Programs

The largest synagogue in Europe, the Dohány Street Synagogue, is located in Dohány Street, in the former Jewish Quarter. The building plays an active role in the cultural life of the capital, it is a venue for classical music concerts and festivals, organ concerts and cantor performances are also often performed within its walls.

Gozsdu Courtyard is one of the most dynamically developing centers of downtown Budapest, where entertainment, gastronomy and culture are connected. The entertainment district awaits its guests with uniquely exciting programs every day of the week. The Courtyard is home to a myriad of special style venues, providing a diverse experience for all generations. As an entertainment center of the city center, it has become extremely popular among both residents and tourists in Budapest.

The Champs-Élysées in Budapest, i.e. Andrássy Avenue, was built for the 1896 millennium, connecting the main venues of the festivities, the Heroes’ Square and the City Park with the city center. It is the capital’s widest road under which the Millennium Underground Railroad transports passengers. Andrássy Avenue and its surroundings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the railway and the Heroes’ Square.

The Hungarian State Opera House, opened in 1884, is a masterpiece by Miklós Ybl, one of the greatest Hungarian architects of all time. As an iconic building on Andrássy Avenue, it is a great example of the Hungarian Neo-Renaissance, but in its rich decoration we can also discover Baroque elements. The building seats 1300 people and although it is not the largest opera house in the world in terms of size, it ranks third among its European counterparts in acoustics, after Scala in Milan and Opera Garnier in Paris. Its most famous performance is The Nutcracker, which Christmas cannot pass without. Tchaikovsky’s fairy-tale ballet is so popular that despite being seen throughout December, it is almost impossible to get a ticket for it. The Opera House is not only open for performances, there are guided tours twice a day in the building.

Váci Street is the famous shopping and pedestrian street of Budapest. It is almost two kilometers long, stretching from Vörösmarty Square to the Central Market Hall. The northern part of Váci Street is known for plenty of fashion brand stores, while the southern part is better known for its gift shops and bistros. The Pointer Pub is a popular place for tourists and bachelor parties, while the Pest Theater offers an excellent evening program for the locals. The pedestrian street is full of street artists all year round and in the winter it is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights.

The Hungarian National Museum is located in district VIII. Budapest, on the Museum Boulevard. The museum collects and presents material relics of Hungarian history. The classicist-style building of the museum was built between 1837 and 1847, designed by architect Mihály Pollack and founded by Count Ferenc Széchényi.

The Central Market Hall, the largest indoor market in Budapest, is located at the Pest end of the Liberty Bridge. The Zsolnay tiled building opened in 1897, at which time the goods arrived through a canal running in the middle. There is no canal today, but fresh vegetables, fruits, quality meat and salami from domestic producers can still be bought. The buffets on the first floor of the hall serve traditional Hungarian dishes, e.g. goulash soup, lángos, stuffed cabbage and meat-filled crepes as in Hortobágy.

The Parliament of Hungary is worthily ranked among the most beautiful parliaments in the world. The building, which was chosen to be a World Heritage Site in 2011, has a priceless museum value, it is the pride of the Hungarian nation. The Parliament is the home of the legislature and the custody of the Holy Crown. Seven hundred thousand visitors a year visit the Parliament building. Accompanied by multilingual, qualified tour guides, the House welcomes visitors almost every day of the year. After redeeming the ticket, tourist groups departing from the Visitor Center will visit the most beautiful rooms of the Parliament in a nearly 50-minute walk.

The springs erupting in the area of Gellért Baths have already been mentioned in records from the 15th century. Later, the Turks also liked it, as it was bigger and had hotter water than other Buda baths of the time. In the 17th century, it was called Sárosfürdő (muddy bath) because of the fine spring mud that came with the spring water and settled on the bottom of the pools. The Gellért Baths, built in the Art Nouveau style, opened its doors in 1918, and then expanded in 1927 with the wave beach bath and in 1934 with the whirlpool bath. During the modernization, the indoor seating pool, the outdoor seating pool and the children’s pool have been renovated and equipped with state-of-the-art filter-rotating equipment. Today, almost all medical services are available at Gellért Spa. It also has a complex spa department and an inhaler.

In the area of Castle Bazaar you can meet past and present, classic and modern, as well as culture and entertainment. It offers exhibition halls, a multifunctional event space, a Neo-Renaissance garden, restaurants and a café. The complex also hosts temporary exhibitions, outdoor and indoor events.

St. Stephen’s Basilica is the largest neoclassical church in the city. It was completed in 1905, after 54 years of planning. Its height is 96 meters, making it the tallest building in the city center besides the Parliament. It can accommodate up to 8000 people. Its interiors are filled with rich decorations, and its huge windows radiate light and dignity. The Catholic church is named after St. Stephen, the first Christian king of the country, whose mummified right hand, The Holy Right, is today preserved as a relic in the main nave of the basilica. The musical life of the church is significant, organ concerts and other instrumental concerts are often organized here.

The Funicular has been operating since 1870, connecting the Danube bank with the Castle District. Its construction was initiated by Ödön Széchenyi, the son of István Széchenyi. When it was built, there was only one similar structure in entire Europe. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987 as one of the defining elements of Budapest’s Danube view. It runs on a 95-meter section between Clark Adam Square and Sándor Palace, while rising 50 meters. The Funicular is operated by BKV and cannot be used with traditional tickets or passes. The two cars of the funicular (Margit and Gellért) are connected in a pendulum-like manner, while one car goes upwards the other carries passengers downwards.

