Oct

Hungarian Folk Dance House in Budapest, December 2012

Categories: Budapest Christmas, Budapest Christmas with Kids, Hungarian Folk Bands, Xmas Events

Tags: Budapest Christmas 2012, Budapest Christmas Children Activities, Budapest Christmas in Millenaris Park, Budapest Things To Do Winter

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Hungarian Folk Dance House in Millenaris Park in Budapest will be held on 21 December 2012. Fun for all the family to learn some Hungarian folk dance steps in a relaxed environment.

Kids with Star Eyed Folk Dance Ensemble (Csillagszemű Táncegyüttes)

Have fun and get more insight into Hungarian folk art. Program at the Millenáris: 6 pm – 7 pm, for Kid, 7:30 pm until late for Adults. The band playing: Tündök, the folk dance group: Csillagszemű Táncegyüttes

Date: 6 pm Dec 21, 2012
Venue: Millenaris Park, Budapest

More Hungarian folk events in Budapest in December:

Budapest Christmas Folk Shows

Oct

Normafa Hill

Categories: Budapest Christmas, Budapest Christmas with Kids

Tags: Budapest Christmas Children Activities, Budapest Things To Do Winter

Comments: 2

For many locals in Budapest, including us, Normafa Hill is a haven in winter time (What am I saying? All year round!).

Normafa Hill in Winter – Artur Herczeg

Normafa Hill is perfect for some real winter fun in the snow, and to feel the crisp fresh air. Here you can absolutely enjoy winter, the atmosphere is great, people are very relaxed, kids are having the best of their times on the slopes, on the hilltop playgrounds, on the sleds, etc.. To boot, you can enjoy some really nice meals and hot drinks in the old ski house turned Normakert Bistro, or the cafe of Hotel Normafa. The hill is about a 40 min ride from downtown Budapest (metro then bus).

Sledding / Sleighing / Sledging on Normafa Hill – real winter fun. Half an hour ride from Szell Kalman Square, 45 min from downtown Budapest!

Normakert Bistro, that is the old Normafa Ski House in Budapest with lots of goodies and reasonable prices

Normafa Cafe Ski House

Normafa is also one of the stops of the Children’s Railway in Budapest (note to parents: Santa Claus will ride on the Children’s Railway in early December!)

Normafa Train Stop (Kispados Photo Wikimedia)

Normafa is visited not only for its fresh air, but also for the wide screen panoramic views you can get of Budapest. You can stand on the 477 meter high hill, and play a guessing game, trying to spot some Budapest attractions from Normafa (there is also a small scale model showing which hill is which in the Buda Hills):

Normafa Night Views – Deccard Photography

Normafa Hill got its name from a tree (‘fa’ in Hungarian means ‘tree’) that was called Norma. The characteristic beech tree atop the hill was planted in the 15th century, during King Matthias’ reign. The name Norma was only later stuck on the old tree, when the Hungarian National Theater visited the hilltop and performed Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma by the beech. The tree was about 5 centuries old, and inspired many a Hungarian artists, painters, writers, etc. Eventually the old tree gave up and fell in 1927. A new beech tree was planted in its place in 1962, and a memorial stone has been placed over the roots of the old tree.

Old Normafa Tree Memorial (source: owl.hu)

Go Free Hungarian Snowboarding Team (Normafa.hu)

There are many fun things to do and outdoor activities on and around Normafa:

You can take the Children’s Railway for a nice ride on top of the Buda hills, in the fresh air and nice woods
You can hop on the Chair Lift (Libego) on Janos Hill
You can climb atop the highest and most beautiful lookout tower of the Buda Hills in Budapest: the Elisabeth Lookout Tower on Janos Hill
You can try the Hungarian snack called Langos (sour dough bread with toppings), or embrace your sweet tooth and try a flavorsome Strudel (Retes)
You can drink some mulled wine to keep you warm (eat bean goulash, etc.)
You can enjoy nature photography at any time of the year (wonderful shades and colors in the woods, local birds spotted, etc.)
You can do some adventure sports, skiing, sledding, snowboarding (and a lot more when there is no snow, biking uphill – downhill, etc.)

