Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
Page 111
Metro to Deák Tér. Follow the signs. Church free. Tower 500Ft, students 400Ft. Church open daily 7am-7pm. Chapel May-Oct M-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 1-5pm; Nov-Apr M-Sa 10am-4pm. Mass M-Sa 8am and 6pm, Su 8, 9, 10am, noon, 6, 7:30pm. Tower open daily Apr-Oct M-Sa 10am-6pm.
LIBERTY SQUARE
Szabadság Tér 8-9
SQUARE
01 428 2752 www.english.mnb.hu
Built on the site of a former prison facility meant to tame rebellious Hungarians, the square is now a green space with benches and a cafe. It also contains the only remaining Soviet monument in Budapest proper, a massive obelisk commemorating the Russian soldiers who liberated the city from the Germans in WWII. Nearby, the Hungarian National Bank’s elegant facade and the American Embassy ironically (or symbolically) stand face-to-face with the red star-topped obelisk.
M3: Arany János. Directly diagonal from the Metro toward the river.
Erzsébetváros
GOZSDU UDVAR
Between Király utca 13. and Dob utca 16
WALKWAY
www.culture.hu
A 200m stretch of six connected courtyards under six apartment and office buildings, the walkway feels like a secret little market with restaurants, cafes, shops and a stage for concerts, comedy, and promo events in almost every courtyard. Perfect for a cool respite from the summer heat or a warm, friendly place in the winter to amble in the energy of Budapest’s coolest locals.
M1: Oktogon. Head east on Erzsébet krt and turn right on Király utca. Summer months bring open-air concerts and events.
SYNAGOGUE AND JEWISH MUSEUM
Corner of Dohány utca and Wesselényi utca.
MUSEUM, SYNAGOGUE
3670 533 5696 www.greatsynagogue.hu
The largest synagogue in Europe and the second-largest in the world, Pest’s Great Synagogue (Zsinagóga) was built in 1859 and heavily damaged during WWII when the Nazis used it as a radio base during the Siege of Budapest. The 20-year effort to restore the towering onion domes and Moorish Revival-style building is only now coming to a head. The enormous metal weeping willow called the Tree of Life stands in the courtyard as a beautiful Holocaust memorial. Next door, the Jewish Museum (Zsidó Múzeum), built at the birthplace of Zionist Theodor Herzel, displays Budapest’s most prominent Jewish artifacts.
M2: Astoria. Covered shoulders required. Men must cover their heads inside; yarmulkes available at the entrance. Admission to museum included with entrance to the synagogue. 1400Ft, students 750Ft. Tours 1900Ft/1600Ft. Open May-Oct M-Th 10am-5pm, F 10am-2pm, Su 10am-2pm; Nov-Apr M-Th 10am-3pm, F 10am-1pm, Su 10am-1pm. Services F 6pm. First entry 10:30am. Tours M-Th 10:30am-3:30pm every 30min.; F and Su 10:30, 11:30am, 12:30pm.
Terézváros
ANDRÁSSY ÚT
BOULEVARD
Hungary’s grandest boulevard, Andrássy út extends from Erzsébet tér northeast to Heroes’ Square (Hősök tér). Its elegant gardens and balconies, laid out in 1872 and renovated after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, recall the grandeur of Budapest’s Golden Age. While the Metro runs directly under the boulevard, it would be a shame to miss the walk, which takes you past rows of UNESCO-PRESERVED buildings. At the intersection with Felsőerdősor utca, Kodály körönd is surrounded by beautifully painted buildings and statues of three of Hungary’s greatest Ottoman-killers as well as a poet who celebrated the anti-Ottoman exploits of the other three when he wasn’t celebrating more erotic exploits.
NYUGATI PÁLYAUDVAR
GRASSY KNOLL
A brand-spanking new nook next to the train station, transformed from a parking lot to a grassy knoll for reading and lounging, along with a terrace for nightlife activities. Revel in the beautiful architecture of Nyugati as a backdrop for this secret little respite off the main boulevard. The venue boasts two cafes and bars and is an up-and-coming host to live concerts, plays, and broadcasts.
M 1-3: Nyugati pályaudvar. At the intersection of Teréz körút, Szent István körút, Váci út, and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út.
