Peterjon Cresswell

Budapest in 2026: There’s loads happening in Budapest this spring as the city stages its first Champions League final on May 30 and everyone looks forward to another summer Sziget Festival. Florence + the Machine, Lewis Capaldi and the Lambrini Girls have already been confirmed for the biggest music bash in the region, taking place between August 11 and 15. Those coming to town can check out Time Out Market Budapest, along with concerts at the Dürer Kert, A38 Boat and Akvárium Klub. By day, glide along the Danube, lay into a bowl of hearty goulash and take in serious views from rooftop bars, funiculars and chairlifts. This is a city steeped in history, blessed with spa waters and embellished with grandiose façades from the Habsburg days. From attractions to nightlife, here’s our local’s guide to Budapest.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to what to do in Budapest How to have the perfect day in Budapest The perfect day in Budapest always begins with coffee, ideally with an extravagant cake at the Gerbeaud on the main square of Vörösmarty tér. From here, you can stroll, cycle or take Continental Europe’s oldest metro along elegant boulevard Andrássy út to the City Park, where the House of Hungarian Music or the Széchenyi Baths await. A late lunch at culinary landmark Gundel shouldn’t break the bank nor evening drinks at the panoramic 360 Bar as the sun sinks over Europe’s most beautiful metropolis. 🏨 Ready to book? Here are Budapest’s best hotels and best Airbnbs, selected by

Easter is a time of traditional family get-togethers in Hungary, with eggs, lamb, rabbits and ham familiarly prominent – although Hungarians also do things a little differently. Easter Monday is synonymous with locsolás, a medieval ritual in which the menfolk sprinkle women with water or cheap perfume, first reciting a poem asking permission to do so. More prevalent in the countryside – where entire buckets of water are thrown with abandon – this spring rite still takes place around Budapest. Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays, with many supermarkets also closed on the Sunday, but most restaurants, cafés and bars should be operating as normal. Table reservations are particularly recommended. Family-friendly things to do this Easter Liget Budapest/FacebookCity Park, Budapest Over Easter weekend, Budapest Zoo is transforming its Cave Hall (Barlang terem) into an eco-friendly playground, a five-station maze and beeswax workshop. Look out, too, for the Easter bunny when you visit the Plant Café. Over on Margaret Island, a craft tent (10am-3pm) will be set up at the Petting Zoo, with animal demonstrations at 1pm. You’ll find it halfway up the island, near the Pest side. In City Park, traditional games, craft workshops, a bunny petting zoo, puppet shows and old-school amusements number among the mainly free attractions. A certain amount of Hungarian might be needed for some of them at this rural Easter fair – otherwise, kids can crack on with the various slides and

Entertainment moves outdoors as Budapest welcomes spring with top concerts, arts festivals and botanical celebrations. This is the time to visit the city's Japanese Garden and other green getaways, particularly Margaret Island and City Park. Touring bands pass through Budapest more frequently as festival season gets into gear, so look out for top foreign acts at key music venues, the A38 and Dürer Kert, and the big concert halls such as Müpa and the Opera House showcase major productions and performances before the summer shutdown. Throughout April, visitors to Time Out Market Budapest can savour seasonal specials, limited-edition Easter dishes and exclusive whisky tastings. Leading winemakers from around Hungary will be presenting their most intriguing red varieties, while the next chapter of the Chef's Table series spotlights Anyukám Mondta and its multi-course pizza menu underscored with Italian flair.
And all within one vibrant and inspiring culinary hub!

Launching the centenary celebrations of the magnificent heritage building he, his brother Olivér and their team now oversee, Viktor Balogh reflected on a successful first six months for Time Out Market Budapest at the historic Corvin Palace. Transforming this former department store into a contemporary culinary and cultural hub has been “a labour of love” – but the best is yet to come, according to the 33-year-old co-owner. “We’re always adding new elements and trying to improve. The introduction of the lunch menu has seen an incredible increase in traffic.” With the month of March dedicated to marking 100 years of the Corvin Palace, each week one of the 11 dining outlets here is preparing a special selection of dishes based on the original menu the Balogh brothers found from 1926. The find is only one of several surprises they uncovered during the painstaking process to convert this landmark into a going gastronomic concern. On the horizon are a four-star hotel and what will be the biggest rooftop bar/restaurant in Budapest – of which more later. Reviving a legend Fotó: Time Out Market Budapest “From the beginning, we could see how prestigious this building was back in the day. This was the biggest department store in the region. Everyone came here, three million shoppers a year. They would take the train here to shop. This building is in the memory of the entire nation.” “We really wanted to do justice to that heritage, and live up to that standard. And we felt the only t

