As the name implies, the House of Terror is not for the faint of heart, and for good reason. Before its conversion to a museum, the building was the former headquarters of the Nazi regime, and then used by the Soviet Union’s community regime. Hungarians who were suspected of being enemies of the state were tortured and routinely executed here, and the conditions of imprisonment are all reconstructed. Portraits of victims cover the wall in the museum’s atrium, along with a chilling Soviet tank.

Take the slowly descending elevator to the basement chambers, with prison cells that inspire a bone-deep sort of terror that will haunt you for the rest of the tour. This includes the wet cell, where prisoners were up to their knees in cold water, and the detention cell, which was only half a meter of floor space. These terrible conditions are a chilling reminder of human cruelty, and the horrors of water. For you history buffs, this museum will prove to be an eye-opening experience, and for the rest, an equally unforgettable visit.