Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paris Department Store
Back on Andrássy út, you can't miss the striking Art Nouveau frontage of Budapest's first
department store, with a glass facade that soars up five floors. When the
Paris Department
Store
opened in 1911 it boasted a roof terrace and even an ice rink. It's now a large book-
store,withanexcellent selection ofEnglish-language books,butinanycaseit'sworthhaving
a look inside to see how the restoration has preserved the sweeping lines of the interior. There
is a surprising contrast on the first floor at the back of the shop: the
Lotzterem
, which was a
ballroom dating from 1885 in a neighbouring casino, is magnificently decorated in frescoes
by Károly Lotz, and today holds a posh café, complete with resident pianist.
Jókai Mór tér and Liszt Ferenc tér
Close to the Oktogon, two elongated squares stretch out on either side of Andrássy út, lined
with pavement
cafés
. On the left is
Jókai Mór tér
, with a large statue of the novelist Mór
Jókai, while on the right is
Liszt Ferenc tér
, crammed with the terraces of bars and restaur-
ants. In the middle of the square, the composer +Liszt hammers an imaginary keyboard with
his vast hands, blind to the drinkers and diners surrounding him.
Presidingoverthefarendofthesquareisthe
MusicAcademy
thatbearshisname.Founded
by the eponymous composer in 1875 - though it didn't move here until 1907 having origin-
ally been based in Liszt's apartment on Andrássy út - the entire building has been beauti-
fully renovated after a lengthy closure, re-establishing the Academy's status as Budapest's
most prestigious concert venue. The florid exterior is dominated by Stróbl's statue of a seated
Liszt, while the magnificent Art Nouveau entrance hall, designed by Aladár Körösfői Kri-
esch, is flush with green Zsolnay tiles and golden mosaics. The two gilded auditoriums,
meanwhile, manifest glorious decor that matches the quality of the music played here.
The Oktogon
Andrássy út meets the Nagykörút at the
Oktogon
, an eight-sided square flanked by eclectic
buildings. With 24-hour fast-food chains, and trams and taxis running along the Nagykörút
through to the small hours, the Oktogon never sleeps. During the Horthy era it rejoiced in the
name of Mussolini tér, while under the Communists it was called November 7 tér after the
date of the Bolshevik revolution.
The House of Terror
Terror Háza • VI, Andrássy út 60 • Tues-Sun 10am-6pm • 2000Ft • 1 374 2600
terrorhaza.hu
Just beyond the Oktogon, the stern, dark grey walls, blacked-out windows and ominous black
frame that surmounts the building at no. 60 marks this place out as the
House of Terror
,
once the dreaded headquarters of the secret police. Dubbed the “House of Loyalty” by the
Fascist Arrow Cross during World War II, it was subsequently used for the same purpose by
the Communist
ÁVO
. After the reimposition of Soviet rule, the building was thoroughly san-
itized before being handed over to the Communist Youth organization.
