The Ruin Pubs of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a budget traveler’s dream. The Hungarian capital is equal parts beautiful and run-down, a sign of its rich cultural history and its decades of communist occupation. It’s hard to undo 45 years of conflict and strife so many parts of Budapest are still battered and derelict. Unlike other cities, where this might be dangerous or unsightly, something about the energy of the Hungarian people makes it charming and captivating. In come the ruin pubs. Ruin pubs in Budapest are bars or clubs that have converted the empty spaces and abandoned buildings of the city into beautiful, affordable watering holes for locals and tourists alike.

The pubs are scattered throughout the city but concentrated mostly on the Pest side to the east of the Danube River. If you Google Map directions to one, you’ll be a few steps or blocks from all the others, as they are very close to each other, making for excellent nights of bar hopping while in Budapest. The bars are all relatively unique, even though they share certain qualities, so it’s definitely worth visiting several of them. Though the formula varies, your average ruin pub will have a lot of exposed brick and a makeshift uncovered patio that may or may not be the result of missing roofs or torn down walls. The decor is a mix between junkyard and busy antique shop. You may find old street signs, car parts, to an entire piano. It’s the kind of look that many hipster bars and restaurants in the US try to cultivate in a less authentic way. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).