Attention, Millennials: if you also eagerly awaited your letter from Hogwarts, this list is for you. You're undoubtedly part of the generation that grew up with the Harry Potter books and films – just like us. We know all the scenes by heart, collecting relics and special editions of the series. So when we stumbled upon the following buildings, they instantly gave us a familiar feel, making us picture Defense Against the Dark Arts or Charms lessons going on inside. And now we are letting you in on the secret: see where you can find these magical buildings.
Toldy Ferenc Secondary School
This building in downtown Víziváros district is like a medieval castle that has seen many battles, where feasts are a regular occurrence and where the lady of the manor waits longingly for her knight in shining armour. On the other hand, we cannot help but associate Hogwarts with these neo-Gothic walls, and our imagination is correct in thinking that this house is in fact a school. The Toldy Ferenc Secondary School was founded by Franz Joseph I in December 1854, but at that time it was still called the 'Budai Császári Királyi Főreáltanoda' (Imperial and Royal High School of Buda).
Bástya utca 13.
This building on Bástya utca is one of the most unique buildings in the 5th district. We think it would work well as a house in Hogsmeade, but we can also picture Snape and Narcissa making the Unbreakable Vow here.
József körút 62.
This is the building that not only fascinates the people of Budapest but also tourists, even though it looks like an ordinary tenement building from the outside. In fact, the interior courtyard of József körút 62 is so popular that its picture regularly pops up on Instagram and various Facebook pages, and even has a huge fan base on Reddit. Scrolling through the comments, it's clear that we're not the only ones who envision Harry Potter's world in the building, and the more we look at the neo-Gothic house designed by Samu Pecz, the more we see wizards walking down the corridors.
Szabó Ervin Library Philosophical Reading Room
Preparations for exams used to be a piece of cake when we had been studying in the palace rooms of the Szabó Ervin Library. This is a place where you can feel like you are sitting in the Gryffindor common room, especially in the Philosophical Reading Room. The mountains of books, the fireplace, and the spiral staircase are so captivating that everyone wants to get comfy.
Batthyány utca 4.
Although we can't pinpoint a specific scene for this brick building, its appearance is reminiscent of the Harry Potter universe. Interestingly, the building was designed by Dr. Kornél Neuschloss-Knüsli, whose most famous work is the main gate of the Zoo.
Kisképző Secondary School of Visual Arts
This neo-Gothic building on the corner of Török Pál utca, with its pointed arch and rose windows, could have been a shop on Diagon Alley had it not been built for a school. The Secondary School of Visual Arts was created by the merger of the Buda Drawing School and the Pest School of Higher Industrial Drawing. Students specialise in one of the arts from the very beginning but also study a lot of theory and freehand drawing.
Báthory utca 7.
If you're lucky enough to get into this building on Báthory utca, you'll definitely feel like you're in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when you walk through the gates, especially with the stone stairs and laces. We can vividly picture Harry and his friends rushing up these stairs to their Charms lesson, but it could also lead to the third-floor corridor. Could these lace-edged stairs also be capable of suddenly changing direction? Interestingly enough, the 1903 tenement building was originally the site of the northern wing of the New Building, the place of execution for the post-war reprisals.
Budai alsó rakpart 16.
The city's narrowest house, built in 1898, is only 6.2 metres wide, and only 5.5 metres wide when viewed from Döbrentei tér. Although we have never been inside the building, we can easily imagine that its inhabitants use an Extension Charm to get bigger spaces.
BME Library
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that once again we associate Hogwarts with a neo-Gothic building, but the library of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics could be the library or even the Great Hall of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We can almost visualize Harry and Ron whispering over their homework, with Snape grabbing them. The BME library was designed by Samu Pecz, and the Reading Room is not the only impressive feature, but also the Sóhajok hídja (Bridge of Sighs) at the entrance.
The studio house of Fülöp László
We've saved the best for last: it's this mansion on Zichy Géza utca that most evokes Hogwarts. Fülöp László's studio house was originally built to impress his future parents-in-law. This was necessary because he was courting the daughter of the wealthy Guinness brewery owner, and the parents were not so keen on the marriage.
