of which combines running and shooting. Kincsem Park receives 150,000 visitors each year. From the end of February to the end of

December Saturdays host harness racing, while flat races are held from early April to the end of November. The year’s most important events are the Spring Horse Race in May, the Magyar Derby on the first Sunday of July, and the International Horse Race held on the second weekend of September. The Harness Racing New Year’s Eve also draws a large crowd. Flat racing’s most prestigious event is the Magyar Derby launched after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which since 1921 has been held for 3-year-old horses across 2,400 metres. This is followed by the Millenniumi

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Equestrian experiences for audiences The Lázár Brothers, who saw international success in carriage driving, drew attention to equestrian sports following the system change. Zoltán is a four-time Pairs Driving and two-time Four-inHand Driving world champion, while his older brother Vilmos is a seven-time Pairs Driving world champion and ten-time Pairs Driving Hungarian champion. Between 1997 and 2003, he remained undefeated in Hungary and internationally. Today Vilmos Lázár is the president of the Hungarian Equestrian Association.

The National Gallop, which aims to popularise equestrian traditions, was launched in 2008. In it, horses and horse riders sponsored by cities and towns in the Carpathian Basin test their abilities on their way to the grand finale in Budapest. The competition’s closing races are held in scenic surroundings at Heroes’ Square in Budapest, and have been held on the third weekend of September since 2011.

Prix which replaced the Király Prix in 1896, as well as the Kincsem Prix. In addition to its emphasis on preserving traditions, the Kincsem National Equestrian Programme supports traditional Hungarian breeds, equestrian culture education and the development of equestrian tourism. Visitors to Budapest have the opportunity to ride horses at multiple locations, such as the Golden Horseshoe and Horse Riding Association in Óbuda, the Petneházy and Pasaréti Riding Halls in northern Buda, as well as the Tétényi Dunapart Equestrian Club in southern Buda. In Pest you can find the Czeresznyevirág Riding Hall and the Monte Vigo Leisure Centrum. These places offer individual or group instruction on tracks and fields alike, and in addition to Hungarian, several of them also speak English and German. lovaglas-budapest.hu/category/budapest

Caffeine & Sugar

A Budapest culinary walk for the sweet of tooth Texts: Júlia Csikós • Photos: Viktória Fürjes

The classic interior of the Central Café

Photo: István Práczky - budapestinfo.hu

Nineteenth Century Budapest was famous far and wide for its elegant cafés, which meant more than just a steaming cappuccino or delightful torte, for they also functioned as the centres of artistic and literary life. Nearly 600 cafes operated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s co-capital at the time of the millennium celebrations in 1896. In the tumultuous 120 years that have followed since, the city’s cafés either flourished or nearly disappeared. Today, visitors to Budapest can wonder at a handful of these masterfully renovated institutions that have been restored to their original splendour.

In addition to historical cafés, we can taste rare new wave coffees or handmade sweets in an increasing number of exciting and modern locations. Which places are worth a visit? Budapest’s Finest accompanied Gabriella Andrónyi, the founder of Splendid Budapest Tours on a culinary adventure into the world of coffee and confections. During the tour our small group visited six different cafés and confectionaries, with each stop being a thoughtfully selected and unique location, which in its own way excellently illustrated an exciting slice of Budapest’s “sweet life”. Our tour visited the hidden Mantra Speciality Coffee Bar, where we could sample a variety of filter coffees, while our tour guide introduced us to the history of coffee in Hungary. For example, why did our ancestors call this drink we inherited from the Turks “black soup”?

Photo: Shutterstock.com

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Literature is guilty of associating coffee and the Turks with the phrase “there’s still black soup left to drink”, which is sometimes said at the end of a meal. According to the anecdote, the Turkish occupation of Hungary and Buda Castle occurred through trickery. The pasha invited the Hungarian lords to be his guest, and at the end of the meal the mention of coffee was the signal to the janissaries to unsheathe their swords and arrest the noblemen. The truth is that although coffee and coffee culture made its way to our ancestors via the Turks, Hungarian cuisine was already acquainted with black soup. This thick, dark-coloured soup or dip was made from the lungs, liver and blood of a rabbit, duck or other small farm animal. This richly spiced and slightly sour sauce was probably only served at the end of a meal in order to assist digestion.