EIFFEL TÉR
RAILWAY STATION www.eiffelter.hu
This railway station is smaller than its eastern cousin, though it has the advantage of being in a neighborhood you’ll actually want to visit. The building was designed and built by the Eiffel Co., though it’s notably less phallic than the company’s Parisian masterpiece. The station itself is a beautiful Baroque construction connected to the most lavish McDonald’s you’ll ever see.
M 1-3: Nyugati pályaudvar. To the right of the station if you’re looking at the big clock.
The Városliget
HŐSÖK TERE (HEROES’ SQUARE)
MONUMENT
At the Heroes’ Square end of Andrássy út, the Millennium Monument commemorates Hungary’s heroes. Built for the city’s millennial celebration, the sweeping structure dominates the square. The pillar in the center is topped by the Archangel Gabriel, presenting the Hungarian crown to St. Stephen. At its base are equestrian statues of the seven chieftains said to be the leaders of the Magyar tribes that settled the Carpathian Basin. The pillar and the surrounding structures contain statues of other national heroes: it’s a veritable hit parade of awesome hats through the ages from St. Stephen to King Matthias Corvinus. During the summer, concerts and other events are often held in the square and in the winter an area of the square functions as an ice rink. The square is flanked by the Museum of Fine Arts on the left and the Palace of Art on the right.
M1:Hősök tere. You can’t miss it!
SZÉCHENYI-GYÓGYFÜRDŐ (SZÉCHENYI BATHS)
Állatkerti körút 11
BATH, MONUMENT
01 363 32 10 www.szechenyibath.com
Statues and a fountain adorn the Neo-Baroque exterior of the biggest and one of the most luxurious bath complexes in Europe. A popular destination for locals and tourists alike, you could spend an entire day just relaxing in the swimming pool. Those looking to exercise their minds while their bodies unwind can challenge older intellectuals to a game of chess. Be warned that the games are often intense; don’t be surprised if you find yourself surrounded by eager spectators. After your embarrassing defeat, swim away in shame and treat yourself to a consolation massage. The complex’s 12 pools and three thermal baths mean you can probably avoid everyone who saw you lose.
M1: Széchenyi Fürdő. Bring your own bathing suit and towel. Swimming pool 2500Ft per 2hr., 2800Ft per day. Thermal tub tickets 1500Ft per day. Massages from 2000Ft. Open daily 6am-10pm.
SZÉPMűVÉSZETI MÚZEUM (MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS)
Hősök tere
MUSEUM
01 469 71 00 www.szepmuveszeti.hu
Built to look like a worn temple from antiquity, this building’s exterior is as much a work of art as the collections it houses. The museum’s main focus is a large collection of Italian and Renaissance pieces. Many of Europe’s artistic luminaries can be found here, from Giotto and Bruegel to Monet and Rodin. An excellent collection of Dutch work appears on the top floor. The basement juxtaposes the modern art collection with an awe-inspiring Egyptian collection focusing on all things mummified. Some of the striking pieces include mummified hawks, cats, and alligators. One of the museum’s prized pieces, a magic wand that looks something like a boomerang, was once used to protect children and expectant mothers from harm.
M1: Hősök tere. 1400Ft, students 700Ft. Open Tu-Su 10am-6pm. Ticket booth open Tu-Su 10am-5pm.
Várhegy, Central Buda, and the Vizivaros
ROYAL PALACE
Szent György tér 2
MUSEUM
Towering above the Danube on Várhegy, the Castle District has had something of a rough history. Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, the original castle was occupied by the Ottoman invaders, who turned it into barracks and then left it to decay. During the campaign to retake Buda by the allied Christian forces, much of the palace was destroyed by heavy artillery bombardment. It wasn’t until the middle of the 18th century that the palace was completely rebuilt, only to be destroyed aga
in less than a century later, when the Hungarian revolutionary army laid siege to it during the 1848 revolution. In the last decades of the 19th century, the palace became one of the most lavish royal residences in the world. For the Hungarians, it was an emblem of national pride. For the Axis forces at the end of WWII, it was the best place to stage a last-ditch defense of the city against the advancing Red Army. Once again, heavy artillery reduced the palace to smoldering wreckage. The communists saw the ruined Royal Palace as a symbol of the old regime and completely gutted its interior. Today Buda Castle version 4.0 closely resembles its Hapsburg incarnation, with flowery courtyards, statues, and panoramic views of the rest of the city. The interior of the palace now houses the National Széchényi Library as well as some of the city’s finest museums.
