Budapest Ruin Bar Walk

Sightseeing  :  Hungary  :  Budapest  :  Budapest  :  Bar, Club & Pub Tours

Of the many things that give Budapest its unique flavour, the ruin bars are one of our favourites. They make night-life in Budapest exciting, colourful (literally), and always unexpected. The ruin bar phenomenon began in Budapest in the early 2000s, concentrated in the seventh district, and has been evolving ever since. What is a ruin bar? Join us to find out, and to explore this special aspect of Budapest’s night-life scene. Learn (over a few drinks), the history that led to the development of these bars, the cultural and artistic significance of them, how they have influenced the city’s entire night-life/drinking scene, and how they have impacted the neighbourhood.Deep inside the dense history-filled Jewish quarter, and hidden within crumbling, pre-war buildings with battered bricks and graffiti, are some of Budapest’s most popular hangouts. From the outside they may look like squatters blocks, but inside are the ruin bars—filled with unexpected layers of detail—which have become Budapest’s own brand of local cool. Abandoned buildings, old cellars and derelict spaces have been transformed into dozens of these wildly decked-out bars—think old bathtubs and broken-down cars turned into seating, ladies walking around selling carrots, and all manner of nostalgia stuffed into every nook. Some have been around for more than a decade, while others disappear just as quickly as they pop up. They are not simply places to get a drink. Over the past decade, ruin bars have introduced a new wave of entertainment in Budapest and expanded beyond simply serving booze into cultural, artistic, and sometimes, gastronomic hotspots. Concentrated in the seventh district, they are at the edge of where the mainstream meets the contemporary underground art scene, and their success has been a catalyst for gentrification in this quarter. As the neighbourhood continues to change, however, ruin pubs may be forced to change along with it. Join our tour to experience a handful of ruin bars in different styles. We’ll look at many of them, and stop for drinks (and light snacks) at four or five places. We’ll discuss what was happening in Budapest in the early part of this century to encourage these types of bars to proliferate, and why they continue to thrive. How have they changed the fabric of the neighbourhood, and how are they still evolving? Join us to find out!

Learn—Learn about what propelled the development of the ruin bars, and how things have changed in Budapest since then. We’ll delve even deeper into the history of the seventh district, and look back at what happened during World War Two to change the fabric of this neighbourhood, which is now known as ruin bar central. We’ll also talk about the drinks, and discuss Hungarian wine, spirits, and beer.
Experience—Be guided through the seventh district’s ruin bars, and experience the phenomenon from a local perspective. We’ll take you to a range of places which have different styles, and attract different types of crowds.
Taste—Drink like a local out for a night on the town! You’ll have four or five drinks, which could range from local wine or fröccs (spritzer), to beer or spirits (such as the local favourites, Unicum and pálinka). We’ll have some light food at a few of the places.
Walk— We will be getting from bar to bar on foot, so be prepared for a bit walking. However, the places are fairly close to each other and most of the tour will be spent at the bars (where we can sit)!