What to do on the Buda side?

The Budavári Palota, the Buda Castle, is a must-see, when you visit Budapest. You can find the stunning building on Szent György tér. It was first built in the mid-1200s and recreated as a Renaissance palace for King Matthias 200 years later. After being neglected under the Turks, destroyed during the siege to remove them and being under a Baroque rebuild in the 1700s, the World Heritage Site was ruined by World War II. With the rebuild Modernist touches were added, for example the Dome in the 1960s.

There are many institutions located in Buda Castle that you can visit. The Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum are located in the building as well as the Széchényi Library. So you can admire the artwork of the greatest Hungarian artists and have an amazing view over the Danube and the Pest side while getting to know a big part of the history of the Hungarian capitol. If you are in Budapest in September, you also have the opportunity to visit the annual Buda Castle Wine festival. Besides the permanent exhibitions there are always some special cultural events throughout the year.

These websites can help you to plan your visit:

Buda Castle: http://budacastlebudapest.com

National Gallery: https://en.mng.hu

Budapest History Museum:

http://www.btm.hu/en/contents/details/17-Information_for_your_visit

Address: Szent György tér 2, 1014

And if you’re visiting the Royal Palace you should take the opportunity and visit the other impressive sights in the Castle district. You can find Fisherman’s Bastion, the Matthias Church and also the House of Houdini close to the palace.

Especially the Fisherman's Bastion is worth a visit. You will get the most amazing views of Budapest, the Parliament and the Danube. The faux historic landmark was built by architect Frigyes Schulek. He created an outstanding walkway with seven cone-topped towers. They symbolize the Magyar chieftains who settled in this part of the Carpathian Basin in the late 800s. The 140 m long Bastion is named after the fishermen’s guild who defended this section of the wall in the Middle Ages, provides outstanding views of the Danube and Pest cityscape.

The lower terraces are free of charge and you can visit anytime you like, day or night. If you want to go to the upper towers the admission is 1000 HUF (2,70€) and the opening hours are from 9 am to 7 pm.

Website: http://www.fishermansbastion.com

Address: Szentháromság tér, 1014