Andrássy Avenue

Budapest's Most Prominent & Pricey Boulevard

Named after the 19th-century prime minister instrumental in its construction, Pest's Andrássy Út, along with Váci Utca, is one of Budapest's most prominent (and priciest thoroughfares, connecting Erzsébet Tér (Elizabeth Square) with Heroes' Square, the gateway to City Park (see above). Lined with grand and beautiful neo-Renaissance buildings (earning it UNESCO World Heritage status), it was such a big deal for Hungary's capital that the day of its completion, 20 August 1876, was declared a national holiday. Today, these premises house embassies as well as upmarket restaurants, cafés and retailers such as Luis Vuitton, Burberry, Diro, Roberto Cadavi and Gucci; here too is one of the city's most prominent cultural landmarks, the Budapest Opera House. Budapest's Metro Line 1 runs along its length.