Secret places of Budapest, which you will not find in a typical guidebook

In the Middle Ages it was believed that there are three pearls of Europe's Venice - on the water, Florence - the plain and Buda - the hills. Buda - is one of the three Hungarian villages, which in 1873 together with Obuda and Pest city of Budapest.

1. philosophical garden

Gellert Hill - one of the main attractions of Budapest. Tourists from all over the world aspire to its summit to witness the memorial of St. Gellert, a statue of "Liberty» (Szabadság Emlékmű), the Citadel, the famous baths, and enjoy views of the city.

And few people know that in addition to the above, on Gellert Hill, there is another wonderful place. This so-called philosophical garden. There are 8 bronze sculptures of Abraham, Akhenaten, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mahatma Gandhi, Daruma, and Francis Diaz. The first five represent the world's major religions. They stand on a round pedestal in the center - a small steel ball. Next - the statue of Gandhi, Daruma, and St. Francis - the people who lived in different times, in different places, but reached a high spiritual level.

The author of this philosophical message to humankind - the famous Hungarian sculptor and painter Nándor Wagner (Nandor Wagner). This is one of the most important projects of the master, he worked on it for the last 15 years of his life.

"Philosophical Garden" - a quiet and cozy place. The figure of the great spiritual leaders face a number of reflections. But looking at them, one thinks of something else.

Address: Gellért-hegy
Vicki:Nandor Wagner

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2. House "Szamos Gourmet"

Lived was Mladen Savitch (Szavits Mladen). He was very poor, but madly in love sweets and confectionery skills trained in one of Budapest's confectionery. One day there came a Danish pastry and gave a master class on making roses from marzipan. Mladen learned well the lesson. After some time, he met a girl Somes name. They fell in love and got married. A young man learned to make marzipan roses from her family.

Thus began the history of the confectionery Szamos house, known in all of Hungary. In Budapest more than 10 institutions, where you can buy branded candy, but the best of them is on Vorosmarty Square (Vörösmarthy).

It is there that is the legendary home of "Gourmet Somes," which is both a cafe, a chocolate boutique chocolatiers and school.

At the entrance visitors are welcomed by a girl carrying a tray carrying the hot chocolate. This is an exact copy of a maid with a picture of "Chocolate" by Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard (XVIII century). In the manufacture of figure it took 800 hours and 70 kg of marzipan.

In the local cafes you can taste more than 40 kinds of chocolates, made by hand, and to be treated with a favorite dessert of Queen Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary - a famous cake "Dobos". The recipe of this sweet miracle of biscuit, chocolate cream and caramel glaze was invented in 1885 confectioner József Dobos name, since the eponymous cake is one of the business cards Hungarian kitchen.

But perhaps the most interesting thing in the House "Szamos Gourmet" - is chocolatier school. Do you want to learn how to make candy for many years ago and which technologies are used today? Or learn to make chocolates with your own hands? Then be sure to visit one of the workshops Szamos.

Address: Váci, 1
Site: szamosmarcipan.hu
Vicki:Cake "Dobos"
Mode of operation: daily from 8:30 to 21:00

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3. ParaPark

You walk into a basement. The door behind you closes tightly. Trap. Trap. In the hands of the card. Twilight. Chilling silence. Suddenly, a bright flash of light. You have to go, because the timer is ticking... There is only one opportunity to get on the freedom - to think!

This is not the story of the American horror film - it is a popular game among the youth of Budapest. The point is simple: you together with his friends (from 2 to 5 people) is closed in the maze. You have at the disposal of the card and collective intelligence. To get there, you need to solve logic puzzles, exercise care and ingenuity. This is very similar to the action-packed video game, the only difference is that you do not just control your character - you are on the other side of the monitor, you are in the thick of things.

The game ParaPark have an age limit - to take part in it are people older than 14 years. However, this "quest" is completely safe. There's no life-threatening tasks, you just need to look for artifacts and solve puzzles. If you like adventure, then this is the place for you.

