Gerbeaud cukrászda

From Customs House to Gerbeaud Confectionery - 240-year history of a legendary plot Between today's Vörösmarty Square and József Nádor Square, on the site of the Gerbeaud confectionery and its surroundings, there was a very valuable plot. 240 years ago, the Thirtieth Office (Customs House) was built here, which was considered old-fashioned and demolished after 70 years. After that, several people wanted to use the area: Count István Széchenyi would have built the National Casino, the city of Pest would have built the new town hall on the site. The plot was finally divided into four parts in the 19th century. The houses built here still stand today, valuable pieces of the architectural heritage of the inner city.

Hebe's Kiosk: the first outdoor ice cream parlour in Pest Budapest has a long tradition of making ice cream. Already during the Turkish rule, eastern vendors made iced drinks from fruit juices, and then northern Italian immigrants started making ice cream-like sweets in Buda and Pest in the 18th century. However, the real triumph of today's ice cream can be linked to the name of confectioner Péter Fischer in Budapest, who opened his famous kiosk on today's Vörösmarty Square 180 years ago.

Studio in the Inner City - The Strelisky photographer dynasty in Budapest Lipót Strelisky was one of the first to deal with daguerreotypes in Budapest in the 1840s. In his studio in Dorottya Street, he photographed the politicians, aristocrats and artists of the age. His son, Sándor Strelisky, who died a hundred years ago, was the first photographer in Hungary to take multi-character photographs with a special technique. Strelisky photos are invaluable today and help us learn about Budapest's past.

Replanned twice by the great Ybl – Construction of the Main Customs House began 150 years ago The stunning Renaissance revival palace of the Main Customs House by Miklós Ybl is better known today as Corvinus University. The building has defined the view of the Danube embankment since its completion. A lesser-known fact about the building is that it was initially planned for Kossuth Square. Foundation work began but later stopped when Gyula Andrássy (the prime minister in office at the time) supported the Budapest City Council in the dispute about the site. The building was moved to Ferencváros, and Ybl was forced to redraw his plans for the palace twice before construction began 150 years ago.