Urania Budapest

The oldest cinema

Claudia from Budapest

About me Spoiled by the beauty of my native Firenze, in Italy, I recently celebrated my 10th year in Budapest, a city I couldn't have enough of, yet. I'm an official tour guide, a journalist and a writer, but most of all someone who needs to be surrounded by lively places and stunning architecture. Why Budapest Budapest never stops surprising me and this keeps...
""Urania" in Budapest is a night club from the 19th century, considered the first cinema in the city. Elegant & beautiful, there's always an event here..."

Opened in 1894 as a night club, Urania is usually considered the first cinema in Budapest, screening movies since 1917. There's something very fitting in watching a film in an historic building. In Florence, where I was born, old cinemas like this were shut down years ago, and Urania reminds me of the most beautiful my city had, the prestigious "Cinema Gambrinus".

Inside there's all dark wood and red drapes, elegant and oriental like many buildings in Budapest. The shapes in particular add the flavour of India to it and are quite similar to those of one of the most grandiose buildings in town, the Museum of Applied Arts. When it comes to the offer of the cinema, festival is the keyword for Urania. Basically there's always one, or a retrospective, going on here.

I love to watch old Italian movies here, as well as getting to know more about local cinema and cartoons (every year there's Anilogue, the International Animation Film Festival). A big plus of this cinema is that it is spacious and with several options to hang out there before a screening.

The café on the first floor offers basic snacks and beverages, which can be enjoyed in any of the many corners and seats of this temple of Orientalist architecture, a style that suits Budapest just perfectly. 

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Budapest Spotter Claudia

About me Spoiled by the beauty of my native Firenze, in Italy, I recently celebrated my 10th year in Budapest, a city I couldn't have enough of, yet. I'm an official tour guide, a journalist and a writer, but most of all someone who needs to be surrounded by lively places and stunning architecture. Why Budapest Budapest never stops surprising me and this keeps my love alive. The more you zoom in, the more details will entertain your eyes, while the jungle of the coffee shops and bars ensures quality entertainment and precious locations to write in and be i...

About this spot

Rákóczi út 21

Movie ticket:

HUF

1500

Oct 2, 2025

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