Spring is a great time in Budapest. The city awakens and turns into a bustling metropolis. Locals emerge from their winter hibernation to enjoy the mild temperatures by spending time outdoors in the streets and parks, while more tourists flock to the city to explore its many sights and attractions. It’s also a time where many festivals and events take place in the city, with music, arts, and culture related activities happening throughout the season.

Here’s a little glimpse of spring in Budapest taken by our photographer Gábor Ancsin. Enjoy!

Relaxing in the sun.

Tourists at Gellért Hill overlooking the Danube.

Love birds at Gellért Hill.

Men playing chess at City Park.

Strolling through the Buda Castle Quarter.

Getting a great view of the city from the tunnel on the Pest side.

Furry friend on the Chain Bridge.

Having fun with bubbles at City Park.

Patio season is on!

Let’s dance!

Patrons eating dinner at a restaurant near the Danube.

Having a relaxing break along the Danube at sunset.

The idyllic Chain Bridge in the evening.

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Google Maps recently announced that it added Street View imagery for Hungary, alongside other locations around the world.

The service, which offers 360-degree, panoramic, and street-level imagery, now covers 50 countries in total. Google originally launched Street View back in 2007 with a total of 5 cities in the US.

The introduction of Street View imagery for Hungary will allow users to explore several cities including Budapest, Debrecen, and Szeged, as well as tourist attractions and landmark sites such as the Hungarian Parliament Building , the Chain Bridge, and the Buda Castle.

Here are just a few examples of the new imagery for Budapest:

The Hungarian Parliament Building

The Chain Bridge

Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion

Hungarian State Opera House

Szechenyi Baths

Heroes’ Square

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Hungarian shadow dance troupe, Attr.action.

Upon the return of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday, the popular variety show had an audition from Hungarian shadow dance troupe, Attr.action.

Led by Zoltan Szucs, founder and choreographer, the performers use their bodies to create magical portraits on a canvas, telling a story to music.

Attr.action, received a standing ovation from the audience, many of them in tears and patting their eyes. It also made a huge impression on the judges with four “yes” votes that put them straight through to the next round of BGT.

Even Simon Cowell was moved by the performance, saying: “Guys I just want to say thank you actually for coming over to enter this competition.”

The group’s performance has captured worldwide attention.

You can check out this video of the audition.

Enjoy!

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Vineyards, southern coast of Hvar island. Croatia’s history of winemaking stretches back to the fifth century B.C.

Croatia is known for its lush islands, historical seaports, and unspoiled beaches. Beyond the sea and sun, however, this picturesque Mediterranean country is also home to many notable wines, which are the result of long held winery traditions in the region.

The Croatian Institute of Viticulture and Enology introduced the Protected Geographical Origin status for its wine (similar to the AOC standard in France). There are three major wine-producing regions along with several sub-regions and close to 200 registered varietals.

The following below are just a few of the leading varietals to be found in Croatia.

Babic: A native dark red from Primošten. The grape produces a deeply flavored wine with a pungent bouquet.

Bogdanuša: A white grape variety grown on the island of Hvar, where it originated from. Wines from this grape tend to be dry with a green-yellow to golden color and contain more than 12% alcohol. Mostly used in blends to add body.

Graševina: Graševina is the most planted white grape variety that serves as the basis for the Slavonian wine industry.

Marastina: A white grape variety which is believed to have originated from Italy. It is grown on the Dalmatian islands and is frequently used as a component in a blend for Prosecco.

Plavac Mali: The leading indigenous red varietal in Dalmatia. Wines produced from Plavac Mali are rich in flavor and high in both alcohol and tannins. Regarded as one of the best wines in the country.

Pošip: A native grape from Korcula which produces some of Croatia’s most renowned white wines. Pošip has distinctive flavor with aromas of dried apricots and figs.

Škrlet: An indigenous white grape variety from Moslavina.

Teran: An indigenous dark red from Istria, once thought to be Refosco, now producing outstanding wines.

