Fodor's Expert Review Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum

The permanent collection here takes you on a stimulating journey into the everyday Hungarian experience, from the recent to the more distant past. Among the highlights are the 20th-century exhibit, including an early movie theater replete with films of the era, an old schoolroom, a 1960s apartment interior, and a host of historical posters—all of which brings you right up to the end of communism and the much-celebrated exodus of Russian troops. Older attractions including masterworks of cabinetmaking and woodcarving (e.g., church pews from Nyírbátor and Transylvania); a piano that belonged to both Beethoven and Liszt; and goldsmithing treasures. The museum often hosts interesting temporary installations as well, such as the World Press Photo exhibition housed here every fall.