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Miklós Borsos, who made the Zero Kilometre Stone, was born 115 years ago Miklós Borsos, who was recognised as a sculptor, medalist and graphic artist, was born on 13 August 1906, in Nagyszeben (today's Sibiu, Romania), Transylvania, 115 years ago. He lived in Győr, and then in Budapest from 1945. In winter, he worked in the Castle District, at 6 Úri Street, and in summer, in Tihany; his permanent museum can be visited in Győr. Several of his works can be seen in Budapest, and a few of his works involuntarily attracts attention.

What will Bakáts Square look like? The renovation of Bakáts Square in Ferencváros has been on the agenda for a long time, so we are very curious to see what this cozy area, surrounded by old trees, will look like. According to the district local government, there is no need to wait long for an answer, because the works will be completed by December. The green spaces, pavements and street furniture will be renewed, strengthening the city park function of the square. However, parking will be restricted, car traffic will only be allowed on the longer sides of the square.

Hotel to be built on Kertész Street vacant lot The 19th-century residential houses in the 7th District, 21 and 23 Kertész Street were sold in 2004 by the management of the 7th District in a case known as the Erzsébetváros real estate panama. Both buildings were demolished. Apartments were designed in their place, but the idea did not materialise. Now it turns out that a 254-room hotel is being built on the plot that has been empty for 15 years and has been operating as a car park.

Parking garages are being built on Mexican Road for the car-free City Park The creation of the car-free City Park will be facilitated by the P + R car parks to be built at the Mexican Road terminal of Kisföldalatti, the design contract of which was signed today by the Budapest Development Centre and the winner of the tender, Középülettervező Zrt. The creation of parking garages is integral to the renewal of transport in the area.

Sas Hill: a place surrounded by urban legends Hikers of Sas Hill ('Eagle Hill') in Budapest are in a very privileged position, as the area had been closed to the public for decades. Today, after prior registration, anyone can visit the hill that rises above the BAH junction. If someone walks around with professional guidance, it is safe to say that they will have an outstanding experience: a unique panorama and real plant rarities await them.

The Pest Zoo opened in the City Park 155 years ago People have always been curious about special, exotic animals: the stuntmen who appeared in Pest-Buda in the 18th century and travelled with an army of animals have always enjoyed great popularity. However, the real zoo had to wait a long time: it opened its doors on 9 August 1866. The beautiful park quickly became popular among the citizens of Pestbuda, where they could see kangaroos, parrots and reindeers. Giraffes did not arrive at the Zoo until 1868, through the intervention of Queen Elisabeth (Empress Elisabeth of Austria).

The first lion statue was taken off the Chain Bridge During the renovation of the Chain Bridge, the removal of the stone lions at the Pest bridgehead was started. The three-piece sculptures will be removed and restored, with plans to return them to their place at the end of next year. During the renovation, only those parts of the works that originally existed are restored.

The Buda Castle under constructionwas also visited by Maria Theresa, who visited the capital in 1751 Although she gave permission to expand the Buda Castle, Maria Theresa visited Pest and Buda only twice. Her first visit took place in August of 1751, the 11th year of his reign, 270 years ago. This was when the diet was held in Bratislava and during that time the royal court spent a few days in Pest and Buda.

Reconstruction of the former Red Cross headquarters begins in Buda Castle During the reconstruction of the building, which was built for the Red Cross Society and then housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was demolished after the Second World War, it will faithfully follow the original corner dome in its outer features. However, the interior of the building will house modern technology. The partial renovation of the neighbouring Batthyány Palace is also being carried out.

An ancient swastika was found on the grounds of Buszesz The excavation work has entered a new stage in the area of the former distillery in Óbuda, the archaeologists of the Budapest History Museum found Roman coins, a crescent-shaped military mounting made of bronze, and a bronze clothespin depicting a swastika.

New residential building completed on Erkel Street 5 years after the demolition of the classicist building Although during urban development it is often the case that some of the old buildings are demolished and replaced by new ones, it is very painful to lose a value that is unique or rare and to replace it with a building which has not got the same values, in addition, the more or less uniform street view is sacrificed as well. The new residential building was completed five years after the demolition of the classicist residential building at 18 Erkel Street in the 9th district. Pestbuda now shows the readers what it turned out to be.

Life before the Chain Bridge The pontoon bridge between Pest and Buda was built due to the visit of Archduke Albert Casimir and was closed, with a little exaggeration, due to the trip of Count István Széchenyi. The pontoon bridge between the two banks of the Danube was built 255 years ago and was demolished 171 years ago.

The Neo-Renaissance facade hides a classicist interior in Hercegprímás Street, Lipótváros The house, built in 1844 in the classicist style by Hild József, remodelled in the neo-Renaissance style at the beginning of the 20th century, is now one of the most beautiful buildings in the square surrounding St. Stephen's Basilica at 7 Hercegprímás Street. The facade itself is special with the decorations alternating from floor to floor, and the cosy inner courtyard has retained its classicist touches. What overshadows the history of the palace is the history of the former owners.

