PestBuda

Filled to the brim – Balls and dances during carnival season in Pest filled the city In today’s world, filled with fears caused by the pandemic, many have forgotten that these weeks are traditionally some of the happiest in the year: Carnival season. The time for masquerade balls and fun, of bidding winter farewell, and turning towards the spring. Sadly entertainment is limited this year, but the stories of the past can console us, as we remember the brass bands playing in City Park, as ball after ball was held throughout Buda and Pest, and a street organ sounded through Óbuda.

New school building on Völgy Street in 2nd District nears completion A topping-out ceremony has been held at the new school building under construction in Völgy Street within the 2nd District. Teaching will begin in the new structure in September, with 350 students enjoying the new conditions.

A hidden gem – The forgotten true beauty of Merzse Swamp Budapest is perhaps one of the leading capitals in the world in terms of groundwater and springs. However, not only springs can be found throughout the city. Once Pest was surrounded by swamps: from the present-day Újpest to Soroksár swampy areas ringed the city. Today, the diverse wildlife that surrounded Pest not so long ago is confined to the small Merzse Swamp.

New gymnasium planned for Budafok An impressive gymnasium is built in the 22nd District between Antal Nagy Secondary School and György Kolonics Primary School. The venue will house events as well as basketball games and other sports. Construction of the facility is expected to begin in the summer and should be completed by the end of 2022.

Changes planned for the area around Buda bridgehead of Petőfi Bridge Goldmann György Square in the 11th District will be completely transformed. The university is planning to construct new buildings in place of the V2 building and the canteen that have stood empty for years. A zero-emission research centre has been planned for the site. Dive into the history of this unique site with PestBuda!

Renovation of Blaha Lujza Square to begin this year Traffic flow around Blaha Lujza Square will be redesigned, creating a pedestrian-friendly space with new trees. The grass-covered areas of the square will increase, and water games added. A unique pavilion for events and cultural purposes will be built. The facade of the Corvin Department Store will also be restored. Work beginning in 2021 will last for roughly one and a half years.

The future of Gutenberg – Construction of printers' headquarters began 115 years ago The construction of a masterpiece of Hungarian Art Nouveau architecture, Gutenberg House, began in 1906. The residential building that served cultural purposes for several decades is still unique, despite losing much of its charm over the last few years. The sculptures and murals that adorned its facade were destroyed almost 50 years ago, this stunning building would deserve to be restored to its original condition.

A bridge of legends – Mythbusting the stories about Chain Bridge The lions have always had tongues, and the bridge is not a copy of another structure in England, not was it named after Széchenyi in 1899. There are several urban legends about Budapest’s oldest permanent river crossing, and some have even made their way into professional writing, despite being untrue. Join Pestbuda on an adventure to separate fact from fiction and uncover unique facts about this outstanding, unparalleled structure in Budapest, Chain Bridge.

University of Theater and Film Arts opens new campus on Mészáros Street The Zsigmond Vilmos Institute of Motion Picture Arts will move into the newly renovated former headquarters of Duna TV on Mészáros Street in the 1st District. Students are expected to begin using the campus in February. The University organised a press tour of the new facilities.

Four tram stops to be redesigned on Line 50 Following the renovations on tram line 50 passengers will be able to access the platforms through ramps, to help wheelchair users and commuters with prams. Work is expected to last until this Autumn.

Landslide in Buda: cracked walls and sunken villas lined Castle Hill In January 1936 the earth began to move in Buda. But it was not an earthquake but a landslide. The western slope of Castle Hill began to slide. Roads sank, houses cracked, many homes had to be abandoned. The hill’s movement lasted for months and was eventually stopped in the Autumn. Several houses were demolished due to the disaster.

Plans for family park in Tétényi Meadows completed The family park in Tétényi Meadows will be built around the Danube Swabian Memorial in Nagytétény in the 22nd District. Utilising the trees in the area, a thematic playground, slide park, outdoor gym, fenced dog park, ping pong tables and a small hill for tobogganing. Visual designs of the park have been completed.

A master of beautiful gates – Works by Gyula Jungfer adorn public buildings around Budapest A walk around the representative public buildings of Budapest is almost a walk to visit the major works on GyulaJungfer. The artist that reimagined ironworking in Hungary and elevated it to an applied art was born 180 years ago. His work still defines Budapest.

Replanning of Szent János hospital begins Szent János Hospital, which covers nearly 150,000 square meters and has nearly fifty buildings, will be renovated over several years. The designers promise that the listed historical buildings of the pavilion-type hospital will be redesigned to preserve their architectural heritage while bringing them in line with the demands of modern medicine.

