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One of Budapest’s most fascinating and attractive specialist bookshops, as well as the storefront for one of Hungary’s largest music publishers, is Rózsavölgyi és Társa, just off the tourist thoroughfare of Váci utca and a major feature of the Rózsavölgyi House, itself an architectural monument. As the pictures indicate, this is mostly a music bookshop, with possibly the largest selection of sheet music available anywhere in the city. It also sells musical instruments and accessories of all kinds for performing and student musicians, as well as a huge selection of classical CDs and DVDs. However, for visitors and others, it has a big selection of English-language tourism books and literary texts, and a great variety of musically-flavored gifts and souvenirs.

Rózsavölgyi és Társa owes its origins to a celebrated music publishing partnership that originated in the 1850s. Inside, it’s charmingly old-fashioned, with wooden filing cabinets and multi-level galleries. The bookshop has a concert booking agency, and even hosts occasional concerts in its upstairs cafe. For anyone wanting to get a taste of one of Hungary’s most celebrated cultural traditions, and an institution in local music circles in its own right, it’s a must.

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