Buda Castle Buda Castle, Budapest
What can you see in the buildings of the former Hungarian and Austro-Hungarian royal palace known as the Buda Castle? If you expected to see a royal palace luxury room exhibition in the Buda Castle, you may be disappointed to learn that due to the lootings at the end of the WW2 (plundered by the Nazi troops, then by the Russian troops), the building and its beautiful interior has been ripped and stripped to the naked walls. Unfortunately, very little has remained from the former glory of the Buda Castle as a royal palace, which was to host the monarchs and leaders of the Austria-Hungary empire until 1944. Currently the buildings of the Buda Castle host outstanding collections of some of the finest Budapest attractions. The courtyards, on the other hand, give venue to one of the best festivals in Budapest (wine festival, beer festival, chocolate festival, crafts festival, you name it)
The buildings of the Buda Castle are as follows:
Hungarian National Gallery
the collections of the Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galeria, MNG for short) are in buildings A, B, C and D of the Buda Castle, which means that the gallery takes up most of the Buda Castle on the Castle Hill in Budapest. The gallery collects all the Hungarian works of arts from the beginnings of the Hungarian state until the early 20th century. Its most outstanding collection is the paintings from the 19th century Hungarian painters. The gallery is a nice place for those who love fine arts from the previous century, and also for those who wish to see the interior of the Buda Castle at a cheap price (entrance fee to the gallery is very low).
Get a FREE Entry to the National Gallery with your Budapest Card from only €19.
Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Budapest History Museum
The Budapest History Museum is a lovely museum for history lovers and who fell in love with Budapest. If you wonder how people lived, danced, ate, connived, slept, cruised, etc. in earlier centuries in the town of current Budapest, the museum will provide a unique perspective.
Get a FREE Entry to the History Museum with your Budapest Card from only €19.
Opening Hours:
1 March – 31 October Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm, November 1 – February 29 Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 4 pm (closed on Mondays, but often open on national holidays)
National Szechenyi Library
The national library in Hungary is also in the Buda Castle, right next to the Budapest History Museum. The library has temporary exhibitions, which may interest you. Most of the exhibitions are paper based, e.g. illustrations, maps from century old books, but there are other types of exhibitions at the Szechenyi Library, like porcelains from Herend, or the graphics of Hungarian artists. The permanent exhibition of the Szechenyi Library may intrigue librarians, steam punks and nostalgic folks: what was it like reading books in Hungary between 1802 and 1985. The library is named after another Szechenyi you may know, the father of the Szechenyi Chain bridge and Szechenyi Baths, i.e. the father of Istvan Szechenyi, Ferenc Szechenyi.
Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat 9 am – 8 pm
Please send info on the Labirinth to me. We would like to see it while we are in Budapest this Christmas.
Hello Elizabeth, the contact of the present day Labyrinth under the Buda Castle is:
Address: 1014 Budapest Úri u. 9. (entrance 1)
1014 Budapest Lovas út. 4/a. (entrance 2)
Phone: 00 36 (1) 212-02-07, 00 36 (1) 212-02-87
The Christmas opening hours are best to be checked with the Labyrinth before your visit. Many attractions in the Buda Castle have a winter and a Christmas opening hour, which is different from the summer openings.
i am interested to participate in this beer festival as i am very keen of beer and like to try different varieties of beer. i heard about this festival from my Hungarian friend and he told me about this website. please tell me the full festival packages and procedure to participate in this wonderful festival. i am from Istanbul turkey thank you.
Dear Abdul, most visitors of the Buda Castle Beer Festival arrange their own accommodation, flights, etc. so the Buda Castle and the festival organizers do not provide travel packages for tourists. You can buy the festival ticket online in advance, or you can buy it at the entrance of the festival. You can buy a daily entry or even a festival pass for all the beer festival days, if you wish to be at the festival every day. You can definitely try various beers of all genres (although ale is not really made in Hungary, the lager types are more popular). Hope you will like the festival.
