Situated in the Buda section of Budapest, the Castle District sits on the eastern side of the Danube. Positioned a couple hundred feet above the Danube, the entire city of Budapest can be seen from the numerous vantage points. Castle Hill is a 1,5km long hill, overlooking the Danube, located in Budapest’s No1 District. The Old Town occupies the larger part of Castle Hill – it is also referred to as the Buda Castle; the Royal Palace occupies the southern portion.
The most important sights in the castle are the Mátyás Church, the Fishermen’s Bastion and the Royal Palace. Walking along the medieval streets of the Old Town one comes across numerous historic dwellings, public buildings as well as many museums.
Because of its medieval origins, 17th and 18th centuries monuments, and its historical significance, the Old Town is Budapest’s primary tourist attraction. It has been on UNESCO’S World Heritage List since 1987.
The history of the building of the former Royal Palace, on the southern end of Castle Hill, can be traced back to as early as the 13th century.
The construction of an impressively large, Gothic style Royal Palace was completed in 1424, during the reign of King Zsigmond ( Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund). Under the rule of King Mátyás I, the Palace was modified in the Renaissance style.
During the siege of 1686, when the Christian forces finally drove out the Turks from Buda, the Palace was extensively damaged.
The remains were razed to the ground, and, between 1714 and 1723, a new, smaller palace was built on the same site. Under Queen Mária Terézia work was begun in 1749 on a larger palace, containing 203 rooms.
The Palace was further enlarged from 1890, based on the design of Miklós Ybl; following his death Alajos Hauszmann took over this work, completing it in 1903.
During the bombardment of Budapest in 1945, the buildings were completely gutted by fire, but were fully restored during the 1950’s.
Currently the Palace houses the Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria), the Budapest History Museum (Budapesti Rörténeti Muzeum) and the Széchenyi National Library (Országos Széchenyi Könyvtár). The Palace grounds are often used to stage cultural programs and festivals.
The Budapest History Museum can be found in the former Royal Palace. The exhibits in the Museum range from the excavated and restored remnants of the medieval Royal Palace, to the sculptures from the Gothic period Palace, and to exhibits based on the city’s history.
The Museum’s permanent exhibitions are: Budapest’s history from prehistoric times to the end of the period of the Avars; the Buda Royal Palace in the Middle Ages; Budapest in the Middle Ages, Gothic statues from the Royal Palace; Budapest in Modern Times.
The Castle offers wonderful panoramas of the Danube, its bridges, and of the Pest side. The view is so amazing, the Italians coined a saying, “Europe has three gems – Venice on the water, Florence in the plains and Buda in the hills.”
The Old Town can be comfortably approached on foot via a track under the Fishermen’s Bastion, via the funicular railway, or by bus.