Image by Eszter Szilva

Although there were massive protests for saving Tűzraktér, a ruin bar and cultural center in the seventh district, the place had to go this summer because of severe disputes with the municipality. Fortunately, the crew did not give up their cultural mission and they transported the popular squat-like place into Buda’s Király Bath. Vízraktér is thus a fruitful marriage of Budapest’s two iconic features: ruin pubs (check the Szimpla kert article) and bath culture (check the Dandár fürdő article). I really hope that this one will last longer that Tűzraktér’s previous liaisons.

The organizers stick to the original idea of freedom of arts and culture, but they set off to create a whole new concept this time, merging alternative culture and the tranquil world of thermal baths. When you enter the place through the main entrance of the bath, you immediately feel the smell of the healing water and the warm steam. Turning left, there is a nice little terrace which leads to the Termál bár, a bar and café resembling a Turkish hamam. This place is simply magical (see some really nice photos here), something I have never seen before.

The programs of Vízraktér are versatile. They have really good film clubs screening rarely seen movies (for example Turkish films), theatrical performances, small concerts, public readings and literary events. Moreover, they have already organized a cookie baking contest for the local seniors! 

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Vízraktér | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Music, Theaters | Espresso HUF 290
Fő utca 84. | Central Buda
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

This is a place which you’d probably never come across accidentally, unless you get lost on your way to the nearby Children’s railway which is a popular spot for relaxing. Located in Hegyvidék district up in the hills of Buda, Moholy-Nagy University of Arts and Design (MOME) is outside the regular path of tourists, but worth a trip, especially if you’re interested in arts and design. Or just want to discover the greener side of Budapest which makes a striking contrast to downtown’s bustle.

The campus is a nice park, which is full of surprises. No wonder, as there are lot of inspiring artists here. You can bump into photos or other art objects randomly displayed. Just as every university buffets, MOME’s canteen (open to the public) is also noisy, people sit by their laptops or chat with each other. The red wooden benches and the industrial design makes this place a bit similar to the popular bars in the Pest side. The food comes in menus, or you can order pizza as well. The walls are full of design related program flyers which might help if you’re up to an exhibition or a party. The place also functions as a café with a nice terrace decorated by colorful graffitis.

The canteen is actually the ground floor of the dorm, a building which reminds me more of a guest house in the mountains than a regular university building. It’s a perfect place to have a break and absorb the laid-back atmosphere.

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MOME Kantin | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Menu from HUF 650
Zugligeti út 9 | Outer Buda
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 22:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Because of the density of theatres, Nagymező street is called the “Broadway of Budapest” and nowadays it has also become one of the main party streets, but thanks to photographer Mai Manó who built his home and studio-house here at the end of the 18th century, it’s also a major venue for lovers of photography. With its rich and colorful decorations, this building always makes me stop for a moment when I walk around this area.

Mai Manó’s house functions from 1995 as a space dedicated to Hungarian photography. Besides the various exhibitions, Mai Manó, as it is regularly called, is unique because the impressive building itself which, with its wooden stairs and tiny corridors, is more like a palace than an ordinary museum. I am always surprised to see that the tight staircase eventually leads to the wonderfully spacious Daylight studio, the main attraction of the house. This room was used as a photography studio lit by the natural sunlight shining through the huge wooden panes of the windows. Besides enjoying sunlight and imagining how Mai Manó worked here, the studio is another perfect place for trolley gazing!

Mai Manó houses several rooms for separate exhibitions, a photography library and a joint gallery and bookstore as well where you’ll find a number of art albums, books and photo replicas. 

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Hungarian House of Photography | Art & culture, Shopping | Entrance adults HUF 1000
Nagymező utca 20. | Central Pest | +3614732666
Mon – Fri 14:00 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Szilva Eszter

Facades of classic cinemas with their black letters and neon commercials always impress me. The entrance of Szikra Cool Tour House opposite Nyugati station is one of these spots. The name of this complex institution is a Hunglish word pun: kultúrház (yes, to be pronounced Cool Tour House) means cultural center especially since the early socialist era where different events were organized from official celebrations to concerts of local choirs. Szikra’s programs are just as diverse.

Built in the 1920s, Szikra functioned as a cinema until the end of the 1990s. Its main sensation is the roof of its theatre room which can be opened and closed thanks to a clever machinery. When I was there last time at a Pecha Kucha night, the audience gathering to listen to designers and architects was just as amazed by discovering the starry night above their heads as cinema goers of the 1920s could have been. There’s something magical about sitting in a traditional theatre and watching the sky framed by golden stuccos.

