Museums in District III (Budapest)

Aquincum Museum

Budapest is so full of history that it's easy to forget the Romans were here two thousand years ago. Their settlement was known as Aquincum, and the Aquincum museum brings its' history to life. A large outdoor area full of ruins gives us a clear picture of building layouts and patterns, while the museum itself houses some real treasures, including the world-famous portable water organ. This musical device clearly shows just how advanced the Romans actually were.

Budapest Gallery Exhibition House

This exhibition space is housed in an elegant building with an airy, spacious interior. The emphasis is on contemporary art, with works from around the world as well as from Hungary. The work exhibited changes fairly regularly, making this a good place to re-visit. There are many interesting sculptures as well.

Kassak Museum

This small museum is dedicated to displaying the life and work of Lajos Kossak, a talented and fiery avant-garde artist, writer and poet. He firmly believed in the power of the working class and lived-through choice-in a fairly rough workers' area of Budapest. The museum displays most of his work.

Kiscell Museum-Municipal Picture Gallery

The building itself has had a long and varied history. It was presented to the city as a gift in 1935. Today, it houses a wide-ranging and rather eclectic collection. The exterior of the building is in beautiful baroque style, while the interior has been renovated with tasteful simplicity and the emphasis has been placed on the exhibits. These range from an old printing press where you can get a personal copy of the revolutionary 'Arise Hungarians!' to more contemporary paintings and turn-of-the-century furniture displays.

Textile Museum

If you thought that Budapest had every possible type of museum, you would be right. This museum opened to cover one area that had previously been left out: textiles. It is situated in Obuda, in the well-known Goldberger houses, and the history of the substantial Hungarian textile industry is traced and recorded here. Huge machines used in the manufacture of textiles are on hand and it's all quite fascinating stuff.

Varga Imre Collection

Thousands of people are charmed by the public statues and sculptures of Imre Varga as they walk about Budapest. This museum dedicated to him contains replicas of these as well as sketches and other items. Among his works is the memorial statue dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg, which was put in place in 1987, as well as the Holocaust memorial of 1991.

Vasarely Museum

Vasarely may be Hungary's most famous contemporary artist. Even if you don't know his name, you've certainly seen some of his work as well as the work of many artists his style has influenced. Wild geometric patterns and lines trick the eye as they bubble and swell (or appear to do so) and then all of a sudden you notice objects in the paintings (like the well known 'zebras'). This is an interesting gallery set in a beautiful home.