Budapest's Finest In The Srping

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CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS MARCH - MAY 2015

EASTER TRADITIONS EGGS AND PROCESSIONS

VISITING BUDAPEST MAX EMANUEL CENCIC

FOUR MEALS THE BEST RESTAURANTS AROUND THE CITY

THE CITY OF BATHS SPAS AND BATHS

BUDAPEST

2015. Vol.1.

HUF 1 490 EUR 5

IN THE HEART OF

THE FIVE STAR CITY GUIDE

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Budapest, so many reasons to visit in all four seasons

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Introduction Dear Readers,

Dear Guest,

Budapest is a truly modern European capital and has undergone significant changes in recent years. We are working to create a Budapest that is liveable, lovable and attractive, proud of its past, builds upon its traditions, its values, and is innovative. Our renewed architectural heritage brings with it a new outlook filled with programmes for ALEXANDRA all tastes, where locals and SZALAY-BOBROVNICZKY tourists alike are sure to find what Deputy Mayor of Budapest they are looking for. It is worth making time for Budapest: its heritage and historical traditions far exceed the possibilities other big cities offer. Increased visitor numbers validate efforts by the city leadership: Budapest is becoming a more attractive tourist destination for people of all ages. This is also a sign of the city’s unique character and the countless opportunities that await visitors. Be it a conference, business trip or a long weekend, Budapest offers a unique experience for everyone.

I encourage you to explore the city, learn about its past and enjoy its present. Take a stroll on Margit Island, take in the culture in our museums and relax in the renovated Rudas Bath with its picturesque view.

Budapest always has something new to offer, which is why it is always worth returning to.

I am pleased to present this second issue of Budapest’s Finest, content with the knowledge that Budapest is loved and appreciated. The first issue of our publication – featuring impressive pictures and informative articles – filled a niche and fulfilled our expectations. The response from diplomatic and tourist delegations – as well as follow-up orTEODÓRA BÁN ders – underscore this success.

Director of Budapest Festival In our seasonal issue and on the and Tourism Centre Ides of March – a Hungarian national holiday – spring arrives into the city and our hearts as people once again fill public squares and parks. We invite you for a stroll along the Kiskörút (Small Boulevard): take pleasure in the sun’s first rays, the world-heritage Danube banks, look in wonder at “Budapest’s stomach”– the neo-gothic Great Market Hall – the raw ingredient warehouse for Hungary’s world famous cuisine. If you grow tired, have a rest on the National Museum’s historic steps, and, with renewed vigour walk, among the rejuvenated picturesque buildings in the Palace District.

Lent concludes with Easter, the celebration of rebirth and resurrection, and Budapest itself comes to life, for in April it will be the capital of culture as a host of world-famous celebrities take turns performing at the Budapest Spring Festival.

Refresh and reenergise yourself this spring in Budapest!

Published by BFTK Nonprofit Kft. (1052 Budapest, Városház utca 9-11. Tel.: +36 1 486 3300) Published quarterly.

Responsible Publisher } Teodóra Bán, manager Publication Manager } István Práczky Publishing Director } Diána Monostori Responsible Editor } Mária Albert } Layout } István Práczky Photo management } MitteComm Kft. Translation } Zoltán Csipke Printing } Komáromi Nyomda és Kiadó Kft. All images, texts, graphics and design elements are subject to copyright. Reproduction, use or imitation is not authorised without permission by law and is subject to criminal liability.

The information contained in the magazine is accurate at the time of publication.

ISSN 2064-9894

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CONTENTS

2015|Spring

Spring is in the air! } 4

Bajcsy Zs. út

Oktogon

sy

út

Historic steps } 6 Magnate quarter } 8 Kiskörút } 10 Citadel of culture } 12

An

dr ás

Szent István Square Basilica

Easter traditions } 16 ály

ca

ut

The celebration begins } 18 A rival to the Grand Bazaar } 20 The Bridge of Culture } 22 Visit Budapest - Max E. Cencic } 25

r

Ki

ila utca

Hotel Kempinski Corvinus Budapest

Do

bu

tca

József Att

Deák Square Ká

rol

yk

örú

t

ci

Vá utc a tca

iu

ét

t

m

ke

híd

National Museum

a tc

et séb

y Bród

körú

cs

Ke

eum

th

ssu

i út

ócz

Rák

or ut

The hotel of traditions } 28 Springs and caves inside the hill } 30 Beauty, gourmet and savoir-vivre } 32 Four meals } 34 My Favourites – Ari Kupsus } 36

Palace district

City Guide } 38

Múz

su

Ko

tca

ny u

á Doh

Hotel Astoria o Laj

The city of healing waters } 26

Erz

ca

Sánd

Vá tca

u ci

Kálvin Square t rú

Rudas Bath

m

z há

Central Market

Vá

kö

Üll

ôi

út

Underground art } 40 José Cura } 41 Exhilarating tension } 42 Creative Corner } 44 Programme Calendar } 46 Good to know } 48

íd

gh

a

ab

Sz

á ds

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

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Photo: Hungarian National Museum

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IN THE AIR! From Pest-Buda’s heroic age The nights no longer bring frost by March, and the sun’s warming rays slowly reawaken the spirit of adventure. Our hearts quicken once again as we hit the great outdoors. From March until the end of May, countless exciting attractions await those in search of something new.

March is the month of the Revolutions of 1848. In Pest-Buda, the National Museum played an important role in the events.

Elegant palaces were later built around it, which recently awakened to a new life after 60 years in a Sleeping Beauty-like slumber.

Budapest is the capital of culture in April as world famous artists seemingly follow in quick succession at the Budapest Spring Festival. In May, the open-air baths unlock their gates, but if it’s not warm enough to swim outdoors, Budapest, the city of healing waters, always has its thermal baths.

} National holiday on the Museum steps On 15 March 1848, the area in front of the façade was a key location of the revolution, where legend has it Sándor Petôfi recited the National Song.

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Photo: Krisztiรกn Bรณdis

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HISTORIC STEPS THE

HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

The Hungarian National Museum adds historical significance to the pleasant walk along the Small Boulevard from the Danube to Deรกk Square.

The museum played a key role in the transition from one era of Hungarian history to the next, a key period that brought about the spread of modern civil liberties.

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with the French wearing the tricolour cockade pinned to their hats.

The Hungarian cockarde is traditionally worn on 15 March, to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. In contrast to the French custom, the radical youth leaders from Pest – Pál Vasvári, Sándor Petôfi and Mór Jokai – wore the cockades on their coat lapels above their hearts.

The museum garden Literature has immortalised the museum’s garden: Ferenc Molnár, the famed dramatist who died in New York had the characters from his youth novel The Paul Street Boys spend their afternoons in the garden. The museum garden was planned to aesthetically enhance the museum’s surroundings, with the first sapling planted in 1855. The garden reached its eventual form in 1879. To collect the required funds, concerts were held featuring Ferenc Liszt and Ferenc Erkel.

Numerous literary and historical figures have been honoured © BFTK

© Petôfi Literary Museum

The museum played a major role during the 184849 Revolution and War of Independence. On 15 March 1848, the area before the façade was one of the key locations of the revolution, as this was the spot where Sándor Petôfi is said to have recited the National Song. Inside the museum’s ceremonial hall, the upper house of the revolutionary national assembly convened. (The upper house continued to meet here until the parliament building was erected). From this point on, the National Museum was not merely the most important repository of the national collection, but also a symbol of national liberty. This symbolism is highlighted by the fact that the most important commemoration of this national holiday is held in front of the museum.

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Europe’s third museum In 1802, Count Ferenc Széchényi – István Széchenyi’s father – turned to Emperor Francis I for permission to donate the Széchényi family’s rich Hungarian collection held in the Nagycenk Palace to the Hungarian nation. The emperor consented, and so this is considered to be the year of foundation of the Hungarian National Museum’s. The national assembly took ownership of the new institution on behalf of the nation in 1807.

The Hungarian National Museum was the third national museum to be established in Europe. Its mission is to collect and display relics of Hungarian history.

The country’s population was asked to give towards the construction of a new building to house the collection. Citizens, industrialists and aristocrats alike donated. Mihály Pollack, a towering figure of Hungarian classicist architecture, was entrusted with planning the museum’s building.

“This glorious day’s badge” The cockarde – a circular, tricolour rose ribbon – is worn to this day by Hungarians on 15 March. “Let it be this glorious day’s badge” Mór Jokai, the famed romantic Hungarian writer and revolutionary youth declared in his speech. The rosette was a decoration found on aristocratic clothing. As a symbol of solidarity with the French revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette was the first to create a red white and blue cockade. The French National Assembly then used these colours to create the bourgeois state’s national flag,

with memorials in the garden over the last 150 years. The first was a statue to the poet Dániel Berzsenyi in 1860, followed in 1881 by one of Ferenc Kazinczy, both of them sculpted by Miklós Vay. The most significant, the sitting statue of János Arany, was created by Alajos Stróbl in 1883. The garden is also home to statues of Károly and Sándor Kisfaludy, the naturalist Ottó Herman, revolutionary military leaders Alessandro Monti and Jozef Wysocky, as well as Giuseppe Garibaldi. A memorial plaque to Petôfi was dedicated on the right side of the steps on 15 March 1890. In 1902, on the centenary of the museum’s founding, a statue of Ferenc Széchényi sculpted by János Istók was dedicated.

Hungarian National Museum District VIII. Múzeum krt. 14-16

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MAGNATE QUARTER THE PALACE DISTRICT AROUND THE MUSEUM TEXT} G YÖRGYI O RBÁN

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Neighbouring downtown Pest, the rejuvenated Palace District bounded by Rákóczi Road, the Grand Boulevard, Üllôi Road and Múzeum Boulevard offers countless treasures to be uncovered.

This area is an historically important part of the Józsefváros (Joseph Town) district of the capital. It was created on 7 November 1777 when Maria Theresa gave permission for the development and renaming of Pacsirtamezô. The population wished to name the village after Saint Joseph, but by the time this request arrived in Vienna, it appeared to be in praise of Joseph II, the queen’s son. Maria Theresa approved the request and settled Germans and Slovaks among the Hungarians already living there. Józsefváros was outside the city walls and consisted of vegetable gardens and vineyards.