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id="request-695cc662-69dc-8330-b10f-3b2b2abbac0a-12" data-testid="conversation-turn-31" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn="assistant"> Mi történik Budapesten 2026-ban? Rengeteg minden. A város először ad otthont a Bajnokok Ligája döntőjének, nyáron pedig visszatér a várva várt Sziget Fesztivál is. Tavasszal már csalogat a napsütés a budapesti parkokba és a város legjobb teraszaira, ám érdemes felvenned még a bakancslistádra az ekkor aktuális cseresznyefavirágzást is: itt gyűjtöttük össze a legjobb helyszíneket, ahol igazi sakura-élményben lehet részed.   Május 30-a körül tehát a hírek szerint Budapest egy négynapos futballfesztivál helyszínévé válik várhatóan. Közben már a Sziget első fellépőit is bejelentették: érkezik a Florence + the Machine, Lewis Capaldi és a Lambrini Girls is a régió legnagyobb zenei eseményére, amelyet augusztus 11–15. között rendeznek meg. Addig is bőven akad program Budapesten: ha napközben arra jársz, mindenképp nézz be a felújított Corvin Palace-ben található Time Out Market Budapestbe, ha pedig leszáll az éj, csípj el egy jó koncertet vagy bulit az A38 Hajón vagy az Akvárium Klubban. Nappal add át magad a város tempójának: sétálj egyet a Duna-parton vagy ugorj fel egy hajóra, ülj be egy újragondolt magyaros ebédre a Bernát Dániel vezette Szaletlybe, vagy a közel-keleti ízvilágú Pingrumbába, majd keresd meg a kedvenc

For the best part of 20 years, the world’s top DJs and hundreds of thousands of music lovers have beaten a path to this celebrated strip of the Adriatic coast, mainly to two sites: Tisno, as discovered and adapted by the pioneering Garden club/festival in Zadar; and Zrće, near Novalja on Pag island, where seminal Zagreb club Aquarius set up its summer satellite alongside other stages way back when. ➡️ READ MORE: The best music festivals to book in Europe These locations are then rented out to various ambitious promoters, many from the UK, including Edinburgh’s V Festival crew, now happily returning to Tisno for the third time of asking. More unusual locations include a former quarry used by the Ancient Romans outside Pula and the shores of a lake in Zagreb created for the World Student Games of 1987. Note that for many events, festival and day passes sell out fast, so you’ll have to investigate the resale market if you miss out – also advertised on festival websites. Peterjon Cresswell is a writer and editor at Time Out Budapest, and was until recently the editor of Time Out Croatia. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts across Europe. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide may include affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

A red sandstone amphitheatre. An ancient woodland on the English coast. A teeny tiny island with a black sand beach. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes – luckily, the world isn’t held to the same rigid beauty standards as humans are – and we’ve curated this list to celebrate that.  It goes without saying that Time Out’s ranking of the world’s most beautiful places is entirely subjective and by no means exhaustive, but what we can guarantee is real-life experience. Every single beach, lake, city and valley on this list has been visited and vetted by our globetrotting network of travel writers. In short, they’re all well worth making the journey to see for yourself (no social media fakery here).We update this list regularly, ensuring we’re including the big-hitters while considering the impact of overtourism and spotlighting lesser-known beauty spots. So here it is: Time Out’s guide to the most beautiful places on planet Earth. Happy travels!Updated March 2026: There are seven new additions to the list this year, including a terracotta-coloured Old Town in Italy, an opulent Renaissance-style library in New York and a compact mountain range in northern Spain.Grace Beard is Time Out’s travel editor, based in London. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED:⛰️ The most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Sites🗺 The most underrated travel destinations i

With the Champions League final being played in Budapest on May 30 and the World Cup to follow on screens across the land, the Hungarian capital is warming up for a bumper summer of football. So, where can you catch the match, taking in the action, beer in hand? Here are the best pubs and bars in Budapest to watch the game, inside, outside and across the city. Even Time Out Market Budapest is getting in on the act, screening matches on a large projector wall in a comfortable dining area within easy reach of the bar. Note that Budapest is on CET, an hour ahead of the UK, so 3pm games there kick off here at 4pm – the time when some of these recommended venues open. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to bars and drinking in Budapest 🏨 Ready to book? Here are Budapest’s best hotels and best Airbnbs, selected by our editors Peterjon Cresswell is a writer based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

