Budapest is an amazing city that I love returning to time and time again. When in Budapest, I cannot visit without spending some time in Buda. Although there are many historic places in Hungary, for me, Buda is one of those places where much of Hungarian history takes focus. In many ways, the story of Buda mirrors the history of of this fascinating country.
In 896, The mythic Turul bird crossed the Carpathian basin leading the Magyars to their new homeland. When the bird dropped its sword in Budapest, the Magyars knew that they had arrived.
Buda Castle
It is difficult to locate the original residence built on top of Buda Hill. We know the first residence was built between 1247 and 1265 by King Bela the IV. However, archeologists are uncertain where exactly the building was. This is probably due to a mix of the materials typically used at the time. Wood does not leave many traces, and the extensive construction in the area has probably destroyed any marks.
Foundations of a 14-century castle keep, known as Stephens Tower, are the oldest parts of the palace that can be found. This stone tower built by the brother of King Louis I, Stephen, was located beside the relatively small, Gothic palace of the time.

The Hungarian town of Buda (today one half of Budapest) in the Nuremberg Chronicle
Public Domain
When King Sigismund, son of Charles the IV, became Holy Roman Emperor in 1410, he felt he needed a more representative palace. During his long reign, he improved the fortifications and greatly expanded the palace. On his death in 1437, although partly unfinished, his palace was thought to be the largest gothic palace of the age.
When King Mathias married Beatrice of Naples in 1476, Budapest became the first center of the Renaissance north of the Alps. Renaissance artists and craftsmen attracted to their court, came and worked in the city.
King Mathias set about finishing and rebuilding the original Gothic castle in a renaissance style. He also laid the plans for the ‘Mathias Palace,’ a new Renaissance palace to be build next to the existing one. He sadly died before the palace was finished and his heirs were left to complete the work.

Joris Hoefnagel: Bird’s-eye view of Budapest
Ottoman Occupation
Following the Battle of Mohács, the Kingdom of Hungary fell apart, and Ottoman Turks moved into the deserted town on 11th of September, 1526. Even though the larger area was sacked and burned, the royal palace was left untouched. However, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent took home large parts of the Corvina library and several bronze statues as souvenirs.
In the following years, Buda was besieged and sacked several times before being made a ‘permanent’ part of the Ottoman Empire on the 29th of August, 1541. The existing Hungarian and German residents were driven out. Damaged in the sieges, the palace became the seat of the Eyzlet of Budin (Ottoman Administration).

The Taking of Buda, 1686″ in the Deutsches Historisches Museum
The Holy League Returns
In 1686, after several unsuccessful attempts to take Buda back from the Ottomans, the armies of the Holy League returned to try again. This huge army, numbering 100,000 men or so, was made up of German, Hungarian, Croatian, Dutch, Spanish and many other volunteers from all over Christian Europe.
Facing heavy artillery bombardment, which destroyed much of Medieval Buda, the 7,000 Ottoman Defenders did not stand a chance. Many of the buildings and houses were destroyed. In one famous event, Stephens Tower, which was being used as a powder store, was hit by one cannon shot fired by a Friar Gabor and exploded. Tünes Gábor, or
‘Gabriel’s Fire,’ as the explosion became known, is said to have killed 1,500 Turks and caused a tidal wave on the Danube below.

Coronation of Maria Theresa, 1741, Pressburg/Bratislava
Hapsburg Reign
A small palace was built in 1715, to replace the royal palace but it was little used. Then in 1748, the President of the Hungarian Chamber, Count Antal Grassalkovich, called on the Hungarian people to donate towards building a new Royal Palace. His timing was good as the Hungarians had just supported Maria Teresa in her bid for succession. She, in gratitude, supported the building of a new palace as a symbol of friendship and peace. After stops and starts, including an injection of cash by Maria Teresa, the palace was finished in 1769.
Ruling the Austro-Hungarian Empire largely from Vienna, the Hapsburgs had little use for a large palace in Budapest. For many years, the palace was used as a convent until it was re-tasked to serve as part of the university. In 1791, the palace became the residence of the Archduke Leopold of Austria.

The Siege of Buda in May 1849
Freisauf (artist) Rauh, J. (lithographer)
Hungarian War of Independence
On the 20th of May, 1849, after a two week siege by the revolutionary Hungarian Army, the palace stood in flames. Damaged during heavy artillery fire, the southern and central wings were completely burnt out. But how did it come to this?
1848 saw political and revolutionary upheaval throughout Europe. Mainly aimed at removing or replacing the monarchy and replacing them with democratic and liberal institutions. These revolutionary forces plagued the huge Austro-Hungarian Empire with revolutions springing up in several parts of the empire including Vienna.
In March 1848, Hungarian patriots organized mass demonstrations in Pest. In response, the Hungarian Diet in Pressburg (Bratislava), passed a set of laws aimed at modernizing Hungary. These laws gave Hungary a parliamentary democracy with control of its national budget, foreign policy and national guard. In April, King Ferdinand the first of Austria, signed these acts into law.

