The Joint Action on REspiratory Diseases (JARED) initiative was launched by 14 EU Member States in December 2024 On 29 January 2025 the people involved got together to hold a kick-off conference at the Novotel Budapest Danube Hotel in Budapest was the first to take the stage and greet the audience with a speech She told the audience that the main purpose of the project is ‘to significantly reduce the impact of chronic respiratory diseases’ She also thanked all 14 EU Member States that joined the initiative The speaker went on to explain that JARED is seeking to reduce respiratory diseases by focusing on decreasing the amount of tobacco products consumed by the population encouraging people to go to screenings for early detection and improving indoor air quality across Europe they are relying on support from national governments Ministerial Commissioner Responsible for Directly Managed EU Funds Bernadett Petri of Hungary was also among the speakers She called JARED ‘the flagship project’ of the Hungarian Development Promotion Office (MFOI) Hungary was lagging behind other EU countries in the utilization of directly funded projects to provide consultation and workshops to local companies looking to take advantage of those opportunities Ms Petri also drew attention to potential synergies between JARED and other similar EU initiatives which could make the respiratory disease programme even more successful Director General for the National Korányi Institute for Pulmonology in Budakeszi Her hospital is the leading institution within the JARED programme She pointed out that six per cent of all deaths in Europe can be attributed to chronic respiratory diseases even though many of those diseases are preventable and treatable respiratory diseases were the third most common cause of death in 2023 The speaker went on to say that 38 different institutions and 14 EU Member States are involved in the JARED project It is coordinated by her Korányi Institute an organization with over 100 years of history in the field during which time it had to tackle issues from the tuberculosis to the COVID-19 epidemic Adviser for Stakeholder Relations for the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the EU Commission He revealed the crucial information that JARED has raised €5 million in funding from EU Member States so far He also shared that promoting health literacy is another key agenda point of the programme Project Officer for the European Health and Digital Executive Agency Hülya Okuyan shared that 235 million people are suffering from chronic respiratory diseases worldwide JARED is looking to ‘revolutionize CRD management,’ MS Dudás Kószó proclaimed Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective Working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and nature WWF® and ©1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Volume 6 - 2015 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00357 This article is part of the Research TopicThe neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn): From Biology to TherapyView all 13 articles The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays key roles in IgG and albumin homeostasis and antigen presentation of IgG-opsonized antigens we reported that transgenic (Tg) mice that overexpress the bovine FcRn (bFcRn) have augmented T-dependent humoral immune response with increased IgG protection higher level of antigen-specific antibodies greater number of antigen-specific B cells and effective immune response even against weakly immunogenic epitopes we analyzed the localization of the bFcRn in secondary lymphoid organs and focused to demonstrate the in vivo impact of its overexpression in the spleen on the course of antibody production bFcRn was highly expressed by red pulp macrophages and marginal zone macrophages in the spleen and by subcapsular sinus macrophages and macrophage-like cells in the interfollicular areas in the lymph node cortex We also demonstrated that splenic dendritic cells of Tg mice express bFcRn and intraperitoneal immunization of these mice with T-dependent antigens led to more than threefold increase in the number of antigen-specific activated T helper cells with increased size and numbers of germinal centers compared to wild-type controls bFcRn expression in splenic B cells was also detected and that may also contribute to the enhanced B cell activation we demonstrated that these Tg mice developed efficient immune response against very low dose of antigen reflecting another important practical benefit of these Tg mice Based on a recent survey, wild-type (wt) mice are the source of two-third of all late stage and marketed therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), primarily in the form of humanized antibodies (1) there has been an increasing demand for the development of faster and more efficient technologies for the production of high-affinity mAbs against specific epitopes of targets that are considered to be weakly immunogenic or even tolerogenic it is important to increase the efficiency of the humoral immune response of the mouse to enhance their capability to produce hybridomas against challenging targets In support of the role of FcRn in Ag presentation in mouse and human, we previously demonstrated that the bovine FcRn (bFcRn) is expressed in peritoneal macrophages (MΦ) and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells in bFcRn Tg mice (13). We also confirmed that the Tg bone marrow-derived dendritic cells stimulate T helper cells significantly more efficiently when loaded with Ag–IgG ICs than those derived from wt mice (13) These in vitro data suggested that overexpression of the bFcRn in APCs results in augmented Ag presentation leading to increased number of Ag-specific B cells in the bFcRn Tg mice the augmented antigen presentation has not been analyzed in the secondary lymphoid organs of these Tg mice and thus the relationship between bFcRn overexpression and the increased number of antigen-specific B cells during the humoral immune response still had to be confirmed suggesting careful analysis of the expression and function of the transgenic bFcRn in these Tg mice is salutary We also analyzed the Ag presentation efficiency of the splenic APCs by immunizing Tg and wt mice with ovalbumin (OVA) and studied recall activation of T cells from unsorted splenocytes of these mice we determined germinal center (GC) size distributions and kinetics of their formation in the spleen followed by trinitrophenyl (TNP)-KLH immunization the efficiency of the Ag-specific IgG antibody responses against low-dose antigen was evaluated We used hemizygous transgenic mice that carry five copies of the bFcRn α-chain encoding gene (bovine FCGRT) in addition to the endogenous mouse FCGRT gene on BALB/c genetic background [BALB/c_Tg5_bFCGRT(19); 19 refers to the founder line] that we have previously generated (9) Wt BALB/c mice were littermates of the transgenic animals resulted from hemizygous breeding Mice were kept under specified pathogen free (SPF) conditions in individual ventilation cages (IVC) in the animal house of the Department of Immunology Eötvös Loránd University Treatments of mice in this study were carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guide of the Institutional Animal Care and Ethics Committee at Eötvös Loránd University that operated in accordance with permissions 22.1/828/003/2007 and XIV-I-001/517-4/2012 issued by the Food Chain Safety and Animal Health Directorate of the Government Office of Pest County The pictures of fluorescence staining were edited with Adobe Photoshop using adjustments for black level and hue for the entire images Ten-week-old female bFcRn transgenic and wt BALB/c mice were immunized i.p Single-cell suspension was prepared from the spleen of the mice in RPMI medium containing 10% FCS (Sigma-Aldrich) To analyze the number of Ag-specific T helper cells after immunization we used BD Mouse IL-2 ELISPOT Set (BD Biosciences USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions with slight modifications Ninety-six-well ELISPOT plates were coated with 5 μg/ml purified anti-mouse IL-2 antibody in 100 μl PBS and incubated at RT for 2 h Plates were washed with PBS and blocked with RPMI + 10% FCS for 1 h at RT Spleen cells were plated in concentrations of 1 × 106 and 5 × 105 cells per well in 200 μl of RPMI + 10% FCS Cells were pulsed with OVA or KLH at 10 and 50 μg/ml final concentration splenocytes were plated without Ag-restimulation Plates were incubated for 22 h at 37°C in 5% CO2 atmosphere then washed thoroughly with PBS-Tween (0.05%) and biotinylated goat anti-mouse IL-2 antibody was added at 2 μg/ml concentration in 100 μl PBS-Tween and incubated for 2 h at room temperature streptavidin-HRP conjugate was added in 100 μl PBS-Tween plates were washed five times with PBS-Tween and then five times with PBS The plates were then incubated with 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC and H2O2 at room temperature in 0.1M acetate buffer and the reaction was terminated by a wash with distilled water The spots were counted in the ImmunoScan ELISPOT reader (Cellular Technology) and evaluated by ImmunoSpot software version 3.2 (Cellular Technology) Single-cell suspensions from spleens were made and 1 × 106 isolated cells were stained with fluorochrome-conjugated specific antibodies at 4°C for 50 min in staining buffer (PBS with 0.1% BSA and 0.1% sodium azide) and then analyzed using a FACSCalibur equipped with CellQuest software (BD Biosciences Anti-mouse CD45R/B220-PECy5 or CD45R/B220-PerCP-Cy5.5 CD11b-PerCP-Cy5.5 were obtained from eBioscience (San Diego Gr-1 (Ly-6G)-PE were purchased from BD Pharmingen (San Diego USA) and anti-mouse F4/80-Alexa Fluor 647 is from Caltag Laboratories (Buckingham Isotype controls were obtained from BD Pharmingen or eBioscience cells were incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies specific for cell surface molecules and fixed by adding 4% formaldehyde for 10 min at 4°C fixed cells were treated with 0.2% saponin (Sigma-Aldrich) and 0.1% BSA (Sigma-Aldrich) containing PBS for 10 min and stained with Alexa Fluor 488- or Alexa Fluor 647-conjugated anti-bFcRn mAb (Z15_6D5/8) in the same saponin-containing buffer for 1 h at 4°C cells were washed twice and all samples were resuspended in staining buffer and analyzed by FACS Aria III equipped with FACSDiva software (BD Biosciences Data were evaluated with FlowJo software (FlowJo LLC boosted 3 weeks later with 25 μg TNP-KLH in IFA and 42 of the immune response (3 Tg and wt mice in each group) Two independent sections were made for each spleen specimen (S1 and S2 distance at least 500 μm) for two-dimensional cross-sectional evaluation of GCs Sections were mounted onto ready-to-use microscope slides (Menzel and stored at −80°C until analysis USA) and biotinylated peanut agglutinin (PNA; Sigma-Aldrich) were used to analyze GC in the spleen Developing rat anti-mouse IgD and PNA double labeling was done either by using enzymatic detection in conjunction with anti-rat IgG-HRPO conjugate (using H2O2 and AEC substrate) and extravidin-AP (developed with NBT-BCIP substrate combination) or fluorescent detection using PromoFluor350 labeled streptavidin (PromoKine Germany) and anti-rat IgG-FITC (BD Pharmingen) as identified by PNA within IgD positive mantle zone were acquired on an Olympus BX61 microscope using a 10× objective and the analySIS software (Olympus GC boundaries were manually assigned to each GC and area was determined using analySIS software Trinitrophenyl-KLH was used for immunization, and TNP-BSA was used as a test Ag for determining anti-hapten antibody level, as published earlier (9). The number of incorporated TNP residues per KLH molecule was 400 and per BSA molecule was 24. Animals were i.p. immunized with different amount of TNP-KLH in CFA and challenged 21 and 42 days later with TNP-KLH in IFA according to Table 1 USA) were coated with TNP-BSA (4 μg/ml); in 0.1M sodium carbonate–bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.6) for 2 h at room temperature and then were washed with 0.1M PBS (pH 7.2) containing 0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-Tween) and blocked with PBS containing 1% BSA for 1 h at room temperature Serially diluted serum samples were added to the wells and incubated for 1 h at room temperature Each plate included standard controls of serially diluted Ag-specific immune sera bound serum IgG was detected by HRP-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG (1:4000-fold dilution The peroxidase-conjugated antibodies were detected using tetramethylbenzidine (TMB Sigma-Aldrich) as the chromogen and hydrogen peroxide as the substrate and OD at 450 nm was measured with the Multiscan ELISA Plate Reader (Thermo EC) Ag-specific IgG titers as half-maximal values were determined by GraphPad Prism 5 non-linear regression to the hyperbolic saturation function Immunization protocols for testing the immune response to low-dose TNP-KLH Statistical differences were assessed by Student’s two-tailed t test and two-way ANOVA Values were considered significant and were indicated as follows: *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001 These differences in staining pattern may perhaps be attributed to different protocols or reagents Histological analysis of the spleen of bFcRn Tg mice White pulp in spleens in wt (A,C) and Tg mice (B,D) contains clearly defined T cells (Thy-1/CD90 The white pulp is encircled with MAdCAM-1 positive (red) marginal sinus separating the white pulp from the red pulp containing Gr1-positive (green) myeloid cells (representative examples for a cohort n > 6; scale bar: 100 μm) Expression of FcRn and bFcRn in wt and bFcRn Tg mice in the red pulp mFcRn in wt mice was stained with anti-mFcRn or control hamster serum or anti-bFcRn mAb as indicated (A,C,D) bFcRn in Tg samples (B) was reacted with mouse anti-bFcRn mAb conjugated to Alexa Fluor 488 Note the accentuated reactivity of bFcRn in the marginal zone region [(B) (E,F) illustrate co-expression of mFcRn and bFcRn with F4/80 with the insets (G,H) corresponding to the rectangles delineated with dotted line in (E,F) Arrows point to double-positive cells arrowheads indicate FcRn-receptors only positive cells in (G,H) (representative examples for a cohort n > 6 Display of bFcRn by MZ macrophage subsets in Tg mice Co-labeling of spleen sections from wt mice for mFcRn (A,C,E,G) or from Tg mice for bFcRn (B,D,F,H) for sialoadhesin/CD169 (A–D) or MARCO (E–H) shows the lack of mFcRn expression in MZ bFcRn is co-expressed by both MZ macrophage subsets arrowheads indicate FcRn-receptors only positive cells (representative examples for a cohort n > 6 Expression of FcRn in peripheral lymph nodes mFcRn in wt lymph nodes (A,C,E) and bFcRn in Tg lymph nodes (B,D,F) show slightly different tissue distribution where wt mice express mFcRn (green) only in the interfollicular region substantial co-expression of bFcRn (green) is seen with the Sn/CD169+ subcapsular metallophilic MΦs (red indicated with an arrow pointing at a group of double-positive cells in (F)] The high power insets (E,F) correspond to the dotted rectangular area in the merged pictures scale (representative examples for a cohort n > 6 We could detect bFcRn expression in CD11c+ DCs within the T cell zone, the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath of the white pulp (Figure 5), and this expressional pattern did not change after immunization (data not shown). We could also see bFcRn positivity in the B cell zone of the spleen of bFcRn Tg mice (Figures 2B,F and 3B,F) Since DCs and B cells have crucial roles in the T-dependent immune