In the heart of old Europe, on the banks of the full-flowing Danube, there is a city with a thousand faces. The towns of Pest and Buda, which formed the capital of Hungary in 1873, have seen the legionnaires of the Roman Empire, the Huns, and Turkish askers in their lifetime. The museums of Budapest introduce ancient history and multinational culture – world-famous galleries and unusual surprise exhibitions, the exhibits of which will surely interest both adults and young tourists.
Hungarian National Museum
The history of one of the largest museums in Hungary dates back to 1802. The reformer and magnate Ferenc Szechny, who decided to make his rich collection of historical artifacts available to the public, petitioned the emperor. After 45 years, a few hundred meters from the Danube, on the side of the old Pest, a building in the classicist style appeared, which is already a cultural heritage in itself. Its design has a rectangular shape, the facade is decorated with columns and an antique portico, and the internal stairs are decorated with statues of Raphael Monti.
In total, it offers 7 permanent exhibitions. On the basement level, you will find the Roman Lapidarium, which displays fragments of tombs, frescoes, and sculptures from the time of the Roman Empire. One floor above visitors are waiting for exhibits reflecting the centuries-old history of Hungary. The most valuable of them are the 1,000-year-old Byzantine silk coronation robe, decorated with the image of Jesus Christ surrounded by apostles, and the golden crown of St. Stephen, covered with sapphires and pearls.
Hungarian Museum of Natural History
The expositions are a pantry covered with the dust of centuries, storing information about the development of the flora and fauna of our planet. Its history dates back to 1802, when count and collector of rare items Ferenc Szechenyi donated to the public a personal collection of books and coins. After 9 years, the exposition was replenished with paleontological treasures belonging to the Austrian Archduke Joseph Rainer. The number of relics was constantly growing. By 1848, the collection amounted to 48,000 items, and by the end of the 19th century, it had increased to 1 million items.
Today, the objects exhibited in the building of the Academy of Louis, will attract the attention of both adults and young tourists. The entire exposition is divided into several zones: mineralogy, zoology, botany, paleontology and anthropology. Most of all, young visitors will like the section that displays the fossil remains of extinct giants of the ancient world: dinosaurs, mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Here, a full-length model of a caveman invariably gathers spectators.
Ethnographical museum
It has a collection of over 200,000 artifacts. Located opposite the Parliament of Budapest, it is one of the largest ethnographic museums in Europe. His permanent exhibitions are located in the building that previously served as the Palace of Justice. The building, built at the end of the 19th century and combining the styles of baroque, neoclassical and renaissance, captivates with the solemn decoration of the facade and luxurious interiors.
It will take at least two hours to visit the exhibits. The main collection pays attention to the development of the Hungarian people from primitive times to the present day. It is divided into several topics: peasantry, hunting, customs, crafts, national music, animal husbandry. Among the exhibits are household items, jewelry, clothes, children‘s toys, furniture, icons, kitchen utensils and a huge archive of historical photographs. Several halls are dedicated to the culture and art of Australia, Oceania, African and Eurasian countries.
Houdini House Museum
This is a meeting place for fans of the magical art of illusionism. It is located in the mysterious Castle Quarter, a hundred meters from the Royal Palace. The idea of creating an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of the great magician Harry Houdini (born Eric Weiss) belonged to the actor David Merlini. Entering the territory is not so easy. It is necessary not only to buy an entrance ticket, but also to decipher the mysterious message prepared for each guest.
The expositions are based on items that belonged to the famous illusionist: books, personal items, unique performance props and letters. Here you will find a water-filled vat, police handcuffs, the public release of which brought fame to the magician, a copy of the Chinese Torture Chamber, and old posters of popular performances. Every 30 minutes in the hall, decorated in the style of a small theater, there are interactive magic shows organized by novice magicians.
Hungarian Railway History Park
In 1999, an unusual museum appeared in the northern depot of the Hungarian railway. His collection is located in the open air, and all the exhibits (even the old executive limousine “The Seagull”) are put on rails. There are no ultra-modern trains here – the exhibited objects served in the 19th-20th centuries. Among the rarities you will find a steam engine, produced in 1870, and a dining car of the famous Orient Express, which has been transporting passengers from Paris to Constantinople since 1883.
Here you can not only get acquainted with the retired transport and learn the history of his life full of work. This is an entertainment center that will surely interest young travelers. The park offers its inquisitive guests a ride on a handcar or a miniature steam locomotive, “work” as a dispatcher on an interactive railway, study the internal structure of a locomotive and pull all the levers in the cab of a century-old train.
