Buda Castle Buda Castle, Budapest
Matthias Church is one of the finest churches in Budapest and the most unique churches in Europe. Located atop the Buda Castle hill, it has been serving the citizens of Buda Castle Hill since 1015, its foundation by the first Hungarian king. Bored with churches? Not this time.
Full of surprises, mysteries, and treasures, the church has a breathtaking interior with colours inspired by orientalism and romantic historicism. Its mystically exotic atmosphere paired with its Neo-Gothic features differentiates it from any other church.
Photo Gallery of Matthias Church
[rev_slider matthiaschurch]Matthias Church on the Castle Hill
Matthias Church is unlike many of the typical churches dating back to the Middle Ages. Be prepared to be surprised for its off the beaten track inner beauty.
The church was used as a coronation church by Hungarian kings for centuries, also a mosque for over 150 years by the Ottoman Turks, once owned by Franciscans, Jesuits, now a thriving Catholic church with holy masses, concerts, plenty of weddings, thousands of tourists. The graceful architecture and stunningly rich, all embracing wall paintings of the majestic building will leave you speechless.
While the outside of Matthias Church offers the historical beauty of traditional Gothic churches with delicate turrets, the coloured tile roofs already give away that this church is not following the usual recipe: entering inside the church you will experience one of the most welcoming combinations of warm lights, shadows and colours with orange, brown, golden hewed frescos reaching from floor to ceiling, beautiful stain glass windows, far reaching arches, century old wooden pews, medieval remnants.
Opening Hours
(Subject to Church Events)
Mon-Fri: 9 am – 5 pm
Sat: 9 am – 12 pm (Midday)
Sun: 1 – 5pm
Liturgies / Weddings have priority, and will affect regular Opening Hours.
Christmas Opening Times & Masses
More about Matthias Church Christmas Services and opening times
- Dec 24: Open to Prayers only (not for Tourists)
- Dec 25: Open to Prayers only (not for Tourists)
- Dec 26: Open to all Visitors
- Dec 31: Open to all Visitors
- Jan 1: Open to all Visitors
- Good Saturday: worshippers only
Tickets
Adults: HUF 2,900
Students (with ID): HUF 2,300
Seniors (60+ with ID): HUF 2,300
Children (under 6): Free
Entry is free with Budapest Card Plus
Address: 2 Szentharomsag Square Budapest 1014
Phone: +36-1-355-5657
History of Matthias Church
Matthias Church (officially called the Church of Our Lady, but all locals call it “Matyas Templom”) has quite the history and a story to tell.
According to historians a church called Church of Mary stood on the site of the current building founded by Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary in 1015.
The current Roman Catholic church was founded by King Bela IV. after the Mongol invaders left Hungary in 1242 in complete ruins, and King Bela IV decided to move the royal residence from Esztergom in the Danube Bend, to the Buda Hills.
King Matthias the Fair
Instead of St Matthias, the name of the church refers to King Matthias Corvinus the Fair, who remodelled and expanded the building in Gothic style in the 15th century, adding the southern high tower, called Matthias bell tower. He also made the church one of the best wedding venues in Hungary. After all it was his favourite wedding place too. King Matthias was the son of legendary John Hunyadi, the ingenious military opponent of the Ottoman Empire, the Governor of the Hungarian Kingdom, the Voivode of Transylvania. King Matthias’ father can also be credited for ringing the church bells all over Europe at midday every day. King Matthias was not less legendary than his father.
He was crowned the king of Hungary without a royal blood line. Then quickly became a mythical hero of many a Hungarian legends: he was said to be travelling around in disguise to get a true picture of the lives of his subjects, doing justice to the suppressed poor, and publicly shaming the powerful and arrogant.
The Turkish Occupation: Mosque from Church
In 1526 the Turks occupied Buda, ruined most of the churches, but left the Church of Our Lady erected and turned it into a mosque. Artefacts were taken away, ornate furnishings were destroyed, altars and paintings were covered with whitewashed brick walls.
When the Christian mercenary troops led by Charles V, Karl V. Leopold imperial generalissimo re-gained the Buda Castle from the Turks, not much survived the Ottoman years by the end of the siege of Buda in 1686. After the Turkish era, a new church was constructed on the remains in Baroque style.
Present Days of Matthias Church
In the early 19th century the church was finally restored in Neo-Gothic style by Frigyes Schulek between 1873 and 1896. Not only did he restore Matthias Church, but he also made it a beautiful gem on the Buda Castle hill, surrounded by the Fisherman’s Bastion viewing towers, the historical Holy Trinity Square, and the five star luxury Hilton Hotel.
Today Matthias Church is a lively religious and cultural focal point in Budapest, with several church events, weddings, beautiful classical music concerts, choir performances, Christmas masses, Easter celebrations and more. Needless to say, the events affect the opening times of the Church, and tourists will need to schedule their visits accordingly. Once a year, on Good Saturday (the Saturday before Easter), the church can only be visited by worshippers.