Szikra admittedly goes against Budapest’s famous ruin bar trend by evoking a cabaret milieu. The ornate and shiny decors and the posh bar go perfectly with the atmosphere of the theatre. The program ranges from mainstream to alternative, from jazz concerts to independent theatre performances or DJ sets. The building houses a bar and bistro which you can reach from the street from as early as 8 o’clock in the morning. The snacks and drinks keep you sated until the show begins.

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Szikra | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Snacks, Theaters | Espresso HUF 250
Budapest, 1066, Teréz krt. 62. | Central Pest | +3619110911
Sun – Tue 10:00 – 02:00, Wed – Thu 10:00 – 04:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 06:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Entering this tiny shop full of garments with funnily weird patterns always makes me happy. About their name, the girls behind MUSU say something like it means muszi (cute) and súlyos (serious). If it’s still not clear, their motto might help you get closer to the underlying idea of their shop: “thinking, laughing, cycling”.

Besides supplying Budapest bikers with chic and useful clothes, bags and other accessories, MUSU thinks of safety as well. You’ll find tons of different reflective prisms, bands and stickers for your bike, and also waist warmers which come handy during the cold months. 

The unique MUSU design is basically built on a childhood memory of a bunny toy. This “minimal bunny” was their first figure soon to be followed by other crazy creatures in MUSU’s world, such as the spoke-eyed children, the creepy angels, the pocket animals or the capsules. Besides the clothes already having some of these creatures on them, you can choose plain T-shirts, sweatshirts, pullovers and dresses and your favorite pattern which the girls transferiron to the clothes right on the spot. I have chosen a tank top and as I was in a bad mood I opted for a black Bloody Mary Poppins as decoration – with a hack in her hands instead of an umbrella.

MUSU is a great place to find nice presents for my friends. Or for myself.

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MUSU | Art & culture, Shopping | T-shirt HUF 3000
Pozsonyi út 9. | Outer Pest | +36209661151
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

It’s originally from Krakow, speaks English, offers interesting books and serves delicious coffee and tasty cookies in the heart of the Jewish district. Any guesses? Ok, I’ll help. Massolit, a café and English language bookstore from Poland, has recently opened its doors in Budapest as well, for the pleasure of expats, exchange and local university students, and basically everyone who speaks English.

For me, someone who graduated in English Literature, Media and Gender Studies, this place is a heaven of books as Massolit is specialised precisely in these areas (plus politics, history, Jewish Studies and other social studies) and offers great academic titles at reduced prices. Besides non-fiction, they have a selection of fiction as well. Reading requires coffee, of course, and here I get it from direct trade and in various seasonal blends.

The café and store is situated on a ground floor of an old building. The turquoise wooden windows, the black and white granite tiles, the palm tree and the big bookshelves embracing all these create an antique but still cozy interior. Behind you’ll find a terrace located in one of the nicest backyards of Budapest, especially friendly during the summer days when the garden is lush and green.

Similarly to the Krakow store, the Budapest branch also organizes concerts, readings and other social gatherings. In the back room you might bump into English courses as well.

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Massolit | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Espresso HUF 300
Nagy Diófa utca 30. | Central Pest | +3617885292
Mon – Sat: 11:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Design shop, gallery, café and silkscreen studio – you’ll find it all in place opposite the old synagogue in Jewish district’s Rumbach Sebestyén street.

Printa is a concept-store, that is, everything they offer is centered around a concept, here, eco-friendly design. Thus, the coffee they serve comes from direct trade and the items you can buy are designed by Hungarian designers who work with recycled or eco-friendly materials.

Besides the exquisite coffee beans, the trained baristas also guarantee that you get wonderful coffee here. As one of them said, we put sugar in our coffee only because the coffee is not of the best quality. However, if you have a sweet tooth, don’t be afraid, you’ll find sugar here.

Printa offers goodies from jewellery inspired by the beautiful matyó folk art embroidery to funny bags sewn from vintage leather jackets or silkscreen T-shirts with the names of iconic Budapest streets. If you want to make your own silkscreen print, register to the workshops!

The minimalistic but friendly interior contains two big tables and some seats at the counter, however, in a sunny weather you can take your seat outside in the huge windows. You might bump into exhibition openings and other social gatherings as well.