M1, M2, or M3: Deák tér. From the Metro, take bus #16 across the Danube. Or, from M2: Moszkva tér, walk up to the hill on Várfok u. “Becsi kapu” marks the castle entrance.
FISHERMAN’S BASTION (HALÁSZBÁSTYA)
Szentháromság tér
MONUMENT
Named for the fisherman’s guild that was charged with defending this stretch of Castle Hill during the Middle Ages, Fisherman’s Bastion is, despite its parapets and towers, a purely decorative structure. Frigyes Schulek, the same architect who restored Matthias Church, designed the bastion with a melange of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque elements that harmonize with the surrounding structures. The seven towers represent the seven Magyar chiefs who first settled Hungary in 896. The view of Parliament, St. Stephen, and downtown Pest is breathtaking, especially at sunset and at night.
In front of Matthias Church, walk toward the river. Daytime 300Ft, nighttime free.
MATTHIAS CHURCH (MÁTYÁS TEMPLOM)
Szentháromság tér 2
CHURCH
www.matyas-templom.hu
The colorful roof of Matthias Church on Castle Hill is one of Budapest’s most photographed sights. The church was converted to a mosque in 1541, but 145 years later, the Hapsburgs defeated the Turks, sacked the city, and then reconverted the building, in that order. The church’s decorations reflect its mixed heritage. Inside, intricate geometric patterns line the walls alongside murals by famed painter Károly Lotz, who also decorated the ceiling of the State Opera House. Facing the altar, turn left and you will find the tombs of King Béla III and his first wife, the only tombs in the church to survive the Ottoman occupation; in 1967, archeologists stripped the bodies of their royal jewelery to be included in the National Museum. Ascend the spiral steps to view the exhibits of the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art, where you’ll find plenty of gold and a replica of the Hungarian crown, complete with a slanted cross.
Bus #16, 16a and 116: Szentháromság tér. Or Morada: Estação acessível. Both take you right to the church. Because of extensive renovations that may extend into 2011, the church’s normal hours of operation change daily. Check online prior to visit to confirm. Church and museum 750Ft, students 500Ft. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-2:30pm, Su 1-5pm. High Mass M-Sa 7, 8:30am, 6pm; Su 7, 8:30, 10am, noon, 6pm.
SZÉCHENYI CHAIN BRIDGE (SZÉCHENYI LÁNCHÍD)
BRIDGE
Built in 1849, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest and one of the longest bridges in the world. At the time of its construction, it was a sensation in Budapest, its imperious structure symbolizing Hungary’s national awakening. During WWII, the Chain Bridge (along with every other bridge in the city) was destroyed by the retreating Axis forces, and was later rebuilt with a pair of noble-looking lions flanks at either end of the abutments. A popular myth states that the sculptor forgot to give the lions tongues and that the public’s merciless mocking caused him to throw himself into the Danube. In reality, the tongues are just hard to see from below. At the Buda end of the bridge you can see the Zero Kilometer Stone that marks the place from which all Hungarian highways are measured.
MAGYAR NEMZETI GALÉRIA (HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY)
Buda Palace, wings A, B, C, and D
MUSEUM
01 356 0049 www.mng.hu
The halls of Buda Castle now house the world’s largest collection of Hungarian fine arts. Spread across three floors and divided by historical period, the permanent collection traces the development of Hungarian painting and sculpture from the Gothic period to the second half of the 20th century. The collections of painters like Gyárfás Jenő and Károly Lotz are some of the museum’s best, though it’s the sculptures that stop hearts and open minds. In the 20th century galleries, look for pieces by Impressionist Béla Czóbel. The basement of the museum contains the crypt of the Hapsburg palantines, though admission can only be obtained through prior arrangement with a guide.