Matthias Church offers free admission to a range of visitors:
- Children under 6 years
- Worshippers
- Pilgrims
- Church institutions
- Handicapped visitors
Getting there
Bus: 16A Bus from Szell Kalman Square (M2 metro station) or 16 Bus from Deak Square (M1, M2, M3 metro lines).
Funicular: From Clark Adam Square to the Castle Hill, and an approx. 10-15 min walk from the Funicular.
Concerts in Matthias Church
Matthias Church is not only one of the top attractions and one of the most romantic places to see in Budapest but a perfect venue for classical concerts as well. Matthias Church Concerts are usually available every month throughout the year on affordable prices (tickets are from approx. €15). The concerts are provided by one of the most well-known ensembles in Hungary: the Hungarian Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.
More concerts in Matthias Church Budapest on the link.
Tours in Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District
Book an Entry to Matthias Church with a Castle District walking tour to gain more insights into the history and secrets of this beautiful attraction. The walking tour includes a visit inside the Matthias Church, where you can see the Treasury, or walk up to the big Tower to get a better view. The tour ends with a coffee and cake in a nice cafe in the Buda Castle.
Last updated Jan 18, 2023
We attended high mass at St. Mathias, today, this Sunday. It was a beautiful mass and all in Latin and Hungarian. We attend mass in the states but we did not recognize the mass performed. We are hearing the Mass of Creation at this time in San Diego. What mass music is performed at St Mathias. I sing in our choir so I am curious.
Hello, I recently visited Matthias Church, and even take the tour to go up to the top view. I must point out that your customer service, of cashiers in place, is humiliating and unpleasant. There was a girl with long straight hair, she did not tell me her name, who treated me terribly and when I told her she could behave a little more good, she told me that I am dumb tourist. It is a shame that such a person works for you and I will make sure to publicize this negative attitude wherever possible.
Dear Offer Ben Horin,
thank you for your invaluable feedback.
We are terribly sorry to hear about your negative experience, we will make sure that this comment will get to the management of Matthias Church.
Hello, can I pay with euro? Thank you for the answer.
Dear Josef,
yes, it is possible to pay in EUR.
We are a group of 30 people coming. Is it possible to pay by credit card?
Dear Olaf,
we will soon contact you via email.
Budapest castle was beautiful and I highly recommend everyone to visit it while in Budapest. Unfortunately our experience visiting Matthias Church at Budapest castle was ruined by a staff member who was taking tickets as we entered the door. This woman was middle aged and had hair tied into a bun. My young niece asked her where the bathroom was and she simply would not tell her, instead replying ‘This is a church, not a bathroom.’ When we told her we knew this (We are a religious family, my mother is extremely religious and was very offended at the tone of her remark), we asked her if she could tell us where the bathroom was for this young person, she vaguely pointed into the distance and still would not tell us. When I told her that she was being unhelpful, she closed the door in our face. We had all bought tickets to enter the church but after her rudeness none of us felt like entering any longer. I have never been treated so badly by a member of staff in any environment before.
Hello Anne,
thank you for your email. Your experience must have been very disappointing . We are very sorry about it. Unlike in other western churches, historical churches in Budapest Hungary do not have a public toilet inside the building, hence this is not a question that an older, or less experienced member of the staff would expect from a visitor. Oftentimes, there is an administrative building in the vicinity for employees only (unfortunately). We are sorry about the cultural shock you experienced, the ticket collector, it seems was shocked by the question too, but we hope that the more tourists visit the church the more aware of this important difference the staff will be at Matthias Church.
That said, there are several toilets in the Buda Castle area she could have recommended. The one we recommend for visitors, which is close to Matthias Church is in the nearby cafe (there is a Starbucks at the Bastion, 1 minute from the church) or the toilet in the hotel (Castle Hilton hotel, 1 min walk). But of course there are other public options too, a public fee paying toilet at the Bastion (behind the line of cashiers opposite the church gate).
For your feedback, please contact the tourism management of Matthias Church Budapest directly on:
turizmus [at] matyas-templom.hu
We are glad to hear that your visit in Budapest was overall a memorable and enjoyable experience, despite this particular inconvenience.
We visited the church in july 2024. We saw roof tiles on display that said “ available in the gift shop”. Is it possible to purchase them and have them shipped to the states? We were taking a commuter flight and had luggage restrictions .”
Why is the one tower black? I Googled it but could not find answer
Dear Jessica,
thank you for your inquiry.
Actually there is no particular reason for the ridge turret being black on Matthias Church.
Hi, our tour guide said that this was attributed to respecting all the soldiers and grieving families from the world war. He said it was painted black as black is a colour of mourning and solemnity in Hungarian traditions.
