A visitor attraction fit for a king
Check out the skyline during your Big Bus Budapest tour and, wherever you are, one building will always visible: the Royal Palace. Situated on the southern tip of Castle Hill, it looks proudly over the city it once ruled.
The original Royal Palace was built in the 13th century. Over the years kings, nuns and students have all made it their home. Today it houses many art exhibitions and museums, and features a grand terrace with stunning panoramic views of the city below.
Feast on culture at the Royal Palace
The Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the National Library are all here. As you’d expect, they all focus on the history of Hungary, exhibited through art, artefacts and books.
Other attractions include the Lion Courtyard, the Matthias Well (a bronze statue of King Matthias) and the statue of the Turul Bird, the mythological bird of the Magyars.
You can enter the Royal Palace up the Habsburg Steps and through an ornamental gateway dating from 1903, or through the Corvinus Gate, where a large raven holding a golden ring in its beak watches over you. This raven symbolizes King Matthias Corvinus, who is said to be named for a raven that summoned him to power in Hungary.
Other interesting facts about Royal Palace, Budapest:
- The Royal Palace has been destroyed and rebuilt at least half a dozen times
- The Royal Palace is also known as the Royal Castle and Buda Castle
- The castle is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site
- The castle courtyard was used as the setting for Katy Perry's 2010 music video, ‘Firework’
