Andrassy Avenue is a shaded boulevard with mature trees.  The avenue ends at the Heroes Square and the City Park.

Fine rich houses and embassies are along this street. It is a UNESCO world Heritage site. Houses are nicely decorated with sculptures and figures. The balconies and pillars are pieces of art.  The green landscape is beautifully arranged.

On this street you can visit the State Opera House and the House of Terror Museum.

On our way back, we took the Metro line M1, one of the oldest which runs under this Avenue. The Metros in Budapest are the second oldest, after London.  They were another initiative to mark the 1000^th anniversary of the city.

There are public buildings along the Andrassy Avenue that you can find including the Hungarian State Opera House, the House of Terror and the Iron Curtain.

Hungarian State Opera House

Since our previous stop was Vienna, and we visited the Opera House there, the Hungarian version would inevitably be a smaller replica. Opened to the public since 1884, the façade is planked with two important figures on one side Ferenc Erkel, an Hungarian composer, conductor and pianist who composed the Hungarian national anthem. Franz Liszt can be found on the other side the statue, also a conductor, but more importantly a virtuosi on the piano. He was a music teacher and more.

Even the façade is beautiful to see.

House of Terror

As it name implies, this is a place where atrocities occurred.  It was the headquarters of the Communist secret police.  The museum now presents the facts and commemorates the victims who suffered and died there.

Just reading about the subject made me cry, we did not visit but passed by heartbroken.

Iron curtain

Just outside the House of Terror the Iron Curtain monument commemorates the victims of these atrocities.  It is a piece of the Berlin Wall on which heavy chains represent the Iron Curtain.

Metro

The Budapest metro is actually the third oldest metro after London and Liverpool. It runs under Andrassy Avenue and reaches the city center.

Line 1, that starts at the Heroes Square, is the oldest part. Other lines have been added and are more modernized.

The metro is not apparent and the street has wide sidewalks. Since 1896, maintaining the visual beauty of the street above was a priority.Just in time to celebrate the city’s millennium, the Metro was inaugurated.  The Metro along with other infrastructure were commissioned for the event.

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