Budapest Guide
Lipótváros and Újlipótváros
Lipótváros (Leopold Town), lying to the north of the Belváros, started to develop in the late eighteenth century, first as a financial centre and later as the seat of government and bureaucracy. Several institutions of national significance are found here, including Parliament, St Stephen's Basilica, the National Bank and the Television headquarters.
Though part of the V District, as is the Belváros, Lipótváros has quite a different ambience, with sombre streets of Neoclassical buildings interrupted by squares flanked by monumental Art Nouveau or neo-Renaissance piles. It's busy with office workers by day, but used to be dead in the evenings and at weekends until good restaurants brought some life to the area in the 1990s. Another source of vitality is the Central European University (CEU), funded by the Hungarian-born billionaire financier George Soros.
It makes sense to start a Lipótváros visit either with Roosevelt tér, just inland of the Lánchíd, or St Stephen's Basilica, two-minutes' walk from Erzsébet tér. Most of the streets between them lead towards the set-piece expanse of Szabadság tér, whence you can head on towards Parliament – though the Kossuth tér metro station or tram #2 from the Belgrád rakpart will provide quicker access.
Across the Nagykörút lies Újlipótváros (New Leopold Town; the XIII district), stretching from the bustling Pozsonyi út through quieter residential streets to another focus of activity, Lehel tér. The way to get here is either by tram #4 or #6 along the Nagykörút or on the blue metro line to the Lehel tér stop.