A whole festival dedicated to a type of pig that is born and raised in Hungary, an animal which has been a fundamental part of Hungarian cuisine and that today is protected with supervised breeding of the highest quality: the Mangalica. It´s a pig of considerable size and of a unique appearance that also has long curly hair, almost like a ´funk´ pig. Of course, this is just the appearance because the important thing is the flavour, which is loved by all the people who attend this festival dedicated to this animal year after year.

Hungarian cooking tradition owes a lot to the Mangalica, something which has always been acknowledged, although it was in 2007 that a group of breeding enthusiasts and gastronomical entrepreneurs, as well as the local council, decided to organize a gastronomical festival about the products, sub-products, typical dishes, history, breeding techniques and everything about this type of pig. The result became one of the most popular festivals in Budapest.

The even consists in a large national exhibition of breeders of this type of pig as well as restaurants, chefs, wine stands, regional spirits, sub-products of the Mangalica and producers of honey, cheeses, chocolates and jams. As well as the gastronomical side, there are many activities for children and live music, the latter being a section that grows year after year, focusing on folk, medieval and traditional genres. On the other hand, there´s the cooking competition that can be individual or in group.

To participate in the cooking competition, you will have had to have sent a form well in advance, since nothing goes unplanned with the event organization board. The main thing is to have a large quantity of Mangalica meat, both for cooking in the food stands and in the competition, and this is never a letdown, since there might be too much of it but never too little. Regarding the food that is consumed at the festival, especially the roast food, it´s strictly controlled by the Mangalica National Association so that they don´t come across breeders that do not comply with the rigorous quality controls.

The festival has been taking place for six years in different locations in Hungary, being the biggest festival of the capital, Budapest. In this 2013 edition, it will be moving to Liberty Square due to the commodity of access to the place with public transport and also the commodity of having a large green area there. Also, there will be sheds for the exhibition of the different types of Mangalicas, the most popular ones in the country.

The festival will take place from the 8th to the 10th of February and entry is free, yet another reason to seriously consider visiting Budapest on these dates and enjoy the country´s most typical gastronomy and products. All of this will accompanied by an excellent selection of bands that will liven up one of the most popular winter festivals and, of course, with the best atmosphere, service and warmth on behalf of the people of Budapest.

Luz Obscura

For your commodity, we have apartments in Budapest of many different characteristics and prices. As you can see, we have thought about everything so that you don´t have to miss out on this entertaining and delicious event and so that you can enjoy it just like if you were at home.

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If the Swedes have a reputation for being the creators of the IKEA world, the Hungarians are not far behind in that aspect. They are the kings of what could be labelled the eighth art. WAMP is the design fair par excellence and if you go to Budapest, you can come back with many ideas and anecdotes of this field. This is a fair for professionals and design fans attracted by the beauty of its shapes. Welcome to the International Design Fair.

WAMP is a fair that makes the Hungarians proud, and rightly so. It´s definitely worth a visit. Its first edition was in 2006 and it was so successful that it has been prolonged until today, with a record attendance in each edition. It takes place once a month and, on many occasions and weather permitting, the stands are set up on Erzsébet Square, while in the winter, the fair takes place indoors at the Club Gödör.

This design fair is very successful not just in Budapest but also in other places around the world. The mouth-to-mouth and the social networks are in charge of spreading its message and attracting thousands of followers. Actually, on its Facebook page, it has millions of fans, since WAMP isn´t just a place for shopping but also a meeting point for young Hungarians.

There are items for all tastes and some of them very original. And that´s what it´s about, from clothes, leather goods, furniture, photography, paintings, recycled items, jewellery, ceramics, gastronomy items, toys and decoration items. This is a place where electronic music mixes with art, a curious mix but a unique experience nonetheless. In this independent design fair, that seems to be very popular and in fashion, more than a hundred artists take part in it. Entry is free and it´s also within everyone´s reach. Art isn´t a luxury and we have to get that idea out of our head when we go to this type of events. We could say that “design isn´t a luxury product” is its motto, since there you can find affordable items for all wallets. The most exquisite characters can also buy luxury items, but the norm is that most things on sale are excellent value for money.

The profile of the WAMP visitors is varied. Young people from 15 to 35 years old attend, as well as some 40 and 50 somethings that are in search for something different to what they already have. The truth is that it´s a meeting place for artists and buyers, one of those places that you always end up buying something.

Such has been its reception in the city of Budapest that the organizers of the International Fair of Design, WAMP, have been studying the possibility of extending and setting up in other Hungarian cities, and even as far as moving to the Netherlands.