Vugava: Aromatic white from the remote Dalmatian island of Vis, believed to be the original Viognier.

Žlahtina: A native white grape from the foothills of Krk and Vinodol, which are cultivated in limited amounts in vineyards not far from the Glagollic town of Vrbnik.

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Charles Bridge at dawn in Prague. This beautiful stone Gothic bridge is the main connection between the Old Town and Mala Strana.

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Velvet Revolution, the popularity of Prague has brought in a surge of visitors eager to take in this spectacular city. While no longer the bargain it was in earlier days, the city’s combination of thrilling history and stunning architecture remains as compelling as ever for those looking to experience it’s wonders.

Here are just a few of the city’s best highlights.

Prague Castle

A proud symbol of Prague, this magnificent castle was constructed in the 9th century by Prince Borivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty and is the largest medieval castle in the world. It consists of a massive-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from Roman-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications in the 14th century. The castle also houses several museums, including the National Gallery collection of Bohemian baroque and mannerism art.

St Vitus’s Cathedral

Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of Bohemian kings including Charles IV, Wenceslas IV and Rudolf II, this cathedral is an excellent example of Gothic architecture and is the largest and most important church in the country. You can climb the southern tower for a wonderful view of the city.

Old Town Square

The Old Town Square started life as the central marketplace for Prague during the late 12th century. Over the years, many buildings of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles were erected around the market. Today, it is a bustling area with cafe tables, street vendors, horse carriages, holiday markets and crowds of tourists. It’s most notable sights are the Jan Hus Memorial, Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, the Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock and the stunning Church of St. Nicholas.

The Loreto

This grandiose church was built during the 17th century and is a renowned place of pilgrimage. It’s most proud possession is a replica of the original Santa Casa in Loreto, Italy, believed to be the house where the Virgin Mary received the Incarnation. Inside is the Church of the Nativity, which has fully clothed remains of two Spanish saints, St. Felicissimus and St. Marcia. The exterior of the Loreto is decorated with statues of religious figures, including Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as cherubs and other saints. The Loreto Treasury also has a wealth of liturgical items.

St Agnes’s Convent

St Agnes’s Convent was established in 1234 by Agnes, a sister of King Wenceslas I. It is the oldest Gothic building in the Czech Republic. The convent consists of two buildings, the convent of the Order of Poor Ladies and the monastery of Franciscans. In 1960′s, the complex was restored to its original splendor and is used by the National Gallery to display a collection of medieval and early Renaissance art.

Charles Bridge

Commissioned by King Charles IV in 1357, this beautiful stone Gothic bridge is lined with 30 Baroque statues of religious figures. On both ends of the bridge are large towers which can be climbed to get an excellent view of the city. Keep in mind that Charles Bridge can get extremely crowded, so it’s best to go early in the day or late in the evening.

The Old Jewish Quarter

The Old Jewish Quarter in Prague, known as Josefov, is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. Jews are believed to have settled in Prague as early as the 10th century. The area is a living testimony to the history of Prague Jews, spanning many centuries from the medieval ages through the Nazi German occupation to present day. Europe’s oldest surviving Jewish cemetery and several synagogues are just a few of the fascinating things to see.

Petrin Hill

Covered with forests, orchards, and gardens, Petrin Hill is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll in the city. You can walk or take the funicular for a ride up the hill. Sights in the area include the Observation Tower, the Strahov Monastery, Karel Hynech Macha Statue and the Mirror Maze.

The Lennon Wall

Graffiti started appearing on this wall when John Lennon and his music became a symbol of protest by young people against the hardline Communist regime in what was then Czechoslovakia. The wall has been a continual work in progress ever since.

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Hungarian Easter eggs decorated in folk motifs.

Easter (Húsvét) holds great significance to the people of Hungary. This is a special time where celebrations are marked by folk traditions and religious observance.

Elaborately decorated eggs, dousing rituals, church ceremonies, prayers, and special foods are common practices leading up to and during Easter in Hungary.

