Epreskert is one of those places in Budapest where time somehow feels a bit out of joint. Tucked just a short walk away from the always-busy Andrássy Avenue, this former mulberry garden (“epreskert” means “mulberry garden” in Hungarian) is now home to the city’s University of Fine Arts (Képzőművészeti Egyetem). If you wander in, don’t be surprised to feel like you’ve stepped onto a hidden campus where history, art, and Budapest’s quietly bohemian spirit meet. The buildings are slightly faded but full of stories, and even on a random Tuesday you might bump into students carrying impossibly large canvases, or catch glimpses of clay-stained hands at work in a sculpture studio.
Epreskert’s story starts in the late 19th century, when the area was still a plantation of mulberries to feed the city’s silkworm population. But ambition and culture have always been just as important to Budapest as industry. By 1877, an art colony had taken over the garden, and soon enough, promising young Hungarian artists were moving in. Studios popped up among the trees, and legends grew along with them. One of the most influential residents was Alajos Stróbl, the celebrated sculptor who established his studio here in 1887 (parts of it still stand). Stróbl’s workshop became a cornerstone of Epreskert’s artistic life: just imagine generations of sculptors chiseling away in the very place where some of Hungary’s most beloved monuments—including those on Heroes’ Square—were born.
Walking through Epreskert today is a rare treat for anyone who loves art, history, or simply the feeling of stumbling upon something a little off the usual paths. Even though it’s an active university campus, it’s not rare to find the studio doors propped open or to see marble dust drifting out of ancient windows. It’s a different kind of tourist experience—less curated, more authentic. Nobody will try to sell you souvenirs here. Instead, you’re witness to art being created in real time, often surrounded by works-in-progress that hiss and hum with creative energy. The central garden, still ringed by mulberry trees, is a fantastic place for a quiet sit or an impromptu sketching session. Time it right and you might catch an impromptu student exhibition, or even spot a few of the statues that scatter the grounds, like ghosts of the city’s artistic past.
The architecture alone is worth lingering over. Many of the buildings echo the eclectic, romantic styles that defined the city’s late 19th- and early 20th-century expansion. The facades are practical but quietly grand—built for making art, rather than impressing an audience. In some corners, you’ll find remnants of the once-sprawling artists’ colony, with intriguing hints at the creative rivalries and friendships that have animated the university for more than a century. Pause for a moment and you might hear, in your imagination, the clinking of glasses and lively debates as artists from every discipline—painters, sculptors, graphic designers—exchanged ideas and criticism late into the night.
If you’re lucky, you might even manage to peek into the legendary Barcsay Hall, named after the abstract painter Jenő Barcsay. Used for exhibitions and student gatherings, the hall is part classroom, part gallery, part living tribute to generations of Hungarian artistic talent. The walls seem to hold both the nervous excitement of final presentations and the lasting energy of the work that’s been created here for over a hundred years.
So why visit Epreskert and the University of Fine Arts? It’s not just about checking another landmark off a list. This is a place where the spirit of Budapest’s creative heart beats quietly but insistently—where the city’s past and future, its grand ambitions and everyday realities, come together. Whether you spend an afternoon wandering its leafy lanes or just a few stolen moments admiring the work of yet-unknown artists, Epreskert is one of those rare places that rewards a curious mind and an open heart.
