Perhaps it is only fitting that a city known for its fairytale architecture, would have a fair bit of action. After all, no story is complete without a good fight scene and Budapest lives up to its name with a few iconic movies filmed in the city.
Red Sparrow in Budapest
Hungarian State Opera
The tragic scene where Dominika (Jennifer Lawrence) gets sabotaged by her dancing partner who breaks her leg, takes place at the Hungarian State Opera.
As you can tell from the image below, the Opera House is styled in neo-renaissance glory, with high ceilings, marble columns, chandeliers and statues of great musicians like Mozart. You can take a 45 min tour or attend a performance to witness this acoustic perfection.
New York Palace Hotel
As she recovers from the loss of her career, her uncle (Vanya) agrees to support her in exchange for a favor. She meets the target at Hotel Andarja, which is the New York Palace Hotel in real life.
Insider tip: Other than just admiring the signature belle-epoque decor, enjoy a slice of cake and tea with the cafe’s five-star service.
Cafe Parisi
Upon completion of her Red Sparrow training, Dominika meets Vanya at a restaurant to receive her first mission brief.
This restaurant was actually called the Book Cafe, in a stunning Art Nouveau building. However, it has since been renovated and changed into Cafe Parisi.
Theoretical Building of Semmelweis University
Dominika meets with Nash (Joel Edgerton) at the American Embassy. In the backdrop, there are stained-glass installations which are the defining feature of the Theoretical Building of Semmelweis University.
HalloBar Budapest Striptease bar
Adept at seduction, Dominika lays a trap for Maxim in one of the most popular strip clubs of Budapest — HalloBar. This bar has been reputed to be very wild, so wild that you may have problems leaving so practice caution with your drinks.
Blade Runner 2049 in Budapest
The sequel to the highly popular Blade Runner was filmed entirely in Hungary. Although most of it took place inside a studio, there are some scenes which took advantage of Budapest’s old architecture.
One of the scenes is that of Deckard (Harrison Ford) meeting K (Ryan Gosling) in Budapest’s Old Stock Exchange Palace which remains abandoned and empty today.
There are many other movies which have been filmed in Hungary due to its cheaper production costs and old-world charm. Other notable mentions include A Good Day To Die Hard, The Martian, and World War Z. Budapest captures the imagination like no other city and deserves more than just a few days of sightseeing.
