Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Budapest

174  BUD APEST AREA B Y AREA

A Three-Hour Walk around Óbuda

At first glance Óbuda today seems little more than a concrete
jungle of tower blocks and flyovers. Behind the grey façade,
however, there is a strong local identity and clues to the area’s
long and colourful past abound. Arriving here in AD 89, the
Romans built a garrison in this district shortly before founding
the civilian town of Aquincum (see pp166–7) to the north.
After the depar ture of the Romans in the 5th century AD,
successive waves of invaders, including the Magyars (see pp24–5)
all left their mark on Óbuda (literally “Old Buda”). By the end
of the 16th century, Óbuda was a thriving market town,
eventually forming part of the city of Budapest in 1873.

Old Óbuda Synagogue
to Flórián Tér 1 A section of Óbuda’s
From the amphitheatre, impressive Roman amphitheatre
continue along Pacsirtamező út
HERKULES U.
and turn down Perc utca left the popular novelist, bon MEGGYFA
up Mókus utca and Jós utca, viveur and local character, UTCA e
turning left into Lajos utca. Gyula Krúdy once lived 4.
At No. 163 is the Óbuda Writing in the early 20th
Synagogue 2. Built in the century, much of Krúdy’s SZÉL UTCA
0 The elegant, Neo-Baroque Fő tér Palace early 1820s to serve the area’s work looks back at an S Z E N T E N D R EI Ú T
with its sentry box growing Jewish commu nity, idealized rural Hungary
this is a Neo-Classical building and is extremely popular
The Roman Amphitheatre with a six-columned portico. in his country. This now VIHAR UTCA RAKTÁR U.
Begin the walk at the corner of The synagogue once served houses the Hungarian
Bécsi út and Pacsirtamező út, as a television studio, but in Museum of Trade and
which is dominated by the 2010 Hungarian Television Tourism. The museum’s KERÉK U.
remains of a very fine Roman handed over the building to the collection includes SZÉL UTCA LAKTANYA UTCA
amphitheatre 1. The Romans Jewish community and it once tools, scales MIKLÓS U. GRÓF ESZTERHÁZY JÁNOS
arrived in the region soon after again became a functioning
the time of Christ, building this synagogue. Some restoration w
impressive amphitheatre in the work has already taken place, VÖRÖSVÁRI ÚT VŐRŐSKERESZT U.
middle of the 2nd century AD, but the building requires further KORHÁZ U.
by which time Aquincum was renovation. Also on Lajos utca, TESZÁRSZ K. U. SOLYMÁR U. 0 q
the thriving capital of the at No. 168, is Óbuda Parish SZÕLÕ U. FŐ 9
TÉR
province of Lower Pannonia Church 3. Constructed in 7 TAVASZ UTCA
(see pp22–3). Originally used by 1744–9 on the site of the Roman FÖLD U. FLÓRIÁN 8
the Roman soldiers from the military camp, the church has TÉR SZENTLÉLEK
nearby garrison, it became a survived since then largely 6 TÉR Árpád híd
fortress in the 9th century for unchanged. The interior SAN MARCO U. KÁLVIN KŐZ 5 TANULÓ U.
the invading Mag yar army. Not includes a magnifi cently carved KISCELLI U. 4 Árpád híd
much remains of its once huge pulpit showing the Good ÓBUDAI
UTCA 3
walls, but the scale of the Shepherd and Mary Magdalene. ZÁPOR U. KIS KORONA U.
theatre, which was designed to Turning left up Óbudai utca, KENYERES U.
seat 14,000, is still awe inspiring. you will pass the house where UTCA 2
MÓKUS U.
JÓS
SELMECI U. SZÕLÕ U. PERC U. LAJOS U.
PACSIRTAMEZŐ UTCA
SZOMOLNOK U. BESZTERCE U.
TÍMÁR U. TÍMÁR U. SLACHTA MARGIT RAKPART
Tímár u.
VIADOR U.
BÉCSI ÚT
LAJOS U.
1
4 The former home of novelist and colourful local figure, Gyula Krúdy

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