The next day in Budapest is dedicated to two highlights: the Castle District in Buda and the Parliament District in Pest. The subway and bus take us quickly past the cathedral to the other side of the Danube and to the valley station of the funicular that takes us up the hill.
Construction of the castle began in 1241 after the first Mongol invasion. The first major phase of construction took place during the reign of King Sigismund when the royal chancellery and court were moved from Visegrad to Buda.
Under King Matthias Corvinius, the castle was expanded into a magnificent Renaissance palace. The Turks conquered the castle in 1541. In 1571, a lightning strike in a powder tower claimed 2000 lives and destroyed large parts of the palace. In 1686, the Christian troops under Duke Charles V of Lorraine managed to retake the almost-destroyed castle.
Watch the video of our visit to Castle district Budapest
The demolition work took almost 30 years, while Charles III had only a small baroque palace built. It took Maria Theresa 56 years to build a comfortable palace, completed in 1770. Parts of the palace were damaged during the Hungarian War of Independence but were soon restored.
King Franz Joseph had the palace rebuilt between 1891 and 1905. He reigned from 1848 to 1916 and initially ruled absolutistically, however, after two defeats and with the mediation of Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, he was forced to agree with the Hungarians.
The result was the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867, consisting of two constitutional monarchies.
At the end of the Second World War, the castle was almost destroyed, as the German headquarters were located in the underground cave system.
Reconstruction and restoration will take several years.
Arriving at the top of the castle hill, we stand in front of the Sandor Palace, the official residence of the Hungarian President. To the southeast, the magnificent buildings of the castle and palace gardens rise.
We continue our walk in a northwesterly direction across Szent György and Tárnok u. to Trinity Square with the Trinity Column and the buildings of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance. On the right, we can see the Matthias Church with the equestrian statue of St. Stephen and the Fisherman’s Bastion.
Stephen I, a Magyar prince of the Arpad dynasty, was the first king of the Kingdom of Hungary, which he founded, from 1000 to 1038.
St. Matthew’s Church was built as a basilica between 1255 and 1269 by order of King Bela IV. The name goes back to King Matthias Corvinius, who added a five-story tower and the royal oratory to the church in 1470
In 1541, the Turks conquered Buda, and the church was known as the Great Mosque for almost 150 years.
In 1686, after the expulsion of the Turks by the Holy League, the destroyed church was given to the Jesuits. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order in 1773, the church was given to the Buda City Council.
On June 8, 1867, Franz Joseph I and Elisabeth (Sisi) were crowned King and Queen of Hungary in the Matthias Church. In 1916, Charles IV and Zita were the last Hungarian royal couple to be crowned here.
The Loreto Statue, a gift from King Vladislav II, commemorates the statue of the Virgin Mary in Loreto. It is said that it was walled in before the Turks’ conquest. In 1686, during the siege by the Christians, a nearby gunpowder depot exploded, causing the walls around the walled-in statue to collapse, and it reappeared to the horror of the Muslims praying in front of it. On the same day, the city was retaken by the Christians and the chapel became a place of pilgrimage.
Back in the castle garden, we enjoy the hustle and bustle for a while before continuing to the Matthias Fountain. We also see the reconstructed Royal Riding Hall. Through the Löwentor we reach the Löwenhof. The imposing palace buildings now serve as a museum, gallery, and library. We walk around the building, visit the equestrian monument of Prince Eugene, and enjoy the magnificent view once again before taking the funicular back down to the valley
From the Fishermen’s Bastion, originally a fish market built and maintained by the fishermen, you have a beautiful view of Buda, the Danube, and Pest.
We leave the area around Matthias Church and return to the south-eastern part of the city. We pass the Retesvar Gate, where you can get an excellent apple and poppy strudel, and pass the entrance to the labyrinth where Count Dracula was imprisoned. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for a visit. So we continue to the Zsolnay Fountain on the castle wall, from where we have a good view of Buda to the southwest.
Back in the castle garden, we enjoy the hustle and bustle for a while before continuing to the Matthias Fountain. We also see the reconstructed Royal Riding Hall.
Through the Löwentor we reach the Löwenhof. The imposing palace buildings now serve as a museum, gallery, and library. We walk around the building, visit the equestrian monument of Prince Eugene, and enjoy the magnificent view once again before taking the funicular back down to the valley.
Read on Along the Danube to the Parliament
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