Every August 20, central Budapest turns into a pedestrian island for one evening. Here is the short version. August 20 Budapest transport runs on a holiday timetable, the metros stay open until roughly 02:30, and from about 21:00 the riverside core inside the Margit...
As I write this, it’s 1 May, Labour Day in Hungary. We’re in the countryside for the long weekend. It’s 22 degrees and full sunshine. Later, we’re heading to the chestnut blossom festival in Sümeg with Andrew and our little dog. Tomorrow we go back to Budapest. Sunday...
Retire in Hungary 2026 is suddenly back in my inbox in a way it has not been for a while. I am writing this from a hotel room in Rome, here for work, and since last Sunday’s election result came through, the messages have picked up quickly. People who had quietly...
Budapest is in a proper deep freeze right now. The kind where the temperature doesn’t flirt with zero all week and everyone looks slightly annoyed before they even get on the tram. It’s giving me very Canadian vibes, and not in a charming, snow-globe way. I have a...
New Year’s Eve in Hungary always sounds simpler than it is. But after eight of them here, Andrew and I have learned that Szilveszter rarely follows a script. We’ve done it all. Properly dressed-up nights out. Quiet evenings at home. Loud Karaoke nights. Plans changed...
Dog Adoption Budapest: A Heartwarming Mikulás Day at Szimpla Kert Are you new here, or just stumbling across my blog for the first time? Welcome! If you love dogs or have ever thought about dog adoption in Budapest, you’re in the right place. I don’t just write about...
Every October, as the evenings draw in and the air smells faintly of roasted chestnuts, I find myself scrolling through restaurant menus instead of Netflix. Budapest’s Restaurant Week 2025 has just kicked off (2–19 October), and this year more than a hundred of the...
If you’ve experienced Budapest around St Stephen’s Day before, you’ll know the city’s transformation starts well before the 20th itself. In fact, many of the most significant traffic changes and road closures begin as early as August 15th and ramp up mostly from the...
If you live in Budapest, you might not know that the gas pipes in Budapest are an unexpectedly serious concern in the city’s classic apartments - especially those built at the end of the 19th century. Over the past three years, my whole family has been impacted by...
Let me just say this straight out: if I had a forint for every time someone asked me whether they could retire in Hungary, I’d have enough to buy a Balaton villa and still have change for a few bottles of Olaszrizling. Andrew and I have spent more time on the phone...
I’m Anikó Woods, a Canadian-Hungarian who’s been knee-deep in life here since 2017 - bureaucracy, culture, and everything in between.
Hungary can be a maze of paperwork, surprises, and cultural oddities – but you don’t have to figure it all out the hard way. Join my exclusive newsletter, and you’ll get:
Get the real, unfiltered advice about living in Hungary you won’t find anywhere else. Join now and be part of the conversation!