Buda Castle Buda Castle, Budapest
The changing of the Guards in front of the Hungarian Presidential Palace is one of the Buda Castle attractions. The palace is called Sandor Palota (Alexander Palace), which is located by the Funicular (approximately over the Tunnel and the Chain Bridge) in the Buda Castle District in Budapest.
The Changing of the Guards takes a few minutes with spectacular choreography (turning about the rifles, saluting, marching up and down the square, domino-like movements, drums, etc.).
When is the Changing of the Guards in Buda Castle?
Mon – Sun: 8:30 am – 5 pm, every hour by the hour (e.g. 10 am, 11 am, … 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm)
Middays: At middays, visitors can see the changing of the guard’s ceremony accompanied by the Drummer sentry. The musical support is taking place at 12pm, once a day.
The Changing of the Guard in the Buda Castle is a formal ceremony in which a group of soldiers is relieved of their duties by a new batch of soldiers. The presidential Guard soldiers actually work in shifts of 1 hour each in front of Alexander Palace, which means new guards begin their shift hourly.
The ceremonial changing of the guards may be upgraded if prominent guests visit the Hungarian President. When dignitaries visit the President in the Buda Castle, the choreography is more complicated compared to regular days and there is a special music assortment on top of the drumming sequences played by the military band.
The uniform of the Hungarian soldiers is less spectacular than the funny sexy fur bearskin capped English guards in the Buckingham Palace in London, but it is still an interesting thing to see in the Buda Castle on the Castle Hill of Budapest.
The changing of the guards was obviously not part of the communist Hungary, this military tradition has been revived only a few years ago in 2003, when the Hungarian president moved to the Sandor Palace (Alexandar Palace) in the Buda Castle district.
The palace of the Hungarian president is right next to the Funicular Railway and the huge Turul bird statue.
This video of the guards changing was made in 2012:
And another one made in summer in the Buda Castle in 2012
The guards nicely move in unison. And the changing is often appreciated by some applause from the bystanders and tourists. At the end of the changing of the guards, the soldiers go back into the palace of the president.
Christmas and New Year
On December 24, 25, 26 and 31 the Changing of the Guards takes place during shortened hours between 10am and 14pm, every hour on the hour. On January 1 there is no Changing of the Guard.
Note: The Christmas and New Year schedule is not officially approved yet, it reflects the practice of the last few years.
To compare, you can watch the changing of the guards in the Parliament in Budapest. The guards are taking care of the safety of the Hungarian coronation jewels: (koronaőrök – crown guards) in the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, which takes place by the Hungarian crown jewels:
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in what hours does the Changing of the Guards works ?
Dear Eli, the hours of the Changing of the Guards in the Buda Castle are basically from every hour during the daytime ( 8 am – 5 pm), including the weekends too.