Kerepesi Cemetery

Kerepesi Cemetery is a peaceful place to spend an afternoon, or maybe eternity, in the heart of Budapest. Full of trees, chirping birds, and people jogging or walking around, it almost seems like a botanical garden or city park at first. But if you continue walking around you will start to see tombs, huge mausoleums, and old sculptures that look like they belong in a museum.

Many famous Hungarian figures—from politicians to scientists to artists—are buried at Kerepesi Cemetery, which is the oldest Christian cemetery in Budapest still in use. Among the giant mausoleums are the resting place of the post-Communist leader József Antall; the revolutionary Lajos Kossuth; and other figures that played an important role in Hungary’s past. You can even see some sculptures pocked with bullet holes where the monuments were shot, and some unusual baroque tombstones decorated with skulls and crossbones.

Though it’s a cemetery, Kerepesi is also one of the best green spaces in Budapest for walking and quiet contemplation. It offers a great chance to enjoy the silence and take in the calm atmosphere in what is essentially an open-air museum of memorial sculptures. If you take your time and stroll around the grounds, you may discover some of its hidden gems.