A visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Budapest Castle District is a lesson in 'everything you wish to know about Hungarian history' served on a platter for you.
Let me start by saying that this castle complex is the most unusual I have ever seen.
This grand castle was destroyed, built, and rebuilt many times over the last seven centuries, so what we see today is a mish-mash of architectural styles and an assortment of buildings all belonging to different eras.
There are Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque style of buildings in the castle all existing in sync together.
The complex houses three main institutions, the National Library, the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum around the massive Lion courtyard.
Perched 70 meters above the River Danube on Varhegy, Castle Hill, the 1000-foot-long imposing facade of the Buda Castle runs along the River and offers spectacular views of the entire city.
Entry to the Castle District is free and the castle is always open..... even at night! The entire area around the Castle Hill is called Varhegy.
If you have time, then walk around this medieval part of Budapest in its cobblestone streets and winding narrow alleys surrounded by beautiful old buildings.
But don't spend all your energy here because there will be a lot of walking to do once you enter Buda Castle.
The entire complex has many beautiful sights to look at namely...
Statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy
Hungarian National Gallery
Castle Museum
Fishing Children Fountain
Habsburg Steps
Ornamental Gate
Sandor Palace
Lions Courtyard
Matthias Fountain
Dracula's Labyrinth
Holy Trinity Statue
Matthias Church
St Stephens Statue
Fisherman's Bastion
Getting to the castle complex
There are many ways to get into this massive complex.
One, you can take the funicular to Castle Hill from Clark Adam Ter or Clark Adam Square from the north end of the castle.
The 95-meter-long funicular is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The funicular will lead you to St. George Square on the castle grounds.
The square is separated from the royal palace by an ornamental gate leading down to the Habsburg Steps. Your eyes will be unwittingly drawn to a mammoth bronze sculpture of a mythical bird called Turul, the symbol of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Remember there is always a long serpentine queue of tourists in front of the funicular waiting to get on it.
Two, you can avoid the queue if you hike up to the castle from the path next to the funicular. This route is scenic but the path is quite steep and has steps.
Three, if you want to avoid both the funicular and the steps, then walk further down south straight ahead to reach the Castle Garden Bazar. The climb to the castle from here is not very steep and a beautiful architectural complex greets you as you enter. You will be entering from the south side of the castle complex.
My Tip -
The funicular can be avoided considering the waiting time it involves to get in there.
Entry from the Castle Garden Bazar a little further ahead is not a steep climb but there are no signages on the road anywhere indicating entry. Look for a broad historical staircase leading up. We had opted for this, so we entered the castle from the south side.
Since entry is not paid, there is no ticket counter and no one to guide you into the castle. You will reach a beautiful garden area, you can stroll around the garden with a beautiful fountain in the centre.
Then take the escalator to reach higher ground. Lastly, you will have to take the elevator to the top of the castle. You will reach the south end of the castle from here.
All the sights that I've mentioned above are within walking distance of each other. You should start from one end of the castle and walk along these sights to reach the other.
Inside the Castle Complex
I was awe-struck by the magnificent view as I first stepped out on the open terrace of the castle. From this vantage point, one gets unobstructed views of the Danube, the Chain Bridge spanning it, the Hungarian Parliament Building and the entire Pest area of the city.
From there, walk through passageways to reach a wide terrace with an imposing Statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy.
This is a nice place to relax after the hike. There is a small cafe and you can see a lot of people filling up their water bottles from water taps in the corner.
We visited Budapest in July. This place offered a good respite from the scorching summer heat.
Right behind this statue is the Hungarian National Gallery. The gallery holds a vast array of artworks dating back to the Middle Ages. Entry to the gallery is paid.
Right next door to the National Gallery is the Castle Museum.
Although the palace is open always, there are fixed timings for the gallery and the museum.
Please refer to the official website for more information
Walk further to reach the beautifully intricate Fountain of the Fishing Children.
Walk up the Habsburg Steps to reach the Royal Palace. This neo-classical building is the official residence of the President of Hungary. An hourly change of guard takes place here each day.
