Buda Castle is a historical and cultural monument of Budapest, and also very interesting. He endured many trials. The Buddha Palace houses museums, other architectural complexes, fountains and much more. At the foot of the hill on which the Buda Fortress stands, the Széchenyi chain bridge is laid across the Danube, along which you can get to Pest. By the way, Buda Castle, also known as the Royal Palace, is also famous for hosting a crafts festival, a beer festival and a wine festival every year.
Brief history of Buda Castle
The Buda Fortress on the banks of the Danube was built in the mid-13th century by order of the Hungarian king Béla IV to protect against Mongol-Tatar invasions. A city called “Buda” gradually emerged inside and outside its walls. Later it merged with Pest and Óbuda and became the capital of Hungary.
Years later, Buda was expanded by King Sigismund I and King Matthias. However, he had to go through many trials. In 1526, Hungary was conquered by the Ottomans and Buda lost its importance and fell into disrepair. Its restoration began only in the first half of the 18th century and was completed in 1749.
In 1849, the Buda Fortress was burned by the revolutionary army of Artur Gergely. Construction of the new one began in 1875 according to the design of the Hungarian architect Miklós Ibla and was completed in 1912.
The restored Buda Castle turned out to be the most beautiful in Europe. But first the Habsburgs were overthrown, and then World War II began, and Buda was occupied by the German fascists. As a result of the liberation battles, almost nothing remained of the fortress. The next reconstruction began almost immediately and was completed by the 80s, although some restoration work is still ongoing.
Nowadays, Buda Castle is one of the main attractions of Budapest, a kind of “city within a city”. where there are many interesting objects:
- ruins of a medieval castle;
- royal palace;
- Sándorsk Neoclassical Palace - has been the official residence of the President of Hungary since 2003. In front of it, every day, from 12 o'clock, there is a changing of the guard, which is an interesting spectacle;
- Mathiasis Church in neo-Gothic style;
- National Gallery of Hungary, where more than 100 thousand works of art are collected;
- Museum of the History of Budapest.
There are many statues and fountains on the territory of the Buda Castle. Among them stands out the bronze bird Turul, which holds in its talons the legendary sword of the barbarian leader Attila. According to legend, it was Turul who showed the nomadic tribes the way to the center of modern Budapest.
Another statue depicts the Austrian Generalissimo Eugene of Savoy, who bravely fought against the Ottoman Empire.
Buda Castle welcomes visitors every day, and the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum are open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00.
Ticket price to the National Gallery:
- on permanent exhibition: for adults - 3400 forints, for EU citizens 6-26 and 62-70 years old - 1700 forints, admission is free for any child under 6 years old, EU citizens over 70 and Budapest Card Holders;
- at the temporary exhibition: for adults - 3800 forints, for EU citizens 6-26 and 62-70 years old - 1900 forints, admission is free for any child under 6 years old and EU citizens over 70 years old ;
Ticket price to the Budapest History Museum:
- for adults - 2400 forints, for EU citizens 6-26 and 62-70 years old - 1200 forints, admission is free for any child under 6 years old, for EU citizens over 70 years old.
Address of Buda Castle: Szent György tér 2, 1014 (St. George's Square).
The Buda Castle can be reached on foot, by bus - №16, 16A, 105 and 116, by tram - №19, 410or by the Shiklo funicular.
Museums located here are closed on Mondays.
For details and current information, see the official website of the Buda Castle: https://budacastlebudapest.com/.
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