Budapest History Museum / Castle Museum — Attraction in Budapest

Myself, my husband, daughter, son-in-law and son-in-law’s parents and grandmother all traveled to Budapest over Christmas 2024. After we arrived, we learned that Budapest was the combined city of Buda and Pest, becoming Budapest in 1873. Our daughter, who has traveled extensively, thought that Budapest was one of the most beautiful and best laid out cities in Europe. After walking around Budapest and exploring, we all decided to visit the most famous area of Budapest – Castle Hill, where Buda Castle sits, overlooking the Danube River and Pest, on the north side. Not surprisingly, Buda Castle is a World Heritage Site.

From Castle Hill, you have an expansive view of Pest on the north bank and the Chain Bridge, leading to it from Buda Castle. Buda Castle (a historical Royal Palace of Hungarian Kings) is a monolithic structure that includes a very expansive area. The Castle has had many iterations that go back as far as the 14th century, being re-built from invasions and wars over the following centuries; improvements continue to the present time. Buda Castle now contains the restored Royal Chapel and Gothic Hall, the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and National Library. We spent a considerable amount of time in the History Museum and did not leave until closing time.

There is a majestic courtyard that surrounds the entrance to Buda Castle, reminiscent of European Abbies and Monasteries. Outside of the main courtyard is a forecourt that holds the Matthias Fountain, depicting a Royal hunting party that includes King Matthias holding a dead stag, hunting dogs, a game keeper and shield bearer. Atop a column outside Buda Castle sits an enormous, mythological Turul Bird, a national symbol of Hungarians and their Defense Forces. Matthias Church, used for coronations, with its beautiful spire sits nearby.

The National Gallery and Historical Museum are two of the most beautiful museums that I have ever visited. These well-kept museums are filled with the rich history of the country. My family and myself truly enjoyed visiting Buda Castle and its surrounds. After we left, the view from the Castle grounds, looking down on the other side of Budapest, as the sun set was simply breath-taking.

The people that work at Buda Castle are exceptional! Late at night, after I had visited the Castle, I realized that my heirloom diamond necklace that had been given to me by my late mother-in-law, was missing. I desperately searched everywhere and contacted every place I visited that day. The next day, just before getting on an airplane to leave the country, I received an email response from the museum. They kindly informed me that my necklace had been found in the museum. Arrangements have been made to return it to me, stateside. It truly was a miracle and blessing! I cannot thank the security and administrative staff enough for finding and making efforts to return...

A great museum to go to, free on the last saturday of the month under certain conditions as well!

The staff was exceptionally friendly, although lacking in staff at certain rooms where further explanations might be appreciated.

We were really surprised by the size of the history museum. Starting in cellars and a chapel we found ourselves in an increasingly impressive collection of historical items about Budapest and Hungary. Taken through the many years near chronologically. Some impressive actual historic items made their appearance but also spectacular reconstructions.

The top floor had a project to maintain/further improve this level of historic preservation and restoration but sadly this was the part that fell off. The layout was weird and opening with a movie section is always my pet peeve for museums. We didn't wait for it to restart so perhaps that caused my opinion about this piece.

In the end it took us multiple hours to navigate. Perhaps not an ideal combination with the national gallery, but considering the price (especially when free) it was an excellent visit. To conserve energy when combining it with the gallery I would recommend choosing the floors you are...

BUDAPEST HISTORY MUSEUM The Budapest History Museum is housed within a section of the Buda Castle building. Its entrance is located directly opposite the arched gateway, guarded by four lions, which leads to the enclosed Lion’s Court. The museum's layout is intricate and not particularly well-organized, lacking a defined path for visitors to follow. Therefore, keep in mind not to overlook descending to the lower floors where reconstructed parts of the Medieval castle can be found, most notably the Castle chapel. On the whole, you won't encounter many captivating exhibits within the Museum, aside from scattered artifacts and, of course, the fully reconstructed St. Stephen’s Hall on the first floor. The museum space itself resembles a somber public service office from the early 1980s, given that, as you already know, these aren't the authentic chambers of the Castle. If you possess a Budapest Card, you finally have the chance to put it to use here, as it's one of the few places where...