Terezvaros and Erzsebetrvaros

 

 

The Terezvaros district was heavily influenced by Haussmann's redevelopment of Paris, and at that time it was one of the smartest districts in the city. Under Communism the area became pretty run-down but the appeal of the old apartment blocks lining the streets is now bringing in the middle classes and luxury brands like Gucci have now moved in. 

 

This is Andrassy Ut, the main shopping street in the district.

 

 

 

Grand entrances

 



 

 

line the street.






This is the New Theatre, designed by Bela Lajta and completed in 1909.

 

A closer look at the blue and gold roof

 

 

 

 

one of the doors

 



 

 

 

and another one. Unfortunately it was not open so we could not go in to see the foyer which is meant to be superb.

 

 

  

 

Back on Andrassy Ut and this is the State Opera House, a neo-Renaissance building designed by Miklos Ybl. The 1260-seat auditorium was the first one in Europe to feature an iron fire curtain, underfloor heating and airconditioning. Its chandelier weighs 3 tonnes and 2.7 kilos of gold were used to gild the fixtures.

 

 

 

 

 

And what about these butterfly wings gates? Aren't they fantastic?

 

 

 

 

 

A closer look



 

 

 

 

A closer look at the main doors

 

 



 

 

 

The portico

 

 



 

 

a closer look at the ceiling

 

 

 

 

The main lobby

 



 

 

and you can see why so much gold was required for the gilding

looking up

We then turned into Nagymezo Utca and reached Mai Mano House, a museum of photography today. It used to the house of Mai Mano, court photographer.

 

It was closed when we were there, but we were able to admire the luscious lobby as well as going upstairs

 

 

 

a closer look at that ceiling

mirrors strategically placed on three of the steps made it easy to view the image on the ceiling

A bit further down Nagymezo Utca is the Ernst Museum. We were unable to go inside and admire the Art Nouveau features, but liked the door

 

Next stop, the Liszt Memorial Museum, where the composer spent the last years of his life.

 



 

 

It's a Music Academy these days

 

 beautiful entrance,

 

 

 

 

and very grand inside

 

 

 



 

green and gold are the predominant colours

 

 



 

 

 



We had no luck that day, as again, we were unable to go beyond the foyer

 

 

The House of Terror is nearby, once the headquarters of the secret police. When captured by the insurgents in 1956 no trace was found of the giant meat-grinder rumoured to have been used to dispose of corpses; after the re-imposition of Soviet rule the building was thoroughly sanitised before being handed over to the Communist Youth organisation.

Opened in 2002 as a cross between a museum and a memorial, the House of Terror has been criticised for its selective approach to terror. Its public treatment of the Stalinist years is much needed but terror in 20th century Hungary extended far further - there is only a fleeting reference to the Holocaust.

Unfortunately, as it was Monday, we were yet again unable to enter.

A piece of the Berlin Wall outside the building

and a sculpture, aptly named The Iron Curtain

 

 

 

 

Lots more gorgeous buildings 

 

 

  

 

looking closer

 

 

 

and a crescent.