4 Best Sights in Hungary

The fascinating (if somewhat macabre) discovery of the Memento Mori was made in 1994 during renovation work on the Church of the White Friars, when workers happened upon the largely forgotten, sealed entrance to a crypt that had been used by the Dominicans to bury clergy and local burghers from 1731 to 1801. Inside were numerous ornately decorated coffins with surprisingly well-preserved, still-clothed mummies and their burial accessories, including rosaries and crucifixes. The coffins have now been moved to a nearby cellar on the same square, with three open caskets displaying the eerie mummified remains of a nine-year-old girl, a woman in her 50s, and a man in his 60s. The museum starts with some interesting above-ground exhibits on the discovery, as well as the history of church and the town at large, before a steep staircase leads downstairs to the cold exhibit room.

Noted for its spectacular hilltop views of the city, this green and tranquil cemetery is home to some flamboyant memorials and statues—check out the giant griffin, or Griffmadár, designed by Kálmán Veres as a tribute to those who are far away, and the final resting place of numerous Hungarian notables. Look for the tombs of several scientists, academics, and athletes, and note composer Béla Bartók near the main entrance. The stunning mortuary, designed by architect Imre Makovecz to look like a human chest, is worth a look if it is open.

Kerepesi Cemetery functions as a burial ground, national memorial space, and outdoor art gallery.  Founded in 1847, this beautiful and impressive cemetery is one of the oldest in Hungary and certainly the most well-known in Budapest, being the final resting place of Hungary's greatest artists, statesmen, and inventors. Maps are available at the entrance with descriptions of the most famous residents, including Mihály Vörösmarty, Attila József, Endre Ady, Mor Jókai, Janos Arany, Lajos Kossuth, Ferenc Erkel, Gyorgy Faludy, Miklós Jancsó, and Imre Kertész, to name a few. Wander the tree-lined avenues past the ornate tombs and mausoleums of this stunning graveyard, such as the grandiose lion-guarded one for Lajos Batthyány, or the mausoleum of Ferenc Deák or Lajos Kossuth. The communist-era mausoleum for the Labour movement, designed in 1958 by Olcsai-Kiss Zoltán, may still stir conflicting feelings, but it merits a stop. At 56 hectares (138 acres), this is one of the largest National Pantheons in Europe so you'll want to spend a while. You can also visit the Salgotarjani Street Jewish Cemetery ( see its Sights listing), which occupies the eastern corner—technically part of Kerepesi Cemetery but accessible via a separate entrance.

Dating from 1874, Budapest’s oldest Jewish cemetery is technically part of the huge Kerespesi Cemetery but is separated by a tall stone wall. These serene grounds are the resting place of aristocratic Jewish Hungarian families and prestigious individuals, with a section dedicated to victims of the Holocaust. Stonemasonry by Hungary’s premier architects of the day provide exquisite examples of the conversation between popular artistic movements, such as Szecesszió (Hungarian Art Nouveau), and Jewish cultural history and identity. The cemetery doors are often closed to keep away the neighborhood's unsavory types, but if you knock on the gate, the guard will let you in.