Planned development began after the great flood of 1838, which only permitted multi-story stone buildings, with the prestigious Palace District becoming populated early on in the 19th century. This development was spurred by the construction of the Hungarian National Museum in 1844. Aristocrats were enticed to build their palaces in the area by the National Theatre built on the present corner of Rákóczi Road and Múzeum Boulevard on land donated by Duke Grassalkovich in 1837,

and the House of Representatives built on Bródy Sándor Street in 1865 (wich today houses the Italian Cultural Institute). The area was nicknamed after its builders, initially called Magnate quarters before becoming the Palace District.

The area contains 38 palaces built from 1860-1900, of which 24 were palaces and 10 were apartment houses built by lords and members of the upper middle class. Miklós Ybl, an exceptional architect of the period, planned many of these imposing edifices. József Hild and his nephew Károly were also notable architects who designed many buildings in the district.

Palace District District VIII. Pollack Mihály tér, Bródy Sándor utca, Múzeum utca

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Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Photo © István Práczky

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

} Wenckheim Palace

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

The palace was built by Arthur Meining, a famous architect from Saxony, for Frigyes Wenckheim. The palace, built from 1886-1889 features a Dresdener baroque façade with the inside evoking the era of Louis XV. The rails, gates and candelabrum are the work of the esteemed artist Gyula Jungfer. The heirs sold the building to the city in 1927, which reopened it in 1931 as the Metropolitan Library, known today as the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library.

Count György Festetics, the lord lieutenant of Vas and Zala counties, was the owner. Planned in 1863 by Miklós Ybl in a neo-renaissance style, the palace designed to resemble an Italian palazzo today houses the German language Andrássy University Budapest. The palace’s mirror hall regularly hosts concerts.

} Almássy Palace

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

} Festetics Palace

The landowner Kálmán Almássy built a two-story palace evoking Venetian palazzos at Ötpacsirta Street 2 in 1877. The count was a scion of the Hungarian noble house dating to the 17th century, as well as a cavalry captain and secret adviser to the crown. The palace’s inner courtyard is decorated with greenery. In the garden, we find the 200 year-old Caritas Romana baroque statue, of which the original is in the Museum of Fine Arts’ lapidarium. Today, the palace is the headquarters of the Association of Hungarian Architects.

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

This monumental palace was built for the lower house of representatives.

Members of the upper house met in the nearby National Museum. The neo-renaissance building designed by Miklós Ybl was completed in five months in 1863. The representatives relocated to the parliament building on the Danube’s banks in the early 1900s.

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

} Old House of Representatives

} Károlyi Palace This palace was commissioned by Count Lajos Károlyi of Nagykároly, lord lieutenant of Szatmár County. Crowned with a French mansard roof, it was constructed between 1863 and 1865 according to designs by Miklós Ybl, and contained eight apartments used by the Károlyi family. Between 1918 and 1945, the Kingdom of Italy’s embassy rented the building, which houses decorative frescos by Károly Lotz.

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Photo © Balázs Csizik

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KISKÖRÚT THE BOULEVARD BENEATH THE CITY WALLS The Kiskörút follows the path of the old road that once ran parallel to the walls surrounding medieval Pest. One or two remaining sections of the city wall can still be seen in the courtyards of a few buildings on Múzeum Boulevard. The section from Kálvin Square to the Hotel Astoria is Múzeum Boulevard, further on to Deák Square is Károly Boulevard, while Vámház Boulevard extends from Kálvin Square to the Danube.

Photo © István Práczky

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Astoria: the house of cheerful and sad memories The predecessor to today’s hotel – the Zrínyi Café and Guesthouse – opened in 1824. It was a meeting place for politicians and artists, and the revolutionary poet Sándor Petôfi was a regular. An empirestyle hotel was later built on the premises, with the name Astoria provided by its world-travelling leaseholder, Mihály Gellér.

“Its beauty and atmosphere is captivating. Guests step on expensive rugs in the café and hotel halls. The shining mirrors spare no light,” an article wrote on its 1914 opening. A regular guest in the Astoria was writer Gyula Krúdy, who according to legend appreciated the hotel for its quiet cleaning staff who allowed him to sleep until noon.

In 1918, the Hungarian National Council led by Count Mihály Károlyi operated in the building. When Nazi Germany invaded in March 1944, the building became the headquarters of the Gestapo, who ransacked the building during their retreat. The hotel was completely rebuilt in 1948.

Hotel Astoria District V. Kossuth Lajos utca 19-21.

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From Astoria to Deák Square

Photo © István Práczky

Lutheran Church District V. Deák tér 4.

District V. Deák tér

From the National Museum to the Danube After the church at Deák Square, Budapest’s second largest Protestant place of worship is the classicist Reformed church at Kálvin Square. It was completed in 1830 according to plans

by Vince Hild. The organ was built a year later by the Viennese Deutschmann company, and enlarged in 1891 by the Angster Manufaktúra of Pécs. During the 1848 Revolution, Áron Gábor melted down the bells to make cannonballs.

On the south side lies the Kálvin hall, with stained-glass windows by Miksa Róth featuring Christian symbols and important figures of the reformation: John Calvin, István Bocskai and Gábor Bethlen. The church’s main façade extends to the macetopped steeple. An elliptical cupola rising from the barrelvaulted nave is impressive in its design, while the sounding board above the pulpit is József Hild’s work.

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Mihály Pollack, as the new architectural genius of Pest, fulfilled the dreams of the city’s Lutherans with the church at Deák Square. A total of 194 buildings are attributed to the world-renowned architect who remained a citizen of Pest until his death at 82. Pollack’s works feature classicist and Italian architectural influences. The church’s cornerstone was laid in 1799, but due to financial constraints and the Napoleonic Wars, the church was only consecrated on Whitsunday 1811, leading a vigorous musical life for the last hundred years. Central to the activities of the Lutheránia Choir is the preservation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s musical heritage. During periods when official policy was opposed to the performance of religious music, the Lutheran church at Deák Square was the only location in Hungary where Bach’s passions, Mass in B minor, cantatas and motets could be heard.

This Easter will see a performance of the St John Passion.

Kálvin Square Reformed Church District IX. Kálvin tér 7.

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CITADEL OF CULTURE TEN YEARS OF THE PALACE OF ARTS

Photo: © Zsuzsa Petô – Müpa

The model already existed. From Paris to Essen, numerous big cities in Europe have created modern cultural centres in their rust belts, amidst the monuments of their industrial pasts. In the French capital, the Cité de la Musique was built on the site of a former slaughterhouse and livestock market. This year, it is being expanded with a futuristic concert centre. In the Ruhr Valley, a disused coal sorting plant was transformed into a museum, while if everything goes to plan, 2016 will see Hamburg's harbour hosting a new concert and business centre on the spot where the old coffee warehouse once stood.

“On the Palace of Arts’ tenth anniversary, it is not ourselves that we would like to celebrate, but culture and our audience,” General Manager Csaba Káel said at the opening of the jubilee season. “Even in Europe, it was rare ten years ago, but in Hungary there was no precedent for a performing arts centre that brought together classical, pop and world music, jazz, dance, opera and contemporary circus, literary and film programs all under one roof,” he added, reflecting on the difficulties experienced in the early years.

The Zoboki-Demeter és Társai Architectural Firm designed the building that would house a theatre, a concert hall with exceptional acoustics and a museum space fit for 21st century demands. Since the grand opening on 14 March 2005, more than 10,000 events have been held in the Palace of Arts, of which the vast majority were cultural programmes. Over the past ten years close to 5 million people have visited the cultural citadel,

giving rank not only to the centre, but also to Budapest’s cultural draw. The Palace of Arts not only plays host to, but also organises its own cultural events. Since opening, its innovative initiatives have transformed public attitudes towards classical genres, as well as lighter and thought-provoking contemporary art mainstays.

“The Palace of Arts is the type of public place that is enjoyable before and after performances, where we can share with each other the joys of anticipation and experience. We think of culture as a natural basic necessity,” Káel added.

The Palace of Arts will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a particularly rich series of events on 14-15 March. For its “birthday weekend” the Palace of Arts has invited notable guests with whom it has artistically grown over the previous decade.

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During the course of its first ten years, the Palace of Arts has hosted more than 3,800 classical music concerts, close to 2,900 dance productions, 800 jazz and world music concerts each, and approximately 700 opera, theatre and contemporary circus performances. The opening of the Palace of Arts in 2005 has led to a renaissance for Budapest’s cultural institutions. The Liszt Academy, Erkel Theatre and Vigadó Concert Hall were all renovated, while the Budapest Music Center and the Bálna Budapest Event Hall have opened their doors since.

To mark the jubilee, we recall some of the Palace of Arts’ most memorable moments.

} Organ Stories When the Organ Stories were first presented in 2009, the performance was such a huge success that the Palace of Arts turned the programme into a regular series. On five occasions up to 2013, the audience was invited to listen to the history of the queen of instruments mired in tragedy, conspiracy and turbulent musical destiny, presented through Pál Mácsai’s narration and organist László Fassang’s performances

Photo: János Posztós – Müpa

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} Collaborations, series

Since its launch, the internationally acclaimed Wagner Days under the artistic direction of Ádám Fischer have found a home for opera in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall. The festival, which has been nicknamed “Little Bayreuth” after the Bavarian city that hosts the most famous Wagner-themed festival, draws an ever-growing crowd to the Hungarian capital each year. The New York Times described the 2013 premiere of the mastersingers from Nuremberg as “a heartwarming performance”

Photo: Gábor Kotschy – Müpa

} Wagner in Budapest

Photo: János Posztós – Müpa

Photo: Szilvia Csibi – Müpa

The National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Palace of Arts launched a novelty series in 2011 featuring musical stage works by Richard Strauss never before or rarely performed in Hungary. In 2014, they presented the Biblically inspired legend of Joseph, which was performed with choreography specifically developed for Tamás Juronics in collaboration with the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company.

} Jazz Spring Pat Metheny, the guitar phenom who during the course of his 40 year career has constantly reinvented himself and is one of jazz history’s most significant artists, performed in 2014 with the Unity Group, his new quintet, heralding yet another creative era. The thematic festival, where the audience can meet the genre’s most influential Hungarian and international stars, is organised by the Palace of Arts each spring.

