Budapest Museums

It is typical for a city of the size and historical importance as that of Budapest to offer a wide choice of cultural institutions such as museums, galleries, theatres and concert halls. In total Budapest boasts 223 museums and galleries – a number that should satisfy even the most sophisticated tastes. The accumulated collections cover an impressive range of exhibits from fine arts, culture, science, natural science and, of course, Hungarian history. The following are just a couple of good examples.

Hungarian National Museum

The Hungarian National Museum is located in the 8th district, on Múzeum krt, about 3 minutes walk from the “Astoria” metro station (red line) and about the same distance from the “Kálvin tér“ station (blue metro line). It was established in 1802 as only the third institution of this kind to appear in Europe (the first being The British Museum). Its first collection was donated by Count Ferenc Széchényi, and was comprised of several thousand documents, manuscripts, maps, line engravings, coins and other antiques. For many years to come the collection did not have it’s own building. However, in 1807 the Hungarian National Assembly announced the museum a national property, which first sparked a nationwide donation of antique items, and, in 1836, led to the establishment of a new home, sponsored by the Hungarian government. The building was completed in 1847, and only a year later became an important symbol of the 1848-1849 revolution. It was here, on the steps of the National Museum, where on March 15, 1848 the Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi, sang the famous “National Song“ (Nemzeti Dal). During the very same year the building also served as home to the upper house of the National Assembly. It is, therefore, not only an invaluable cultural institution, but also an extremely important symbol of the Hungarian struggle for independence.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm.

Hungarian National Gallery

In 1957, in order to contain the growing collection of Hungarian art, a new museum was established – the Hungarian National Gallery. Initially the collection consisted of about 6 000 paintings, 2 100 sculptures, 3 100 coins, 11 000 drawings and 5 000 prints, separated from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts. Today the gallery exhibits masterpieces of Hungarian art from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures, as well as modern art, such as expressionism, constructivism, surrealism, abstract expressionism, hiperrealism, pop art, surnaturalism, and transavantgarde. It is located in the Buda Castle. Make sure to check the temporal exhibitions as the National Gallery often hosts works of such acclaimed international artists as Dali, Miró, Klimt, Capa, Schiele, or Kokoschka.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm.

Budapest Museum of Fine Arts

This museum is located on the Heroes Square (Hősök tere, accessible by metro yellow line) and is part of the collective art relic that the square represents together with surrounding monuments. It features a large collection of fine arts (except Hungarian) and focuses on almost every artistic tendency in European visual arts. The collection boasts more than 100 000 works from some of the most famous European artists. The building which serves as home to this collection was designed by the famous Hungarian architect Albert Schickendanz.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm; every second Thursday (uneven weeks) open until 10 pm.

Museum of Applied Arts

Located in the 9th district, on Üllői street 33-37, this museum offers large collections of exhibits ranging from porcelain, carpets, various styles of furniture, glass works, and many others. It is interesting to note that the world-famous Zsolnay porcelain decorates the dome of this museum.

Opening hours: Tue: 2 pm – 6 pm; Wed / Fri / Sat / Sun: 10 am – 6 pm; Thu: 10 am – 10 pm.