The desserts available at Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé

The Mantra Specialty Coffee Bar

Chez Dodo’s collection of macarons in their workshop

The Damniczki confectionery and its unique ice cream palette

Following Mantra, our journey led us to a family-owned bonbon shop, Rózsavölgyi Csokoladé, where we tried beautifully prepared handcrafted bonbons that spanned the range from spicy paprika to cardamom and lavender. En route we cut through one of downtown Pest’s oldest palace parks, the Károlyi Garden, as the informal atmosphere inspired our international tour group to begin listing our favourite confections and recipes. Halfway through the tour we held a break at the legendary Central Café, where standing beneath

a portrait of the noted poet Endre Ady we learned who the café’s famous artistic guests were in the past. In memory of happy days gone by, we ordered a Viennese coffee alongside a slice of Dobos torte. From there we walked to the recently reopened Jégbüfé (“Ice Buffet”) located nearby. After all of these sweet flavours, it was absolutely wonderful to bite into a freshly baked pogácsa (Hungarian savoury scone). We continued to our next stop, the tiny macaron shop Chez Dodo. With their refined pastel colours and various flavours, the macarons momentarily transported us to Paris, without us

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Photo: Júlia Csikós

A Hungarian cake specialty: Rigó Jancsi

The Rigó Jancsi torte could worthily compete for the title of most romantic Hungarian sweet. This chocolate mousse layered sponge cake cube was named after the famous Hungarian Gypsy violinist János Rigó in the 19th century. The musician was already considered an immense talent in his childhood, and he toured Europe with his band as groups of female fans followed every one of his steps. Or at least until he met Clara Ward, the love of his life, in a Parisian restaurant. But Clara was betrothed to a Belgian duke! The American lady nonetheless cast her lot with the Gypsy violinist, and accompanied him everywhere on tour for the following eight years. The incident resulted in an international scandal, and the torte was named after the violinist by a confectioner in Pest as an early example of marketing genius.

Elemér Auguszt’s recipe: Chocolate sponge cake Ingredients: 6 eggs, 120g sugar, 100g flour and 30g cocoa powder Preparation: Separate the eggs and whip the yolks together with the sugar until frothy. The egg whites are to be whipped until frothy, at which point blend the two. Gently combine it with the cocoa powder and flour mix. Line the baking tray with butter and a fine layer of flour, into which the mix should be poured to a height of 4cm, after which it should be baked in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10-12 minutes. Cream (For 12 cubes) Ingredients: 800ml whipped cream, 400g dark chocolate Preparation: Melt the dark chocolate in a metal pan over boiling water, stirring regularly. The chocolate should not become too hot (40-45°C). Set part of the melted chocolate aside for the cream. Cut the cooled sponge cake into two layers of equal size. Cover one of the cakes with chocolate, and then cut it into 5x4cm squares once it begins to harden. Combine the remaining melted chocolate with a quarter of the whipped cream, and then carefully combine it with the remaining cream. This should result in a very light but also very chocolatey cream. Spread this across the other layer of sponge cake evenly and thickly with the aid of a cardboard frame. Be careful, for the cream will solidify quickly. Place it in a refrigerator. Place the previously made chocolate topping onto it, then slice with a knife that has been dipped in warm water.

ever leaving the heart of Budapest. Due to its open kitchen, we also caught a glimpse into the process of making macaron magic. Our last stop awaited us near Saint Stephen’s Basilica. The elegant and modern Damniczki confectionary entices people with its truly “reimagined classics”, but in addition to its take on mákosguba (poppy-seed dough), lúdláb (chocolate cake), and salty peanut mousse, it also offers more traditional flavours. We tasted the chimney cake and a typical Hungarian delight, the Rigó Jancsi torte, although considering the high temperatures outside, some would have preferred a refreshing scoop or two of ice cream. The tour’s three and a half hours seemingly passed in the blink of an eye, despite our traversing a wide breadth of downtown. Enriched with numerous stories, experiences and tasty sweets, we planned to burn off the calories with a stroll along the Danube. We left the tour in the knowledge that no visit to Budapest is complete without a dollop of caffeine and sugar. splendidbudapesttours.com 55

You can find the Tasting Table wine shop and tasting cellar in the heart of downtown on Bródy Sándor Street in the wonderfully renovated Keglevich Palace’s old basement. The palace was built in 1871 by the Croatian Count Stefan Keglevich, who is associated with the popular Keglevich Classic vodka brand, therefore it is easy to imagine that once upon a time the five-story building’s basement was filled with vodka bottles. Today at the Tasting Table, however, it’s all about wine, as the store’s selection features hundreds of excellent Hungarian and Central European vintages, among them an expansive collection of old and rare aszús from Tokaj.

