If you wander the streets of Budapest, you will surely be amazed by its beautiful architecture. However there is an obviously lesser known side of the city, which are the inner courts of the old buildings.
In old times, these courts were community places for the house tennants, where they hanged out the laundry, the children played or you could have stopped your neighbour for some chit-chat.
Unfortunately many of these beautiful courts are locked by now so for non residents it is impossible to enter. We will have a photo gallery in an other post about these courtyards.
Public courts however were different. They have always been used as free passages in the city center, occupied mostly by little shops and cafes. The most famous one in Budapest is undoubtedly the Parisian Arcade. Once you get a glimpse of its exterior and interior, you will immediately know why.
The building was designed in 1909 by the famous architect, Henrik Schmal to be the headquarters of the Inter City Savings Bank. Henrik has definitey put all his knowledge and imagination into the plan, and the result is a really outstanding building. Should you be familiar with architecture, just look up, and you will be confused. Its because the building mixes Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements, undoubtedly in a stunning mixture.
The building successfully survived 2 world wars and the socialist regime, which destroyed many beautiful buildings like this in line with the communist ideology. After the Regime Change in Hungary in 1989, officials were obviously uncertain about what to do with the building. Finally it was sold to a big investor, who created a 5* hotel, and renovated the building to its previous glory.
As you can see on the photos, the passage now is really luxurious, though my personal opinion is that now it is a little too posh. You would tend to need more life and vibration in a place like this. But lets put it to the fact that it is brand new and be happy that it is not neglected anymore.
If you do not wish to walk by the gems like this, don’t see only what most tourists can find! Explore the inner, hidden side of Budapest with us during our thematic sightseeing walks!
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