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The day you will meet Columbo, Steve Jobs and Bud Spencer

Some corny jokes would start like the title, but the truth is: you can actually meet them all on the same day, and you only have the chance to make it happen Budapest! Discover the secrets of the cooper statues hidden all across town! They not only bear a secret or touching some of them may bring you luck, but will give you the perfect theme to capture for your social media account.


The Ronald Reagan statue

A statue of US president Ronald Reagan, a stoic force against communism. He is standing in Szabadság Tér (Freedom Square), a park that once housed statues of numerous historic Hungarians until the Soviets took control, removed those statues and built their own monument to their own fallen soldiers. Reagan was added years later to counterbalance the controversial Soviet star-topped obelisk, and his position looks as though he is set to march right through the stone monument, to the nearby US embassy.

Where? District 5. Szabadság tér 16.


The Steve Jobs statue

The statue is the first in the world honoring the late founder of Apple, who passed away on October 5, 2011. Crafted by Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth, the life-like bronze statue stands near the entrance of architectural software maker Graphisoft’s Budapest headquarters.The relationship between Graphisoft and Apple can be traced to the 1980’s, when Jobs came across the first version of Graphisoft’s ARCHICAD software at the 1984 CeBIT in Germany. The mission of the Park is to enable its tenants to attract the best talent with an inspiring calm and green environment, located directly on the banks of the Danube River. 

Where? District 3. Graphisoft Park, Záhony utca 7.


The Bud Spencer statue

A year after his death, a massive bronze statue of Spaghetti Western actor Bud Spencer, born Carlo Pedersoli in 1929, was unveiled in Nov 11, 2017 before a crowd of adoring fans. The burly and bearded actor, who died in June 2016, earned cult status in Hungary during the country's decades of communist rule which ended in 1989.

Where? District 8, Corvin sétány 1.


The Little Princess statue

The artist who created the statue was inspired by his young daughter, who would wear his dressing gown as a robe and pretend to be a princess.

Where? District 5, Belgrád rkp, close to Hotel Marriott


Ferenc Puskás

The hero kicking the ball is Ferenc Puskás, the most famous Hungarian footballer and one of the most accomplished within the sport itself. There’s even an annual award named after him that celebrates the footballer, who have scored the most beautiful goal of the year.

Where? District 3,  Bécsi út 57.


Statue of Anonymous

This mysterious statue of a hooded figure in Budapest’s City Park portrays a famous chronicler whose identity is unknown. Anonymous is famous for penning the Gesta Hungarorum (Deeds of the Hungarians) and for providing a glimpse into life in medieval Hungary. Here comes the lucky part: whoever finds Anonymous and touches the pen will gain great writing skills and find literary success. 

Where? Kós Károly sétány, close to Vajdahunyad Castle


The Fat Policeman

Rubbing the jolly fat policeman’s stomach is said to bring good luck, particularly in love! In his lifetime, the inspiration behind the statue was said to be a lover of food and women.

Where? District 5, Zrínyi utca


Shoes on the Danube Bank

Close to the Hungarian Parliament, these ornate and eclectic bronze shoes on the Danube might seem quaint, but they have a sombre meaning – the sculptures of 60 pairs of iron shoes were created in memory of the many thousands of Jewish Hungarians who were shot by Budapest’s Arrow Cross militia, who shared Nazi ideologies, in the Second World War and then cast into the Danube.

Where? District 5, Id. Antall József rkp


Columbo and his dog

The purpose of the statue is unclear, but the actor is said to have been related to the 19th-century Hungarian political figure Miksa Falk, and the street where the statue has been placed has been named after Falk.

Where? District 5, Falk Miksa street


The Garden of Philosophy

The group of statues features an inner circle composed of the five founders of the world’s major religions: Abraham, Jesus, Buddha, Lao zi, and Akhenaten. The orb they gather around is about the size of a fist and intended to represent the similarities in what is worshiped by these major schools of thought. Gazing from the sidelines at this surreal meeting of the minds are Mahatma Gandhi, Bodhidharma and Saint Francis.

Where? District 1, Gellért Hill


The Eagle statue

The biggest bird monument in Europe, made for the famous Hungarian football club, FTC, the enormous eagle has a span of 16 meters, a height of 8 meters and a weight that exceeds 15 tons, made from stainless steel. 

Where? District 9, Groupama Arena


The sitting statue of Attila József

Attila József is a  great Hungarian poet of the twentieth century, a beautiful, melancholic statue of the poet sits facing the river, his hat in his left hand and coat at his side, as if exhausted after a long walk.

Where? District 5, Kossuth tér, Parliament


Girl with her dog

This figurative sculpture is located at the well known walking street of Budapest, on the Duna Corso. The girl is playing with her dog, the dog is holding a ball in it's mouth and the little girl is try to take it back from the dog. 

Where? District 5, Vigadó tér

Photo credit: Pixabay

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