Renovation of Chain Bridge to begin at the end of February The public procurement procedure for the renovation of Chain Bridge has been completed. The renovation will begin at the end of February, and the technical handover procedure will be finished by the autumn of 2023.

A forgotten bridge on the Danube – Many forget the second road bridge under construction in Budapest Two bridges are being built as part of the Galvani Bridge development project. The cable-stayed structure spanning the main Danube branch has been discussed in detail but the other bridge planned to cross the Soroksár branch of the river has almost been forgotten, despite being a major and beautiful piece of infrastructure.

The future of the Citadel seen from the sky A unique drone video is giving viewers a sneak peek into the future of the Citadel. The dilapidated fortress on the top of Gellért Hill will soon be renovated. Its outer walls, courtyard and cannon tower will be restored. The new public park will open in 2022, and an exhibition entitled "Bastion of Freedom" showcasing the Hungarian nation's struggles for independence will open in 2023, housed in the old cannon tower.

Irredentist statues erected on Szabadság Square 100 years ago The group of irredentist sculptures erected in response to the Trianon Peace Treaty was unveiled a hundred years ago, on 16 January 1921. One of the first spectacular responses to the treaty that ended World War I was welcomed by a crowd of 50.000. The sculptors. Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl, István Szentgyörgyi, János Pásztor and Ferenc Sidló cast the statues to depict everything that the territories lost only half a year earlier had meant in Hungarian history.

New exhibition about the Middle Ages opens in the Castle Museum The Vármúzeum ('Castle Museum') of the Budapest History Museum has created the fifth exhibition that places the finds of mediaeval archaeology from the past year in the spotlight. While the physical exhibition does exist. Currently, visits are limited to virtual tours.

Historical buildings avoid destruction in Budapest city-centre In response to recent events, the Prime Minister's Office has ordered the initiation of listing two buildings as historical monuments of Budapest. All work must stop on the Márványmenyasszony ('marble-bride') restaurant in the 1st District, which hosted the weddings of historical figures such as Széchenyi and Wesselényi and the house on Kazinczy Street, which has become known as Tamás Wichmann's pub. Although the future of these buildings remains uncertain, their history is known all the better.

Planning of Népliget Railway Station begins The planning of the third new stop on the Southern Circular Railroad has begun after the planners were confirmed. The new station will provide an easy transfer to metro and national coach services.

The brilliant Kálmán Kandó – One of Hungary's greatest design engineers Kálmán Kandó, the enormously talented design engineer of Ganz Works, died ninety years ago. High-efficiency generators, transformers and electric motors were the results of his work. His efforts made electric power much more efficient.

New buildings of University of Theatre and Film Arts revealed From February, the University of Theatre and Film Art will continue work in new, renovated and modern educational facilities and new names for its institutes — the university's leadership has announced.

Construction of passenger centre in Keleti railway station begins The passenger centre's construction in the 137-year-old Keleti Railway Station, which serves 11 million passengers each year, is set to begin. The station's underpass section will be completely redesigned, and passenger access to the station will be easier with new escalators and lifts. The project will increase passenger comfort and is expected to be completed towards the end of this year.

Franz Joseph supported exhibition to showcase the most famous Hungarians A long-awaited exhibition opened in the Castle Garden Bazaar 135 years ago. Entitled Portrait Gallery of Hungarian History it collected depictions of the most famous Hungarians in chronological order. The effort was supported from the highest levels, and its creation was seen as not only a cultural but academic endeavour.

Building of the University of Theatre and Film Arts was once owned by the YMCA The buildings of Budapest hide many secrets. At times, the city can even surprise those who have been researching the history of its buildings for years. In many cases, plaques placed on facades commemorate or highlight interesting details from their history. One such plaque can be found on the facade of 2/C Vas Street, the building of the University of Theatre and Film Arts. The text encourages passers-by to dig a little deeper into the structure's history, by noting that a church once stood within the walls.

Memorial plaque remembers victims of the Maros Street massacre A memorial plaque has been unveiled in the courtyard of the former Jewish hospital, to commemorate the victims of the massacre carried out by members of the Arrow Cross Party on 12 January 1945. Forty men and forty-four women lost their lives, including patients, doctors and nurses.

Old school in 1st District being torn down – Residential building planned as replacement The former Szent Gellért Primary School building is being torn down at 8 Gellérhegy Street in the 1st district. A residential building with 44 flats will be built in its place. Demolition began a few days ago.

Castle walls and walkways being renovated in Buda Castle The restoration of the parks and walls of Buda Castle is continuing with work to renovate the retaining walls and walkways throughout the Palace. The elegant historical gardens will regain their former elegance.