And if you visit this fair and you still want more art, the best thing to do is walk around the beautiful Chain Bridge (crossing the Danube is pure art) or visit the Parliament Building, where you can lose yourself in the beauty of the ancestors of this city. In Budapest, everything is affordable art; in the streets, in the squares… there´s nothing like travelling to this city, known as the Pearl of the Danube, to enjoy its street art.

DianaRPretel

If you want to visit the International Fair of Design, WAMP, start by booking your accommodation in Budapest here. Come on, what are you waiting for? This is a luxury within everyone´s reach, since design can fit in any pocket.

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In October Budapest will host its annual Bonusz Festival, this major event is the biggest dance festival in Hungary that attracts an amount of about 20.000 visitors from Hungary and all over the world.

In origin, Bónusz used to be the well visited after party of the former Budapest Parade. The Bónusz after party became a party so popular that the event now has its own existence in the European dance scene. Today it has grown to one of the major dance events in the Center of Europe.

This popular mega dance party will be offering three great arena�s plus a main stage that will be presenting remarkable creations of contemporary electronic/techno/house music. These creative makings by the DJ�s will be accompanied by professional visual surroundings done by four experts in visuals.

All of this will come together with thousands of people from everywhere, having an awesome party in a great atmosphere. You don�t have to worry about the weather as this is an indoor Festival at the HungExpo, a huge fair complex in Budapest�s “district X”.

This year�s line up is simply solid offering artists coming from all over the world, completed by the best artists from the Hungarian dance scene. Among the specials are techno artist Richie Hawtin bringing the most innovative and advanced techno, dance-punk icon The Bloody Beetroots, Dutch Superstar Hardwell with Dutch talents Dannic and Dyro promising an exiting set. Britain will be represented by sensation James Zabiela, Max Cooper, last year�s bomb Yousef and the legendary duo Slam. High quality tech house will be brought by German Loco Dice. Leading Argentinian artist Hernan Cataneo is promising a great set, coming out with a new mix album soon. Icelanders GusGus and Canadian Felix Cartal will be coming with their strong live sets.

 Do not hesitate to come join the international party loving crowd of thousands that will be dancing till dawn in Budapest at the Bonusz Festival.

 LINE UP

Arena 01

Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Chris Liebing, DJ Rush, Slam Live, Hot X, Budai, Coyote, Profile25 Live, Nora Naughty.

Visual by Urbanizer

Arena 02

Bloody Beetroots DJ Set, Hardwell, Felix, Dannic, Dyro, Andro, Palotai, Firedog, Sikztah, Dublic, Stereokillaz.

Visual by Digitalistik

Arena 03

James Zabiela, Gusgus live, Hernan Cattaneo, Max Cooper, Yousef, Michal Breeth, Dandy, Jay Lumen, Chriss Ronson, Poli, Ivel & Tristan.

Visual by BPstreet

Stage 04

Igor Do�Urden, Kuhl, James Cole, Naga & Beta, Crossnine Troll, Secret Factory, Bernathy Zsiga Live, Jankex, Jambor & Calman.

When: October 13, 2012

Where: Hungexpo, Budapest

Address: 1101 Budapest , Albertirsai út 10

Ticket: 36 euro to 63 euro, VIP available

Entrance: Gate 1

Open: starting at 19:00, closing at 08:00

Note!: Bring your camera but video cameras are not allowed

Getting there: Taxi or public transport (Train/Metro/Bus)

Train:

- From Nyugati station: M3 (blue underground line) to Deák tér station, transferring to M2 (red underground line) to the final station of Örs vezér tér, from there to the entrance of the Vásárközpont by bus 100

- From Keleti station: M2 (red underground line) to the final station of Örs vezér tér, from there to the entrance of the Vásárközpont by bus 100

- From Déli station: M2 (red underground line) to the final station of Örs vezér tér, from there to the entrance of the Vásárközpont by bus 100

Xyza

Rent one of the apartments in Budapest and come join the party at Hungary�s biggest dance event.

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Visiting Budapest is always a delight to the senses. Whether because of the warm summer breeze of the river Danube, or the sunset hues of oranges and yellows the Hungarian blue sky. There are also the beautiful old facades of buildings and houses throughout the city, with multiple inscriptions and symbols on their walls, very faint pastel colors. Budapest is a harmonious city, which is rather quiet in comparison with other European cities. In Budapest, you’ll have the opportunity to try delicious food from all regions of Hungary, as well as a selected range of international dishes in very exclusive and affordable restaurants.

