The visual echoes of Budapest’s past are everywhere you look as you walk through town. But, you can see the modern breakthroughs of one of Europe’s leading economic and culture centers emerging around every corner.
During a recent journey to Budapest to explore a possible move to Mars (…more to come on that in the coming days…), I stepped away from the interviews and press conferences long enough to explore the Hungarian capital’s classic sites and modern evolution. Modern luxury hotels coexist with classical monuments. Museums record the past, while tops shelf clubs and restaurants celebrate the present.
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There’s been a community on the site of this European bastion since the birth of Jesus, and the city now boasts a population of more than 1,700,000 people. The city survived a Nazi invasion and occupation and almost four decades of decay locked behind the Iron Curtain.
My apologies to all of those Che Guevara wannabes out there, but, as a man who’s traveled the world, I can tell you Communism lays waste to countries and cultures. It’s taken Budapest more than two decades to reclaim its spot as a cultural and economic powerhouse after the fall of the Soviet Union.
A city with ample outlying urban space to support studios and production facilities, Budapest has rapidly become an unlikely epicenter for film and television production. When you add an educated, skilled workforce that predominantly speaks English, the Hungarian city puts cash incentives to work luring productions away from expensive Hollywood.
It was one of those shoots and the prospects of interplanetary travel that brought me to Budapest. You can tag along on walk through downtown Budapest to some of its more famous monuments in the gallery below.
A Walk through Budapest
While strong echoes of its storied past remains, Budapest is continually and rapidly evolving into a modern European capital.
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A Walk through Budapest
The historic main roadway of Andrassy Avenue (a World Heritage Site) leads to the Heroes Square monument.
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A Walk through Budapest
The Heroes Square Monument features Hungary's great leaders, conquerers and artists.
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A Walk through Budapest
The Budapest Hall of Art is both a cultural center and a social gathering hotspot.
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A Walk through Budapest
The lobby of the Corinthia Hotel Budapest has welcomed celebrities and heads of state to its luxurious accommodations.
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A Walk through Budapest
The Corinthia Hotel Budapest has a storied history as it played a part in the anti-communist revolution of 1956, hiding rebels inside its walls.
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A Walk through Budapest
The Budapest Nyugati Railway Station was built in 1891.
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A Walk through Budapest
The Budapest Keleti Railway Station is one of three major stations in the city and central hub for local and regional travelers.
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A Walk through Budapest
A walk along Andrassy Avenue reveals countless small art galleries tucked away inside former state mansions.
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A Walk through Budapest
Like many European cities, Budapest sports historical markers identifying where its most famous residents once lived.
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A Walk through Budapest
Pedestrians along Andrassy Avenue are reminded of the men who gave their lives fighting for freedom from the Soviet Union during thew 1956 Revolution.
