Budapest has the faded glamour, grace and grandeur of Paris with the cultural and creative vibe of an old Eastern bloc city emerging from its dark and secret past. And in the Pest side of the city, rubbing shoulders with Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque town houses, within walking distance of the Jewish quarter, 'ruined' pubs and Gellert thermal baths is Brody House.
Brody House dates from the 1850s. Neglected during the Communist regime, Brody House was founded in 2009 to provide forums for creativity and to support artistic talent in: visual art, film, music, graphic novels, literature, dance, design, photography...
The eight guest rooms are huge light spaces with paraquet floors and very high ceilings, imaginatively decorated and named after Brody House's cutting-edge artists whose work lines the distressed walls.
An honesty bar operates after dark when the staff have gone home and visitors are free to wander from room to room, reading art books, listening to ambient music, whilst enjoying the arts works and photographs. I especially enjoyed the black and white photos taken by Tibor Papp (www.darklight.co.hu) of Krisztina Pazar of the Hungarian National Ballet. Indeed, to visit Brody House is the most unique and inspiring experience.
brodyhouse.com
