West Station

On the site where in 1846 the first Hungarian train departed from a primitive train station to Vác, you'll now find an elegant glass and iron construction. Built between 1874 and 1877, this station was designed by August de Serres and the Eiffel Company of Paris (the company famous for building the Eiffel Tower).

The iron-framed hall is considered to be one of the best examples of Eiffel’s magnificent complex ironwork, typical of the late 1800s. The building measured 6,153 meters square and 25 meters high (66,000 square feet and 82 feet) when completed, which made it the fifth largest train station in the world. For many years, it was also Europe’s most modern railway station.

Renovations to the station have been conducted during the past few decades and included the addition of an overpass for auto traffic, an underground area for passengers, and several stores including a large department store.

Just beside the West Station sits a very ornate McDonald’s Restaurant. Always filled with hungry commuters, it’s said to have the most beautiful interior of any fast food restaurant on the planet. The 250-seat restaurant is the second busiest of all of McDonald’s 11,000 restaurants worldwide!