Address: Vajdahunyad, 4
Site:parapark.hu
Mode of operation: Thursday to Sunday from 13:30 to 24:00

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4. Cafe with cats

You love lions? Come on, admit it - everyone loves lions. After all, they are mi-mi-cute. However, not everyone has the opportunity to get a cat. Someone too lazy to look after someone's wife does not allow, and someone does not allow living conditions. If you are one of those "accidents", then you direct road to Cat Café.

"Cafe with cats" - a new kind of leisure for Europe. The thing is: an ordinary-looking cafe where you can drink coffee and eat Pirozhenko turns even in the cattery. As a result, visitors can not only eat, but also to play with the kitties. Is not it lovely?

The first such cafe in Taiwan appeared already in 1998, but they received a special popularity in Japan, after the discovery of "Cafe with cats" in Osaka in 2004. By the way, in Japan it is the "housing problem" became a cause of the spread of Cat Café - many Japanese do not have the possibility to have pets.

Now fashion has reached and Europe. First in London, then in Vienna and finally, in winter 2013, Cat Café appeared in Budapest.

Rather, in the capital of Hungary today for as much as two similar facilities. One of them is on the Révay street. In Budapest "Cafe with cats" you can not smoke, but you can bring your toys for kittens and there is free Wi-Fi. This is one of the rare places where will not be bored, even if you come to have a cup of coffee alone.

It should be noted that the idea of ​​"Coffee with cats" has its supporters and opponents. The first simply enjoy the opportunity to communicate with-tailed whiskered friends, while the latter say that it is "a mockery" of our smaller brethren and solid unsanitary. And you would have gone to a cafe?

Address: Révay, 3
Site:catcafebudapest.hu
Mode of operation: daily from 10:00 to 22:00

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5. Rack railway

Budapest transport network is very well developed: there is a subway (the oldest in Europe), and trams (the longest in Europe), and buses, and trolley and teplohodik. But perhaps the most bizarre public transport of the Hungarian capital - a cog railway.

Cog railway - a railway with an additional gear wheel and, accordingly, the same rail. Toothed rail laid in the middle, between the ordinary. Thanks to the gear wheel and the rail structure can overcome the steeper rises, so these railways are often constructed in a mountainous area.

In Budapest gear "piece of iron" was built in 1874, its length - 4.5 km. The route runs from Városmajor, through the Buda hills at a height of about 400 meters up the mountain section. As you know, the place is very picturesque, so a few minutes lift can fully enjoy the sights of Budapest. There are, however, a downside - the gear mechanism is quite noisy.

But it is still a great attraction. Especially, not far from its end station is another amazing "piece of iron" - one of the best in Europe, famous Budapest Children's Railway.

Address: Városmajor (two stops on the tram №59 on Moszkva tér) - Széchenyi Hill (a two minute walk from Normafa)
Site:bkv.hu
Vicki:Rack railway

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6. sugar shop

Another incredibly sweet spot in Budapest - shop with the bright name «Sugar!». If you think that the sugar - a white "sand" or molded, refined, which we put into the tea, then deeply mistaken. Sugar - is an art.

At least for people with imagination. Because from it we can make the shoe of Cinderella, flower pot, the Eiffel Tower and many more bizarre multi-colored figures. And all of them can be purchased Sugar! Such masterpieces even have pity.

And in the sugar shop you will find a huge amount of candy, jelly beans, candy, cupcakes, cakes unusual (for example, in the form of cans Coca-Cola), ice cream and other sweets.

The variety and bright colors just the eyes diverge. According to the owners, the purpose of their institution to make our lives sweeter. The Sugar Shop! you definitely will be able to sweeten the gray days. But to go with the women and children is not recommended - too many temptations, and the prices are not sugar.

Address: Paulay Ede, 48
Site:sugarshop.hu
Mode of operation: Monday - 12:00 to 22:00 from Tuesday to Sunday - 10:30 to 22:00

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7. The boys from the street Pal

In 1906, the Hungarian writer and playwright Ferenc Molnar wrote one of his best works - the novel for teenagers "Boys from Pál street» ( «A Pál utcai fiúk»).

