Budapest híres utcái

Though Budapest is a big city it is just the right size for nice walks. It’s not only the privilege of tourists to set out on a stroll and enjoy the sights and find new wonders. Budapest has many remarkable streets to discover. Here is a bunch of them.

Váci Street

Váci Street is the most renowned pedestrian shopping street of Budapest. It stretches between Vörösmarty Square and the Great Market Hall and runs parallel to the Danube. It’s a bustling, lively street swarmed by tourists. The street is lined with clothing, accessory, souvenir and gift shops and a number of restaurants. In the past, the street used to be a place for women to show off. High-society ladies bought their clothes here. Nowadays the Váci Street shops are more to the eye as they are quite overpriced because of the high number of tourists. The Art Nouveau-styled Philanthia flower shop is a surviving relic of Váci Street’s earlier elegance. At Vörösmarty Square the famous Gerbeaud Confectionery is a treat for the eyes with its stunning architecture and grand chandeliers inside. Their delicious cakes and ice cream are not to be missed if you have a sweet tooth and they serve very good coffee.

Andrássy Avenue

Andrássy Avenue is called the Hungarian Champs-Élysées and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. It was built for the millennial celebrations of 1896. It’s a long walk as its entire length is 2.5 kilometres from Erzsébet Square to Heroes’ Square. But it’s definitely worth the walk as you can see spectacular sights on the way. The avenue is divided into four parts. The part between Erzsébet Square and Oktogon is lined by shops of world-famous luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Burberry. You’ll also find the majestic Hungarian State Opera House, the “Broadway of Pest” with many theatres, Liszt Ferenc Square, and the Paris Department Store here. From Oktogon to Kodály körönd, the avenue is expanded by a service road and a tree-lined leafy walkway on each side. Here there are mostly residential buildings and also the House of Terror museum. Between Kodály körönd and Bajza Street, the palaces have front yards. From Bajza Street to Heroes’ Square there are individual villas with beautiful gardens, several embassies, and art galleries and cafés on the way and the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asian Arts. If you are tired after the long walk at Heroes’ Square you can get on the spectacular Millennium underground line and get back to Erzsébet Square.

Ráday Street

Ráday Street connects Kálvin Square with Boráros Square in the 9^th district. It’s a pedestrian street and it has a special character because of the lots of cafés, bars, restaurants, eateries, and galleries located here. They offer dishes from various parts of the world e.g. America, Hungary, Asia, and Italy. The neighbourhood is often referred to as ‘Budapest Soho’. Some venues offer live music like Rombusz Terasz, Púder, and iF Jazz Café. Budapest’s first restaurant to receive a Michelin star, Costes, founded by Sziget Festival founder Károly Gerendai is also located in Ráday Street. Besides all the culinary places there is also the Ferencvárosi Helytörténeti Gyűjtemény (History Museum), the Ráday Library and Károli Gáspár University’s Faculty of Theology to admire in this street.

Bartók Béla Boulevard (BBB)

Stretching from Gellért Square to Móricz Zsigmond Square this street is a buzzing cultural street of Budapest. Plenty of events are organized by the residents of the area that are worth attending if you are interested in contemporary art and culture. There are many galleries (Faur Zsófi Gallery, Gross Arnold Atelier), old and new cafés (Hadik, Szatyor, Addicted2Caffeine). About a century ago, the Hadik Café was a regular hangout for some of Hungary’s greatest writers, e.g. Frigyes Karinthy, Dezső Kosztolányi, Zsigmond Móricz. Today following in their footsteps it is again frequently filled with artists of various genres. We can taste Polish specialties at Gdansk Bookshop and Café, Spanish tapas at La Nube, and Eastern treats at Kelet Café. Vegan Love is one of Budapest’s best street-food places with animal-free dishes.

Király Street

Running parallel to Andrássy Avenue, this historic street is a modern cultural hub in the heart of Pest. It is full of modern art galleries, eateries and bars, interior design and furniture shops and little funky boutiques. It is also known as Budapest’s Design Street. Király Street used to be the outer boundary of the former Jewish quarter and the recently renovated Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music is also found here. It’s one of the entrances to the passage of Gozsdu udvar which feels like an entirely separate part of the city with its busy and many-style eating and drinking places. The street has a vibrant nightlife and the sight of the street at night is quite different from what it shows during the day. If you feel like going on a night walk in Budapest, Király Street is the place to go.