West Station (Nyugati Pályaudvar)

What the Eiffel Tower is to the French, the Nyugati Pályaudvar is to the people of Budapest. Built between 1874 and 1877, this once ultra-modern station building with its bold transparent glass and cast iron construction was designed by Gustave Eiffel's Parisian architecture office. The name "West Station" is initially confusing for visitors since it is located in the East of the city on the Pest side of the river. The answer to the puzzle is that the cardinal points after which the three Budapest... stations have been named (Déli, Keleti, Nyugati Pályaudvar = South, East and West Stations) do not describe their location but the direction of the trains. The station restaurant is run by none other than McDonald's. This fast food chain enabled the dilapidated industrial memorial to be renovated in the 1980s with a huge cash injection. One of the largest shopping centres in Budapest, the Westend City Center, is located right next to the West Station, and behind it stands the "Bahnhof Budapest" disco. more

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