Even if you haven’t been to Budapest, there’s a good chance you’ve seen it in a movie. From Evita to Inferno, Budapest has hosted numerous film productions, standing in as a body double for wartime Paris, Cold War-era Berlin, and Buenos Aires in the 1950s.
The combination of an attractive Hungarian tax rebate scheme for movie projects, Budapest’s eclectic architecture, and a thriving film industry of its own has turned the Hungarian capital into a Hollywood hub. With an impressive cast of A-listers flocking to town on a regular basis—most recently Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, and Jennifer Lawrence—Budapest is in no rush to roll away the red carpet anytime soon.
Gellert Baths is a great place to relax—and look for A-listers.
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Sights
Budapest often plays the role of another city, so some locations aren’t obvious. But visiting Budapest Bálna (Whale), an undulating glass cultural center on the Danube, you may recognize the NASA Headquarters in The Martian or you might remember Keleti Train Station as the setting for one of the hazy flashbacks in Inferno.
Most filming occurs in Budapest’s movie studios, like Korda Studios in the small town of Etyek nearby. Luckily for movie lovers, you can visit the Korda Filmpark sets when they are not in use.
It’s easy to follow the film-making trail while sightseeing or on a themed walking tour, like the one put together by Budapest Local. Buda Castle and Chain Bridge for instance appear in Spy, starring Jude Law, along with the similarly named I Spy with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. The streets around the Budapest State Opera House or its grand interior often feature as a location, like in Adrien Brody’s upcoming Houdini miniseries. But if you prefer to take it easy, just luxuriate in the art nouveau splendor of the Gellért Baths, right where Ryan Gosling posed for a recent GQ photo shoot.
Hotels
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, or the Grand Budapest Hotel?
Courtesy Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
The exquisite architecture of
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
inspired Bridesmaids director Paul Feig to shoot Spy on location. The hotel appears in the movie, along with its real-life general manager and some of the hotel staff. Rumor has it
was the inspiration behind Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel. Whether that’s true or not, the hotel has an impressive guestbook with a legacy dating back to the silent film era—just look at the placard dedicated to past guests in the lobby.
However, nothing says exclusive quite like renting your own luxury villa. The Writers’ Villa up in the hills above the city is perfect for any film crew: Run by the Brody House founders, whose members’ club Brody Studios is also popular with the Hollywood crowd, this villa comes with its own pool, stunning stained-glass winter garden, and shabby-chic rooms offering privacy and luxury for even the most reclusive movie star.
Arany Kaviár hosted pre-divorce Brangelina.
Courtesy Arany Kaviar
Bars and restaurants
The New York Café in the
, one of Europe’s most beautiful cafés because of its gold leaf details and curving marble columns, was featured in Bel Ami with Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman. Gerloczy Café, meanwhile, doubled as a Parisian location in Steven Spielberg’s Munich.
In a former 13th-century bakery on Castle Hill, Pierrot’s fine dining with a Hungarian accent has attracted an impressive list of VIP guests, including Anthony Hopkins and Sir Roger Moore. Further down the hill is Arany Kaviár, famed for its Russian-French fusion cuisine, which has hosted the the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Asian fusion restaurant Nobu Budapest in the
also has Hollywood ties—it’s owned by Hungarian film producer Andy Vajna and Robert De Niro and has an enviable list of regular A-list guests, especially those staying at the hotel. But for the movie star who likes to party, Ötkert and its traditional Budapest courtyard is ideal for a spot of hedonism—or at least Jude Law and Matt Damon seemed to think so.
So what were Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, and Jennifer Lawrence doing in the city recently? Well, the relationship between Hungary and Hollywood shows no sign of fading. In 2017, keep an eye out for Budapest attractions playing a starring role in upcoming movies like Blade Runner 2049 (Ford and Gosling) and Red Sparrow (Lawrence).
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler