Gradual reopening of Hungary

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Covid-19 related news of Hungary and the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team

As we have shared in our previous blog article, a gradual reopening started in our country after the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic reached its peak and the number of new cases started dropping plus the number of people who got their first Covid-19 vaccine reached 3.5 million (this was the number they set for the gradual reopening).

Terraces of cafés, bars, restaurants could reopen last Saturday, on the 24th of April 2021, after a long break, they have been closed since last November… We made a few pictures last Sunday at our free tour meeting point in Budapest, on the Erzsébet square, where there are a few open-air bars and a club, too (the photo on top of this article also belongs here).

Photo taken one evening after they opened the terraces of bars and restaurants during Covid-19 in April 2021

 

We are soon going to reach 4 million vaccinated Hungarian people and then they are going to ease some other restrictions, too. Let’s see what is going to happen when we reach the number 4 million: gyms, pools, libraries, zoos, museums, hotels, accommodations can reopen, too, but only those people can visit them who are already vaccinated against Covid-19 and have their immunity cards with them. They send these plastic cards to people who already got their first dose of the vaccine.

We are still not running our daily Free Budapest Walking Tours, but hopefully the gradual opening can go on and we can soon start guiding you around in our beautiful capital city. We are keeping you updated on our website and Facebook page as well!

When we reopen there will be small change to our General Budapest Walk: we are dividing it into two parts, since the famous Chain bridge has been closed for renovation works until the end of 2023 and if we took another bridge from Pest to Buda that would take too long. This is why we are going to have a separate General Pest Walk and General Buda Castle Walk with different meeting point. We are keeping you updated with this topic as well!

Take care, hope to see your smiling faces soon! 🙂

Covid-19 related News

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Coronavirus news of Hungary and the Free Budapest Walking Tours Team

As we have been doing in the last one year, we are shortly summarizing the most important Covid19 pandemic related news of our country. (See the previous news amongst our blog articles: Trip to Budapest Blog )

Firstly, please note that we are still not running our Free Budapest Walking Tours, since the borders of the country are still closed. However, hopefully the time of our reopening is coming closer and closer… fingers crossed for a relatively free summer season!

There has been a slow opening going on in the last couple of weeks, they have been easing the Covid-19 restrictions, because our vaccination program has been going quite well. There are about 3.5 million Hungarian people who got at least the first dose of the vaccines ( we are using 5 different ones at the moment).

Here are the latest changes to our restrictions:

  • From this Saturday, the 24th of April 2021 the open air terraces of restaurants and cafes can reopen. Waiters have to wear a face mask, guests do not.
  • Also from this Saturday, the curfew will be from 11pm till 5am (instead of 10p-5am)

The government said that the next easing of the restrictions can happen when there are 4 million and 4.5 million Hungarian people got at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccination. Next it will be theaters, cinemas, hotels, accommodations, probably gyms, pools that can reopen. We will keep you updated as usual!

Picture from ajpost. com

Earth Day 22nd of April

We would also like to draw your attention to Earth day and to the fact that every day should be Earth day in these hard times, our Planet needs our help nowadays more than ever! Let us protect Mother Earth from pollution and deforestation, since our future depends on this! The 22nd of April every year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Earth Day on Wikipedia

Covid-19 Pandemic News

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Coronavirus news of Hungary

Since our last blog article about the Covid-19 situation in Hungary ( see it on the following link: https://www.triptobudapest.hu/latest-covid-19-related-news/

there has been a couple of things happening.

  • We reached a “special” number again: there are about 3.25 million Hungarian people that got at least the first dose of the coronavirus vaccination
  • The government said, when there are 3,5 million people vaccinated in Hungary, there can be slight changes to our Covid-19 restrictions, like open air terraces of restaurants and cafés can reopen after a long closure. This will probably happen next week.
  • On the 19th of April 2021 kindergartens and schools will be reopened, but only for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders; 5th, 6th and 7th graders and high school students stay with digital/online education at home (the plan is that they will return to school only on the 10th of May)
  • Border closure, 10pm-5am curfew remains, we still have to wear masks everywhere and are required to keep distance from others.

We still do not run our daily Free Budapest Walking Tours in the capital, unfortunately. We will keep you updated about the Covid-19 situation here on our blog, website and Facebook page as well: Free Budapest Walking Tours Facebook Page

The 2nd spring of the pandemic is here…

2021 marks the 2nd year of the Covid-19 pandemic… However, life is going on, nature is getting awake and another spring has arrived to Budapest, and to the Buda Castle District, to the Árpád Tóth Promenade: its cherry trees are beautiful just like every spring! Wish we could be showing them to you live on our daily free walking tours in Budapest that also visit one of the most popular (tourist) spots in the whole city, the Buda Castle Area which is also part of the UNESCO world heritage sights, built in the 12 hundreds.