Hike up or take the tram to Buda Castle. The museum is housed in the giant building that you couldn’t possibly miss. Museum 900Ft. Hapsburg crypt 600Ft. Open Tu-Su 10am-6pm. Last entry 30min. before close.
wet and wild
I took a bath for the first time since I’ve been in Budapest today. Today marks my one-month-and-one-week in this city. Now before you start scrunching up your pretty little noses in your primly scrubbed apartments, fully-equipped with hot showers and clean toilets, I’d like to clarify that this was a special type of bath—yes, I have showered and kept myself tidy since I’ve been here, thank you very much. What I am talking about here are the magnificent, magical, surreal, entrancing, phenomenally orgasmic Turkish baths where you can float around for hours in warm mineral water and rub elbows with sexy septuagenarians.
The bath I went to, Széchenyi, is housed in a beautiful building in the center of the City Park and is the only bath where you can witness said 70-year-old men playing chess on floating chess boards. I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen a cat play an accordion, but it’s kind of like that. Anyway, I seriously recommend bathing when in Budapest. It will make you feel even more refreshed than half an hour of Bikram yoga and provide you with a tale you could never tell your grandchildren. It will be that wild.
-Vanda Gyuris
KIRÁLY BATHS (KIRÁLY FÜRDŐ)
Fő utca 82-84
BATH
01 202 3688 www.spasbudapest.com
Tiny holes in the top of the giant cupola draw in delicately crafted lines of light, producing the sensation that you’re bathing inside Heaven’s gates. Construction began on the monumental Király Baths by order of the Pasha of Buda in 1565. Unlike most of the area baths, the Király Baths are not connected directly to the thermal springs, taking water from another nearby bath instead. The Pasha ordered them built far from the springs so that bathing could continue even during an inevitable siege by Christian forces. Renovated and rebuilt after damage from WWII, the Király baths, perhaps more than any other in the city, evoke the spirit of the Turkish tradition with their crescent-topped domes and octagonal bath surrounded by pillars.
Trams #4, 6. From the tram stop, take south Frankel Leó utca; it will become Fő utca. Bathing-suit rental available. 2100Ft. Open daily M 8am-7pm (women only), Tu 9am-8pm (men only), W 8am-7pm (women only), Th-Sa 9am-8pm (men only), Su 9am-8pm.
CASTLE LABYRINTHS (BUDAVÁRI LABIRINTUS)
Úri utca 9 or Lovas út 4/a.
LABYRINTH
01 212 0207 www.labirintus.com
Formed naturally by thermal springs that extend 1200m underground, the Castle Labyrinths were once home to Neanderthals. For a time, the caves served as personal wine cellars for the residents of Castle Hill. In the 1930s, the tunnels were connected and expanded to create a bomb shelter that housed up to 10,000 people. Nowadays, the caves have been converted into a series of chambers that toe the line between museum and haunted house. The caves are divided into several themed sections filled with decorations of dubious authenticity, including cave paintings and statues. Most memorable, perhaps, is a fountain of red wine that the wise are advised not to drink and the foolish are likely to splatter on their clothes. The final stretch of labyrinth, named the Labyrinth of Another World, is a biz
arre mix of social and self-reflexive critique centered on “artifacts” like enormous stone Coke bottles from a species of man called “Homo Consumes.”
M1, M2, or M3: Deák tér. The labyrinths are toward the opposite end of Castle Hill from the Royal Palace. Not the best place for those claustrophobic types. The best time to visit the labyrinths is between 6 and 7:30pm, when they turn out the lights and hand out woefully and comically ineffective oil lamps. Children under 14 and people with heart conditions are advised not to take part in the spooky festivities. 2000Ft, students 1500Ft. Open daily 9:30am-7:30pm.
Gellért Hegy
LIBERTY MONUMENT (SZABADSÁG SZOBOR)
Gellért Hill
MONUMENT
Visible from all over the city, Budapest’s Liberty Monument has a complicated history. One story goes that the figure was originally designed to hold a propeller by the order of Regent Horthy, Hungary’s right-wing leader during the interwar period. Before anyone got around to building the statue, however, the Soviets had “liberated” a then-grateful Budapest, which replaced the propeller with a palm leaf and dedicated the statue to their Soviet heroes. After half a century of communist rule, the citizens of Budapest no longer felt quite so liberated, and, in 1989, the statue of a Soviet soldier was relocated from the base of the monument to Memento Park. The monument was rededicated to everyone who has ever fought for Hungary’s freedom and success. The steep hike up the mountain is worth the trek for an unparalleled panorama of the city and surrounding neighborhoods.