Did you know that our zoo is one of the oldest one in the world with its history of over 150 years? Due to the Hungarian revolution of 1848 the opening of the place got postponed, but finally it opened its gate in the heart of Budapest. Among the first animals there was a giraffe, that was a gift from Queen Elisabeth and Franz Joseph. After the golden age, the zoo experienced its darkest time during the WWII, when it was bombed and most of the buildings were destroyed. The animals were eaten by the starving people during the siege. It took so long till the place was finally restored and reopened again in the '50-s.

Since that it's a popular place in the city. The area is pretty nice, the zoo is surrounded by the City Park and it's very close to the Heroes Square. The historical, yellow metro line takes you directly to the district.

As soon as you arrive, pay attention to the architecture, the details are brilliant examples of Secessionist style. The Elephant House is my absolute favorite one with its oriental features mixed with Indian elements and colorful decorations inside. A truly elegant home for the elephants!

Another emblematic sight is the Owls House, which belongs to the oldest buildings at the premise. It was originally the home of birds and wolfs. Today you can only visit the ruins and it's housing different kind of temporary exhibitions.

Plenty of signs are giving us directions, there are different sections from Africa, Asia, America and Europe. You can visit the whole place within a good 2 hour. Pleasant walk surrounded by nature and animals.  Check out the upcoming shows at the entrance, the seal show is pretty amazing!

Let me show you my favorite part of the zoo:  this is the Japanese garden, it stretches close to the lake as a peaceful oasis of the park. It presents a rich collection of plants, where you can feel peace and harmony. Each section of the garden is carefully planned, since every element has its own purpose. The basic is respecting the nature. Once a Japanese landscape designer Shiro Nakane said, the goal is: “not to make a new nature but to make a copy of existing, desirable nature.”

What are the main elements of a Japanese garden? Water sustains life and it's also the symbol of life flowing. You will see stones, because water and stones are like Yin and Yang, according to the Japanese they complement each other. I'm not sure what's the reason behind, but this garden is truly unique, check it out and enjoy the atmosphere!

The zoo is very kid-friendly with its playgrounds and animal programs, but it's also a great experience for adults. Check out their upcoming events and concerts! The best part is yet to come, a huge animal and plant park, called Biodom will belong to the zoo, which is under construction right now. According to the plans it will be a modern structure with rare animals and a wide range of programs, an exclusive initiation in whole Europe. I will check it out as soon as it's ready. Enjoy your stay in this lovely city and keep tuned for more programs!

Fisherman's Bastion is a very popular place in Budapest, the location and the view is exceptional. Do you know the story of the place? Did you know that just a few steps away a less well-known cloister is hiding? Join me for today's discovery in my city!

Fairytale-like sights on the Castle Hill, the seven bastions like guards are standing with their white towers, symbolizing the seven chieftains, who led the nation into their new home to the Carpathian Basin. The structure was built on the remaining walls of the fortress and it was named after the fishermen's guild, who protected this part in the Middle Ages. There used to be little gate, that served as a direct connection to the Danube and fresh fish arrived through the passage early morning. The fish market was located just two corners away from today's Matthias church. The fortress overlooked the so called Watertown part of the city, that used to be the fishermen's home, who lived close to the Danube. The whole building complex features a rather romantic, old-fashioned mood, even though the modern structure was built at the end of the 19th century.

Right next to the Fishermen's Bastion, we can admire the oldest church of Buda, the Matthias Church. The original house of God served the locals since the 13th century. The coronation of the Hungarian kings used to take place at that very spot. During the Ottoman occupation it was used as the main mosque of Buda. Today it features a breathtaking Neo-Gothic style, the colored roof and the stain glass windows are taking us back to history. Inside a calm and warm atmosphere is settling down the mood. Now let's walk to a hidden beauty, located inside the Hotel Hilton. 

Just a few steps away from the busy crowd of tourists, enter the Hilton complex from the Monarchia Exlusive jewelry shop, make a turn right and you will arrive to the courtyard of a monastery from the 13th century. A chapel used to be here before the cloister was constructed on spot. Basically the Hotel Hilton was built in the 70's on the ruins of a medieval cloister and school. The stone windows and the carved archways like a small museum can be visited for free.  From outside you will notice the Saint Nicholas tower immediately, that was restored in a Gothic style.

While entering, you can imagine the original size of the monastery, a school was linked right to the building, even King Matthias supported the college in the 15th century, at that time it had a good reputation all around Europe. During the Turkish period the place was damaged and started to fade. The Baroque time did not bring its shine back neither, the building was renovated, although it was used as a food storage for many years. Due to the Hilton construction, it was possible to preserve some old memories and a small museum part was created here. If you have a few minutes, have a look at it inside! On the corridor a temporary exhibition can be visited, right now you can admire the modern art works by Bubble Arts Projects at this unique site. 

Hope you loved this place as much as I do. Let's explore Budapest next week as well!