Vajdahunyad Castleis not a real castle. This decorative structure was built at the beginning of the twentieth century in Városliget Park in Budapest in connection with the celebration of the millennium of Hungary. According to the city authorities, the building was supposed to include a synthesis of famous Hungarian buildings (21 objects from different parts of the country).
In front of the Vajdahunyad castle there is a lake and a small moat
Initially, Vajdahunyad Castle was supposed to be demolished after the end of the festivities. However, local residents liked it and the authorities, on the contrary, decided not to demolish it, but to rebuild it thoroughly in stone. This structure has remained this way to this day.
The castle is located in Varosliget Park next to Heroes’ Square, a little to the right of the main entrance. Entrance to its territory is free. In front of it there is a small lake and a ditch, through which a decorative bridge is laid. After passing along it, visitors find themselves at a massive gate in the Gothic style, through which they enter the inner territory of the castle.
Gate of Vajdahunyad Castle. Inside view
There are several copies of various famous Hungarian architectural structures, located mainly in Transylvania: the Vajdahunyad Castle itself (Corvin Castle), the Shegesvar Fortress, the tower of the Catalina Fortress, a Romanesque monastery with a chapel. In the depths of the castle there is an Italian-style palace richly decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures. Walking through this small but richly built area, you can see a mixture of a wide variety of styles. There is Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance style.
The main structures of the castle are the fortress tower, the castle, the citadel.
Then, behind the palace, the castle suddenly ends. The park begins. There is no fortress wall or moat. Here you immediately remember that this castle is just a decorative structure, simply put, an exhibition pavilion. It was popular to build such ones at the beginning of the last century (as an example – the Spanish village in Barcelona).
Palazzo – palace in Italian style
Surprisingly, in Vajdahunyad Castle there is not some kind of historical museum (which would be the right place here), but an agricultural museum. Why agricultural remains a mystery to us. We didn’t go there.
Address of Vajdahunyad Castle: 1146 Budapest, Vajdahunyad vár. Next to it is Heroes Square and the M1 metro station of the same name (Heroes Square – Hõsök tere). Next door to it is the famous Szechenyi Bath.
Are you planning to go to Budapest? Then read about what you can bring from there in our article about Hungarian souvenirs. Also, to plan walking tours around the city, we advise you to familiarize yourself with this selection of tourist maps of Budapest. Don’t know where to change money in Budapest and what is the current exchange rate for the Hungarian forint? Then see the article about currency rates and exchange in the capital of Hungary. We also recommend that you read a short phrasebook of the Hungarian language.