Oct

Chimney Cake at the Budapest Xmas Market

Categories: Budapest Christmas, Budapest Christmas with Kids, Xmas Foods

Tags: Budapest Christmas Markets, Budapest Christmas Videos, Budapest Things To Do Winter, Hungarian Chimney Cake

Comments: 1

Chimney Cake (kurtoskalacs) is one of the traditional Hungarian cakes, originally made by Hungarians living in Transylvania (now in Romania). Chimney cake is a lovely sweet snack, a must try at the Budapest Xmas Markets, loved by kids and adults.

Chimney Cake

Chimney cake is the sweet rock and roll pastry for Hungarians. Pretzel for the salty, Chimney cake for the sweet. A walking snack, and a sight to behold as it is made in front of your eyes (and nose!).

Chimney Cake at the Xmas Fair in Budapest – Peter Pászti Photography

While we consider Chimney Cake a sweet delight during winter time in Hungary, it is not a special Christmas pastry (unlike Beigli), and can be bought all year round, especially at Budapest festivals, like the Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle in August.

You can walk around the Christmas market with your warm and delicious Chimney cake: milk bread grilled over open fire. You can pick a flavour too: cinnamon, almond, walnut, coconut, etc. There are lots of yummy versions of Kurtoskalacs. No worries, the vendors will speak English. But if you wonder what the pronunciation of Kurtoskalacs is, let’s see how you say this yummy mouthful word: cure-tosh-col-arch. Not so hard, right?

It is sold at a more expensive price at the market (as all foods and drinks), but considering that there is no entrance fee to the Christmas market, it is not so pricey after all (about 4 Euros per roll, which could be 1-2 Euros otherwise…). So we shut our eyes, and roll with the Christmas: we love to nibble a freshly baked Chimney cake on the Christmas market, and have our mulled wine too!

The dough is basically a sort of milk loaf baked and rolled in cinnamon, cocoa powder, etc. Once the dough has raised and is ready to bake, it is thinly stretched by a rolling pin, cut in slightly to make a snake like strip of the dilapidated dough, then quickly rolled on a thicker wooden rolling pin, which has a metal handle and a metal hook. The dough on the pin is then baked in an open fire over the glistening coals. Once the cake is baked, and has a nice brown coating, it is slipped off the thick wooden rolls. The cake looks like a little barbecued pipe, or the chimney stack of old times. Hence the name Chimney Cake (Kürtős kalács in Hungarian).
The cake roll gets its final flavors when it is rolled in the sugary mixtures of cinnamon, cocoa, ginger, etc. The rolls are sold in packages too. It won’t be as delicious if eaten later, and delivered in a plastic wrapping, but it could be one of your Hungarian culinary gifts – some food for thought.

Oct

Nutcracker Ballet at Budapest Opera House

Categories: Budapest Christmas, Budapest Christmas with Kids, Xmas Events

Tags: Budapest Christmas Children Activities, Christmas Shows in Budapest, Nutcracker in Budapest

Comments: 4

The Hungarian Opera House, which is also the home of the National Ballet Institute, will present its traditional Nutcracker ballet performances throughout December in its more contemporary building, the Erkel Theatre (the historical Opera House is going through architectural modernization works until 2019).

Nutcracker Ballet Budapest Opera

The spectacular ballet show is one of the highlights of classy Christmas holidays in Budapest. Not to be missed, if you love the most Christmasy ballet and story of all time.

Event: The Nutcracker – Tchaikovsky, Vainonen
Date: many days in November and December 2018, please see on the official website of the Opera House
Venue: Erkel Theater (the Opera House Budapest is under reconstruction until 2019)

This is a short Video of the Nutcracker Ballet at the Hungarian Opera House

Dates of the Nutcracker Ballet Show in Budapest

The Nutcracker is so popular amongst locals and foreign tourists alike, that it rules the stage of the Opera House in December. Definitely one of the best things to do in Advent in Budapest! The performances start at 7 pm and finish at 9:45 pm on weekdays, while at weekends and on public holidays, the Nutcracker show starts at 11 am, and ends at 1:45 pm (but there are some evening performances on certain Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 6pm, so please check on the website of the opera house)

Photos of the Nutcracker Ballet Show in Budapest

Nutcracker Ballet in Budapest Opera House at Christmas

Budapest Nutcracker Ballet Photos

Christmas Shows, Nutcracker Ballet

Story of Nutcracker

What is the story of the Nutcracker Ballet? What makes it a Christmas ballet?