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} Contemporary circus The Palace of Arts’s last – but not least – genre to expand its portfolio is that of contemporary circus. The country’s first contemporary circus company, Recirquel has made this genre a welcome returning guest. The company’s latest performance is their full-evening Paris at Night, which presents the viewer with the steamy erotic world of the 1930s. This collaboration between the Palace of Arts and Recirquel draws inspiration from the characteristic visual world of photographer Brassaï

} Stars of world music

} Legends of pop music

Photo: Gábor Kotschy – Müpa

Marianne Faithfull was 16 years old when she first gained fame with the Rolling Stone’s song As Tears Go By in the summer of 1964.

Since then, she has established herself in the folk, rhythm & blues and rock genres, reaffirming this in concert on two occasions with the Palace of Arts’ audience. “Ten years, my dears, that’s nothing,” she said with a smile into the ten-year old Palace of Arts’ camera as she reflected on her 50-year career. And why should we not believe the word of someone who has recorded such classic albums as Broken English, Strange Weather, and 20th Century Blues?

Photo: Zsuzsa Petô – Müpa

During its ten years, the Palace of Arts has become a worthy pilgrimage site for admirers of world music. Cesaria Evora, undoubtedly Cape Verde’s most famous singer and one-time Buena Vista Social Club collaborator, has performed on multiple occasions in the Palace of Arts’ world famous auditorium, each time with explosive success

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Photo: Gábor Kotschy – Müpa

Photo: László Lenhardt

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

Photo: Mat Mennek – EMI Classical

} Most, most, most…

If one of the world’s best orchestras with one of the world’s best conductors visits the Palace of Arts with one of the most famous symphony orchestras, it is an event than cannot be reproduced. Sir Simon Rattle has led the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002, a post he will hold until 2018.

For now, we can only guess what the future holds. For their extraordinary 2014 concert, they performed Beethoven’s 9th symphony and György Kurtág’s Grabstein für Stephan

} Of music and arresting acoustics for the youth Who would not be curious to learn how a symphony orchestra works, how it prepares for a concert, or how a jazz band spends its day? So why not bring such experiences into tours of the Béla Bártók National Concert Hall, where “big concerts” are performed every evening? We recommend this programme series for those between the ages of 1014. In the first half, participants are given a glimpse into an everyday rehearsal with the assistance of the host, with the pieces introduced in the first half then later heard in their full glory as performed on stage

Palace of Arts District IX Komor Marcell u. 1 mupa.hu Facebook/MupaBudapest

Photo © Balázs Mohai - MTI

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EASTER TRADITIONS Nourishment for body and soul Easter, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, is one of Christianity’s greatest holidays. The once strictly observed fast of Lent ends as the bells silenced on Holy Thursday ring anew during the service on Holy Saturday.

With its blessing of the flame and lighting of candles, the procession is not a compulsory part of the liturgy Most churches, however, hold them, thus opening their doors to the world. In addition to its religious message, the heralding of spring and the joy of nature’s revival is also an important rite of Easter.

Folk traditions originating from the period before Christianity also imply rebirth.

Blessing eggs can be traced back to beliefs about the sun, purity was represented by the lamb, and fertility was symbolised by the prolific rabbit.

} Procession on Szent István Square The closing event of the Easter liturgy is the captivating procession through which the church opens its doors to the world.

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EASTER TRADITIONS

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Easter procession in Buda Castle’s Matthias Church

Photo © Apor Püspöki 2014

THE CELEBRATION BEGINS The final week of Lent before Easter is Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday. To commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, people attended church with pussy willow branches on Palm Sunday. Holy Week’s function is to commemorate Christ’s suffering. The 40 days of Lent end during this week, and nature is reborn. On Holy Thursday, church bells cease to ring as “the bells depart for Rome”, and the next time they ring is Holy Saturday.

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EASTER TRADITIONS

Eggs play an important role in the Judeo-Christian faith. Similar to rings, they represent the circle of life, rebirth and growth. It was tradition to break an egg into a newborn’s first bath to ensure their beauty and health, and to caress their face with an egg upon the first visit. During a wedding reception, the bride steps on an egg in the groom’s house to ensure her fertility.

Pussy willow branches instead of palms For Hungarians, pussy willow branches are closely associated with Easter, or more specifically to Palm Sunday a week before it, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the people received the Redeemer by waiving palm branches. To correspond with early springtime in Europe, flowering willow twigs replaced the palm branches that are yet to sprout. In time, the origins of this tradition were forgotten by many, but pussy willow branches remind everyone of Easter to this day.

Without ham there is no Easter

Egg and tears

Photo © Klemen Brumec

FROM RED TO FABERGÉ EGGS

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Eggs also feature in the Seder feast preceding Passover. The celebration that commemorates the Jewish flight from Egypt is not equivalent to Easter, just as Hanukkah is not equivalent to Christmas, but it falls on a close date, and depending on the lunar calendar, may even fall on the same day. During Passover, certain foods cannot be consumed. The kitchen and dishes must be thoroughly cleaned and only unleavened bread can be placed on the table.

But a well decorated Seder table also requires boiled eggs, which are consumed by dipping them into brine, to recall the tears of Egyptian slavery. In addition to this commemoration, Seder exists to spur storytelling and preserve rituals.

Easter egg The tradition of Easter eggs dates back before Christianity, becoming a part of the Christian vigil with the blessing of eggs.

In Western Europe, eggs are single coloured, with cooked onion skins used to give them a reddish colour. In Hungary and neighbouring countries, they were decorated with beeswax before being dyed. Girls presented painted eggs to boys during the Easter Monday watering. In some places, leaves were stuck to the egg before it was dyed, so that the leaf veins gave them a pattern. Today urbanites buy red or designed eggs, attach stickers, knit a “coat” for them, or cover them in newspaper. Children on the other hand look forward to chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies the most.

Following the procession, most families serve amply spiced and marinated ham. First place the ham into a large cooking pot with cold water. So that it does not become too salty, it should be steeped with the water changed several times. Ham needs to be cooked slowly, until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Once cooked, eggs and smoked sausage can be boiled in its juice, which gives eggs in particular an excellent flavour.

The cooled and sliced ham and sausages are eaten together with the quartered eggs. The dish is served with shredded horse radish or beets, but mustard, spring onions or tomatoes can also be added. Unfilled Easter scones are also consumed, while these are also made with raisins and cocoa for Sunday breakfast.

Photo © Biksady Galéria

Photo © Yoninah

The celebrity of decorated eggs: Fabergé Adults – independent of Easter – desire jewelled eggs. These eggs, which are artistic treasures, were created by Peter Carl Fabergé for Tsar Alexander III. Tsar Alexander wished to provide his wife with a special gift during the most important Orthodox holiday, which is why he asked Fabergé to create a gift that is simultaneously appropriate for Easter and a surprise. The first egg was created in 1885 and was made from solid gold covered by a fine, white ceramic layer so that it would resemble an egg. A miniature chicken was placed inside it, which revealed a tiny replica of the Tsar’s crown when opened. Following this, it became tradition for the court to order an Easter “egg” from Fabergé each year. At the Biksady Gallery’s December auction in Budapest, a real Fabergé egg was sold for HUF 10 million, in addition to a selection of other quality decorated eggs.

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A RIVAL TO THE GRAND BAZAAR THE GREAT MARKET HALL The French author Émile Zola wrote that Les Halles is the stomach of Paris.

This could also be said of the Great Market Hall: it is the stomach of Budapest, the Hungarian capital’s featured attraction, and a favourite of tourists.

The neo-gothic central market is 60 metres tall, with a 150 metre-long vault. The outside walls are covered with red bricks of varying hues, with the roof decorated by Zsolnay ceramics. A rail line originally extended into the hall and a tunnel connected it to the Danube embankment, where fresh products arrived on boats. When the building was ceremoniously opened on 15 February 1897 as part of Hungary’s millennial celebrations of the conquest, it was one of Europe’s most modern buildings. Károly Kammermayer, Budapest's first mayor, considered it a personal project, and studied British, Belgian, German and French examples on how to build and operate such a building. Samu

Petz, who built the market hall, learned his craft in Germany. Designated a national monument in 1977, the hall received architecture’s most prestigious international recognition, the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence award, in 1999. CNN Travel featured the market hall in its list of top markets alongside such world-famous markets as Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, Barcelona’s Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, London’s Portobello Road Market and Les Puces in Paris.

Great Market Hall District IX Vámház krt. 1-3,

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MARKET KALEIDOSCOPE Batthyány Square market hall Rákóczi Square market hall

The Budapest city council decided in 1894 to build a hall on what was then known as Bomba Square. The hall’s façade, architectural structure and interior are all reminiscent of the Great Market Hall.

In 1901, stands were rented out and installations built to allow the hall to open in 1902. Initial interest unfortunately quickly waned: the hall did not have as much footfall as other markets and progressively lost its market character. Following renovation in 2003, the ground floor was filled by a supermarket, with the first floor occupied by small stores and offices. The arcades were filled with a bank and restaurant.

The Rákóczi Square market hall was the second market hall to be built in Budapest in 1894. The building was based on plans prepared by architects in the city engineering office and was opened on 16 January 1897. Two perpendicular five-vaulted halls make up the space to which side vaults are attached on either side. When it was opened, horse-drawn wagons could enter the hall to unpack their wares through its main entrance on Rákóczi Square. By 1936, traffic at the market had plunged to the point that plans existed to close it or transform it into a swimming pool. These Photos © BFTK

Photo © István Práczky

The Hold Street market hall The hall was built in 1897 according to Gyôzô Cziegler’s plans. The floor area is 2,110 square metres, which, similarly to the Great Market Hall, is divided into one expansive ground floor surrounded by a first floor gallery that rings around it. The market hall was renovated after 1990, when the old stands were removed, the farmers’ tables disappeared and the broken asphalt was replaced with tiles, as stores took over the gallery.

A small florist offers its colourful wares at the market’s entrance, and fresh vegetables, fruits and meat are also available on weekends. The market’s greatest drawing power, however, are its buffet offerings.

There is a sushi bar on the top floor, and there are also sausage and sandwich shops, a pizzeria and a lángos stand.

The bakery by the entrance is always dependable for picking up a good dessert.

plans were never realised, however. On the night of 6 May 1988, a fire broke out and only the main walls survived. Even the iron framework became warped. Fortunately, the building was not demolished, and reopened after renovations in 1991.

Today, it is easily accessible via the new Metro 4 line.

