Rolling in Budapest Cultural information in English … Hear everything first hand

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A study trip organized by the Hungarian Tourist Agency jointly with the Museum of Education and Training Centers was to get aquainted with the cities of Hatvan and Gödöllő  rich programs offered for families with children. The study tour first stop was arriving to Hatvan where the journalists received information at the Zsigmond Széchenyi Museum of Hunting. The museum is a real adventure place. Open from 10 a.m-. – 6 p.m. except on Mondays. The museum was named after Count Zsigmond Széchenyi  who was an aristocrat like, being not only a hunter, but also a writer who deeply cared for nature? The Museum is an “advantureville”!  View the world record antler trophies, trunks, life documentary on the life of the count with hunting stories, old guidebooks, hunting textbooks which are all displayed. His main destination for hunting was Africa … Traditionally, there are four major European systems of hunting: the Scandinavian, the Anglo-Saxon, the Mediterranean and the German. Historically, Hungary belongs to the German system.

Taking a visit at the Hunting Museum, where our guide in brief spoke about the following: Q:“Hunting is a part of human history and culture. Its significance is well illustrated by the birth of the goddesses of the hunt in antiquity (Artemis in Ancient Greece and Diana in Ancient Rome). In the Middle Ages hunting was considered to be one of the “mechanical arts”. Out on display were weaving, blacksmithing, architecture, navigation, agriculture, theater and craftsmen. We were introduced to a couple of tips worthwhile to visit as the history of Huntsmanship, exploring the wildlife of the Carpathian Basin. Enjoyed the interactive computer games, learn about the landscapes, forests and wild animal species, fishing and angling tools such as weir, harpoon, spinning reel and carbon fibre used formerly that are today out on displayed. We strolled down to the everyday life to the baroque kitchen, where they roasted the meat on skewers, examined the spices is use, also seen refined methods of preparing already recorded in the 15th century.

The museum holds special educational programs for classes to elementary pupil monitoring animals not even seen at the Hungary’s zoo. One of the highlights of the visit was spending time at the Hunting Adventure with rotating, prepared animals arena with target shooting assessments that was offered to try by the journalists.  Introduced the complete virtual interactive programs  in leaning and the cautions in hunting. At all venues there were trainers all along to guide the visitors. Outside the museum at the nicely decorated park everyone could have given it try to reach the exit  way  on a 33-meter-long adventure slide and see the surrounding view at 15.5 meter lookout point. Arriving down to a hedge labyrinth of the vineyard path.

The Royal Castle at Gödöllő is the second largest Palace in Hungary and most probably, the only sophisticated, stunning venue in Europe. This is where our day’s second tour took place. Before entering the press meeting, we viewed a 15 minutes 3D movie getting an insight into the everyday lives of the of royal family. The press meeting was held by …. at the Baroque Theater.

Thereafter, was welcomed by Tibor Göncz – Managing Director, Kinga Máté Mártonné  –  Hungarian Tourist Agency, Gabriella Kajári –  Co-ordinating officer at Education and Methodology Center Museum Open Air Museum.  The managing director opened the press meeting  and spoked about the following: The Royal Palace of Gödöllő with its superb park and halls are suitable for hosting several hundred people, also feature plenty of activities and participating at several programs.  The historical building complex is also a perfect spot for concerts and theater performances, family programs, museum educational activities for teachers – museumpedagogy, also for children introducing the history of Queen Elisabeth and King Franz Joseph of their everyday spent here from the Fall to Spring. The education presentation is 60-90 minutes depending from the kindergarten age up to higher grades of elementary school, and/or high school students. We were taken by a guided tour around the rooms and halls at the Royal Palace. Participated at a shorten version of the museum’s educational presentation for children.

Before the end of our visit went down to view the former Governer  Miklós Horthy’s bunker, which actually was not completely finish at the time being by the outbreak of the World War II. The German and Russian troops invading in 1944 carried away and/or destroyed most of the furnishings. From 1950 the Soviet troops were stationed in the outbuilding and the bunker and before leaving they filled the bunker with petrol and even though decades past there is slightly the smell of it. The walls have some original color lines which are still to-day cannot be identified their means. So Horthy and his wife never stayed there, but with notes and pictures from the time being it was rebuilt and furnished the way it was planed to be.

Kinga Máté Mártonné  –  Hungarian Tourist Agency – Co-ordinating manager – Education and Methodology Center Museum – Open Air Museum talked about the past programs and present occupations, programs for children and adults in particular, to visit the palace during the series of the Fall’s festival of Museum. Especially, keeping in mind the upcoming Fall’s break  at the schools in Hungary. During this time of season families choose to go on vacation with their children, but mainly  visiting one of the wellness venues, which is fine, but beside enjoying the part-time in and around the spas, it is also fine time to take advantage of the opportunity to also visit, see the city’s sights, environment, its famous museums during their stay.

Gödöllő is only kilometers distance from Budapest and tourists arriving to Budapest can spice up their stay  in Hungary by taking a visit to this unique environment with its picturesque park to the Royal Palace at Gödöllő. To visit the venue need not to pick up a car to reach the spectacular scene, because can manage by rolling on the steam train, having a nostalgia trip from the Western Railway Station – Budapest to the Royal Waiting Room in Gödöllő. The awesome train station with its small museum on the spot definitely worth to see before heading to the Royal Palace.

At the Gödöllő City Museum was introduced the Fairy Garden program by Balázs Fábián – deputy director.The „Shock and Pigtail pupets”is a program in helping children to get acquainted by playing, taking in hand – feeling items. It is rather important for the next generation not just to click on the gadjest, but to get aquainted to visit a museum as a worthwhile place to go. To-day most of the children usually say … „Don’t want to go to the museum, because  have to be quite … cannot touch anything … nor sit … neither play around with anything”. Here the children can touch items and hear the history behind their use. The families in addition, are presented the museum’s new feature, to join interactive guided tour since the 9th of September, 2016. The renewed exhibition title is  “Our City” introducing its “Gödöllő Artist Colony”.

Update and snaps Aggie Reiter