Lipótváros (, ) is a traditional neighbourhood in the city centre of
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
, named after
King Leopold II
Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.
Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Le ...
. It is one of the two neighbourhoods of
District V, the other one being
Inner City
The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...
(Belváros), which is the old town of
Pest. Lipótváros was established in the early 19th century, and became the political and financial centre of Hungary in the early 20th century when the
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
was built on
Kossuth Square
Kossuth Lajos Square (, ), also known as Kossuth Square ( ), is a Town square, city square situated in the Lipótváros neighbourhood of Budapest, Hungary, on the bank of the Danube. Its most notable landmark is the Hungarian Parliament Build ...
. Many ministries followed in the later decades. After the 1989 change Lipótváros gradually became again the business centre of Budapest with many banks and office buildings. The neighbourhood is rich in listed historic buildings and landmarks.
Location
Lipótváros is located in the centre of Budapest. Its borders are Szent István körút – Nyugati tér – Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út – Deák Ferenc tér – Deák Ferenc utca – Vigadó tér (southern side) – river
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
.
Neighbours of Lipótváros are (clockwise from north):
*
Újlipótváros
Újlipótváros ("New Leopold Town") is a neighborhood in the 13th List of districts in Budapest, district of Budapest, Hungary. It is located north to Lipótváros ("Leopold Town") neighbourhood of the 5th District, with the Grand Boulevard (Budap ...
("New Leopold Town") neighbourhood of the 13th District
*
6th District: Terézváros ("Theresa Town")
*
Belváros ("Inner City"), the other neighbourhood of the 5th District
*
river Danube
The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important riv ...
Name
''Lipótváros'' was named in 1790 after
Leopold II when he was crowned the King of Hungary. It became the 5th District of Budapest in 1873 but was merged administratively with neighbouring Belváros in 1950 under the same number. The district is now called officially "Belváros-Lipótváros" which means "Inner City and Leopold City".
The Catholic Church also refers to this neighbourhood as "Saint Stephen Town" (Szentistvánváros), as
St. Stephen's Basilica
St. Stephen's Basilica ( ) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose right hand is housed in the reliquary.
Since the renaming of the primatial see, it ...
– which is the most famous church in Hungary – is also located here.
Landmarks
*
The Houses of Parliament
*
St. Stephen's Basilica
St. Stephen's Basilica ( ) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose right hand is housed in the reliquary.
Since the renaming of the primatial see, it ...
*
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge ( ) is a chain bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by Scottish e ...
*
Hungarian Television
*
National Bank of Hungary
The Hungarian National Bank ( , MNB) is the central bank of Hungary and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It was established in 1924 as a successor entity of the Austro-Hungarian Bank, under the economic assistance p ...
* U.S. Embassy
* Supreme Court
* Ministry of Education
* Ministry of Youth
* Ethnographical Museum
*
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( , MTA) is Hungary’s foremost and most prestigious learned society. Its headquarters are located along the banks of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. The Academy's primar ...
*
Gresham Palace
The Gresham Palace (''Gresham-palota'') is a landmark building in Budapest, Hungary, renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture. Completed in 1906 as an office and residential building, it now houses the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapes ...
See also
*
Inner City
The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...
*
District V
*
List of districts in Budapest
Budapest, the capital of Hungary has 23 districts (, ), each with its own Municipality, municipal government.
The number of districts in Budapest
Budapest was organized into 10 districts (numbered from I to X) in 1873 after the unification of t ...
*
List of tourist attractions in Budapest
This List of tourist attractions in Budapest lists the most important sights of Budapest by district and date of construction.
Sights by list
Churches, religious buildings
* '' St. Stephen's Basilica'', the biggest church (1851-1905).
* ''Matt ...
References
Belváros-Lipótváros
Neighbourhoods of Budapest
{{Budapest-geo-stub