#012: Budapest's Street Art
Budapest is an interesting city, I could see why many people rave about it, that whole bohemian vibe, and it’s also the city to go and take a bath. At their thermal springs and spas, that is. From new bathhouses, old bathhouses, huge bathhouses to smaller ones. There’s a spa here that caters to whatever kind of bathing person you are. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go into any of them, didn’t have the time to take a “bath” there. In hindsight, I probably should have. It’s the thing to do here. (I did shower in the hotel I was staying in though!)
I ended up roaming the streets, as I always do. Budapest does have that chill vibe going for it, throughout the city. I can see why many travellers flock here. There’s a party scene here, even spa-parties! (You go look it up). Food is also good and relatively cheap. One thing everyone should try is the Lángos, the Hungarian street food, lovingly referred to as the "Communist Pizza,". Basically, deep-fried dough covered in grated cheese and garlic sauce. What’s not to like about that! That and of course a Goulash soup or two. I’m not much of a food photography person, so you won’t be seeing any food-related photos here. Sorry. But you can ask Google, lots of photos there. :)
There’s an interesting street art scene going on within the city, in the form of large murals that cover the whole walls on the side of buildings. Concentrated around the Jewish Quarter. At least that’s where we were taken to see the murals when on a walking tour. There are other murals outside this area, but my photos of the art on the walls are mostly from within the Jewish Quarter. The art you’ll see here are ones that have been approved by the local councils and the locals. Not the guerrilla graffiti art that you may also see on the walls around town. They all represent some aspect of the Hungarian culture, as well as a reflection of the society, historical and present. Did you know that the Rubik’s Cube was invented by a Hungarian? I didn’t know that until this trip!
Although I didn’t set out to document the murals I saw, it was what I ended up doing, hence the collection of photos below are all about these brilliant colourful murals that beautifully dot the inner city walls of Budapest. They add a nice flair to the city’s buildings that would otherwise be a little dull, in my opinion. I didn't see all of the murals in the area, so this isn't a definitive list of them either. There are definitely a lot more to be seen in this city.
In the end, it was a quick two-night trip to this city before heading back to London. I do hope to go back one day, and when I do, I will definitely take that bath in one of their spas.
All photos were taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12–40mm 1:2.8 PRO lens.
Cheers.
P.S: A more comprehensive list of the street art can be found here.
BONUS: Budapest’s Michael Jackson Memorial Tree