response the findings that they express bFcRn prompted us to confirm these data with flow cytometric analysis Expression of bFcRn in splenic dendritic cells in the T cell zone of bFcRn Tg mice DCs expressing CD11c (green) within the white pulp [arrowhead in (A)] show similar level of bFcRn expression as red pulp MΦs but less intense display of bFcRn [single arrow in (B)] compared to marginal zone expression [double arrows in (B)] the rectangle delineated by dotted line in inset (C) corresponds to (D) (representative examples for a cohort n > 6 bFcRn expression in splenic B cells does not reflect ectopic expression of this transgene in the bFcRn Tg mice Flow cytometric analysis of bFcRn expression on splenocyte subsets Splenocytes were stained with antibodies recognizing Gr-1 For intracellular labeling of bFcRn Alexa Fluor 488 (MΦs) or Alexa Fluor 647 (DCs Each cell types were gated based on their cell-specific markers (A,C,E,G) and their bFcRn expression was presented in related histograms (B,D,F,H) Flow cytometric analysis of the spleen cell type distribution in non-immunized bFcRn Tg and wt mice Splenocytes from non-immunized wt and bFcRn Tg mice (five in both groups) were stained using the following markers: B220 Values on the dot plot panels shown are the mean ± SD Comparison of the spleen cell type distribution and the number of IL-2 producer helper T cells in immunized wt and bFcRn Tg mice bFcRn Tg and wt mice (five in both groups) were immunized with OVA on days 0 and 14 Mice were sacrificed on day 21 and their immune response were compared by evaluating their OVA-specific IgG titers on day 21 (A) distribution of spleen cell types using the following markers: B220 Total number of spleen cell types was calculated based on the total number of splenocytes and the ratio of the analyzed cell populations (E) IL-2 producer T helper cells of unseparated splenocytes (1 × 106 cells/well) were also analyzed using 10 or 50 μg/ml OVA or non-specific antigen (KLH) for recall activation splenocytes from non-immunized (NI) mice were stimulated with OVA or splenocytes from OVA immunized mice were incubated without reactivating them with OVA or splenocytes from OVA immunized mice were incubated with unrelated antigen (KLH) Data points represent the average spot numbers/ELISPOT wells (F) Total numbers of IL-2 producer helper T cells were calculated based on the total number of CD4+ helper T cells in wt and Tg spleen (G) Data on dot plot panels and graphs show the mean ± SD (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01) To determine whether increased number of Ag-specific helper T cells in bFcRn Tg mice can be correlated with GC formation, GCs were assessed by quantitative, cross-sectional analysis in spleens of TNP-KLH-challenged Tg and wt mice during the secondary immune response at different time points after the booster immunization in which we observed significant difference in the humoral immune response comparing the bFcRn Tg mice and their wt controls (29) Survey of cross-sectional GC size evaluation (number of GCs analyzed) Analysis and comparison of germinal centers (GC) of TNP-KLH immunized wt and bFcRn Tg mice after booster immunization on day 21 bFcRn Tg and wt mice were immunized with KLH-TNP boosted 3 weeks later and GCs were analyzed on day 24 (A) Well-established GCs were identified with their IgD (naïve B cells in red) and PNA (GC B cells in blue) positivity (representative examples for a cohort n > 6; scale bar: 100 μm) (B) Each dot represents an individual GC and the average size of the GCs is approximately twofold in the bFcRn Tg mice Lines of the scatter dot plot indicates means with SDs; the high SD values indicate a non-normal as the result of a small frequency of very large GCs density of GCs in the spleens [number of GCs in area units (square millimeter) of spleen sections] (C) average ratio of the GC size per section area (D) and total GC area (F) in the spleens were evaluated Inserts (E,F) represents data relative to the average wt data on day 24 of immunization Data show the mean ± SD (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001) Figure 10. Comparison of the Ag-specific IgG titer in wt and bFcRn Tg mice when low amount of Ag was used for immunization. Three cohorts of Tg and wt mice were i.p. immunized with different amount of TNP-KLH (see also Table 1) and their TNP-specific IgG titers were measured by ELISA Data show the mean ± SD (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01) these authors did not exclude the possibility that ICs are transported inside these cells in a specialized form of transcytosis Based on our data that demonstrates strong bFcRn expression in marginal metallophilic MΦs in the spleen or SCS MΦs in lymph nodes it is tempting to hypothesize that the bFcRn expression in these cells may contribute to IC protection and transportation leading to increased B cell activation coupled with more efficient GC formation and affinity maturation Further analyses tracing the transport of detectable antigen in immune complex form may provide further understanding in this immune complex transport pathway The role of MARCO+ MZ MΦs in capturing ICs and stimulating B cells including MZ B cells is less characterized but we cannot exclude the possibility that this process is also mediated by FcRn Further studies are warranted to carefully analyze the expression of mFcRn and hFcRn in these cells and to validate this hypothesis The much larger size of the Tg GCs could be the result of the many more activated T helper cells and we cannot exclude the possibility that the strong bFcRn expression in the MZ MΦs contribute to this outcome resulting in more cognate B cell activation and more Ag-IgG ICs into the GCs (as discussed earlier) we believe that FcRn overexpression improves affinity maturation and analyzing this important aspect more systematically is one of our most important goals We have initiated antibody sequencing and epitope binning protocols to analyze this issue more extensively and gain further information about the efficiency of the affinity maturation We concluded that immunization results in multifold-more activated, Ag-specific T helper cells, and significantly larger and more GCs in the spleen, and the ability to raise Abs against very low dose of Ag in bFcRn Tg mice compared with their wt controls. These findings suggest the advantage of these Tg mice for antibody development against weakly immunogenic targets (e.g., GPCR, ion channels) and also for broader epitope recognition. Attila Végh, Judit Cervenak, Péter Károly Jani, Imre Kacskovics, and István Kurucz are employees of ImmunoGenes using patented, genetically modified animal.that overexpress FcRn for the production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. The remaining authors have no conflict of interest to declare. We are grateful to Roland Kurrle (ImmbiCon, Germany) for his critical review and comments on the manuscript. The authors would like to thank Diana Heidt (Department of Immunology and Biotechnology, Medical University, Pécs, Hungary) for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Hungary (OTKA K101364) and Social Renewal Operational Programme of the New Hungary Development Plan (TÁMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KMR-2010-0003). Ag, antigen; FcRn, neonatal Fc receptor; GC, germinal center; KLH, keyhole limpet hemocyanin; mAb, monoclonal antibody; MZ, marginal zone; Tg, transgenic, wt, wild type. Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. Nicholas Miklos Geza FeketeBirth date: Oct 12 Visitation & Funeral Information","description":"Honoring the memory of Nicholas Miklos Geza Fekete with their obituary visitation and funeral information.","articleSection":"Obituaries","articleBody":"Nicholas Miklós Géza Fekete\n\nBorn October 12 2021\n\nNicholas Miklós Géza Fekete of Richardson died October 26 after a 5-year battle with Multiple Myeloma Hungary and grew up during and though the aftermath of World War II The strong technical skills he gained during his High School years in Hungary served him his entire life including when developing the ideas that led to the granting of 25 patents bearing his name Nicholas left Hungary in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution to find new opportunities first going to England and then to the United States Successfully attracting the eye of a gorgeous ski-trip guide Nicholas boarded a plane with his wife and baby son for the US where he would work for Westinghouse A daughter was born in 1968 and the family settled in Columbia Texas in 1976 where he accepted a position with Abbott Laboratories Nicholas attended night-school at Johns Hopkins University and successfully received his Bachelors of Science degree a one-man consulting company where he designed and constructed prototypes of mechanical casing for various applications The shop he constructed in his garage was one of kind; he often constructed custom parts as he worked on things around the house or later at Monica’s ranch He worked extremely hard during those years to finance his children’s University years for which he was both proud and they are both eternally grateful who was a great companion during the last part of his life They took long-road trips together and enjoyed meeting with friends and he enjoyed trips over the decades with family he loved to be with his family – he looked forward to and loved the big gatherings He always had a big presence wherever he was Nicholas will be remembered with a chuckle and a smile as we reminisce the crazy stories and he’ll always be there with us.\n\nNicholas is survived by his wife Patricia Fekete; brother Zoltan Fekete (Erika Texas); and six grandchildren: Gaby and Alec Fekete and Sam Markovich.","keywords":"Nicholas Miklos Geza Fekete Biography","dateCreated":"2021-10-28T16:52:32.347Z","datePublished":"2021-10-28T16:52:32.347Z","dateModified":"2022-02-11T20:06:08.087Z","genre":"Obituary Biography","author":[{"@type":"Organization","name":"Restland Funeral Home Cemetery and Crematory","url":"https://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/"}],"mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.restlandfuneralhome.com/obituaries/nicholas-fekete/obituary","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Restland Funeral Home Cemetery and Crematory","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://cdn.f1connect.net/cdn/14362D-Zjk/layout/images/logo.63873319164.png"}},"creator":"Restland Funeral Home Nicholas is survived by his wife Patricia Fekete; brother Zoltan Fekete (Erika Share a story where Nicholas' kindness touched your heart Describe a day with Nicholas you’ll never forget The ruin church located at 51 Budakeszi Road in the 2nd District was consecrated on 6 October 1822 in honour of the Virgin Mary and St Queen Sissi (Queen Consort of Hungary) was also a frequent visitor to the small chapel spent the summer in the neighbouring villa in 1866 at the invitation of Baron Frigyes Kochmeister - read on the Facebook page of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition on 3 November in the 200-year-old chapel The Ferenchalom Virgin Mary and St John Nepomuk chapel in 1954 (Photo: Fortepan/Image number: 26803) It is known from the post that the Chapel of the Virgin Mary of Ferenchalom has been owned by the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta since 2011 The building retains its former glory despite its mutilated surroundings and its current dilapidated state Its most recent burning practically destroyed the interior Conservation works have been carried out since then but the interior has not been reconstructed life has moved back into the ruined space of the chapel with a special atmosphere: it is a place for prayer hours and small community gatherings They also report that the church is now facing functional and architectural renewal The Charity Service is looking for a solution so that the place can serve the communities in accordance with the organisation's ideological intentions paying special attention to the most disadvantaged the Department of Public Building Design of the Faculty of Architecture of the Budapest University of Technology announced the call for a section of the Scientific Student Conference (TDK) in 2020 on the re-using possibilities of the Ferenchalmi Chapel is now facing functional and architectural renewal (Photo: Bence Kovács) The models of the university students rethinking the community role of the church and its surroundings were presented at the exhibition organised in the chapel on the occasion of the 200th anniversary which were taken of abandoned churches in disadvantaged areas of the country a model and photo exhibition opened on 3 November (Photo: Bence Kovács) the participants were greeted by Bertalan Brúnó Sándor spiritual leader of the national centre of the Charity Service then the exhibitions were opened by Prime Minister's Commissioner Miklós Vecsei associate professor of the Department of Public Building Design of the BME The musical program was given by the students of the Malta Symphony from Tatabánya reports the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta The exhibition can be viewed in the chapel until 30 November Cover photo: The Chapel of the Virgin Mary of Ferenchalom on Budakeszi Road is two hundred years old (Photo: Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta) © 2025 Látóhatár Kiadó Lap-és Könyvkiadó Kft At the Budakeszi Wildlife Park – located just outside of Budapest’s city limits on the other side of the Buda Hills – almost 250 native and exotic wild animals live on a nature preserve spread across nearly 30 hectares We visited this natural woodland habitat last week when snowfall and sunbeams made the scenery all the more spectacular Surrounded by such a mesmerizing environment We always wondered how animals cope with the cold underneath their fur; even though they get lots of straw to warm up and bigger portions for meals they still eat less than normal in the winter; however and even they interrupt their extended sleeping session at snack time in the winter the caretakers have to regularly check and replace the animals’ drinking water who got up that day anyway to grab something to eat He wasn’t too keen on getting up to say hello The wolves were the most energetic of all; Andzsin and Ulán patrolled their area the whole time like sharks the young brown bear who has lived alone since the death of his mate last year We had to wait quite some time for him to come out of his snug shelter; in the end the idea of a nice lunch tempted him to come outside Currently the biggest stars of the wildlife park are the baby wild boars the piglets of Károly and Karolina.Stikli the raccoon just wouldn’t come off the roof Raccoon dogs are easily mistaken for regular raccoons the park is really popular during the winter the animals are even more lively during the spring Embarking on a trip here is truly a therapeutic session This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Por un futuro en el que los humanos vivan en armonía con la naturaleza You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The best places to live in Hungary in 2023 are Budapest, as well as the areas around Pilisvörösvár and Pécs, according to the MBH Mortgage Bank’s quality of life ranking which did not appear in the top ten last year Experts once again examined the country’s 174 districts and Budapest based on factors like education and housing affordability to assess the opportunities they offer to residents Western Hungary and the vicinity of major cities have better education a more favourable job market and shopping opportunities The