Óbuda

Óbuda lies to the north of Viziváros. This is where Budapest began. In 15-11 BC the Romans conquered Western Hungary and named it Pannonia. A Roman Legion camp was established in the heart of Óbuda and, just to the north of it, a residential community, Aquincum. In 106 AD the emperor Trajan made it the capital of Lower Pannonia. Although prosperous, the decline of the empire eventually led to the decline of Aquincum, and it was finally destroyed by 350 AD. The year 409 brought the Huns, and Attila found the remains of the Roman camp area suitable for his headquarters. Subsequent generations saw successive waves of conquerors until finally the Magyars settled property rights permanently about 896.

A Brief History of Óbuda

The Árpad Kings lived in Óbuda during the rapacious invasions of the Turks, up until about 1240-41 when they finally decided to move to the more defensible Castle Hill. Though there was a temporary revival of the area in medieval times, the Turkish occupation of the 16th century resulted in the destruction of almost all its old grandeur. Salvation came in the 1700s when the wealthy Zichy family transformed the ruins of the once demolished city to a new Baroque splendor. Palaces and churches rose up with the new residences.

Once again, however, waves of conquest and destruction destroyed even this vestige. Communist doctrine aimed to eliminate the bourgeois past. In that strange rationale of doctrine and fanaticism, it meant that art and craftsmanship were the greatest evils, to be replaced by concrete block residences and rigid conformity to the new social values of the proletariat. Gray, anonymous, faceless structures replaced the old order. Yet, whether for utility, or from a desire to preserve Hungary’s singular identity, pieces of its glory remained, and elements of the history and uniqueness of the area survive, often blended in odd ways with current construction. Pieces of a Roman wall or Dominican monastery may coincide with the entryway of an office building. Pillars and columns remain in odd places. Baroque palaces may still be found astride a temple-like synagogue. Pieces of history salt and pepper the area. The best way to explore it is to take the HÉV train to Árpad hid (Árpad Bridge). As you leave the train, it opens out on Szentlélek tér. At the northeast corner, at Szenlélek tér No. 1, the large, beautiful white Baroque building was part of the Zichy Palace complex of the 1750s. The Vasarely Museum melds with it at Szenlélek tér 6. Victor Vasarely, Hungarian-born French artist, donated 400 of his works for this famous museum. His colorful art from the 1960s was the avant-garde of Cubism, with numerous examples of the geometric genre. His work makes a clear progression from dynamic symbolism into textile designs and abstract subjects.

Miklos Zichy’s Palace

Around the corner of the building and through the gate is a small courtyard. Miklos Zichy’s Palace looms up above, so well preserved that you can almost imagine the man himself looking down from its Rococo stone balcony. Zichy’s favorite sculptor was Károly Bébo; creator of the statues that now stand forlornly at the back of the garden. This palace is also home to the Kassak Museum. Lajos Kassak was a constructivist from the 1920s and the 1930s. At first rejected, he was resurrected in the 1950s by the communist government as a representative of the rise and spiritual energy of the working class. His fascinating works are complemented by temporary exhibitions on the Cubism and Dadaism of artists from another era. Other popular exhibits include full rooms, furniture and personal effects taken from the Békasmegyer district (the district of the nobles), arranged in their original settings, as well as a toy exhibit spanning 1860 to 1960.

Fõ tér and 18th-century Óbuda

The avant-garde is left behind, however, as we enter Fõ tér and 18th-century Óbuda. This is one area not touched by the zealous 60s proletariat designers. During Roman times it was the center of the legion’s encampment, reborn again in the 17th century and then, after several invasions and wars, it was again resurrected at the turn of the 19th century. The rather imposing Town Hall was built in 1903. The two facing sculpted figures used as pillars are typical of attempts to mold a Hungarian style. To the right of the square, Laktanya utca is home to the remarkable work,
Strollers in the Rain. This great piece of art, in sun or rain, powerfully depicts human figures with their umbrellas standing in the rain, by Imre Várga. His museum is the building marked number 7. Still active today, the intense realism and form of his pieces is unforgettable. Born in 1927, Várga’s artistry graces not only Hungary, but all of Europe, and has established him as one of the prominent realists of our time. He draws heavily on Hungarian culture and history for his inspiration.