Hello
Is the funicular operational on 2nd oct 2021
Pl do reply
Hello Priya,
Unfortunately, the Funicular is not operating until the end of November due to maintenance.
We recommend you visit Buda Castle and take a walking tour.
Hi I was in Budapest last week for 4 days it was beautiful. I went to Buda Castle on friday 18th May 2015. It was very nice. I made very good friends there. I met a beautiful girl there n we had few discussions and nice time together she is a student and comes to the library often next to budapest history museum. I lost her email id n now I cant send her pictures which were clicked with me there. Any help please
That includes the visite to Budapest Castle for 27Euros?
Is there a lost and found at Buda Castle?
My wife lost her Fit Bit bracelet there.
Hi,
I am trying to book a Buda Castle district tour, but the booking function does not seem to be working.
Please can you advise?
Thanks,
E Wah
2.-5.6.2016 budeme v Budapesti radi by sme sa zučastnili na ceste Labirintom pod Budínskom hrade ,kedy bude prehladka v tom čase a kolko je vstupné študent a dospely a dochodca dakujem
Hello – we are visiting Budapest on 7th & 8th May.
could you please let me know if there are any festivals at the Buda castle at this time?
Hello. Can you tell me if you have any discounts for the Castle? Do you still do discounts if we have the Budapst Card? Kind regards
Hello Rosangeles,
yes, Budapest Card holders have free entry to the National Gallery and the History Museum. You can buy your Budapest Card online on the following page: http://budapestcards.com/
I will visit Budapest this year and I would like to visit Szechenyi Library inside the Buda Castle. Could you please give more information about tickets, opening hours, etc. Thanks in advance for your help.
Dear Mariana,
The opening hours of Szechenyi Library are the following: Tues – Sat: 9 am – 8 pm. There is no entry fee to visit the Library.
Is there a lost and found at the castle or a number/ email I can get hold of someone on? I lost a ring at the castle a few weeks ago and it was very important to me.
Dear Vicky,
we are very sorry to hear that.
I am afraid, there is not any department for lost items in the Buda Castle. If you have lost your ring in a particular building, museum etc, try to contact them directly.
I am sorry I could not be of more help.
I am trying to find out the entrance fee to the National Gallery and History Museum inside Buda Castle without having to purchase a Budapest Card. Information says entrance to these places are inexpensive but does not specify the cost. What is the entrance fee and does the entrance fee cover both gallery and museum or are there separate costs, and if so how much and where can I purchase the tickets? Also is there an entrance fee to the Citadel? I would like to visit these places on Tuesday 11th July.
Dear Jenny,
thank you for contacting us.
Please find the requested information below:
Budapest History Museum:
Low / High Season prices
Adults: 1800 / 2000 HUF
Visitors aged 6-26: 900/ 1000 HUF
Visitors aged 62-70: 900/ 1000 HUF
Hungarian National Gallery:
Full price: HUF 1,800 per Adult
Discount price: HUF 900 per Student / Senior Citizen
Audio guide: HUF 800
Ticket to both museums can be purchased at the entrance.
The only way to enter and visit the interor of the palace is to visit the history an the art museum?
Dear Gabriel,
thank you for your email.
Yes, the buildings of the Buda Castle are currently occupied by 2 separate museums (the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum).
Can I enter with Buda Card in the library?
Hello Gabriel,
the National Szechenyi Library can be visited without a Budapest Card.
I read on a website that I a hove included a tour of the Buda Castle in the Budapest Card. Is it right?
Hello Gabriel,
The free walking tours with a Budapest Card in Buda and Pest are guaranteed to start every day, therefore there is no need to book your places in advance.
They usually last 2–2.5 hours long and they come with an English speaking tour guide. The tours run on national holidays and in rainy / snowy weather too. Just take the card with you when you turn up for a walking tour.