Ferenc Novák designed first an electric cogwheel railway and then a hydraulic funicular on Gellért Hill In the last decade of the 19th century, architect Ferenc Novák presented to the public the plan of the Gellért Hill funicular, which was connected with the intention to demolish the Citadel. According to Novák's idea, not only a funicular would have been built on Gellért Hill, but also a lookout, an illuminated statue and the National Pantheon as a millennium monument. The architect would have built first an electric cogwheel railway and then a hydraulic funicular, for which he also received permits. Yet his dream did not come true.

The Saint Emeric Dormitory in Pest not only provided housing but also raised students At the turn of the century, Saint Emeric's Dormitory was established on a private initiative to alleviate the housing problems of Catholic students and college students, which later developed into a national network. The dormitory operated first in Irányi Street and then on Üllői Road. The Saint Emeric Dormitory in Pest finally found a permanent home under 43-45 Ráday Street in Ferencváros. The renowned dorm suffered from the period of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, but its nearly half-century-old history ended with the turn of the post-World War II era. The building still houses a dormitory.

The final touches are being made in the St. Stephen's Hall of the Buda Palace As a result of the years of work of many experts, from 20 August we can admire the St. Stephen's Hall in the Buda Palace in its old light. The years of work are now coming to an end, almost all the former decorative elements have been put in place. Once again, the bust of St. Stephen stands on the world-famous Zsolnay fireplace, the pyrogranite images depicting the kings and saints of the Árpád dynasty have also been placed, and the huge chandeliers and special wall sconces have also been installed. After the opening on 20 August, it will be free to access the St. Stephen's Hall for a few days.

Vajdahunyad Castle was rebuilt for The Museum and Library of Hungarian Agriculture, founded 125 years ago Vajdahunyad Castle, located on the former Széchenyi Island of the Városliget Lake, has been very popular since 1896. With its special appearance and unique atmosphere, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Walking between its walls and characteristic parts of the building, one can travel a long way in time and space from the Highlands to Transylvania, from the Romanesque to the Baroque period. And the walls hide one of Europe’s largest agricultural collections and museums, celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

By the end of the year, the plans for the new campus of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University will be completed The monumental values of the Károlyi Palace and the Esterházy Palace must be preserved and the spirituality represented by Catholic education must be displayed - these conditions must also be met by the 12 architectural firms that were given the opportunity to design the campus of Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Józsefváros. The task must be completed by September, and the results will be announced in November.

Several people have already planned a funicular to Gellért Hill, but neither the cogwheel nor the steam cable car has been built What could be the explanation for the fact that despite the approved plans since the second half of the 19th century, the construction of a Gellért Hill funicular has never started? Guido Fuchs already in 1884, then in the 1890s Mór Balázs, Vince Ede Miller and Ferenc Novák put their own ideas on the table. However, none of them came close to implementation.

The residential house on Rákóczi Road still stands today, the corner of which collapsed 85 years ago A collapsing house in Budapest in 1936 could have caused a huge tragedy. In vain did the residents signal to the owners that the walls were cracking, they did not feel safe, no substantive action was taken. The corner of the house at 73 Rákóczi Road collapsed on 23 July 1936, a few minutes before 3 pm.

The sanctuary of the St. Anne's Church in Batthyány Square was built 275 years ago One of the most characteristic buildings on the banks of the Danube in Buda is the St. Anne's Church in Watertown (Víziváros). The building on Batthyány Square in the 1st District also stands out among the Baroque architectural monuments of the capital. The history of the church dates back to the 18th century, its foundation stone was laid in 1740 and then it was built for a long time. Its sanctuary was built 275 years ago, in 1746, and it was used as a church until the building was completed. On the anniversary, Pestbuda visited the patinated church building of Buda.

The Chain Bridge will be lighter after the renovation - the new deck plates are already being manufactured Instead of the old reinforced concrete, steel deck plates will be placed on the Chain Bridge during the renovation. The 94 new steel deck slabs will better fit the structure of the bridge and will also significantly reduce the overall weight of the crossing.

Árpád Göncz and his wife will receive a statue in Vérhalom Square A tender was announced for the creation of a double statue of the former President of the Republic and his wife, which will be located in Vérhalom Square in the 2nd District, near the last home of the Göncz couple.

There is a fencing room in the synagogue in Angyalföld After the Second World War, many synagogues were left without congregations in Hungary. Ecclesiastical buildings left empty in several parts of the country were either demolished and their building materials used to renovate, rebuild other buildings, or were given other functions. The building of the synagogue on Dózsa György Road has not been demolished, it is still in communal use today - but differently than before.

