Personal Tour: Katalin Czeller’s Budapest, Hungary

“It makes me very proud to introduce people to Budapest,” says Katalin Czeller. A professional tour guide for 20 years, she’s lived in Budapest her whole life, and she’s experienced first-hand the years of communism and the changes into democracy. That gives the guests on her tours an especially fascinating perspective.

Why is she so passionate about her city? “I think Budapest is often overlooked and undervalued among European capitals. It’s such a beautiful city with such a great spirit. Our people have been through a great deal over the centuries, and when you walk the streets, you can feel the pain as well as the strength and the sense of pride.”

Czeller’s specialty is small tours for two to 12 people. “Budapest is a big city with three distinct areas—Buda, Pest and Obuda—so we need a car to cover everything. We go out for three or four hours in a limousine or a mini-van with a driver. Then when we get to an interesting place, we get out to explore.”

Here she shares some of her favourite experiences on this personal tour.