Here are a few of the most popular customs.

Lent

Hungarians regard “Lent” as the Great Fast for Easter. Since meat is forbidden during Lent, the day before Ash Wednesday is called “Húshagyó Kedd“, which means “meat abandoning Tuesday”. On Holy Saturday, what is known as “Nagyszombat” in Hungary, people take food baskets filled with kalács, red eggs and salt to the church, to be blessed by the clergyman. This blessed food is eaten in the Easter dinner after the resurrection ceremonies are over.

Easter Eggs

The art of decorating Easter eggs in Hungary was originally a Pagan ritual but was carried over with the acceptance of Christianity. Eggs are decorated with simple geometric shapes or ornamented with swirls of plants and flowers. The color red is often used as it symbolizes the blood of Christ. Many eggs also carry the embroidery of Hungarian designs that are a part of the traditional dress. Painted wooden eggs are also displayed in many Hungarian homes.

Flower Sunday

Centuries ago on Palm Sunday it was customary to bless not only branches but also the various flowers of the season. Today, the flowers are still mentioned in the antiphons after the prayer of blessing. Thus, the name Flower Sunday or “Virágvasárnap” is used in Hungary.

Sprinkling

Sprinkling is a very popular Easter custom in Hungary, observed on Easter Monday, which is also known as “Ducking Monday“. On this day, boys playfully sprinkle perfume or perfumed water on girls. Until some time back, young men used to pour buckets of water over young women’s heads. Now it is more common for men to spray perfume, cologne or just plain water, and then ask for a kiss and a red egg. This ritual is associated with fertility, healing, and cleansing rites.

Boys hold onto a girl as they throw water at her as part of an Easter ritual.

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Ham baked in bread dough is a traditional Croatian delicacy. Together with pinca and Easter eggs, it represents the centerpiece of the family Easter breakfast. The bread dough is usually made with only all-purpose flour, but I like to add some whole wheat flour to give it a more rustic look and taste. The ham needs to be cooked and cooled before it is wrapped with the bread dough and then baked in the oven.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2-3 pound (1-1.4 kg) boneless smoked ham
0.7 oz (20 grams) fresh yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) warm water

Directions

Place the ham into a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool in the water over night. Next morning, drain the ham and discard the skin and fat.

For the bread,  proof the yeast by mixing it with some warm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Let it stand for a few minutes in a warm place until it becomes foamy. Meanwhile, mix both flours and salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Incorporate the yeast mixture to the flour. Mix with an electric mixer (paddle attachments) and gradually add warm water until you obtain a dough that detaches itself from the edges of the bowl. You may need a bit more or less water, depending on the quality of flour. The dough will be firm but sticky, but don’t worry. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and a clean kitchen cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume (30-45 minutes). Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly for a minute or two, and then return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic and a cloth and let it rise again until it doubles in volume. Repeat this process 2 times.

After the dough has risen three times, you can proceed to form the bread. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 2cm thick. Put the ham in the middle, wrap the dough around it and seal it. If necessary, brush some water on the dough to help it stick together and pinch it with your fingers to help it seal. Transfer to a parchment covered baking sheet seam side down, cover with a cloth and let rise for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Just before you put the bread in, sprinkle some water over the oven to create steam.  Immediately put the bread in and close the oven door. Every 15 minutes during the baking time, sprinkle some more water into the oven to create additional steam. Steam helps the crust stay thin and crispy, rather than thick and hard to chew. Bake for 1 hour or until the crust is nice and golden.

Wrap the hot bread into a damp cloth and let it cool completely. Wrapped into a  cloth and a plastic bag, the bread will stay fresh for couple of days.

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The following is a guest post from Phil Done, an American elementary teacher and author living in Budapest. He shares an amusing look at Hungarians and their love for sour cream (tejföl).

To read more about Phil’s experiences in Budapest, be sure to visit his blog, “An American in Budapest.”

