If you want to sneak some fun into reaching the Royal Palace, hop on the Funicular (Sikló), one of Budapest’s most popular attractions. Its steep 95m-long track, climbing at a speed of 1.5m per second, offers a quick and convenient way up Castle Hill from the banks of the Danube, providing splendid views en route.
Say "Howdy" to Gellért & Margit
The two little vintage carriages of the Funicular, Gellért and Margit, are always at your service to whisk you up Castle Hill to the Habsburg Gate within about two minutes. They are connected as counterweights: while one runs uphill, the other goes down.
The Funicular was opened in 1870 as only the second of its kind in the world – eight years after the first in Lyon, France – and was originally powered by a steam engine. In 1944, the structure was severely damaged during WWII. Although there were several propositions to carry out renovations, it wasn’t until 1986 that it finally reopened to the public. The following year, the Funicular was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To mark its 150th anniversary in 2020, all of the rails along the track were replaced, and the two carriages were overhauled with new vintage-looking wooden fittings. Since 1986, Gellért and Margit have carried between 500,000 and one million passengers each year up and down Castle Hill. The Funicular is open between 8am and 10pm every day and takes 24 people per carriage at any one time.
