Keleti (Eastern) Railway Station was opened in 1884 as the central station of the Hungarian State Railways. At the top of its eclectic façade stands the sculptural group The Allegory of Transport, emphasizing the importance of rail travel in its era. The vast glass hall and iron structure remain a striking example of 19th-century engineering.

The station’s name refers to railway directions: trains departing from here historically headed toward the eastern regions of the country and Transylvania. The square in front, Baross Square, bears the name of Gábor Baross, a key figure in the development of the Hungarian railway network in the late 19th century.

The square is not “beautiful” in the classical sense – rather raw and honest. Here metro entrances, tram lines, buses, and pedestrian flows intersect, while layers of stories and directions run through a single node. Baross Square is in constant motion: a place of arrivals, departures, detours, and meetings.

Keleti Railway Station is Budapest’s primary international railway hub—defined by historical layers, bold architecture, and dense urban presence.