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travel/

Castle Hill
Walking Tour

By visitBudapest.travel
2014 Edition

Route:
Funicular - Sndor Palace - National Dance
Theatre - Holy Trinity tr - Matthias Church -
Fishermen's Bastion - Hotel Hilton - Vienna
Gate - Maria Magdalena Tower - Orszghz
utca - ri utca - Tth rpd stny - Royal
Palace

Time:
This walk takes about 3-4 hours. Add 1-2 hours
if you plan to visit some of the museums.
(Museums are closed on Mondays)

Getting to Castle Hil l:
Take the Funicular or the public bus (Vrbusz)
from Szll Klmn tr. Or walk up one of the
many paths leading up to Castle Hill.
Leg 1
Sikl (Funicul ar) to Dsz tr - Begin your walk
at the upper station of the Funicular {0}. The
Funicular opened in 1870, and it was designed to
provide cheap commute for the clerks working in
the Castle District. Continue along Szinhz utca.
The first building to your right will be Sndor
Palace (Sndor Palota) {1}, the President's
Office. Sndor Palace is a fine example of
Classicist architecture. It was built in 1806 and
converted to the Prime Minister's office in 1867.
At the end of WW II the building was severely
damaged and left in ruins until 2000. The
National Dance Theatre (Vrszinhz) {2} was
originally built as a baroque style church in 1736
and was later converted into a theatre. Szinhz
utca ends at Dsz tr {3}.

Leg 2
Dsz tr to Szenthromsg tr (Hol y Trinity
Square) - From Dsz tr continue your walk on
Trnok utca {4} to the Holy Trinity Column
erected in 1713 {6}. Visit the over 700-year old
Matthias Church {7}, the scene of several
coronations, including that of Charles IV, the last
Habsburg king, in 1916. Then head over to
Fishermen's Bastion {8} for some of the best
views of the city. Fishermen's Bastion was built
between 1890 and 1905 and the seven turrets
symbolize the seven Hungarian tribes that
arrived to the Carpathian Basin in 896.

Leg 3
Szenthromsg tr to Bcsi Kapu tr (Vienna
Gate) - See the remains of a former Dominican
cloister thats part of the Hilton Hotel {9}.
Continue your walk through Hess Andrs tr to
Tncsics Mihly utca {10}, which ends at Bcsi
Kapu tr (Vienna Gate) {11}, the northern gate of
Castle Hill. In the Middle Ages this area was
called the 'Saturday Market'. The Zsolnay-tiled
neo-Romanesque building towering above the
square houses the National Archives {12}.
A (Very) Brief History

The first royal castle in Buda was built in the
13th century after the Mongolian invasion. The
15th century saw the golden age of Castle Hill,
following the marriage of King Matthias
Corvinus and Beatrix of Naples in 1476. Many
Italian artists and craftsmen accompanied the
new queen, and Buda became an important
European city.
s
After the Turkish occupation (1541-1686) Buda
lay in ruins. A Baroque city was built, and
Castle Hill soon became the district of
government. During WW II, Buda was bombed
to the ground and had to be rebuilt yet again.
In 1987, Castle Hill was recognized as a World
Heritage Site.
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Leg 4
Bcsi Kapu tr to Maria Magdalena Tower - The
Maria Magdalena Tower {14}, ruins of a 13th-century
Franciscan Church, stands on the corner of
Orszghz utca and Kapisztrn tr.

Leg 5
Maria Magdalena Tower to Disz tr - From Maria
Magdalena Tower start walking south on Orszghz
utca {15}. Be sure to check out the houses located at
No. 18, 20 and 22, as they date back to the 14th
century. Turn right on Drda utca {16} and turn left
on ri utca {17}. Take Negylet utca and continue
your walk on Tth rpd stny {18}, south, till you
end up at Dsz tr {3}. If you are interested in the
cave system beneath Castle Hill visit the Labyrinth of
Buda Castle at ri utca 9 or make a detour to Lovas
t and visit the Hospital in the Rock Museum {19}.

Leg 6
Disz tr to Royal Pal ace - The Neo-Baroque
buildings of the former Royal Palace {21} are visible
from Dsz tr. Today, the palace is home to the
Hungarian National Gallery (wings A-B-C-D) {22},
the Budapest History Museum (wing E) {23} and the
National Library (wing F) {24}. Other attractions
include the Lion Courtyard {25}, the Matthias Well
{26}, a bronze statue of King Matthias, and the
statue of the Turul Bird {28}, the mythological bird of
the Magyars. If you have time, take a tour of the
Hungarian National Gallery. Art lovers will need at
least a couple of hours to view the permanent
exhibits.

This is the end of the Castle Hill Walking Tour. The
upper station of the Funicular, where you started
your walk, is next to the Royal Palace.
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Legend



What to see:
0. Start/End: Castle Hill Funicular (Sikl)
1. Sndor Palace
2. National Dance Theatre (Vrszinhz)
3. Dsz tr
4. Trnok utca
5. Arany Sas Pharmacy Museum
6. Holy Trinity Column
7. Matthias Church
8. Fishermen's Bastion (Halszbstya)
9. Hilton Hotel and Dominican cloister
10. Tncsics Mihly utca
11. Vienna Gate (Bcsi Kapu tr)
12. National Archives
13. Military History Museum (Hadtrtneti
Mzeum)
14. Maria Magdalena Tower
15. Orszghz utca
16. Drda utca
17. ri utca
18. Tth rpd stny
19. Hospital in the Rock (Sziklakrhz)
20. Szent Gyrgy utca
21. Royal Palace
22. Hungarian National Gallery
23. Budapest History Museum
24. National Library
25. Lion Courtyard (Oroszlnos udvar)
26. Matthias Well (Mtys kt)
27. Statue of Eugene of Savoy
28. Turul Bird statue

Where to stop for a coffee or a meal:
A. Ruszwurm Caf (Szenthromsg utca 7)
B. Magyar Borok Hza (Szenthromsg tr 6)
C. Caf Miro (ri utca 30)
D. Fortuna Restaurant (Hess Andrs tr 4)
E. Caf Pierrot (Fortuna utca 14)
F. 21 Restaurant (Fortuna utca 21)

Insider Tip: If you need a coffee break to keep you going, drop into Ruszwurm, one of the city's oldest
Cafs, located in Szenthromsg utca 7. Wine lovers should visit the House of Hungarian Wines, located on
Szenthromsg square.
A fun way to experience
Hungary is by taking a
cooking class. Reserve
your spot now via
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