This is a simple story about how boys become men. While the Budapest youth raved militarism, and the boys on the street Pal also played "army."

Protagonist of the novel - "ordinary" Erno Nemecek. The smallest, but the most fearless, he is a personal example shows that for men the word "honor" - not an empty phrase. At the end of Nemecek, as befits a hero dies.

Monument boys from the street Pala demonstrates one of the first scenes of the novel. Teenagers on the way home from school stopped in a vacant lot, to play balls. But their balls liked the local bullies. And then it all started ...

Roman Molnar earned respect in the literary world, it has been translated into several languages ​​(including Russian) and a movie. For example, the story of the boys from the street Pal is the basis of American film in 1934 «No Greater Glory».

Address: Práter utca
Vicki:Ferenc Molnar

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8. Keret's secret club

In 2007, a couple of hippies Roles and Andy (Roli and Andi) made 200 copies of the keys to his apartment and gave their closest friends. So in Budapest appeared unusual and very atmospheric club cafe.

The owners of the keys can open the door and go to the house every day from 19 to 23 hours. Anyone else know about this secret place, can just ring the bell, they will be opened and they will be in amazing atmosphere: the quiet crackling of the fireplace, the Hungarian home-made wine, simple homemade snacks, nice music and live communication.

If you want to know what a chill-out in Budapest, go to a secret club Keret. But remember that this is no ordinary bar or cafe, you are in first place in the party. And if the owners ask you to leave, you should do so immediately. In addition, from June to October Roles and Andy usually travel and the club, respectively, is closed.

Address: Somogyi Béla, 16
Mode of operation: Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 2: 00/3: 00

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9. bath party

Budapest - one of the main resorts of Europe. Nature endowed it with numerous mineral springs, which are townspeople used for centuries. So, by the Romans during their reign built several terms, to treat the wounded warriors. But the flourishing bathing culture came in the XVI-XVII centuries, when the Turks started to build its own hammam.

Today in Budapest about 30 baths, and they are very different: male, female and mixed, ancient and modern (for example, SPA-complex Veli Bej). The largest and most popular of them - "section", "Gellert", "Kiraly" and "Rudas".

But popular, alas, among the tourists. Of the locals go there mostly retired. Young people in hospitals can be seen only on the parties bath.

Bath party - this is a new form of entertainment Budapest youth. Very sexy and very wet ...

The city authorities are so interested in the improvement of its residents, letting in the ancient baths of partying. Every weekend from June to September "broken rice" becomes SPA-nightclub. Water is highlighted bright lasers, sounds modern electronic music, the bar pours cocktails river everywhere pretty girls in bathing suits. You can dance and swim, socialize and swim again - get a very fun and rewarding entertainment.

Spring (March to May), such parties take place in the pool "Lukács". There's a little bit different atmosphere: playing hip-hop, a jacuzzi. But one thing remains unchanged - the unbridled joy!

address: Széchenyi - XIV. kerület Állatkerti körút, 9-11; Lukács - Frankel Leó, 25-29
websites: Széchenyi - szechenyifurdo.hu; Lukács - lukacsbath.com
Vicki:Medical Széchenyi
Mode of operation: typically from 22:30 to 3:00

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10. Fountain "open book"

Fountain "open book" - perhaps the most secret place of Budapest. Because of it it is known only that the large marble disclosed in the middle of the book lies in the end of the street Henszlemann Imre. Every second of the binding climb up jets of water, creating the illusion of an invisible magician leafs transparent pages.

It is not known exactly what it wanted to tell the artist and engineer Kelecsényi Gergely Szita József, but perhaps it is a tribute to the good old paper book. At least, it would be symbolic to our high-tech age when electronic gadgets replacing traditional printing.

If you know the real underlying reason, as well as the history of this fountain, please tell us about it in the comments.

Address: Henszlemann Imre

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Also write, where else should go in Budapest. It is no wonder that this city is called the Paris of Eastern Europe - there are plenty of unusual places!