7 iconic Budapest locations that appear in famous films

From Evita to The Martian, the streets, buildings, squares, and bridges of Budapest have been popular locations for various international film shoots for a long time. Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu has collected some of the most famous shooting locations in Budapest.

1. Castle Hill Tunnel

The 2002 spy comedy I Spy, starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson, deserves a place on this list because, unlike many films shot in Budapest where the city stands in for Berlin, Florence or some other place, I Spy is actually set in the Hungarian capital, and features many famous sights besides the Castle Hill Tunnel.

2. Andrássy Avenue and Oktogon

The most famous film featuring the Oktogon is the musical drama Evita. The film didn’t get permissions to shoot in Buenos Aires, the original setting for the life story of Eva Perón, and most scenes were shot in Budapest. In the Hungarian capital, the film was not allowed to enter the St Stephen’s Basilica, so some of the filming took place in the square in front of the basilica.

Another film featuring Andrássy Avenue is the 2012 film Bel Ami. In the film, Budapest appears as 19^th century Paris.

3. Astoria

The famous roof scene of Spy Game was shot on the roof of the former Georgia tenement house. The building was constructed in 1939 by uniting two adjoined houses according to the plans of Dezső Hültl, Endre Novák, and Béla Barát. The building on the corner of Astoria is still an impressive, memorable part of the city.