PHOTOS: Lumina Park reopened, Budapest’s past is shining at Palatinus

The Lumina Park welcomes guests back with a shimmering replica of the Chain Bridge, the underground metro made of string lights, the Golden Team and the Paul Street Boys and many more sights!

The theme this year is based on the 150th birthday of Budapest. In honour of this momentous event, the frame for the lightpark is timetravel. You can walk through the most well-known historical phases of the city surrounded by magical lights.

The Lumina Park will be on display until 4th of March on the Palatinus Beach.

Source: FB

The story of Lumina Park started last year with the intention of attracting guests to the Margret Island in the colder winter months. The Budapest Spa and Thermal Baths Plc. (BGYH) was looking to balance the summer and winter months and found the solution together with the polish company Lumina sp. z o.o. This company was already operating lightparks in several Polish cities, and was planning to expand. Budapest, more specifically the Palatinus, turned out to be the perfect spot for a new lightpark.

Read more about last year’s exhibition HERE.

“With Lumina Park, we created Budapest’s winter attraction last year, which was a hit with both residents and tourists. We concluded the season with more than 200,000 visitors,”

Ildikó Borosné Szűts, CEO of  Budapest Spa and Thermal Baths Plc., commented on the ceremonial opening of the second Lumina Park.

Gergely Karácsony was also among the attendees of said opening event. He stated that unlike last year (when the energy crisis was at its peak), the Christmas lights will be installed again this year.

Krzysztof Sachs, creative director of the Lumina company, said that every lightpark has a unique theme, so they were open to the idea of a park inspired by the history of Budapest. In his words, the final result was not only spectacular but also educational with a touch of nostalgia.

At the entrance gate, after walking under a clock going backwards, we can see legionaries. This nod towards Aquincum and the Romans precedes the “time labyrinth” which takes us forward into the nineteenth century. Here, we can marvel at a garden “dancing” to operetta hits and even an underground metro rumbling along the Andrássy Avenue.

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We can enjoy the spectacle of the iconic symbols of Budapest: the Chain Bridge with its lions and the dazzling Parliament.

The walk continues from here to the 1950s and to the era of rock and disco. We can see installations of the Golden Team, the Paul Street Boys and among others, some period specific cars, like the Trabant and the Zaporozhet.

After this trip to the past, we arrive to present-day Budapest. In the end we can even catch a glimpse of the future, where everything will be controlled by robots.

A great feature of the lightpark are its many interactive parts. You can board most vehicles or beat the drums.

The “time travel” takes about one and a half hour. The Lumina Park is open from sundown to 9 pm everyday until the 4th of March.

According to the BGYH, this year, the Lumina Christmas Park will also open its gates between 10 November and 15 January. During this time, the Lumina Christmas Park will be held in the park of Római fürdő ensuring a proper Christmas atmosphere.

The Budapest spa establishment has signed a three-year agreement with the Polish Lumina company. This means we can be sure that next year, there will be a Lumina Park to enjoy for residents and tourists alike.