For the past eight years, we’ve made it our mission to scope out the coolest pockets of the world’s greatest cities in order to create our definitive annual ranking. The places where stuff like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet. Where diversity is championed and independent businesses thrive, from old-school boltholes to the newest avant-garde art space. Put simply, the world’s coolest neighbourhoods are places that represent the soul of our cities, while maintaining their own unique local character that draws people in to live, work and play. So, what are the neighbourhoods that fit the bill this year? To find out, we asked our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the vibiest district in their hometown right now. We then ranked every neighbourhood against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’.  On our list this year, you’ll find everything from homely, village-like enclaves with tight-knit communities to revitalised city-centre hubs and formerly dormant, industrial areas transformed into creative districts. Many are underrated spots that sit in the shadow of their commercialised counterparts; others have become unexpected culinary hotspots or magnets for the city’s artists, writers and activists. What they all have in common is a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity f

In 2026, European travel is shifting fast. We’ve seen overcrowding, overheating and plenty of anti-tourism measures across the continent – and as a result, travellers are actively seeking out quieter, lesser-known destinations away from the tourist crowds. And if that sounds like you, you’re in luck – here at Time Out, underrated destinations are our bread and butter.  This list has been updated for 2026 by Time Out’s global network of local experts who have been to every single destination featured (often multiple times), highlighting destinations that are not only overlooked, but genuinely worth visiting right now. We’ve got alternative Scandinavian city breaks, remote islands only accessible by ferry, and destination dupes for some of Europe’s hottest beach holidays, from the Algarve to the Amalfi Coast.  ➡️ Discover the best city breaks in Europe for 2026 Why travel to underrated destinations in 2026? Sure, we love the classics for a reason. But if you’ve ever queued an hour for a pastry, spent your day’s budget on a coffee or had to book a museum three months in advance, you’ll know why more and more of us are searching for under-the-radar breaks: it’s the crowds. In fact, in some cities – the likes of Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona – overtourism is so bad, they’ve been forced to clamp down on crowds with anti-tourism measures, from daily visitor limits to outright bans on new hotels. If you’re coming up against these, then we’d say that’s a pretty good reason to head some

A budapesti kávéházi kultúra az 1900-as évek fordulóján élte aranykorát, és ezt az időszakot mi sem idézi meg látványosabban, mint a város legendás kávéházai.  A Hadik, a New York Café vagy a Centrál nem csupán gasztronómiai célpontok voltak: valódi szellemi műhelyként működtek, ahol írók, költők, újságírók és művészek formálták a korszak gondolkodását. Pompájuk ma is él, csak éppen a XXI. századra hangolva. A magyar kávéházi kultúra egyszerre kreatív, karakteres és hamisítatlanul hazai, és persze a sütemények teszik igazán teljessé az élményt. Száz évet ugorva az időben az újhullámos kávézók már saját, sötét vagy világos pörkölésű specialty kávéikkal várják a kozmopolita közönséget. Itt már a laptopok is előkerülnek, a flat white mellé pedig gyakran valamilyen gluténmentes finomság, kovászos péksüti vagy vegán banánkenyér is jár. 🌶️ Hagyományos magyar ízek nyomában: a legjobb magyaros éttermek Budapesten 🥐 Hol bruncholj Budapesten? A legjobb reggelizőhelyek Budapesten 🍔 A smashtől a klasszikus duplán át a Tiktok-kedvencig: a legjobb burger nyomában Budapesten Cs. Nagy Anikó és Peterjon Creswell írása – mindketten Budapesten élnek. A Time Out útikalauzait mindig helyiek írják, akik tényleg belülről ismerik a városukat.

Hungary is wine country and the nation’s many award-winning independent producers showcase their wares in Budapest. Any high-end restaurant worth its salt pairs wine with specific dishes, boutiques such as the long-established Bortársaság stock the latest labels – and contemporary wine bars cater to the discerning and the uninitiated Hungary’s 22 wine regions include Eger and its ruby-red Bull’s Blood, but fewer visitors may have sampled the full-bodied whites of the nearby Mátra or those cultivated in the volcanic soil of Badacsony, overlooking Lake Balaton. Of the grapes native to Hungary – Irsai Olivér, Kadarka, Kéknyelű – Furmint and Hárslevelű are used in the delicate process of creating the famed Tokaji sweet dessert wine once served to tsars and emperors. Unless specified in single decilitres (dl), wine is usually sold by the glass (1.5dl) or bottle. Red is vörös, white fehér and sparkling is pezsgő. There’s a burgeoning trend for natural wines, a speciality of hip spots such as Cabrio. Wine is bor, hence a borbár, but beware that a borozó is a scuzzy den of dangerously cheap plonk, doled out from vats to irredeemable alcoholics from 5am onwards. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to bars and nightlife in Budapest Peterjon Cresswell is a writer based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Time Out Market Budapest collates the best of the city under one roof at the prestigious location of the Corvin Palace on Blaha Lujza tér. Bringing together Budapest’s top food, drink and cultural experiences, the Market comprises 11 kitchens, three bars and five event spaces, for 540 visitors in total. Every evening, there's something new happening, whether it's a DJ spinning, a sommelier presenting a sought-after Hungarian wine label or a celebrity chef showcasing a new dish. Come here for lunch, dinner, a night out or just to watch a live screening of top football action!

