Budapest, Hungary — Attractions
Royal Palace
Located at the top of Castle Hill in the picturesque Castle District of Buda, the Royal Palace was first inhabited by King Béla in the 13th century who, after the Mongol invasion, turned it into a fortified stronghold against further attack. Over the next 700 years it was the residence of many royal figures. The strategic location of Budapest, situated in the heart of Europe and straddling the Danube, offered whoever controlled the city a defensive position and potential control of the main waterway. This led to repeated invasions, followed by rebuilding in the style of the period. The castle has a mixture of architectural styles, ranging from Gothic to Baroque. Today it is the country's most important cultural center housing numerous museums and the majority of the buildings are historical monuments. The Budapest History Museum contains an exhibition explaining the history of the city as well as archaeological remains of the palace. Also within the palace complex are the Hungarian National Gallery, the National Library and the Ludwig Museum.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- 1 Szent, Gyógy tér
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 375 7533
- Transport
- Tram 18 to Dózsa tér; bus 5, 16 or 78; Cable car (Sikló) from Clark Ádám tér; or Castle bus from Moszkvatér
- Hours
- The Budapest History Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on Tuesdays. The Hungarian National Gallery and the Ludwig Museum are open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on Mondays
- Admission
- Budapest History Museum 700 Ft (adult), 300 Ft (child). Hungarian National Gallery guided groups cost 1,000 Ft per head. Ludwig Museum 600 Ft (adult), 300 Ft (child)
Fisherman's Bastion
Built in 1905 on the medieval castle walls, the neo-Romanesque ramparts were so named after the city's fishermen whose duty it was to defend this side of the hill during the Middle Ages, but the existing bastion never actually served a defensive purpose. It is solely ornamental with gleaming white cloisters and stairways connecting seven turrets symbolic of the Magyar tribes that conquered the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century. Set back from the ramparts is an equestrian statue of King Stephen, a memorial to the founder of the Hungarian nation. The view from Fisherman's Bastion, over the Danube, the Chain Bridge and the Parliament Buildings with Pest stretching out into the distance, is outstanding. Floodlit at night, the bastion is a mesmerizing sight from across the river.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- District I, Szentháromság tér
- Transport
- Tram 18 to Dózsa tér; bus 5, 16 or 78; funicular railway from Clark Ádám tér; or Várbusz (castle bus) from Moszkvatér
Matthias Church
Situated in the center of the Castle Quarter, the 700-year-old Church of Our Lady is popularly known as Matthias Church after the nation's famous ruler, King Matthias (1458-90), a patron of learning and the arts who reconstructed the Hungarian state after decades of feudal anarchy. With its distinctive multicolored tiled roof and Gothic spire, the church is one of Budapest's best-known structures, and it was here that the nation's kings were crowned and King Matthias was married. Today the church continues to hold High Mass, as well as concerts, organ and choir recitals owing to its magnificent acoustics. Matthias Church is a mixture of styles from the various kings, occupations and periods. When the Turks occupied the Castle in 1541 it was converted into a mosque, and the interior walls were whitewashed and painted over with scenes from the Koran. It suffered heavily in the later siege and was restored again in the 19th century, reconstructed in its characteristic neo-Gothic style, and remains of the original medieval frescoes were discovered underneath the whitewash. The interior is richly decorated with gilded altars, statues, rose windows and frescoes. Inside is the Church Museum, which gives access to the crypt, and a small collection of religious treasures and jewels. A fantastic paradox is visible in the reflection of the Gothic church in the sleek dark glass sides of the contemporary Budapest Hilton alongside.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- H-1250 Budapest, Pf. 22.
