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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.

The longest monuments in Budapest: the history of the embankments Until the middle of the 19th century, anyone could walk down to the undeveloped, muddy banks of the Danube, but during a flood, nothing stood in the way of the water. The 12-kilometre-long embankments along Budapest's Danube Banks have become an essential part of the cityscape and protect the capital from floods. In connection with the freshly announced reconstruction of the Pest embankment, Pestbuda presents the history of these magnificent structures.

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.

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.

Square near Nyugati Railway Station named after Béla Puczi The part of Nyugati Square right next to the railway station has newly been named after Béla Puczi, who led Gypsies to defend the Hungarians during the anti-Hungarian pogrom in Târgu Mureş in 1990.

12th District selects World War II memorial The symbolism of scarcity and hope – are the words used by the judges to describe the winning design of the World War II memorial planned for the 12th District. The sculpture will be built alongside the Varosmajori Church and has been designed to remember the district residents that lost their lives in the conflict.

Csömöri overpass to be completed in 2021 The modernisation of the Csömöri út overpass is to be completed this year. During the construction of the overpass connecting Csömöri Road and Drégelyvár Street in Újpalota, steel supports will be installed until the end of May to strengthen the bridge. The damaged concrete structures will be repaired by mid-summer, and traffic will return to the bridge by the end of December.

Dutch memories fill Budapest Városliget Avenue is more than two hundred years old. The elegant road lined with villas and public buildings became the home of the elite of Pest in the last third of the 19th century. Several successful people had a house or holiday home built there, and many celebrities treated themselves in the sanatoriums located in the area. Városliget Alley has become a well-known name, yet, 100 years ago, in 1921, it was renamed Vilma Királynő Road after Queen Wilhelmina. The cause: a strange tale for which Budapest wanted to express its thanks to the Dutch.

Museum of Transport opened 55 years ago after post World War II repairs After a more than a two-decades-long forced break, the Museum of Transport opened in City Park on 2 April 1966. During World War II, in 1944, several bombs hit the building. Although the most valuable works of art were saved, the destruction was still immeasurable: in addition to the building, the bombing also caused significant damage to the collection.

Depictions of Christ portray the events of the Holy Week around Budapest Depictions of Jesus can be found in every district of Budapest of one walks with their eyes open. Most often, crosses erected near Catholic churches or by public roads are reminders of Christ’s crucifixion, but several Calvaries, statues, and building mosaics also depict Easter-related events: the story of the Passion and the resurrection of the Messiah. This virtual walk will present a selection of the most valuable works of art that give hope at Easter in 2021.

Parks around Rákos Stream in Zugló to be renovated The banks of Rákos Stream in the 14th District will be transformed into a park in three stages. Work is already underway, and the first 400-metre section between Egressy Road and Bartl János Street has already been opened. The entire project will be completed by the autumn. Plenty of trees and shrubs will be planted in the new areas, and plenty of benches will be installed, on sun terraces, alongside playgrounds, drinking fountains. Public lighting will be solar-powered.

One of the oldest ways of the cross in Budapest – The Kiscell Calvary is over 200 years old During the Easter period, people used to visit many calvaries, i.e. Ways of The Cross, in Buda and Pest. One of the oldest calvaries in the city, built 200 years ago and starting next to the Kiscelli Museum, is still one of the most visited Ways of The Cross in Budapest today. Even in 1956, the year of the revolution plenty of people walked the Way, as can be seen in a photo from 65 years ago.

Church Renovation programme to begin Before easter, the government announced a major church renovation programme: 25.7 billion HUF was reallocated to renovate the churches.

The first modern shopping centre in Budapest – The Skála store in Buda opened 45 years ago There was a store in Buda that brought new colour and new quality to the slow socialist state store system. The modern design, the huge floor space of more than 22,000 square metres, and the relative abundance of goods contributed to the rapid rise in the popularity of the Skála store, which opened 45 years ago on 2 April 1976.

Pest Embankments revisited: Promenade planned from Kossuth Square to Bálna – Széchenyi Square to be redesigned An agreement detailing the renovation of the Pest Embankment has been signed by representatives of the Government and the capital. According to the plans, a new promenade and green areas will be created from Kossuth Lajos Square to the Bálna, the roundabout on Széchenyi Square will be removed, the tracks of tram line 2 and Közraktár Street will also be renewed.

Zsolnay fireplace of Szent Stephen's Hall to be installed soon One of the most beautiful ornaments of the first reconstructed historical hall of Buda Castle will be the more than 2.5 meters wide and 4.5 meters high ceramic fireplace, made by the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory in Pécs. Experts worked on the reconstruction of a masterpiece for five years. The fireplace is made up of 611 pieces, for which nearly a kilogram of 24-carat gold was used. The reborn Saint Stephen's Hall will be opened to the public on 20 August.

Szent István Park turns 85 – A parquet factory once sprawled across the greens The green that opened on 1 April 1936 was originally called Lipótváros Park, then Rakovszky Park. It was given its current name in 1937 and has been called Szent István Park ever since. The site of the beautiful ornamental garden was once a parquet factory, and its construction was initiated in the 1920s by the President of the Public Works Council at the time, Iván Rakovszky. Újlipótváros' most popular park is 85 years old.

Construction of passenger centre in Keleti Railway Station begins The construction of the passenger centre in the 137-year-old Keleti Railway Station, which serves nearly 11 million passengers a year, has begun. The development will greatly increase passenger comfort, bring international and domestic ticket sales into the same hall, while new escalators and lifts will make the centre easily accessible.

Educational canopy trail planned for Normafa An educational canopy trail has been planned for Normafa. To be built on the former Sport Hotel site, the trail will have space for 150 visitors and focus on conservation education. The study trail will begin at ground level and climb above the tree canopy to offer a stunning view of Budapest.

Pest Embankment opened to pedestrians again Once again, the Pest Embankment will be closed to traffic on weekends between Margit Bridge and Közraktár Street. Only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed in the area.

Sándor Márai Cultural Centre completed in the former Buda Civic Casino on Krisztina tér The new cultural and community centre of the 1st District, the Sándor Márai Cultural Centre, was opened on 22 March in the newly renovated building of the former Buda Civic Casino at 1 Krisztina Square.

Design renders for renovation of Ministry of Agriculture released The renovation of the Ministry of Agriculture's Kossuth Square building will begin in the summer. The design renders newly published show that the Neo-Renaissance facades will be restored to their original beauty. The previously closed central courtyard will be opened to visitors. Gyula Bukovics designed the palace, and its construction began in 1885, the same year in which construction of the Parliament building on the other side of the square but was completed fifteen years earlier, in 1887.