Look up to see Turul, the mythological bird in Hungarian folklore that symbolises the Hungarian people's strength and spirit.
The mammoth bird is perched on the south side of the castle facing the Danube and is very impressive to look at.
Close to the Hungarian National Gallery on the left before the Fishing Children Fountain is another wing leading to the Lions Courtyard with the massive Lions' Gate. Again, there are no signages here, we just followed the crowd into the wing.
And I'm glad we did!
On the left, before entering the Lions' Gate, is the stunning Matthias Fountain. The fountain depicts a hunting party of King Matthias with his dogs.
The fountain will draw a gasp from anyone who sees it for the first time.
This is the most famous fountain in Budapest and tourists flock to this point for a photo opportunity. This photo does not do justice to the magnificence of this sculpture.
Just a few feet away from the Matthias Fountain is the Lions' Courtyard, the central courtyard of the castle complex.
Four majestic lion statues guard the gate.
The entrance to the National Library is located here. Entry is paid.
At the time of our visit, there was a free exhibition going on in one of the wings of the courtyard. You can refer to the official website before your visit to learn more about such events.
Walk out to reach the Habsburg Steps again.
From here, walk past Sandor Palace, and St. George Square.
Keep walking to explore this entire area on foot. You will come across the Labyrinth - Dracula's Chamber on your left. There is a big display board with an indication.
At the time of our visit, this labyrinth was closed but I found the area quite intriguing. If you have time, then discovering this underground maze in the Buda Castle should be an exciting experience.
Keep walking for another 10 minutes to reach the Holy Trinity Statue in the centre of Trinity Square. The Statue was erected somewhere in the 17th century in memory of the people of Buda who had died in the plague.
Look closely at the top of the statue to see intricate statues of angels and cherubs. I could not get a good photo of the statue since there was construction work going on right behind the statue, obstructing the view.
A few paces away from the Statue is the awe-inspiring outer facade of the Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle, also popularly known as St. Matthias Church.
You can never have enough of this stunning Gothic Church with its spires and colourful gilded and tiled roof.
The majestic church is a must-see attraction that no one visiting Budapest should miss!
The interiors of this iconic church with its tall stained glass windows and beautiful paintings are equally stunning.
My Tip -
Entry to the church is paid. You can buy tickets online or at the counter there itself. But remember visiting hours are only from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, so buying tickets beforehand is a good idea if you're keen on seeing the inside. We were not aware of these opening timings, so we had to give this tour a miss.
Walk another few paces and get ready to be blown away by the spectacular sight of the Fisherman's Bastion.
In front of this bastion is the impressive equestrian Statue of St. Stephen.
These cone-shaped turrets made out of white stone seem to have dropped here straight out of a fairytale.
The structures are not very old, they were built in 1905 as a decorative lookout tower to celebrate the 1000th year of the Hungarian State at the site of an old rampart guarded by a guild of fishermen in the Middle Ages.
Although the structure is relatively new, the name Fisherman's Bastion was given to keep that historical fact alive.
In my opinion, the only other castle that can rival the breathtaking beauty of these chimney-like structures is the Neu Schwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.
You get astounding views of the Pest side of the city, the imposing Hungarian Parliament building and the Chain Bridge.
All one needs to do here is climb these chimneys and spend time gaping at the stunning scenery.
My Tip -
The bastion, like the castle, is always open. There are 7 turrets in all, the upper terraces of the towers can be visited for a fee for a better view of the River Danube.
The view we could see from the lower terraces was simply enchanting, going a bit higher would not make much of a difference in my opinion, so you could skip buying the tickets.
Must wait for the sunset and for the Bastion to light up. You will get glorious views....
The entire city comes alive as dusk falls, the Fisherman's Bastion is lit up and so is the Hungarian Parliament Building across the river.
There are hundreds of people waiting on both sides of the River Danube for this spectacle to unfold each day.
If you are in Budapest, don't forget to be there!
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