Hungarian National Gallery
The Hungarian National Gallery, located on the premises of the Royal Palace, was founded in 1957. The collection of about 10,000 objects is organized chronologically and dates back to the 12th century, the time of the dominance of the Gothic and medieval styles. Creations of the authors of these eras you will find on the first floor. There are also works of art of the late Renaissance and Baroque, created by the masters of Hungary and Austria.
The highlight are the sculptures and paintings of the 19th century. Among them are world masterpieces such as “The Women of Cheb” by the novelist Bertalan Szekely, “The Siege of Buda” by Gyula Bencura and “The Last Day of the Condemned” by Mihaly Munkacsy. On the second and third floors of the National Gallery, an extensive collection of Hungarian paintings and sculptures of the 20th century is displayed, divided into pre-war and post-war sections, represented by the movements of expressionism, surrealism, pop art and hyperrealism. Temporary exhibitions are also regularly held here, introducing visitors to the canvases of famous artists.
Museum of Applied Arts
Opened in 1896. It is located in an unusual building, which is a real architectural masterpiece. The building, erected in accordance with the plans of two famous architects of that time – Gyula Partos and Eden Lechner – stands out as a bright spot among the surrounding buildings. Hungarian, Indian and Turkish paintings decorate the grandiose palace, the cladding of which was made at the Pécs Zsolnay porcelain factory. The conspicuous roof with a dome towering in the center is trimmed with bright green tiles. Visitors are greeted by an imposing Moorish-style lobby with a relief patterned ceiling.
Focuses the attention of its guests on objects of European applied art, created in the period from the Middle Ages to the present. The expositions are divided into five sections: furniture, ceramics, jewelry, textiles and glass. The pearl of the collection is the jewelry of the influential Esterhazy family, antique clocks, unique musical instruments and oriental tapestries.
Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives
On the site of the house in which the ascetic of the emergence of the Jewish state and politician Theodor Herzl was born, today there is a museum opened in 1931. Its expositions introduce the history and culture of the Jewish people and include ceremonial accessories, books, furniture and household items. Most of the collection is occupied by an exhibition covering the history of the Holocaust. Tourists can visit the cemetery where the victims of Nazism are buried, and the Memorial Park, created in honor of the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during the war. Nearby is the largest synagogue in Europe, built in 1859.
Funds were formed to a greater extent at the expense of personal donations of residents and guests of the city who are not indifferent to its fate. Thanks to their generosity, the archives are constantly replenished with Judaic objects, letters, photographs, paintings by Jewish authors, and personal items. All donated relics are used to organize exhibitions and conduct research.
Aquincum Museum
The capital of the Roman province of Pannonia – Aquincum – is considered the first settlement on the territory of modern Budapest. Traces of ancient architecture were found by accident. At the end of the 18th century, local resident Istvan Schonviner, equipping a basement in his house, came across the remains of a sewage treatment system, whose age was calculated for centuries. Organized excavations began in 1881, and 13 years later a museum dedicated to the ancient city appeared.
Aquinicum is a whole archaeological park that occupies about ⅓ of the ancient Roman city that has gone into oblivion. Walking along the alleys, tourists can come across fragments of an aqueduct, the ruins of amphitheaters, ancient temples, baths, residential buildings and the remains of fortress walls. The museum building, whose spacious halls are decorated in neoclassical style, exhibits coins, statues, sarcophagi, gladiatorial weapons and household items. Particularly rare are the reconstructed water organ, made in the 3rd century, and the mosaic floors depicting Diana and Hercules.
house of terror
It's no secret that many European countries of the former socialist camp prefer to present the era of “strong friendship” with the USSR as a terrible time, marked by the dictates of the “big brother”. Hungary was no exception. In 2002, a museum was opened in the capital, the expositions of which are dedicated to the time when the country was dominated first by the fascist and then by the communist regime. The gray building, acquainting tourists with the nightmares of years of terror, was built in 1880. Since 1937, it served as the headquarters of the Nazi Arrow Cross Party, and in the post-war period, the State Security Office was located here.
Today, the word TERROR is carved on the cornice of the gloomy structure, casting a huge shadow on the facade in sunny weather. Inside there are instruments of torture, paraphernalia, posters, documents and photographs recreating the atmosphere of the repressions of 1937-1956. The most terrible exhibits are located in the basement of the House of Terror. Here, visitors can get acquainted with the cell-chambers and torture rooms, which contained the Hungarian freedom fighters who committed crimes against Nazism, and later the Soviet regime.