scores for Budapest significantly exceeded those of the second-place town while the other top performers were only separated by a few points from each other The capital’s scores were significantly higher than those of the second-placed Pilisvörösvár (the home town of the author) but the other top scorers were set apart by only tenths of a point Debrecen and its vicinity retained their fourth place and the Mórahalom district no longer feature among the top The top ten areas exhibit exceptional scores in one or two categories but might have lower scores in others Bácsalmás and its surroundings excel in low crime rates and housing affordability while Budakeszi and its vicinity stand out in terms of job market conditions big cities have better infrastructure and excel in education but their scores are affected by crime and affordability indicators the north-eastern parts of the country have the lowest scores and several districts in southern Transdanubia including those along the southern shore of Lake Balaton These areas typically struggle with high housing prices and do not perform well in terms of education as well as many county capitals and their surroundings Pécs has moved up from seventh place to third Szeged has risen from twelfth place to sixth in 2023 primarily due to a significant improvement in its crime score Eger’s ranking has also improved significantly ranking eighth this year instead of fourteenth in 2022 Kecskemét ranks at the bottom of the list once again Budapest still has significantly higher scores than the county capitals although the relative difference with the third-place city has slightly decreased Although the Budakeszi Wildlife Park primarily focuses on species native to Hungary and Carpathian Basin creatures such as moose and bison have found their way here Snowy owls are native to the northern tundra and are very rare in Hungary – only a few stray specimens can be seen when the Arctic wastelands do not provide enough food the snowy owl is about half a metre tall and weighs 1.5 to two kilos They build their nests at high altitudes on the open tundra with an average of four to nine in the nest but the two sexes can also be distinguished by their plumage snowy owls live for a relatively long time Bella may not be on her own for much longer as a mate is being sought Budakeszi Wildlife Park spreads over nearly 30 hectares with hunting watch posts and lookout towers to help you observe residents such as pheasants 22A or 222 from Széll Kálmán tér and alight at Szanatórium utca Budakeszi Wildlife Park 0210/12 BudakesziOpen: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Message Invalid character found in the request target The valid characters are defined in RFC 7230 and RFC 3986 Description The server cannot or will not process the request due to something that is perceived to be a client error (e.g. Note The full stack trace of the root cause is available in the server logs a pair of sows have given birth to a herd of healthy little piglets at this popular leisure park just the other side of the city limits from north-west Buda The piglets join the young mouflons and little goats also recently born here wild boars often become violent when it comes to protecting their young therefore visitors are warned to refrain from petting these miniature creatures zoo guests are encouraged to snap photos of these highly photogenic piglets The Budakeszi Wildlife Park provides a natural habitat to more than 200 native and exotic wild animals across nearly 30 hectares the establishment comprises expansive forested grounds for brown bears many bird species and domestic animals to roam relatively freely offering a more suitable environment for its inhabitants than a traditional urban zoo would You can reach the park by taking bus 22A or 222 from Széll Kálmán tér and alight at the Szanatórium utca stop a pleasant walk along a rustic pathway leads you to the park With over 900 finished works under his belt József Hild is one of the most renowned architects of Hungarian Neoclassicism and he also played an important part in defining the characteristic cityscape of mid-19th century Pest Commemorating Hild’s 230th birthday (8 December we’ve rounded up the master’s finest works found in Budapest the ones that haven’t been blown up or torn down in the 20th century) Construction works on Budapest’s largest church (built as a sign of gratitude for God’s intervention during the 1838 flood of Pest when hundreds of people took refuge on the small hill where the present-day basilica stands) began in 1851 under the guidance of architect József Hild Hild’s unfinished project was handed over to Miklós Ybl who gave the plans a Neo-Renaissance touch not even Ybl could see his dreams come to fruition as the collapse of the church’s massive dome in 1868 delayed the construction considerably and he passed away more than a decade before the building was finished The basilica was eventually completed by 1906 it is still the second tallest church in Hungary József Hild’s family villa is located just a few minutes’ walk from MOME University on Budakeszi út the off-white building looks like either a Greek temple or a museum The current building is the result of a number of extensions spanning across the last 130 years: first two new rooms were added by József Pucher a few years after Hild’s death then the villa was expanded with more sections towards its back it was freed from its unnecessary and low-quality tack-ons and refurbished in 2016 by architect László Kokas Today it serves as the research institute of the Hungarian Academy of Arts Situated on the corner of Váci and Aranykéz utca Hild’s three-storey tall apartment building was constructed in 1840 for count Sándor Nákó in place of two buildings erected there during the late 1700s one of them being the famous Seven Electors Inn (the name stood the test of time whose “inexpensive and clean beds” were praised by the likes of English clergyman and traveller Edward Daniel Clarke and whose saloon gave home to the concert of 11-year old Ferenc Liszt A coffee house was established on the ground floor of the building which was eventually turned back into a hotel in 1862 In 1910 the building’s courtyard and restaurant were transformed into a cinema which is occupied today by the company of Pest Theatre the building also accommodates a flower shop: Philanthia (designed by Albert Kálmán Kőrössy) has one of the city’s most beautiful window shops and still operates with the original art nouveau furnishings The story of Vörösmarty tér’s world-renowned Gerbeaud House is rather funny as it stands today on the ground where another building of Hild’s formerly stood for a good thirty years before being razed to the ground at the end of the 1850s Hild was asked to design two buildings (a bank office and an apartment house) on the newly vacated plot on the condition that they will share the same facade The two separate sections were finally merged in 1910 when legendary confectioner (and owner of the building’s eastern half) Émile Gerbeaud bought the headquarters of the Hungarian Commercial Bank of Pest Hild’s classicist design (complete with monumental Corinthian pilasters and a number of statues) was later expanded on by architect Sándor Fellner whose additional fourth floor was created in Art Nouveau style this three-storey building (located on the corner of Mérleg and Nádor utca) takes its name after the inn and coffee house that used to stand in its place the hotel was bought by the Trieste Insurance Company in 1900 and the ground floor facade was significantly modified the original classicist doorway design was left untouched and so was the tiger statue placed above it the building gives home to two restaurants Cozy up and join guided walking tours that lead you to iconic buildings Budapest’s current fascinating