Budapest regularly hosts several food festivals in which you can try different traditional Hungarian sausages, wine and liquors. The Sweet Days Festival however, has to do with another treat for the palate: chocolate. For four days, at the fabulous Buda castle, locals and tourists will enjoy trying products made with cocoa. It is worth mentioning that this festival brings together not only multinational companies, but also local companies that focus in the both, the Hungarian and the International market.

Of course, there will also be a professional chocolate tasting that goes along with fruits, seeds, coffee, vanilla, honey and wine tasting. At the festival, there will also be activities for children and a playground for their entertainment, as well as chocolate preparation classes and specialized tours. There will be concerts and lots of music during the nights of Sweet Days Festival.

We recommend you to be adequately prepared for the full enjoyment of the festival. Bring water to refresh your palate every time you try a new chocolate, some booze or wine also goes well with the different flavors of chocolate. The more intense the chocolate is, the lighter the liquor should be, so you allow digestion of both to be much easier. If you come with children, remember that chocolate’s sugar can cause some hyperactivity; don’t forget that chocolate contains light caffeine levels. Sweet Days Festival runs from the 20^th to the 23^rd of September at Buda Castle. For more information on this delicious chocolate festival in Budapest, visit the following website: http://sweet-days.com/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Budapest and be part of this important sweet festival dedicated to Chocolate products. There’s nothing better than visiting Budapest in September, which is the beginning of autumn in the beautiful Hungarian capital.

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Visiting Budapest is always a delight to the senses. Whether because of the warm summer breeze of the river Danube, or the sunset hues of oranges and yellows the Hungarian blue sky. There are also the beautiful old facades of buildings and houses throughout the city, with multiple inscriptions and symbols on their walls, very faint pastel colors. Budapest is a harmonious city, which is rather quiet in comparison with other European cities. In Budapest, you’ll have the opportunity to try delicious food from all regions of Hungary, as well as a selected range of international dishes in very exclusive and affordable restaurants.

Budapest regularly hosts several food festivals in which you can try different traditional Hungarian sausages, wine and liquors. The Sweet Days Festival however, has to do with another treat for the palate: chocolate. For four days, at the fabulous Buda castle, locals and tourists will enjoy trying products made with cocoa. It is worth mentioning that this festival brings together not only multinational companies, but also local companies that focus in the both, the Hungarian and the International market.

Of course, there will also be a professional chocolate tasting that goes along with fruits, seeds, coffee, vanilla, honey and wine tasting. At the festival, there will also be activities for children and a playground for their entertainment, as well as chocolate preparation classes and specialized tours. There will be concerts and lots of music during the nights of Sweet Days Festival.

We recommend you to be adequately prepared for the full enjoyment of the festival. Bring water to refresh your palate every time you try a new chocolate, some booze or wine also goes well with the different flavors of chocolate. The more intense the chocolate is, the lighter the liquor should be, so you allow digestion of both to be much easier. If you come with children, remember that chocolate’s sugar can cause some hyperactivity; don’t forget that chocolate contains light caffeine levels. Sweet Days Festival runs from the 20^th to the 23^rd of September at Buda Castle. For more information on this delicious chocolate festival in Budapest, visit the following website: http://sweet-days.com/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Budapest and be part of this important sweet festival dedicated to Chocolate products. There’s nothing better than visiting Budapest in September, which is the beginning of autumn in the beautiful Hungarian capital.

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Created by Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, the Genfest is a youth meeting of all cultures, ethnicities and religious beliefs they want to show the world that a universal brotherhood and a united world are possible options. From the 60s to the present day the Genfest has emerged as a meeting place for sharing activities, projects or continue with initiatives already underway, such as the “Africa Project”, or “Skip a Meal” projects that want to show their support of the Horn of Africa.

This year�s edition, the 10th, is held between August 31 and September 2 in Budapest (Hungary) under the title “Let�s bridge”. With this title the organizers intended to convey the desire to build bridges between different cultures, meeting points to create unity. Different topics will be addressed ranging from economics and politics to art or different religions, building bridges between different cultures and realities of the participants in the event.

The program also provides Genfest an extensive program of activities, including a concert, choreography, a flashmob on the famous Chain Bridge, or speeches to exchange experiences. It also will launch the first stage of the United World Project, a project that provides for the establishment permanent observatory fraternity practices recognized by the UN. Many of these events will be broadcasted live on the Internet, and they can be followed through different social networks.