Museum of Military History
The history of the wars waged by Hungary for centuries can be studied within the walls of the former barracks of the Buda Castle, which was converted into a museum of military history in 1918. About 30,000 artifacts are housed in a three-story, inconspicuous building, and cannons and a Maxim machine gun perched in the courtyard. We go inside – and find ourselves in twilight halls, demonstrating not only relics (weapons, insignia, uniforms, banners, first-aid kits, archival documentation), but also large-scale exhibitions.
Here you will find a small plane suspended from the ceiling, and models of military vehicles, and trenches with figures of soldiers, and a recreated interior of a living room that survived the bombing of 1945. The boys will be delighted with the opportunity to hold the Degtyarev machine gun and the PPSh machine gun in their hands. Tip for tourists: before visiting the exhibition, familiarize yourself with the main milestones in the history of Hungary – this will make it easier for you to perceive objects dedicated to military events.
Museum “Hospital in the rock”
While walking through the Fortress Quarter, you will meet on your way many popular sights of the city, known to millions of tourists. But few people know about the unusual place hidden in the catacombs of the Buda Castle. Here, in the intricacies of labyrinths, tunnels and cellars, the length of which is 10 km, in 1939 shelter from air raids was equipped. In 1944, a hospital appeared on its territory, located on an area of 2,300 m2.
In 1956, the hospital received the wounded during the anti-Soviet revolution, and after 4 years the premises were classified and converted into a bunker designed to protect against chemical or nuclear attack. After the end of the Cold War, theatrical performances were held in the “underground kingdom”, and since 2008 a museum has been operating. Its expositions are restored scenes from the life of the hospital, the participants of which are wax figures of doctors, nurses and patients. In separate rooms there are medicines, medicines, gas masks and equipment from the middle of the 20th century.
Exhibition Hall “Mucharnok”
Being in the Heroes' Square, it is impossible not to pay attention to the neoclassical building with Corinthian columns, the pediment of which is decorated with multi-colored mosaics. Inside is the largest exhibition center for fine arts in the country, which does not have its own permanent collection. Works by contemporary artists are exhibited in the premises of the Myucharnok Hall with an area of 2,300 m². In a special room that can accommodate 80 people, you can watch a three-dimensional film about the natural, architectural and historical sights of Hungary.
Temporary exhibitions held at Mucharnock reflect the work of authors working in the styles of modernism, avant-gardism, cezannism, futurism, surrealism, pop art and tachisme. Frescoes by Akila Janos, minimalist wooden figures by Zsolt Zhosei, amazing photographs by the American Alex Webb, and compositions created by the Hungarian sculptor Cervatiusz that cause bewilderment among the unprepared viewer have been repeatedly exhibited here.
Art Museum
Opposite the Myucharnok exhibition hall, there is another temple of art, presenting a precious collection to the attention of the audience. It is based on 700 works collected over the decades by members of the Esterhazy princely family. Today, the gallery, opened in 1906 by the Austrian emperor and the Hungarian king Franz Joseph, consists of several sections. The Egyptian part impresses with mysterious mummies, steles and artifacts found on the territory of ancient Thebes. The Antique Department is based on marble statues and precious jewelry.
The graphic department includes sketches and sketches by famous authors, including Rubens, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Chagall. The highlight is the Old Masters Gallery. More than 2,500 paintings by European painters working between the 13th and 18th centuries are exhibited here: Lucas Cranach, Albrecht Durer, Hans Holben, Raphael, Titian, Francisco Goya and Paul Gauguin.
Palace of Wonders
This unusual place is a must-see if you come on vacation with children. The Palace of Wonders is a huge interactive center that invites young explorers to take an amazing journey into the world of exciting scientific experiments. Having fun playing, young tourists will comprehend the basics of physics, chemistry, mathematics and make amazing discoveries. The most incredible experiments are carried out here: children can fearlessly lie on a board studded with nails, find themselves in the place of a human fetus, turn into a giant and a dwarf, and solve all the riddles offered by special quest rooms.
The organizers did not forget about the smallest guests either. For them, simple puzzles, pictures, toys, installations with sound and visual effects and numerous levers that can be pulled and pulled are prepared for them. Kids enthusiastically visit the electromagnetic shooting range and the interactive music room.