My husband & I just arrived into Budapest yesterday afternoon from Indonesia. A very long journey indeed!!
After sleeping for only 3 hours overnite, we woke up early trying to catch the 7am mass on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 at St. Mattias church. There was a security guard by the door who was on the phone. We waited for him to get off the phone to inquire about the mass when a girl came running & he opened the door to let her in.
So, I decided to go over to him & asked if there was a mass at 7am (just like what is stated on the website of St. Mattias church). He yelled while waving us off saying: NO ASIANS!! ASIANS… NO!!
Without any explanations or anything at all, I find this RIDICULOUSLY ABSURD!!!
First of all, I’ve been a Roman Catholic for almost 30 years. My husband & I go to a Catholic church every week & try to join masses in any Catholic churches whenever we travel.
I DO NOT APPRECIATE BEING THROWN OUT LIKE DOGS, ESPECIALLY BY AN EMPLOYEE OF A CHURCH!!
All we wanted to do was to pray to God. Even Jesus welcomed the lepers & prostitutes. We came all dressed up ready to join a mass & only to be treated in such a humiliating way in front of passerby.
I believe humility is one of God’s teaching that is being emphasized in THIS church. I really hope that racism & prejudice should not exist in this day of age in the unity of loving God for everyone around the world. God speed!!!
Dear Nataliea, racist uneducated people, given authority duties by those who say they speak to God, is very common in or near churches.
Dear Nataliea.
I have been looking at the website of the beautiful church of St Matthias. What a sadness to read your comment. But as you say how ridiculous be shouted at like that.
As Paul the Apostle says in Colossians 3:10-13, “.. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” … and so on till Verse17.
Maybe the security guard hopefully will read this.
Sadly there are disgusting idiots in every society! Just another Hungarian-American from Minnesota. The last time I visited the church was around 1985 with my son and one of my nephews from London. For many years I used to live in the student dormitory of the Technical University of Budapest that was on the left side of the square. During my first year, my bed was beside a widow that faced towards the Danube. On spring days it looked really blue! I left Hungary by crossing the Iron-Curtain into Astria in 1957 when the post-1956-revolution executions started again!
What is the meaning behind the crow on the roof with a ring in its mouth? I took a tour there in 2017 and cannot remember the significance and it was such a magical trip that I’d love to remember.
Hello, we would like to visit the Mattias church on 26th of December.
This day the Church is open 9am-5mp or all day?
Dear Chrysoula,
Thank you for your comment.
On Dec 26th, Matthias Church will be open from 1pm to 5pm.
Have a nice Christmas Holiday in Budapest!
Good day,
Is the church of Matthias open on Christmas Eve or the following day?
We are planning to visit Matthias Church on Dec 24 or Dec 25 but do not see tickets.
Please share information about how to book entry to the church.
Thank you.
Hello Susan,
Matthias Church, being an active church for the community, is only open as a church rather than a tourist attraction on December 24th and 25th. This means that you do not need to buy a ticket if you are planning to attend a mass or pay a visit to pray. However, tourists in Budapest who only wish to visit the church for secular purposes, curious about the architecture and history without connecting with God, will only be able to visit Matthias Church before the Christmas holidays, in the Advent period, until Dec 23, or on and from Dec 26, Boxing Day.
Please do enter the Church though if you have a religious purpose in mind as Matthias Church welcomes visitors from all over the world to pray and reconnect.
The ticket reservation calendar shows a message “The Church is closed on the selected day. Please select an other day!” But the reality is that it is meant to communicate that Matthias Church is closed to secular visitors and tourists on the festive days at Christmas time.
Thank you for your understanding. Wishing you a lovely Christmas holiday in Budapest.
More about Budapest Christmas events and things to do: http://budapestchristmas.com/
Hello! In what language is the tour available?
Thank you!
Hello Giovana,
Thank you for getting in touch with us.
The Castle District guided tour has the default language in English. In case you are enquiring for a future date we might be able to arrange a different guide for you. Kindly contact us on info [at] budacastlebudapest.com if you wish to get more details.
Have a nice time in Budapest!
Greetings. We would like to visit Matthias church in April. We are pilgrims from Slovenia and our purpose of visit is religious. We are wondering if we also need to buy church tickets for a pilgrimage visit?
We are coming in October and would dearly love to attend Mass is St Matthias. Is this possible or do we need to purchase a ticket. I am aware that Mass is outside normal visitor hours.
Dear Marina,
Thank you for contacting us.
Yes, you can join the masses, we have sent you an email with further details.
Have a wonderful holiday in Budapest!
We too will be visiting the Buda district on October 12th and 13th, 2024 are there any English speaking masses at St. Matthias at that time? Thank you .
Dear Kathy,
Thank you for contacting us.
Unfortunately, English speaking masses are not available, there are silent masses in the morning and organ masses in the evenings.
Have a lovely autumn holiday in Budapest!