The story of the Nutcracker is about a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince. The story focuses on the battle against a frightening Mouse King who has 7 heads. The opening Party Scene is actually Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house where the Stahlbaums are hosting their annual Christmas party. The children, Clara and Fritz, are happily dancing as they welcome their friends on Xmas Eve. The Christmas party is about merriment with music and dances. Then comes the turn, Drosselmeyer, the toy maker godfather arrives. He is always full of surprises. This evening he presents two dolls, two life-size dolls. Drosselmeyer also gives his gifts to Clara and Fritz. Clara gets a beautiful Nutcracker gift, which everyone adores at the Christmas party, and as it would happen with children, Fritz gets so jealous that he forcefully grabs the nutcracker from Clara, and the Nutcracker gets broken. So does Clara’s heart. But Drosselmeyer hastily repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief. When the guests are gone, Clara and Fritz are put into bed, but she sneaks back to the Christmas tree to check on the beautiful Nutcracker, then she falls asleep with him in her arms. At magical hour of midnight, just as the clock strikes 12 am, the world gets strange. Clara, just like Alice with her potions, begins to shrink, while the toys around the Christmas tree come to life. The room gets flooded with an army of mice, led by the fierce Mouse King. The Mouse King turns the room into a battle scene. His army is challenged by the army of toys, led by the Nutcracker himself. Alas, the Nutcracker cannot withstand the attack and is captured by the Mouse King. Here comes, Clara who wants to protect the Nutcracker and throws her slipper at the Mouse King. Bang! The Mouse King is hit, the Nutcracker is freed, and the army of mice retreat. As if kissed by Clara, the Nutcracker turns into a charming Prince. Clara, with her Prince takes a stroll in the enchanted Land of Snow, then they visit the (what else), The Land of Sweets where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy who presents them a series of beautiful dances: Spanish, Arabia, Russian, Chinese, etc. The Nutcracker ballet reaches its zenith when the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dance a beautiful Pas De Deux, which also ends Clara’s dream. Clara awakens, and realizes that all the battle and magic land was a dream. And she fondly hugs her beloved Nutcracker.

The dates of Budapest Christmas are published in autumn. Booking tickets in advance cannot be more than 2 months in advance, so just mark the days for in your calendar, and then book at the end of October, or in early November (depending how the online ticket system of the Budapest Opera House allows you).

Oct

Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Categories: Budapest Christmas, Budapest Christmas with Kids, Xmas Events, Xmas Fairs, Xmas Gifts

Tags: Budapest Christmas Children Activities, Budapest Christmas Market by St Stephen's Basilica, Budapest Christmas Markets, Budapest Christmas Shopping

Comments: 11

The Christmas market on St Stephen’s Square is right in front of the beautiful St Stephen’s Basilica (St Istvan Bazilika), one of the tallest buildings on the Pest side of Budapest, and one of the biggest churches in Hungary.

Budapest Christmas Market Basilica – photo by MPeti

The first Advent Fair by the St Stephen’s Basilica was held in 2011, organized by the National Association of Folk Artists. The skillful members of the Association of Hungarian Folk Artist are selling their unique and high-quality traditional crafts (rated by the panel of the best Hungarian folk artists) in the wooden market stalls of the Basilica Christmas Market.

Entering the giant Advent gate, you will find yourself among a hundred handcrafts stalls, and a sizeable skating rink set up on St Istvan Square (Szent István tér) in the heart of the city of Budapest.

Visit St Stephen Basilica with guided tour during the festive season. Book your tickets for €15 per person here.

Where is the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market?

Luckily, the location of the Basilica Christmas Fair is very close to the oldest and most well-known Christmas Market on Vorosmarty Square, so you can easily visit two of the biggest and most popular Xmas fairs of Budapest during the Christmas holidays.

When is the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market?

2021 Dates: Nov 17, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024

The Budapest Basilica Xmas Market is in fact a winter festival, which starts in late November, and ends in the New Year. The Christmas Market by the St Stephen’s Basilica opened late November in 2011 (its very first year, started in 2011), a bit later than the fair on Vorosmarty Square (running since 1998).

St Stephens Basilica Budapest in December (Mishpan photography)

Similar to the latest years, the St Stephen’s Basilica Xmas market will be open throughout December.