Tasting Table: Gourmet wine dinners in the Palace District Custom-tailored tastings and cooking lessons in English Photos: Taste Hungary Entering via the narrow steps you will find yourself in a rustic yet modern interior, with unconventional wooden furniture beneath the original stone arches along with a host of special Hungarian wines. The small wine bar offers guests a great variety of programmes. The menu lists various tasting packages, craft cheese and charcuterie plates or dipping snacks, but any of the bottles lined up on the shelves can also be uncorked. Guided tastings begin in the afternoons and evenings, during which visitors can taste a sampling of Hungarian delicacies in addition to wine. The small vintage kitchen located at one end of the room also has an important role, for the Tasting Table’s 56

chef leads small groups in a cooking course for those interested in the secrets of Hungarian cuisine. Every two weeks, the venue hosts a special wine dinner in the framework of their “Thursdays @The Tasting Table” event series. The Tasting Table, which opened in 2014, was founded by the Hungarian-American husband and wife team of Gábor and Carolyn Bánfalvi, and the very same year that it opened it was already recognised in the prestigious Drinks Business Award’s wine tourism category. Using the many years’ of experience they gained in food and wine tourism, the Bánfalvis envisi-

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oned a place where stories could accompany the wines naturally. Through this, guests can truly come to know and understand the context of the wine that they hold in their hands: “Since many of our customers are travellers who are newcomers to Hungarian wine, our sommeliers really spend a lot of time with them, figuring out what they like and what wines they normally drink. We really focus on wine education. We give our guests maps of the Hungarian wine regions, and our wine list changes every few weeks so we can highlight flights of wine with different themes or terroirs. Our aim is to showcase as many fantastic wines from this many-faceted, but internationally unknown world as is possible”, Carolyn said.

hind a bar), pouring generous glasses of wine as they reveal the details of their wines, terroirs, and personal histories. At the Tasting Table we hope to recreate this quintessential Hungarian wine experience in the city. We bring selections from the best Hungarian wine regions to Budapest, which our guests can then take home with themselves,” Carolyn thusly summarises the essence of the Tasting Table’s guiding principle.

For the Thursday evening wine dinners, the 6-8 wines served are usually introduced by the winemaker himself. It is worth booking in advance on the Tasting Table’s website, which also shows which wineries will host each event. Representatives from the large iconic Hungarian wineries and small family-run operations are equally invited to these evenings. The three-course meal natural�ly is paired to the wines, but Chef Tamás Láczi’s creations are always Hungarian or Carpathian Basin-inspired. All of the wines tasted can be purchased at a discounted rate following the event, and the Tasting Table’s staff is also happy to organise delivery within Hungary or elsewhere within the EU. The store will also launch a webshop in the near future, to ensure that you are always well stocked. “Visiting Hungarian wineries is a special experience. Winemakers personally welcome you at their tables (as opposed to serving wine from be-

The Thursdays @The Tasting Table summer events (in English): 14 June: Winemaker Dinner — Szászi Winey (Balaton) 28 June: Winemaker Dinner — Gál Winery (Kunság) 12 July: All about Villány: Master class with Wine Writer Robert Smyth 26 July: Winemaker Dinner — Szent Donát Winery (Balaton) 9 August: Winemaker Dinner — Géza Balla (Transylvania) 23 August: Winemaker Dinner — Budaházy Winery (Tokaj) tastehungary.com/venue/

The Winemaking Women of Tokaj

“Wine is a man’s thing”, the internationally acclaimed Hungarian writer Sándor Márai once wrote. The world has changed significantly since, for today Dionysus’s muses have much more to do than just gracefully drink wine from a chalice. They harvest, blend, lead tastings and also negotiate with restaurants.

To learn more about how women are making an impact in the world of wine, we spoke with two of the defining women from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tokaj Wine Region: Stéphanie Berecz, the co-owner and winemaker of Kikelet Winery, and Hajnalka Prácser, the co-owner and commercial manager of Erzsébet Winery.

The French-born Stéphanie Berecz was studying viticulture at the University of Bordeaux, when as a young student in 1993 she travelled to Tokaj-Hegyalja for several months of a professional internship. Berecz soon fell in love, at first with the region and its wines, and then later with her future husband, the ampelologist Zsolt Berecz. Stéphanie worked as a viticulturist at several notable Tokaj wineries (Disznókô, Holdvölgy, Pannon Tokaj) before launching her own winery together with Zsolt. The Berecz family’s 250-year-old house and its fields from which the winery operates are located in Tarcal, which is known for its loess soil. The couple

Cit y Guide - Cul inary The vineyards of Tarcal

There’s an abundance of nature and wildlife, and of course, grapes. I simply love living here”, she stated.

produced their first wine in 2002, and in 2014 Stéphanie won the prestigious Borászok Borásza (“Winemakers’ Winemaker”) Award. Stéphanie grew up in the beautiful Loire Valley, but she has lived in Hungary for over two decades and speaks Hungarian well. “The Loire Valley is truly beautiful, but Tarcal is also wonderful. This is my home. The hill has several ridges, and our cellar is located just below the observation tower.

