Walking tours are one of the best ways to experience Budapest, often drawing in scores of locals alongside tourists. Thanks to the recent lifting of restrictions, many tour companies have begun to relaunch their activities. One such group is ImagineBudapest, who lead themed tours around the city. This weekend, we attended their Secret Gardens and Squares Downtown Tour, which was prepared with an extra special surprise.
The magic of Hungarian architecture often lies behind closed doors, in the secluded courtyards and inner gardens privy only to residents and their guests. Walking down the streets of Budapest, we pass the closed doors of buildings without much thought as to what lies behind, until we stumble across the door ajar, or catch someone leaving, and who hasn’t, in that moment, stretched their neck a bit to peer at what is hidden within? This is the very premise behind ImagineBudapest’s Secret Gardens Tour: to take you into the inner courtyards usually off-limits to the general populace.
“Step in with us,” says the organisation on their website, “and you will find yourself in a magical world of centuries-old trees, colourful flowers, marble wells and shady benches along the winding paths – green oases in the midst of the concrete jungle, which reveal the harmonious coexistence of man and nature in an urban environment.”
As we gathered in a group of seven or eight this weekend, the tour began with an announcement regarding the coronavirus, and keeping a distance when entering buildings. Most participants had brought a mask, and the majority of the tour takes place in open spaces, making it easier to enjoy the presentation without fear of contamination. The walk spans 2.5 hours, beginning at Deák tér and walking to Kammermayer tér, where the first courtyard is presented, complete with an unexpected bassoon duet by members of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra!
The first house on the tour represents the building style of Old Pest, before the flood of 1838 prompted the city to reinvent itself in the style of Paris, with the large boulevards and palatial estates that we associate with Budapest today. Here in the courtyard of Vitkovics Mihaly utca 12, we see more examples of Old Pest, with a traditional old well which residents used to get their drinking water. Of course now the well is not needed, but the inhabitants of the house have found a new use for it. On a few special occasions throughout the year, the well is filled with wine. That sounds like a good use to us!
As the tour progresses, we are ushered into four-storey inner courtyards and breathtaking old monastic gardens, which are reserved for students to come for contemplation today. Only through specially-organised tours, such as this one, can visitors see the interior. For 2.5 hours, we step out of the blistering heat of the sun and into the cool relief of Hungarian courtyards and gardens – and, at the last stop, Cafe Intenzo, we are rewarded for our perseverance with a refreshing lemonade.
It’s hard not to feel a sense of awe exploring the city in such an intimate fashion. What other secrets lie behind the closed doors? While we cannot gain access to them all, ImagineBudapest allows us peek behind the curtain, and gain a little more appreciation for the beauty of Budapest.
For more information on the Secret Gardens and Squares Downtown Tour, and the many other guided tours offered through ImagineBudapest, head to their website.
