What is the Bartók District?

What is the
Bartók District?

THE FIFTEEN-MINUTE CITY

The Bartók District is the area in downtown Újbuda (District XI), surrounded by the Danube river and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics on one side and Karinthy Frigyes street on the other, all surrounding the heart of the District, Bartók Béla Street.

The District is organised around the concept of the 15-minute city: the idea that all important services and institutions should be available by a 15-minute walk. This includes shops, services, cultural, sporting and gastronomic facilities, parks, public spaces and much more.

The Municipality of Újbuda pays special attention to what citizens want, making sure that the expansion of accessible services and institutions serves the needs of the residents in the best possible way. As part of this, a so-called ‘street management service’ was introduced to ensure a constant and extensive flow of information between the municipality, residents and service providers.

Bartók District is home to some of the city’s oldest and best-loved cultural institutions, restaurants and shops. Together with residents, they make the District the peaceful, yet fun and unique area loved by many.

In the Bartók District, culture and entertainment is the guiding idea of new developments, making sure that it remains a safe and fulfilling home for its residents.

This is what we believe makes a neighbourhood truly liveable – and why we think Bartók District is so great.

Thanks to the many cultural programmes and community events, the District has a truly unique and vibrant atmosphere. The area is home to a number of galleries, literary and cultural institutions, and downtown family activities. The District has a long tradition of hosting events like the Eleven Spring and Autumn Festival (“eleven” is lively in Hungarian – get it?), the Ménesi Street Ball organised by residents, the Újbuda Children’s Book Festival, the Gárdonyi Picnic, and since 2022, the Bartók Fest, Újbuda’s newest downtown festival, offering a full day of music and events to help you get involved with local causes.

előzmények

Today, it’s hard to imagine that only 150 years ago, District XI – today Budapest’s most populous district – was at the edge of the city, where you’d have to keep an open eye wandering around after dusk. The Budapest Public Works Council had big plans with the area: to keep up with the emerging metropolis, they wanted to expand Buda to the south, making the Gellért Hill, Kelenföld and Lágymányos areas part of District I in 1873. The development of Bartók District was launched after the completion of the Liberty Bridge in 1896, with a new tram line connecting Pest and Buda. Despite this, the neighbourhood was considered as the outskirts of the city until the 1930s.

It was between the two world wars that everything changed: the area grew into a cultural hotspot with artists, writers, intellectuals and academics moving into the new district, turning local cafés into meeting points for bohemians. Finally, in 1934, District XI was born as Szentimreváros, with a series of modern residential buildings, educational and religious institutions built. However, as Hungary was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1949, the former bourgeois community disappeared – instead, housing estates were built, establishing new communities still going strong today.

With the 2000s came a new mindset, the Municipality of Újbuda working on the revitalisation of the cultural milieu that used to define Bartók Béla Street. The new cultural city centre has seen the opening of a number of galleries and cafés hosting cultural events, and bustling new restaurants offering delicious food. A new “golden age”, the presence of artists, scientists and cultural institutions are once again making the district come alive.

The Bartók District is a key urban development project of the Újbuda Municipality. The goal was – and remains – to create a district where community and cultural initiatives can play an important role in the urban living environment.

The first phase of developments began in 2005, when the cultural use of municipal property became a key feature of the district’s life. At the same time, the physical environment also underwent renovation: Gárdonyi Square was regenerated, Kultúrtér and the B32 Gallery were extended and the Hadik Café opened its doors.

Cultural institutions, caterers and traders of Bartók Béla Street together founded the Bartók Boulevard Association in 2013, working to make Bartók Béla Street a significant cultural destination. Also in 2013, Eleven Blokk Art Foundation was born. It started setting up workshop spaces, studios and a contemporary art gallery in eight premises of the Municipality.

All these processes provided the basis of what we now call the Bartók District, an area and community that the Municipality of Újbuda keeps on developing.

Take part!

To further develop the Bartók District, in 2023 the Municipality of Újbuda proposed the creation of the Bartók District Management, a dedicated team that coordinates the life of the District, making sure information gets to all the right places, and strengthens the community by organising events and connecting local residents to other actors – making it even better and more fun to live in the District.

WE CAN HELP IF YOU…

want to organise an event in the Bartók District
have an idea you think would make the District even buzzier
are a local service provider and want to get more involved with the neighbourhood
have ideas and suggestions for the area
are applying for an open call in the district but you’re stuck

We welcome all initiatives and inquiries from individuals, residents, informal groups, and organisations whose work and ideas can contribute to the area.