The Hungarian National Gallery is lining up a brisk calendar of guided tours in Hungarian and English through early 2026, spotlighting major exhibitions dedicated to Lajos Tihanyi and Adolf Fényes, plus a Valentine’s Day homage to love in Hungarian art. The institution—Hungary’s largest public collection tracing the rise and evolution of national fine arts—anchors its program at 2 Szent György Square (Szent György tér 2), in the Buda Castle complex, and adds online events, family workshops, and special-language tours. Visitors can call for details; all images are under the copyright of the Museum of Fine Arts – Hungarian National Gallery.
What’s On: February 2026 Highlights
On February 5, Nóra Winkler and Tünde Topor lead Lajos Tihanyi, the Restless Charmer, offering a personal route into the artist’s vivid life and work. The next day, writer–art historian Rita Halász takes over with Budapest–Berlin–Paris: Lajos Tihanyi’s Road to Abstraction, mapping how the émigré painter’s journeys shaped a language of rebellious forms and bold color. Both programs are in Budapest.
February 7 stacks multiple entries: The Art of Adolf Fényes (Fényes Adolf művészete), a deep dive into the painter’s oeuvre; Create! – Naked Reality (Alkoss! – Meztelen valóság), a hands-on session centered on the nude; and another run of Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors – The Art of Lajos Tihanyi (Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete). On February 8, the gallery offers a building tour, Building Walk – From Crypt to Dome (Épületséta – Kriptától a kupoláig), plus a repeat of the Tihanyi focus, and a French-accented installment, Budapest–Berlin–Paris. The Art of Lajos Tihanyi (L’art de Lajos Tihanyi).
Online audiences get their share: on February 10, an online guided tour steps into the Adolf Fényes exhibition, paired with Toddlers – Venetian Carnival (Tipegők – Velencei Karnevál), a program with a Venetian Carnival mood. The Tihanyi exhibition returns in person on February 11 and 12, bracketed by children’s workshops under the Recolor It! (Színezd újra!) banner, and Look, Mom! – The Beauty of the Human Body (Mama, nézd! – A test szépsége), a family-friendly look at the beauty of the human body.
Italian speakers take note: a guided tour in Italian (Visita guidata in italiano) lands on February 13, alongside an English program, Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors – The Art of Lajos Tihanyi. Valentine’s Day spreads wide—Love Is in the Air; Gergely Barki’s encore lecture Two or None. Doublings and Gaps in the Oeuvre of Lajos Tihanyi (Kettő vagy egy sem. Duplázások és hiátusok Tihanyi Lajos életművében); The Most Beautiful Hungarian Love Paintings (A legszebb magyar szerelmes festmények); and a music-infused tour with Ádám Bősze and Gábor Bellák. Curatorial tours continue: on February 15, The Art of Adolf Fényes – Ágnes Horváth (Fényes Adolf művészete – Horváth Ágnes) returns. Later in the month, families see Look, Mom! – The Beauty of the Human Body (February 19), while February 21 brings another The Art of Adolf Fényes and a carnival-themed Adventure at the Gallery – Carnival Transformations (Kaland a Galériában – Farsangi átváltozás).
February 22 highlights Nude Sculptures from the Fin de Siècle (Aktszobrok a századfordulóról), a look at turn-of-the-century nude sculpture. Preschoolers get Preschoolers at the Gallery – How Colorful! (Ovisok a Galériában – Milyen színes!) on February 24, followed by Mental Fitness – Sculpture Brought to Life (Szellemi fitnesz – Életre kelt szobor) and more Recolor It! (Színezd újra!) on February 25. Look, Mom! – The Beauty of the Human Body returns on February 26. On February 28, curator–art historian Edit Plesznivy leads The Taste of Sunshine (A napfény íze), a tour illuminating painterly light and atmosphere.
Big Shows Running Through Winter
Three core exhibitions frame the season. The Images of Silence. Adolf Fényes (1867–1945) Memorial Exhibition (A csend képei. Fényes Adolf (1867–1945) emlékkiállítás) runs from October 10, 2025 to March 15, 2026, assembling a comprehensive memorial showcase. From November 6, 2025 to March 1, 2026, Endre Tót: Night Visit to the Museum (Tót Endre: Éjszakai látogatás a múzeumban) stages a nocturnal museum encounter with a conceptual titan. And from November 21, 2025 to February 15, 2026, TIHANYI 140. Lajos Tihanyi (1885–1938) Retrospective (TIHANYI 140. Tihanyi Lajos (1885–1938) életmű-kiállítása) celebrates the painter’s 140th anniversary with an expansive retrospective—mirrored by on-site and online tours, hands-on workshops, and multilingual programs.
How to Plan Your Visit
Beyond guided tours, the gallery’s calendar includes online sessions for both the Tihanyi and Fényes exhibitions, parent-and-child activities (Look, Mom!), toddler and preschool programs, and specialty tours in Italian and English. Dates cluster across the first half of February 2026, with repeats for in-demand shows like Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors – The Art of Lajos Tihanyi (Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete) and The Art of Adolf Fényes (Fényes Adolf művészete). If you’re plotting a Valentine’s weekend, the February 14 lineup blends lectures, music, and love-themed masterpieces for a full-day art fête.
Stay Near the Art
The Buda side makes overnighting a breeze. At the foot of Buda Castle, several properties offer quick walks to the National Gallery and UNESCO-listed sights like Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. A four-star boutique option promises panoramic rooms in the city center and a ten-minute stroll to castle landmarks; the Chain Bridge drops you neatly into Pest’s business quarter, shopping streets, cafés, and wine bars.
In the tranquil Buda Castle District, Buda Castle Hotel sits on a quiet side street with easy access to culture and cuisine. Budavár Guesthouse (Budavár Panzió) places guests right by Fisherman’s Bastion, a few steps from Matthias Church—an exclusive yet central base inside the World Heritage zone. Gold Hotel Budapest targets value seekers in the center with climate control, LCD TVs, minibars, hairdryers, and free Wi‑Fi in rooms.
The Hilton Budapest blends modern hotel interiors with the remnants of a 13th-century Dominican monastery. Its Dominican Courtyard hosts open-air concerts, receptions, and weddings, while rooms frame sweeping views over the Danube, elegant bridges, Margaret Island, Parliament, Pest’s skyline, and the Buda Hills. Closer to the Castle gates, Hotel Castle Garden offers calm stays and quick access to the district’s highlights, including the Royal Palace.
Essential Notes
– Venue: Hungarian National Gallery, 2 Szent György Square (Szent György tér 2), Budapest. Guided tours available in Hungarian and English; contact details by phone and online.
– Key dates: February 3–28, 2026, with the highest density on February 5–15 and encore tours through month’s end.
– Major exhibitions: Adolf Fényes memorial (through March 15, 2026), Endre Tót’s nocturnal museum (through March 1, 2026), and Tihanyi 140 (through February 15, 2026).
From rebellious forms and bold colors to the soft light of fin-de-siècle painting, Budapest’s National Gallery is making February feel like peak season. Whether you’re dialing in from home or wandering from the dome to the crypt in person, this is the window to catch Tihanyi and Fényes in full focus.
