Budapest city tour – Art Nouveau focus (8h)
From: 420 €
During this unique full day driving private tour explore all the highlights of the city and also the hidden art nouveau gems of Budapest, experience how history and dreams were carved on to the facades and some interiors of the city.
While all the private tours offered in this page only include the discovery of Art Nouveau buildings, this tour also includes some sights which are not Art Nouveau, that’s why we consider this one a General Budapest Private Tour. We guarantee stops in the following highlights which are not Art Nouveau: Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Heroes’ Square and St. Gerald Hill .
This is probably The Best Art Nouveau Tour in Budapest, because it is comprehensive and focus in the art nouveau pearls of both Buda and Pest. You will have a dedicated private guide and you will be free to change the route according to your own interests.
This tour includes a visit to the Kozma Street Cemetery, the biggest Jewish cemetery of Budapest. Several mausoleums in the Art Nouveau or Jugendstil style, like the unique green tile-clad mausoleum of the Schmidl family by Ödön Lechner and Bela Lajta.
We offer the best exclusive tours for anyone who wants to grasp an understanding of the art nouveau architecture and design, looks for historical and cultural insights or simply loves this art style and wants to discover or re-discover an art nouveau city in a personalised way.
In the period between about 1895 and 1914, hundreds of buildings in Budapest were erected. Many of them can be classified as 100% Art Nouveau or at least with elements of this style period. This building boom was unprecedented, and today still dominates the city view.
The tour is private so there are not any other people in the group only those you travel with. Our tours are not just about sightseeing, they are a unique experience of meeting, learning, discovering and understanding different cultures and returning back home richer than when the journey started.
The town also displays local versions of trends originating from other European countries (Vienna, Germany, Belgium, France, England, Finland,…). Béla Lajta initially adopted Lechner’s style, subsequently drawing his inspiration from English and Finnish trends; after developing an interest in the Egyptian style, he finally arrived at modern architecture. Aladár Árkay took almost the same route. István Medgyaszay developed his own style, which differed from Lechner’s, using stylised traditional motifs to create decorative designs in concrete.
Although some of the highlights are located near the park we don’t recommend to walk around the park for two reasons. On one hand, these Art Nouveau buildings are quite far from each other. On the other hand, this 2018 a huge maintenance work will go through the City Park. That’s why we run this full day private tour entirely by car/minivan.
Departure time: 8.30am to 12.00m. Other options on request. If you are interested in another starting time please Contact Us.
1 – 3 PAX = 420€
4 – 6 PAX = 650€
7 – 15 PAX =720€
+15 PAX – If your group is larger, please Contact Us for a quotation
To book this Art Nouveau experience start by selecting the group size, the date of your tour on the calendar available below and after the time you want your tour to start. Reserve early to guarantee availability.
Having trouble booking online? Don’t hesitate to contact us by email. You can also WhatsApp/call us at +34 667 823 001 For other departure times, group sizes, languages or any customization to your experience, please email.
Description
Itinerary
During this comprehensive 8 hours driving private tour you will discover in-depth the most beautiful Art Nouveau buildings and artworks in Budapest and also the main highlights of the capital of Hungary which are not Art Nouveau.
We will start this complete tour discovering the amazing buildings in Vaci street, to see later the Thonet house, Philantia florist and, after,we will discover other places, Music Academy and St. Laszlo church, to say some. We will drive around City Park to appreciate the Art Nouveau entrance of the Zoo and the Merry-go-round.
You can have lunch in a restaurant and after you will continue the tour to other great Art Nouveau places. In the afternoon you will enjoy some of Budapest’s greatest examples of art nouveau. Starting by Gellert Spa bath we will continue visiting Gresham palace.
Right after we will discover the Postal Saving Bank, Ödön Lechner’s most famous building that nowadays holds the Treasury and a part of the National Bank of Hungary. If you feel like doing so, we can have a drink in a nearby rooftop and enjoy a perfect view with fantastic views to this building and to all the whole city of Budapest.
Our journey will continue until your next stop, the Museum of Applied Arts (only outside as remains closed for restoration since 2017). From the outside it is a beautiful building with curved roof tiles and mosaic work making it special.
If possible, we will also visit other places of interest like the Geological Institute or the villas on Varosligeti fasor.
Our Art Nouveau tour is also unique because if possible it includes a visit to the Kozma Street Cemetery, the biggest Jewish cemetery of Budapest. Several mausoleums in the Art Nouveau or Jugendstil style. Synagogues are an important part of the city and we want you to discover at least one of them, a very special one is included in the itinerary.
The green tile-clad mausoleum of the Schmidl family by Ödön Lechner and Bela Lajta, drawing its inspiration form Hungarian folk art, is considered an important example of Magyar-Jewish architecutral style, as is the domed cemetery chapel by Bela Lajta.
