Ferenciek Square, Budapest
The Ferenciek Square (Ferenciek tér) is one of the oldest in the Hungarian capital. It is small and very atmospheric, here you can breathe in the full spirit of the old Budapest. This is the heart of the ancient city, located among the interlacing of narrow streets, paved with cobblestone.
History and landmarks of the square
The square is old, like Budapest itself. In the 13th century there was a Franciscan monastery, which in the 18th century was replaced by a church. But the name remains. In the era of socialism, until 1990, it was called the Liberation Square. Old houses with beautiful architecture are situated here side by side, among which there are some very noteworthy places.
- St Francis's Wounds Church. The Catholic Church was built in 1743. The façade of the church is decorated with statues of Jesus Christ, Madonna, angels and saints. Above it there is a bas-relief of the coat of arms of the Order of the Franciscans. Here, deep in the crypt, in 1849 the first prime minister of Hungary, Lajos Batthyány was buried. Only in 1870 he was reburied in the cemetery.
- Nereids’ Fountain. It is located right in front of the church. It was erected in 1835. The water is poured by two Nereids, who were sea deities of the ancient Greeks. During the Second World War it was destroyed, in 1976 it was restored.
- Library of the University Eötvös Loránd. The big yellow building hides not only the library and archives. Inside the main reading room there are beautiful murals, performed by the famous Hungarian artist Károly Lotz.
- Kárpátia Étterem és Söröző. Very old and exquisite restaurant of Hungarian cuisine. It was opened in 1877. They say that the imperial couple, Franz Joseph and Elisabeth spent their time here at dinner.
How to get there
Ferenciek Square is located in the Belváros district, at the intersection of the most famous streets of Kossuth Lajos utca and Sándor Petőfi utca. Literally in a few steps the Erzsébet híd (Elisabeth Bridge) is crossing Danube. You can get here by metro, line M3, get off at the Ferenciek square stop. Also here, at Ferenciek tere M, buses of routes 5, 7, 8E, 108E, 110, 112, 133E, 178 stop.
