11 of My Favorite Art Galleries in Budapest

Commerical art galleries are relatively new to Budapest since not much of a functional marketplace existed during Hungary's Communist period (1947-1989). State censorship monitored all cultural production, so progressive artists had to rely on a small circle of insider buyers and moonlight at other jobs to get by. Those favored by the decisionmakers enjoyed a steady income but often produced formulaic and overwrought paintings and sculpture. In the past thirty or so years, many galleries have sprung up in Budapest but the market is small and most don’t specialize in a single art movement or time period, instead carrying works across a range of styles.

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Budapest's galleries host regular exhibitions throughout the year – mainly between September and June, with free admission – and there are local art fairs that bring together the key players. Art Market Budapest, Budapest Contemporary, and Art & Antique are most well-known. Many museums and galleries cluster in the charming town of Szentendre, just outside Budapest and easily reachable by public transport. Note that Budapest galleries are often closed on Monday and on the weekend. If unsure, give them a heads-up before you go (details below).

#1 - The antique stores and art galleries of Falk Miksa utca (location; usually Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, closed on Sunday): Lined with more than 35 antique stores and art galleries, Falk Miksa utca in Budapest’s downtown has been the center for antiques since the 1990s. Some places specialize in porcelain, silver, and glassware, others sell prints, paintings, yet others do textiles and furniture. 18th-century decorative swords are what you’re after? Not a problem. Most stores are relatively pricey but tchotchkes and knick-knacks are also aplenty.

#2 - Koller Galéria (location; Thursday to Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): When I’m up in the Castle Hill of Budapest, I usually stop by Koller, a hidden apartment gallery with excellent art and panoramic views. The gallery was founded in 1953 by the legendary art dealer, György Koller (1924-1996), who managed to find breathing room and support Hungarian painters and sculptors – including István Szőnyi, Imre Varga, and Jenő Barcsay – at a time when the Communist regime decimated the private market.

Today, the slender three-story apartment is piled with Hungarian art from the 20th century and the present day. The top floor has a memorial room to the Hungarian-Italian sculptor, Amerigo Tot (1909-1984), whose studio this once was and who might be familiar to people from his cameo appearance in The Godfather (Part 2). The gallery is currently run by György Koller’s grandson and my experience is that they are nice about visitors who are here to look at art without necessarily buying some.

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#3 - Virág Judit Galéria (location; Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): One of the most established galleries in Budapest, Virág Judit focuses on well-known Hungarian painters from the mid-19th to the present day. As an exemplary practice, the gallery has made it a habit to show all artworks to the public before an upcoming auction. These short-term exhibitions count among the most exciting art events of Budapest (always with a few striking pieces of Zsolnay Art Nouveau ceramics thrown in for good measure). The gallery is located steps from Kieselbach (see below), so you might want to bundle the two.

#4 - Nagyházi Galéria (location; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day): One of the major galleries on Falk Miksa utca, Nagyházi is a treasure house of Hungarian paintings (19th century and modernism), porcelain, and furniture. It’s also here that I usually see Baroque sculptures I would instinctively take home until I see their price tags. Recently, I stumbled into a Titian canvas (Mary Magdalene), which is to say, an excellent place to just nourish your eyes.

#5 - BÁV Art (location; Monday to Saturday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.): Founded in 1773 by the Habsburg Queen of Hungary, Maria Theresa, BÁV is the oldest auction house in Hungary, today also functioning as an art gallery and retail store. You'll find high-quality paintings, ceramics, glassware, and jewelry across time periods and artistic styles. The location is conveniently near the antique stores of Falk Miksa utca. (BÁV has another, similarly big venue in downtown, at Bécsi utca 1.)

#6 - Kieselbach Galéria (location; Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): Founded in 1994, the gallery and auction house of Tamás Kieselbach is among the most prominent, holding the record price for a Hungarian painter (Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka). The gallery's focus is the early modern period in Hungary to which they've contributed with many art history books and monographs. Even if this stuff is out of your price range, a visit could be well worth your time.

#7 - HAB Galéria (location; Tuesday to Sudnay 10 p.m. to 6 p.m.): This imposing villa along Andrássy Avenue belongs to one of Hungary’s biggest banks (MBH) and used as an exhibition space for its collection of artworks. The temporary-only shows juxtapose the contemporary with the historical, often relying on A-level loans from the Hungarian National Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts. There’s a cafe on the ground level.

#8 - Godot Galéria & Intézet (location; Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.): Many art galleries line the increasingly chic Bartók Béla Boulevard on the Buda side; one of the early birds was Godot Galéria, best known for representing the neo-expressionist generation who came of age in the 1980s, including drMáriás, whose portrait series featured the current prime minister, and Imre Bukta, known for thought-provoking painting-installations depicting the somber hopelessness of rural Hungary.

#9 - FKSE Stúdió (location; Tuesday to Thursday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.): The Studio of Young Artists' Association (FKSE) is an umbrella organization for the most talented recent art school graduates across Hungary. FKSE's legendary exhibition space in Rottenbiller utca has served as a spring board for generations of Hungarian up-and-comers.

#10 - Inda Galéria (location; Tuesday to Friday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.): Located inside Budapest's old Jewish Quarter, Inda is an apartment gallery tucked away on the second floor of a pre-war building, overlooking the historic Király utca. Inda is impossible to pigeonhole for good reason: the owners seek out artists who aren't just driven by contemporary trends. Their diverse roster, with both Hungarian and foreign members, is relatively young and cover an array of genres, including painting, photography, and installation.

#11 - aqb Project Space (location; Tuesday to Friday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.): Aqb is a big art center in southern Budapest, inhabiting what used to be the 19th-century brewery of the Swiss-Hungarian Haggenmacher family. Dozens of local artists, both local and foreign, have studios here, painting, sculpting, chiseling, composing, designing away in this peaceful and panoramic location (the Danube drifts by just steps away). The ground floor of a red-brick factory building – Project Space – functions as the main exhibition space.