A walk through the Hungarian capital Budapest #places

7 min read

Places can affect us, create a certain atmosphere that remains for a long time, and give us new impressions. What is a city like? Where does this feeling come from, the effect that you feel in the city? In our #places section, we take you to the European capitals – to introduce you to places, personalities, buildings that reflect the city in all its facets. Let’s go to … Budapest.

Warm Thermal baths, wonderful Art Nouveau buildings and a unique coffee culture – the  hungarian capital is versatile and was built along the river Donau. The river is deviding the two parts of town Buda and Pest, creating the name Budapest.

 

#place: Budapest


Country: Hungary
Inhabitants: ca. 1.7 million
Area: 525,13 km2
Famous Landmark: The Parliament building at the Donau bank

Hidden places:

The Bar „Szimpla Kert“ in the jewish neighborhood is inviting its guests for tasty drink  with underground ambience. Hidden spaces, furniture made out of  waste or recycled materials, graffitis on the walls as well as a spacious courtyard create a very special charm and a unique atmosphere, because there is something to discover everywhere. In Budapest the so called „ruinbars“ are very common and popular – „Szimpla Kert“ is one of the first bars of its kind and opened its doors in 2002 already. In 2004 the bar moved to another building though, constructed in the 19th century as an oven factory and was about to be destroyed. Today the building is a listed monument and is home of a place that leads into another world. ,

Address: Kazinczy u. 14

Architecture:

Of course, there are also tourist attractions in Budapest, which are often in the beginning of the to-do list of a city trip, such as the magnificent parliament building or the Fisherman’s Bastion. Particularly interesting, among other things, is the Great Market Hall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok) near the Liberty Bridge because of its unique architecture. Here you can find sausage and meat products, fruit and vegetables, cheese and souvenirs, crafts and various food stalls – perfect for strolling through and enjoying. The building resembles a basilica and was once designed by the architect Gustav Eiffel.The building is based on a steel construction and the façade is clad in colorfully glazed bricks. Two heavy towers on the corners of the market hall frame the building and create its impressive appearance.

Address: Vámház körút 1-3

The Great Markethall (Nagy Vásárcsarnok)

In the jewish neighborhood in Budapest, the largest synagogue in Europe can be visited, built by the architect Ludwig Förster. The Great Synagogue, also called tabaccotemple, was built in the Moorish style and impresses with its two large towers. The magnificent building was built in 1859 and accommodates 2964 seats – making it the second largest synagogue in the world.

Address: Dohány u. 2

Tabaccotemple by Architect Ludwig Förster

Right in the heart of the Jewish neighborhood you will find the small and cute bookshop „Massolit“, which welcomes you with its turquoise doors. You will find mainly English books on politics, history and Jewish sciences – both new and second hand here. In addition to a lot of books, the bookstore also sells coffee and delicious pastries. In the summer you can enjoy it in the green backyard – ideal for a break.

Address: Nagy Diófa u. 30

© Balkányi László / We Love Budapest

Famous person:

The sculptor, architect and designer Ernő Rubik was born on July 13, 1944 in Budapest and graduated from the Technical and Economic University of Budapest. He is the inventor of the world famous magic cube!

Recipe:

The Hungarian cuisine is often very hearty, meaty and spicy – peppers may not be missing in almost any dish. As a vegetarian dish, Hungarian Langos are very popular: deep-fried yeast dough cakes, classically topped with sour cream and grated cheese.

Ingredients for the yeast dough:

  • 200 g potatoes
  • 200 ml water
  • 100 ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cube yeast
  • 500g flour + a little more for the worktop
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

First the potatoes are peeled, cooked and then crushed. Heat the milk and water gently and dissolve the yeast and sugar in it. The yeast water is then worked into a dough in a bowl together with flour and salt and the potatoes. Now everything has to be kneaded thoroughly and put into a warm place – where the dough should grow at least for 1 hour. Then form pancakes and fry them. For the topping you can use the classic version or try something new – whether hearty or sweet.

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