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 489 0717
- Email Address
- turizmus@matyas-templom.hu
- Website
- http://www.szakinfo.hu/matyas-templom/eng/ind_tort.htm
- Transport
- Funicular from Clark Ádám tér, or bus 6
- Hours
- Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Sunday from 1pm to 5pm
- Admission
- 600 Ft (adults), 300 Ft (students, pensioners, soldiers), 600 Ft (family ticket, 1 or 2 parents plus children), children under 6 free, audio guide extra 300 Ft
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill offers unrivalled panoramic views of the city, taking in both Buda and Pest and the meandering Danube. The hill was named after a bishop who was asked to convert pagan Magyars to Christianity but, according to legend, was killed by being rolled off the hillside in a barrel by militant heathens. A statue of the martyred Bishop stands at the base of the hill. On its summit stands the Liberation Monument, a female figure holding aloft the palm of victory, dedicated to the memory of Soviet troops who died freeing Hungary in 1945. With the fall of communism the inscription was changed to honor those who died for 'Hungary's prosperity'. Behind the monument is the Citadella, or fortress, built after the 1848 revolution to provide military control against further uprisings. Today it houses a hostel and a museum. The hill is also home to several historic spas, valued for their medicinal qualities since the Turkish occupation. The city's most famous spa, the Gellért Baths, is attached to the grand establishment of the Art Nouveau Gellért Hotel. Here visitors can relax in the thermal waters of the Roman-styled pool with its lion-headed spouts, surrounded by columns and mosaic patterns, or indulge themselves with private therapeutic treatments or a massage.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- District XI, Szent Gellért tér 2-6
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 385 2200
- Transport
- Bus 27 from Móricz Zsigmond körtér (opposite the Gellért baths), Tram 18, 19, 47 or 49
- Hours
- Citadella: Monday to Friday from 6am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 6am to 4pm
- Admission
- 90 Ft (concessions available)
Chain Bridge
The Chain Bridge was the first stone bridge to be built over the Danube and is the most famous with its lion statues. Today nine bridges span the river linking Buda to Pest, but Chain Bridge takes pride of place as the city's symbol, a magnificent sight when floodlit at night. It owes its construction to Count István Széchenyi who decided to build a permanent crossing after having to wait a week to cross the river to bury his father. The Chain Bridge was built by William and Adam Clark, who also constructed London Bridge. It was considered an amazing feat of engineering when it was opened in 1849. At the foot of the bridge is Kilometer Zero, the point in Budapest from which all distances are measured.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- Roosevelt Square or Adam Clark Square
- Website
- http://www.bridgesofbudapest.com/bridge/chain_bridge
- Transport
- Bus 4, 16 or 105. Tram 2 or 19
The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
Situated within Erzsébet Town, the charming old Jewish quarter and former ghetto, the Great or Central Synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world, able to seat 3,000 people. Completed in 1859 the style is typically Byzantine-Moorish, with exquisitely patterned brickwork in the red, blue and yellow colors of the city's coat of arms. Gilded domed towers, archways and beautiful window designs are just some of the features that make this one of Budapest's landmarks. The splendid interior glitters with lights; gilded arches and balconies line the walls, the ceiling is covered in Stars of David, and the floor is tiled in decorative stars. On Jewish festivals it is packed with Jews from all over Hungary who come to celebrate within its splendor. Next door is the Jewish Museum containing relics from the Hungarian Jewish Community, including religious objects from festivals, and the Holocaust Memorial room. In the courtyard is the Holocaust Memorial in the shape of a weeping willow tree, each metal leaf engraved with the names of Nazi victims.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- Dohány utca 2-8 in VII district. Situated at an angle to Károly körút, between Deák tér and Astoria
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 317 2754
- Website
- http://www.greatsynagogue.hu/gallery_syn.html
- Transport
- Metro line 2 to Astoria. Synagogue is a short walk from there. Bus no.7 or 78 to Astoria Station. Tram no.47 or 49
- Hours
- In Summer, Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 5.30pm, Friday from 10am to 3.30pm. In Winter, Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 3.30pm, Friday from 10am to 1.30pm.
