Andrássy Avenue, Opera & Heroes' Square
Andrássy út
The Andrássy Avenue (Andrássy út) is Budapest's grand boulevard and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: 2.3 km long, stretching from downtown to Heroes' Square, lined with neoclassical palaces, designer shops, embassies, and historic cafés. Beneath the street runs the M1 (Millennium Underground) — the oldest subway line on the European continent (1896!), whose historic stations remain preserved in their original state to this day.
Hungarian State Opera (Magyar Állami Operaház)
The State Opera (1884) on Andrássy is a neo-Renaissance gem — smaller than the Vienna State Opera, but many say: more beautiful. The acoustics are among the best in the world. Tours showcase the opulent interior (Admission: 4,500 HUF / 11€). Attend a performance: Tickets from 1,500 HUF (4€!) — an unbeatable value for world-class opera.
House of Terror (Terror Háza)
The House of Terror (Andrássy út 60) is one of Europe's most impressive museums: The same building housed the headquarters of the fascist Arrow Cross Party (1944–45) and then the communist secret police ÁVH (1945–1956). The museum documents both totalitarian regimes — from the deportation of Jews to Stalinist show trials and the 1956 revolution. The torture chambers in the basement are preserved. Harrowing and indispensable. Admission: 3,600 HUF (9€).
Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) & City Park
At the end of Andrássy opens the Heroes' Square — a monumental square with the Millennium Monument (1896): A 36-meter column with the Archangel Gabriel, flanked by the seven Magyar chieftains and kings. Behind it: the Art Hall (Műcsarnok) and the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) with an excellent collection of European paintings (El Greco, Goya, Raphael). Admission: 3,200 HUF (8€).
Behind Heroes' Square begins the Városliget (City Park) — Budapest's green lung: Boats on the lake (in winter: Europe's largest outdoor ice rink), the Vajdahunyad Castle (an eclectic architectural monument), and the Széchenyi Bath.
