Wekerle Estate

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Panonia ut (near Hatar metro station), Budapest, Hungary 1192

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A walk back in time: the Wekerle telep district

by idared

Budapest, Hungary

January 30, 2002

Although today it is only a few underground stops from downtown, when it was built, the area was far out of the borders of the city, and that’s why it could be built this freely, this creatively: the strict architectural laws and rules of the ...Read more Although today it is only a few underground stops from downtown, when it was built, the area was far out of the borders of the city, and that’s why it could be built this freely, this creatively: the strict architectural laws and rules of the capital didn’t reach out this far into the outskirts.

The style that the Wekerle is built is similar to a lot of buildings in Budapest: art nouveau. The district was designed by the students of the greatest Hungarian art nouveau architect, Ödön Lechner. They toured the country and Transylvania, and drew and studied every motif that they encountered on the old houses and buildings. Almost every building in Wekerle has a hungarian folk art, or Transylvanian motif and decoration. The single-story houses have porticos, and the one-story buildings resemble loggias. The arches of the beautiful gates mirror the buildings themselves.

The Wekerle is not a simple residential area, but a separate little town in the metropolis. It has its own cinema, police station, schools and a main square. This square is often shown on postcards and photos, and it was designed by ároly Kós.

As one walks in from Határ street, it is as if he had stepped over an invisible line, behind which time stands still. Red-walled little houses with green shutters stand in line in the broad streets, and between them tens of trees and bushes, a see of green never seen elsewhere in the city. Engraved wooden gates stand in front of the little yards. Children and dogs play and bike on the streets, again a sight that is uncommon in big metropolis’, but common in lovely little remote villages.

I get to the school building. It is as if it were an illustration from a children’s book. Big, friendly, inviting building, not a concrete cube like the schools downtown. A tiny library and children’s house on the corner, playgrounds everywhere.

The restaurant offers coffee for 65 Ft (how far is this to the 250 Ft coffee of the city?) and they are proud of their district, you can order „Wekerle roast". The only striking problem is the lack of guests, the huge terrace stands empty.

And this, unfortunately, characterizes the whole district. They had built something very nice and new, and left it at that. The houses are worn - all of them could do with a renovation. The streets are patchy and the pavements are bumpy too. In the meantime, new glass residential areas are being built everywhere around the city and the Wekerle stands here all alone, destined for destruction.

How can you get there?
Take M2 (blue) underground line to Határ street and walk along Pannónia street (the street that negins aproximately at the entrance of Europark) or take bus 99, 99A, 194 that take you to the center of Wekerle, Kós Károly square. Close

From journal A local's guide to Budapest - work in progress!

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Wekerle Estate

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A walk back in time: the Wekerle telep district

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A walk back in time: the Wekerle telep district

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