Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lutheran Church and Museum
Deák téri Evangélikus Templom & Evangélikus Múzeum • V, Deák tér 4 • Tues-Sun 10am-6pm • 500Ft •
evangelikusmuzeum.hu
The large, spireless Lutheran Church , which looms over the metro pavilion on the edge of
the Belváros, was built in 1808 according to designs by Mihály Pollack. Both the exterior
and interior exhibit typical early Neoclassical styles, exemplified by minimal ornamentation.
More interestingly, the church hosts some excellent concerts that include regular free Sunday
eveningorganrecitalsandBach's StJohnPassion overthefortnightbeforeEaster.Nextdoor,
the LutheranMuseum displays a facsimile of Martin Luther's last will and testament, and a
copy of the first book printed in Hungarian, a New Testament from 1541.
Underground Railway Museum
Földalattivasút Múzeum • V, Deák tér underpass by the entrance to the metro station • Tues-Sun 10am-5pm •
350Ft
Accessible via the upper sub-level of Deák tér metro, the enjoyable little UndergroundRail-
way Museum extols the history of Budapest's original metro. The exhibition is set up in an
original stretch of tunnel, which was abandoned in 1955 when the line was altered, while the
constant rumble of the trains close by adds another layer of authenticity. Sitting on the track
are three old wooden carriages (one used up until 1973), while exhibits include construction
diaries, models, and period fixtures and posters, which enhance the museum's nostalgic ap-
peal.
The metro's genesis was a treatise by Mór Balázs, proposing a steam-driven tram network
starting with a route along Andrássy út, an underground line being suggested as a fallback in
case the overground option was rejected. Completed in under two years, it was inaugurated in
1896 - in time for the Millennial Exhibition - by Emperor Franz Josef, who agreed to allow
it to bear his name, which it kept until 1918. The metro was the first on the European contin-
ent and the second in the world (after London's Metropolitan line), and originally ran from
Vörösmarty tér as far as the Millennial Exhibition grounds at Hősök tere. The exhibition also
recalls the role of women on the underground, more precisely their recruitment as conductors
during World War I owing to male staff shortages.
< Back to The Belváros
Erzsébet tér
Once the site of a cemetery beyond the medieval city walls, Erzsébet tér has gone through
many names since then, notably Sztálin tér from 1946 until 1953, when it became Engels tér,
before getting its older name back. The statue in the middle of the park is of Old Father
Danube with his three tributaries, the Dráva, Száva and Tisza, and was designed in 1880 by
Miklós Ybl.
 
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