Here is a digital teaser:

Blossoming cherry trees in the Buda Castle Area with people walking around in face masks

 

 

 

 

 

Latest Covid-19 related News of Hungary

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Coronavirus news of Hungary

As we have been doing in the last about 1 year, we are sharing the latest Covid-19 related news of Hungary on our blog in articles.

Today, the 7th of April 2021 marks the day when Hungary eases some restrictions to some extent. They said they would ease them once we reach 2.5 million vaccinated people (who got at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination). Yesterday we reached this number, so let’s see what changed from today, the 7th of April 2021:

  • 8pm-5am curfew changes to 10pm-5am from tonight
  • service providers like hairdressers, cosmeticians, manicurists can reopen from today (they have been closed since the 8th of March 2021)
  • shops can be open until 9:30 pm (instead of 7pm)
  • there is a new rule for shops that are open: there can be 1 person / 10 square meters in the premises
  • hotels, restaurants, cafés still can not reopen unfortunately, they can serve only takeaway and home delivery orders

Today there are about 2 million 535 thousand Hungarian people that have already got their first jab and about 1 million 5 thousand who got their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.

The Liberty or Szabadság bridge of Budapest on the River Danube with a blossoming spring tree

 

Liberty bridge & spring in Budapest (photo from: goodfon. com / Kvitochka )

Regarding our Free Budapest Walking Tours

At the moment we are still not able to operate our daily free walking tours in Budapest, but we are really looking forward to show you our beautiful capital city and entertain you with stories about our county and culture!

If you click on the following link, you can browse our free walking tours in Budapest. There will be one change once we can reopen (hopefully this summer…): the Free General Budapest Walking Tour will be divided into two parts, we will have a Free General Pest Walk and a Free General Buda Tour as well. Because of its renovation they have closed our iconic Chain bridge that we cross during our Free General Tour of Budapest, that is why we have to divide this free tour into two walking tours) More details later, when the time comes… 🙂

www.triptobudapest.hu/tours/

 

Happy Easter!

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The Easter Holidays

Easter (or also called Pascha in Aramaic, Greek and Latin) is a Christian festival and holiday which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is described in the New Testament of the holy Bible, it occurred on the third day after Christ’s burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary. It is the highest point, the culmination of the Passion of Jesus, and it is preceded by Lent which is a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penitence.

Hungary took the Roman Catholic religion around the year 1000 and it is still the main religion in our country. About two thirds of the 10 million Hungarian people are Roman Catholic officially, so Easter is one of the  biggest (religious) holidays here.

Easter Traditions and dishes in Hungary

Two of the most important traditions are the following:

  1. Girls and women make gorgeous hand-painted, colorful Easter eggs that they give to boys and men
  2. On Easter Monday boys and men water or besprinkle women with buckets of fresh water, or nowadays especially in bigger cities with perfume, so that girls and women do not wilt

Boys watering a girl dressed in traditional folk clothes at Easter in Hungary

Picture from atempo. sk

Now, let’s see what Hungarians eat during the Easter Holidays!

  • Cooked Easter Ham with boiled Eggs and Horseradish cream

Cooked ham and boiled eggs with horseradish cream which is eaten at Easter in Hungary

Picture from mindmegette. hu

  • Kalács: is a sweet kind of bread (very similar to brioche) which is usually baked in a braided form, and we eat it at other times of the year, too, but traditionally it is considered an Easter food. Nowadays kalács is made from dough and is enriched with milk and eggs.

Kalács is a sweet bread traditionally eaten at Easter in Hungary

Picture from streetkitchen. hu

Covid-19 related news of Hungary

As we have shared in our previous blog posts, Hungary is still bearing the weight of the third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. Many restrictions are still on (read more about them here: https://www.triptobudapest.hu/latest-news-info-about-freetourcommunity-com/ )

At the moment there are about 2.3 million Hungarian people that are vaccinated with the first dose and about 900 thousand who got the second dose, too. You can also browse more news about Hungary here: http://abouthungary.hu/

Due to the pandemic, at the moment we are still not operating our daily free walking tours in Budapest until further notice.

The Trip to Budapest Free Walking Tours Team wishes you health and Happy Easter Holidays!