Family Day in Budapest
On November 22nd, the sky was barely beginning to lighten when the enthusiastic team of the Pécs Community House—both young and old alike—set off to spend an unforgettable day in Budapest. Already in the first minutes on the bus, the excitement of curiosity could be felt: what secrets does the Parliament hold? What is the legendary Puskás Arena like from the inside? What does a ping-pong ball do in a vacuum at the Palace of Wonders?
Our day began at the Parliament, touring one of Hungary’s most impressive buildings in two groups. Behind the stunning neo-Gothic details, history came alive: we learned, for example, that the building, inaugurated in 1902, was made of more than 40 million bricks and 40 kilograms of gold. In the Dome Hall, we admired the Holy Crown, while learning that the coronation insignia have found their permanent home here since 2000. The monumental frescoes decorating the walls felt as if history itself were speaking to us.
After the Parliament, we walked along the Danube bank—where the panorama of the Chain Bridge and Gellért Hill enchanted even the smallest ones—and then continued to Heroes’ Square to walk among the most important figures of Hungarian history.
Our next stop was the Puskás Museum and Arena. The Puskás Museum is a true journey through time into the life of Ferenc Puskás—the “Galloping Major”—and the world of the golden age of Hungarian football. The exhibition does not simply display objects but tells stories about becoming a legend, perseverance, talent, and how a boy from Kispest became one of the world’s most famous and recognized footballers. Entering the museum, visitors are greeted by old jerseys, balls, trophies, and photos. Ferenc Puskás’s personal relics can be seen, including his iconic shoes, kits worn during his national team appearances, and even relics he used as a Real Madrid player. Walking among the display cases, the most famous moments are evoked: the legendary matches of the Golden Team (Aranycsapat), the 6:3 in London in 1953—which wrote Hungary’s name into football history forever—and Puskás’s triumph in Spain. The interactive elements of the museum provide a special experience: video installations show the great goals of the era, coaches’ messages, and turning points in his career. Puskás’s journey can be followed along the walls from Kispest through Madrid to Melbourne, and back to Hungary. The experience is not only special for sports fans: it is inspiring for anyone to see a life path that proves that with talent, work, and passion, one can become world-class even from a small country.
The museum was also the perfect lead-in to the stadium tour: by the time we stepped out from under the stands into the huge arena, we all understood better what tradition and pride live on in Hungarian football. The history of the stadium from 1953 right up to the handover of the modern arena was revealed to us. We learned that the new Puskás Arena, built on the site of the original People’s Stadium (Népstadion), is capable of holding more than 67,000 spectators, and world stars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Dominik Szoboszlai have already taken the field here. During the stadium tour, we visited the locker rooms, the player tunnel, and could even stand at the edge of the pitch—for a moment, we could all feel like football players. The museum was a real treasure trove about the life of Ferenc Puskás, who became not only a Hungarian legend but also a world-class icon during his years at Real Madrid.
The third—and perhaps most eventful—stop of the day was the Palace of Wonders (Csodák Palotája). Thanks to hundreds of interactive tools, everyone could immerse themselves in the playful world of science. Some tried to keep their balance in the rotating room, others discovered how magnetism, optics, or sound vibration work. The Tesla coil demonstration provided a literally sparking experience! Children and adults alike lost track of time here—in this form, science is simultaneously a game, discovery, and magic.
Throughout the day, we strived to organize such colorful and experience-rich programs for the beneficiaries of the Csányi Foundation and their families that we can truly look back on with joy and togetherness. We thank the Csányi Foundation for making all this possible.