Organic markets Organic, environmentally friendly and farmer’s markets await guests on the weekend. The organic market held in the courtyard of the MOM Cultural Centre is exceptionally popular.

Also on every Saturdays, the Hungarian Bioculture Association holds an organic market in the courtyard of the Klebelsberg Culture Hall.

On Sundays, the Szimpla Kert ruin pub (Kazinczy Street 14) hosts a farmer’s market in downtown Pest with 50 farmers selling their products. The offerings include basic staples, fresh produce and numerous specialities such as rose syrup, cheese aged in red wine and wild garlic honey.

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BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL

THE BRIDGE OF CULTURE BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 35 YEARS The Budapest Spring Festival was first established in 1980 to boost tourism to Hungary. The first festival left its mark on the European cultural scene with revivals of Béla Bartók's three dramatic works. Ever since, audiences can choose from a programme spanning the spectrum of art for two weeks each year when the capital enjoys a festival atmosphere. Performances of classical music, opera and jazz along with dance and theatre – not to mention open-air events – attract both residents and tourists in search of cultural enlightenment.

The festival, which has earned significant international acclaim, features some 100 original productions and countless Hungarian premieres. In 2004, the prestigious Dutch website Lokale Festiviteiten ranked it among the 50 best festivals in Europe, with the Sziget Festival being the only other event in Hungary to make the cut.

In 2005, KulturForum Europa awarded the Budapest Spring Festival the European Culture Award for its role as Hungary's ambassador of culture.

Performing at the Budapest Spring Festival has become a badge of honour, so it's no coincidence that international celebrities mention their festival appearances online. The philosophy of the organisers is to introduce the treasures of Hungarian culture to the world to a high standard and in a manner enjoyable for a wider audience, bringing established and young talent from around the world and new creative works to Hungary, thereby bringing spectacular and exciting entertainment for the masses. The objective is no less than to become Hungary's quintessential cultural festival.

The red squares used as logos first appeared around the city in 2008. The festival has also embraced modern customer service technology: today tickets can be purchased from any corner of the world. For 2015, the organisers pushed the festival back to mid-April from March, not only due to better weather for the open-air programmes, but also to enable the spring and early-summer festival circuit to link up better with events in Prague and Vienna.

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BUDAPEST SPRING FESTIVAL

1981

} The Kodály centenary

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1982

The 100th anniversary of Zoltán Kodály's birth was marked by a puppet version of his singspiel Háry János. In 1982, an exhibition of the world-famous Hungarian sculptor Amerigo Tot’s works drew thousands to the Vigadó Gallery

1982

} György "Georges" Cziffra

} The first Spring Festival

After suffering destitution and being forced to leave his homeland in 1956, György Cziffra was the festival's guest at the Vigadó Hall in 1982. The piano virtuoso remains a role model to many Hungarian pianists, including János Balázs, who dedicates his concert on 19 April 2015 to the master's memory

1985

The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble gave a gala performance at the first Budapest Spring Festival. Folklore has been key for the festival from the start

} Budapest Festival Orchestra The Budapest Festival Orchestra was scarcely two years old in 1985 when it opened the Budapest Congress Centre.

The festival's organisers had been among those supporting the ensemble's creation. That night featured the conducting of Iván Fischer, with Zoltán Kocsis at the piano

1988

} Maurice André This marked the first time that the French trumpet virtuoso was a guest of the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, later becoming a regular partner of the world-famous Hungarian ensemble

} Keith Jarrett 1993 } Sándor Végh The world-famous Hungarian violinist appeared with his Mozarteum orchestra at the Liszt Academy on several occasions, including in 1993

} Dizzy Gillespie The 1989 festival brought world jazz stars to Budapest: Dizzy Gillespie and his band gave a hugely successful concert at the Liszt Academy

The star of the international jazz scene received frenetic and noisy acclaim at the Liszt Academy in 1989 with the audience almost refusing to let Jarrett leave the podium

Photos © BFTK

1989

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Photo: Yannis Bournias

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1996

2000

1998

} György Kurtág

} Maxim Vengerov

The 70-year-old György Kurtág was celebrated at the Liszt Academy with a concert programme featuring a selection of his works

} Leonidas Kavakos

The Pesti Vigadó hosted Maxim Vengerov, who has since regularly returned to Budapest

2001

Perhaps the most memorable concert in the festival’s history was at the Erkel Theatre, when violinist Leonias Kavakos scored an overwhelming success playing Berg's violin concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis

2002

} Nikolaus Harnoncourt

} Wagner: Tristan and Isolde

2008

} The Müpa opens: Midori and the BFO

} John Eliot Gardiner For Easter 2008, the Englishman conducted J.S. Bach's Saint John Passion with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir.

The festival acquired its new logo with the red squares that same year

In 2005, the Budapest Spring Festival's opening concert moved to a new venue: the Palace of Arts, which had opened only days earlier. The soloist at the concert by the Budapest Festival Orchestra was the enchanting Japanese violinist Midori

2012 } The Infernal Comedy

2010

At the 2012 festival, the audience at the Comedy Theatre got two opportunities to see John Malkovich's globally acclaimed musical performance now entitled "Confessions of a Serial Killer" Photo: Nathalie Bauer

Photo: Andrea Felvégi

Photos © BFTK

} Nigel Kennedy Proudly flaunting his daredevil status, eccentric violinist Nigel Kennedy took the stage of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall with a programme of works by Bach and Duke Ellington

2005

Photo: Anthony Parmelee

In 2002, Harnoncourt directed Concentus Musicus Wien in a concert interpreting vocal works by Mozart and Haydn

Another memorable moment from 2001 was director Harry Kupfer's production of Wagner’s classic in a guest performance by the Mannheim Opera, with Jayne Casselman and Wolfgang Neumann in the lead roles and Ádám Fischer conducting

More information about BSF 2015 programs: www.btf.hu

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MAX EMANUEL CENCIC AN OPERA STAR WITH A CENTRAL EUROPEAN CULTURAL BACKGROUND TEXT} J UDIT R ÁCZ PHOTO}

BEETROOT

As artistic director of Parnassus Arts Productions, Max Emanuel Cencic assists with numerous productions of Italian baroque operas: his sensational "rediscovery" of Leonardo Vinci's final opera, Artaserse, brought him tremendous success.

His most recent production returns Johann Adolf Hasse's opera Siroë to the stage after a hiatus of 200 years.

On 18 March, this work by the prolific baroque opera composer will also come to the Budapest Spring Festival.

You sing the title role and also direct. The set design is amazing, the costumes are beautiful and the stage acting is powerful. Why did you choose this opera, practically known only by music historians?

The music is extraordinarily virtuosic, with difficult coloratura parts, exciting melodic phrasing, and well drawn characters. In many respects it resembles Mozart's The Magic Flute, since it too is a clash between the old system and the new, in this case embodied by the conflict between father and son. Also, since it is set in Persia, I had the perfect opportunity to put something in the style of the Arabian Nights on the stage, since it is, after all, a fairy tale.

Hungarians like to boast, somewhat tongue in cheek, that every great person is actually of Hungarian origin.

In your case, however, there is some truth to it, since you are descended on your mother's side from the Vojnich family of Vojvodina.

Yes, you could say I'm part Hungarian, and my mother, grandparents and other relatives spoke Hungarian at home, as did I. I still understand it somewhat. Part of the family always lived in Budapest, with relatives in Szeged and Baja. My cultural background, therefore, is entirely Central European. When I joined the Vienna Boys' Choir as a child, we went to Austria, and when the Yugoslav Wars broke out, we had to stay there, leaving everything behind. I visit my Budapest relatives when I can, but unfortunately can never stay more than a day or two.

If a visitor were to ask you how to spend a few days in Budapest, what would you suggest?

By walking along the Danube banks you will find yourself in the middle of a beautiful sight. The National Gallery and other museums have excellent collections. The Parliament is a lovely building inside and out. Discover the centre of Pest, bustling with cafés and take in the fascinating details of the 19th century buildings. Don't forget to try the traditional Dobos torte at the Gerbaud confectionary: that's what I always order. And of course, the thermal baths are also fantastic – this is the greatest form of relaxation after walking around the city. If only I had more chances to visit!

} Career trajectory Raised in the Vienna Boys' Choir, Max began his solo career as a countertenor in 2001. A number of his recordings have earned major awards, with several receiving Grammy nominations; his joint CD with Philippe Jaroussky was a huge success. He tours the world singing material from his Venezia and Rokoko albums and regularly works with outstanding conductors such as William Christie, René Jacobs, Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Riccardo Muti. His appearances in operas by Monteverdi and Handel were particularly memorable.

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Photos © Krisztián Bódis

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THE CITY OF HEALING WATERS The Mecca of health According to legend, Alexandre Dumas, author of the Three Musketeers, frequently visited Buda in the 1860s due to female interests tying him to the city.

On these occasions, he stayed at the “Arany Sas” (Golden Eagle) Hotel or the Császár Baths as the waters of the Császár and Sáros Baths (today the Gellért) were beneficial for his rheumatic legs.

Numerous thermal springs abound on the Buda side from Aquincum to Gellért Hill, and their waters have been used for the past 2,500 years.

The healing waters are suitable not only for bathing, but also for drinking therapy.

} The Gellért’s thermal pools In the capital’s most famous therapeutic bath, people with mobility illnesses can loosen their muscles and joints in the Gellért’s 35-40°C thermal pools. If relaxation is all you need, the calming and caressing waters are perfect for anyone.

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THE HOTEL

Photo © István Práczky

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OF TRADITION RELAX AND RECUPERATE IN LUXURIOUS SURROUNDINGS

Budapest has more modern hotels than the Danubius Hotel Gellért, but one would be hard pressed to find one that better embodies the Hungarian capital's period of modernisation in which elegance and Europeanness were at the fore.

Budapest is truly blessed with therapeutic waters as it is a great rarity for a metropolis to have centrally located therapeutic baths, pools and beaches. At the foot of Gellért Hill on the Buda side of Szabadság Bridge, the art nouveau building bearing the hill’s name offers all of these amenities, as well as medical treatments for physical and respiratory ailments.

