Kazinczy Street is worth a visit not only if you’re looking for trendy nightlife spots, but also if you’re in the mood for a historical adventure. Hidden here is the city’s first secret museum, a true time machine taking you back to the former home of a renowned metalware manufacturer, and Budapest in the 20th century.
It’s hard to list all the things that once operated at 47 Kazinczy Street: factory, steam bath, cinema… Today, the building functions as a hotel, but it’s the basement that hides the real adventure: the Mika Tivadar Secret Museum, offering real urban-history gems.
Here you can discover the Blue Cat – which, despite its playful name, was once Europe’s most famous brothel – a “floating morgue” on the Danube, and countless buildings that whisper stories from the stormy days of the previous century.
The exhibition wouldn’t be complete without the ornate objects and menorahs from the factory of Tivadar Mika himself – the underground museum also holds rare treasures like sugar and meat tickets from 1945, newspapers and posters, and colorized photos of the bustling downtown streets.
The Mika Tivadar Secret Museum has recently opened a brand-new room: if you manage to find the door adorned with the portrait of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and descend the glowing red staircase, you can witness “Red Devils in Mexico”.
This new exhibition explores the surprising role that Hungarians played in the 19th-century civil war on Aztec soil – with incredible illustrations.
The Mika Tivadar Secret Museum is open daily, Monday to Sunday, from 8 AM to 10 PM, showing Budapest from a truly unique perspective. The museum is accessible through the hotel lobby or via MITICO, with a walk-in ticket or table reservation (brunch in the morning and cocktail bar in the evening).
1075 Budapest, Kazinczy utca 47. | Website
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