Not only Art Nouveau – A full day driving private tour “to see it all”
During this private tour you will discover most of the general attractions of Budapest along with the detailed list of Art Nouveau highlights detailed above.
We will focus this tour in Art Nouveau buildings and works of art, but will show you also other highlights of the “Pearl of the Danube” like The Parliament, St. Stephen Basilica and Heroes Square. During the private tour other stops and views may happen, giving you a broad understanding of the role of Budapest since its origins more than 2000 years ago.
Budapest is famed for its distinctive Art Nouveau architecture incorporating colorful Hungarian folk motifs. Some of the outstanding examples of this style are the Applied Arts museum, the Greshem Palace on the Pest side of the Chain Bridge, the buildings on and around Szabadsag square, including the Postal Bank and the Theater.
Pick Up and Drop Off
We start and end the tour at your hotel or accommodation (when centrally located).
Inclusions
Professional fully licensed guiding service and modern car/minivan/minibus with a driver.
Please note that the your group interests, varying opening hours of some buildings, some covid rules and weather conditions may affect the final itinerary of your private art nouveau experience.
If the weather is nice and you didn’t see Budapest from the Gellert Hill yet, we will start the tour going there. From there you will see spectacular view of the River Danube with its bridges (the banks of the river is part of UNESCO World Heritage sights) and probably the best panorama of Budapest.
Exclusions
Entrance fees to the museums or houses that may be visited during the tour.
Food and drinks.
A sight/visit to the Museum of Applied Arts is not in the itinerary because it is a bit far from the itinerary way and because it closed its doors for restoration in September 2017 (a renovation that will last for five years! CLICK HERE for more information about this rehabilitation works).
Difficulties to access some art nouveau buildings
Unpredictable opening times of some buildings, renonvation projects that are taking longer than expected, some covid rules and weather conditions may affect the final itinerary of your private art nouveau experience.
Payment
Hungarian Florint is the currency in Hungary, but private tour price is in euros. Payment as follows:
- Pay deposit now. If possible, by direct bank transfer. If you prefer by PayPal/Credit card, these payment methods are also available
- Pay the rest in cash to our guide on the day of the tour
This is the best private tour for Art Nouveau Lovers
This full day private tour in Budapest is the best available because it provides an in-depth look at the city’s most famous Art Nouveau buildings, monuments, and architectural masterpieces. Tour participants are guided by knowledgeable local art historians and professionals who bring to life the stories of each building and the people who lived in them. The tour also visits some of the city’s hidden gems, often tucked away in quiet corners, and allows visitors to explore the city’s past in a unique and personalized way. Additionally, the tour includes plenty of stops for food and refreshment, giving guests the opportunity to sample some of Budapest’s delicious cuisine.
Bedo House is closed to the public – as July 2022
Until new notices, we will not be able to enjoy the fantastic Bedo House (also called The House of Hungarian Art Nouveau or The Art Nouveau Museum). We don’t want to be nostalgic but it was a hidden Art Nouveau museum consisting of 3 floors full of interior design décor ranging from furniture to ceramics. It also accomodated a cozy coffee shop/restaurant where in previous years we organised many lunches or, depending on the lenght of the private tour, coffees and cake breaks. Art nouveau is sometimes called art noveau or art nouveaux by mistake.
About Budapest in 1900…
Budapest, co-capital of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire along with Vienna between 1867 and 1918, had its golden age around 1900 when it was a metropolis. In the last quarter of the 19th century the city reached almost a million people and more than doubled its number of buildings.
Secession style, Austro-Hungarian art nouveau, was the popular style at that time therefore many of these buildings belong to this style. The most important architect of this movement was Ödön Lechner. Is known as “the Hungarian Gaudí” but his main influences came from Indian and Syrian architecture, and later by traditional Hungarian decorative designs.
During the flourishing period of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy the economy was buzzing, Budapest became an important hub of the Monarchy, and many spectacular buildings were erected.
Even though Hungary was tied to Austria she expressed her very own history and culture through the arts. The art nouveau movement provided a shared platform for both Christians and Jews to express their Hungarian identity within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
Book our private tours and experience this rich and exciting period through its finest buildings.
Transport – Luxury transport similar to the ones pictured below:
Booking issues – email or call Us
To book this private tour please select your desired date on the calendar As we ask you to book the tour ahead of time, our system may not allow you to book a tour for the next few days. If you want to book this tour for a date that is not active on the website calendar, please, contact us by email at contact@artnouveau.club or by phone at Call (34) 667 823 001 and we will make our best to organise the tour in such a short notice. So far, we have always found a solution, so we encourage you to contact.
Review
We visited many places, some which were not in the Lonely Planet guide we had. Very interesting for all the family
Maria, belgium
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