Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lipótváros (Leopold Town), lying to the north of the Belváros, started to develop in
the late eighteenth century, first as a financial centre and later as the seat of govern-
ment.Severalinstitutionsofnationalsignificancearefoundhere,includingParliament,
St Stephen's Basilica and the National Bank and the Television headquarters. Though
partoftheVDistrict,asistheBelváros,Lipótvároshasquiteadifferentambience,with
sombrestreetsofNeoclassicalbuildingsinterruptedbysquaresflankedbymonumental
Art Nouveau piles. That said, the area has developed into quite a social hub, with bars
sprawledacrossSzentIstvántérandZrinyiutca,andsomeofthecity'sbestrestaurants
sited along Sas utca. Across the Nagykörút, Újlipótváros (New Leopold Town; the XIII
district) is worth visiting for the lively Lehel tér market.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
Lipótváros
It makes sense to start a Lipótváros visit either with Széchenyi István tér, by
the Lánchíd, or St Stephen's Basilica, two minutes' walk from Deák tér. Most of the streets
between them lead towards the set-piece expanse of Szabadság tér, whence you can head on
towards Parliament - though the Kossuth tér metro station or tram #2 along the river will
provide quicker access.
Újlipótváros
The way to get here is either by tram #4 or #6 along the Nagykörút or on the
blue #2 metro line to the Lehel tér stop.
Széchenyi Istvan tér
AtthePestendoftheLánchíd,
SzéchenyiIstvántér
isnamedafter“thegreatestHungarian”,
the man responsible for building the bridge. Blitzed by traffic crowding on and off the bridge,
it's also dominated by huge trees - including one propped-up acacia said to be the oldest tree
in the city - that make it hard to get a feel for this historic square. It was here that the Austri-
an emperor Franz Josef was crowned King of Hungary in 1867 - paradoxically symbolizing
