Budapest - Art & architecture in the Hungarian capital

Straddling the Danube, the Hungarian capital is the union of three once-separated cities: the ancient settlement of Óbuda, the royal seat of Buda – ensconced on an outcrop on the right bank – and Pest, a small town that became a place of Parisian elegance, stretching across the flatter terrain to the east. Formally united in 1873, Budapest is now the principal metropolis of East-Central Europe, its vitality and splendour emerging again after the post-war period of Soviet domination.

Its architectural legacy is remarkable: while there are some medieval and Renaissance survivals, much was lost during the Ottoman occupation and the struggle for liberation. In their place rose magnificent Baroque and 19th-century buildings – many born of the burst of prosperity which accompanied growing Magyar demands for national self-determination.

Budapest is among the half-dozen cities richest in Art Nouveau art and design, which is notable for its originality and variety of forms. The Hungarian variant developed both in opposition to artistic orthodoxy and as a manifestation of Magyar resentment of the cultural and political dominance of Austria. 

Both countries were within the Habsburg Empire and even though Hungary enjoyed a large measure of independence from 1867, the crescendo of national revivalism led increasingly to a desire to identify difference and express nationalist aspirations through the arts. Artists and architects rummaged among ancient myth and modern anthropology to define a distinctly Magyar artistic language.

This layered identity with emulation of western models on the one hand, and cultivation of distinctiveness and originality on the other, are in large part responsible for the allure of Budapest. Our programme of guided walks and visits aims to familiarise participants with the city and its treasures, major and minor and there will be some time left free to explore the city independently.