Southeast of the Hungarian National Museum is the main repository of Budapest’s public library system, which holds some 2.4 million books and bound periodicals and upwards of 250,000 audiovisual and digital items. Completed in 1889 and exquisitely renovated, the public reading room has gypsum ornamentation, gold tracery and enormous chandeliers. It's worth quickly registering (photo ID required) to gain access, though you can just visit the ground-floor cafe to get a sense of the building.

Ervin Szabó Central Library
Budapest
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Nearby Budapest attractions
1. Hungarian National Museum
0.15 MILES
The Hungarian National Museum houses the nation’s most important collection of historical relics in an impressive neoclassical building, purpose built in…
2. Hungarian Radio Headquarters
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The renovated headquarters of Hungarian Radio was where shots were first fired on 23 October 1956; a memorial plaque marks the spot.
3. Makovec Office Building
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This office block was designed by Imre Makovec (1935–2011), who developed his own 'organic' style using unusual materials like tree trunks and turf.
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This private gallery with banker's hours features some striking contemporary photography.
5. Museum of Applied Arts
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Housed in a gorgeous Ödön Lechner–designed building (1896) decorated with Zsolnay ceramic tiles, this museum was closed for renovation at the time of…
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A pleasant place to take a breather, this flowered-filled garden was built for the Károly Palace, which now houses the Petőfi Museum of Literature…
7. Egyetem tér
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Boasting a fountain, abstract sculpture, benches and shade sails, ‘University Sq’ takes its name from the branch of the prestigious Loránd Eötvös Science…
8. University Church
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This Baroque church was built in 1742 on the site of an Ottoman mosque. Above the main altar hangs a copy of the Black Madonna of Czetochowa, which is…