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Hungary's Communist Era: Life Behind the Iron Curtain
4.7
66 Ratings
Budapest
Discover Hungary’s communist history on a captivating walking tour of Budapest. Explore the landmarks, hear stories of struggle and triumph, and witness the propaganda of the time.
Discover Hungary’s communist history on a captivating walking tour of Budapest. Explore the landmarks, hear stories of struggle and triumph, and witness the propaganda of the time.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Szabadsag ter - Visit the Soviet Memorial and learn about the 1956 Revolution and WWII
- Hungarian Parliament Building - Discover the events of the 1956 revolution against the Soviet regime at the Parliament
- In memoriam 1956. October 25. Memorial and Exhibition - Take a guided tour through the exhibition and discuss the events with your…
- Szabadsag ter - Visit the Soviet Memorial and learn about the 1956 Revolution and WWII
- Hungarian Parliament Building - Discover the events of the 1956 revolution against the Soviet regime at the Parliament
- In memoriam 1956. October 25. Memorial and Exhibition - Take a guided tour through the exhibition and discuss the events with your guide
- Shoes on the Danube Bank - Hear from your guide about this Holocaust memorial and the history of WWII in Hungary
What's Included
- English speaking guide
- Coffee or tea or soft drink
- English speaking guide
- Coffee or tea or soft drink
Additional Information
In this tour, you’ll receive a comprehensive overview of Hungary’s communist era. Learn about how children were raised, family life, travel restrictions, and what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. Discover the lengthy process to acquire a passport and experience intriguing aspects of the time, from black markets to banana lines.
We’ll explore the…
In this tour, you’ll receive a comprehensive overview of Hungary’s communist era. Learn about how children were raised, family life, travel restrictions, and what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. Discover the lengthy process to acquire a passport and experience intriguing aspects of the time, from black markets to banana lines.
We’ll explore the history of the Communist government appointed after World War II, whose policies led to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The tour provides an overview and highlights major locations where significant events unfolded.
We’ll visit Liberty Square and Budapest’s last remaining Soviet monument. Our journey will take us to the Hungarian Parliament, where the first shots that sparked the uprising were triggered. We’ll also visit an exhibition near the Parliament, the site of the initial volley.
- You will need to be fit for light continuous walking, for up to 3 hours
- Tour goes in all weather conditions so please dress appropriately
- Not recommended under age 12
Location
Lutheran church, Deák tér
Deák Ferenc tér
Meet your guide in front of the Deak Square pale yellow Lutheran Church, at the church steps
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(66 Ratings)
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Chris_b
Jun 5, 2024
A lood at Communist Hungary - Celeste did a very good job of educating us on life in Hungary during the Communist rule. She gave us a a knowledge of the history of the region leading up to communism and the time since. We had a good walk around town ending with a visit to a museum dedicated to every day life during the communist era. Her knowledge of history was appreciated and the stops we made informative. On our trip down the Rhine-Main-Danube, this tour was different than any other tour we had and helped us understand life in a different time.
Review provided by Viator
Cathy_w
Oct 6, 2022
Great Tour -- You will Love It - This was an excellent tour, and Andrea did a wonderful job. She was exceptionally knowledgeable about every aspect of the history of Communism in Hungary, and we were very, very impressed with every aspect of this tour. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Julie529
Jun 19, 2022
Excellent overview of Hungary's history with Communism and its impact today. - I took this tour 10 years ago and found it memorable. While I was hoping for a similar experience, the tour has changed, with no "feel and touch" items (games, passports) that brought the experience to life (this because of the costs of maintaining an office for teaching face to face). This tour is a walking tour to places that highlight Budapest's experience under the Soviets, winding up at a museum of "retro" items -- a 1950s kitchen and appliances, the opportunity to record yourself as announcer on a radio or TV show. Andrea was our guide -- and gave us information that made the tour superb; we got everything from the tour (and Andrea) that we had hoped to. We were interested in knowing about Hungary's social and political climate today, and the historical roots of these issues. Andrea offered us a comprehensive and nuanced picture of Hungary today, touching on issues that go back decades, and a picture of where the country is now. The museum is an add-on -- and something we've seen elsewhere that didn't add to our knowledge, so we chose not to stay. It's interactive activities may be of interest to some, and you have the option of staying and exploring the museum after your time with the tour is officially over.) However, this is a quibble. If you're interested in these issues, I'd definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z529zacourtney
May 29, 2022
Great experience! - Great tour that lived up to all expectations. Andrea was knowledgeable and the content of the tour was so interesting. The two museums (1956 memorial and retro museums) were additive. It was fantastic to learn more about such a historical city with a guide that had so much to add.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sradis
Feb 26, 2020
Fascinating tour with a local expert guide - Zsolt was a terrific guide and a fount of information! We really enjoyed our tour and learned so much from him. He made it easy to absorb the history and told us personal anecdotes from his family. We highly recommend this tour with Zsolt!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ndogg89
Nov 23, 2019
Hammer and Sickle - Budapest - This is a great tour for anyone who really wants to dive into the history of what communism life was like in Hungary and other eastern bloc countries during USSR control.
Tamas was our tour guide and did a fantastic job breaking down key events and answering any follow up questions you may have. You really feel and see the experience of what communist life was like as he brings you to a room filled with memorabilia and propaganda from that era.
I really appreciated the tour for this side of history that was not always highlighted or focused on during my education. The people of Hungary and all eastern bloc countries truly suffered a tremendous amount but courageously continued to fight for what their freedom. I highly recommend the tour for anyone that wants to learn more about this time period in history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sydney_l
Nov 4, 2019
AMAZING LOCAL GUIDE! - We absolutely loved our walking tour!! The value of what we paid for what we learned and saw was amazing. She asked us what we knew and what we were looking for and she catered the tour around us. The basement of the tour studio was incredible. We loved the stop for coffee and snacks, awesome sight to see. She was also VERY funny and brought life to everything we saw 10/10 would recommend for everyone that visits!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Tjaugusta
Oct 28, 2019
Educational experience while in Budapest. - Learned a great deal about the history and the experience the people had during WWII and after. How life changed for the people and country. Our tour guide, Balint Alkonri, did an excellent job. Would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist717615
Oct 14, 2019
Great deep-dive into communist-era Budapest - Our lovely guide Rebekah was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. The passionate way she told the history of communist and socialist era Hungary really brought it to life.
We only had a general knowledge of Hungarian history going into the tour, so it was fascinating to learn about daily life during this era, the history leading up to and the lasting social impact of communist & socialist rule.
Would recommend for anyone with a keen interest in history or interest in learning about Hungarian history & culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stella_u
Jul 7, 2023
Greg was wonderful. He... - Greg was wonderful. He gave a quick summary of Hungarian history at the beginning of the tour which was important to understand how Hungary is where it is now. Hearing stories of life under communist government was very interesting. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
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