Overseen by prestigious university ELTE, Budapest's botanical garden dates back several centuries, accumulating more than 10,000 varieties of plants and flowers. Providing a peaceful getaway deep in District VIII, this revered, relaxing attraction is best known for its huge water lilies and the special events it lays on throughout the year. Most notable is the Sakura Festival in spring, a celebration of cherry blossom integral to Japanese culture.

Starting on April 2, Time Out Market Budapest hosts four nights of exclusive whisky tasting, beginning with a five-point journey from New Zealand to Canada to England, ireland and Scotland (6pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here). The global odyssey then sails over to Ireland on April 8, when visitors can experience the different nuances of whiskey from a carerfully curated selection (7pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here). A week later, on April 15, Whisky Without Borders is theme, with particular focus on Japanese Suntory and various American bourbon brands (6pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here), before top-quality bourbon, single-malt and Irish whisky sampling on April 22 (7pm; Ft 2,000/€5; tickets here).

To celebrate Easter, Time Out Market Budapest is offering a selection of themed dishes between April 4-12. Spring flavours and festive creations bring fresh colour to this popular gastronomic hub on Blaha Lujza tér, where seasonal delicacies reinterpret traditional Easter favourites with a modern, urban twist. The aim of the Easter menu is to showcase classic seasonal ingredients in a fresh, creative and contemporary way, allowing guests to enjoy the comforting warmth of traditional flavours and the lightness of today’s modern gastronomy. Visitors can look forward to stand-out dishes such as spring lamb with wild garlic and green pea gnocchi from Szaletly; smoked gravlax served with homemade brioche, egg, fresh vegetables and horseradish cream cheese from Bigfish; and pork knuckle with egg salad, wild garlic, horseradish and buttery brioche from Casa Christa. 

There's no need to travel for an authentic Italian experience in Hungary – the flavours and the atmosphere of the Mediterranean are being brought to life at Time Out Market Budapest. The Chef’s Table series allows one restaurant to take guests behind the scenes to meet the chefs, discover their stories, inspirations and signature dishes – including creations not usually available on the regular menu – in an intimate, private-dining experience with limited seating.  On April 16, Anyukám Mondta presents its pizza-tasting menu in an exciting collaborative four-handed dinner. The evening will be hosted by Szilárd and Szabolcs Dudás, with a six-course pizza-tasting prepared jointly by Szabolcs Dudás and chef Giovanni Spera from Molino Dallagiovanna of Piacenza. Highlights include inventive combinations such as mortadella with stracciatella and pistachio pesto, a five-tomato composition, and seafood-inspired flavours with anchovies, marinated swordfish and lime. Complementing the culinary journey are six sparkling wines, Anyukám Mondta’s own labels, produced in collaboration with the French Champagne house Maison Louis de Grenelle. Tickets are priced at Ft 19,500 (€50), including water.

Docking at the A38 as part of his Love Will Bring You Home Tour across two continents and backing his upcoming fourth studio album, Grey, Kiefer Sutherland brings his engaging mix of energetic Americana to Budapest. Winner of a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on screen, the British-Canadian actor has been writing and performing music since his debut album, Down in a Hole, was released in 2016. His tour takes him from Luxembourg to Las Vegas. Irish singer/songwriter Colin Andrew provides support.

It’s been nearly half a century since Christopher Cross hit the big time with hits such as Sailing and Arthur’s Theme but the Texan troubadour is still touring and still releasing music. He treads the boards with his band at Budapest’s Dürer Kert, showcasing his considerable skills on guitar and playing a set of radio-friendly soft-rock tunes that have won him numerous awards over the years. This will be his first show in Budapest.

Paradisum is the latest work by award-winning choreographer Bence Vági, whose Recirquel troupe has stunned audiences across the world with its unique art form. Self-named cirque danse, a daring yet graceful marriage of circus acrobatics and contemporary dance, it breaks genres to express concepts of love, trust, memory and belonging, among others. Performers take to the air and push their physicality to the limits. Having just toured this new production around France, Recirquel return to Budapest for an initial five-night run at prestigious arts centre, Müpa, with more shows in May.

Designed by the go-to architect of the day for statement buildings of influence – the Kempinski Hotel, Westend mall and Bankcenter offices – the Budapest Congress Center dates to 1984, two years after József Finta also designed the Hotel Novotel Congress next door. Some 20 meeting spaces are spread around a vast complex, allowing trade fairs, exhibitions and international congresses to take place here at the same time. Given Budapest’s prime location at the heart of Europe, a two- or three-hour flight from most setting-off points, the city has long been a favoured host for all kinds of events – even including the annual Comic Con festival, for which many guests arrive in crazy costumes rather than a jacket, tie and lanyard.

