Hungary Hands On !
The Classic Traditions of Embroidery and Beading!

When: August 19 - Sept. 1, 2010

Led by: Adam Molnar

Featuring:

  • Workshops with Village Masters
  • Collecting Museum Pieces

Hungarian folk art is one of the richest in Europe. Though generations of scholars have tried to prove that the Hungarian language, traditions, and arts can be traced back to Central Asia, most Hungarian folk art is derived from European “high” culture, e.g. the Italian Renaissance. On this trip you'll see the highlights of traditional Hungarian crafts, visit public and private collections, attend the Annual Juried Handicraft Fair in Budapest, have the chance to buy museum pieces, visit craft workshops and learn embroidery and beading from the village masters you will meet on this trip.

The group size is limited to about eight to provide for small-group and individualized teaching. Tour members must bring their sewing kits. All workshop patterns, thread, and elements will be provided. Join us and take this extraordinary opportunity to collect museum-quality pieces.

There will be an English-speaking guide with the group at all times and transport will be provided by private bus. Accommodations will be in friendly, small hotels or home-stays with families. There will be two meals a day. Some of the meals will be prepared and served by excellent cooks in their homes—a unique opportunity to sample superb, authentic Hungarian cuisine. All admissions to museums, private collections, and sightseeings are included, as well as tips and taxes (except for gratuities for the guide and driver).

Price:

Land only: $3890

About Adam Molnar
Adam has his Ph.D. in Oriental Studies, and has lectured in the history, languages, anthropology, and religious history of Central Asia at the University of Szeged, Southern Hungary. His book "Weather-Magic in Inner Asia" was published in Bloomington, Indiana.

He is Secretary of the International Society for Shamanistic Research, publishes "Shaman", journal of the society as well as a book series and journal of "Hungarian Heritage" for the European Folklore Institute. As a guide, he offers programs in Hungarian folk dance, music and crafts.


         

Our Itinerary Map    Travel Tips

Day 1: Thursday, August 19:
Leave your home port.

Day 2 - 4: Friday-Sunday, August 20-22:
BUDAPEST. See the sights of the capital including the
Central Market Hall, visit the Museum of Ethnography, spend two afternoons at the Annual Juried Handicraft Fair (“Festival of Folk Arts”).

Day 5 - 6: Monday-Tuesday, August 23-24:
GYİR. We travel to the Little Plains in Northwestern
Hungary for a workshop on the local embroidery styles (Rabakoz and Hovej). We’ll also have some time to explore the main sights of that part of Hungary.

Day 7: Wednesday, August 25:
BADACSONY. On this day we’ll travel through the country and spend a night at Badacsony Hill at the Balaton Lake, one of the most spectacular sights in Hungary.

Day 8 - 10: Thursday-Saturday, August 26-28:
SZEKSZARD. On our way to Szeksza·rd, we visit the
village of Buzsak, famous for its red and blue embroidery. Sarkoz (“The Marshlands”), a handful of small villages on hillocks, cut off from the rest of the country by frequent floods, has remained one of the few areas in Hungary where traditional way of village life has survived. We'll spend two days in this region, see small local museums and private collections, meet members of the local embroidery guild, and have embroidery and beading workshops with several village masters.

Day 11 - 12: Sunday-Monday, August 29-30:
KALOCSA. Drive to Kalocsa, the center of Hungarian
folk crafts and arts. See the famous Paprika Museum and other local museums. We'll have an embroidery, needle lace, and an optional egg-painting workshop with a master craftsperson.

Day 13: Tuesday, August 31:
BUDAPEST. In the morning we drive across the Hungarian Great Plains en route we’ll visit the Lace Museum in Kiskunhalas and continue to Kecskemet, a typical Hungarian town of the area, famous for its Art Nouveau style architecture. Visit the Museum of Hungarian Folk Crafts. Drive back to Budapest for a farewell dinner.

Day 14: Wednesday, September 1:
Treasures in hand, fly back to the US.