- Admission
- Synagogue and museum 2000Ft (concessions available)
Parliament Buildings
On the bank of the Danube stands one of the world's most beautiful parliament buildings, an imposing sight and a prominent feature of the city's panorama. With its red dome, white stone lace ornamentation and spires, it is the city's most decorative structure. Stone lions flank the entrance guarding a rich interior of marble and gold, statues and columns, and magnificent artifacts, including the 1,000-year-old crown of the first Hungarian King, all of which can be viewed on a guided tour. The grand edifice, stretching for 820 ft (250m) along the embankment, is one of the biggest national assemblies in the world.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- District V, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 441 4904/ 4415/ 4138/ 4412 (for bookings)
- Email Address
- idegenforgalom@parlament.hu (for bookings)
- Website
- www.parlament.hu
- Transport
- Metro 2 to Kossuth tér; bus 15; trolley bus 70 or 78; tram 2
- Hours
- Monday and Tuesdays 8.00am - 4.30pm; Fridays 8.00am - 2.00pm (closed on national holidays). English tours are available at 10am, 12pm and 2pm.
- Admission
- 3200 Ft (adults), 1,600 Ft (students). Tickets sold at the gate a quarter of an hour before next tour
Memento Park
One of the city's popular but more bizarre attractions is Memento Park, containing the giant figures of the Communist era that once filled the streets of Budapest. After the change in the political system the monuments glorifying Communism were banished into the exile of this outdoor museum and among the statues, busts and monuments are the forms of Lenin, Marx and Engels, as well as memorials to the Soviet Soldiers and the Communist Martyrs. This is the only collection in the world from the time of Communist politics. Some of the interesting souvenirs sold at the park are cans of air from the 'last breath of socialism' and Stalin and Lenin shaped candles.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- District XXII, corner of Balatoni út and Szabadkai út
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 424 7500
- Email Address
- office@szoborpark.hu
- Website
- www.szoborpark.hu
- Transport
- There are direct buses between downtown Budapest and Memento Park at 11am daily.
- Hours
- Daily from 10am until sunset
- Admission
- 1500 Ft ; 1000Ft (students); A Budapest Card gets you a 30% discount
Great Circus
There's nothing kids love more than a circus performance and Budapest offers a fantastic display of this Hungarian tradition. The Great Circus (Nagy Cirkusz) features an array of clowns, animals, jugglers and acrobats to keep children happily entertained.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- Állatkerti krt.
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 343 8300
- Email Address
- circus2@mail.datanet.hu
- Website
- www.maciva.hu
- Transport
- Metro 1 Széchenyi fürdõ (Yellow line)
- Hours
- Daily shows at 3pm
- Admission
- 900Ft/ EUR3.33 (adults) and 800Ft/ EUR2.93 (children over 4 years)
Budapest Puppet Theater
The Budapest Puppet Theater (Bábszínház) is a fantastic attraction for kids in the city. While the shows are presented in Hungarian, kids are still enthralled by the enactment of familiar stories such as Cinderella and Snow White, and can often be heard calling out warnings when villains are approaching or encouraging the heroes in their endeavours.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- 69 Andrássy út
- Phone Number
- +36 (0)1 321 5200 or +36 (0)1 342 2702
- Website
- www.budapest-babszinhaz.hu
- Transport
- Metro to Oktogon station (Yellow line)
- Hours
- Shows at 10am and 4pm
Vidám Park
Vidám Park is an excellent amusement park for kids in Budapest to visit. The park features a wooden merry-go-round (körhinta) that is over 100 years old, as well as a slow-moving Ferris wheel (óriáskerék) and the longest wooden roller coaster in Europe. Kis Vidám Park is the neighboring amusement park for toddlers.
- Region/City Name
- Budapest
- Address
- Állatkerti krt.
- Website
- http://www.vidampark.hu/2009/eng/
- Transport
- Metro 1 Széchenyi fürdõ (Yellow line)
- Hours
- March - April: 12.00pm - 6.00pm; May - September: 12.00pm - 12.00am; October - November: 12.00pm - 6.00pm
- Admission
- 4700Ft (concessions available)
