View into bedroom from the living/dining rooom
Location: Budapest, Hungary, Europe (Across from City Hall, a unique romantic garden apartment) View Map
Accommodations: Apartment, 1 Bedroom + Convertible bed(s), 1 Bath (Sleeps 2-4)
Apartment Olive is a small, cozy garden apartment, opening into the courtyard of a landmark building in the very heart of Budapest: the geographic fulcrum of the Belvaros (the historic inner semi circle around the Danube) is Ferenciek Square, and Apartment Olive’s building fronts directly onto that square. It’s one of the city’s oldest residential buildings (the building is a bit tattered), sitting directly across from Budapest City Hall.
The courtyard is lovely, lush, and green, extremely unusual for Budapest, with shrubbery and wildflowers and trees growing wilily nilly. Olive opens off the courtyard and so it is quiet and restful even though it is in the dead center of a historic world capital city.
Our favorite pastry shop is across the street from the Ferenciek side of the building; our favorite café is a block away from the City Hall (Varoshaz) side of the building. The Astoria stop of the Red metro is a block from the Varoshaz side, the Ferenciek stop on the Blue metro is just outside the Ferenciek side.
If you exit the Varoshaz side you are across the street from one of the few international newsstands in the city, and that café a block away is the Gerloczy, one of the nicest places for a comfortable meal, coffee, beer, lemonade, or simply a rest in the city center.
The Danube is just a couple of blocks’ walk, the pedestrianized Vaci utca is one block away, the Central Market Hall and Vorosmarty Square are each about 5-10 minutes away depending on how fast you stroll. The Great Synagogue is 2-3 blocks away, the Basilca about 6-8. You can catch a bus into Buda (or the Red Metro) just outside the door.
The apartment itself is ideal for 1-3 people. We have renovated it to capture the feel of an upscale fin de siecle Hungarian garden apartment, with vaulted ceilings and antiques and traditional artisanal pieces throughout. There’s a queen sized bed in the bedroom, a custom shower in the heated tile bathroom (with a converted antique bentwood chamberpot stand as the sink). The bedroom has a (gated and curtained) double door opening directly onto the courtyard for cool summer light, just beside a lovely small antique wardrobe for your clothes.
You enter from the courtyard directly into the livingroom, which has a kitchenette with induction cooktop, fridge, microwave, and clothes washer; a bay window and window seat adjacent to the dining table, a queen convertible sofa (not a folding mattress but a comfortable solid queen), a large flatpanel TV, high speed WiFi internet, free Nespresso coffee system and coffee, free international VOIP outbound calling (and an inbound US telephone number for low-cost incoming calls from the USA).
Olive is two blocks south of our Szervita ter apartment (VRBO #124227) and 2 blocks north of our Apartment Max (VRBO #151479).
If you know Budapest perhaps you have a sense of the ways in which the neighborhood is difficult to describe...while the building that houses Olive is a landmark in the midst of the bustling center city, the apartment is quiet, and one has the feeling of getting away from it all when one is inside (the doors to the courtyard from the street are locked to outsiders after dark).
Yet when you walk out into the street you are within striking distance of almost all major tourist venues. And, less obviously, you are also in a thriving small residential neighborhood -- there are several supermarkets nearby, a laundry across the street, a cleaners two blocks away, a pharmacy nearby, many neighborhood cafes, and a movie house around the corner.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Air Conditioning
- Washer
- Linens Provided
- Beds
- Queen Bed
- Convertible Bed: Not a folding mattress; solid pull-out bed, as comfortable as a standard bed
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- DVD
- Video Library
- CD Player
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen: Compact kitchen with induction cooktop, microwave, toaster, electric kettle, and clothes washer (no oven)
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Communications
- Telephone
- Free Long Distance: Vonage line with NYC incoming phone number and unlimited worldwide calling.
- Cell Phone: Local mobile phone (guest responsible for time charges).
- Computer: Dual platform Mac.
- Broadband Internet: Fastest available cable internet.
- WiFi (Wireless Internet)
- Other Amenities
- FREE worldwide international calling. Nespresso coffee system, iPod dock and speakers, 1 block to Red and Blue Metro lines
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Fitness Center/Gym
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Other Activities
- Vaci utca is one block away, the Great Synagogue, the Basilica, the National Museum, the Danube, and the Central Market are all within a 5 minute walk; the bus to two of Budapest's best thermal baths is just outside the door...We are passionate about Budapest and want to share that enthusiasm with our guests. We would be happy to assist in any way we can to help you have a wonderful trip whether you stay with us or elsewhere. Unless you speak Hungarian, booking tickets to concerts or events can be daunting, and are best handled in advance because so much sells out so swiftly...we are happy to take care of this kind of thing, advise about the city, or book a reservation in a restaurant for the day you arrive (though you may be weary by then).
Rate Details (In Euros)
Winter (Nov-Jan) ............... €40/night (1 adult)
Spring & Fall (Feb-Apr & Oct) .. €50/night (1 adults)
Summer (May-Sep) ............... €50/night (1 adult)
Each additional guest (maximum of 3 guests total) + €20
Christmas-New Years (December 15-January 10) book at Summer rates
weekly cleaning fee of €25
no other charges; all services and amenities included
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Credit Cards Accepted:
Map & Owner's Profile
Year Purchased: 2008
Why the Owner Chose Budapest
My wife Jeanne and I visited in 2001 with my father's younger brother, spent a weekend and fell in love with it. We purchased and renovated these apartments for our own use (Belle and Sarah are our daughters, Max is our son, Olive and Andrei are our grandchildren) and only rent them when we are not using them ourselves for friends and family (we have another apartment where we stay ourselves, not very far away).
The Unique Benefits at this Apartment
We are passionate about Budapest and want to share that enthusiasm with our guests. We would be happy to assist in any way we can to help you have a wonderful trip whether you stay with us or elsewhere. Unless you speak Hungarian, booking tickets to concerts or events can be daunting, and are best handled in advance because so much sells out so swiftly...we are happy to take care of this kind of thing, advise about the city, or book a reservation in a restaurant for the day you arrive (though you may be weary by then).
A cozy garden apartment off a historic and verdant courtyard, serene and warm and yet in the absolute center of the city.
Owner's Map of Budapest
John's father grew up in Budapest, and John grew up hearing about it, filtered through the oddly appealing love/hate lens of nazism and communism and Central European nostalgia. His father left in the mid-30s, and never went back until a 1975 week-long visit. But Hungary lived within him throughout his colorful career as a journalist, popular historian (author of the books that the films Patton and Tora, Tora, Tora were based on), propagandist and operative for Radio Free Europe. He died in 1980.
Property Photos
- View into bedroom from the living/dining rooom
- Welcome to Apartment Olive
- The building courtyard...
- Entry to apartment...
- The living room...
- The kitchen from the dining area...
- Inside the kitchen area...
- The living room from the entry...
- Into the bedroom...
- The bedroom entry to courtyard ...
- Entry to bathroom ...
- The shower...
- The custom shower ...
- Living room chandelier ...
- Carved antique wardrobe detail ...
- Antique chandelier in bathroom ... detail
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #221930
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This listing was first published here in 2009.
Date last modified - October 07, 2009
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