Bem József Square

Take this tour and transport yourself back to the previous century for an amazing, interactive presentation of everyday life in the 1960s and through to the late 1980s. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for history buffs, this educational tour will provide an overview of how the system worked and will give a first-hand picture of life back then contrasted with the changes of the past fifty years. Apart from entering this retro world, your skilled guides will highlight how decades of communism have impacted Hungary and the remnants of those bygone years that remain today. The program is conducted by Annamaria and Miklos and starts at Bambi Eszpresszó, a symbolic meeting place of the 1980s.

Discover one of the most significant periods in Hungarian history by learning about the Revolution of 1956. With your guide, explore sites of historical significance and learn about the communist era of Hungary. Historians still argue what to call the events that were triggered by a peaceful solidarity rally of Hungarian students with the Polish people on October 23rd, 1956. It has been described as a rebellion, revolt, uprising, popular uprising, revolution, counter-revolution, or War of Independence. Visit the site of Bloody Thursday in Kossuth Lajos Square, Budapest. Little is known about the exact numbers of revolutionaries who were killed, but it ranges between 22 and 1000 or so people. See the former party headquarters of the Hungarian communist government. Make a stop at the statue of Imre Nagy the Prime Minister of Hungary, and leader of the Revolution, who was executed for treason in 1958 by Soviet forces. Visit Bem Square where 200,000 Hungarian students protested against Soviet rule in 1956 followed by a coffee in the iconic Bambi café. Go to the statue of revolutionary Sándor Petöfi a focal point where political gatherings took place in 1956, and still do to this day. See the building of the Hungarian Radio, one of the epicentres of fighting in 1956 - it was from here revolutionaries begged for help from the world.