look was heavily influenced by the stunning Art Nouveau Movement This cultural hub invites visitors to embark on a journey through the diverse world of music Grab your comfy shoes to embark on an unforgettable journey on the streets of the Hungarian capital If you are mesmerized by the charming buildings of the Hungarian capital Check out our picks for the spectacles no year would be complete without Are you in the mood for a sweet sip of bubble tea or a juicy burger Although botanic gardens present their most enchanting properties during the springtime the warm autumn days also provide us with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the calming beauty of Budapest’s oversized but not overgrown arboretums Hungary’s first and most famous botanical garden was established in 1771 in the city of Nagyszombat (present-day Trnava Slovakia) for the medical students of the university the so-called “Füvészkert” found its eventual home in 1847 in Józsefváros Its name derives from Ferenc Molnár’s classic youth novel where the Füvészkert (literally ‘herbalist garden’) plays an important role in the powerplay between the two rivalling gang of schoolboys In its heyday the garden housed more than 12,000 plant species on 10 hectares Today it operates as a special educational unit of the Eötvös Loránd University on a little bit over 3 hectares of land Füvészkert’s most notable monument is the country’s first Palm House there’s no better place to find it than in the green ocean of the fascinating Füvészkert Located at the south-western foot of Gellért Hill the 7,5 hectares large Budai Arborétum is a truly unique place: it’s a university campus and a nature reserve at the same time with a mind-bogglingly rich collection of flora Financed by the Emperor Franz Joseph and the Hungarian nobility Buda’s number one botanical garden was founded in 1860 as a gardening school by Dr Ferenc Entz who previously served as a military doctor during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 which were eradicated by the phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century giving way to thousands of other plant species The castle-like school building still stands after more than 150 years in the upper garden area of the lush and romantic arboretum In addition to thousands of ligneous ornamental plants greenhouses and more than 30 kinds of protected perching birds The garden is open every day between 8 AM and 6 PM Surrounded by the mild green slopes of the Buda Hills Budakeszi Arborétum was founded and designed in 1959 by forest engineer Gáspár Galambos and his team of landscape planners Part of the Buda Landscape Protection Region the botanical garden occupies an area of almost 30 hectares making it one of the largest arboretums of the country The majority of its plant collection was transported here from Szombathely’s Kámon Arborétum while the rest of its 1060 species come from public parks and botanical gardens from all over the country The Budakeszi Arborétum awaits nature lovers every day of the week from 9 AM to 6 PM with a rich assemblage of conifers To get to Budakeszi Arborétum take the 2840 bus at the VOLÁN station on Széna tér this seemingly impenetrable wilderness has been operating since 1963 at the south-eastern edge of Pest making it the city’s biggest and youngest arboretum The botanical garden gives home to the indigenous plant species of North America Awaiting visitors from subtropical trees to a buoyant wildlife (including newts Soroksári Botanikus Kert is open on weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM Make sure to visit the following destinations and witness a magic of autumn Flour, pasta, vitamins – you can get all the things you need, whether you're on a diet or have an intolerance to an ingredient, at all three Szafi Products stores in Budapest (Alkotás utca They also offer 4 types of free-from meals if you want to take your lunch or dinner with you They have recently revamped their menus at all three locations offering a choice of nearly 40 dishes that are free from soya and lactose All are freshly prepared in the guaranteed gluten-free kitchens of Szafi bistros To start the morning with a hearty breakfast but they also offer dairy-free túrósbatyu (a Hungarian pastry with a sweet curd base) or cocoa rolls the Szafi bistros offer a selection of special burgers there are always specials on the chef's menu The friendly and elegant interiors of both restaurants were created by interior designer Szóra Szende and the menus by chef Géza Filep A new feature at Kata Buda is that both sweet and savoury breakfasts are served 7 days a week between 8 and 11 am and lunch menus are available in both the Buda and Pest units the Jane Goodall trail or the easy-peasy Keresztúri Forest trail are also good options Csenger-Zalán Zsolt fideszes képviselőt canberrai nagykövetté nevezik ki, emiatt nem indul újra egyéniben Budakeszin, ahol így Szijjártó Péter egyik államtitkára, Menczer Tamás próbálhat szerencsét jövő tavasszal az ellenzéki közös jelölttel, vélhetően Szél Bernadettel szemben, írja a Hvg.hu. Csenger-Zalán harmadszor indulna újra egyéniben A lap szerint Menczer nagyobb eséllyel tudna nyerni Szél Bernadett ellen a felkérés találkozott a személyes karrierelképzeléseivel a karrieremet egy diplomáciai közszolgálattal fejezem be ráadásul Ausztráliában jelentős a magyar diaszpóra – mondta. Menczer nem válaszolt a jelöltségére. A Telexnek néhány hónapja azt nyilatkozta,  de ilyen fontos kérdéssel kapcsolatban a megfelelő időben kell mert a parlamenti választás előtt fél évvel nem szeretne lemondani hogy Mikola Istvánt szintén nagykövetnek nevezték ki ő Pápua Új-Guineában és a Salamon-szigeteken nagykövet most Once the regular daytime hours finish, historic Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden reopens at 7pm for the nocturnal event and welcomes visitors until midnight, last admission 11pm. Activities take place at dozens of venues across this City Park establishment the elephant house and the butterfly garden Snake watching and an arthropod show also feature Meanwhile, the recently opened Holnemvolt Vár (Once Upon a Time Castle) within the menagerie awaits with more kiddie-friendly attractions Found just beyond Budapest’s city limits, Budakeszi Wildlife Park stretches across a bucolic woodland that provides natural habitat to all kinds of animals native to Hungary and the Carpathian Basin an evening tour gives an insight into the nighttime activities of foxes Visitors are requested to leave the parkland by 11pm Watching snakes and alligators being fed at the Tropicarium might be worth the 30-minute bus ride from Bikás Park or Kelenföld alone rare birds and piranhas can also be spotted within this exotic establishment gates open at 8pm and Tropicarium welcomes visitors until midnight Attila Déry had already been into building boats for about a decade – first as a hobby and later as a profession – when in December 2006 he teamed up with Zoltán Mezey a doctoral student of composites at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics which is the abbreviated form of Flying and Architecture They set up their first workshop in the family garage in Budakeszi and the client involved in their first major project was none other than 11-time Kékszalag champion Farkas Litkey: the duo worked on revamping and transforming Litkey’s legendary ship Lisa the experienced sailor emerged victorious from the iconic regatta on four occasions the team worked on custom orders and a bunch of industrial projects there was only one carbon sailboat equipped with a canting keel on Hungarian waters: Fahajó meaning that the surface of the sail can be increased.) The next project of the FLAAR team was to put an end to this monopoly: based on the commission of Lajos Varga they constructed an 8-meter boat called Nelson which is