Budapest

Széchenyi cycled for the first time on the banks of the Danube - the postal servants rode velocipedes The first velocipedes on the streets of Pest-Buda caused a great sensation in the late 1860s. By the 1880s, the bicycle had conquered Budapest: associations, cycling schools were formed, social trips, parades and competitions were organized. The capital's postal servants rode velocipedes, and the army also used the vehicles. A World Cycling Championship was also held in the capital. In 1928 the Millenáris Velodrome was the most modern and fastest cycling track in Europe.

A new Citadel rises – Parks and terraces for visitors After the archaeological excavations, the reconstruction of the Citadel and its immediate surroundings has begun. Design renders show that the walls of the former fortress are to be opened in several places. New lookout terraces and will be created in the fortress and courtyard. The investment will be completed by 2023.

Visitor centre planned for Jókai kert – Steindl Villa to host exhibitions The Jókai Garden and the Steindl Villa on Sváb Hill are to be renovated. The investment is planned to be completed by 2022, and the developers hope that Budapest will be enriched with a popular resting place.

Meggyfa Street playground completed The pavements of the playground on Meggyfa Street have been renovated, the missing elements of the fence replaced, new benches and a drinking fountain have been installed, while new trees and plants were planted in the area.

Nurse housing and training centre to be created in former Budagyöngye Hospital The Budagyöngye Hospital, which closed in 2007, will be renovated. The building will also regain its original function, with a church-run home for nurses and a training centre. Construction work is scheduled to begin next year.

First housing blocks in Újpalota completed 50 years ago One of the largest housing estates in Budapest can be found in Újpalota, the first apartment of which was completed over 50 years ago, in the spring of 1971. 12,752 apartments were planned originally, but 15,500 were completed by the second half of the 1970s. An average of 5 people lived in each of the 15th District's prefabricated flats.

ICOMOS award caring for the Jewish cemetery on Salgótarjáni Street The Hungarian National Committee of ICOMOS awarded the National Heritage Institute for the restoration, maintenance of the Jewish Cemetery on Salgótarjáni Street and its presentation to the public on World Monument Day. The National Heritage Institue was lauded in the Exemplary Monument Care category.

No place to call home – József Attila's family moved every six months Ferencváros, including Ferenc Square, was where one of the greatest figures of Hungarian poetry, Attila József, lived from his birth until the age of 14. His father, Áron József, abandoned the family in 1908, when the youngest child, Attila, was three years old. Despite having moved a lot before, his mother, Borbála Pőcze, was forced to find a new home almost every six months due to being behind on their rent.

Archaeologists unearth remains of Roman child during dig near Bécsi Road A grave from the late Roman era has been excavated on a construction site near Kolosy Square in Óbuda, in the former cemetery of the Military City Aquincum. The tomb housed the remains of a small child who was once buried with pots and coins, and a headrest made of tiles was placed under his head.

The SZOT Resort on Rózsadomb opened 50 years ago – Cable-car for guests never completed One of the most controversial buildings in Budapest, the SZOT Resort on Rózsadomb, has been part of the cityscape for half a century. The huge 114-meter-long building of the health resort once accommodated up to 500 guests at a time, who were transported to the nearby Lukács Baths by a minibus. Contrary to the original plans, neither a cable car nor a lift was built. The gigantic house later stood empty for decades, but today it has been reborn as a luxury residential building.

Renders released – Budapest campus of Pázmány Péter University to open in 2027 The campus of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University planned to use the former buildings of the Hungarian Radio will significantly change the cityscape. During the investment, which is expected to be completed by 2027, several significant buildings will be renovated in the area behind the National Museum, such as the Esterházy Palace, which also includes the former Marble Hall of the National Radio and the dilapidated Károlyi Palace. New buildings will also be erected.

The iron founder Ignác Schlick was born 200 years ago – His Factory built the Dome of the Parliament Building The factory he founded played an indispensable role in the development of the Hungarian capital, as he made the iron structures of many emblematic buildings: the dome of the Parliament, the Opera House and the Hungarian Academy of Arts and the Museum of Applied Arts, as well as the glass-iron facade curtain walls of the Nyugati (Western) and Keleti (Eastern) railway stations. The Deák statue in Széchenyi Square was also made in his foundry. Although Ignác Schlick may be known to a few, his work is often forgotten in the development of Budapest.

Dismantled historic changing cabins at Széchenyi Baths to be rebuilt The restoration of the changing cabins built during the 1927 expansion of the baths, which were demolished without a permit at the beginning of 2020, will be rebuilt.

Statue of Justitia returning to Kossuth Square The 1896 marble statue of the Roman goddess of justice, Justitia, by Alajos Strobl, is returning to its original place after 71 years. The statue is being moved from the building of the Curia on Markó Street to the Palace of Justice opposite the parliament building. The building designed by Alajos Hauszmann on Kossuth Square, which previously housed the Museum of Ethnography, is being returned to the Curia. The palace is thus being renovated, and the facades and monumental interiors will regain their former beauty.