Mentors of Pécs
As We Saw It…
“Thank you very much for today! We heard many interesting things in the Parliament; it was good to see the crown jewels up close as well. For me, a personal novelty was the audio guide transmission via headphones solved for everyone, so no one missed any information. The Puskás Arena was a huge experience, all three of us enjoyed it very much, the building levels presenting Uncle Öcsi’s life were created to a very high standard. The cavalcade of images and videos was a huge visual experience, the concrete presentation of the scenes of his apartments was illustrative, which thus the child of today’s age can also feel. The floor about the historical/political background was also very instructive, full of elements connectable to their history studies. Fantastic. We had already been to the Palace of Wonders with the family, but even so, we threw ourselves into the game elements with curiosity and enjoyment. Today was a really good occasion for the goal for which the family day was realized. Families had the occasion and opportunity to talk a lot with each other, we had a very good time!” Brigitta Soós, Parent, Pécs Group 1, Pécs Group 3
“On Saturday, we had a very good time at the family day. The kids liked the Stadium and the Palace of Wonders the most. My husband and I liked the Puskás Museum the most. Every program was super! Thank you for the opportunity!” Mrs. József Kuti, Grandparent, Pécs Group 3
“My younger brother and I really liked the family day! There were many programs, the food was delicious too, and if needed, there was always extra. First, we went to the Parliament, where I personally hadn’t been before. When we went in, a very kind lady was our guide, who led us around various points of the Parliament. The whole building was very beautiful not only from the outside but also from the inside. There were many beautiful statues beside the beautiful rooms; I liked it best when we viewed the crown too. It was simply a very honoring feeling to see it. After the Parliament, we went to the Puskás Museum, where we were also received very kindly and started the journey; first, it was about Ferenc Puskás’s life, then which teams he played in, but we also found out a lot of new information about many of his teammates/Hungarian football players. Then it was about the situation of athletes due to the political situation unfolding during those times, then the performance of the Hungarian national team at the world championship of that time. We learned a lot of new information about the Golden Team and the stages of Ferenc Puskás’s life. We could look at one of Ferenc Puskás’s very old and beautiful cars. When this part ended, we went over to the Puskás Arena and looked at various boxes, and from there went down to the auditorium where we learned many things about the Arena/its construction, then we had the opportunity to go down to the designated edge of the pitch, it was a very good feeling to stand there knowing what great legends have played there already. When this ended, we headed to the Palace of Wonders; when we got there, we were very excited seeing the many good games/programs, first we looked around and then immediately found something that caught our interest. We spent the time there very well, but unfortunately, we had to head home after, but on the way home there were very good conversations. Personally, I liked the Puskás Arena the best because I like football and was interested in Ferenc Puskás’s life/and how he became the Ferenc Puskás we know today. We thank the Csányi Foundation very much that we could participate in this wonderful day.” Bálint Radics, Pécs Group 3
“This year’s family day was special for us. We got to places through the Foundation where we hadn’t been before. The first program was a guided tour in the Parliament, where we could see the huge and exceptionally decorated House of Parliament. We could walk the corridors, halls, admire the coronation jewels, while also hearing important information. Our path led to the Puskás Arena. We viewed the special 4-level Puskás Museum, then were guided around several levels and locations of the Arena; we had a very interesting experience. Many little behind-the-scenes secrets were also revealed. The third and closing program was in the Palace of Wonders, where both little ones and adults could gather experiences and discover. We spent a meaningful, excellently organized day together, at fantastic programs. I particularly liked that besides the experiences, we also had time to talk in the meantime, to get to know each other better. I thank the Foundation for this wonderful day.” Bernadett Fülöp, Parent, Pécs Group 3
“We spent our family day, which we attended with all three groups, our parents, and siblings, in Budapest. In the Parliament, we could see the Holy Crown up close, guarded by soldiers, and they told us things we hadn’t heard in history class. The visit to the Puskás Arena and viewing the museum was also a great experience; we could get to know the life of the greatest Hungarian footballer, Ferenc Puskás, with many pictures and videos. In the Palace of Wonders, together with our parents, we tried the Fakir’s bed, spun a vortex, mixed our faces through the set mirrors, experimented with baking soda in a mini-laboratory wearing white coats and protective goggles, and watched physics and chemistry experiments. We thank the Foundation that we could spend this day together! We had an experience-filled day!” Míra Körösi and Violetta Körösi, Pécs Group 1
“Thank you very much for this family day. The program was very well organized, thoughtful, and the time management was good. The Parliament House was beautiful, and we could be enriched with much useful information through the guided tour. During the rest stop at Heroes’ Square, the children could also work off the fatigue of the journey. The Puskás Arena was also interesting; the museum visit held many interesting things. Of course, the Palace of Wonders meant the greatest experience for the children. They were a bit tired by then, but the many playful things to discover completely electrified them. Once again, we thank the foundation for this wonderful day!” Kitti Halas, Parent, Pécs Group 2
“Thank you very much for the family trip and the many meaningful programs. The organization was very good; I and the children especially liked that before every program, we discussed the schedule and the rules. With this, we could also manage the timeline of the unstructured activities better. We tried to always keep to what was said, thereby helping the work of the organizers as it was visible how much time they devote to planning. The early departure caused no problem for us; the children handled it well too. A few words about the programs: The Parliament was very good, everyone enjoyed it. The Puskás Arena was a little long, the museum guide perhaps a bit serious. The Palace of Wonders was fantastic. We thank the foundation for the support and you for the organization and execution.” Gergő Dominek, Parent, Pécs Group 2
“The Foundation organized a program full of super experiences, which we could not have done on our own resources. We are grateful that we got to such beautiful places through you. The lunch package was plentiful, the transport safe and comfortable! Our children enjoyed the programs and the many sights very much! The Parliament was wonderful, the Puskás Arena impressive, and at the end of the day, the Palace of Wonders was the icing on the cake, where they could satisfy their thirst for knowledge and curiosity. Super company, super people, both the mentors and the parents too!” Mrs. Dávid Szita, Parent, Pécs Group 2
“We are immeasurably grateful to the foundation that we received the opportunity for very good family recreation. To the mentors for the organization and the programs. What we liked very much was the Parliament, and that we got an insight into the Puskás Museum; for the children, the Palace of Wonders was a huge experience as well. We had the opportunity to get to know the other families, but what was even better than this was that our family was together and we moved out of the daily grind. ❤️ (We got very tired, but it was a pleasant tiredness.) With thanks:” Ruppert Family, Pécs Group 2