Idiosyncratic Montréal post-rock collective GYBE make a welcome return to Budapest as part of their tour of Eastern Europe on March 10. Releasing their award-winning albums through their own local Constellation Recordings, band founder Efrim Menuck and his ever-changing line-up have removed themselves from Spotify and other streaming services. Sticking to their guns, the band present video loops as backdrops to their stark soundscapes and instrumental crescendos, as illustrated on their acclaimed 2024 work, No Title As of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead. Support is provided by veteran composer Kristof Hahn of New York experimental band Swans. The ever-adventurous Dürer Kert should be congratulated for putting on such a challenging line-up.

Over several nights at Budapest’s State Opera House, including March 3-4, John Cranko’s three-act, six-scene ballet presents his interpretation of Pushkin’s famed literary creation Eugene Onegin. Tchaikovsky’s original score is further reinvented by Kurt-Heinz Stolze. Both choreographer and composer died half a century, having worked on other celebrated pieces by Tchaikovsky together. This production was first staged in Stuttgart in 1965, and has since been performed in Paris, New York and by the Royal Ballet, where the South African Cranko was a young choreographer after the war. Onegin runs over two hours and 30 minutes, with two intervals.

Thriving since its move across the river to a spot in south Buda near the Danube, Dürer Kert remains one of the top live venues in town, particularly for alternative sounds. While bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Stoned Jesus and Hellripper play the main hall inside in winter, summer allows DK to spread outdoors for alfresco shows and festivals. Cycle- and dog-friendly, Dürer Kert is also family-centric, with picnic blankets and table-tennis bars available for loan or rent at the bar.

A húsvét Magyarországon hagyományosan a családi összejövetelek ideje: ilyenkor kerül az asztalra a tojás, a bárány, a sonka és a kalács. A klasszikus ünnepi hangulathoz sokaknál a tojásfestés és a locsolkodás is hozzátartozik, míg a kisgyerekes családoknál egyre gyakrabban jelenik meg a tojáskeresés is, modern kiegészítéseként a hagyományoknak. Budapest ilyenkor szintén ünnepi üzemmódba kapcsol: nagypéntek és húsvéthétfő munkaszüneti nap, és bár vasárnap több bolt zárva tart, programokból nincs hiány. Az éttermek, kávézók és bárok többsége nyitva lesz, viszont a megnövekedett érdeklődés miatt érdemes előre asztalt foglalni, ha biztosra mennél. AJÁNLOTT: 🎉Legjobb budapesti programok: mutatjuk, hová menj, mit csinálj ebben a hónapban 🌸Budapesti cseresznyevirágzás: 6 helyszín, ahol gyönyörködhetsz áprilisban 🆓 A legjobb ingyenes programok Budapesten: íme a 2026-os lista Állatbemutató és dínótojáskeresés: családi programok húsvétra A Városliget és környéke minden évben ilyenkor igazi húsvéti játszótérré változik. Idén a Fővárosi Növény- és Állatkert Barlangterme öko-játszóházzal, ötpontos labirintussal és méhviaszos workshopokkal várja a gyerekeket, a Plant Café környékén pedig a húsvéti nyuszi is feltűnhet.  Liget Budapest/FacebookCity Park, Budapest A Margitszigeten, az állatsimogató mellett kézműves sátor működik (10:00–15:00 között), 13:00-kor pedig állatbemutatót is tartanak. A Városligetben hagyományos játékok, kézműves foglalkozások, nyuszisimogató, bábelőadások és kl

Planning a trip to Budapest next year? You might want to add the Citadella to your to-do list. The monument, which towers above the city on Gellért Hill, is reopening next year after a huge renovation. It’s one of the city’s most enduring landmarks, standing as a symbol of freedom. The goal is to transform the former military structure into a brand new attraction that celebrates its history. RECOMMENDED: The best free things to do in Budapest right now One of its most exciting new features will be the pedestrian bridge built entirely of glass – something rarely found in Europe. A large-scale, walk-through exhibition named ‘The Bastion of Freedom’ will also be installed in the spacious rondella, where visitors can learn about Hungary’s fight for its liberty over the course of history. Fotó: Várkapitányság The inner courtyard will feature a water feature and an eternal flame, and the outside spaces will have twice as much green space as before. There’ll also be a new café and gift shop, alongside communal areas – the aim is to create a kind of urban oasis at the top of Gellért Hill. The panoramic city views here have long been a favourite spot for wedding photos. Fotó: Várkapitányság What is the Citadella? The Citadella was originally a fortress built by the Austrians in the wake of the Hungarian Uprising of 1848, but has since become a symbol of the nation’s many struggles for sovereignty over the centuries. It has been under Budapest’s control since 1899, except when it

