podtour
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.
From Parliament to the Glass House: audio walk in Budapest
The district of power and memory: the Shoes on the bank of the Danube, the architect who never saw his Parliament finished, the shots of 25 October 1956, a square where the monuments answer one another, the cardinal who spent fifteen years inside an embassy, the Batthyány lamp and the glass house where a great many people took refuge in 1944.
What this walk is about
You begin by the river, in front of sixty pairs of iron shoes, and climb up to Parliament Square: a poet sitting and watching the water, an architect who died weeks before the first sitting, and a façade that remembers the shots of a Thursday in 1956 that nobody has ever fully explained. In Liberty Square, a Soviet obelisk stands beside the spot where a flag of mourning once flew; across the way, Cardinal Mindszenty spent fifteen years without leaving an embassy, with a secret police car waiting at the door. The Batthyány lamp burns where Hungary's first prime minister was shot, the morning after he wounded himself with a dagger smuggled in to him. You finish at the Glass House, which from the street looked like a single storey and inside had four levels of refugees.
- Start
- The Shoes
- Finish
- A House with Four Levels
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Second World War and the Cold War and 1956.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
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 Shoes
- 2
A Poet Sitting Beside the Danube
- 3
The Architect Who Never Saw It Finished
- 4
Bloody Thursday
- 5
An Obelisk with a Crypt
- 6
Trianon: Statues, a Flag and a Repeated Mistake
- 7
The Cardinal Who Stayed Inside for Fifteen Years
- 8
Two Chairs in a Courtyard and a Red Biretta
- 9
The Dagger and the Firing Squad
- 10
The Lamp That Never Goes Out
- 11
The Weiss Family's Glass Shop
- 12
A House with Four Levels
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
Andrássy Avenue: Palaces, Music and Cafés
Budapest's grand avenue began with big ambitions and difficult sums. Follow its palaces, cafés and stages to Liszt's home.
The Spanish Houses of Budapest
In 1944, certain Budapest doorways offered protection under the Spanish flag. Follow the houses and the people who sought refuge inside them.
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.
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Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.