For the Sakura Celebrations this and next weekend, you can experience an authentic Oriental festival at the ELTE Füvészkert, a botanical garden dating back 200 years. Amid the pink-hued scenery of blooming cherry trees, sunshine-seeking visitors may set up picnics, permitted here during this annual event.
Beginning on April 7th, these weekends bring the park to life with a traditional Japanese koto music show, reiki sessions, exhibition of Asian weaponry and cooking workshops organized by the Budapest-based Negura Cooking School, which specializes in modern Asian food. Sadly these culinary activities have proved so popular that they have already sold out.
During the festival, you can try your hands at strategy board games such as Go or Shoghi, also known as Japanese chess. Traditional dance performances broaden the scope of this communal gathering. Meanwhile, the anime-focused Kitsune café is setting up a stall at the festival to pamper taste buds with Japanese food and drinks.
Most events are free to join for those paying admission to the park (1,000 forints/discounts 600 forints). For more information (in Hungarian), visit the Füvészkert website.
