Magdi Private Tours

12/08/2024

Some-minute walk from the famous Great Synagogue, a bit hidden in a narrow street, you can find another magnificient Jewish building.
Rumbach synagogue (completed in 1872, designed by Viennese architect Otto Wagner) was ordered by those who had found Dohany street synagogue too large and too modern. They wanted a more intimate space, with the Bimah placed in the center, both physically and spiritually.
After the last renovation Rumbach synagogue reopened as a museum. A very cleverly done, informative exhibition is on the top floor. Visitors can learn about the history of Hungarian Jewry through the 300-year story of Politzer family.

https://www.milev.hu/milevexhibitions/politzer-saga?lang=en

09/06/2024

Would you like to visit a place outside Budapest? My suggestion today is the Gödöllő Royal palace, which lived its heyday during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The beloved Empress Sisi often stayed in Gödöllő, where she felt free and could practise her excellent riding skill.
Lucky tourists visit the town when there’s an event and you can enjoy a bit of time travel.

01/06/2024

https://voicemap.me/tour/budapest/discovering-budapest-horse-archers-and-hot-pools-from-hero-s-square-to-szechenyi-bath

31/05/2024

Who’s this little diver with a key??? And what does he have to do with the fancy New York Cafè?

31/05/2024

Who is this little diver with a key??? And what does he have to do with the posh New York café?

20/05/2024

A beautiful day in a lovely city. Budapest has so much to offer.

12/05/2024

Most people who visit Hungary have heard about the Chain Bridge (Lanchid) and the name Szechenyi but few of them know what the connection between the two is.
The Szechenyi name, for most tourists, means Szechenyi fürdő the most well known Thermal Bath of Budapest. However, István Szechenyi, a count from the 19th century is called “the greatest Hungarian” and for a good reason.

In his vision of the future, he envisaged Pest as a European capital and the engine of the modernisation of the whole country. István Széchenyi's work was closely intertwined with Budapest's actually becoming the capital, and many of his practical creations reinforced this function of the city. This social and cultural centre character was enhanced by the organisation of horse racing, the creation of the National Casinola club for the Hungarian nobility, and the foundation of the Academy of Sciences.

From the beginning of his public role, Széchenyi was an advocate of the necessary unification of the two cities, and was one of the first to use the name of the capital in the Budapest form. His ideas for the development of transport, in particular his initiatives for the construction of a permanent bridge over the river and a tunnel under the castle hill, served the same purpose.

06/05/2024

Fabulous stained glass windows and mosaics made by Miksa Roth, a renowned artist from the turn of the 19th and 20th century.
His works can be seen in several places in Budapest although often in private apartment buildings or hotels which are not easy to visit. Some examples are the Parliament, Four Seasons Hotel, or an apartment building on Szervita square.
A lesser known place to learn about Miksa Roth is the tiny Museum near Keleti Railway Station where not only his works but a part of his home can be seen as his family lived in the very building where the museum was opened. In the staircase of the museum there are year-by-year information about the artist’s life and - what I really liked - events that happened in the world in the same year.

28/04/2024

One of the most stunning buildings in Budapest, near the Pest side of Elisabeth bridge.
I tell the story of it, besides a lot of other stories in my Budapest voicemap audiotour.

https://voicemap.me/tour/budapest/budapest-s-sites-and-stories-from-bridges-and-baths-to-central-market-hall

23/04/2024

Going to Thermal Spas is always a good idea either in hot or cold weather.
Do you know how hot the water is which feeds Szechenyi?

24/03/2024

After Ferenc József was crowned King of Hungary in 1867, it became increasingly important to expand the Royal Palace on Castle Hill and develop it into a real royal residence. Alajos Hauszmann was responsible for the management of the turn-of-the-century reconstruction and expansion of the Buda Castle , thanks to whom the palace became one of the most prestigious royal building complexes in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Szent István room was located in the south connecting wing of the palace, which was a real jewel box. The interior was made in Romanesque style, but at certain points the creators made room for Hungarian ornamentation and Hungarian character. The central element of the room, the monumental pyrogranite fireplace, was made in the factory of Vilmos Zsolnay.
During WW2 the Saint Stephen Hall together with most of the Royal Palace fell victim of the severe bombardment of Budapest.
After WW2 during the communist regime there was neither money no intention to rebuild the Royal Palace. Now the Saint Stephen Hall is in its original splendour again.

23/03/2024

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is the most important religious holiday in Spain.
I speak about it, among other interesting historic and cultural facts related to the city, in my Malaga city center Voicemap audiotour, too.

https://voicemap.me/tour/malaga/a-malaga-meander-a-guide-to-the-ancient-city-s-history

In this post, however, I’d like to tell you about the obvious signs of the importance of religion in Spanish people’s life which you can observe even if you visit Malaga not during the Semana Santa.
Besides ceramic decorations depicting the Virgin or Jesus you can bump into on almost each corner, the strangest things I found in Malaga, when I first came to the city, were the enormous gates some buildings have.
Do giants leave here or what? - I asked myself and started to search for information and found out about cofradías (botherhoods) and the tradition of the Semana Santa. I got truly amazed by this celebration - people carrying these heavy, enormous thrones for hours.
First I was shocked though by seeing people wearing pointed hats (capirotes)
Do anyone know what these hats remind of? Or what their real meaning in Catholic religion is?

