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There is a small perfumery on Váci Street, which is a pleasure to visit: its beautiful products and, of course, fairy-tale scents tempt you, with which, following the store's historical heritage, they will also perfume the street this year.
Eau de Tihany is bringing the magic of Christmas to the heart of Budapest in a special way this year: during the festive season, Váci Street will be enveloped in a cloud of orange and cinnamon scent. With this, the brand pays tribute to the legendary perfumery of Kálmán Kosztelicz and revives the century-old Budapest tradition – the world of fragrant streets.
The scent of the past - a tradition born in Budapest returns
The perfumery located at 18. Váci Street is a special place in the heart of the city. Behind the window, a space welcomes the visitor that almost feels like time travel: the counters, display cases and the iconic chandelier are exactly as Kálmán Kosztelicz dreamed in 1928. In that era, perfumeries were not just shops, but symbols of the modern metropolis: meeting points of glamour, elegance, lights and scents.
The Kosztelitz family's shops played a pioneering role in Budapest's beauty culture. Here, you could for the first time get access to iconic brands such as Coty or Elizabeth Arden products, which were available exclusively here in Hungary at the time. The entire spectrum of beauty care appeared in the drugstores of the time: women could buy not only perfumes, but also creams, powders and special French-German products.
Kosztelitz not only distributed, but also created them himself - his own lavender cologne received international acclaim in the 1930s. But what made the Váci Street shop even more special: they were among the first in Budapest to perfume the street. The fresh floral, citrus or lavender scent excited both the mood and the curiosity of passers-by.
A new life for a century-old perfumery – Eau de Tihany carries on the story
The interior, which has remained completely intact due to its monument protection, is now the home of Eau de Tihany. The Hungarian fragrance brand has treated the historical space with special respect: it has preserved all its beauty, while filling it with new, modern content.
“For us, this place is a living heritage. We have not only taken over walls and furniture, but also a spirit – that delicate, century-old elegance that you can relate to,” says Zsolt Nyárádi, the owner of Eau de Tihany.
“That is why we have undertaken to revive the tradition of scented streets this Christmas. The city needs experiences that connect us to both our past and our present. And scent is the strongest link between the two.”
Váci Street is once again given a festive look: the air is filled with cinnamon, orange and delicate lavender, which – like an invisible garland – accompany passers-by.
“The same counter stood here in 1928” – a miracle even from a historian’s perspective
Krisztián Hegedüs, assistant museologist at the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Hospitality, also emphasizes the outstanding value of the store:
“In the history of Budapest’s commerce, there are very few places left where we can actually see the interior from between the two world wars in its original state. This perfumery is like stepping out of a period magazine. The Kosztelitz company was at the forefront of French and American trends in its time, and the fact that Eau de Tihany continues this spirit is the most beautiful dialogue possible between the past and the present.”
Christmas fragrance installation – a new chapter in the history of “fragrant Budapest”
The brand aims to make the fragrance experiment a tradition next year: as many shops as possible will join them, and the entire stretch of Váci Street will once again have a fragrant, festive look – as the city once experienced a century ago. With this project, Eau de Tihany is not only continuing its own history, but also bringing back the atmosphere of a bygone era.
Source and photos: Just Creative
