Ladies with pearls - Ferenciek tere (square)

Ferenciek tere, a beautiful square right in the heart of Budapest.

If this place had to be person, it would certainly be a noble lady. The elegant shapes, frolic curves and  ornaments of the lofty buildings hide even more surprise inside than the fancy decoration on the facades. Modern integrates perfectly into the old style as the light, steel arcs of the snow-white suspension bridge extend over the Danube.      

Let me introduce you to the twin ladies posing on the two sides of the road, Klotild and Matild. Klotild to the south and Matild to the north are perfectly symmetric images of each other. Their names are half real and half part of urban imagination. The land where the two buildings stand now was bought by Archduchess and Princess Clotilde (precisely Marie Adelheid Amalie Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). She imagined a magnificent gateway to the Elisabeth Bridge; the two buildings, as graceful ladies, welcome people crossing by. The glass paintings are the masterpieces of the Róth Miksa atelier, the one that prepared the glass windows of the House of Parliament, of the Gresham Palace or the National Bank. The towers are topped by the Archduke's crown. 

Art Nouveau Wonders in Budapest #4 - Hotel Gellért

We love Art Nouveau - this is why we reveal you regularly a story behind a famous building. 

photo: Prof. Ryan james

Hotel Gellért has always been  a pioneer... Long time a back, a monk living in the cave advised virgins on sexual and moral questions... Later it became a benchmark for Hungarian hotel business with its services,,, And would you have thought it had pioneering antiracist ideas? A 'black' noble man entered the spa and the 'white' guests were shocked and wanted him to leave. The spa's response was this: 'everyone can enjoy Gellért Spa's curing effects, regardless to skin colour!'