Reconstruction of the Palace of Archduke Joseph begins Reconstruction of the Palace of Archduke Joseph on Szent György Square, Buda Castle begins. The building, which was blown up in 1968 and its former Neo-Renaissance barn and palace garden, is also being reconstructed.

A statue of Mozart and Dvořák once adorned the facade of Ellinger Palace At first glance, people can only see one dilapidated house in Terézváros, at 2/B Németh László Street. However, behind the dropping plaster of the once ornate Ellinger Palace, special stories emerge. Half of the house was owned by the violinist and internationally renowned music teacher, Gusztáv Ellinger, while the other half was the architect Ferenc Novák's, who became known in the 1890s for his plans for the Gellért Hill Funicular.

Teleki Blanka opened the first school for girls in Pest in a building on Szabadság Square that still stands today A peculiar twist of fate is that Blanka Teleki opened the first education institution for girls in Pest next to the Újépület ('new building') in Lipótváros, that served as a military barracks, which became her prison in 1851, because according to the imperial authorities the 1848 revolution started from her educational institution. The building, which still stands on the former Promenade, later housed a bank, then the economic police of the Ministry of the Interior, and today the headquarters of the Catholic Camp Bishopric.

Next year, the construction of the new Museum of Transport the area of the Északi Járműjavító may begin The Északi Járműjavító (Northern Locomotive Workshop) on Kőbányai Road is saying goodbye with a special temporary exhibition: the building can be seen in its current condition until October, and the exhibition will show not only the life of the former workshop, but also the plans of the new Museum of Transport. The new cultural district, centered on the museum and the existing Eiffel Workshop, will be transformed from the locomotive workshop that closed in 2009. The area will also be connected to Népliget and a new railway station is planned.

The sports centre in the Inner City was completed - Special architectural solutions were applied in Vadász Street The Sports and Adventure Centre has been established by the Inner City Local Council at 30 Vadász Street. In addition to the sports fields, the new facility will have a 4-lane, 25-metre pool, a training pool and a thermal water wellness area, which will be fed by its own thermal water well. Great emphasis was placed on ecological and energy efficiency aspects when designing the building. As a result of special architectural solutions, a number of sports departments have been incorporated into the small floor area.

There will be more green spaces and fountains in the renewing Blaha Lujza Square The renovation of one of the busiest public areas in Budapest, Blaha Lujza Square, has started, and the works are expected to last until the end of next year. They increase the green space in the square and increase the accessibility of public transport and built environment.

Tranquillity and recharge - The special look of Hajógyári Island Óbuda Island, also known as Hajógyári Island, has recently shown its more pleasant face: there are no weeks-long events, festivals or pavilions. The area presents a peaceful, so to speak natural side to the visitors, so it is worth reporting on what people can find on the most troubled island of Budapest in "peacetime".

Thirty years ago, the Soviet army withdrew from Hungary - What happened to the former barracks in Budapest? Thirty years ago, in the summer of 1991, the Soviet army left Hungary permanently. The Red Army, which was temporarily stationed here at the time, but had been in the country for almost five decades, also owned a number of properties in Budapest during this time, most of which were in a very dilapidated condition at the time of the return. Since then, three decades have passed, the former military facilities have been renovated in several places and utilized very well. On the anniversary, we will visit some of them.

From factory to an exciting cultural centre - Millenáris Park is 20 years old Today, Millenáris is a huge park and event centre in Buda, but once the Ganz factory operated here, on the site of which, with the partial retention of the halls, one of the largest cultural centres of Budapest was opened on 6 July 2001.

A confectionery opened in the Museum Garden in a former garden house In the garden of the Hungarian National Museum, in the renovated former garden house, a new confectionery is operating today, run by the Auguszt family. The store opened in the building on the side of Pollack Mihály Square was named after Geraldine Apponyi, who was the niece of Albert Apponyi and married the King of Albania in 1938.

The Academy operated in several palaces in Pest before moving into its headquarters Renovation of the headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences will begin soon. The Neo-Renaissance palace was built between 1862 and 1865, according to the plans of Berlin-based architect Friedrich August Stüler, and execution was controlled by renowned architects such as Miklós Ybl and Antal Szkalnitzky. The company of scientists waited forty years for the independent headquarters. The institution, founded in 1825, rented rooms in the city's famous buildings until the palace next to the Chain Bridge was completed.

Many kinds of trams have served Budapest in recent decades UV, ICS, Bengali, CAF, Combino, Hanover - these trams have defined tram transport in Budapest in recent decades. Now more CAF products are in service, but take a look at what kind of trams the people of Budapest used and what do these weird names mean?

From the Opera House to the Parliament - The decorative painting of several representative buildings is the work of Róbert Scholtz Ornate public buildings and palaces were defining parts of the cityscape of Pest-Buda, which became a more and more civilized city and a metropolis. Róbert Scholtz, a decorative painter, played an important role in decorating many representative buildings, and his work is famous for, among other things, the St. Stephen's Hall, which was destroyed in 1945, but will soon be rebuilt.

