Even though experiencing the proper amount of touristy places - especially when it comes to the main sights of a certain location - has its charm, there is a fine line between too much and enough which one should not step over. If you''re itching to get away from the bustling and hustling of Budapest''s rich-in-tourist spectacles, check out our tips focusing on low-budget and old school attractions!
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Pajtás Self-Service Restaurant
This is an oversized, only-open-on-week-days, low-budget eatery in inner Buda, tucked away behind Batthyány tér. A visit here is a sort of Social Safari. You will mostly see retired people, elderly couples, even an occasional homeless person – they all enjoy some of the the lowest prices in town. It looks exactly it used to look like in the 1970s.
Address: 1011 Budapest, Gyorskocsi Street 9-11.
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Poor People’s Fleamarket
Petőfi Csarnok is a run-down event hall in City Park, near Museum of Transport and Technology, with an open-air theatre in front of it. Every Saturday and Sunday morning a giant garage sale is held here, and if you feel like it, you can even buy a remote control for your multiple-decade-old TV set. Most of the sellers are retired hobbyists, desperate unemployed people trying to make ends meet and vendors operating on the delicate borderline of legal business and illegality.
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Fonó Buda Music House
Housed by an old factory, privately run Fonó Music House, located in southern Buda, has been functioning as a cultural centre for folk music, world music and jazz since 1995, while also boasting a superb record store. It is a bit far from the city centre, and you might have to provide detailed instructions to the taxi driver regarding Fonó's location. Not only Hungarian, but all kinds of ethno music, dance events, (even salsa) dance house for adults and kids. A great place to pop in and stay.
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The Only Unreconstructed Classic Market Hall
In an effort to stop epidemics, Budapest built five large covered market halls which were built in similar styles. All were opened on the same day, on 15 February 1897. They are now all renovated, except for the one located in Hunyadi tér, between Király utca and Andrássy út. This is one of the last places in the city where you can see old ladies dressed in all black who leave their villages for the city early in the morning to provide fresh vegetables for Theresa Town tables.
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Telefónia Museum
Budapest is a kind of Mecca of small museums. One of the most charming one operates in the Castle District, which until 1984 was actually used as the telephone switchboard of the neighbourhood. You can see here what oath the telephone ladies had to take (to keep the secrets!), and see the telephone sets Admiral Horthy, Regent of Hungary, or Janos Kadar, Communist dictator used (copper and plastic, respectively.) If you don’t stop the attendants, they switch on the original crossbar-system installed in the 1970s. It is as noisy as a railway station from the steam engine era…
Address: 1014 Budapest, Úri Street 49.
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The Statue of Steve Jobs in Graphisoft Park
Graphisoft is a highly successful Hungarian IT company, once upon a time, Steve Jobs himself helped to steer Graphisoft in the right direction. The latter fact is one of the main reasons why founder Gábor Bojár was shocked when he found out that Apple's visionary leader had passed away. Within weeks, a tender was organized, and the winning design - courtesy of Ernő Tóth - was realized in two months. The text: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do...” It can be found in Graphisoft Park, a group of high tech office buildings, which can also be regarded as a symbol of New Hungary.
Address: 1031 Budapest, Záhony Street 7.
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Wekerle Quarter
This lovely neighbourhood of intricate design was built at the beginning of the 20th century, inspired by the British Garden City Movement. All in all, 4988 apartments were built in 1042 buildings. In 1950, the formerly independent small town called Kispest was incorporated in Budapest, and an extensive period of neglect and decay followed. Nowadays, it is coming to life, and is gradually morphing into a blooming, fashionable area for academics, doctors and youthful business people. Well worth an afternoon.
Address: 19th District, Határ út – Ady Endre út – Hunyadi utca – Nagykőrösi út
