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Castle District

Pocket Budapest

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Szechenyi Bridge and Castle Hill at twilight.

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Overview

The Castle District encompasses Castle Hill (Várhegy) – nerve centre of Budapest’s history and packed with many of the capital’s most important museums and other attractions – as well as ground-level Víziváros (Watertown). What the latter lacks in sights it makes up for in excellent restaurants, many of them around Széll Kálmán tér, a major transport hub and the centre of urban Buda. Major changes are afoot, as the government aims to consolidate Castle Hill as the seat of power, and the Hungarian National Gallery is eventually due to move to a purpose-built facility in City Park.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Szechenyi Chain Bridge and Castle Hill.

    Castle Hill

    Castle District

    Castle Hill is a kilometre-long limestone plateau towering 170m above the Danube. It contains some of Budapest’s most important medieval monuments and…

  • Castle Museum

    Castle Museum

    Castle District

    The Castle Museum, part of the multibranched Budapest History Museum, explores the city's 2000-year history over four floors. Restored palace rooms dating…

  • Royal Palace by night, Budapest

    Royal Palace

    Castle District

    The former Royal Palace has been razed and rebuilt at least half a dozen times over the past seven centuries. Béla IV established a royal residence here…

  • National Gallery

    Hungarian National Gallery

    Castle District

    The Hungarian National Gallery is an overwhelming collection spread across four floors and four wings of the palace that traces Hungarian art from the…

  • House of Houdini

    House of Houdini

    Castle District

    Dedicated to the famous Hungarian-born magician and escape artist Harry Houdini, who was born Erik Weisz in Budapest's district VII in 1874, this small…

  • Fishermen's Bastions, Castle Hill.

    Fishermen’s Bastion

    Castle District

    The bastion, a neo-Gothic masquerade that looks medieval and offers some of the best views in Budapest, was built as a viewing platform in 1905 by Frigyes…

  • Mathias church Budapest

    Matthias Church

    Castle District

    Parts of Matthias Church date back 500 years, notably the carvings above the southern entrance, but essentially the church (named after King Matthias…

  • Matthias Fountain

    Matthias Fountain

    Castle District

    Facing the Royal Palace’s large courtyard to the northwest is the Romantic-style Matthias Fountain, portraying the young king Matthias Corvinus in hunting…

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