Thus, for three days the city Budapest and its famous bridges will become the scene of party unity and tolerance, holding meetings, and shows of  samples prepared by more than 3,000 volunteers from around the world who are working nonstop for months to organize the event to make sure everything goes well.

The Genfest 2012 will be held in Budapest between August  31 and September 2, and expects this time to gather some 12,500 people of all nationalities.

Marta Mir

If you do not want to miss this event book soon one of the apartments in Budapest and join the party of unity.

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Budapest offers every curious traveler who goes in search of beauty and art impressive cultural festivals throughout the year in a peaceful setting. This means, there’s little noise, as if these events were celebrated everyday with the citizens calmly in attendance. And as we have pointed out in this blog, the city offers an impressive array of film screenings, concerts (of all kinds of music), exhibitions, sports competitions and much more. And all of this entertainment and fun is only interrupted on a single day each year: on Aug. 20. On this day, all ofHungarystops to pay homage to St. Stephen, the patron saint not only inBudapestbut of the entire country.

St. Stephen (Szent István in Hungarian) lived between 975 and 1038 and was the first king ofHungary. His warlike qualities were united with his Christian virtues. He was sanctified, although he had not died as a martyr. Rather, he died an old man in his own bed. So when he is represented on horseback (sculptures that abound in every part ofBudapest), the animal has four legs resting on the ground. It was standard to depict someone who died in battle with the horse’s forelegs raised. If the death was the result of wounds sustained in war, one leg would be depicted in the air and the other on the floor. These details might provide a good way to show off such knowledge to your friends at some point.

I recognize that some readers may find the issue with things that are a bit gory, but most of the feast of St. Stephen in Budapest hinges on this detail: the arm of the saint is preserved in the basilica of the same name and each August 20 it is part of a procession through the streets of the city under the national flag. The religious ceremony unites secular celebrations such as parades, marching bands, a craft market (which is set up some four days before), sport competitions, and a strange activity that involves making a community bread in a square near the Basilica of San Esteban.

Throughout the day, Budapest is all about partying and taking advantage of the good weather to walk, socialize, have fun, eat and drink until nightfall. This is when a festival of fireworks lights up the sky over the capital. You can see them from anywhere, since they are ignited from theBudaCastleon the highest promontory in the locality. St. Stephen also maintains a rustic gold crown in the Romanesque style, but of Byzantine influence, his sword (remember he was a military unifier) and an orb, a symbol of political power and quality of king. These are presented, along with the relic, on August 20 in the basilica.

Candela Vizcaíno

A visit to the Hungarian capital is good any time of year, but especially during the beautiful summer months. If you decide to go in mid-August to catch the festival, don�t forget to reserve apartments in Budapest. There�s a great selection and it�s a very economical choice.

Contact Me 

Budapest offers every curious traveler who goes in search of beauty and art impressive cultural festivals throughout the year in a peaceful setting. This means, there’s little noise, as if these events were celebrated everyday with the citizens calmly in attendance. And as we have pointed out in this blog, the city offers an impressive array of film screenings, concerts (of all kinds of music), exhibitions, sports competitions and much more. And all of this entertainment and fun is only interrupted on a single day each year: on Aug. 20. On this day, all ofHungarystops to pay homage to St. Stephen, the patron saint not only inBudapestbut of the entire country.

St. Stephen (Szent István in Hungarian) lived between 975 and 1038 and was the first king ofHungary. His warlike qualities were united with his Christian virtues. He was sanctified, although he had not died as a martyr. Rather, he died an old man in his own bed. So when he is represented on horseback (sculptures that abound in every part ofBudapest), the animal has four legs resting on the ground. It was standard to depict someone who died in battle with the horse’s forelegs raised. If the death was the result of wounds sustained in war, one leg would be depicted in the air and the other on the floor. These details might provide a good way to show off such knowledge to your friends at some point.

I recognize that some readers may find the issue with things that are a bit gory, but most of the feast of St. Stephen in Budapest hinges on this detail: the arm of the saint is preserved in the basilica of the same name and each August 20 it is part of a procession through the streets of the city under the national flag. The religious ceremony unites secular celebrations such as parades, marching bands, a craft market (which is set up some four days before), sport competitions, and a strange activity that involves making a community bread in a square near the Basilica of San Esteban.

