The Royal Palace in Budapest is the first thing that catches the eye of a tourist walking along the promenade along the Danube. A huge three hundred meter symmetrical building with a dome in the center is built on a high hill and, as it were, rises above the city. It is located in the historical district and is part of the Buda Castle complex . Both the Danube embankments and the palace itself are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Royal Palace in Budapest at first sight amazes the imagination of travelers, especially those who first arrived in the capital of Hungary. A magnificent building with many columns, beautiful statues, a fountain and amazingly beautiful gates. And what a wonderful view opens from a hill on one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, on the deep Danube, long ancient bridges, cruising boats with tourists.
Opening hours
The Royal Palace in Budapest receives visitors from ten in the morning until 17:00. Now the building is the National Gallery, to visit it, you need to purchase tickets. There are evening programs: until 21:00. It all depends on the schedule of exhibitions and events.
There is also a city history museum in the palace building, operating from 10:00 to 18:00, and the Budapest Library named after Count Secheni, which welcomes book lovers from 9:00 to 20:00.
If you came to the city for the first time, you simply have to climb the mountain and visit the Royal Palace in Budapest. Next to it is the amazingly beautiful Fisherman's Bastion.
Palace History
The kings of Hungary chose this hill back in the distant XIII century. The first owner of the palace is Bela IV, who ruled the country from 1235 to 1270. It belonged to the clan of the ruling Arpad dynasty. He was considered a very wise king who restored his country, which suffered from the raids of the Mongols. Grateful residents are still called the second king who founded Hungary. However, with him, the building looked much more modest.
Since then, the building has been rebuilt many times, destroyed almost to the ground. During the Ottoman occupation in 1526, the Royal Palace in Budapest became a refuge for soldiers. Stables and barracks were made from luxurious halls. In 1686, during the liberation of the city from the Turks by the Allies, the palace was actually destroyed. Charles III restored it almost from the ruins. The restoration was completed only in 1749.
During the Hungarian revolution, the palace burned to the ground during a fire. It was restored only in 1856. But the appearance of the building was different from what we see in the photo of the Royal Palace in Budapest now. The current version of the building was designed by architect Jean-Nicolas Jabo de Ville Isset. Construction lasted as long as 40 years, from 1875 to 1912. But this building was damaged during the Second World War. The ensemble was rebuilt only in 1960. During the communist regime, the palace gradually fell into decay. Restoration work begun in the 80s, the state is still carrying out.
Palace Description
The building of the Royal Palace in Budapest is located at: Szent György tér 2, 1014 (St. George's Square). Climbing the hill, you need to go left to the gates of the palace, built in the Renaissance style. However, after the reconstruction, metal-plastic windows were installed in the entire building, which creates a strange disharmony between the old columns, the dome of the building and modern technologies.
The palace building is not only 300 meters long, its wings on the left and right significantly increase the territory of the interior. Walking around the perimeter of the palace squares, you can see many statues, a magnificent fountain, towers of the fortress, which overlook the river.
The inside of the building has a more modern look, the authorities could not restore the lost exposition. However, the library has preserved a huge number of old books in leather bindings. And the National Gallery exhibits paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists not only in Hungary, but also in the world. Everyone can visit her and join the beautiful. The museum is closed only on Mondays.
The stone gate of the palace
Ornamental stone gates, located as if away from the Royal Palace in Budapest, have an interesting story that guides tell all tourists.
It relates not so much to the gates themselves, but to the sculpture on one of their columns. This is a fabulous turul bird, similar in appearance to a falcon. It is mentioned in many Hungarian legends and legends. The bird is endowed with the gift of foresight and predicted the most important events in the life of the kingdom. According to legend, it was she who showed the place on which it was necessary to establish the city.
The sculpture of the turul was created by Gyula Donat in 1905. She became a symbol of the Magyar dynasty of Arpad. The mythical bird surprised the Hungarians during the Second World War. The building of the Royal Palace was badly damaged by bombing, the fence was completely destroyed. However, after clearing the stones, the builders discovered the completely surviving bronze bird of the turul, which in its claws holds Attila's sword.
Metal gate to the palace
Another interesting attraction in the square in front of the building are the black metal gates of Corvin. On top of them is also a bird, but in this case it is a raven sitting on a callout from above. Another fascinating legend is associated with it. A raven who arrived at the church during the wedding stole the ring from the girl, the bride of King Matthias, who immediately killed the bird. But it was a mystical sign that did not bode well, and the queen later died, and in memory of her beloved, the ruler added the ill-fated bird with a ring to his family coat of arms. For this they called the king "corvinus", which in Latin means "raven".
Tourists walking along the palace square will be able to admire the forged gate with a raven holding the king’s bride’s ring in its beak.
Matthias Fountain
On the west side of the palace are statues of the Matthias Fountain. The author of the masterpiece is Strobl Alaios, who in 1904 presented the creation to the royal family. The fountain conveys a hunting scene described in the ballad of Vereshmarti.
A simple girl named Ilonka in the forest during the hunt meets King Matthias and according to all the laws of the genre, falls in love with a young handsome man. However, upon learning who is in front of her, the girl realizes that her beloved will never be with her and dies of grief.
Statue in front of the palace
In front of the main entrance to the Royal Palace is another statue of historical importance. Prince Eugene of Savoy holds the zealous horse for the occasion of the bridle, restraining him right in front of the frightened captive Turks. The prince’s army attacked the army of the Turkish Sultan Mustafa II in 1699 and, despite the superiority of the Turkish army, won a decisive victory, freeing the country from oppression.
This monument appeared in front of the palace on the orders of Franz Joseph back in 1900, allocating a certain amount from his personal savings. Sculpture made by Jozsef Rona.
How to get to the Royal Palace in Budapest
It is most convenient to get to the sights of Budapest by metro. You need to go to the station Szell Kalman ter. This is a red line station that has access to the left side of the Danube. The same street can be reached by bus number 16, which begins its movement from the opera house.
If you want to preliminarily enjoy the view of the palace on the hill from the opposite side, and this spectacle is really impressive, then go to the metro station Kossuth Lajos Ter, which is not far from the most beautiful building of the Hungarian Parliament, reaching which you need to turn left.
Walking along the promenade, you will see the Royal Palace and the Fisherman's Bastion on the opposite bank . Then you need to go to the ancient bridge of Count Secheni. You will recognize him from two huge statues of lions near the chains at the entrance.
At the end, the bridge continues with a tunnel in the mountain, however you need to turn right to the bottom station of the old funicular. Three wagons move up and down to a height of 50 meters, delivering passengers for just 1,500 forints. This is the easiest and most interesting way to get to the Royal Palace in Budapest.