Our new series showcasing both the most spectacular panoramas in Budapest and hardly accessible, untraditional gazebos kicks off with a night time tour of luxury hotel rooftops, and includes a necessary odd-one-out, namely Váci utca’s Tőzsdepalota (Váci Street Stock Exchange Palace). An all-around view of posh panoramas – even for those with a fear of height.
1/5
Hotel President Budapest
Situated on Hold utca, in the vicinity of , , and trafiq, is mostly known for its multifunctional rooftop helipad.
Heliport Panorama Terrace Restaurant, stylishly decorated with plants and classic, outdoor candelabra, serves as a gazebo at daylight, as a restaurant after nightfall, and also provides a one-of-a-kind location for various events.
Although this time around we hadn't arrived by helicopter, we still felt privileged on account of the breath-taking view on Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion, the , the towers of and the , and, last not least, the Hungarian State Treasury’s rooftop covered in Zsolnay majolica tiles.
2/5
Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge
The most well-known hotel on the , the world-renowned neighbour of (Chain Bridge), , is surrounded by postcard-worthy sights, so it was evident that we were not going to miss out on snapping a couple of photos from its rooftop.
Although our first visit to – which is characterized by five-star services and a minimalist, elegant interior – proved to be in vain due to a heavy snow storm, repetition is the mother of skill, and luck was on our side the second time around.
The results speak for themselves: , , Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, a hint of the and the Hungarian Statue of Liberty (which is sometimes meanspiritedly likened to a bottle-opener); so, all in all, eye-pleasing spectacles as far as the camera could see.
3/5
Váci1 - Tőzsdepalota
Tőzsdepalota (Stock Exchange Palace), located on the corner of and (Vörösmarty Square) was built between 1911 and 1915 according to the plans of Ignác Alpár. The first floor’s antique grandeur on-par with that of is pillared by fine marble and the beautiful stained glass windows of Miksa Róth. The biggest, ballroom-sized hall gives home to an enormous safe conjured from burglar nightmares, while the neighbouring premises used to serve as offices; just like the other four floors, where the stockbrokers of the good old days were roaming around.
Tőzsdepalota has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1933, and was purchased by Orco Property Group in 2005. The investor group specializing in real estate has injected a futuristic edge into the building’s prestigious past with the help of French architect Christian Biecher.
A trio of venues operate on the front: a clothes shop, Szamos Gourmet Ház, and ; although real beauty is on the inside – or, at least this time around, on the rooftop. The mile-high terrace is planned to become a restaurant, and, after having explored the mesmerizing panorama – , , Gerbeaud House -, we dare to declare that dishes are going to have a tough time competing with the view.
4/5
Le Meridien Budapest
We have no intention of neglecting the significance of the past in the case of Le Meridien Budapest, a trendsetting luxury hotel located at (Erzsébet Square), a few dozen steps away from , , , Közért, and Design Terminal; so it’s high time we took another trip down memory lane. The building formerly known as Adria Palace was erected between 1914 and 1918 to the request of Adria Insurance Company. Besides the company’s offices, fabulous flats, chic boutiques, and artists’ studios set foot between the high class walls. Apropos walls: the statues on the building’s facade used to symbolize both the various fields of insurance constituting Adria's profile and the clerks working in said fields.
Although Adria’s architecturally pleasing headquarters were awarded with the historical monument status quite early, no status could have saved the building from the bombings of World War II. The half-hearted renovations of 1950 resulted in the shutting down of all the flats and boutiques, and the palace’s premises were taken over by Budapest’s Police Department.
The law enforcement-era ended in 1997, and a two-year-long, thorough renovation process began in 1998. Le Meridien, belonging to the creme of the crop of luxury hotels and characterized by exceptional services and an elegant interior, opened its gates at the dawn of the new century; and has accommodated an extensive number of prominent individuals. As for the panorama: Károly körút (Károly Boulevard) on the right crowned with the better-deserving Anker-ház (Anker Residence); and on the left, and the never-boring cityscape of Buda highlighted by the Buda Castle – Fisherman’s Bastion – triumvirate behind us.
5/5
Hilton Budapest
If there ever was such a thing as location lottery, Hilton Budapest would take home the jackpot every single week; since it’s surrounded by a duo of world-famous Budapest-symbols, namely the Fisherman’s Bastion and freshly refurbished Mátyás-templom (Matthias Church). Moreover, the panorama provided by the cityside rooms has catapulted Hilton Budapest to the fifth place of tripadvisor.com’s toplist ranking the world’s hotels with the most beautiful views.
Hilton’s building is just as rich in history as Buda Castle, so it’s not overly shocking that historical monuments constitue a major part of this unique construction; one of them being a sun-yellow, 13th century church – St. Nicholas’ Church -, the remainders of which can be seen through the lobby’s windows. A floor below ground level, you can wander around the corridors of a Dominican cloister sprinkled with archaeological treasures found on-site - the most ancient one being a 2000-year-old Roman milestone -, and plastered with a collection of photos presenting the hotel’s history. The 8-meter-deep well gaping in the middle of the cloister’s courtyard decorated with the seals of Matthias Corvinus and János Szapolyai puts the icing on the cake.