The Millennium Underground Railway was envied by the Viennese - New exhibition on the underground opens If someone is visiting Deák Square and has half an hour to spare, the Underground Railway Museum has a new exhibition to offer about the 125-year-old Millennium Underground Railway. Numerous photographs, artefacts, plans and models have been exhibited, from which many hitherto lesser-known curiosities are revealed.

A decades-old plan comes to life – A tunnel connecting Széll Kálmán Square with Városmajor The construction of the new pedestrian crossing connecting Széll Kálmán Square with the Postapalota (Postal Palace) and Városmajor started last autumn, the two ends of which met under Várfok Street almost a month ago. The tunnel, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will not only provide an unobstructed passage for pedestrians and cyclists in the area to Városmajor but will also create a new entrance to the former Postapalota, also known as the Buda Palace.

Facade of the residential building that houses the Radnóti Theater is being renovated The facade and the balcony of the building at 11 Nagymező Street in Terézváros have become accident-prone, leading to the renovation. During the works, the missing limestone slabs and balcony slabs on the facade will be replaced, and the work is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

Budapest then and today – 5 photos showing how much the city has changed over a century Comparing past and present is always exciting. Walking around the city, one can often wonder what this or that street used to look like, what houses stood, and which were built later. If someone looks at an archive picture, the old buildings that still stand today, such as the Parliament or the St. Stephen's Basilica, help them find their way. At the same time, they can admire the once small-town atmosphere of Csalogány Street, the almost unrecognisable Deák Square or the old Erzsébet Bridge that many still consider to be one of the most beautiful bridges built in Hungary.

Built as a church of gratitude, demolished by Rákosi – the Regnum Marianum church was consecrated 90 years ago The replica of the Hungarian Holy Crown as a dome ornament was one of the unique features of the Regnum Marianum church, which was consecrated 90 years ago. Twenty years after its consecration on 14 June 1931, the sacral building was condemned to be demolished by the communist dictatorship, and its walls were blown up. There are few Hungarian churches of the 20th century in the Carpathian Basin, whose tragic fate could be associated with as much emotion as the history of the Regnum Marianum in Városliget.

Glass mosaic by Miksa Róth restored above the entrance of the Lutheran church on Fasor Miksa Róth's glass mosaic was placed above the entrance of the Lutheran church in Fasor. The work from 1905 has been returned after more than a year of restoration.

CAF tram arrives in Újpalota for weekends Only on weekends and twice every hour, but commuters can now travel on modern CAF trams on the 69 tram line connecting Mexikói Road in Zugló with the Újpalota housing estate. For the time being, the other vehicles on the line will remain. Known as the Hannover tram, its high steps make travel difficult for many.

Ideology fuelled destruction in Buda Castle after World War II The siege of Budapest was one of the most brutal battles of World War II, with the Castle District suffering the greatest damage. Only 1,400 of the approximately 6,500 flats standing in the vicinity of Castle Hill remained intact. And the devastation continued after the war: the communist dictatorship destroyed many buildings for ideological reasons, even though they could have been saved or rebuilt. Many iconic buildings, including several churches and the Castle Garden, fell victim to communist "restoration".

Lion, sparrowhawk, crane – Ancient symbols from coats of arms tell the story of the past of noble families in the Magnates' Quarter Although in 1947, the communist regime banned the use of noble forenames and badges, including private coats of arms, fortunately, these were not removed from the former aristocratic palaces. Ancient symbols, often dating back centuries, referred to the owner's family, their role in Hungarian history and also served aesthetic purposes on the buildings. In the second half of the 19th century, the Hungarian aristocracy enjoyed building around the National Museum, so several buildings with family coats of arms and their motifs can be found in the quarter. These can be seen in the palaces of the Festetics and Károlyi families in Pollack Mihály Square.

Changing Chains – 12 elements of Chain Bridge to be modified during reconstruction Chain Bridge has been completely closed, and its renovation has begun in earnest. The 172-year-old bridge has been remodelled several times, first in 1914-1915, then it was rebuilt after World War II, and most recently, it underwent major renovations in the second half of the 1980s. So now the iconic structure of the capital is being renewed again. But what work will be done on the Chain Bridge over the next two years?

The bricklayer building the Town Hall of Buda appears on the Holy Trinity Column Most of the encyclopaedias only describe the life of builder János Hölbling from Buda briefly, although, after the siege of 1686, he took an active part in the reconstruction of the city and the construction of the former Buda Town Hall is also connected to his name. He was such a respected professional in his day that his figure even appears on the Holy Trinity Column in Holy Trinity Square (Szentháromság). The builder of Buda died 285 years ago.