If you’re ever looking for something unusual to do in Budapest, Hungary, consider a trip to Memento Park. It’s a quirky attraction 45 minutes south of the city and definitely off the beaten path. But you won’t find anything like it elsewhere in the world.
(Take the time to explore Budapest proper, too— it’s a beautiful city with an interesting past. I first visited Budapest while leading a student group through Eastern Europe. I was so impressed with the city that I returned on my own a couple months later.)
Budapest After WW2
During WW2, Hungary was allied with Germany. Near the end of the war, the Red Army occupied Hungary and expelled the Nazis. For the next four and a half decades, Soviet soldiers remained there and imposed Moscow’s economic and political will on Hungary’s one-party, Communist government. The last Soviet troops finally departed Hungary in 1991, as the Soviet Union collapsed.
Removal of Soviet Symbols in Budapest
Almost immediately after the withdrawal, Hungarians began tearing down prominent symbols of Soviet oppression. Huge monuments and stone carvings extolling Communism were toppled or torn from buildings. Many people wanted them to be destroyed. But the political leadership in Budapest decided to preserve them as reminders of the dictatorship and the triumph of democracy.
As a result, the relics— embodiments of Soviet propaganda— went on display in Memento Park in 1993. More than 40 giant statues and sculptures taken from throughout Budapest now comprise the outdoor collection.
Highlights of Memento Park
I was intrigued, in one way or another, by the entire collection. But one of the most popular items is a giant pair of “Stalin’s boots,” left behind when the rest of his statue was sawed off and carted away during the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956. (The boots on display are a replica. The remaining items in the park, to the best of my knowledge, are genuine originals.)
You’ll also find an authentic Trabant— the only type of car manufactured in Communist East Germany from 1957 to 1990. The tiny, two-cylinder cars were loud and slow— and famous for belching smoky exhaust. The vehicle’s design remained mostly unchanged throughout three decades of production. Many Trabants ended up in Hungary when, in 1989, their owners passed through the country on their way from East Germany to freedom in the West. The Trabant enjoys almost cult status today; see below for your chance to ride in one.
You might say the gift shop alone is worth the trip to Memento Park. It has an unlikely assortment of Communist souvenirs— some authentic, some merely nostalgic. Patches, flags, medals, mugs, and a variety of other kitschy items, many with the Soviet star or hammer and sickle, are on hand. I came home with a CD (!) of Soviet-era marches and songs, once taught to school children to espouse the supposed virtues of Communism.
Plan a Visit to Memento Park
The park is open daily form 10:00 to 16:00. Admission at the current exchange rate is about $3.50 per person. Various discounts are available— see the park’s website for details. You’ll also find there the current schedule of guided tours in English, which must be booked in advance. Guided tours cost about $20 per person before discounts; though not essential, they are worthwhile.
Note that directions to the park via public transportation are provided at the website. For a truly unique and memorable experience, though, the park will provide round trip transportation from Budapest in a genuine Trabant. For 150 Euros, you and up to two friends can be whisked to and from the park, with admission, a guided tour, and refreshment included. (You can even arrange to be driven to other sites of historical interest around Budapest.) See the website for more details.
Interested in more historical sites from the Cold War era? Check out my articles about the East German Stasi prison and the abandoned nuclear fallout shelters in Berlin.