Photo courtesy of Lennart Guillet

Thanks Phil!

One day in class I handed my third graders a bunch of those little paper cards with all sorts of different colors you can pick up in paint stores. Oftentimes, these cards have fancy names written on them like ocean mist or desert sunset. I asked my kids to write their own names for the color samples. Their new names were pretty darling: green became Four Leaf Clover; orange turned into Rusty Bicycle; red was Sunburn; black became Burned Hotdog. And pink – Mom’s Lipstick.

As the kids were writing their new color words, I leaned over Bence to see what he had written. Bence is Hungarian. When I looked at his paper, I let out a loud laugh. He had just renamed white. His new word – tejföl. Tejföl (tay-full) is Hungarian for sour cream.

Hungarians adore their tejföl. They use sour cream like Americans use ketchup. In Hungary, it’s not uncommon to see half a store aisle full of it. Containers are available in all sizes: small, medium, large, extra large, or bucket. In Hungary it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see billboards luring customers with giant, handled tubs of sour cream.

My friend Piroska says that when her husband sits down at the table, he looks for two things: salt and sour cream. Hungarians spoon their tejföl on töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage), spread it in rakott krumpli (layered potatoes with eggs and sausage), top it on túros csusza (a noodle dish with cottage cheese and bacon), mix it into jókai bableves (kidney bean soup), dollop it on túró gombóc (sweet dumplings), and even spread it on toast.

Recently a friend in the States told me about an old Jimmy John’s sandwich commercial back home that was all in Hungarian. Jimmy John’s is known for their outrageous ads, and sometimes they’re in completely different languages. Curious, I found the commercial on YouTube. In it, a Hungarian woman opens her refrigerator to find it empty. So she calls Jimmy John’s for a delivery. The woman spoke Hungarian all right, but there’s no way it was filmed in Hungary. The giveaway: When she opened her fridge, there was no tejföl.

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Poppy seeds are common ingredient in Hungarian cuisine. So much, that’s it’s not unusual to find poppy seeds even in pasta and noddle dishes.

This recipe for mákos nudli is a traditional favorite in Hungary that includes a generous amount of poppy seeds. It’s quite simple and easy to make.

Ingredients

7 medium size potatoes (about 550 grams), peeled and diced
200-220 grams all-purpose flour
2 pinches of salt
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
100 grams grated poppy seed
40 grams powder sugar

Directions

Place the diced potatoes in a large pot, add one pinch of salt and cover with water. Cook the potatoes over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain the potatoes, let them cool a bit, then mash them well with no chunks left.

Add flour, sunflower oil and mix thoroughly. Kneed the dough until smooth, adding more flour if needed. The dough should be light and pliable but not sticky. Working with small portions at a time, roll the dough into “ropes” on a lightly floured surface. Cut the “ropes” into 3-4 cm long pieces.

Meanwhile mix the grated poppy seed and the powder sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Boil a large pan of water. Add a pinch of salt and the nudli to the boiling water in batches (important: not to over-crowd them) and gently simmer until they float on the top. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander. Drain for a minute or two and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Finish with the remaining nudli. Sprinkle the nudli with the sugary poppy seed. Gently shake the bowl to coat the nudli everywhere. Serve immediately.

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Originating in Austria, linzer cookies are an adaptation of a classic lattice-topped raspberry tart known as linzertorte.

For this recipe, the cookies feature the same ingredients with a nut based dough. Raspberry filling is the most common but any other type of jam or preserve can be used. They can be easily formed into any shapes including circles and hearts.

Ingredients

3/4 cups (170 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (115 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (170 grams) ground almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ts ground allspice
raspberry or black currant preserves for filling
confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Add the almonds, flour, salt, zest, cinnamon and allspice. Beat until soft and smooth.

Divide dough into two pieces and shape into discs. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disc to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2 inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds. Use a small cutter to make holes in the centre of half of the rounds.

Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Spread jam onto uncut cookies and top with cutout ones.

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