One of the things I love most about Budapest is that to take in some culture or history you don’t necessarily have to go to a museum. Often just a simple walk will show you the past of the country and the cultural heritage.
One of the best places to take one of those walks is Budapest VII district. When I first visited it, just a tourist wandering around, I was struck by how old, bare and run down some of the streets in this district appeared to be.
There was something in the air though, a smell of past grandeur, of sufferance, of history, with all the good and bad aspects of it. I research the subject a bit and discovered that my impressions were right. Budapest VII district has indeed seen a lot of personal and national stories and events developing on its streets.
The area was home to the Jewish ghetto. According to Greatsynagogue.hu since November 1944. 55 000 people crowded into almost 300 houses with around 4500 apartments. By January 1945 this number grew to 70 000. Due to the extreme weather conditions, lack of supplies of food and medicine and the perpetrators’ terror many people lost their lives on the territory of the ghetto. Their bodies were left unburied on the streets and in the courtyard of the Dohany synagogue. Some very strong and moving pictures can be found here.
Today in the VII district you find several synagogues, including the Great Synagogue, which the second largest in the world. But as the area has developed further, you also find a large number of restaurants, bars, clubs and music venues. The contrast between old and new, history and modernity is really unique.
Whether you’re visiting in cold months, when the dark wintery streets have an atmosphere of their own, or in hot months, when you rather spend some time outdoor, make sure you visit this special district, wander around its streets and take in some history.
Having a dog is definitely part of the Hungarian culture.
In the countryside most people have a dog, and even in Budapest you’ll be surprised by the high number of people you’ll see (especially in the morning or late at night) giving their dog one of the walks of the day. Although you’ll see dogs of all kinds and shapes, it is pretty easy to spot the Hungarian (or Magyar) Vizsla, thanks also to their coat color, defined as golden-rust or copper-brown.
We’re talking about a very special, and sometimes demanding dog here. Wikipedia describes the temperament as “very high energy, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and highly affectionate”. They are “natural hunters with an excellent ability to take training”. If you see a Vizsla inside a home you might think it’s a potato coach; but bring it outside and you’ll realize how this is a proper hunting dog, wishing to chase most of the moving objects in sight. It is said that normally a Magyar Vizsla needs 2 to 3 hours a day of outdoor activity. That’s enough to turn every Vizsla owner into a fit person!
One interesting definition for the Vizsla found online is “velcro” dog. Vizslas are extremely affectionate and tend to attach themselves physically to their owners; as a consequence they tend to suffer of separation anxiety if left alone for long period of times, not properly looked after or stimulated. In these cases they can become hyperactive or bored (and destructive as a consequence, usually chewing everything available).
Another curious story about them is that apparently they used to be symbols of aristocracy, and were smuggled out of the country and into Austria and other states, including America, when the Russians occupied Hungary after WW2. You can find this together with 9 other Vizsla’s facts on 10facts.com.
It must be something about the curious way they point those big ears to the source any noise, or the fact that they are so playful, but it’s difficult not to stop and have some interaction with a Vizsla when you see one on the streets, and being in Hungary, that happens very often!
The first monographic exhibition in Hungary of the painter J. M. William Turner will be hosted in The Museum of Fine Arts, in Budapest, from July 15th to October 25th.
The exhibition, named Turner and Italy is arranged by outstanding British experts, and will come to Budapest after being shown in Ferrara and Edinburgh, with its material slightly modified.
Turner’s talent was recognized early in his life, and the financial independence allowed him to travel widely across Europe. His experience of the Mediterranean landscape together with its conditions of light fundamentally changed his style, making his palette lighter. Having visited Venice on three occasions, Turner, like many other artists, was enchanted by its singular atmosphere. Turner’s Venice-inspired watercolors filled with light, together with his late unfinished color sketches, have become extremely popular since through them spectators may trace the precedents of abstract painting.
The artist’s career is presented in chronological order, ranging from early landscapes to the almost abstract pictures of his last period, their motifs dissolving into patches of color.
The exhibition will present Turner’s career in about 80 works presented in chronological order, ranging from early landscapes to the almost abstract pictures of his last period.
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