Buda Castle

Welcome to the absolute pinnacle of Hungarian historical memory: Buda Castle, or the Budavári Palota. Most visitors arrive here by ascending the hill via the iconic nineteenth-century funicular from Clark Ádám Square, or by…

To understand the palace, we must look down. Let us move toward the southern end of the complex, near the Budapest History Museum, where the ground falls away to reveal the heavy, raw stone of the medieval fortifications. …

As we move slightly northward, let us conjure the ghost of the castle's absolute zenith: the reign of King Matthias Corvinus in the late fifteenth century. After marrying Beatrice of Naples, Matthias imported Italian architects,…

We now step into the enclosed, highly formal space known as the Lions Court, or Oroszlános udvar. Notice the dramatic shift in architecture. …

Passing through the eastern gate, we emerge onto the Savoy Terrace, the sweeping promenade that dominates the Danube-facing facade of the palace. The focal point here is the magnificent equestrian statue of Prince Eugene of…

To understand the somewhat austere interior of the palace today, which houses the National Gallery, we must confront the trauma of nineteen forty-four and forty-five. During the grueling, months-long siege of Budapest at the end…

Let us walk to the western edge of the palace complex, to the area known as the Csikós Courtyard. Here, we encounter the most recent chapter in the endless saga of Buda Castle. …

As the sun begins to lower over the Buda hills, casting long shadows across the courtyards and turning the Danube below into a ribbon of liquid gold, we conclude our exploration of Buda Castle. We have walked over the buried…

As the sun begins to lower over the Buda hills, casting long shadows across the courtyards and turning the Danube below into a ribbon of liquid gold, we conclude our exploration of Buda Castle. We have walked over the buried…