Petofi Irodalmi Múzeum (Petofi Literary Museum)

Petofi Irodalmi Múzeum (Petofi Literary Museum) Review

Founded in 1954 as the national museum of 19th- and 20th-century Hungarian literature, this lovely venue—named after Hungary's famous poet of the 1848 revolution, Sándor Petofi—is well worth a visit regardless of what you know (or don't know) about Hungarian literature. For one thing, it's in the ravishing Károlyi Palota. Bestowed with a new facade and interior beginning in the late 18th century by its owners, the Károlyi family, the palace has some grand staircases and stunning rooms that were renovated in recent years. A ticket allows you to visit not only the literary exhibits, which include a fascinating collection of objects relating to the lives of some of Hungary's dearest writers and poets, but also other parts of the building. Behind the palace is its lovely onetime park, Károlyi kert, which has long been open to the public at no charge.