5 July 1848: The opening ceremony of the first Hungarian parliament based on popular representation.
József Borsos , Public domain
In June of 1848, Hungary became the third country in Continental Europe to hold democratic elections after France and Belgium. This led to the setting up of the first representative government, replacing the older feudal system.
In December of the same year, King Ferdinand abdicated, and his chosen heir, Franz Joseph, became Emperor. Franz Joseph did not accept these changes in the law arbitrarily revoked them without any constitutional power to do so. When imperial armies crossed into Hungarian territory to restore Habsburg control, the revolution became a war.
The fighting lasted one and a half years. Hungarian armies, supported by many Romanian and Slovak forces, came very close to defeating Austria. Kaiser Franz Joseph was forced to beg Russia for help. When the Russian Tsar Nicholas marched in 300,000 troops, the revolution was crushed.

Coronation of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth of Austria as King and Queen of Hungary, on June 8th, 1867
Public Domain
The Coronation of Franz Joseph
For 18 years after the Hungarian Revolution, the country fell under a very unpopular military rule. In an effort to bring an end to the bitterness, Kaiser Franz Joseph, the Hungarian statesman Count Andrassy and Ference Deák the minister for justice, worked out a compromise that created an equal partnership between Austria and Hungary. This Dual monarchy was ruled by Franz Joseph as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. The compromise allowed the elected parliament to rule Hungarian internal affairs for itself, while foreign affairs and defense were joint responsibilities.
Kaiser Franz Joseph visited the Buda Castle in 1856, in the run up to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise. However, in 1867, the castle played a central role in the coronation events, becoming a symbol of the new peace between the royal dynasty and the nation.

The outer courtyard of Buda Castle with the facade of the Grand Ballroom circa 1918
Original publisher was Károly Divald the Younger
1918 to date
At the end of the First World War, the Habsburg dynasty was forcefully removed, and Hungary became an independent state. The former Royal Palace became the seat of the regent Miklós Horthy, and the center of political life in the country.
In 1944, Nazi commando units occupied the palace. The regent was forced to abdicate. Between December 1944, and February 1945, German and Hungarian forces used Buda Castle, and the tunnel system below the castle, as a stronghold during the siege of Budapest. In arguably the biggest disaster in Hungarian Military history, an attempt to break out of the siege on the 11th of February, was stopped by the Soviets. During the siege, heavy fighting and artillery fire almost completely destroyed the palace.

Budapest 3 Febr 1946 – Chain Bridge with the destroyed Palace in the background
Photo: Takk, Public domain
In 1948, the then communist government set about rebuilding the palace. However, seen as a symbol of the former regime, it was decided to rebuild in a functional, modern style. Rebuilt by 1966, the interior took until the 1980s to finish. The castle became a cultural center and home to three museums as well as the national library.
The Mathias Church
Located in the heart of Buda’s Castle district in front of Fisherman’s Bastion is the Mathias Church, otherwise called the Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle. The first church was built on this site in 1015. Today’s version dates back to the 1370s, when Louis I began construction of the Maria Gate. Over the following years, the church was extended and expanded upon. This culminated with the addition of the southwest bell tower by King Mathias Corvinius.
Although large parts of the church were destroyed during the Turkish invasion in 1526, the church was rebuilt and converted to a mosque by the Turks after the complete conquest of Buda in 1541. As a result, the interior of this church and its paintwork, should not be missed.
Famously, in 1686, during the bombardmentby the Holy League, a wall in the church collapsed revealing a statue of the Virgin Mary that had been walled up. In what was to become known as the ‘Mary-Wonder,’ the sight of the Mary appearing to them, put the fear of God into the Turkish troops. Their morale collapsed and the garrison fell the same day.
Fisherman’s Bastion
Located on the top of Buda Castle Hill, Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the most famous sights in Budapest. With one of the best views of the river Danube, and the city below, it attracts tourists and photographers daily. The seven towers represent the seven rulers of the Hungarians that settled the country in the year 895.
When Frigyes Schulek, was given the job of restoration of the Mathias Church, he was also tasked with rebuilding the bastion. Today’s bastion is based on existing bastion walls from the middle ages. The designs for the staircase and the towers are largely based on the fantasy of the architect. Originally, planned to be finished for the 1896 Millennium celebrations, the bastion was only completely finished in 1905.

Esterhazy Cake
© Traumrune / Wikimedia Commons
Café Ruzwurm
If you are spending an afternoon of free time in the museums or markets on Buda Hill, keep Café Ruzwurm in mind. Established in 1827, this café still retains many of the features of the time. They serve their famous Ruzwurm Cream Cake or try a slice of Esterhazy Torte.
For more info see: http://www.ruszwurm.hu/en/home/
It’s on our bucket list Pieter. Be well.
Pieter you are expanding my knowledge of the world.
Thank you!