Back to Fõ utca and its intersection with Hídfõ utca, we are reminded again of the damage of social planning Soviet-style. Around us traffic and auto horns blair. Nevertheless, look to the right as you pass the vaulted split of the bridge road above, and you will find steps leading to the underground
Flórián tér, the center of today’s Óbuda. Roman ruins were first discovered here when they excavated for a house in 1778. It is at the intersection of Vörösvári út and Pacsiertamezo út. At the bottom of the steps you will stand on the site of the Árpad Castle of the 12th century. To your right is the Roman Baths Museum. Shell-shaped pools were adorned with heated mosaic floors. Beyond, in the orange corridors, scarred by graffiti, you will find remnants of the ancient Roman past, such as columns set against a background of stone blocks.

Leaving the passage you can hike to the right on Kiscelli út after crossing Pachirtamezö út. This will start you on a climb of what is known as Remetehegy (Hermit’s Hill). It rises above Óbuda, with a clear view of Pest and Buda. The Romans built a watchtower here. But, legend has it that Roman soldiers hated duty on the ridge, as they repeatedly disappeared while manning their post. The Roman ruins remain, but no Romans, and tales persist that the hill is haunted.

Kiscelli Kastely

At the top of the street you will come directly to Kiscelli Kastely (Kiscelli’s Castle, called Kiscelli’s Museum today), at Kiscelli út 108. Built between 1744 and 1760 as a Trinitarian monastery, it is the depository of various paintings and artifacts from the history of Budapest. Included in the variety is the printing press upon which Sándor Petõfi first printed his Nemzeti Dal (National Song), which played a significant role in inspiring the national uprising against the Hapsburgs in 1848-1849.

The Old

Roman Amphitheater

Walk back to Pacsirtamezõ út and then head south to Nagyszombat út. The old

Roman Amphitheater is now surrounded by a steel fence, but open at the gates. It is greened over with grass, but the stone abutments and circular motif sink down noticeably from the surrounding streets. Known as the Round House, it once held 16,000 people, the largest amphitheater in the empire outside of Rome. In later years, after the Romans left, dwellings rose on top of the circular raised walls of the old Roman ampitheater. They were cynically dubbed “The Round House.” Scarcely could the new occupants have dreamed of the old glory. The ampitheater once held 16,000 people, the largest ampitheater outside of Rome. The ampitheater still has its tunnels and hidden entrances. Lighted by torches, they once led to dungeons where both prisoners and animals awaited their moment in the ring. I found an unpleasant pile of trash flowing out of one of the tunnels, so keep on eye on the kids here. Aside from that, this is a real adventure and an interesting exploration. Now surrounded by post-1950s construction and traffic, only the ghosts of the Romans and the stones of their history remain. I could walk up the stone entry stairs, scale what was left of the heights and sit on a stone bench where Marcus Aurelius himself might have looked down on the games (from the first through the third centuries most of the Roman Emperors visited Aquincum).

Aquincum

From this point it is probably wise to take the 86 bus back to Raktár út, head east a few yards to Miklos út, make a right, and go back toward the HEV station. From there, we board the HEV again and head to the next stop, also in Óbuda. This is


Aquincum, the official capital of ancient Pannonia, where Roman centurions and their families made their homes. The ruins of Aquincum are revealing enough to get a feel for Roman life in Pannonia. Marble sewer drains bear testimony to the advanced engineering of Rome. The gymnasium was unearthed complete with a central heating system. Two shrines and a temple to Mithras, the Persian god of light, adorned a thriving community of tradesmen and artisans. The wide variety of discoveries here have led to the establishment of the

Aquincum Museum,  just down the road on Szentendrei út 139. For opening hours and fees see the website. The stone and cement archways of the town are still waterproof, even after the centuries. A Roman aqueduct once transported water to Aquincum, and parts of it serve as a median divider for the city streets. The museum structure itself dates from 1896 and was copied from a Roman temple.

You may want to stop by the Kehli Restaurant, III Mókus utca 22. Average entrée costs 3,000 to 4,500 HUF. In the suburb of Óbuda, it was the favorite of actress, Rachel Weisz. Reservations are often necessary. Diners enjoy authentic gypsy music and Hungarian cuisine, featuring the house specialty, bone marrow on toast. While it sounds like a dish made for the rough Hungarian palate alone, it is actually rather tasty.