Private Communist Budapest Tour
Budapest, Hungary
Rating: 
Trip Type: Cultural Tours
Duration: 4 hours
What was life like in Hungary between WWII. and 1990? Let’s travel back in time to discover the scenes that still keep reminding the locals of the former regime. What happened to the boots of Stalin? Where is the ‘biggest bottle opener of the world’? When will the bullet holes disappear from the old buildings of Budapest? You will find the answers to these questions on this tour. There is also a possibility to visit Memento Park, the outdoor statue museum upon request for additional fee.
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What was life like in Hungary between WWII. and 1990? Let’s travel back in time to discover the scenes that still keep reminding the locals of the former regime. What happened to the boots of Stalin? Where is the ‘biggest bottle opener of the world’? When will the bullet holes disappear from the old buildings of Budapest? You will find the answers to these questions on this tour. There is also a possibility to visit Memento Park, the outdoor statue museum upon request for additional fee.
To start the tour, meet your private guide at a previously arranged place (your hotel, apartment, or any other spot in the city). Since it is a customized tour, the route may vary according to the meeting point.
The tour takes you to places and monuments that tell you stories about the Communist Era and takes you to scenes of the 1956 Revolution. The idea of the tour is to step into the shoes of the revolutionaries and trace back the scenes and main events that took place in the streets of Budapest. It also draws the attention to the Socialist Realist aesthetics pointing out the “gems” of the time that appear here and there among the old historical buildings from the 1800’s.
A perfect way to start this tour is at the Central Market Hall to have a good view of the Technical University where the students gathered to start the demonstrations in ‘56. Our Statue of Liberty, can also be seen from here, standing on top of Gellért Hill, on the Buda side. Our next stop is the Headquarters of the Hungarian State Radio behind the National Museum where the most tragic moment of the Revolution took place. Walking from here we reach Hotel Astoria that has also been used as headquarters in the past by several dictatorial regimes. Soon we stop for a drink at a retro-bar full of objects and photographs of the socialist times.
We take a tram ride to Kossuth Square in front of the Parliament, another very important scene of our freedom fight where our Prime Minister, Imre Nagy held his famous speech. Soon we reach Liberty square, a place heavily loaded with history and legends, full of memories of the past both underground and above. Passing Elizabeth square we get to see the memorable former long distance bus terminal, erected in the late 1940’s the memory of which will stay alive in the heart and mind of all Hungarians. Next we take the Millenium Underground to reach the House of Terror, an original segment of the Berlin Wall and a modern piece of art representing the Iron Curtain. After all we arrive to Heroes’ Square that looked a little different back in those times. Finally we end the tour where Stalin used to stand, a place where all the 1st of May celebrations were held. You surely will enjoy this time travel with us!
The tour takes you to places and monuments that tell you stories about the Communist Era and takes you to scenes of the 1956 Revolution. The idea of the tour is to step into the shoes of the revolutionaries and trace back the scenes and main events that took place in the streets of Budapest. It also draws the attention to the Socialist Realist aesthetics pointing out the “gems” of the time that appear here and there among the old historical buildings from the 1800’s.
A perfect way to start this tour is at the Central Market Hall to have a good view of the Technical University where the students gathered to start the demonstrations in ‘56. Our Statue of Liberty, can also be seen from here, standing on top of Gellért Hill, on the Buda side. Our next stop is the Headquarters of the Hungarian State Radio behind the National Museum where the most tragic moment of the Revolution took place. Walking from here we reach Hotel Astoria that has also been used as headquarters in the past by several dictatorial regimes. Soon we stop for a drink at a retro-bar full of objects and photographs of the socialist times.
We take a tram ride to Kossuth Square in front of the Parliament, another very important scene of our freedom fight where our Prime Minister, Imre Nagy held his famous speech. Soon we reach Liberty square, a place heavily loaded with history and legends, full of memories of the past both underground and above. Passing Elizabeth square we get to see the memorable former long distance bus terminal, erected in the late 1940’s the memory of which will stay alive in the heart and mind of all Hungarians. Next we take the Millenium Underground to reach the House of Terror, an original segment of the Berlin Wall and a modern piece of art representing the Iron Curtain. After all we arrive to Heroes’ Square that looked a little different back in those times. Finally we end the tour where Stalin used to stand, a place where all the 1st of May celebrations were held. You surely will enjoy this time travel with us!
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