easily recognized by its striking blue color and surprising speed which means that it can be steered by a single person but contrary to what the terminology suggests the boat’s solitary crewmember is allowed to use both of his hands This was the very first ship designed and built by the FLAAR team from scratch and the model has proved highly successful: in 2014 owner Lajos Varga won the TBS Single-Handed Grand Prix the Yardstick I./1 category of Kékszalag and the competition of the participating 8-meter boats as well With two workshops and fantastic references under their belt the FLAAR team has now set the bar even higher: they are working on building a brand new class boat FLAAR 18 is a 5.44-meter boat equipped with a trapeze which can be sailed by four people at most (the ideal size of the crew depends on the strength of the wind) which makes for a great sailing experience The aim is to have a separate class established for the FLAAR 18 in Hungary and they’re closer to achieving it than ever before: they’ve built 15 boats so far The other boat that has been designed and constructed by the FLAAR team is called FLAAR 26: the 26-foot vehicle is wide but has a relatively small wetted surface area which – together with a massive sail area – makes this boat super quick especially compared to the other sailboats in its category If you’re curious about what this watercraft looks like in real life try to spot Kolibri swaying somewhere on Balaton This type of boat is great for both course and tour racing and it’s a wise choice for single-handed races had a tweaked version built: his FLAAR 26 RR sailboat is called “Nelson Flottalízing” a light and fast monohull with a cabin that’s perfect for races and boat trips FLAAR boats are a representation of cutting-edge design and are built from revolutionary materials so they tend to be much lighter than boats in the same category the FLAAR 26 model with all its equipment weights a mere 800 kg instead of the usual tons the FLAAR yard produces sailboats as well as motorboats stable boat that is easy to steer and has low fuel consumption The plastic parts of the vessel are being produced by FLAAR based on the commission of Bravo Boats Kft While the private use of motorboats is not allowed on Lake Balaton there’s always a need for training and escort boats and Bravo 6.0 is an excellent vehicle for this kind of work Smaragdfarm ('Emerald Farm') in Daruszentmiklós can be reached in just an hour by car from Budapest. A harvest bag costs 1,500 forints but anyone can enter the farm to walk around for free. On site, you can also buy handicrafts made of lavender, in addition to the flowers you pick, and treasure hunts are set up for kids, as well. More information The Night of Zoos will take place on 30 August This is the time of the year when animals will be the main attraction for one evening and various other activities happening in zoos and wildlife parks across the country The Night of Zoos is an annual tradition held every year on the last Friday of summer when zoos and wildlife parks nationwide will offer special evening experiences Here are a few of them that will be participating in the end-of-August events Budapest Zoo is one of the oldest operating zoos in Europe It features classic buildings such as the Main Gate the Palm House and the surrounding botanical gardens make it a fascinating place to explore the zoo’s hippos bathe in the thermal water from the Szent István spring which also supplies some of the pools at the nearby Széchenyi Spa which houses both a zoo and a botanical garden is also home to Hungary’s only permanent amusement park this zoo was the first of its kind to be established outside of Budapest and has since become an integral part of the city and the surrounding forest At the 5.5-hectare Bear Sanctuary in Veresegyháza One of the park’s main attractions is the opportunity to feed bears honey through the fence using giant wooden spoons On 30 August, the sanctuary will offer a variety of activities, feedings, and unique attractions for visitors, including introductions to bears, lions, snout bears, and raccoons, as well as astronomy-related activities. For more details, see the program’s website here and website in this browser for the next time I comment Y"},"category":false,"taxonomy":{"active":false,"name":"category"}},"markup":{"custom_html":true,"wpp-start":"","wpp-end":"<\/ul>","title-start":"","title-end":"<\/h2>","post-html":"{thumb} {title} {stats}<\/span>{excerpt}<\/p><\/li>"},"theme":{"name":""}} You have successfully joined our subscriber list SupportUs Newsletter © 2025 DailyNewsHungary | All rights reserved the feeling of Middle-earth known from the Lord of the Rings trilogy will come to life in an adventurous festival on the 28th of May in Budakeszi hobbits and the frightening team of Nazgûls will be waiting for visitors in the Tündérkert Miracles have always existed and there’s no greater spell than when we can be children again for some time and forget about everyday troubles and work as it was the most serious and honest profession This is the mentality of the Lord of the Rings Cosplay Club and this is how they think about character and costume design – they are not going below a certain level of a quality and vocation The birth of the Middle-earth Festival was not an immediate decision Gergely Zsikla and Kinga Péter-Szabó have been thinking about animating Middle-earth and recreating the feeling of the well-known place The festival will be held in Budakeszi along with children’s day programmes and the organisers guarantee that both young and old fans You’ll also be able to try on costumes and take photos and even meet some of the Hungarian actors who synchronized the movies of the trilogy make sure to show off your amazing Lord of the Rings costume in the costume competition and prove that you’re a loyal fan You’ll be able to apply at the location and the competition will start at 2 pm Photos: www.facebook.com/lordoftheringstrilogy Three Hungarian zoos welcomed new animals in the first weeks of spring while visitors of Veszprém Zoo can soon meet the newborn impala baby and Budakeszi Zoo has two brown bears again A southern three-banded armadillo was born in the Szeged Zoo, hirado.hu reports The zoo has been keeping three-banded armadillos since 2011 and the animals previously born there have found homes in other European zoos The curious-looking mammal belongs to the same family as giant anteaters and two-toed sloths habitat loss and poaching has led to a decline of population in its natural habitat of South-America the Szeged zookeepers decided to help the animal to get accustomed to human touch and not to snap its armour shut immediately The young armadillo has become quite brave and allows visitors to touch its armour An impala calf was born in the Veszprém Zoo, sokszinuvidek.24.hu writes The calf is the first newborn in the African savannah enclosure this year and the calf will be introduced to the public in a few weeks’ time the animals are outside in the African savannah enclosure in the company of white rhinoceroses they can be found in their new indoor home in the Orrszarvú-ház (Rhinoceros-house) The impala is one of the most common types of antelope primarily in woodlands and savannahs with a reliable water source [button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/two-months-old-white-lion-cubs-presented-nyiregyhaza-zoo-photo-gallery/” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Introducing two-months-old white lion cubs in Nyíregyháza Zoo – Photo Gallery[/button] Lastly, two new brown bears arrived at the Budakeszi Zoo, nlcafe.hu writes The pair came from Veresegyház to replace Móric has difficulties forming new relationships The new bears have already taken over the renovated bar enclosure the director of Budakeszi Zoo revealed that the