Castle Royal Palace
The Medieval Royal Palace of Buda Castle is a series of rooms from the old palace of the Hungarian kings, destroyed after 1686. Some rooms were unearthed and reconstructed during the postwar rebuilding of Buda Castle in 1958-62. The palace is now part of the permanent exhibition of the Budapest History Museum in "Building E" of Buda Castle.
Address: District I, Budavári Palota, Dísz tér 17; Transport: Tram 18 to Dózsa tér; bus 5, 16 or 78; funicular railway from Clark Ádám tér; or Várbusz (castle bus) from Moszkvatér; Opening time: The Budapest History Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on Tuesdays. The Hungarian National Gallery and the Ludwig Museum are open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on Mondays; Admission: Budapest History Museum 700 Ft (adult), 300 Ft (child). Hungarian National Gallery guided groups cost 1,000 Ft per head. Ludwig Museum 600 Ft (adult), 300 Ft (child)
Fisherman’s Bastion
The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Between 1947–48, the son of Frigyes Schulek, János Schulek, conducted the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II.
From the towers and the terrace a panaromic view exists of Duna, Margaret Island, Pest to the east and the Gellért Hill.
Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896.
The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen which was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths.
A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church. The pedestal was made by Alajos Stróbl, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, in Neo-Romanesque style, with episodes illustrating the King's life.
Address: District I, Szentháromság tér; Transport: Tram 18 to Dózsa tér; bus 5, 16 or 78;
funicular railway from Clark Ádám tér; or Várbusz (castle bus) from Moszkvatér
Matthias Church
Matthias Church is a church located in Budapest, Hungary, at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in 1015. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church in medieval Buda.
Address: District I, Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér); Telephone: (01) 355 5657; Website:
www.matyas-tempom.hu; Transport: Funicular from Clark Ádám tér, or bus 6; Opening time:
Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Sunday from 1pm to 5pm; Admission: 600 Ft (adults), 400
Ft (students, pensioners, soldiers), 1,000 Ft (family ticket, 1 or 2 parents plus
children), children under 6 free, audio guide extra 300 Ft
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a 235 m high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill, next to Liberty Bridge. The Gellért Hill Cave is located within the hill, facing toward Hotel Gellért and the Danube River.
Address: District XI, Szent Gellért tér 2-6; Telephone: (01) 385 2200; Transport: Bus 27
from Móricz Zsigmond körtér (opposite the Gellért baths), or it’s a 20-minute walk up;
Opening time: Citadella: Monday to Friday from 6am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 6am to
4pm; Admission: 2,000 Ft (concessions available)
Chain Bridge
Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, and was opened in 1849.
Its two ends are: Roosevelt Square (with the Gresham Palace and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), and Adam Clark Square (the Zero Kilometer Stone and the lower end of the Castle Hill Funicular, leading to Buda Castle).
The bridge is named after István Széchenyi, a major supporter of its construction. At the time of its construction, it counted as a wonder of the world. It had an enormous significance in the country's economics and life. Its decorations made of cast iron, and its construction, radiating calm dignity and balance, raised it among the most beautiful industrial monuments in Europe. It became a symbol of advancement, national awakening, and the linkage between East and West.
Address: Clark Ádám square; Transport: Bus 4, 16 or 105; tram 2 or 19
The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
Situated within Erzsébet Town, the charming old Jewish quarter and former ghetto, the Great
or Central Synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world, able to
seat 3,000 people. Completed in 1859 the style is typically Byzantine-Moorish, with
exquisitely patterned brickwork in the red, blue and yellow colours of the city’s coat of
arms. Gilded domed towers, archways and beautiful window designs are just some of the
features that make this one of Budapest’s landmarks. The splendid interior glitters with
lights; gilded arches and balconies line the walls, the ceiling is covered in Stars of
David, and the floor is tiled in decorative stars. On Jewish festivals it is packed with
Jews from all over Hungary who come to celebrate within its splendour. Next door is the
Jewish Museum containing relics from the Hungarian Jewish Community, including religious
objects from festivals, and the Holocaust Memorial room. In the courtyard is the Holocaust
Memorial in the shape of a weeping willow tree, each metal leaf engraved with the names of
Nazi victims.
Address: District VII, Dohány utca 2; Telephone: (01) 342 1335; Transport: Metro 1, 2 or 3
to Déak tér; bus 7, 7A or 78; trolley bus 74; tram 47 or 49; Opening time: Synagogue:
Monday to Thursday from 10am to 5pm, Friday from 10am to 3pm, Sunday from 10am to 2pm.
Museum: Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Closed Jewish holidays;
Admission: Synagogue and museum 1,000 Ft (concessions available)
Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings from Castle Hill © Paul Micallef
On the banks of the Danube stands one of the world’s most beautiful parliament buildings,
an imposing sight and a prominent feature of the city’s panorama. With its red dome and
white stone lace ornamentation and spires it is the city’s most decorative structure. Stone
lions flank the entrance guarding a rich interior of marble and gold, statues and columns,
and magnificent artefacts, including the 1,000-year-old crown of the first Hungarian King,
all of which can be viewed on a guided tour. The grand edifice, stretching for 820 ft
(250m) along the embankment, is one of the biggest national assemblies in the world.
Address: District V, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3; Telephone: (01) 441 4904 (for bookings);
E-mail:
tourist.office@parlament.hu (for bookings); Website:
www.parlament.hu; Transport:
Metro 2 to Kossuth tér; bus 15; trolley bus 70 or 78; tram 2; Opening time: Guided tours on
the hour (or half hour during peak season) between the following times: Monday 8am to 11am;
Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 4pm; Sunday 8am to 2pm; Admission: 2,300 Ft (adults), 1,150 Ft
(students). Tickets sold at the gate a quarter of an hour before next tour
Statue Park
Szoborpark or Statue Park is a park in Budapest's XXII district, with a gathering of monumental Soviet-era statues. These include statues of Lenin, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, as well as local Hungarian Communist leaders such as Béla Kun. The park was designed by Hungarian architect, Ákos Eleőd, who won the competition announced by the Budapest General Assembly (Fővárosi Közgyűlés) in 1991.
After the fall of the Communist regime in Hungary in 1989, many of the Communist statues and monuments were immediately removed. These formed the basis for the current collection in Statue Park. On June 29, 1993, the second anniversary of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Hungarian territory, the park celebrated a ribbon cutting and grand opening as a public outdoor museum.
A life-sized copy of the tribune of the Stalin Monument in Budapest was built in the Statue Park with the broken bronze shoes on top of the pedestal in 2006. This is not an accurate copy of the original but only an artistic recreation by sculptor Ákos Eleőd.
Memento park also includes an exhibition and film theatre. The photography exhibition, called “Stalin’s Boots”, covers the 1956 revolution, the 1989-1990 political changes and Memento Park itself, with both English and Hungarian captions. In the barrack-theatre a documentary on the methods used by the secret police, titled The Life of an Agent and directed by Gábor Zsigmond Papp, is shown with English subtitles. The park also functions as a cultural and educational sight housing art projects, festivals, professional and public events. There are Retro Festivals, Film Festivals and several cultural programs.
Address: District XXII, corner of Balatoni út and Szabadkai út; Telephone: (01) 424 7500;
E-mail:
office@szoborpark.hu; Website:
www.szoborpark.hu; Opening time: Daily from 10am
until sunset; Admission: 600 Ft (concessions available)