Spas are a huge part of Budapest’s cultural fabric – and the Gellért, a legendary art nouveau spa richly decorated with Zsolnay tiling, is one of the most iconic venues in the city. However, as of today (October 1), you won’t be able to visit the Gellért until 2028, as the century-old spa – first opened in 1918 – is closing for three years of renovation. Reconstruction work will now run alongside the overhaul of the equally venerable hotel of the same name, which has been closed since November 2021. In a city known for its spas, the Gellért is arguably the most significant, usually attracting some 1,500-1,800 visitors a day. The last major renovation took place in the early 1980s, and the state of the equipment, changing rooms and service areas has deteriorated significantly. Thermal water, steam and chemical cleaning have put a lot of strain on the infrastructure, necessitating the current undertaking. Photograph: Shutterstock Budapest Thermal Baths and Spas (BGYH) has been preparing for the project for years, aiming to overcome the Gellért’s mechanical, technological and structural problems, restore its iconic spaces and elevate the guest experience to a new level. The primary consideration in the project is the preservation of the historical heritage: the restoration of the art nouveau interiors, tiling and aesthetic appearance. In addition, sustainability and energy-efficient solutions will be introduced, by modernising the use of thermal water and heating. According t

It’s official: Time Out Market Budapest has finally opened its doors!  What is it? Only the best culinary and cultural experiences in Budapest, all under one roof, right in the city centre. Time Out Market has already made its mark on New York, Montreal, Cape Town and, of course, Lisbon. Now it’s the turn of Hungary’s sparkling capital – now home to the very first Time Out Market in Central Europe. The market will opened on Saturday September 20, on the first floor of the historic Corvin Palace. Read more: From legendary department store to wild nightclub: the incredible history of Corvin Palace The huge hall houses 11 kitchens, three bars and five event venues, and can accommodate around 540 visitors. Iconic Budapest chefs and emerging talents will appear at the market; you can read up on the full restaurant line-up in our guide. Best of all – whether it’s premium street food or fine dining-inspired dishes – food here promises to be pretty affordable, too.  Where is Time Out Market Budapest and how do I get there? The legendary Corvin Palace building can be found at Blaha Lujza tér 1, reachable by red metro M2 or the 4/6 tram. From there, you’ll be whisked up the escalators straight into the heart of the action. What are the opening hours? Time Out Market Budapest will be welcoming visitors every day from 11.30am to 11.30pm. Kitchens stay open until 10pm, after which the bars keep the vibe going strong until close. Corvin Palace The online booking system is already operati

Amikor 2025. szeptember 20-án megnyitja kapuit a Time Out Market Budapest, újabb réteggel gazdagítja majd annak a legendás épületnek a történetét, amelynek otthont ad: a Corvin Palace-nak. A forgalmas Blaha Lujza tér sarkán, Budapest egyik legfontosabb közlekedési csomópontjában álló Corvin Palace 99 éve számos átalakuláson ment keresztül. Az elegáns áruházat a hamburgi vállalkozó, Max Emden nyitotta meg 1926-ban, több mint egy évtizedes előkészület után. Az építkezéshez el kellett bontani az Apolló mozit, amelyet arrébb költöztettek a Nagykörúton, a Royal Hotel (a mai Corinthia) épületébe. Az eredeti áruház A Corvin Palace Reiss Zoltán építész legjelentősebb alkotása, aki másutt a sűrűn lakott pesti városrész bérházait tervezte. Az épület neoklasszicista stílusban készült, díszeit a neves szobrászok, Pongrácz Szigfrid és Beck Ö. Fülöp készítették, akiknek munkái 1908-tól a korszakalkotó Nyugat folyóiratban is szerepeltek. 1926 karácsonyán, közvetlenül az épület mellett, a Nagykörút és a Rákóczi út sarkán helyezték üzembe Magyarország első közlekedési lámpáját, amelyet eleinte egy rendőr irányított kötelek segítségével. A „villanyrendőr” kifejezést a mai napig használjuk a lámpás kereszteződésekre. Fotó: Flanek-Falvay-Kováts / Fortepan Az áruház belül maga volt a modernitás. A díszes homlokzat mögött négy szintnyi üzlet és szolgáltatás várta a vásárlókat, akik ezrével érkeztek az ország minden pontjáról – a Keleti és a Nyugati pályaudvar ugyanúgy könnyen megközelíthető volt

