Can you guess which celebrities are in love with Budapest?
Mel Gibson drank wine at Balaton, Will Smith danced on the top of the Chain Bridge, and Freddie Mercury loved the Parliament – just a few special occasions when celebrities spent their time in Hungary in a meaningful way.
Mel Gibson is in Hungary due to the filming of John Wick’s antecedent series, The Continental. The movie star first walked into a restaurant in the capital a few days ago, and then, unexpectedly, he also visited a wine bar in Csopak – but he is not the only world star who likes to use his free time to explore the country when duty calls him to Hungary.
Although most actors and musicians usually visit Hungary for business reasons – Budapest is a popular filming and concert venue –, many of them are lovers of the capital, so if they have the opportunity, a little sightseeing or relaxing can be included in the program.
Index.hu collected some world stars who were amazed by the beauty of Hungary and Budapest.
Mel Gibson
News of the 66-year-old Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning actor recently surfaced in Hungary, due to preparations for his latest film, John Wick’s premiere series, The Continental.
He is an actor who does not just hang out in the hotel room in his spare time – he first tasted local specialities in a restaurant in the capital, and then he did not stop until the “Hungarian sea”. On Wednesday, he enjoyed the wines of Lake Balaton in a wine bar in Csopak.
The next day, the tour did not stop either. He also visited a restaurant in Veszprém right next to the castle where a photo had to be taken with the very surprised staff upon the arrival of the star.
Will Smith
The visit of the Golden Globe-winning American actor to Budapest in 2019 must have burned into the minds of many people, with news and pictures appearing almost daily about which restaurant he appeared in or which sights in Budapest he visited.
Will Smith came to the Hungarian capital to promote his film called Gemini Man, but during his stay, he also appeared in iconic places like the Széchenyi Spa, as well as on the Chain Bridge, which he climbed onto, despite the rules, and danced to the delight of his fans.
Plus, he gladly obliged almost anyone who dared to ask the star for a picture or two good words.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
The former California governor and actor of Austrian descent is a returning guest in Budapest – he previously visited Hungary due to his films, his gym duties, or as a politician. He is so fond of Hungary that he previously stated that he regrets that the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy no longer exists and that it would be good to reunite his homeland with Hungary.
Schwarzenegger does have and has had several Hungarian acquaintances.
He had an extremely good relationship with Hungarian-American businessman Andy Vajna, who died in 2019, and he visited him several times. He did not miss enjoying Balaton wines from his program either; like Mel Gibson, he drank a cup or two of the local specialities in Csopak.
Scarlett Johansson
The actress arrived in Hungary in 2019, before the appearance of the coronavirus, due to the shooting of the Black Widow movie, so, fortunately, she was free to explore the sights of Budapest without any restrictions. She also entered several restaurants and pubs but also jumped on an engine to get around the city, so a lot of people could run into her during her stay here.
The Hungarian capital left a serious mark on her: the whole of the United States could get to know Budapest, as the actress taught all Americans how to pronounce the name of the city correctly in the evening show of Jimmy Fallon.
Jamie Lee Curtis
The two-time Grammy-winning actress, who is extremely proud of her Hungarian roots, has repeatedly spoken about her ancestors growing up in Hungary. Her grandparents were Hungarian Jewish emigrants. She was born in the United States, but she enjoys visiting Hungary.
She recently visited a memorial site on the banks of the Danube in Budapest, about which she shared a photo on her community page. The actress also toured the city’s famous restaurants and attractions.
+1 Freddie Mercury
Queen gave a memorable concert on July 27, 1986, at the Népstadion, which was a huge sensation at the time of the Iron Curtain. During the visit, Freddie Mercury, the band’s frontman, liked the hospitality of the country and the people a lot. Mercury also mentioned that he fell in love with the architecturally rare buildings.
According to the Hungarian tradition, he was also offered a taste of pálinka. Quoting his opinion, it is a very strong drink, but he liked it. As an excellent guest, he also made a special extra surprise at the amazing evening concert where he sang a famous Hungarian song, in Hungarian.
Source: index.hu