If you’re interested in ideas about what to do in and near Malaga, you can find my earlier posts written in this group by cliking on my name.

18/03/2024

https://voicemap.me/tour/budapest/budapest-s-sites-and-stories-from-bridges-and-baths-to-central-market-hall

Find hermits, monks, martyrs and kings on a walk through Buda and Pest

16/03/2024

https://voicemap.me/tour/budapest/discovering-budapest-horse-archers-and-hot-pools-from-hero-s-square-to-szechenyi-bath

Discover the hot pools and horse heroes of beautiful Budapest

10/03/2024

New Insta-pilgrimage site in Budapest: blooming almond tree on Gellert Hill with Liberty bridge in the background. Where have you ever queued to take a selfie/photo of a popular site?

Although I love taking photos but I truly hate quequeing, so my own answer is: nowhere.

03/03/2024

Spring has arrived in City Park in Budapest.

27/02/2024

Although I have returned from Malaga, a piece of my heart is still there. My favourite building in Torremolinos is the Casa de los Navajas.

In the 1920s and 1930s, along with the first hotels such as Parador de Montemar and Castillo del Inglés (Santa Clara hotel), a number of wealthy families chose Torremolinos for their second homes. As a result, houses and buildings were constructed, some of which are of particular architectural interest, for example, the residence of the Navajas family.

Antonio Navajas - who had ties to the sugar cane business, at that time flourishing in the estuary of the Guadalhorce river - decided to build this small residential palace on a cliff in front of Bajondillo beach.
It was one of his great dreams, to have a house facing the sea and up to three generations of the Navajas family lived there. He fell in love with a vacant property in Torremolinos in 1925. He immediately realized that it was a privileged place and time has proven him right.
The building was built in neo-Mudejar style, which stood out in the province of Malaga at the beginning of the 20th century.

You can visit the palace free of charge but I recommend checking opening hours before you go. (I was able to visit it after several attempts.)
The palace is spectacular even from outside.

https://voicemap.me/tour/malaga/a-malaga-meander-a-guide-to-the-ancient-city-s-history

13/02/2024

I recommend you a romantic program for Valentine’s day ❤️: go and watch the sunrise with your love.
Where are you now? And what time is sunrise?

09/02/2024

https://voicemap.me/tour/malaga/a-malaga-meander-a-guide-to-the-ancient-city-s-history

Find Arabic influences, tasty tapas and Roman ruins in Picasso’s home town

08/02/2024

No, it’s not Budapest 😀
I’ve spent some lovely weeks in Spain, on the Costa del Sol and created a new voicemap tour there. I’d like to ask my dear followers to help me by sharing or if you happen to go to Malaga, check this audio tour for yourself.

https://voicemap.me/tour/malaga/a-malaga-meander-a-guide-to-the-ancient-city-s-history

31/12/2023

I wish you a Happy New Year with this unusual photo of the Parliament.
The road in front of it is flooded this December.

Dunai tükörkép a napnyugta meleg fényeivel
© Kardos Ildikó /2023.12.28.
www.ildikokardosgallery.com

10/12/2023

Today two Hungarians, Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz were awarded the Nobil prize.
In honour of them the Chain bridge is illuminated by the national tricolor (red-white-green)

A két új Nobel-díjasunk ma átvette elismerését. Tiszteletükre egész este nemzeti színekben pompázik a Lánchíd. ❤️🤍💚 Gratulálok még egyszer Karikó Katalinnak és Krausz Ferencnek.

05/11/2023

Autumn in Esztergom - from a bit different perspective.
The Basilica is under renovation but still visitable.
I had to take part at a course this weekend, so I exploited the occasion to take some photos in the evening and early morning from places where I usually don’t have time to go.

29/10/2023

Witches, spiders, skeletons and bats invaded the Gozsdu Courtyard. 😄
Celebrating Halloween with funny costumes is not traditional in Hungary but it’s been getting more and more popular recently.
Traditionally, Hungarians visits the graves of their relatives, bringing flowers and candles to cemeteries.
How do you celebrate the dead?

28/10/2023

Autumn in Budapest.

18/06/2023

A treat for my guests, a treat for myself.
As a last surprise before finishing the second whole day tour in Budapest, I showed my guests An Art Nouveau gem.
The villa hidden under the trees of Varosligeti fasor once was the house of Gyorgy Rath, the first director of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Today it houses an exhibition of marvellous Art Nouveau objects.
Could you imagine to live here? 😀

10/06/2023

Architecture tour in Pest. Do you look up when you walk in town?

04/06/2023

What do you think of the trend of landscape gardening in towns?