Communist Budapest Walking Tour
Overview
With the help of a historian, this 3 hour walking tour allows you to grasp the “goulash communism” of Budapest’s decades under totalitarianism, the soft dictatorship in which Hungarians had certain liberties in exchange for obedience on major issues. Learn why, for all the suffering of Budapest’s citizens under the communist regime, Hungary was called “the happiest barrack in the Soviet Bloc.”
Gallery
What's Included
✓ Included
- 3-hour guided walk in the company of a historian
✗ Not Included
- Your guide will help you to purchase Budapest Tram and Metro tickets if you do not already have a visitor pass
Itinerary
1
Stop 1
Traveling by subway to Kossuth Square in front of Parliament, we explore monuments from the 1956 revolution, before continuing to Liberty Square where we discuss aspects of the Cold War before the US Embassy, the monument to the Soviet Army, the statue of Ronald Reagan and an atomic shelter.
2
Stop 2
We conclude outside the House of Terror, the imposing museum housed in the former headquarters of the communist secret services with a slab of the Berlin Wall in front. (Although the exhibit within is not included in the tour, this is the perfect endpoint for those interested in delving deeper into Hungary’s Cold War experience)
3
Stop 3
Dropping by the former People’s Stadium (now Puskas Soccer Stadium), with classic socialist realist statues still standing, we can explore the heavy-handed propaganda favored by the regime.
4
Stop 4
Discover the Ronald Reagan statue and the Hungarian sense of obligation to this US president for his efforts to bring down the Iron Curtain.
5
Stop 5
Explore Bem József Square, where the first big demonstration of the 1956 uprising started. On the square is also a coffeehouse that has retained its original interior from the 1960s.
Meeting & End Point
📍
Meeting Point
Please meet your guide outside cafe Bambi Eszpresszó, Frankel Leó út 2/4, 1027 Budapest
🏁
End Point
We conclude outside the House of Terror, the imposing museum housed in the former headquarters of the communist secret services. (The exhibit within is not included in the tour, but it is the perfect endpoint for those interested in delving deeper into Hungary’s Cold War experience).
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Good to Know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Your tour guides are expert local historians and enthusiastic hosts who love helping travelers from all over discover Budapest.
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