The cursed bull, the campus cat, and Kolodko’s Garfield – A feline-focused walking tour through Erzsébetváros
The Miau, Purring Budapest tour by Pestbudai Séták is a feline-themed urban exploration tailor-made for animal lovers. Winding through Budapest’s 7th District, the route includes hidden corners, rich historical anecdotes, and exclusive access to the lush inner garden of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, a space otherwise closed to the public. Along the way, visitors also encounter striking examples of street art.
The University’s beloved cat, Marci
One of the tour’s most exciting highlights is the rare opportunity to wander through the inner campus of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest. Before the COVID pandemic, this was an open space, freely accessible to all. Since then, entry has been restricted – the garden may be admired from the outside, but stepping in requires special permission. This guided walk offers participants that rare chance to explore the university’s architectural and artistic treasures from within.
Designed by the renowned architect Imre Steindl, the university’s campus is home to numerous works of art, many of them bronze busts honouring pioneers in Hungarian veterinary science. Others depict animals – a thematic nod to the institution’s mission. Just beyond the main entrance stands a life-size statue of a Hungarian Grey bull, sculpted by Béla Domonkos. The model for the statue was a bull named Csatlós, from the Hortobágy region. Unveiled in 1987, the sculpture quickly gained notoriety due to a peculiar superstition: students who sit on the bull’s back are said to fail their exams. Rumour has it that the legend originated with the faculty themselves. Truth or not, the tale adds to the mystique of the campus.
Creating the statue wasn’t without drama. According to a 1987 article in Pest Megyei Hírlap, the sculptor and bull endured quite an ordeal. Living in harsh conditions at the time, Domonkos witnessed Csatlós being herded violently into an enclosure for observation and sketching. The bull attempted to break free three times before being subdued with the help of a clever dog named Fickó. Isolated from the herd, Csatlós was nearly attacked by the other bulls – a grim reminder of how animals, too, recognise outsiders. In the end, Domonkos managed to complete his sketches, and in gratitude, local herders hosted him for a farewell dinner and gifted him a keepsake: a bull’s tailbone.
Whether the bull really jinxes exams remains uncertain, but one story is beyond dispute: the university once had a resident cat. Marci, a black tomcat, wandered into the garden one day and stayed for twelve years. He became a campus legend, loved by students, staff, and professors. After his passing in 2023, the community raised funds for a statue in his memory. Today, Marci sits proudly on a windowsill of one of the buildings, his legacy immortalised in bronze beside a multilingual plaque.
From centaurs to Hungarian breeds
Continuing the tour, visitors encounter a statue of a centaur, often mistaken for Firenze, the wise centaur from the Harry Potter series. The sculpture is followed by a captivating installation by artist Gábor Benő Pogány: a nine-piece ensemble showcasing native Hungarian dog breeds, including the Puli, Pumi, Mudi, Hungarian Vizsla, Wirehaired Vizsla, Hungarian Greyhound, Transylvanian Hound, Kuvasz, and Komondor.
Street art meets veterinary science
The experience is framed by the whimsical works of guerrilla sculptor Mihály Kolodko, famed for his miniature statues scattered across Budapest. Before entering the campus, visitors can view Kolodko’s Noah’s Ark at the nearby Bethlen Gábor Square playground – a piece inspired by the university. Upon leaving, a final surprise awaits: a sculpture of Garfield’s head atop one of the fence columns. Originally, the fence featured small animal heads, but several went missing over time. Kolodko filled the gap with a tribute to the comic-strip cat in honour of Garfield’s 45th anniversary.