This was the site of a hospital in the 13th century. In a later in-

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carnation it was the Sáros (muddy) Bath where guests enjoyed its silky mud and dipped into its waters. When the bridge was built in 1894, the Sáros Bath was demolished and in its place an elegant hotel and bath were built as part of the “Budapest Spa City” concept. The capital’s first luxury hotel, it was Europe’s most modern therapeutic spa when it opened in 1918. The wave pool – a predecessor of water parks – was built in 1926-27 on the site of the earlier bath park, with a bubbling hot tub added to the complex in 1934. Exclusive guests who have stayed in the Gellért include Queen Julianna of the Netherlands, the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, the violinist Yehudi Menuhin and cellist Pablo Casals, as well as American President Richard Nixon.

The indoor hot tubs, thermal baths, steam rooms and saunas operate all year, while the wave pool is open in the summer months.

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

Photo © Krisztián Bódis

The Gellért mystique The Danubius Hotel Gellért, previously known as the Szent Gellért Hotel and Spa, was built in 1918 according to early 20th century art nouveau palace-hotel designs, opening at the same time as the spa adjoined to it. The building’s architectural silhouette and perfect interiors have made it an iconic Budapest institution. The art deco foyer, the bath’s grand lobby and the art nouveau pool decorated with Zsolnay tiles are captivating to behold.

The hotel's location in the scenic surroundings of the Danube’s banks at the foot of Gellért Hill is especially favourable. It is easily accessible, for all that separates it from downtown is Budapest’s most beautiful bridge.

The hotel’s Panorama restaurant has a wonderful terrace that provides a fairytale view onto the Danube and Budapest. The brasserie is a perfect choice for those who would like to combine first class Hungarian and international cuisines, while the café is a true temptation for anyone who loves home-made cakes.

Danubius Hotel Gellért District XI. Szent Gellért tér 1.

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} Turkish bath culture

SPRINGS AND

Cleanliness is strictly observed in Muslim culture as health and beauty are the fulfillment of Allah’s work, and taking care of and keeping one’s body clean is part of one’s religious duty.

Visitors to Turkish baths leave decorated dressing rooms to enter a lukewarm transitional room, from where they enter a hot bath to be washed and massaged. The baths also provide beauty treatments and are key social spots, for this was where mothers once chose their children’s future partners and negotiated dowries.

CAVES INSIDE THE HILL Gellért Hill is one of the dolomite outcrops in a chain that rises above the Danube in south Buda. We also have the tectonic fault line that created these leafy hills to thank for the thermal springs beneath them.

Just one tram stop north of the Gellért, the Rudas Bath on the Danube embankment is located near 21 thermal springs. The baths are a fine example of how Turkish bath architecture became a characteristic feature of Pest-Buda. This architectural tradition also influenced the Király and (currently closed) Rácz Baths. The Rudas building was renovated in 2012 and a new wellness section was opened in 2014 featuring a rooftop hot tub with stunning views onto the Danube.

PhotoPhoto © Krisztián Bódis © Krisztián Bódis

Photo © Rudas Fürdô

} Rudas Thermal Bath

} Danube pools

} The cliff chapel After the grand opening of the Gellért Hotel and Spa, the Gellért hillside was groomed and paths were added in the 1920s. The Szent István Cave can be found on the southern side, in which the cliff chapel was built in 1926 with a monastery beside it. The Our Lady of Hungary cliff church was donated to the only monastic order of Hungarian origin, the Pauline Fathers, and a wooden cross was erected onto the exposed cliff above the entrance in 1936. Following the end of communism in 1989, the Hungarian Pauline Fathers reopened the monastery and church, which is home to the order’s most precious relic: the hermit Saint Paul’s shin bone.

Photo © egykor.hu

Photo © Zsolt Forgács

From the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, bathing boats were to be found along the capital’s stretch of the Danube. Four boats offered swimming opportunities for guests on the embankment below Gellért Hill. Pools were formed in the middle of a barge floating on the river, or a portion of the river was simply fenced off to allow people to cool off. Unfortunately, the water quality is currently considered too poor to permit swimming.

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Experience the magic of our historical thermal baths

SZÉCHENYI

ST. LUKÁCS

Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool

Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool

RUDAS

ST. GELLÉRT

KIRÁLY

Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool

Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool

Thermal Bath

www.spabudapest.hu

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BEAUTY, GOURMET, CULTURE AND SAVOIR-VIVRE INTRODUCING THE KEMPINSKI HOTEL CORVINUS BUDAPEST

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PHOTOS } K EMPINSKI H OTEL C ORVINUS B UDAPEST

Located in the heart of the city near the most beautiful buildings from the monarchy, the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest opened its doors in 1992 with daring modern forms as a contrast to downtown Budapest’s architectural landscape. It was the first hotel opened as a joint-venture with foreign management in Hungary and brought new meaning to the concept of luxury hotels.

The recently renovated and converted ground floor is unique not only from a purely design perspective, but also because it embodies a Kempinksi philosophy that builds upon the four pillars of aesthetics, gastronomy, culture and joie de vivre. With its terraces overlooking the pedestrianised Fashion Street and Erzsébet Square, it has become a defining lifestyle hub. The Kempinski is Hungary’s sole member in the Leading Hotels of the World organisation.

From the start, the hotel’s aim was for locals and travellers alike to spend time within its walls and the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus was the first hotel to create its own art collection. Numerous works of Hungarian art are on display in its rooms, private quarters and common areas.

The first floor Kempinski Gallery is as old as the

hotel, opening in 1992 with several pieces of the Feszty Panorama that was at the time undergoing restoration. With the ground floor conversion, a new, smaller exhibition room was developed on The Promenade.

Over the last 23 years, the hotel has hosted countless cultural programs. In 2011, on the occasion of the Liszt bicentenary, the Kempinski was the Liszt year’s official hotel partner. During the mini concerts performed with dinner, the pianist Alex Szilasi brought Liszt’s humanity and the age in which he lived closer to the guests through short, colourful stories. In the afternoons, Liszt’s music was played in the lobby for five o’clock tea.

The Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest has played host to numerous celebrities. The King

} The renovated lobby The recently renovated lobby impresses arriving guests with its nine metretall ceilings. Two majestic, stately columns welcome visitors with their statuesque forms and smooth surfaces that twinkle in the light pouring in from outside the building. This harmoniously curving space is home to The Living Room, Blue Fox The Bar, ÉS Bisztró and Nobu, together known as Gastronomic Quarter Downtown Budapest

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} Wellness The wellness centre was converted on the basis of the new spa concept, reopening in the summer of 2013 as Kempinksi The Spa

of Pop, Michael Jackson, stayed at the hotel three times, always in the presidential suite. The first time was in 1994, when he recorded a short film at Heroes’ Square. In 1996, Jackson visited Budapest twice: first on a lightning visit to survey the Népstadion, the location of his upcoming performance, then to perform his second concert in Budapest on 11 September as part of the History World Tour.

Jackson enjoyed the adoration of his public, frequently standing at his window to wave and send messages to the fans camped out in front of the hotel. Following his death, these fans christened the tree where they spent so many hours the Michael Jackson memorial tree, where they regularly light candles ever since.

} The Living room The Living Room was inspired by Budapest’s characteristic café culture. Rich coffees, refreshing teas and wonderful desserts take their place in the selection alongside rosé champagne. Located on a recessed level in the middle of the atrium, an essential part of this space serving Hungarian delicacies – among them two local specialities – is its sumptuous cake counter. The aroma of strudels baking in the ovens fills the air. Guests are welcome to retreat to the fireplace, where they can sink into warm beige or brown upholstered sofas and high-backed armchairs to read or just relax

} Royal Suite The furniture in the Corvinus Royal Suite was inspired by the pomp of the renaissance age. Located on the top floor, it provides a breathtaking view of the city. The spacious and comfortable suite consists of a bright living room, fully equipped office, a dining room for eight, a kitchen and two bathrooms with underfloor heating

Hotel Kempinski Corvinus Budapest District V. Erzsébet tér 7-8.

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from an extensive wine AND craft beer selection.

The idea is to connect not separate.

Steak AND burger. Beef stew AND schnitzel. Fried cheese AND crispy pork belly. You can visit during the day AND evening. With family AND friends. The bistro adds the type of culinary concept to the pedestrianised Deák Ferenc Street that would be otherwise missing from the area.

MEALS

ZÓNA

MEDITERRANEAN BRASSERIE IN THE KEMPINSKI ÉS (AND) is a laid-back Hungarian restaurant and brasserie that allows guests to enjoy themselves as they eat while drinking and catching up free from the formality of a traditional restaurant. Classical Hungarian dishes are supplemented by exciting nibbles, as well as grilled meats and fish. In addition to meals that were favourites during the monarchy, snacks AND grilled foods, you can also choose

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CULINARY HEIGHTS IN LAID-BACK STYLE Zona is one of Budapest’s casual fine dining restaurants, offering the pinnacle of culinary delights in a friendly, laid-back atmosphere.

Zona’s kitchen is run by Krisztián Huszár, who brings eastern and Basque flavours into the kitchen in addition to his newly interpreted Hungarian dishes. The bistro places an emphasis not only on the food but the wine as well. More than 200 types of Hungarian and international premium wines are available. Zona’s name reveals two aspects about the

restaurant’s nature: the interior divided into two zones (bar and restaurant), and the character of the dishes, served in typical Zona portions.

Zona received 17 points in the 2014 and 2015 editions of Gault&Millau Hungary’s restaurant guide, placing it among the country’s top three restaurants two years running.

The restaurant is located a few steps from the Chain Bridge on the Danube’s Buda embankment, offering a scenic view of the Pest side’s vibrant life.

WHO IS IT FOR? Those who enjoy craft beer AND wine, Austrian AND Hungarian cuisine, as well as American grilled foods.

WHO IS IT FOR?

OUR FAVOURITE MENU ITEM: Tafelspitz, veal tongue stew, steak

OUR FAVOURITE DRINK: Meinklang Grüner Veltliner 2013, Burgenland, Austria Konyári Alfa & Omega

Those who like light meals, but refuse to compromise on quality.

OUR FAVOURITE MENU ITEM: Anything is worth trying on the menu, which changes twice daily

OUR FAVOURITE DRINK:

WHERE DO THEY EXCEL?

Prager Gruner Veltliner „Hinter der Burg” 2013

The Rib Eye, which is marinated for 21 days in Hay&Herb spices and stored in its own fat.