renovated bear enclosure has a reinforced security system unbreakable glass panels which allow visitors to see these majestic predators up close Cover photo: Surányi Linda / facebook.com/budakeszivadaspark A ranking has been produced showing where the best places to live in Hungary in 2023 are MBH Mortgage Bank’s Livability Ranking is based on several criteria shopping opportunities and housing affordability The 174 districts of the country and Budapest were examined from the perspective of the people living there the Hungarian capital was again significantly ahead of second place Six areas that were not in the top ten last year made it this year Debrecen is ranked fourth and Veszprém fifth Győr and Dunakeszi are also in the top ten It varies which municipalities are strong in which criteria. Budakeszi stands out because of its labour market, while Bácsalmás and its surroundings are strong because of low crime. The larger towns are outstanding for infrastructure, education and health Tata and Mórahalom were out of the top rankings Budapest is also in first place in terms of county seats, followed by Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza and Kecskemét, infostart.hu reports The livability index of each region of the country is a key determinant of housing demand in that area As the largest Hungarian-owned bank in Hungary MBH Bank attaches great importance to knowing its customers knowing their needs and being able to make decisions quickly on key business issues at a local level which is why MBH Mortgage Bank experts are conducting their third survey of the opportunities offered by the 174 districts of the country and Budapest for people living in these areas the head of the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday attended the inauguration ceremony of a new road link between Páty travelling between Budapest and Vienna by car will be easier constructed out of a budget of nearly 6 billion forints (EUR 15.7m) will ensure residents of Páty and Budajenő easy access to the motorway and reduce traffic through Budakeszi “A small part of the largest problem of the greater Budapest area has been remedied,” the minister said in his address The median price per square metre for detached houses in the metropolitan agglomeration has surged by 10% over the past six months as reported by Otthon Centrum to MTI on Monday Let’s look at the latest figures of the Hungarian real estate scene The average Hungarian real estate price per square metre for second-hand houses in the vicinity of Budapest currently stands at HUF 502,000 (EUR 1,287) reflecting a significant 10.2% increase compared to six months prior Vác emerges as the top performer with an average price of HUF 798,000 per square metre (EUR 2,046) closely followed by Budakeszi at HUF 745,000 (EUR 1,910) and Szentendre at HUF 651,000 (EUR 1,669) Dunakeszi and Érd districts fall in the middle range with an average price of HUF 620,000 (EUR 1,589), while Pilisvörösvár and Gödöllő districts maintain an average price of HUF 600,000 (EUR 1,538). Notably, prices tend to decrease as the distance from Budapest increases evidenced by the average price of HUF 291,000 (EUR 746) in the Cegléd district and HUF 255,000  (EUR 654) in the Nagykőrös district After experiencing a sharp decline in 2023, the Hungarian real estate market within the metropolitan agglomeration is now showing signs of recovery in the current year. Particularly noteworthy is the surge in housing prices south of Budapest displacing the northwest from its previous position atop the price hierarchy Prices per square meter within the agglomeration have escalated by 8% signalling a potential revitalisation of the real estate sector the average property price within the agglomeration reached HUF 69.6 million (EUR 178,411) marking a notable 10% surge compared to the commencement of 2023 noted a cessation in the significant migration wave during the Covid period leading to a stabilisation in the areas surrounding the capital this equilibrium doesn’t extend to prices which have resumed their upward trajectory in response to heightened demand spanning from the Danube Bend to Piliscsaba held the title for the most expensive area; however has now claimed the top spot with an average price per square meter reaching HUF 690,000 (EUR 1,769) encompassing locales between Maglód and Alsónémedi boasts the lowest average price at HUF 508,000 (EUR 1,302) the southern sector stretching from Érd to Délegyháza retains a comparatively modest average price per square meter of HUF 532,000 (EUR 1,364) one-third of all agglomeration properties sold last year were situated in the southern sector If you want to enjoy the sight of plants in bloom Here are some arboretums near Budapest that you can visit for free Located in the 11th district, the Buda Arboretum is free for everyone. Every season offers something new, but the arboretum is especially worth visiting in spring. Between April 21-23, the Ornamental Plant Exhibition and Fair takes place hear stories and gain knowledge about the Arboretum There are almost 2,000 woody ornamental plant species and varieties as well as hundreds of bulbous flowers and almost 250 other perennial ornamental plants you just have to pre-register at tavaszkert2023@gmail.com This chemotaxonomy-based plant presentation is not only unique in Hungary The demonstration garden is complemented by a greenhouse collection (Hollandház) where they have planted species that cannot be exhibited in the open field you can admire the parrot flower (Strelitzia reginae) and the Tasmanian eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.) The garden can be visited by anyone with professional guidance Appointments can be made by calling (26) 340-533/162 or at the following address: latogato@gynki.hu The Dendrological Trail of the Budakeszi Herbarium is located on the southern border of the Buda Landscape Protection District From the list of 1,200 taxa published in 1970 one of the most unique plants in the City Park One of the specialties of the arboretum is the Kneipp path which is a thematically designed route where you have to walk barefoot and you can massage your feet while walking Orientation is facilitated by the posting of informative boards with the names of the individual varieties and botanical specialties with easy-to-understand graphics and descriptions Around 335 new plants of different varieties (35 thousand pieces) were planted in the garden Budapest police shared a video about their chase after a Georgian human smuggler hitting 16 cars in the capital yesterday evening taken during his attempt to escape According to the Hungarian police the chase started at 9 PM yesterday in Biatorbágy a city of 13 thousand residents not far from Budapest Officers wanted to carry out a routine inspection concerning a minivan having a Polish licence plate the driver ignored the police and speeded towards Budapest The Georgian citizen sitting behind the steering wheel hit three cars in Budaörs and seven in Budapest on the Budakeszi and Attila streets and the Szilágyi Erzsébet promenade The chase ended in the 1st district at 9.15 PM at the crossroads of the Attila and the Krisztina streets Read also: VIDEO: 36 car windows smashed by three teenagers in downtown Budapest he intentionally drove into a police car and tried to escape on foot Police found 35 illegal migrants in the minivan The people claimed they were Syrian and Moroccan citizens Police took the Georgian national into custody because of human smuggling police will probably charge him with aggravated assault upon a police officer and reckless endangerment The Budapest police headquarters will send the relevant documents to the public prosecutor police wrote oin a statement they shared on their official website so you should click on the “Megtekintés a YouTube-on” link: