Underground

Budapest is a very beautiful, vibrant city, and we're having a fantastic time getting to know it.  So far we've travelled on several lines of the Metro (underground), and several different tram lines.  Everywhere you look there's something new and interesting!  As well as riding on the Metro, there is a small but really interesting Museum of the Underground located near us at Deák tér station.

Budapest was the first city on the European Continent to complete an Underground line, in 1896, although there had been an Underground in London slightly earlier.  It is totally straight and built using the cut and cover method, under Andrássy Avenue.  Today it is called Line 1 and is declared a World Heritage site.

Like most older underground systems it still retains many characteristic features.  Here is one of the station name signs.

The 'Blue' line 3 is completely different, having been built with Soviet assistance, but is also very 'characteristic'!  The original rolling stock is very much Soviet-style, and really interesting.  They have amazing acceleration!!

The small Museum is very well done indeed and contains three original 'cars', which are of a style that I have never seen before, using German chassis.  Innocently I took a photo, but found out very quickly that photos are not allowed!  In fairness, you can apparently buy a special 'photo' pass.

Here is an old photo of one of these 'cars'.  I was particularly intrigued by the shape and massiveness of the chassis!

All in all an excellent day and everything is very good value, given the Forint exchange rate.  My daughter and son-in-law live above a very dynamic 'food' street with many sidewalk cafés and I can testify that the food is excellent!!