The Castle District (Várnegyed)

The Castle District on Castle Hill (Várhegy) is Budapest's historical heart — a 13th-century fortress that has been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries (most recently after the devastating battles of 1945). Today, the entire Castle Hill is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buda Castle (Budavári Palota)

The Buda Castle was the residence of Hungarian kings and Habsburg emperors. The current neo-baroque building (rebuilt after 1945) houses two important museums:

• Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria): The largest collection of Hungarian art from the Middle Ages to the present. Particularly noteworthy: the Gothic winged altars and the 19th-century collection. Admission: 3,200 HUF (8€).
• Budapest History Museum (Budapesti Történeti Múzeum): In the southern wing of the castle — excavations of the medieval palace, Gothic chapel, and the history of the city from Roman times to today. Admission: 2,400 HUF (6€).

In front of the castle: the Castle Palace Square with the mythical Turul bird (a huge bronze statue) and a viewing terrace overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Parliament.

Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya)

The Fisherman's Bastion (1895–1902) is the most iconic photo motif of Budapest — a neo-Romanesque fortification with seven towers (for the seven Magyar tribes), offering the best view of the Parliament and the Danube. The Fisherman's Bastion was never a real fortification — it was built as a decorative viewing terrace, named after the fishermen's guild that defended this section of the wall in the Middle Ages.

Admission: The lower terraces are free year-round. The upper tower costs 1,200 HUF (3€) from May to October. Best tip: Come before 8 AM — you'll have the Fisherman's Bastion almost to yourself, and the morning light on the Parliament is magical.

Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom)

The Matthias Church (officially: Church of Our Lady, 14th century) is the most magnificent church in Budapest. The roof is covered with colorful Zsolnay tiles (the same material as on the Great Market Hall), the interior is a riot of frescoes, gold, and neo-Gothic ornamentation. Here, Hungarian kings were crowned — Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Sisi) in 1867, accompanied by Franz Liszt's "Coronation Mass." Admission: 2,500 HUF (6€).

Getting to Castle Hill

• Funicular (Budavári Sikló): From the Chain Bridge (Clark Ádám tér) directly up to Castle Hill. 90 seconds, 2,000 HUF (5€) one-way. Touristy, but an experience.
• Bus 16: From Deák Ferenc tér (Pest, center) directly to Castle Hill. With public transport ticket.
• On foot: From the Chain Bridge via the stairs — 10–15 minutes, free and recommended.