So when I was researching things that I should do before leaving Budapest. I came across two separate posts each telling me to walk along a different street here in Budapest. One of these streets was Király utca and the other Városligeti fasor. Now when I went to google maps these streets so I could go explore them I quickly discovered that they were exactly the same street! If you start from Heroes square (like I did) Városligeti fasor eventually becomes Király utca (and vice versa) So needless to say, it was pretty easy to get both done in one day.
So here’s what I thought of this one long street with two different names:
Right across the street from Városligeti fasor is the world’s largest hour glass known as the Timewheel. It’s pretty huge, and worth going over to check it out. Plus it’s a functioning hourglass.
The hourglass counts down the time for one year, and gets turned every year on December 31st.
So after going over to check it out and take a bunch of pictures I began walking down Városligeti fasor and the first thing I realized: it has some of the most beautiful houses I’d seen in Budapest.
This first assumption I soon realized was wrong. Because most of these houses weren’t actually houses, but the bases for the various international embassies. I mean some of them may have been houses, and they certainly looked like they had been houses at one point, but most of them were being used for other reasons now.
Városligeti fasor doesn’t actually last for very long. Király utca takes up most of the street, and Király utca is where the beautiful houses stop and the shops begin.
At the beginning of the street (coming from Városligeti) the shops aren’t all that interesting and most are just various grocery stores and other stores that locals might go to.
although I did find this cool vintage record store
I walked for about two or three blocks on kiraly utca before I saw anything all that awesome. But once the funky boutiques and coffeeshops started they continued on until Király utca ended and you reached Déak Ferenc Tér.
I think I was the only person who seemed to find this funny. Everyone else just walked by it without even looking. But the second I saw the placement of these two establishments I burst into a fit of giggles right there on the sidewalk.
One of my favorite businesses that I saw on Király utca was the cute little wine bar located on the corner of one of the streets.
I love the outdoor seating décor! And let’s face it, I just love the idea of an entire bar dedicated to wine
Not only were there about a million cool stores with everything from clothes and shoes to furniture and antiques but the street itself was just full of so many interesting buildings, like this gorgeous church for instance:
I love that most of the churches here in Hungary are painted yellow. It makes them look so cheerful. Plus they really stand out!
Or the architecture of this furniture store/apartment building right across from the church
An empty dilipitated building that had been made interesting by the graffiti that had been put there, possibly by bored rebellious Hungarian teenagers.
And then there’s this gorgeous mural painted onto the side of a building that juxtaposes a children’s playground
I love how the blue of the painted sky puts the real sky to shame.
And only a few streets down there was an art deco furniture store that had some amazing pieces in it! (I would have bought some if I lived in Budapest) but although the furniture was amazing it wasn’t exactly what initially caught my eye… this was:
these colors are perfect for getting noticed by random passersby
And finally, my favorite store on the whole street was this one because it was so clever, and also it let me know that it was time I start heading back to my apartment.
it’s a furniture store called Goa Home, I just thought it was so cute! Plus there was a coffeeshop next door called Goa Mama Coffee. I just loved the names of these stores because they were so clever.
