podtour
Along the Danube, from Bridge to Bridge
Walk beside the Danube with Buda Castle across the water. This riverbank tells how three cities became Budapest.
Andrássy Avenue: Palaces, Music and Cafés: audio walk in Budapest
Pest's most elegant avenue, told as a single story: the Basilica dome that came crashing down, a luxury boulevard that nearly ruined everyone, the underground railway born of a ban, the Opera's opening night, the nightlife that moved to the next street, a square that bore Mussolini's name, the house with the black frame and the flat where Liszt taught without pay.
What this walk is about
You start in front of St Stephen's Basilica, whose first dome collapsed one afternoon in 1868, and which keeps the hand of a saintly king, a relic that travelled for almost a thousand years. Then you walk the avenue that Parliament dismissed as a "luxury promenade". Beneath your feet runs the first underground railway on the Continent, born because trams were banned from the avenue. At the Opera, the man in charge wrote in his diary that the bombs everyone had been warned about never fell, and he pulled a Liszt hymn that would have irritated Vienna at the last minute. Next door, a poets' tavern; round the corner, the cabarets the avenue drove out. An 1876 joke about seven houses that were really one, the artists' café, the square that changed its name four times and the apartment block that housed two terrors. You finish at the flat where Liszt lived and taught in his final years.
- Start
- The Dome That Collapsed
- Finish
- The Teacher Who Charged Nothing
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for music and architecture lovers.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The Dome That Collapsed
- 2
The Travelling Hand
- 3
A Luxury Avenue That Nearly Ruined Everyone
- 4
The Train Hidden Beneath the Avenue
- 5
The Night the Bombs Did Not Fall
- 6
A Withdrawn Anthem and Two Living Composers in Niches
- 7
The Three Ravens and the Opera's Rival
- 8
Dancers and Cabarets on the Next Street
- 9
Seven Houses That Were One
- 10
The Artists' Table at Café Japán
- 11
The Square Once Named After Mussolini
- 12
An Ordinary House with a Black Frame
- 13
The Teacher Who Charged Nothing
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Budapest, before you go
A view can seem close while lying across a bridge. Keep each walk within a sensible area and save some energy for simply stopping beside the Danube.
More walks nearby
Pest and the Revolution of 1848
A revolution survives among the cafés, printing shops and theatres of central Pest. Follow 15 March 1848 through the streets where it unfolded.
The Jewish Quarter: Synagogues, Ghetto and Rescuers
Three nearby synagogues tell different stories of Jewish life. Between them, trace the ghetto and the people who helped their neighbours survive.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
iOSAndroidComing soon
A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.