Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
boulevard is served by metro line #1. Trams circle the Nagykörút night and day, and several
trolleybus lines run through the two districts out to the Városliget.
Erzsébetváros
The obvious starting point for exploring the area is the Dohány utca Syn-
agogue, a short walk down the Kiskörút from the metro interchange at Deák tér.
Terézváros
Laid out in the late nineteenth century,
Terézváros
was heavily influenced by Haussmann's
redevelopment of Paris, and at that time it was one of the smartest districts in the city. Under
Communism, the area became pretty run-down, but the appeal of the old apartment blocks
lining its streets is now bringing in the middle classes; luxury brands such as Gucci and Louis
Vuitton have moved in, the villas near the park have recovered their value and café society
flourishes around Liszt Ferenc tér.
Andrássy út
was inaugurated in 1884 as the Sugár (Radial) út, but was soon renamed
after the statesman Count Gyula Andrássy, and it was this name which stayed in popular use
throughout the years when this was officially Stalin Avenue (1949-56) or the Avenue of the
People's Republic (1957-89).
The State Opera House
Állami Operaház • VI, Andrássy út 22 • English-language tours of the interior daily 3pm & 4pm • 2900Ft • 1
332 8197,
opera.hu
(for programmes),
operavisit.hu
(for tours)
The
State Opera House
was founded by Ferenc Erkel, the composer of Hungary's national
anthem, and occupies a magnificent neo-Renaissance pile built in 1875-84 by Miklós Ybl.
It can boast of being directed by Mahler (who was driven out by the anti-Semitism he ex-
perienced in the city), hosting performances conducted by Otto Klemperer and Antal Doráti,
and sheltering two hundred local residents (including Kodály) in its cellars during the siege
of Budapest. The 1260-seat auditorium was the first in Europe to feature an iron fire curtain
(installed after a blaze at the Vienna Opera House), underfloor heating and air conditioning.
Its chandelier weighs three tonnes, and 2.7 kilos of gold were used to gild the fixtures. To
the left of the stage is the box used by Emperor Franz Josef's wife
Sisi
, who loved Hungari-
an opera as much as he detested it. The upstairs reception rooms and downstairs foyer are
equally lavish, festooned with portraits and busts of Hungarian divas and composers. Tickets
for tours are available from the shop to the left in the foyer; see
Classical music, opera and
ballet
regarding tickets for performances.
Nagymező utca
ContinuingfromtheOperaHousealongAndrássyút,you'llpassoneofBudapest'svenerable
coffee houses on the right-hand side, the
Művész
(no. 29), where the magnificent interior is
more enticing than the cakes or service. The next major junction is
Nagymező utca
- some-
what optimistically nicknamed “
Broadway
” because of its theatres and nightclubs. Outside