The favorite island of the locals is located in the middle of the Danube, between the Margaret Bridge and the Árpád Bridge. The island offers many leisure activities. The Alfred Hajós National Sports Swimming Pool, the Palatinus beach and the 5.3 km running track, will welcome those who want to play sports. Families can enjoy the petting zoo, the musical fountain, the Light Garden or the Water Tower. For couples we recommend the Japanese Garden or the cycle car ride. For those looking for a cultural program, the outdoor stage or the medieval castle ruins are the ideal location.

130 pinball machines can be tested at Europe’s one and only interactive pinball exhibition. In addition to modern machines, you can also see the wooden ancestor of the pinball from 1880 and the first Hungarian pinball machine, in addition you can also compare your skills on old arcade games such as Mortal Combat or Street Fighter.

The Buda Castle is one of the main cultural and touristic centers of Budapest. As part of the Buda Castle District, it has been part of Budapest’s World Heritage Sites since 1987. The huge building complex, formerly a royal residence, now houses two museums and the country’s number one library.

The Museum of Fine Arts belongs to the World Heritage Sites of Budapest as part of the Heroes’ Square monument complex. It was built in the Neo-Renaissance and Neoclassical style between 1900 and 1906 based on the plans of Albert Schickedanz and Ferenc Herzog Fülöp. After more than three years of reconstruction work, it can be revisited since 31 October 2018. Not only has the building of the institution been renovated, but thanks to the reunification with the collections of the Hungarian National Gallery the museum awaits its visitors with permanent exhibitions.

One of the symbols of Budapest, the Heroes’ Square, which is also the entrance to the City Park is located at the end of Andrássy Avenue. The square was built for the 1896 millennium celebration, commemorating the thousand-year history of the Hungarians. There are statues of 14 iconic historical figures standing here, with an obelisk in the middle and a statue of Archangel Gabriel on top, which won the grand Prize at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. Heroes’ Square is the most characteristic and spacious square in the capital.

The Hungarian National Gallery, founded in 1957, has the largest collection of Hungarian fine art. Its collection extends from the founding of the state to the present day, from the earliest Hungarian memories to contemporary art. The Gallery moved to its current location, The Buda Castle Palace, in 1975. The permanent exhibitions give a comprehensive picture of the history of Hungarian art.

Our first permanent Danube bridge, the Chain Bridge is a three-gap, stone-pillar, reinforcing-support suspension bridge. It is a symbol of the resurrection and development of the city into a metropolis, which was destroyed by the flood of 1838. It is the first joint building of Buda and Pest, which was formally created a quarter of a century later.

Due to the unique panorama of Budapest from the Neo-Romanesque lookout terraces, the Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the most significant tourist attractions in Budapest. The main façade of the building parallel to the Danube River is about 140 meters long. Its peaked stone towers symbolize the seven Hungarian conquering leaders. Its name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when this part of the castle wall was protected by a guild of fishermen. It has been a part of Budapest’s World Heritage Sites since 1987, as part of the Buda Castle District.

The Széchenyi Bath is one of the largest spa complexes in Europe with its 21 pools. Its experience pool features a drifting corridor, underwater effervescence, neck massage shower and water jets for back massage hidden in the benches. In addition to traditional medical services, the entrance fee includes wellness services such as a gym, saunas and water gymnastics.

The Matthias Church is the second most famous church in the capital, next to St. Stephen’s Basilica. According to tradition, it was built in 1015, not long after the inclusion of Christianity, but officially the first walls were built in the 1200s. In the 14th century it was rebuilt in a Gothic style and then underwent another renovation in the 19th century, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Between 2006 and 2013, external reconstruction work was carried out on it, thanks to which it regained its former splendor. The church is a great example of the Central European Gothic style. Its façade is decorated with rich patterns, sculptures and reliefs. The interior is decorated with wood, gold and painted walls. You can visit the church with a ticket.

The Citadel is the emblematic location of Budapest. Although after the defeat of the War of Independence in 1848-49, the Habsburgs built it as an intimidating fortress to observe the rebellious Hungarians from a height, today we still think of it as a symbol of freedom. From the top of Gellért Hill, you can see a UNESCO World Heritage panorama, which means the Buda Castle, the Parliament, the bridges over the Danube, the whole Pest side and the Buda hills at the same time.

The Vajdahunyad Castle was built in 1908 in the City Park as a replica of a Gothic castle in Transylvania. It was built for the millennium celebrations of 1896 according to the plans of Ignác Alpár with the aim of displaying the thousand-year-old Hungarian architecture in a single building. Vajdahunyad Castle present this mix of styles from Romanesque and Gothic to Renaissance to Baroque. Originally, it was made of wood on a temporary basis for the millennium, but it became so popular that by 1908 it was rebuilt of stone and brick. Today the castle gives home to the Agricultural Museum. One of the most beautiful works of Romantic historicism in Hungary was declared a monument in 1991. The building is located on an artificial island surrounded by The City Park Lake and can be reached by four bridges. In the inner courtyard you can find the statue of Anonymous.

The largest musical fountain in Hungary is located in the southern part of Margaret Island, facing the Margaret Bridge. The pool of the fountain has a floor area of 1000 m² and a diameter of 36 m; the middle water jet fires at a height of more than 25 m. The number of built-in nozzles is 154, which are illuminated by a total of 227 colored lamps. The Margaret Island musical fountain usually starts to operate in the spring on May 1 and runs until October 31. In the program there’s a music block each hour.

The Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden is the oldest and largest Zoo in Hungary and has the largest collection of animals. It is located in the 14th district of Budapest, at Állatkerti körút number 6-12, with a total area of 18.4 hectares it has been a natural reserve since 1986.