This concert hall has quite the historical pedigree: this is where Buda, Pest and Óbuda were forged into the single capital city of Budapest in 1873 and where composers and musicians Johann Strauss, Ferenc Liszt, Claude Debussy and Arthur Rubinstein all performed. It's a glamorous place to visit and to catch a classical concert or a dance performance by the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.
Looking Back to the Past
The Romantic-style Vigadó was built facing the Danube just west of Vörösmarty tér in 1865 by Frigyes Feszl to replace a theater called the Redoute that had been flattened by cannon fire during the 1848-49 War of Independence. WWII left the Vigadó in bad shape, but restorations lasting decades have returned it to its former grandeur.
Outside & In
Before entering, have a look at the main facade facing the river with its huge arched windows, statues representing various musical genres and busts of celebrated Hungarians. Inside, start your visit in the Vigadó Gallery to the right of the entrance, which traces the history of this "Place for Merrymaking" and holds changing exhibitions. Then ascend the ornamental stone staircase whose walls are festooned with murals displaying historical and legendary scenes by Romanticist painters Mór Thán and Károly Lotz.
The massive concert hall is on the 2nd floor. There are theater spaces on the 4th floor, and galleries for temporary exhibitions on the 5th and 6th floors. Step out onto the 6th-floor panoramic terrace to take in jaw-dropping views of the Danube, Buda and Castle Hill. There's a small cafe here too.