Meeting time and location of Buda Walking tour: 2 pm at the Holy Trinity Statue near the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District, Holy Trinity Square, 1014 Budapest
There is no need to make an advance booking for the free walking tours. You can just show up at the meeting point and join the tours.
The cruise on the Danube is included in the Budapest Card?
Dear Gabriel,
thank you for your inquiry.
You can find more information about the benefits of the Budapest Card on the following page: http://budapestcards.com/
How much time should I spend for the library? It is enough one hour? I want to take part at the tour of the city that ends at 5 pm.
Dear Gabriel,
the Library is open until 8pm (Tue-Sat).
I plan to visit budapest and want to visit Buda Castle.
It is not really clear to me on the entrance fee. I am on budget and not considering taking any tour. Is the complex free of charge? Thanks
Dear Nina,
The buildings of the Buda Castle are currently occupied by museums (the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum).
Entrance for both museums can be purchased on the spot.
I will visit the budapest castle somewhere near the second week of july, can you tell me the castle attraction’s prices, like the library and the museums, and the schedule please. And if there is any special events at that time. So that i can decide which day is more appropriate.
Hello Maria,
thank you for your email.
As there are quite a few museums in the Castle District area, please find them all on the following link:
https://budacastlebudapest.com/category/buda-castle-museums/
Please just click on the one you are interested in for prices and other relevant information.
There are different kinds of Tours in the Buda Castle, depending on whether you wish to walk, use a Segway or a bus, or you wish to have a public or private program:
https://budacastlebudapest.com/buda-castle-tour/
There is not any special event / festival planned for the second part of July.
I hope I could be of help.
Excuse me,can you tell me Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum ticket price and open time ,if we have Budapest card the price is?
Thanks
Hello Iris,
thank you for your email.
For ticket prices, opening hours please see the relevant websites on the following links:
https://mng.hu/en
http://www.btm.hu/eng/
Hungarian National Gallery: free entry to the permanent exhibitions in the National Gallery with a Budapest Card
Budapest History Museum: free entry to the permanent exhibitions with a Budapest Card
I hope I could be of help.
I’d love to see a floor plan of what various areas of the castke were used for during the time of Sisi like where were the royal bedchambers . When you look at the castle it would give it more life to know this.
It is remarkable how well the facade has been restored.
It certainly is beautiful
Dear Lynn,
thank you for your inquiry.
You can some floorplans and photos from the turn of the century on the following pages:
https://budacastlebudapest.com/exterior-of-the-buda-castle-around-1900/
https://budacastlebudapest.com/royal-suites-of-the-buda-castle-around-1900/
https://budacastlebudapest.com/first-regal-suite-of-the-buda-castle-after-1900/
https://budacastlebudapest.com/the-archducal-suites-and-garden-buildings-of-the-buda-castle-after-1902/
Dear,
We plan a group visit to Budapest in December. The group would like to visit the Buda Castle.
If there an enterance fee just for the castle? Is it possible to do some castle sightseeing without going to one of the Museums?
Thank you in advance
Dear Milana,
thank you for contacting us.
I’m afraid all of the buildings of the Royal Palace are the home of the museum, the gallery and the National Library (which also has its entrance fee). Basically, inside the wings / buildings of the Castle itself there is no free entry, unless you have purchased a Budapest Card for the group.
The outdoor courts of the Castle, with the statues, fountains, etc. are free to visit (outside, but within the big metal gates of the Buda Castle building area). Also, hilltop neighbourhood of the Buda Castle is great to visit, with lots of further attractions and lovely houses, living history.
Thank you for your visit and have a lovely time in Budapest, Hungary.
How much is entry to the castle for an adult?
Dear Rebecca,
The buildings of the Buda Castle are currently occupied by museums (the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum).
Prices:
https://budacastlebudapest.com/hungarian-national-gallery-buda-castle-district/
https://budacastlebudapest.com/budapest-history-museum/