Communism to Democracy with Private Guide and entrance to House of Terror Museum
This private walking tour through central Pest will take you through the Hungarian political history of the twenty-first century.
- Commence your tour outside the Parliament House, where you will learn the backdrop of Hungarian politics in the preceding centuries.
- Visit the Memorial to the 1956 Revolution, which subsequently led to the rule of the communists for nearly four decades.
- Then continue your journey through Liberty Square and hear stories of Hungary's Communist past
- Explore a collection of retro bars and butcher shops as you wander through the central district while discussing life under communist rule.
- Lastly finish your tour at the House of Terror Museum (entrance tickets included), where you will see remnants of the Iron Curtain.
- Your guide will depart with you at the museum before you enter, having laid the context for you to enjoy the museum with the complexity and nuance of the country's history.
This experience chronologies the turbulent history of communism within Hungary, navigating through the rise and fall of this political regime. Discover how the scars of communism are scattered across the city – through architecture and memorialisation – and form a unique understanding of Hungarian politics.
When the Second World War drew to a close, Hungary was a democratic country with several parties for three years, and thereafter declared a People’s Republic, when socialist ideals announced the nation’s goals. By 1950, nationalisation meant the state-controlled a majority of the economy, causing friction between the people and the government. This tumultuous relationship culminated in the 1956 revolution, in which it became clear that Hungary’s unique political structure demanded an individualised form of communism. During the 1960s to the late 80s, Goulash Communism was born, but Hungary faced a transition to western-style democracy in 1989. Since, the country became a parliamentary republic, joined NATO in 1999, and integrated with the EU in 2004.
On your tour, you will spend two hours with a private guide journeying through the complex history which led to the rise and fall of communism in Hungary. At the end of your tour, your guide will part with you at the House of Terror Museum after helping you purchase tickets (included). Then, visit the museum at your own pace as you delve into the history of Hungary's two reigns of terror.
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