All-Around Best: Creativity, Story, and Spirit

This polished brass manhole cover was spotted on Váci Street, a pedestrian-only boulevard lined with designer shops, restaurants, and souvenir stands. Unlike the typical rusty or worn lids, this one gleamed in the sunlight — a striking detail among the granite pavers.

The cover features Budapest’s coat of arms: the upper castle represents Pest, and the lower castle represents Buda, separated by a wavy line symbolizing the Danube River. A lion and griffin flank the emblem, and at the top sits the Holy Crown of Hungary — the coronation crown used by kings from the 12th to 20th centuries. Look closely and you’ll notice the cross is bent — a nod to the real crown, which was damaged in the 17th century. Today, the Holy Crown is housed in the Hungarian Parliament and protected by the 32nd Budapest Guard and Ceremonial Regiment.

Submitted by: Helen Li