Explore the Art Nouveau and Secessionist architecture of Budapest on a private half-day sightseeing tour that can be customized to your preferences. During the tour, you will learn about the Hungarian architect Ödön Lechner, one of the most outstanding personalities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the “Hungarian Gaudi,” his work was characterized by dressing up modern functionalism with unique decorative forms, using the motifs of Hungarian folklore and the Oriental - mainly Indian - arts. He worked with the Zsolnay Ceramic Factory to realize his dreams all over Budapest, resulting in colorful roofs, mosaic walls, statues, and decorative elements. Among the highlights of your tour, admire the striking green roof and Mogul influences of the Museum of Applied Arts, the flamboyant façade of the Institute of Geology, and the sensational Royal Postal Savings Bank. Other sites you can visit include the mosaic exterior of Thonet House, the exotic Elephant House at Budapest Zoo, magnificent Gresham Palace (now a 5-star hotel), and the Turkish Bank building at Szervita tér, a classic example of Secessionist mosaic and glass design.