From walking clubs and coffee mornings to feminist book discussions, women’s communities in Budapest are bringing people together beyond traditional social gatherings.

At the first two gatherings of The Girlie Walk Club Budapest, around 20 to 30 women turned up. By the third, more than 90 had joined, according to founder Laura Kelemen. What began as an idea inspired by walking clubs abroad quickly found an audience in the Hungarian capital, where making friends as an adult can sometimes feel like unfamiliar territory.

Elsewhere in Budapest, women meet over coffee, attend cinema screenings and yoga sessions, or explore vintage shops together. Others connect through literature, film and discussions about feminism. For Laura and Claudia Jolly, founder of Social Girls Budapest, the challenge goes beyond bringing strangers together. It is helping them feel comfortable enough to strike up a conversation.

When making friends means starting from scratch

For Claudia, the inspiration behind Social Girls Budapest came from a familiar predicament: having plenty of things she wanted to do but nobody available to join her. “I often had so many ideas for things I wanted to do, but no one to do them with, and I realised that other women might be experiencing the same thing,” she told Daily News Hungary.

Claudia felt many social gatherings were difficult for newcomers to enter or centred on drinking and noisy environments. She wanted something more personal, where women could arrive alone without feeling out of place. “I wanted to create a community where women could arrive without knowing anyone and feel welcome from the start,” she said.

Social Girls Budapest is free to join, with no membership requirements or expectations of regular attendance. Activities range from coffee mornings and cinema nights to yoga, comedy shows and vintage shopping. Most participants are international women aged 20 and above, although Hungarian women, including those returning after living abroad, are also welcome.

Breaking the ice, one step at a time

While Claudia brings women together through different activities, Laura has built her community around something simpler: walking. Inspired by walking clubs abroad and a video featuring writer Roxie Nafousi, she wanted to introduce a similar concept to Hungary.

“Walking side by side makes starting a conversation feel much more natural and less intimidating than approaching someone in a traditional social setting,” Laura explained. Unlike conventional networking events, the walks require no rehearsed introductions. Shyer participants can enjoy their surroundings until they feel ready to engage, while occasional activities help break the ice.

Most members are Hungarian, although international residents and visitors have also joined. Laura hopes to welcome more diverse participants while encouraging women to explore Budapest, spend time outdoors and look after their mental well-being.

The challenges of building a social circle in Budapest

For international women, settling into Budapest can mean rebuilding their social lives from scratch. Claudia identifies language barriers as one obstacle. She recalled attending dance classes advertised in English where instructors and participants communicated primarily in Hungarian. Such experiences, she believes, can make it difficult for newcomers to establish friendships.

Another challenge is the transient nature of the city’s international population, as students and professionals arrive and eventually leave. “Building meaningful relationships takes time and consistency, and it can be challenging to establish that when social circles are constantly changing,” Claudia said.

Yet finding friends can be difficult even for long-term residents. Some women join Social Girls Budapest after a breakup or a change in their social circumstances. Laura recognises similar challenges among adults who have lived in the city for years. “I think making friends as an adult can be surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re trying to find people who share your interests and values,” she said.

Read more: Expat mums share their experiences living in Hungary II

More than coffee dates and weekend walks

Other communities in Budapest bring women together through shared professional, cultural, and intellectual interests.

Feminista Meetup Budapest traces its beginnings to 2023, when Florence established a feminist book club at the French Institute. According to the collective’s Instagram account, the initiative later moved to Közkincs Könyvtár and switched to English. Its book and film clubs came together under Feminista Meetup in 2025, and the group has since announced plans for a Hungarian-language feminist book club.

Meanwhile, Women’s Coffee Network connects local and international female professionals through small, facilitated gatherings. Established organisations such as the North American Women’s Association of Budapest and the International Women’s Club of Budapest also organise social, cultural and charitable activities.

Facebook groups and friendship apps such as Bumble BFF provide additional ways to meet people, particularly for those looking to expand their social circles beyond organised gatherings.

Why women-focused spaces matter

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding her walking club, Laura said its women-only format initially attracted criticism. “In the beginning, I received quite a lot of negative comments questioning why men weren’t allowed to participate,” she recalled.

“Having a space where women feel comfortable opening up, sharing their experiences and supporting one another doesn’t mean excluding others out of negativity. It simply means creating an environment with a particular purpose.”

Claudia similarly believes smaller gatherings help women who find large social events intimidating. At Social Girls Budapest, participants can get to know one another gradually, without pressure to form immediate friendships. “There is no single way to socialise or form friendships,” she said.

Perhaps that is what makes these communities appealing. Some friendships begin over coffee, others through a shared book or a walk around the city. Sometimes, all it takes is showing up.

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