Budapest City Centre

Strictly speaking Budapest City Centre or downtown Budapest consists of district V. but this page also provides information on other sights and places of interest that are located in central Budapest but not in district V.

In a wider sense areas located within the circle of Grand Boulevard (Nagykörút) can be called Budapest city center parts of which can be easily explored by walk if you plan your itineary well.

Map of Budapest City Centre

Sights in Downtown Budapest - District V.

District V. functions as the heart of Budapest being the centre of public transport, business life, and tourism.

Along with the Hungarian parliament on Kossuth Square many other government offices and ministries are located in downtown Budapest.

The 3 metro lines of Budapest meet at Deák Square. Other major public transport lines

The capital's largest church, the St Stephen's Basilica stands on a spacious plaza in V. district, downtown Budapest.

Several parts of Budapest city centre is a world heritage site protected by the UNESCO. The Castle Hill in Buda with Matthias Church, the Royal Castle and the Danube Embankment became the first protected areas in 1987, following the elegant Andrássy Avenue and its neighborhood in 2002.

A walk along the Danube Promenade (Duna Korzó) stretching between Elizabeth Bridge and the Chain Bridge in Pest also provides a fine view of the Buda side. The promenade dates back to the Millennium celebrations in 1896 and it's lined with trees and benches. Several 5-star Budapest hotels stand along the walkway like:

the Hotel Intercontinental Budapest, the Marriott Hotel, and the Sofitel Budapest Mária Dorottya. But the most upscale hotel in the area is the Four Seasons Gresham Palace housed in a beautiful historic building offering stunning view of the Danube with the Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) and the Castle Hill in the opposite side of the river.

New Main Street of Budapest

The area between Kálvin tér and Szabadság tér in district V. is undergoing a refurbishment the aim of which is to turn this part of the inner city into a more pedestrian friendly area with an elegant, contemporary streetscape. This new part is called the New Main Street of Budapest (Új Fő Utca) and the 1st phase of the project was inagurated on Easter Monday, 2010. The most spectacular element of the project is the interactive water fountain on the southern end of Szabadság tér. The Új Fő utca is now a tempting place for a leisurely stroll and stopping for coffee or lunch in the many cafes and restaurants along the street.

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Budget Accommodation in Budapest City Centre

Apart from high-end hotels the centrum of Budapest offers a range of cheap hotels, and quality hostels, as well.

TIP: See also our guide to Budapest City Centre Hotels.

Shopping in Budapest City Center

The centre of Budapest also abounds in shops, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs.

Fashion Street

Deák Ferenc utca connecting Deák Ferenc tér and Vörösmarty Square turned into Fashion Street an exclusive shopping avenue of Budapest in 2008 with a dozen of world famous designer stores like Mexx, Sisley, Hugo Boss, Puma, Benetton etc. Fashion Street crosses Budapest's other famous shopping street Váci utca aiming at developing a whole shopping district in Budapest city centre.

Vapiano is a good-value Italian restaurant in Fashion Street with a wide selection of pasta dishes and pizzas.

See review of other Italian restaurants in Budapest.

Váci Street (Váci utca)

Váci Street starts from Vörösmarty Square in district V. and it leads south towards the Central Market Hall of Budapest. The pedestrian street is teaming with tourists during the high season in summer and around holidays like Christmas since Budapest's main Christmas market is held at the noth end of the street in Vörösmarty Square.

Plenty of restaurants and cafes with terraces offer a place to rest and something to eat though eateries in Váci utca are usually overpriced.

Váci Street abounds in shops too, selling Hungarian folk embroidery and crafts, wines, and traditional Hungarian delicacies. For booklovers the Libri English language Bookstore is highly recommended. More about Váci Street...

The West End City Shopping Center is the most accessible shopping center in downtown Budapest with lots of designer stores, cafes, fast food restaurants, a multiplex cinema and an iceskating rink on the roof.

Andrássy Avenue in VI. district is another great spot for shopping for exclusive designer clothes, shoes and accessories. Apart from high-end retailers the elegant thoroughfare that starts from St Stephen's basilica and leads to Heroes' Square is dotted with gems of architecture like the Hungarian Opera House, villas, palaces.

iIyou're interested in the early years of the communist regime visit the exhhibition in the House of Terror Museum at Andrássy út.

Find out more about Shopping in Budapest.

Other Sights in Budapest Centre

The centrum of the city offers lots of historical monuments and examples of fine architecture.

The classicist building of the Hungarian National Museum stands in Múzeum körút.

The City Hall of Budapest is housed in a baroque mansion bulit in the 18th century. On the nearby Szervita tér you can admire two architectural masterpieces at No. 3 the coured stained glass mozaiq facade by Miksa Róth represents Birth of Hungaria. The house at No. 5. is the work of architecture Béla Lajta and it combines modern architectural elements with Hungarian motifs.

At Ferenciek tere: this busy downtown square has a lovely fountain (the Nereids' Fountain) and the Inner City Franciscan Church.

Jewish Sights in Budapest City Centre

The former Jewish quarter of Budapest is situated in district VII. The Central Synagogue in Dohány utca is the most important monument but a range of other sights related to Jewsih culture including two smaller synagogues can be found in the neighborhood.

Restaurants in Downtown Budapest

The centre of Budapest is packed with first class restaurants, cheap eateries and joints of fast food chains.

Liszt Ferenc tér a wide side street of Andrássy Avenue is lined with at least a dozen of restaurants. A lunch in Menza? Besides restaurants the street gives home to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music a regular venue for classical music concerts in Budapest.

Nagymező utca a few streets north from Liszt Ferenc Square also has some nice cafes. The cappuccino is great in Két Szerencsen Cafe.

Ráday utca in district IX. is another great restaurant & cafe street.

For further tips browse our list of best restaurants in downtown Budapest.

Parks in Budapest City Centre

You won't find lots of green in downtown Budapest but there are a couple of small parks, and lovely squares perfect for a stroll or just lying on the smooth grass.

Erzsébet Square (Erzsébet tér) with its old trees is the city centre's largest park. The park is in fact a roof garden of a cultural center the Gödör Klub.

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Related Pages - Centre of Budapest

Guide to Districts in Budapest

Sightseeing in Budapest

Main Budapest Attractions

Walking Tours in Budapest

Budapest in One Day

Museums in Budapest

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