We posed the question of what type of wine tourists to the region should sample. “If they only taste one wine, it should be the aszú, which is the most unique not only in Tokaj, but also in all of Hungary. Aszú is our ambassador, and the reason why the Tokaj name has become a true brand beyond the country’s borders. If there is a chance to taste more wines, however, then I would naturally list the other Tokaj wines ranging from dry to sweet, from furmint to hárslevelû.” The Kikelet Winery’s beautiful whites can be found on the wine lists of the most prestigious restaurants. What is worth noting is that the Tokaj-Hegyalja region does not produce red wine.

“It’s not by accident that use of the Tokaj name is limited exclusively to white grape varietals, for those are the best here. Maybe one day however, I would like to see what I could make from red grapes. But, were I to experiment here, then I’d produce sparkling wine, which I really love, and there’s a niche for it here in Tokaj.” Visitors can also sample local delicacies in the Kikelet íz Mûhely (Kikelet Flavour Workshop) which operates as part of the winery. “At home I tend to prepare Hungarian dishes, such as stuffed paprika, layered kohlrabi or cabbage, and sweets such as zserbó”, Stéphanie adds. “One of my favourites is catfish stew with curd cheese noodles, with a hint of dill, which I can see accompanied

Photo: erzsebetpince.hu

Photo: tokajkikelet.hu

Kikelet’s fresh and succulent furmints and hárslevelûs as well as their complex and excitingly refined aszús can be tried in Budapest’s two-Michelin-starred Onyx, as well as the Michelin-starred Costes and Costes Downtown restaurants, while bottles can be purchased in one of the Bortársaság wine shops.

The young co-owner of the Erzsébet Winery, Hajnalka Prácser, was for all intents and purposes born into the world of grapes and wine. The family has a long history in the profession, and Erzsébet Pince was founded by her parents in 1993 when they purchased the cellar in central Tokaj, which served as a storage cellar for the Russian tsar’s wine purchases in the 19th century. The family-owned business was taken over in 2008 by Hajnalka and her brother Miklós, with Miklós producing the wines and Hajnalka hosting tastings and taking wines to the market. The siblings’ work is assisted by Hajnalka’s husband, the master sommelier Ronn Wiegand MW, who is originally from California. Erzsébet 60

by a good dry white. I also like lecsó (Hungarian ratatouille). And a good pickled cucumber soup in the summer! But on occasion I’ll turn to French cuisine, and of course it depends on what I can source from the stores. Consequently, we eat both cuisines at home.” With nine siblings, Stéphanie really does come from a large family. “I’m the only one who became a winemaker, so I could not receive much support in this field. But we drank fine wines at home, and it’s part of our culture. I have one child, and my mother-in-law and husband help out a great deal, consequently I can fulfil my roles much more easily. My friends, who are also winemakers, they have two-three children each, but they also manage to get things done even if the pace is strenuous at times…”

Winery’s wines have won numerous Hungarian and international prizes, with the 2012 Zafír Vineyard Selection winning the double gold medal as the best in its category at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, the most prestigious such event in the United States. Hajnalka’s own side company is the Tokaj Coffee Roasting Company, which only serves coffees of exceptional quality. Furthermore, she originally studied economics and Anglo-American literature. “I have very strong ties to the English language. In 1994 my parents used their income from the harvest to send me to Boston for a month. I studied English and mathematics at the university, and then later hospitality economics. My venturing into the world of wine is thanks to my husband,” she added. Miklós is the winemaker at the Erzsébet Winery, and Hajnalka oversees commerce, marketing, public relations, hospitality and press contacts domestically and internationally. They have few employees since it is a family-run business. “I also participate in the blending of the wines. There Ronn is the boss, but Miklós and I also have our say, since I’m the one who can say how much we would like from a commercial perspective. Nonetheless, the highest quality is always our aim. Fortunately, Ronn’s taste is quite similar to my own, and he’s my greatest teacher,” she emphasised. Hajnalka’s diverse interests are now primarily fo-

cused on wine and coffee, but her interest in literature, writing and languages has remained a hobby. “Someday I would like to write my parents’ story. When my recently graduated viticulturist mother arrived to the wine combine in Tolcsva on a Simpson moped with long hair, the men smiled that their new secretary had arrived. No, boys, she said, I’m your new boss!” Tokaj was a significant change for Ronn following Napa Valley, for despite being a unique wine region with a rich history, it is still a small town. “What I sense is that Tokaj wines are increasingly successful worldwide. We have yet to be able to show this in numbers, but in 10 years that will be the case. No matter how many international visitors come our way, be their journalists or regular guests, they all leave having fallen in love with Tokaj. The Furmint USA promotional alliance was founded in 2014 explicitly with the aim of introducing the furmint grape varietal to American audiences. The project was quite successful, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” she revealed about their plans.

