Budapest is packed with museums and galleries, and there are plenty of temporary exhibitions in the most unlikely of settings, particularly in summer – so keep your eyes peeled. Also note that most museums are closed on Mondays. Entry is often free of charge, particularly with a Budapest Card, but the House of Terror charges 1,200 Ft. For up-to-date information on exhibitions and events, consult: museum.hu
The House of Terror (Terror Háza)
For the much of the last century, 60 Andrássy út was an address that struck fear into the hearts of Hungarians. First, it became the headquarters Arrow Cross regime in 1944, before being taken over by the Communist secret police until the short-lived 1956 revolution.
The building has now been converted into a highly stylised museum, incorporating the cellars – and even the instruments – used to torture prisoners. It is designed as much to remind visitors of the horrors of the totalitarianism as it is to educate. We recommend that you give yourself plenty of time, and read up
Open: Tue-Fri 10-18 (last admission 16.30); Sat-Sun 10-19.30 (last admission 18)
Website: terrorhaza.hu
Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum)
The museum to the right of Hősők tere boasts a fine collection of art from all over Europe. The names speak for themselves: El Greco, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, Monet, Manet and Cezanne. And there's much more, including an Egyptian section and some Greek and Roman remains.
Open: Tue-Sun: 10-17.30 (closed Monday)
Website: szepmuveszeti.hu
Statue Park (Szoborpark)
This is an out-of-town cemetery for Hungary's former symbols of repressive Communist ideology, the statues of Marx, Engels, Lenin and other socialist heroes force fed to the Hungarian people. Like the House of Terror, it is a stark reminder of the “Big Brother” Hungarians lived with for four decades.The Stature Park is accessible via public transport and a direct bus from Deák tér.
Open: Daily from 10 am till sunset.
Website: szoborpark.hu
Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria)
Occupying three wings of the Buda Royal Palace, the National Gallery contains around 100,000 works of art from the 11th century onwards, including architectural remains, carvings, reliefs and paintings.
Open: Tue-Sun 10-18 (closed Monday)
Website: mng.hu
Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
It may be a cliché, but the National Museum really is impossible to miss. A short walk along Múzeum körút from the Kálvin tér metro station, its Roman columns loom up on your right. The artwork and artefacts on the inside are equally impressive, and include Szent István's coronation cloak and huge frescoes and wall friezes.
Open: Tue-Sun 10-18 (closed Monday)
Website: mnm.hu
Ludwig Museum (Ludwig Múzeum)
Relocated to the newly built Palace of Arts, the Ludwig Museum was Hungary’s first international showcase for contemporary art, including some late Picassos and examples of American pop art, as well as collections of work from the former Eastern Bloc.
Open: Tue-Sun 10-20 (closed Monday), every last Sat. of the month: 10-22
Website: ludwigmuseum.hu
Museum of Ethnography (Néprajzi Múzeum)
A celebration of Hungarian folklore just opposite the Parliament. Features a variety of temporary exhibitions of artwork, photography, clothing and jewellery. Even if ethnography is not your thing, the building itself is well worth a visit.
Open: Tue-Sun 10-18 (closed Monday)
Website: neprajz.hu
Museum of Applied Arts (Iparművészeti Múzeum)
The Museum of Applied Arts, the grand building with the green tiled roof you see as you enter the city from the airport, contains a wide range of textiles, ceramics and furniture handed down through the centuries. More than anything, it is worth visiting for its breathtaking interiors.
Open: Open: Tue-Sun 10-18 (closed Monday)
Website: imm.hu
Műcsarnok Exhibition Hall (Műcsarnok)
To the left of Hősök tere, the Műcsarnok is Budapest’s premier showcase for contemporary art. Check the website for information on the latest events and exhibitions.
Website: mucsarnok.hu
The Holocaust Documentation and Memorial Centre (Holokauszt Emlékközpont)
Intended not just as a museum and memorial, the Holocaust Documentation and Memorial Centre is also a forum for discussion and an attempt to promote acceptance of the holocaust as part of Hungarian, as well as German history. An estimated 600,000 Hungarians, the majority Jews and Roma, were killed towards the end of the Second World War in Auschwitz and by Hungarian Arrow Cross troopers.
Website: hdke.hu
The Jewish Museum (Magyar Zsidó Múzeum)
Tucked in behind the Great Synagogue and in the house where Theodore Herzl, the father of the Zionist movement, was born, the Jewish Museum contains a wealth of photography and artefacts documenting Budapest's proud Jewish heritage. Even after the devastation of the holocaust, Budapest has the largest Jewish population of any city in Eastern Europe.
Website: bpjewmus.hu
KOGart - The House of Art and Gastronomy (KOGart - A művészetek és gasztronómia háza)
KOGart is an Andrássy út mansion dedicated to art and pleasure. Regular exhibitions, events and concerts are just part of the story, the building also boasts an excellent restaurant and coffee house.
Website: kogart.hu
Uránia cinema (Uránia mozi)
Small cinemas in Hungary are being upstaged by large and impersonal multiplexes and Hollywood blockbusters, but some bastions of small-scale, arty filmmaking remain. The Uránia cinema is the perfect antidote to bright lights and popcorn, even if you don't catch a film , drop in for a coffee.
Website: urania-nf.hu
