Castle in Budapest
Also known as Budai Vár, Budavári Palota
Paid entryThere is an entry charge.
Buda Castle sits on Castle Hill overlooking the Danube, with free access to the exterior grounds, terraces, and courtyards. The views from the western terrace across to the Parliament Building on the Pest side are some of the best in the city. Inside, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum charge modest fees. Budget travelers can spend an entire afternoon exploring the hilltop without buying a ticket.
Practical
On foot
Free and low-cost routes that stop at Buda Castle.
The TriptoBudapest General Walk is a free walking tour covering both sides of the Danube in 2.5 hours, running since 2008 and one of the most established free tours in Central Europe. Budget travelers book the morning slot and pair it with a thermal bath visit in the afternoon.
Nearby
Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Continental Europe's oldest metro line, built in 1896, runs directly under Andrassy Avenue from the city center to Heroes' Square. Above it, the boulevard was laid out simultaneously as Budapest's answer to the Champs-Elysees: Neo-Renaissance palaces and mansions, the Hungarian State Opera House, luxury shops, and 2.5 kilometers of plane trees.
Tram 2 runs along the Pest side of the Danube from Jaszai Mari Square to the National Theatre, passing the Parliament, the Chain Bridge, the Vigado Concert Hall, and the Central Market Hall. A standard transit ticket covers the ride.
The Chain Bridge (Szechenyi Lanchid) was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, connecting Clark Adam Square on the Buda side to Roosevelt Square on the Pest side. Free to cross.
City Park (Varosliget) is the green space behind Heroes' Square, home to the Szechenyi Baths, Vajdahunyad Castle (a whimsical mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, free to walk the grounds), and a boating lake that becomes an ice rink in winter. Free.
The Dohany Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe, seating nearly 3,000 people, with twin 43-meter onion-domed towers visible from much of the seventh district. Franz Liszt and Camille Saint-Saens played the original 5,000-pipe organ at the 1859 inauguration.
Elisabeth Square (Erzsebet ter) is a public square on the Pest side near the Deak Ferenc transport hub, with a park, a Ferris Wheel, and open-air cafes. Free.
Working out what Budapest costs?
The whole of Budapest