Fine dining in a laid-back, bistro style

Type Price Cuisine Drinks Menu Design Contact

bistro Central European a wide selection to accompany the meals modern District V. Deák Ferenc u. 12 +36 (1) 429 3990

WHERE THEY EXCEL:

Type Price Cuisine Drinks Menu Design Contact

casual fine dining European selected with a refined taste fresh and youthful District I. Lánchíd u. 7. +36 30 422 5981

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The Szamos Gourmet House at Vörösmarty Square is at once a confectionery, café and chocolate manufacturer. In this store, Szamos offers a peek into how hand-crafted bonbons are made and how air is pumped inside chocolate figurines such as chocolate bunnies.

The Szamos Gourmet House is equally enjoyable for families with small children and businessman with their laptops. You will always

find something to try on the all-day breakfast menu, from a simple coffee and cake to a hearty full English breakfast. The menu features simple courses such as salads, baguettes, goulash and one speciality: sirloin with chili and chocolate.

Daily seasonal lunch meals are prepared in limited numbers and are served between noon and three.

Guests may also choose from a selection of à la carte dishes.

The Múzeum Café and Restaurant is a representative of traditional Hungarian cooking that has operated near the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest’s historic downtown since 1885. The restaurant’s predecessor was the Schódli Café, which wrote itself into Pest’s café history with its notable guests – parliamentarians, writers and actors.

The restaurant’s interior walls are

adorned with the world-famous Zsolnay ceramic factory’s tiles while the carved wooden panels are protected works.

The piano room’s ceiling is decorated with Csikósverseny (Horse Race), an oil painting by the renowned Károly Lotz. The room is also panelled with 19th century Venetian mirrors. Dinner guests can enjoy their meals to the sound of live piano music.

WHO IS IT FOR?

We recommend it to everyone looking for specialities in Hungarian gastronomy.

OUR FAVOURITE MENU ITEM: The foie gras parfait with strawberry jam and baby salad with elderberry nectar.

OUR FAVOURITE DRINK: The Count Zichy wine family’s 2011 Cabernet Franc, from the Szekszárd wine region’s Twickel wine estate.

WHERE THEY EXCEL: Finest Hungarian ingredients, traditional flavours and excellent value in 130 year-old surroundings.

WHO IS IT FOR? Those looking for a comfortable, quiet place to talk.

OUR FAVOURITE MENU ITEM: The Sissy dessert plate, or the spicy sirloin strips

OUR FAVOURITE DRINK: Hot chocolate, or the Vylyan fresh rosé

WHERE THEY EXCEL: Combining sweet and spicy tastes

restaurant Type Price Cuisine Hungarian Drinks Menu high-quality Hungarian wines from seemingly every notable wine region

Design Contact

traditional District VIII. Múzeum krt. 12. +36 1 267 0375

Type Price Design Contact

elegant traditional café decor District V. Váci utca 1. +36 30 570 5973

PRICE GUIDE: With a drink of choice between HUF 1,000 – 3,500 With a drink of choice between HUF 1,000 – 5,000 With a drink of choice between HUF 2,000 – 8,000 With a drink of choice between HUF 2,000 – 10,000 With a drink of choice above HUF 5,000

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nations. Ari – with a little help from his friends – has supported students at the Liszt Academy almost since first arriving. He helped now-famous young virtuoso violinist Ádám Banda to participate in and win the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Szilvia Vörös, the mezzo-soprano winner of the first International Éva Marton Singing Competition, also received assistance and gained competition experience in the Montserrat Caballé competition in Zaragoza. Thanks to him, Gyula Rab received a small tenor role in Glyndebourne, as well as a British scholarship

ST FAVO URI TE

ARI KUPSUS FINNISH ART COLLECTOR

I’M PROUD TO LIVE IN BUDAPEST Photo © Balázs Csizik

The apartment-salon might as well be a museum as it contains furniture and paintings from before 1860. “When I lived in Helsinki, I travelled monthly to St. Petersburg, where I was amazed by the Hermitage’s treasures and strove to purchase old Russian furniture and artworks. The two sitting pieces are originally from palaces belonging to dignitaries from the tsarist court,” he said.

“I also collect Hungarian pieces. The empire desk is from an AustroHungarian workshop and the painting is of Countess CsákyMontesquieu-Fezensac. My guests are always happy to visit, for it is like stepping inside a bourgeois home from 200 years ago. Some even plan their Budapest trips to attend these salon concerts.”

Ari Kupsus has lived in Budapest’s Palace District for 15 years.

His gallery on Bródy Sándor Street sells antiquities, paintings, statues and ornaments, as well as presenting the works of young contemporary painters. His upstairs apartment functions as a salon, hosting diplomats, company executives, aristocrats and outstanding artists on a scheduled day each month.

Although invitation-only, the meetings are for a slowly growing circle. Their intent is not only to listen to fine music or converse next to a glass of wine, but to collect do-

} Portrait Ari Kupsus is the Central Europe expert for the Finnish foreign ministry, arriving from Warsaw to Budapest’s Keleti railway station in 2000. He planned to stay three days, which became two weeks. A man quick to decide, he packed up in Warsaw and a month later was resident in Budapest.

Kupsus quickly ascertained that financial support for young artists, be it through foundations, private or business support, is meagre. In his homeland, students at the Sibelius Academy can receive support from up to 2,000 sources. Kupsus called his circle of friends in Helsinki into action, and each February they award scholarships to Hungarian students at a gala evening held at the Finnish embassy.

Ari Kupsus’s other activity is the artist colony in Iszkaszentgyörgy near Budapest in the historic Amadé-BajzáthPappenheim palace. This year, the artist colony will run from 10-20 June and the closing ceremony will launch a collection of works created by the artists during their stay.

The day’s climax will be a Scandinavian Midsummer Party organised with the village.

“I am a tenant in the palace. Seven years ago, I heard that the Finnish embassy relocated there during the siege of Budapest in World War II. I assisted in the renovations and since 2011 I move here for the summer along with the gallery. This is where we hold concerts, the difference being that the money collected in Iszkaszentgyörgy is then donated to the village.”

MY FAVOURITE... ...PLACE IN BUDAPEST } BUILDING: National Museum } SECRET CORNER: the Palace District } RELAX PLACE: my music salon

...RESTAURANT } CAFÉ: the Lotz Café in the Alexandra bookstore on Andrássy Avenue } RESTAURANT: Almárium, Bock bistro, Vintage garden

Ari Kupsus gallery

Photo © István Práczky

MY

PE BUDA

...SHOPPING LOCATION } MARKET: The “Ecseri“ flea Market at Nagykôrösi street

...LEISURE } NEWSPAPER: Józsefvárosi újság (District VIII newspaper) } CULTURAL INSTITUTE: Liszt Academy, Opera House } FESTIVAL: Budafok Wine Festival

Café at Lotz Hall

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Photo © Krisztián Bódis

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CITY GUIDE Sightseeing on two wheels The MOL Bubi public bike-sharing system provides more than 1,000 green bikes at more than 70 stations found in Pest within the Grand Boulevard and City Park and in Buda in the Víziváros district, as well as in the university quarter and on Margit Island.

Two methods exist for hiring bikes. Annual or semi-annual passes can be purchased by registering and paying a one-time fee, but day, three-day and week passes can be purchased with a bankcard. A security deposit will be authorised on the bankcard at the time of purchase, which will be lifted following the payment of any additional accrued usage fees.

Combined with public transport, the bikes are an efficient mode of travel for distances over 4-5 kilometres. They can also be used one-way, since the bikes only need to be taken to a docking station, not returned to the location where they were hired, a blessing should it rain.

(For more information, visit molbubi.bkk.hu.) } Astoria One of downtown’s famous junctions, this is where the Small Boulevard that wraps around old Pest intersects Kossuth Lajos and Rákóczi Roads, which connect the Keleti railway station with the Danube.

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UNDERGROUND ART BUDAPEST’S METRO 4 PHOTOS } KRISZTIÁN BÓDIS

Budapest’s newest transport line is Metro 4, which connects two high-traffic railway stations, the Kelenföldi and Keleti, with relatively densely located stops. The stations’ visual elements quickly became known, for before the line opened they were featured in international trade publications. This line bears the stamp of 21st century creative arts deep underground, which is why tourists will frequently ride it just for its visual aspects. Sporaarchitects, an agency consisting of young architects, won the Architizer A+ Award for their stations at Szent Gellért Square and Fôvám Square.

Metro 4 leaves Buda underneath Szent Gellért Square, which was redeveloped as part of the metro construction works. The triple-vaulted station leads to an open space above. Its escalators rise up into this grandiose webbed structure, as do the elevators that at times pass by walls made of glass. A recurring motif for the metro stations is how their structural elements are revealed to underscore their clarity and monumental design.

The station’s striking imagery is provided by a mosaic spiral designed by Tamás Komoróczky that covers the three vaults.

As opposed to the other austere stations with their exposed cement, the mosaic forms at Szent Gellért Square present a warm and inviting space.

Metro station Szent Gellert tér District XI. Szent Gellért tér

Metro station Fôvám tér District IX. Fôvám tér

The station at Fôvám Square is a similar take on this fresh, complex architectural experience. The metro station’s surface elements delicately blend into their historic surroundings next to the old customs house, now the Corvinus University building, and the adjacent Great Market Hall. The station at Fôvám Square is a worthy complement to that at Szent Gellért Square, providing a contrast with its bright tone that features playful green, blue and purple surfaces. Light dominates the escalators that run parallel to the Danube.

Hidden colours accompany the entire metro line at various points. The platforms feature strips of light that are coloured differently according to the direction and begin to pulsate as a train arrives, also serving as a warning to waiting passengers.

Platforms for trains heading to the Keleti railway station are yellow, while platforms in the direction of Kelenföld are blue.

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“THE BUDA CASTLE ENCHANTS ME” TEXT} G YÖRGY J ÁVORSZKY

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He has now sung Verdi’s Otello in the Budapest Music Theatre and he will return to Hungary in May to take the stage in Gyôr with the world famous Hungarian soprano Andrea Rost.

- Do you see much of a city when you are on tour?

Usually the rehearsal period is the most hectic time. After that, once the show is on, you can take some time for yourself.

- How much have you seen of Hungary’s historic capital?

As much as I could. I especially like it when I stay either in a hotel with a view to the Buda hills or when I stay in Buda, near the castle. It is a very magical neighbourhood indeed!

Photo © Cuibar Productions

- What was your impression of your Hungarian colleagues?