Throughout the day, Budapest is all about partying and taking advantage of the good weather to walk, socialize, have fun, eat and drink until nightfall. This is when a festival of fireworks lights up the sky over the capital. You can see them from anywhere, since they are ignited from theBudaCastleon the highest promontory in the locality. St. Stephen also maintains a rustic gold crown in the Romanesque style, but of Byzantine influence, his sword (remember he was a military unifier) and an orb, a symbol of political power and quality of king. These are presented, along with the relic, on August 20 in the basilica.

Candela Vizcaíno

A visit to the Hungarian capital is good any time of year, but especially during the beautiful summer months. If you decide to go in mid-August to catch the festival, don�t forget to reserve apartments in Budapest. There�s a great selection and it�s a very economical choice.

Contact Me 

Once again, Sziget Festival is back and, as always, it�s another year of novelties in the extensive festival programme. It�s no surprise that this Hungarian festival is the biggest music festival in Europe and one of the biggest in the world in terms of the variety of genres that make it up. The novelties are plenty and the festival days too, that�s why I recommend that you prepare yourself for this week of music in ever-surprising Budapest.

Strictly speaking, the festival lasts for si days, but this year there are other annex activities, such as the Hungarian Song Day, that will take place on the 5th of August, where Hungarian artists, some very popular and other emerging ones, will be performing live. The price to attend just this day is 17€, although quite honestly I don�t think that anyone wants to miss the rest of the days, because the lineup is amazing. On the 6th of August, there�s the Sziget Talent Festival, but it�s on the 7th when the real fun starts for all festival attendants.

The first thing to take into account is that between 28 and 31 bands will be performing every day, a noticeable increase in comparison to other years. On the 7th of August it�s metal day, with bands such as Moonspell, Dimmu Borgir, Hammerfall, Lacuna Coll and Ignite. On the next day, the most outstanding bands are Placebo, Saint Etienne, Ministry and Hurts, among 30 other bands of an excellent level that will definitely take you by surprise, such as the Mexicans Los de Abajo.

The four days that ensue include strong bands such as The Horrors, Molotov, Snoop Dogg, LFMAO, The Killers, Lamb, Goran Bregovic and many more.

For prices, citypasses and other information, visit the attached link and don�t miss Sziget 2012!

For more information visit: http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english/

Luz Obscura

No room for discussion, this is the most important musical event in Europe this summer, Sziget Festival 2012. Rent apartments in Budapest, pack your luggage, travel and enjoy this fun week on Obuda Island.

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Budapest has a charm that you should not fail to discover this summer. One of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Budapest is bisected by the river Danube. The Buda area is more residential but it’s also where you will find the huge castle of Buda, facing the famous Hungarian parliament building. From the castle, you will have a clear view of all of Budapest, a city that was efficiently developed city that was organized during the nineteenth century. It’s a pretty flat city, which means it’s great for getting around by bicycle without much effort. If you are fond of bicycles, you can ride a bike around using the city’s bike lanes in various areas. Traffic is not a problem in this city; the buses, trams and metro are also efficient modes of transportation.

The heat in Budapest can, however, be quite intense during the summer. Moreover, in August, and especially if you’re going to the famous Sziget music festival, you must go well prepared. What are some of the most important things to bring to music festivals? Here is a short list that of things you shouldn’t forget for your visit to the Sziget festival:

A hat: Whether a light straw hat or sportier style, you should always wear something to cover your head during the summer. The sun can cause uncomfortable headaches and it will slow you down. During a festival, it is important that you cover yourself a little bit to protect your skin from the sun during the hours you�ll be standing in front of the stage. You can also use a light, colorful scarf or cloth that suits your style.

Earplugs: Sometimes, these ear protectors are available at the music festivals, where there are often stands that sell them. Before going to a major concert, make sure to bring a pair of these, because when a festival is very large the volume is very high and can damage your ears. You can buy earplugs at any music store.

An additional T-shirt: Sometimes the number of people at a festival and the close quarters in tight spaces and jumping during songs will make you sweat a bit more than usual. If you think it’s necessary, take along an extra T-shirt to change into so that you can avoid any discomfort or smelling bad. You may even avoid catching a cold from the rapid changes in body temperature.

Water: Water is essential for any music festival. Some festivals allow you to bring a bottle of water but others may not. If not, you should definitely buy water at the festival. Always have a little extra money on hand to buy some water. A cool beer will cool you off but it can also dehydrate. For more information about Budapest, go to this link: http://www.budapest.com/

Alexa Ray

Rent apartments in Budapest and enjoy the best outdoor music. Spending time in Budapest this summer can be a wonderful experience if you�re looking to relax and explore new urban spaces.

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