Buda Castle

Buda Castle
Buda Castle in 2013 with Matthias Church in the background
LocationBudapest, Hungary
Coordinates47°29′46″N 19°02′23″E / 47.49611°N 19.03972°E / 47.49611; 19.03972
Area4.73 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Built14th–20th century
ArchitectJean Nicolas Jadot, Miklós Ybl, Alajos Hauszmann
Architectural style(s)Medieval, Baroque, Baroque Revival, Art Nouveau
Official nameBudapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv
Designated1987 (11th session)
Reference no.400-001
RegionHungary
Buda Castle is located in Budapest
Buda Castle
Location of Buda Castle in Budapest
Buda Castle is located in Hungary
Buda Castle
Buda Castle (Hungary)
Plan of Buda Castle: buildings A, B, C, D – Hungarian National Gallery, building E – Budapest Historical Museum, building F – National Széchényi Library. Underneath building C is the Palatinal Crypt with 3 rooms.

Buda Castle (Hungarian: Budavári Palota, German: Burgpalast), formerly also called the Royal Palace (Hungarian: Királyi-palota) and the Royal Castle (Hungarian: Királyi Vár, German: Königliche Burg), is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. First completed in 1265, the Baroque palace that occupies most of the site today was built between 1749 and 1769, severely damaged during the Siege of Budapest in World War II, and rebuilt in a simplified Baroque style during the state communist era. Presently, it houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Historical Museum, and the National Széchényi Library.

The palace complex sits on the southern tip of Castle Hill (Hungarian: Várhegy). Its defensive walls extend to surround the entire Várnegyed (lit.'Castle Quarter') neighborhood to its north, which is well known for its medieval, Baroque, and neoclassical houses, churches, and other monuments. Several prominent government buildings, including Sándor Palace and the Carmelite Monastery of Buda, are located in the Castle Quarter. Locally, this neighborhood and the palace are collectively called a Vár (lit.'the Castle').

Castle Hill is linked to Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. The Castle Quarter falls within the part of Budapest that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.[1]

  1. ^ "Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". UNESCO. Retrieved 16 April 2012.