We walked from the banks of the Danube to Buda’s old-town district and strolled the cobbled streets, which have throughout history taken somewhat of a bashing from the Turkish invasion and the Austrian liberators.
We entered through the Vienna gate, which was built in 1936, in the style of the earlier gate, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the liberation of Buda. Around this square, you’ll see several interesting houses, featuring restored medieval murals, baroque sculptures, and bas-reliefs. There’s an interesting 1970s monument, built in honour of the "autumn risings".
Many of the houses on Mihály Táncsics Street and András Hess Square were built on the ruins of medieval houses, and the impressive Erdõdy Palace is no exception. Beethoven stayed here for a little while, and befittingly, the palace is now a museum of musical history. At the end of this street are, to my mind, the two most fascinating structures in the district.
Mátyás Church, like most old churches, has been seriously rebuilt and restored over the generations. There’s been a church here since the early 1200s, but the rebuild started in the 1600s, and the final restoration was completed in the 1870s. It’s now styled in a neo-Gothic way, and the multi-coloured roof will be your first view of the building. It has a ‘wow’ factor! Look out for the stone carvings, particularly the Assumption of Mary above the Mary Portal, the ornamental tomb of King Béla, and the Baroque Madonna, which, according to Buda myth, miraculously reappeared, even after the Turks thought they had destroyed it. That spooked the Turks, and they conceded defeat!
But Fisherman’s Bastion was my favourite. It was designed in 1895 as a monument to the Fishermen of Buda by Frigyes Schulek, who was a major contributor to Mátyás Church. It was built on the old medieval defensive walls, and in the square, the fishermen sold their day’s catch. There is a small entrance fee to walk the walls, but it truly is worth it. The views of the Danube and Pest are stunning, and the neo-Roman-esque monument shows a plethora of perfect stone carvings. You’ll walk up and down narrow staircases, explore turreted buildings, and wander the parapet. There are terrific views of the town square and an intricate statue of the king who introduced Christianity to Hungary.
Now check out the Royal Palace -- we only had time to walk the grounds of this museum complex. It’s a far younger building than it looks (completed in 1905), but forget the age -- just marvel at the design. There are menacing mythical Turul birds guarding the entrance, roaring lions watching over the rear courtyard, and a mounted prince overlooking the Danube from the castle hilltop. The Mátyás fountain has intriguing statues proudly overlooking the complexity of the water chutes, and the water entices a number of children to risk life and limb in their attempts to scale this monumental feature.
Budapest specialises in monuments, and there’s a good two days’ worth up here.