Renovation of Nyugati Railway Station to be completed by September Plaster repairs are currently underway in the Nyugati Railway Station as other parts of the facade are being painted. The doors and windows will be modernised, and the clocks on the glass walls towards Teréz körút and the facade on Eiffel Square will also be renewed. The renovation of the towers towards the track entrance has been completed. The decorative windows have been installed, and the old artificial slate covering has been replaced with a natural anthracite slate. The crown on the boulevard facade of the railway station was also repainted in the same colour as the steel structure of the roof. Passengers will return to the hall in September.

Green space developments to increase in second half of the decade Pestbuda has studies the Budapest Green Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Action Plan recently adopted by the Budapest General Assembly in detail. The document called the Dezső Radó Plan is essentially a summary of the green area developments in Budapest that have previously been decided at a government, district or city level. Several of them have already started and are in progress, and there are some new elements in the recently released plans.

Lanchid renovation – Pedestrian underpass in Pest closed The pedestrian underpass on the pest side of the river bridge will be closed on 16 April. The passage on the Buda sie will remain open until mid-June. Both pedestrian underpasses are to be widened as part of the renovation. While footpaths across the bridge are also closed, buses are free between Clark Ádám Square and Széchenyi Square. The reconstruction of the bridge is planned to last until 2023.

Members moved to the Former House of Representatives 155 years ago Two buildings in Pest were built for the national assembly. It is well-known that the vast Parliament Building on the Danube banks, completed in 1902, is one of the largest buildings in the world, houses the National Assembly. However, the Neo-Renaissance palace, the Former House of Representatives in Bródy Sándor Street, designed by Miklós Ybl, which elected members began using 155 years ago, is older than its grand sister.

Visible work on exterior of Ministry of Finance building begins The monumental reconstruction of the facade and roof structure of the Ministry of Finance on Szentháromság Square and the restoration of the representative interiors is to begin soon. The building, which will be completed by 2023, will follow the designs Sándor Fellner created.

Construction of metro line 5 begins – First boreholes drilled To prepare the plans for the planned tunnel between Közvágóhíd and Kálvin tér, the Budapest Development Center will start drilling boreholes for soil tests at 93 locations. Work started first on Kálvin Square. The extension of the suburban railway lines to Csepel and Ráckeve to Kálvin tér and the construction of metro line 5 will connect the southern parts of Budapest to the city centre more efficiently.

Klauzal Square to be renovated with Ghetto memorial The 7th District Local Council has announced a design tender for a public memorial to be erected on the renovated Klauzál Square. The future memorial site planned to be inaugurated in 2022 will memorialise the Pest ghetto, which once included Klauzal Square.

Zsolnay fireplace in Saint Stephen's Hall now being built The largest Zsolnay fireplace in the country, weighing nearly one and a half tons, is now being built in the Saint Stephen's Hall of the Royal Palace of Buda Castle. Hungarian artisans, including representatives of disappearing crafts, took part in the re-creation of the 611-piece ceramic fireplace. The historical hall will be open to the public on August 20.

The cult of Saint Emeric of Hungary – The 18th District stands in memory of the Prince Hungary celebrated the life of Saint Emeric, the son of the country's first King, Saint Stephen, 90 years ago. On the 900th anniversary of the death of Prince Emeric (Imre), who was consecrated together with his father in 1083, a large-scale memorial year was organized in 1930–1931 and the village of Pestszentimre was named after him, which in 1950 became part of the 18th District of Budapest. The church in the district also bears the name of the prince, and the first public statue of the district also depicts Saint Emeric.

Budapest may become World Book Capital for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Buda and Pest Budapest will submit a bid for the title of World Book Capital 2023 to UNESCO on 15 April. In the event of a successful application, cultural programs promoting books and reading will be organised throughout Budapest for a year.

Alfréd Hajós, Hungary's first Olympic champion, learned to swim on the Danube section in front of the Parliament As an outstanding talent, Alfréd Hajós created something unique in many sports and his chosen profession, architecture. He won the first Olympic champion title for Hungary when 125 years ago; in addition to the 100-meter sprint, he also won the 1,200-meter race in the sea-swimming competition held on 11 April 1896, near Athens. As an architect, he designed, among others, the National Sports Swimming Pool on Margit Island and the synod headquarters of the Reformed Church in Zugló.

Fence of Bethesda Children’s Hospital transformed into books The fence of Bethesda Children's Hospital has been recreated: the previously grey concrete elements overlooking Hungária Boulevard have been repainted. The fence is now reminiscent of a huge bookshelf with many colourful children's books, from classics to contemporary authors.

Jókai Square in Terézváros to be renovated Jókai Square in the 6th District will be renovated over the summer. An orderly park is planned with a reading corner, pergola and lots of seating. Plants and flower beds are to be planted, and a stage will be added to host cultural events.

65 years of National Poetry Day – Sculptures in Budapest pay tribute to poetry For the second year in a row, the country is celebrating National Poetry Day behind closed doors. After last year's tour of statues, when Pestbuda visited the monuments of famous poets, we now showcase several works depicting poetry itself on Budapest's famous buildings.

A Chamber of adventures in Budapest – Kamaraerdő holds excitement for everyone Join Pestbuda on a visit to the largest contiguous forest in the most populous district of Budapest. It is a forest, but it could be called an adventure since there are no other places in Budapest with so many leisure activities.