Photo: erzsebetpince.hu

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Erzsébet Pince’s wines can be tasted in Budapest at DiVino, the Tasting Table and Drop Shop wine bars, in the Duna Corso and Café57 restaurants, as well as at the Gödöllô Royal Palace. Bottles of their wines can be purchased at the Tasting Table.

Photo: hungarikum.hu

Kikelet cave: tokajkikelet.hu Erzsébet cave: erzsebetpince.hu, Tokaj Coffee Roasting Company: tokajcoffee.com

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Zenélô Budapest

(Musical Budapest) 25 May – 12 August 2018.

Photo: István Práczky / budapestinfo.hu

For the fourth year in a row Budapest’s most popular tourist destinations will be accompanied by music during the summer months. For three months the Zenélô Budapest (Musical Budapest) programme series will feature hundreds of mini concerts for those exploring the city. Chamber orchestras will perform at locations such as Saint Stephen’s Basilica, Vajdahunyad Castle, and the steps of Mûcsarnok Hall. The Foundry Courtyard of the Castle Garden Bazaar will host larger concerts on Sunday mornings, where music lovers can see performances by Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Zoltán Orosz, Mihály Borbély and the Amadinda Percussion Group.

Yves Robert Trio 24 June 2018. 8 pm

Opus Jazz Club Budapest Music Center

Photo: Peter Purgar / info@jazzimbild.at

Born in 1958, the trombonist Yves Robert is an emblematic figure of French jazz. During his career spanning more than three decades, he has performed together with notable French musicians such as Daniel Humair, Louis Sclavis and Joëlle Léandre, as well as international stars such as McCoy Tyner, Paul Bley, John Zorn, Derek Bailey, Nguyên Lê, Steve Lacy and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Robert formed his own trio in 1988, and in 2014 performed an unbelievably impressive concert at the Opus Jazz Club together with the double bassist Bruno Chevillon and drummer Cyril Atef. Owing to the success of the album that was produced from the recording of that concert, the trio will again record at the Opus Jazz Club (this time with a studio setup) in the days following their performance.

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Enjoy your holiday in Hungary!

Use your Mastercard® or Maestro® card – even contactless – across Hungary in tens of thousands of locations including hotels, restaurants, shops, museums or countless other tourist attraction sites to pay in a modern and comfortable way. Your bank card could be a useful companion if you rent a bike or a car, or if you travel by taxi or public transport. Card-payment is practically free of charge in Hungary. You can use your card not only for payment but for cash withdrawal as well – so you don’t have to bother with currency exchange.

We wish you a lovely holiday! 63

Red Bull Air Race

23-24 June 2018. Central Danube Embankment The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is recognised around the world as the fastest and most exciting motorsport. The exceptional speeds achieved at low altitudes and very complicated manoeuvres in the competition mean that only the world’s finest pilots can participate. The first day consists of qualifiers, while the second is when these aerial acrobats compete to earn valuable points in the championship.

Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix 27-29 July 2018.

Photo: Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool

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Mogyoród

Photo: James Moy

The Hungaroring at Mogyoród, the site of the Hungarian Grand Prix, is a favourite among Formula 1 drivers, and will be part of the annual circuit until at least 2026. Those purchasing grand prix tickets can

A concert by Ferenc Snétberger (guitar) and Tony Lakatos (saxophone)

The garden of the Óbudai Társaskör

Ferenc Snétberger is a fantastic guitarist and composer who crosses genre boundaries with ease. His music has been inspired by Hungarian Gypsy music as much as Brazilian music, flamenco, classical or jazz. In addition to their excellent musical collaborations, his decades-long friendship with Tony Lakatos is the product of their mutual Roma background. This evening will see their debut as a duo in Hungary.

Photo: Natalie Färber

5 August 2018. 8 pm

do a pit walk on Thursday, watch the practice runs on Friday, and the qualifying runs on Saturday, which decide how the drivers line up for the 70 laps of the Grand Prix on Sunday.

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