Inner Ring, Budapest Kiskörút

Named after its last owner, the Hungarian politician and first President of the Republic, Mihály Károlyi (1875-1955), this building in the street of the same name has an interesting past. It was built at the end of the 17th C as a single-story mansion. In the 18th C A. Mayerhoffer added a Baroque front, and this in turn was converted to the classical style in 1832/4. In 1848/9 the Austrian General Julius Haynau, who was to crush the freedom fighters, resided here. It was here, too, that Count Lajos Batthyány, Hungary's first prime minister, was arrested in 1849.A memorial room has been furnished in honor of Mihály Károlyi. The Károlyi Palace now houses a Museum of Literature dedicated to the best-known Hungarian poet of the revolutionary period, Sándor Petofi. The museum contains Hungarian "literabilia" and a collection of texts by the leading Hungarian poets and writers.Manuscripts, books and periodicals, a sound archive and works by various notable artists add to the museum's attractions. From time to time there are exhibitions on selected themes or on the subject of particular Hungarian writers.

At the beginning of Dohány utca, stands the Pest Synagogue, built between 1854 and 1859 to the plans of the Viennese architect Ludwig Förster. The romanticized Moorish-Byzantine style of this three-aisled temple is very pleasing to the eye; Frigyes Feszl was responsible for the fine interior.The Jewish Museum (Orságos Zsidó Vallási és Történeti Gyüjtemény) is housed in an annex of the synagogue. In 1944/45 the garden, surrounded by arcades, was made into a cemetery for the victims of the Budapest ghetto.

Two leading Hungarian cultural institutions are located in the Museum Ring. Imre Steindl, who was also the architect of the Parliament Building, designed the Neo-Renaissance buildings of the Faculty of Natural Science of Eötvös Loránd University, while Mihály Pollack drew up the plans for the majestic Hungarian National Museum. Also of architectural merit is house No. 7, for which M. Ybl was responsible in 1852. Remains of the city walls of Pest can still be seen in the courtyards of Nos. 17 and 21.

Kálvin tér (Calvin Square), on the southern edge of the center of Pest, is now an important traffic junction. A few years ago, during building work, the remains of a medieval city gate were uncovered. There are some interesting buildings around the square, including the former inn, The Two Lions (No. 8), dating from 1818. A little to the east in Baross tér is the Ervin-Szabó Library in a 19th C Neo-Baroque building by A. Meining.

Károly körút (Charles Ring, formerly known as Tanács körút, or Councillors' Ring) leads southeast from Deák tér. In recent years it has become an important business street. On its northeast side stands Madách House (1937), the home of the Madách Studio Theatre. Nearby is the exhibition hall of the City Council (No. 4) together with the Budapest Film Museum (Film-múzeum; No. 3) in which performances are given mostly of old films.

Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út is one of the finest streets in the Hungarian capital; it links the Pest district with Leopold Town to its north. Only the short, southernmost section of this busy street actually forms part of the Inner Ring. Along it are many buildings in Late Romantic and Eclectic styles, as well as new, modern shops and offices.

Completed in 1859 from a Lajos Förster design, the Great Synagogue has Moorish style domes that make it one of the most distinguishable landmarks in Pest. The detailed façade of the building is decorated with brickwork in the colors of the city - blue, yellow and red. Adjoining the main building, is the Heroes Temple, which seats 250 people and is used for religious services on weekdays.

Vámház körút (Department Store Ring; previously named Tolbuhin körút, or Tolbuhin Ring) in recent years has become a busy shopping street. This is largely due to the proximity of the central market hall at the Pest end of Freedom Bridge (Szabadság-hid). The University of Economics stands nearby.

Deák Ferenc tér adjoins Erzsébet tér on the southeast, and is one of the most important inner-city traffic junctions. Three Underground lines meet here. Anker Palace on its east side, formerly the head office of an insurance company, should not be overlooked.