New “Ugly” Hotel To Replace Iconic Old Budapest Pub

  • 7 Jan 2021 10:18 AM
  • Hungary Around the Clock
New “Ugly” Hotel To Replace Iconic Old Budapest Pub
A huge and “ugly” five-storey hotel will be erected at the corner of Király and Kazinczy streets in Budapest’s Seventh District after the site of the former pub of world champion canoer Tamás Wichmann, nearby historic buildings on Király utca and a playground are demolished, city history blog Falanszter learned.

The popular low-key pub, called Wichmann, operated between 1986 and 2019.

The first German-suited playing cards, known as magyar kártya in Hungary, were designed in a print shop in this building in 1836.

In addition, a samizdat editorial office operated on the upper floor in the last years of communist rule.

The opposition-led district council said that authority for issuing construction and demolition permits was transferred by law to the Budapest Government Office on March 1, 2020. The government office has no duty to inform the local government about these permits.

According to the blog, the government office approved the general plan of the hotel on July 15, 2020.


MTI Photo of Tamás Wichmann: Gyula Czimbal

  • How does this content make you feel?

XpatLoop Media Partner

Hungary Around the Clock

Since 1995 Hungary Around the Clock has proven to be one of the most comprehensive sources of daily English-language news about Hungary. It covers ongoing domestic politics and foreign relations, as well as business and economic matters. For a free trial of HATC visit www.hatc.hu and click on 'Free Trial Subscription’.

Explore More Reports