Buda Palace District

The Palace District includes the Palace, Saint Stephen’s Hall, the Carmelita concerts, Várkert Bazár, the Buda Castle Walks and the De la Motte – Beer Palace. The local attractions, events and exhibitions are a great place to unwind if you are a lover of monuments, historical stories or art.

The first section of the palace to be rebuilt in its original form, the southern connecting wing with the beautiful and world-famous St. Stephen's Hall as well as the two iconic buildings of the Buda Palace District, the Main Guard and the Riding Hall, were opened on 20 August 2021 as part of this development programme. 

You can enjoy a coffee and a snack in the reconstructed, two-story turn-of-the-century Main Guard building, which is where the Hungarian Royal Guards were once housed. On the walls you can see archival photos of the soldiers who lived in the barracks. On the one hand, the windows offer a wonderful view of Tabán, and in good weather you can sit on the terrace on the other side, where you can see the National Gallery and the people walking in the Hunyadi courtyard. 

The Riding Hall was damaged during World War II and then demolished for ideological reasons. It has now been rebuilt and serves as a multifunctional event space with a floor area of nearly 1,500 m2. Inside, the Riding Hall is equipped with the latest technology, although the authentic reconstruction faithfully followed the original turn-of-the-century plans made by architect Alajos Hauszmann.

The Stöckl staircase was built in 1896, demolished in the 1970s and rebuilt in 2021 to connect the Csikós courtyard with the Hunyadi courtyard at the level of the Buda Palace. During the renovation, the area was made accessible without any barriers (for example, by building new elevators). 

The Mátyás Well was designed by Alajos Strobl and erected in 1904 in the Hunyadi courtyard, in the southern part of Buda Castle. The main figure in the fountain is Mátyás Hunyadi, one of the most famous and most popular kings of Hungary. He is wearing a hunting outfit, with a dead deer at his feet and the members of his entourage with their hunting dogs. After 120 years, the fountain underwent a complete renovation in 2020, with the dogs getting their leashes back and Mátyás' crossbow getting a string. It's a good idea to walk this way after dark because the fountain has special and colourful decorative lighting. Another "wet" attraction of the Buda Palace District is the Fishing children's well, which was made in 1900. It was moved around the city several times, but was returned to its original place after being rebuilt in 2021. The composition depicting two little boys, a little girl laughing at them, and a huge catfish was created by sculptor Károly Senyei. This artwork is well worth a visit because wine tasting sessions are held there in autumn and an Advent fair is held in winter.