I have known the musicians of the opera orchestra for more than 15 years. This creates not only a professional experience, but also a spiritual communion since we have seen each other so many times over the years. I am glad I finally had the chance to perform with the wonderful opera choir.

- If you had the time, would you visit Budapest as a tourist?

I was in Budapest as a tourist in 2002 with my family. I have lovely souvenirs from that time.

Funnily enough, this February in Budapest I received the same room at the Le Méridien Hotel that I was given back in 2002. A huge wave of memories hit me as my father was still alive then…

JOSÉ CURA, THE FAMOUS ARGENTINE TENOR, WAS A GUEST OF THE HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE

José Cura learned composition and conducting in Rosario, the city of his birth, beginning to sing professionally later in the Teatro Colón choir in Buenos Aires. Cura soon decided that he wanted to become an opera singer and moved to Europe, where he achieved his first success.

In 1994, he won the Operalia, Plácido Domingo’s World Opera Competition and his career trajectory skyrocketed.

Cura’s aria recitals in Hungary have always been great successes, and he has not let his conducting skills wither, recently occupying his time with arrangements.

Photo © MAO Archiv

} Portrait

- Do you have any favourite places in the city that you would recommend to others?

For a first time visitor, Buda is a must. But if you really have time and a good guide then you should not miss the city streets, corners, museums and palaces.

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CITY GUIDE

EXHILARATING TENSION ESCAPE GAMES IN PEST

Photo © Pániq Szoba

TEXT} A NDRÁS O LÁH

Resourceful young entrepreneurs in Budapest have taken the popular online “escape game” adventure format and transplanted it into the real world.

The group games they created are one of the Hungarian capital's most popular new attractions.

Photo © Trap

The first escape game – ParaPark – was created by Attila Gyurkovics in 2011 as a strategic partnership with Gondozó Kert, one of the city’s trademark ruin pubs, bringing near instant fame and success to this new form of entertainment.

The rules are simple. A group of 2-5 players have an hour to escape a room through teamwork by solving puzzles involving logic and skills. Teams can also request assistance from the organisers, who observe the teams via cameras and if necessary, can provide clues to the players.

Although some may find the idea of being locked in terrifying, experience has shown this is soon forgotten due to the excite-

ment the game provides. The common goal and experience of searching fills people with adrenaline and solving the various puzzles gives them a sense of success as they forget the problems of the outside world even if they do not succeed in escaping.

Gyurkovics explains this using the concept of “flow”, which was named and popularised by the eminent HungarianAmerican psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in the 1970s.

“Flow” is the concept that a person is at their most content and free to experience the moment when they are completely consumed by their current activity and temporarily lose track of time, hunger and their own ego.

The unit of measurement: Houdini The demand for escape games has spawned a number of competitors, with 2012 seeing these variously-themed locations pop up like mushrooms across the city. The phenomenon has even been written about in such prestigious media as the Guardian, the New York Times, the BBC and CNN. With the growth of offerings, the escape game format has also evolved. Some wish to stand out due to their difficulty, layout or installations. ParaPark, for example, uses its own unit of measurement, the Houdini, to measure a room’s difficulty level in a nod toward the Budapest-born escape artist.

Citywide, more than 60 facilities now operate, with most available in English or occasionally other languages as well, although some locations do not require language skills at all to solve their puzzles. Entry fees are variable but for the forint

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Photo © Trap

The King of Handcuffs Harry Houdini

Photos © Library of Congress

One of the all-time greatest illusionists and magicians was born in Budapest on 24 March 1874. Erik Weisz was only four when his family immigrated to the United States. Harry, as his friends called him, worked from childhood as a shoe shiner, newspaper boy and in factories. Houdini was drawn to the circus, performing as a trapeze artist at the age of nine. He began his career as a magician at the age of 16, taking his stage name as a sign of respect to Robert Houdin, who revamped the art for the modern age. Early on, he focused on card tricks, increasingly gravitating towards escape routines. His tour of Europe beginning in 1900 brought him international acclaim. Travelling through England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Russia, he would always escape from the local police force’s handcuffs, earning himself the nickname “King of Handcuffs”.

Houdini constantly developed his routines during his career. He escaped from chains, ropes, various police restraints and straightjackets, suspended upside down from a rope in the last case. Houdini also escaped from carts, steel tanks, barrels filled with beer, naileddown transportation boxes, coffins, postal mailbags and even from the stomach of a beached whale.

In 1908, he introduced his famous escape from a milk can, where he was restrained and lowered into the water-filled can sealed from the outside, which in turn was placed into a chained wooden box. In 1913, he premiered his most famous attraction, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, when he was lowered into a water-filled glass cage upside down in a straightjacket. For this production, he had to hold his breath for three minutes, but the more he endangered his life the more success he enjoyed. Houdini died on 31 October 1926 at the age of 52 in a Detroit hospital from peritonitis caused by untreated appendicitis.

equivalent of EUR 30 (£22, $34) an entire team can take part in this exciting activity, which for many is a more enjoyable way to spend their time than sampling drinks at one of the nightlife district’s establishments.

The thematic offerings have also increased. Escapes are no longer limited to Chernobyl, Egyptian crypts or insane asylums; players can now participate in jewel heists, disarm time bombs, uncover political conspiracies, follow in the steps of Jack the Ripper or Sherlock Holmes, participate in one of Houdini’s séances or discover Alice’s Wonderland.

Most places will allow parents to bring their children with them if they are above the ages of 9-10. Some of the rooms even organise team-building activities with special games for groups of 15-30 individuals.

Information can be found on the Exitgames.hu aggregating website, where maps show escape game locations and possible ticket discounts. For each individual location, we recommend reading the reviews on TripAdvisor before booking.

Photo © Pániq Szoba

Houdini on the screen Before his death, Harry Houdini appeared in five silent films from 1919 to 1923. In these moving pictures, he portrayed himself or characters that showcased his escape skills.

George Marshall made a film about the magician in 1953 starring Tony Curtis – another Hungarian-American – in the title role, with the exceptionally beautiful Janet Leigh playing his partner. The first television film entitled The Great Houdini was produced in the United Kingdom in 1976. The two hour-long feature was directed by Melville Shavelson and starred Paul Michael Glaser, Sally Struthers and Ruth Gordon. In 1996, an hour-long documentary of the same name by Gene M. Gamache and Kirk G. Carter investigated the secrets and trials of Houdini’s life. The artist as storyteller was personified by Hal Douglas. In 1998, the writer-director Pen Densham evoked the escape artist in the biographical drama Houdini.

In 2006, Grégory Davis Escobar paid tribute to Houdini in a five-minute long SpanishVenezuelan short film. The most recent Houdini production was also a television production, with Adrien Brody, the Academy Award-winning actor of Hungarian descent, starring in Uli Edel’s 2014 miniseries Houdini.

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On Bach duty at the Palace of Arts A pilgrimage Sunday, 21 March marks the 330th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s birth. On this occasion, the Palace of Arts will be “on Bach duty” for 24 hours. Starting on 20 March at 10 pm until 10 pm the following evening, Hungarian and international organists will play Bach. The event, which follows a thematic schedule, will comprise 14 concerts in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall. During the day, programs will start every two hours and proceed from midnight until 8 am without breaks. Guest Narchs can experience listening to music while relaxing on bean bags, as the area above the stage is bathed in a light show created to melt into the music.

The rooms surrounding the concert hall will be buzzing with activities revolving around Bach and the organ.. mupa.hu

30 April

4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 19 April

21 March

Verdi - Aida

Erkel Theater

The vulnerable protagonists of Aida face an agonising moral dilemma: to what should they be loyal? To their homelands? To their families? Or to their love? The story of Aida is a product of war: not only in its writing, but on the stage as well. The sounds of war resonate throughout the tale of the captive Ethiopian princess and king, and the Egyptian commander brought down by and for love. There is one thing war cannot triumph over: the purity of the soul. The piece, to be performed in the Erkel Theatre, is directed by János Mohácsi, a significant figure in Hungarian contemporary theatre. The title role is sung by Eszter Sümegi and Csilla Boross, while Amneris will be performed by Ildikó Komlósi and Erika Gál. opera.hu

International Jazz Day Palace of Arts In 2012, UNESCO added the International Jazz Day to its lists of red letter days. For the second time, the Palace of Arts will join this national event series by offering upand-coming jazz productions the chance to perform. The Klára Hajdu Quartet will give the event its upbeat atmosphere, before pianist Norbert Káel's Jazzical Trio demonstrates how jazz can be interwoven with classical music.

Syrius Legacy will close the day by performing the once legendary numbers of jazz-rock bands with contemporary arrangements. mupa.hu

Április 4., 8., 10., 12.,14., 15.

CREATIVE CORNER 15 April – 11 October Budapest History Museum - Castle Museum, Matthias Church

Matthias Church Photo © Judit Bárdos

The Buda Castle Church of Our Lady through the centuries The Buda Castle Church of Our Lady (popularly known as the Matthias Church) is an important Catholic church and World Heritage site with a storied legacy. From the mid-13th century, the church’s history is tightly bound to Hungary’s.

The church regained its national importance in 1867 with Francis Joseph’s coronation and Frigyes Schulek’s subsequent restoration work. From 2004-2014, it underwent

major reconstruction during which new historical, archaeological, architectural, cultural and technical knowledge of the time period was gained, much of which will now be presented to the public as part of a summary exhibition and academic catalogue.

The exhibits belong in part to the Budapest History Museum’s collection. The museum houses the majority of the medieval woodworks from the church, the new archaeological discoveries, as well as 4,700 architectural plans from the time of Frigyes Szulek’s great 19th century restoration, in additional to old photographic and written archives. The church’s previously uncatalogued baroque period will be shown by several alter-pieces and liturgical fittings taken away in the 19th century. One of the exhibition’s highlights may be Frigyes Schulek’s enormous plaster model of the church, which, despite being damaged in World War II, remains an exceptional relic of Hungarian architectural history.

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ing and imaginative use of colours depicting birds and flowers. It was the little things in life that grabbed his attention, the simple motifs he found in his surroundings: flowers, vegetables, fruits and animals – primarily crabs, fish, frogs and insects.

23 April – 28 June Hungarian National Gallery

Nature's charms Qi Baishi paintings from the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts’ collection This spring will bring the opportunity to become acquainted with the works of Qi Baishi, one of the great masters of 20th century Chinese painting.

