7 reasons to prove Budapest is the new Berlin

Hvg.hu shared the report of oyster.com which says 2016 might as well be the year of Budapest, for people began to notice that all the characteristics of Berlin can be found in the Hungarian capital as well.

1. The ruin bars

Similarly to the post-Wall Berlin, Hungary’s troublesome past is creatively presented in the atmosphere of the ruin bars. Graffiti, lights, candles and retro computers decorate the walls and ceiling, whereas, instead of sofas, bathtubs can offer you some rest. Impromptu markets are also common, just as “a general acceptance that anything goes”.

2. Traces of communism can still be seen

Budapest, like Berlin, was under the control of communists after World War II, right until the rebellion of 1989. However, the cityscape is defined by the past to a certain extent. Museums, statues, restaurants and antique shops remind people of the once communist control. The House of Terror Museum, for example depicts the era rather truthfully.

3. Thriving contemporary arts

Contemporary artists decorate the walls of the previously mentioned ruin bars and cafés, but apart from them, there are galleries showing contemporary artworks which are worth visiting. Oyster names Vintage, INDA Galeria, Kisterem and the Ernst Museum as such places.

4. Coffee = life

Hungarians have always been coffee lovers, that is easy to see by the number of traditional coffee houses. But the new wave of drinking coffee reached Hungary just as well. This resulted in the opening of My Little Melbourne, Tamp & Pull, Madal and Alibi, for example; places that are similar to the ones in Shoreditch, Greenpoint and Kreuzberg.

5. District VII as the centre of hipsters

The hipster neighbourhoods of Berlin are resembled in Budapest’s District VII. Ruin bars, coffee houses and nightlife are definitely dominating this district, which is also the scene of arts. Moreover, here, the old lives on with the new, as the Soviet-style buildings are present along with graffiti. Oyster suggests that you should “take an Apple laptop and order cold press coffee, and you’ll feel right at home in Budapest’s answer to Neukolln”.

6. Unique place to relax

HVG also writes that, even though there is no such place that could be compared to the Tempelhof Airport (the whole airport is dedicated to entertainment, to having fun) in Berlin, Budapest’s centre of recreation is pretty cool too. The Margaret Island located between Pest and Buda, in the middle of the Danube, serves as a great place to get out of the rush of the city. There are no buildings on the island, so nothing blocks the view of the visitors, making it easier to enjoy being in the nature.

7. The amazing markets

Neither HVG nor oyster say that the markets of Budapest are better than the ones in Berlin, but they recall that the Great Market Hall is extraordinary. Visitors can easily get lost while choosing between the fresh products and checking the mesmerizing view from the balcony.

Photos (as in the order of appearance): facebook.com/ankertbar; facebook.com/mylittlemelbourneespressobar; Brendel Matyas, wikimedia

Copy editor: bm

Source: hvg.hu, oyster.com