When Time Out Budapest Market opens on September 20, it will be adding another layer of history to the storied landmark it will grace, the Corvin Palace. Anchoring a corner of prominent square Blaha Lujza tér at one of Budapest’s main crossing points, the Corvin Palace has seen many changes in its 99 years. Opened as an elegant department store by Hamburg entrepreneur Max Emden in 1926, this retail mecca was over a decade in the making, having taken over the Apollo cinema, which was moved further along the Nagykörút to the Royal Hotel (today’s Corinthia). Here’s a deep dive into the building’s history, from a modern department store through to ruin bar and its rebirth as an entertainment space after multiple wars. The original store The most notable creation of architect Zoltán Reiss, otherwise responsible for apartment blocks elsewhere around this heavily populated area of Pest, the Corvin Palace was neo-classical in style, decorated in statues by eminent sculptors Szigfrid Pongrácz and Ö Fülöp Beck, whose work had been featured in the early issues of seminal Hungarian cultural journal Nyugat from 1908 onwards. That Christmas of 1926, on the adjacent corner of the Nagykörút and Rákóczi út, Hungary’s first traffic light blinked into operation, initially operated by a police officer who could control the signals by a series of ropes. The Hungarian term villanyrendőr, ‘electric police’, is still used today for traffic lights. Photo: Flanek-Falvay-Kováts / Fortepan Inside, t

It’s official! Hungary’s new culinary and cultural hub, Time Out Market Budapest, will open on September 20. The doors of the renovated Corvin Palace on Blaha Lujza tér swing open at 11.30am, and visitors will be welcomed every day until 11.30pm. Time Out Markets bring the best of the city together under one roof: a curated mix of the best chefs and restaurateurs, drinks and cultural experiences. Time Out Market Budapest will be the first to open in Central & Eastern Europe and will feature 11 culinary concepts from both award-winning and rising talents, three bars, five event spaces and some 540 seats. Offering a variety of cuisines and flavours, it will be a celebration of local talent – a new destination where guests will get a real taste of the city and beyond – while coming together with family and friends, enjoying local and global delights at communal tables, surrounded by top chefs in action. We’ve already revealed the first eight restaurants – read about those here and here – and now the final four names to complete the curated line-up have just been revealed. M’EAT by Jenő Rácz  The new antipasti and grill concept by Michelin-star chef Jenő Rácz will bring a decidedly Mediterranean atmosphere to the Corvin Palace. M’EAT is all about light, social dining: premium Hungarian hams, salamis and cheeses, freshly sliced in front of you; or homemade pâté or foie gras with brioche, best enjoyed over relaxed conversation. Photograph: Time Out Market Budapest LIRA by Essênci

Scheduled to open this autumn, Time Out Market Budapest will bring together the best chefs and restaurants from all over Hungary’s capital and beyond, all under one roof.   Eleven award-winning and emerging local restaurateurs will be offering the crème de la crème of the city’s food scene, and we recently announced the first four.  Anyukám Mondta is bringing traditional Italian flavours and family recipes, Pingrumba a taste of the East and 101 Bistro modern Taiwanese cuisine, while Szaletly will be serving the finest examples from the contemporary Hungarian kitchen. Now, a further four restaurants have officially joined the roster – here’s what they’re bringing to the table.  CANTEEN Kicking things off is István Pesti, who earned two Michelin stars with his restaurant in Tata. Now, he has created a new concept exclusively for Time Out Market Budapest and rather than fine dining, traditional Hungarian flavours will be coming to Budapest in the shape of CANTEEN, whose menu includes lip-smacking dishes like goulash soup, Viennese veal schnitzel and chicken paprikash, all topped off with a classic, hearty apple pie.  Photograph: CANTEEN Casa Christa Also among the new names is Casa Christa, a restaurant showcasing the Balaton region, whose every plate evokes the atmosphere of Hungary’s bucolic lake getaway: sun-baked slopes, wine cellars and seasonal produce freshly sourced from local markets. For Hungarians, this is where to head for a hit of holiday nostalgia.  Photograph:

Italian family recipes, Oriental adventures, Taiwanese street food and reimagined Hungarian classics – the first four restaurants at the hotly anticipated Time Out Market Budapest have been revealed. One of the world’s most exciting gastro-cultural concepts, Time Out Market is being unveiled in Budapest on the first floor of the iconic Corvin Department Store on Blaha Lujza tér. This 2,500-square-metre space will house 11 restaurants, three bars and five event venues accommodating a total of 540 visitors – and that’s just the beginning. The market's goal is nothing less than to bring the city's most exciting culinary and cultural players under one roof – and now we can finally introduce the first four restaurants confirmed for the opening. Anyukám Mondta Anyukám Mondta, from the little town of Encs, has been a key player in Hungarian gastronomy for the past 30 years, and now for the first time it will find a permanent home in Budapest. The Italian dishes of the Dudás brothers, Szabolcs and Szilárd – such as the Margherita DOP pizza or the Parma ham and burrata focaccia – combine a special family history and high-quality ingredients. Photograph: Anyukám Mondta / Time Out Market Budapest Pingrumba For those who prefer the punchy flavours of India and the Middle East, Pingrumba should prove a particular favourite. Its inspired cuisine, with echoes from Cairo to Calcutta, showcases freshly grilled dishes, bold pairings and exciting spices. Photograph: Pingrumba / Time Out Mar

