Among the museum highlights in Budapest this 23 October are a once-stolen Raphael, a medieval crown discovered on Margaret Island, and a chair said to reveal witches.
On 23 October 2026, Hungary will mark the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution.
The national holiday is also an opportunity to explore Budapest’s museums, where centuries of Hungarian history come to life through art, historical objects, and exhibitions.
From photographs documenting the 1956 Revolution to a medieval crown discovered on Margaret Island and a Raphael painting stolen from a Budapest museum, these seven highlights give a closer look at the stories behind Hungary’s art, history, and traditions.
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House of Terror Museum: Photographs of the 1956 Revolution
As Hungary marks the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, the House of Terror Museum is a good place to start. Its exhibition, We Made World History: 1956-2026, features historical photographs documenting the uprising against Soviet-backed communist rule.
One photograph shows young revolutionaries at Blaha Lujza Square, with the former National Theatre in the background. The theatre was demolished in 1964, making the photograph a reminder of how much Budapest has changed since the revolution.
Hungarian National Museum: A medieval crown discovered on Margaret Island
Margaret Island is known today for its gardens, running paths, and picnic spots. However, in 1838, a medieval crown was discovered in a royal tomb at the island’s former Dominican convent.
The Margaret Island Crown dates to the 13th century and features decorations of lilies and rosettes. It has been associated with King Stephen V, although historians have yet to establish with certainty who was buried with it.
Centuries before it became one of Budapest’s most popular recreational spaces, Margaret Island was closely connected to Hungary’s medieval royal family. The crown is a reminder of that lesser-known history.
Hungarian National Gallery: The painting that inspired City Park’s balloon
Anyone who has visited City Park may have noticed the red-and-white balloon rising above the trees, but did you know its design was inspired by a Hungarian painting?
The Balloon (Léghajó), painted in 1878 by Pál Szinyei Merse, depicts a small balloon floating across a vast sky above the countryside. The artwork was inspired by a balloon journey undertaken by the artist’s brother-in-law, Béla Probstner, at a time when balloon flights were still an unusual spectacle.
More than a century later, the painting’s distinctive striped balloon inspired the design of BalloonFly, the tethered balloon attraction in Budapest’s City Park.
Museum of Fine Arts: The Raphael masterpiece stolen from Budapest
One of the Museum of Fine Arts’ most famous paintings was once at the centre of an international art theft. Raphael’s Esterházy Madonna, painted around 1508, depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and John the Baptist. It takes its name from the Hungarian Esterházy family, whose art collection played an important role in the museum’s history.
In 1983, thieves stole the painting alongside six other valuable artworks from the Budapest museum. The stolen paintings were recovered in 1984, with six discovered at a monastery in Greece. The Esterházy Madonna eventually returned to the Museum of Fine Arts, where it remains part of the collection.
Museum of Ethnography: The chair said to reveal witches
According to Hungarian folklore, a wooden chair could help reveal witches hiding among ordinary villagers.
The Museum of Ethnography includes a Lucaszéke (St. Lucy’s Chair) dating to 1867. Made from nine types of wood, the chair was associated with a tradition in which people believed they could identify witches by standing on it during Christmas Eve midnight Mass.
The chair was supposed to be destroyed after use. However, a priest in the village of Vál recognised its significance and preserved it. Today, it is among the museum’s ten highlighted objects.
Budapest History Museum: When Buda, Pest, and Óbuda became one city
Budapest wasn’t always one city. Until 1873, Buda, Pest, and Óbuda were separate settlements that eventually came together to form the Hungarian capital.
At the Budapest History Museum’s Castle Museum, the permanent exhibition Budapest – Light and Shadow: 1000 Years of History of the Capital traces the city’s development through historical objects, maps, and photographs.
The unification of the three settlements on 17 November 1873 marked a turning point in Budapest’s history. The late 19th century brought major developments, including Andrássy Avenue, the Parliament building, and the Millennium Underground Railway. For anyone familiar with Budapest today, the exhibition puts some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks into historical context.
Ludwig Museum: What will Hungarian art look like in 30 years?
After centuries of Hungarian history, the Ludwig Museum turns our attention to the present and what comes next. From 20 to 25 October, the museum will present The Next 30, a pop-up exhibition featuring works by contemporary Hungarian artists, particularly those created since 2000.
The exhibition marks 30 years since the museum reopened as the Museum of Contemporary Art in 1996. It also raises an interesting question: which artworks will future generations look back on to understand Hungary’s art scene today? With just six days to see the exhibition, the national holiday falls right in the middle of its run.
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