Budapest/Budavár

Budavár, Vár or Várnegyed (Buda Castle, Castle or Castle Quarter) is in Budapest, located on Castle Hill. It is the highlight of the 1st district. You can walk around the old romantic streets of the hill or see a great view of Pest from there.

Understand
Castle Hill, known as Várhegy in Hungarian, was first settled in the thirteenth century, after a Mongol attack led Buda's citizens to seek a more easily defended area. The royal Hungarian court also decided to move to the southern end of the hill. By the fourteenth century, there were an estimated 8000 residents in Buda. After a long (1541–1686) period of Turkish rule, a 75-day siege left Buda in ruins, and Austrian authorities counted a mere 300 people left. This would not be the last heavy attack on Castle Hill. In 1849 and 1945 the Baroquified area once more came under attack. A completely surrounded German force held out for almost a month in January 1945, in the thirty-first siege of the city. Since 1987 part of the. The three main part of the Castle quarter (Várnegyed) are: the Buda Castle Palace, the area of St George's Square (Szent György tér) and the historical residential area.

Get in
To go up to the Castle Hill, you can take
 * Buses,  or  from Széll Kálmán tér, or
 * Buses or  from Deák Ferenc tér.

It's also pleasant to walk by Széchenyi Chain Bridge from Pest, and walk up by the narrow streets or paths (as Király lépcső or Sikló utca). Walking from Pest is likely to be faster than public transport or taxi on peak hours. As private cars are not allowed to enter the Castle Hill zone, your only options remain public transport, walking or taxi. Pricey horse carriages are also waiting for taking you on a tour.



By funicular
Another spectacular, but a bit pricey way to go up to the castle hill is to use the Castle Hill Funicular (Budavári sikló). It climbs up Castle Hill from Széchenyi Chain Bridge's Buda side to the Castle Palace by connecting (lower station) and  (upper station). As the funicular is rising up the hill, you get a beautiful view of Pest across the river. The funicular was opened on 2 March 1870, and has been in municipal ownership since 1920. It was destroyed in the Second World War and reopened on 4 June 1986. A feature of the funicular are the two pedestrian foot bridges which cross above it.

The funicular operates between 07:30–22:00 on every day, and departs in every 5–10 minutes as needed. Trip time: 1.5 min. The usual public transport tickets and passes are not valid for this service. Single ticket for adults:, for children:. Return ticket for adults:, for children:.

Royal Palace
Probably the most popular attraction on Castle Hill. The first palace, in Gothic style, built and added onto over 300 years, was destroyed by the Christian army that liberated Buda from the Turkish occupation in 1686. In 1715 work started on a completely new, smaller Baroque palace, but over the years more and more space was added to the palace until it reached its current length. The palace, in neo-Baroque style, had many added wings. Reconstruction after the various indignities suffered during rebellions of the nineteenth century finished in 1904. This reconstruction, by Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann, was undone by German troops holding out at the end of World War II. The roof fell in entirely and most of the furniture was destroyed. A Baroque facade which had never existed before and a real dome (there had previously been a faux dome with attic space beneath) were added to the building. Today the building houses two large museums and the national library (see below).



Around Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér)

 * The Fishermen's Bastion's main facade, parallel to the Danube, is approximately long. Its seven high-pitched stone towers symbolize the seven chieftains of the Hungarians who founded Hungary in 895. The current structure was built between 1895 and 1902, in Neo-Romanesque style, on the base of a stretch of the Buda Castle walls, by architect Frigyes Schulek, who was also responsible for the restoration of the Matthias Church. The north and south bastions, as well as the corridors form the bastion courtyard, are connected below by a staircase connecting the bastions on both sides, above, and on the level of the courtyards by a parapet. One of Schulek's greatest merits is that he transformed this area of the Castle Hill, which was essentially and originally for military purposes, into a peaceful promenade and a lookout object, forming a significant architectural unit of the Castle Hill, with the Matthias Church behind it.
 * Originally the Buda German community's parish church, its official name is the "Church of the Blessed Virgin". The popular Hungarian king, Mátyás, held both of his weddings here, and so it is known as the Matthias Church. Today an eclectic mix of styles, the church was started in the thirteenth century. The main apse, which ends in a seven-sided polygon, is in French style and is the earliest extant section. The central section was built about 100 years later. During the Turkish occupation of Budapest, all the furnishings were removed and the painted walls whitewashed to cover art unacceptable to the Islamic eye. Once returned to the Catholic community, it was Baroquified (i.e. covered with Baroque ornamentation that obscured the original style like many other Central European churches were), and the rose window was bricked up. In the last century, between 1873 and 1896, Frigyes Schulek began a major renovation and restoration of the Matthias Church.
 * The interior is sumptuously decorated in a style which is on the one hand art deco and yet evokes the medieval predecessors of this structure. In the church museum, you can visit the Ecclesiastical Art Collection which includes a replica of the Crown of St Stephen, the real crown (a 12th-century object even though Stephen was a 10th-century king) is on display in the parliament building. Also take a look at the opulent chapel at the rear of the church (around the corner to the left of the entrance). Be aware that this is a functioning church and you may find that at times it is closed to visitors for church activities or concerts.
 * Originally the Buda German community's parish church, its official name is the "Church of the Blessed Virgin". The popular Hungarian king, Mátyás, held both of his weddings here, and so it is known as the Matthias Church. Today an eclectic mix of styles, the church was started in the thirteenth century. The main apse, which ends in a seven-sided polygon, is in French style and is the earliest extant section. The central section was built about 100 years later. During the Turkish occupation of Budapest, all the furnishings were removed and the painted walls whitewashed to cover art unacceptable to the Islamic eye. Once returned to the Catholic community, it was Baroquified (i.e. covered with Baroque ornamentation that obscured the original style like many other Central European churches were), and the rose window was bricked up. In the last century, between 1873 and 1896, Frigyes Schulek began a major renovation and restoration of the Matthias Church.
 * The interior is sumptuously decorated in a style which is on the one hand art deco and yet evokes the medieval predecessors of this structure. In the church museum, you can visit the Ecclesiastical Art Collection which includes a replica of the Crown of St Stephen, the real crown (a 12th-century object even though Stephen was a 10th-century king) is on display in the parliament building. Also take a look at the opulent chapel at the rear of the church (around the corner to the left of the entrance). Be aware that this is a functioning church and you may find that at times it is closed to visitors for church activities or concerts.

Budget
In this district you will find the most expensive prices in Budapest. If you want something cheap, it's better to look in other districts.

Budget
In this district you will find the most expensive prices in Budapest. If you want something cheap, it's better to look in other districts.