Museum of the History of Budapest
Located in the E wing of the Royal Palace. Tells about the history of the capital of Hungary – from ancient times to the present day. The halls dedicated to the primitive and ancient eras focus the viewers' attention on the materials of archaeological research: household utensils, handicrafts, stone gravestones, statues, ancient coins, textiles and weapons. Artifacts illustrating the new history are displayed on the upper floors – from the era of the domination of the Roman Empire to the present. Works by local artists are exhibited in a separate room.
In 1974, excavations in the northern courtyard of the castle revealed to the world 40 fragments of sculptures created during the reign of Emperor Sigismund. Today, unique relics are stored in the mezzanine and, along with the recreated ruins of a medieval fortress and a Renaissance palace, a chapel from 1380 and Gothic royal chambers topped with a cross vault, are among the most important exhibits of the museum.
Kiscelli Museum
The collections are exhibited in a baroque building built in 1758 as a monastery of the Trinitarian order. At the beginning of the 20th century, the dilapidated building underwent a large-scale restoration, after which its new owner, manufacturer and avid collector Mixa Schmidt, organized an exhibition of rare personal furniture in it. 4 years after the end of World War II, according to the will of the owner, the house became owned by the city. Schmidt's work was continued – bright exposition halls were equipped in the former monastery, today they are part of the Historical Museum.
Engravings, antique pharmacies, printing presses, pieces of furniture and watch mechanisms – that's what awaits visitors. On the ground floor there is an art gallery, which gives an opportunity to get acquainted with the creations of Hungarian painters of the 20th century. It also hosts temporary exhibitions dedicated to world contemporary art. The courtyard and the nearby church are intended for holding concert events.
Museum Ludwig
The building on the banks of the Danube, which differs from the pompous buildings of old Pest with its laconic forms, houses a collection of works by authors who worked in the styles of art-pop, surrealism, expressionism and tachisme. The founder – Peter Ludwig – is a German philanthropist and owner of a collection of paintings created in the period from ancient times to the 20th century. In this gallery, fans of classical art will feel uncomfortable – what is there only a stuffed pig exhibited at the entrance, watching how the process of killing it and then turning it into a mock-up is shown on a huge monitor around the clock.
Inside the building with columns are collections of works by Hungarian, American, Italian, Russian and French artists who worked in the 20th century, located on three floors. Among the authors are Picasso, Claes Oldenburg, Kazimir Malevich, Tom Wesselmann, Wassily Kandinsky, Simon Hantai, Andy Warhol, Sergei Shutov and J. A. Cavellini.
Marzipan Museum
Szentendre is a small romantic town located 15 km north of Budapest. In Hungary, it is lovingly called the “Pearl of the Danube”. On a narrow street among baroque churches and picturesque houses, one of the main attractions is located – the only marzipan museum in the world. Paradise for the sweet tooth was created in 1994 by culinary specialist Karoy Szabo, who set himself the task of conveying the history of Europe to the viewer using 5,000 kg of marzipan. Edible busts of Count Szechenyi, to whom Budapest owes its chain bridge, and Lajos Kossuth, the father of the Hungarian revolution, coexist here.
The pride of the creator is a sweet canvas measuring 1.40 x 1.20 m depicting Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, surrounded by her eleven children. Fairy-tale heroes, models of famous buildings, figurines of movie stars and pop music nestled nearby. Once a week, the workshop hosts public demonstrations of the modeling and restoration of sweet sculptures. An equally important part is the confectionery, offering not only marzipan sweets, but also salami, fine Hungarian wines and liqueurs, and, in the summer months, delicious ice cream.
Agricultural Museum
It is located in the mysterious medieval castle of Vajdahunyad, which combines all existing styles of architecture and welcomes visitors with wrought-iron Gothic gates. The building, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of Hungary, was erected in 1896 as a cardboard historical pavilion and dismantled after the end of the festivities. Its stone twin appeared in 1908. The expositions introduce simple, but nevertheless entertaining for kids, scenes from peasant life. Many of the exhibits can be touched and even tasted.
There are 8 permanent exhibitions on the area of 5200 m2. The halls showcase ancient and modern tillage tools, traditional stoves, peasant clothes, hunting and fishing trophies, herbariums and animal models. The staff organize themed play activities for younger guests. Adult sightseers will certainly pay tribute to the wine section, which introduces the history of the technology and production of the drink and provides those who wish the opportunity to taste.