Running until the grand finale on Tuesday, March 4, this year’s Dubrovnik Carnival brings masked fun and traditional delights to the city’s streets, squares, clubs and restaurants. Jugglers and majorettes star on Sunday, March 2, starting from outside the Gradska Kavana at 10am and followed by a procession from Onofrio’s Fountain at 2.30pm. This finishes with a family-friendly party at Lazareti from 3pm. The main children’s parade is down the main street of Stradun the next day, Monday, March 3, from 10am. For grown-ups, the weekend kicks off when singer Maja Bajamić performs at a masked party at Dubrovnik’s main nightspot, the Culture Club Revelin, on Friday, February 28. Doors open at 10.30pm  – find tickets and more details here. Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL For four nights from Saturday March 1, many restaurants in town will be offering the twin traditional dishes of šporki makaruli and krafeni. You can find these carnival favourites of pasta with a meaty sauce, and sweet doughnuts, for €10-€15 and €2-€3 at dining destinations such as Orsan and Konoba Belvedere. To discover more about the history of carnival, every day from 9am-10pm, the Rector’s Palace will be showing a display of masks and costumes, perhaps providing inspiration for the traditional climax to festivities on Tuesday, March 4, the Ultimi od Karnevala. From 5pm, jugglers will be returning to the Gradska Kavana, where the Veljun Ball takes place from 8pm accompanied by the  Taliri band. See here for the full sched

Another 30 or more acts have been confirmed to appear at the second edition of the Terminal V Croatia festival this July. After its successful launch in 2024, Scotland’s Terminal V Festival returns to The Garden Resort in Tisno for five days from July 17-21. As revealed in our exclusive interview with the founders of the original Edinburgh festival, Terminal V has grown from in-the-know get-togethers to major events attracting 40,000 people and top-name DJs. Now, joining artists such as 999999999, Ben Sims and Ellen Allien, more than 30 new names have been confirmed for the techno-centric event in an idyllic Adriatic location. These include Club Madhouse label head AK Sports, another Rinse FM mainstay, Dortmund DJ/producer Bae Blade, Berlin-based tooly techno exponent Future 666 and late ’90s’ inspired Überkikz. A very special headliner is also to be announced on March 4. Franko Kelam/Terminal V Facilitated by cutting-edge light and sound, four stages await these specially chosen acts: Barbarella’s, regularly voted as one of the best in the world by DJ Mag, the more secluded Olive Grove, the epic Main Stage and the superb Beach Stage, each with their own unique atmosphere. Alongside, there will be dancing on the beach and under the stars with daily boat parties and late-night afterparties running until sunrise. Throw in an array of daytime adrenaline-pumping water sports, and Terminal V is an essential addition to Croatia’s impressive summer festival agenda. Terminal V Croa

As recently reported, popular Edinburgh-based techno festival Terminal V will be taking over the idyllic Garden Resort in Tisno this July. Winners of Best British Festival award for 2023 by DJ Mag, Terminal V has grown from in-the-know get-togethers to major events attracting 40,000 people and top-name DJs. Over five days from July 18-22, the likes of Klangkuenstler from Bavaria, London’s Charlie Sparks and Dundee’s acclaimed Hannah Laing will be bringing their A game across four stages.  On the eve of their regular event in Scotland, and as they prepare their debut foray into Europe, Terminal V founders, Derek Martin and Simon McGrath, talk to Time Out Croatia about their journey so far – and why Tisno is the perfect location: Time Out Croatia: How did Terminal V Festival come about and how has it evolved since? Terminal V: With both of us being independent promoters in Scotland for many years with numerous club brands, in 2014 we came together to work on new projects with the aim of launching a new Scottish festival. In 2017, this materialised with our first ever Terminal V Festival. Year 1 was tough, with only 2,000 odd people attending, but this grew year on year as a one-day festival, right up until the pandemic. Post-pandemic, we upped the festival to two days, attracted 20,000 people each day, and now a festival based in Edinburgh brings crowds from all over the UK, Europe and further afield. The finer details have grown tenfold, in terms of line-up curation and size