As for the daily opening hours of the Christmas Market on St Stephen’s Square:

The Opening ceremony is on 17 November, 2023
Opening times between Nov 17 2023 and Jan 1, 2024:

Monday – Thursday: 11:00 – 20:00
Friday – Saturday : 11:00 – 23:00
Sunday: 11-20

Festive Days

Dec 24: 11:00 – 15:00

Dec 25: 11:00 – 20:00

Dec 26: 11:00 – 20:00

Dec 31: 11:00 – 22:00

Dec 31: 11:00 – 03.00 Drink Stals

Jan 1: 11:00 – 18:00

Drinking mulled wine, eating some roasted chestnuts, or filling Hungarian snacks attracts hundreds of thousands in Hungary and tourists from many countries.

Visiting Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Please note the proof of vaccination required to visit the program for adults.

Visit St Stephen Basilica with guided tour during the festive season. Book your tickets for €15 per person here.

Video Mapping – Christmas Laser Projection on the Basilica

Schedule of Light Painting:

In every 30 minutes, every day between 4.30 pm and 10 pm you can see the Basilica’s facade turning into a beautiful Christmas visual narrative. This year’s special attraction will be a 3D projection on the Basilica, that can be viewed from all corners of St Stephen’s Square with 3D glasses.

Budapest Basilica Christmas Market Video Mapping / Light Painting on the Facade

Skating Rink at the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Budapest Basilica Christmas Market Skating Rink

Enjoy the artificial skating rink right in the middle of the Christmas Market at the Basilica in Budapest downtown. Skating courses also available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The age range of the course is 4-14 year old children. The price is not a question: they may join the free skating training on the nicely decorated rink at the center of the market.

Size of Skating Rink: 200 square metres

Entry Fee: Free of Charge for Kids aged 4 – 14

Opening Hours: daily (weekend skating classes scheduled, see below)

From the beginning of the Basilica Advent market, you can use the skating rink.

Skating Class Hours: Friday from 2-8 pm, Saturday from 10am-6 pm and Sunday from 10am-6 pm.

Free Skating Classes for children aged 4 – 14 years old. Wrap them up in warm clothes and let them enjoy the Advent Market in Budapest!

Folk Dance at the Budapest Basilica Advent Market

Every Friday and Saturday in the evening (starting 24th of November), the Goncol Folk Dance Ensemble, who aim to keep traditions alive and show its beauty to each generation, will give twenty minute shows. They either improvise a ‘dance house’ that all the guests of the fair may join or surprise the audience by vivid flash mobs.
Do join the dancers on Fri and Sat to try your legs at Hungarian folk dance. Or enjoy a festive Hungarian Folk Dance Show in Budapest in the winter season.

Goncol Hungarian Folk Band at Budapest Christmas Market by Basilica

Visit St Stephen Basilica with guided tour during the festive season. Book your tickets for €15 per person here.

Budapest, the Perfect Christmas Destination

In fact, Budapest has often been chosen as one of the best Christmas destinations in Europe, and the Christmas markets are warmly recommended by many of the travel books about Europe and (Central) Eastern Europe.

St Stephens Basilica Budapest Candles – Yellow Cat photography

Don’t worry, although some places are closed on Dec24-26, many places remain open, and many of the best places: restaurants, brunches, baths, sightseeing river cruises, etc. There is a lot to do in our cosmopolitan city.

You can be the part of this festive merriment. Come and visit Budapest and listen to the beautiful concerts in the Basilica (Advent Organ concerts, choirs, charity concerts, etc.). You can also attend the masses, light a candle, and be filled with the warmth of Christmas.

Past Christmas markets by the Basilica in Budapest

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

Budapest Christmas Fair at the Basilica

Budapest Christmas Market by St Stephens Cathedral

All posts in Budapest Christmas with Kids

Hungarian Folk Dance House in Budapest, December 2012

Normafa Hill

Chimney Cake at the Budapest Xmas Market

Chimney Cake

Nutcracker Ballet at Budapest Opera House

Dates of the Nutcracker Ballet Show in Budapest

Story of Nutcracker

Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Where is the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market?

When is the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market?

Visiting Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Video Mapping – Christmas Laser Projection on the Basilica

Skating Rink at the Budapest Basilica Christmas Market

Folk Dance at the Budapest Basilica Advent Market

Budapest, the Perfect Christmas Destination