Printa is a great place to start a stroll in the Jewish district. What’s more, they have made their own, nicely designed map to downtown Pest. Delicious coffee and some cookies in your stomach, Printa’s map in your hands – you cannot get lost, only if you want to!

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Printa | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Espresso HUF 300
Rumbach Sebestyén utca 10. | Central Pest | +36302920329
Mon – Fri 11:00- 19:00, Sat 12:00 – 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Eszter Szilva

Each city has its own iconic bookstore that means lot more than a simple retail place. This spot in Budapest is Írók Boltja (Writers’ Bookshop), located on the busy corner of Andrássy street and Liszt Ferenc square. Írók boltja is the place to go when you are interested in Hungarian literature as it offers a nice selection of books in English, German and French translation.

The store is special because it has a history of more than hundred years, always connected to writers and poets. Originally a café, it functioned from the 1890s as a legendary gathering place for writers and intellectuals until it was transformed into a bookshop in the 1950s. The members of the Hungarian Association of Writers could buy books on discount here and they organized public readings. Írók boltja offers literary and cultural events as well where writers and readers can meet in person.

I might not be a natural born businesswoman, but for me, a good shop is where I don’t feel compelled to buy anything. Here, I’m free to grab a book with a cup of tea or coffee and sit down in the corner. At the same time, I can peacefully enjoy the bustle of the outside world through the huge windows. Sometimes it feels like sitting in an aquarium full of books, magazines and literature fans instead of fishes and shells.

Finally, a secret: some parts of the café’s original decoration were discovered and preserved. If you cannot find them, just ask the super friendly staff!

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Írók boltja | Art & culture, Shopping
Andrássy út 45. | Central Pest | +3613221645
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 11:00 -19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Miklos Zsamboki

Memento Park – or Szoborpark (“Statue Park”), is a depository for communist-era public statues.

Located on the very fringes of Budapest, you should allocate quite a bit of travelling time to getting there and back, or catch the once-a-day direct bus that leaves at 11:00 from Deák Ferenc Metro station and goes back to the city at 13:00 (or just drive).

Lots of people get a kick out of seeing these monumental statues in their new, “harmless” environment, but given nice enough weather, the park is also a good spot to get away from the city’s concrete for a bit.

Just outside the main entrance, there’s a barrack where they sometimes have temporary exhibits as well as some permanent information on the 1956 revolution and the 1989-90 change into democracy.

Definitely check it out, as there’s also a movie theater inside, showing a subtitled documentary called “Life of the Agent.” It’s a compilation of actual black-and-white training videos filmed by and for the communist secret police, teaching you how to conduct proper house searches, how to follow someone unnoticed, how to enlist someone as an informant, and other similar skills. You can also buy the movie on DVD at the ticket office, and it’s awesome.

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Memento Park | Art & culture | Full-prized ticket HUF 1500
Balatoni út / Szabadkai utca | Outer Buda | +3614247500
10:00 – till sunset daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest

Image by Miklos Zsamboki

The Hungarian Museum of Science and Technology is a place you’re unlikely to find on your own. Not only because it’s located a bit out of the way, but also because, well, would it occur to you to check out three large halls’ worth of machinery if I wasn’t prompting you?

When I first visited with some friends, I immediately fell in love with the place. What you have here is three separate exhibits, each in its own hall:one full of scientific instruments (telescopes, clocks, geodesic and meteorological machinery, etc.); one dedicated to engines of all sorts from steam through petrol to an actual fighter jet engine; and one – which I find the most interesting – for household electronics from the 20th century.

Among other cool stuff, this last gallery holds part of an ancient, room-sized Ural 2 computer; the first Hungarian robot toy, a giant ladybug; and a Hungarian invention whose idea was not patented because of the inventor’s boss’ incompetence, got stolen and later became the 3.5 floppy disk. You’ll definitely want a tour guide to point out the special items for you.

It’s really poetic to see all these man-made items collected and displayed as if they were works of art or wonders of nature. It’s also a great way to build up geek cred.

Practical note as of now, it’s a bit hard to get an English-speaking guide to the exhibits. To arrange for one, you should call 3612044092 at least 3-4 days (or preferably a week) ahead.

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Országos Muszaki Múzeum | Art & culture | Ticket adults HUF 600
Kaposvár utca 13-15 | Outer Buda | +3612044095
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 16:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Budapest