What's happening in Budapest to celebrate the Hungarian capital's 150th birthday
The Hungarian capital turns 150 with music, riverside strolls and a historic birthday cake
Four capital cities stand on the banks of the Danube, but only one has the river at its heart. Before Budapest’s official unification on 17 November 1873, the royal city of Buda looked out from its castle-topped hill across the river towards popular Pest on the plain. The opening of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in 1849 had laid the ground-work, permanently linking both halves of the Hungarian capital. This stone-and-iron landmark has been closed for two years for renovation: its expected autumn reopening will be the most fitting present the city could gift itself on its 150th birthday. What’s more, visiting well-wishers will find some exciting new hotels to stay in.
What’s on
Locals have already been partaking of the first wave of almost 100 celebratory events, including outdoor film screenings in the historic Széchenyi Baths. A new exhibit at the Budapest History Museum delves into the merged city’s identity, and the Pest waterfront has been decluttered to make it easier to walk or cycle along. The summer season is rounded off by a party at the Római lido in Óbuda, the capital’s often-overlooked third component.
Events ramp up as the anniversary date approaches, including a free concert by the Budapest Festival Orchestra at Heroes’ Square in September, which will see the premiere of a new overture for the capital. One of the tastiest gifts to future generations might be the ‘Budapest 150 torta’. A capital of cafe culture, the city is holding a competition to create a new cake that sums up flavours popular in 1873. The winner is set to be announced on the big day, joining the likes of Esterházy and Dobos tortes on Hungarian dessert plates.
New hotels
Opened in late 2022, Verno House occupies one of Pest’s prime addresses, sharing the park setting of Liberty Square with the Hungarian National Bank and US Embassy. Its 50 rooms — all restful tones and soft curves — echo the greenery outside, with botanical photo prints on the walls. Plant life is resplendent in the Flava restaurant and bar, too, which serves a Mexican menu.
There’s no need for a taxi home after the opera for guests at W Budapest, which faces the palatial State Opera House. Based in the former Drechsler Palace, which took its inspiration from French chateaus in the 1890s, this 151-room hotel, new this summer, is filled with art deco touches.
This five-star member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection opens on Vörösmarty Square later this year, located directly opposite Gerbeaud — the queen of Budapest cafes. The design of the 216-room hotel brings together three historical eras, with a Danube-view restaurant up top.
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