The artist first became known as a stamp carver, turning to painting only later in his career. He expanded traditional Chinese painting with his dar-

Qi Baishi turned to traditional Chinese painting just as his contemporaries shifted their attention towards the designs of Western painting. In excess of a hundred works exhibited in Budapest now trace how his technique developed. In addition to landscapes and figure paintings, the exhibition’s backbone will be the most important period from his oeuvre: the birds and flowers representing the stylistic change of his later years. Qi Baishi’s paintings and pictures reached Europe in the 1930s, and his works can now be found in every larger European collection.

This will mark the first occasion that the modern Chinese pictograph artist’s work will be featured in a collective exhibition in Europe.

CREATIVE CORNER 2-3 May

24 May

29 May

Rojas & Rodriguez: Titanium Festival Theatre

A song recital with Magdalena Kožená and Mitsuko Uchida Liszt Academy

Russian and Ex-Soviet artworks Ludwig Museum

These guests of the Budapest Dance Festival might be best described by the word “passion”. Two non-conformists they are committed to experiencing freedom on a personal level, and truly convey nothing but pure passion to their audience. In Titanium, which features 12 male dancers and musicians, Rojas & Rodríguez fuse flamenco with the culture of hip-hop and break-dancing.

These two dance styles were both born on the streets, and are used as a means of expression by people who feel the need to communicate by aesthetic means and with refined movements and music, creating their own new and unique style in the process. All this is presented in urban dances in which flamenco is still portrayed as a continually evolving branch of the arts. nemzetitancszinhaz.hu

It is a rare song recital indeed when one is unable to decide whether the vocalist or the pianist offers more excitement. Magdalena Kožená and Mitsuko Uchida’s partnership is one of these. Critics reviewing concerts by the two star performers simply do not know whether to extol the virtues of the singer’s sensual voice or the pianist’s sensitivity, depth and refined touch. The recital will feature rare works by great composers performed by two of the best contemporary mezzo-sopranos and pianists. The concert will open with Schumann’s final song cycle, the Gedichte der Königin Maria Stuart, written before his decline into mental illness, which tells the story of this tragic woman’s fate. zeneakademia.hu

One of Peter and Irene Ludwig’s most important ambitions as founders of the Ludwig Museum was to build a bridge between the former East and West through their cultural pursuits. From 1979 onwards, the couple paid regular visits to the former Soviet Union where they began to consistently and consciously collect artworks representing the development of Post-Stalinist SovietRussian art. With this exhibition, the Ludwig Museum intends to present this rather unique collection, containing dozens of Soviet artworks never before shown to the public in a similar context. ludwigmuseum.hu

Photos © BFTK

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10 April – 21 June

Mozart: The Magic Flute

Photographed by: Vilmos Zsigmond

After three internationally acclaimed performances of the Da Ponte opera, Iván Fischer and his orchestra will again pin to the program Mozart’s last theatrical work – The Magic Flute.

An interesting detail is that Iván Fischer will not only conduct, but also arrange the productions.

Béla Bartók National Concert Hall

The Oscar-winning cinematographer who has also been recognised with numerous other prestigious awards first became interested in photography in the early 1950s. Some 150 pictures provide us with a glimpse into the workshop of Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematographic world.

Ludwig Museum

bfz.hu

21 March, 5 pm

ludwigmuseum.hu, btf.hu

11 April, 7 pm

Reflecting classics The Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra has arrived at the third part of its concert series, in which contemporary – primarily Hungarian – composers present their compositions reflecting on their classical predecessors. On several occasions, fresh compositions will be presented as premieres, as can be expected on 21 March. In addition to works from the British Henry Purcell and Danish Carl Nielson, László Tihanyi’s In the Night Forest and Péter Tornyai’s Diaphonia will also be performed for the first time live before an audience.

Kevin Mahogany Album premiere concert The American Kevin Mahogany is one of today’s most widely recognised performing artists. With more than ten solo albums and impassioned concerts, he is considered one of the best singers in the world.

Budapest Jazz Club bjc.hu, btf.hu

12 April, 11 pm and 7:30 pm

Dezsô Ránki and Concerto Budapest

Budapest Music Center bmc.hu

18 March, 7:30 pm

The exceptional world famous pianist and Concerto Budapest will perform two concerts featuring six piano concertos from Mozart’s unparalleled concerto series.

Gábor Takács-Nagy and the Manchester Camerata Manchester Camerata (founded in 1972) under the artistic direction of Gábor Takács-Nagy ranks among the leading ensembles in the world, illuminating the path to the future of classical music. In their first concert in Budapest we hear two popular classical orchestral compositions (Mozart’s early Symphony in A major and Tchaikovsky’s evergreen String Serenade), along with two concertos.

Liszt Academy zeneakademia.hu

23 March, 7 pm

Zsófia Bódi (soprano) and Klára Bábel (harp) The program serves up a meaty portion of Hungarian, Spanish, French, Argentinian, and American songs. The twist?

These songs – originally written for piano accompaniment – have been arranged for the harp.

Óbudai Társaskör obudaitarsaskor.hu

Liszt Academy zeneakademia.hu, btf.hu

15 April, 8 pm

Fragile Guest performance by M Studio from Sfântu Gheorghe Ten years ago, young dancers from Cluj-Napoca founded M Studio. The formation, founded by the Háromszék Dance Troupe as a motion theatre workshop, attempts works that seek to provide new, genre-defining performances in the realm of moving and dance theatre.

Bálna Budapest - Event Hall btf.hu

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8 May, 7:30 pm

Elina Garanca aria evening

The National Choir and the National Philharmonic’s Tchaikovsky-Debussy concert

The Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca was only 23 when a competition victory catapulted her into the highest echelon of the European opera scene, and a few years later was already celebrated at the Salzburg Festival as a world star.

Béla Bartók National Concert Hall

The Russian composer’s popular Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor will be performed by the internationally acclaimed Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein.

Zoltán Kocsis, the musical director, will conduct.

Béla Bartók National Concert Hall mupa.hu

mupa.hu, btf.hu

19 May, 7:30 pm

Jordi Savall & Le Concert des Nations

19 April, 7:30 pm

János Balázs

“I think that music is not an archaeological feature. Naturally, all music has its history, but these works are also living today.” These words come from a Budapest interview with living legend Jordi Savall, Catalonian viol player, conductor and leading light in early music performance practice.

“György Cziffra has always been my greatest model; I would listen to his records at home, and my musician parents would always say his name with reverence,” said the pianist János Balázs, winner of several competitions and Junior Príma Prize recipient.

Vigadó Concert Hall

Liszt Academy

btf.hu

zeneakademia.hu

23 April, 7:00 pm

Nederlands Dans Theater 2

23, 27, 28, 30, 31 May

In 1978, Nederlands Dans Theater's second section was established for young dancers. Four of their choreographies can be seen at the Spring Festival, three of which had their premiere in 2014.

Seregi/Delibes: Sylvia László Seregi’s choreography, composed in 1972, has toured the stages of Europe. It has lost nothing of its freshness, its prime value the way the work transports self-irony and humour to the ballet stage.

Festival Theatre mupa.hu, btf.hu

Erkel Theater

25 April, 7:30 pm

opera.hu

Arve Henriksen and the Trio Mediæval The Norwegian Arve Henriksen’s focus on medieval music and his special mode of performance as well as the surprising tones of his instrument establish a mystical relationship with an ancient and deeply spiritual world of music.

Budapest Music Center bmc.hu, btf.hu

15, 16, 17 May, 8 pm

Amorf Ördögök

The popular Hungarian band will have a three-night stand on the A38 ship.

Singer-songwriter Szabolcs Tariska, music composer-producer-keyboardssinger Ambrus Tövisházi and Bori Péterfy were the defining members of the band which formed in the 1990s but became successful around 2000 playing modern chansons. The Amorf Ördögök (Amorphous Devils) retired in 2007, but have reunited at the A38’s request for a concert in which they will perform their final album Cellux-szimfónia in its entirety.

A38 Photos © BFTK

a38.hu

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CITY GUIDE

48

GOOD TO KNOW BUDAP

EST TAXI S

Budapest taxis all operate on a fixed tariff.

The base fee is HUF 450 and the kilometre fee is HUF 280.

Recommended companies: 6×6 Taxi: +36 1 2 666 666 Budapest Taxi: +36 1 777 7777 City Taxi: +36 1 2 111 111 Fôtaxi: +36 1 222 2222 Taxi 2000: +36 1 200 0000 Tele 5 Taxi: +36 1 8 555 555

PREVIEW 2015/SUMMER ISSUE OF BUDAPEST’S FINEST

OF THE

Summer on Margit Island Margaret Island Open-air Theater Budapest’s islands

BUDAPESTCARD World Island – Sziget Festival 2015

The Budapest Card offers an experience package allowing visitors to discover Budapest’s hidden charms and vibrant cultural life, while travelling for free in the city.

The FREE services that come with the card are: • Free access on Budapest’s public transportation system • Two Free English-language guided walks (one in Buda, one in Pest) • Free entry to the Lukács thermal bath • Single Free entry to many of Budapest’s museums • Free access to the Pocket Guide mobile app’s Budapest tours Additional discounts: more than 70 locations offer discounts between 10% and 100% www.budapest-card.com

T

Budapest’s bridges

NFORMATION P I T S OIN I TS OUR

The Budapest Tourist Information Points await you in Budapest’s most frequented tourist locations with free city maps, information brochures and more.

City centre - Deák tér Buda Castle – Szentháromság tér Budapest, District V. Sütô street 2.

Open every day 8 am – 8 pm

Budapest, District I. Tárnok u. 15.

Open every day 9 am – 6 pm

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport

City Park – Ice Rink Heroes’ Square

Open every day Terminal 2A: 8 am – 11 pm Terminal 2B: 10 am – 10 pm

Budapest, District XIV. Olof Palme sétány 5.

Open every day – 9 am – 7 pm

Tourist Information Hotline: (+36 1) 438-8080 • Monday – Friday 8 am – 8 pm

International races in Budapest The Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix

bpf_2015_03_06_engLevil.qxp_Finest_makett_picture rider 2015.03.08. 22:15 Page 49

bpf_2015_03_06_engLevil.qxp_Finest_makett_picture rider 2015.03.08. 22:15 Page 50