Buda Castle

The prestigious Buda district is full of elegant and historic palaces. Over thirty of them are still standing today. These palaces honour the noble and royal families who once called these hills home. The most well-known example is the building in front of you. As for the name, some call it Buda Castle, others Budavár Palace. But the Royal Palace of Budapest is your safest bet, because that’s exactly what it was. Dating back to the 13th century, it was built on the foundations of a former fortress, that served as King Béla IV of Hungary’s official residence. During this prosperous time, monarchs came and went, and so did renovations and expansions. Unfortunately, between the 16th and 19th centuries, the palace suffered three major disasters. The first heavy damages came from the wars between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, and later the Habsburgs. Then, during the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, its newly finished baroque style was lost to a fire. Finally, during the Second World War, its neoclassical design was completely demolished. Large-scale reconstruction began in the 1960s, but the results did not live up to its original appearance. In December 2022, a faithful restoration of the palace began, and is still underway. Today, the Buda Castle serves an entirely different purpose. Spanning 300 metres and divided into six wings, it now houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum, and the Széchenyi Library. You can buy an individual ticket for each of these cultural sites. Just below the hill, you’ll also find an extensive cave system, with a fewsections that are open to visitors. It’s said that during the Ottoman Empire, hunters used these catacombs to store the carcasses of tigers and bears. Since 1987, it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and today, it’s the prime spot for cultural and food festivals, and even the filming location of Katy Perry’s Firework music video. Buda Castle is a landmark full of surprises!