Hungary’s largest public fine art collection is opening its galleries with Hungarian- and English-language guided tours across both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Set at Szent György tér 2 in the Buda Castle complex, the Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria) traces the birth and evolution of Hungarian art—and lets visitors see it up close with expert context. You can even book by phone. Photo credits: Museum of Fine Arts – Hungarian National Gallery.
December highlights: Tihanyi, Fényes, and festive walks
The mid-December program kicks off on 2025.12.11 with Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete, a guided tour exploring the bold shapes and colors of Lajos Tihanyi, a key figure of the early 20th-century avant-garde. On 2025.12.12, curator and art historian Gergely Barki leads Az ember a paletta mögött, delving into the artist behind the palette. The next day, 2025.12.13, Ünnepi hangulatok Fényes Adolffal invites visitors into the holiday atmospheres painted by Adolf Fényes.
On 2025.12.14, Adventi épületséta – Kriptától a kupoláig opens the building itself, guiding you from crypt to dome—a rare architectural walk through the museum’s hilltop home. The Tihanyi tour returns multiple times: 2025.12.21, 2025.12.27, and 2025.12.30, offering plenty of chances to catch it during the holiday season.
Rolling into January: Avant-garde, nudes, and hands-on art
The Tihanyi focus continues into 2026 with tours on 2026.01.09, 01.11, 01.17, 01.23, 01.29, and 01.31. On 2026.01.10, Fényes Adolf művészete zooms in on the life and style of the painter whose quiet interiors and social scenes shaped a generation. By 2026.01.18, Aktszobrok a századfordulóról explores fin-de-siècle nude sculptures, a candid look at changing ideals of beauty and form as the 19th century gave way to the 20th.
Big shows: Fényes, Endre Tót, and TIHANYI 140
The autumn-to-winter exhibition calendar is stacked. From 2025.10.10 to 2026.01.11, A csend képei. Fényes Adolf (1867–1945) emlékkiállítás surveys Fényes’s quiet worlds with a commemorative retrospective. Next, 2025.11.06 to 2026.03.01 brings Endre Tót: Éjszakai látogatás a múzeumban—think conceptual mischief after hours. And from 2025.11.21 to 2026.02.15, TIHANYI 140. Lajos Tihanyi (1885–1938) életmű-kiállítása marks 140 years since Tihanyi’s birth with a sweeping career show.
Family, toddlers, and creative workshops
Families are catered for throughout December and January. Look for Színezd újra! – múzeumi műhely gyerekeknek on 2025.12.10, then again on 2026.01.07, 01.14, 01.21, and 01.28, inviting kids to remix color and composition. Tipegők—toddler sessions—arrive with Hullócsillagok on 2025.12.16 and Hópihe tánc on 2026.01.13 and 01.27. The Mama, nézd! series (Look, Mom!) and its English sister Look at that, Mom! bring gentle, reflective gallery time: Reflections of Motherhood lands 2025.12.18, while Sunny Days lights up 2026.01.08. A second Mama, nézd! – A csend beszél returns on 2026.01.29.
On 2025.12.20, CSALÁDI NAP—Family Day—focuses on holiday making with Csontváry. Later in January, on 2026.01.17, Alkoss! – Absztrakt élményfestés turns viewers into makers with an abstract experience-painting workshop. The program keeps a multilingual edge, too, with Visita guidata in italiano on 2025.12.12 and again on 2026.01.09.
Music, fitness for the mind, and the architecture itself
December brings an Adventi koncert on 2025.12.14, alongside the Adventi épületséta that same day—two ways to soak up the season inside the historic building. The gallery also runs Szellemi fitnesz—mental fitness—events: Karácsonyi csoda happens 2025.12.10, while Új év, új stílus lands 2026.01.21, an energizing reset through art. If you want a head start on modernism’s seismic shift in Hungary, 2026.02.01 offers Nyolcak – Előre meghirdetett tárlatvezetés, a pre-announced guided tour focusing on The Eight, the group that ignited the local avant-garde.
Where to stay near the Gallery
The Buda riverside serves up a range of stays steps from the museum and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed castle precinct. A four-star boutique hotel at the foot of Buda Castle offers panoramic rooms in the heart of Budapest, a 10-minute stroll from the Castle District, Matthias Church, and Fisherman’s Bastion. The nearby Chain Bridge links straight to Pest’s business quarter, shopping streets, coffeehouses, and wine bars.
Inside the Castle District, Buda Castle Hotel sits on a quiet side street in the UNESCO-listed Castle Quarter (Várnegyed). Expect cultural highlights, great dining, and easy access to landmark sights since the 1987 World Heritage inscription. Budavár Panzió places you right by Fisherman’s Bastion and just a few steps from Matthias Church—an exclusive, peaceful yet central base in the historic core.
If value is the priority, Gold Hotel Budapest brings air-conditioned, elegant rooms with LCD TVs, minibars, hairdryers, and free Wi‑Fi—solid comfort in the city center. For a showpiece stay, Hilton Budapest rises beside Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church, fusing a sleek interior with the remnants of a 13th-century Dominican monastery. The historic Dominican Courtyard hosts open-air concerts, receptions, and weddings, while the rooms reveal knockout views across the Danube’s bridges to Margaret Island, Parliament, downtown Pest, and the Buda Hills.
Mark your calendar
Between mid-December 2025 and February 2026, the Hungarian National Gallery is packed with guided tours, kids’ workshops, Italian-language visits, architect-led building walks, an Advent concert, and two major monographic exhibitions—Fényes and Tihanyi—plus Endre Tót’s nocturnal museum. Book in Hungarian or English, bring the family, and give yourself time: the view from the dome—and the art beneath it—rewards slow looking.
