GuesterTester121 - The most mysterious balcony you're ever likely to find, anywhere.
Photo: You are not likely to find anyone sunbathing on this balcony, whatever the weather - the only form of access would appear to be from the roof.
Sent in by a master sleuther with an eye for a puzzle, the challenge for GT121 is to locate this mysterious balcony. We can't say that it's exactly in one of the main tourist areas, but on the other hand it's hardly hidden away in a back street in Budapest District XXII. Ten thousand or more people must see this building, one which could be called 'interesting', every day.
So where is it? Global celebrity fame awaits the sleuth with the correct answer, plus, of course, the joy of buying me two beers. Answers via an email or the site messaging system please, citing GT121 (or KT121).
I'll put up some additional clues if nobody can get this in the first few days.
Oh, and I will post the answers to GT120 next week, so it's still open for your ideas until then. We've had quite a few intelligent efforts so far!
UPDATE: Deepest apologies for my tardiness, have been swamped of late writing about geothermal energy potential in Hungary and roundabouts. Did you know that they have been using geothermal sources (that's 'ot water from underground) for the district heating of some homes in Paris since 1332. At least that's what a certain Miklos Antics said at a recent conference on the matter here in Budapest. And he should know, since he's a - actually THE - big wig in the European Geothermal Energy Council. That's almost 700 years, pretty impressive.
I have a suspicion, however, that those homes belonged to 'very special' hommes et dames - but I don't know.
But back to this tester, which is, perhaps, something of a frustrater rather than tester, because no one has offered an answer thus far.
OK, so here are two and a half extra clues to aid your enquiring minds.
1) As mentioned, it's not located in a recognised 'tourist area', but even if it were, 99% of said tourists would probably not give the building a second glance.
However, I'd say maybe 1% of tourists, a rather niche group admittedly, would be most interested for certain reasons - only this building probably does not feature in many guide books. (I know András Török mentioned it in his very first (1989) Budapest: A Critical Guide, and probably in all his later editions, so there are exceptions.)
2) I suspect a high proportion of my estimated 1% niche tourists would like to have a guided tour of this building, but I'm fairly confident that it is not possible. Other than staff, most people who find themselves in this place would probably rather not be there.
Certainly there is one person who has featured in this blog at times who would agree!
Oh, just to let you know, it can be done. I know, because - and not meaning to boast - but upon seeing the pic from the reader who sent it - I guessed it immediately, though I didn't actually recognise the balcony as such.
So, there you go sleuthers, please mull over those nuggets and let me know!
(I know I haven't given the results of KT120 yet ... I'll aim to get this done this week.)
UPDATE2 - Contestants and Winner!
Oh gosh. I have been terribly remiss on this one - apologies, this has been up over one month - but I have at last got round to releasing the results.
By chance, I came upon a description of this building in Bob Dent's excellent book Budapest 1956: Locations of Drama.
On pp 54 he writes: “... there stands a large, dark, rather ugly building, which has a notoriously grim history … used by both the Gestapo in 1944-5 and by the state security (politcal) police in the post 1945 era.”
It looks, however, as if it's been given a facelift since Bob wrote that in about 2005, though I don't think I'd fancy sunbathing on that balcony even if they converted the place into a 5-star hotel. I just feel the screams of the tortured over the years must be somehow etched into the walls.
As for the competition, first in was Alan Sutton.
“Dear Kester
I think it is the remand centre on Gyorskocsi utca and yes I have been there, 3 times as a visitor (not as an inmate). I just checked google images to confirm
If I win the 2 beers I will tell you about it and who I was visiting
Alan Sutton”
We shall see, Alan – You can certainly tell your tale, but the main prize of this competition - apart from global celebrity status for the winner – is for said winner to buy ME two beers.
Just to set the record straight, you understand :)
The next email was from Benedicte Egjar Engesland.
“Good morning,
I think it’s the prison in Gyorskocsi u. 25, 1027, Fővárosi Bv. Intézet II-es objektum! Although I haven’t been able to go over and check it in person yet…
Best regards, Benedicte”
And a day or two later, John Cantwell proffered this:
“ Hi Kester,
That would be the jailhouse on Gyorskocsi utca at Nagy Imre tér in district 2.
Regards, John”
Yup, there is it, a short walk from Batthyány tér and a building I'm sure most readers have seen scores of times.
And that was the sum total of entries – no wayward offerings from Budapest XVII or XXII – just three entries into the EU-conform Black Woolly Hat (found at last stuffed in an old coat pocket) for this one.
And the winner is - well, I'm now very glad I reaffirmed the great prizes associated with this glamorous, exotic competition – because the winner is Number 1, that is a certain Mr Alan Sutton.
So, congratulations to that man, and commiserations to Benedicte Egjar Engesland and John Cantwell – I hope you may win another contest in future.
Also thanks to Hubert “Poirot” Warsmann, who spotted this strange balcony (though I suppose there could be a trap door in the floor which we can't see allowing access to it).
Hubert noted that, among the building's many 'guests' through the years was Imre Nagy, Prime Minister of the short-lived 1956 revolutionary government who was deposed and tricked into captivity after the Soviet intervention on November 4th of that year. The revolution is generally considered to have begun on October 23rd, of course – 68 years ago today.
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