Historic places in Visegrád

Historic places in Visegrád

1. See

   Castle of Visegrád

   Visegrádi vár

   After the Mongol invasion, King Béla IV of Hungary and his wife had a new fortification system constructed in the 1240–1250s near the one destroyed earlier. The first part of the new system was the Upper Castle on top of a high hill. The castle was laid out on a triangular ground plan and had three towers at its corners. In the 14th century, at the time of the Angevin kings of Hungary, the castle became a royal residence and was enlarged with a new curtain wall and palace buildings. Around 1400 King Sigismund had a third curtain wall constructed and enlarged the palace buildings. At the end of the 15th century, King Matthias Corvinus had the interior renovated. The Upper Castle also served for the safekeeping of the Hungarian royal insignia between the 14th century and 1526. In 1544 Visegrád was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, and, apart from a short period in 1595-1605, it remained in Turkish hands until 1685. The castle was seriously damaged by the Turks and was never used afterwards. The castle is now open to the public to visit.

   Jan Feb: Fri–Sun 10:00–16:00; Mar Oct: 09:00–17:00; Apr–Sep 09:00–18:00; Nov: 09:00–16:00; Dec: Fri–Sun 10:00–15:00·Adult: HUF 2500; senior, student: HUF 1250

2. See

   John the Baptist Roman Catholic Parish Church

   Keresztelő Szent János Plébániatemplom

   The baroque-style church was built in the second half of the 1700s. Planned by Lénárt Schade. This is a single-nave church with a tower and vaulted interior. The main altar decorated with beautiful color effected picture (moved from the Buda Castle's Sigismund Chapel) a work the 18th-century painter Vicenz Fischer. The pulpit, pews, baptismal pool are also the 18th-century origin.

3. See

   Royal Palace

   Királyi Palota

   The first royal house on this site was built by King Charles I of Hungary after 1325. In the second half of the 14th century, this was enlarged into a palace by his son, King Louis I of Hungary. In the last third of the 14th century, King Louis and his successor Sigismund of Luxembourg had the majority of the earlier buildings dismantled and created a new, sumptuous palace complex, the extensive ruins of which are still visible today. The palace complex was laid out on a square ground plan measuring 123 m×123 m. A garden adjoined to it from the north and a Franciscan friary, founded by King Sigismund in 1424, from the south. In the time of Louis I and Sigismund, the palace was the official residence of the kings of Hungary until about 1405–1408. Between 1477 and 1484 Matthias Corvinus had the palace complex reconstructed in late Gothic style. The Italian Renaissance architectural style was used for decoration, the first time the style appeared in Europe outside Italy. After the Ottoman Turks' siege in 1544, the palace fell into ruins. By the 18th century it was completely covered by earth. Its excavation began in 1934 and continues today. The reconstructed royal residence building is open to the public and houses exhibitions on the history of the palace and reconstructed historical interiors.

   Nov–Mar: Tue–Sun 10:00–16:00; Apr–Oct: Tue–Sun 09:00–17:00·Adult: HUF 1800; senior, student: HUF 900

4. See

   Ruins of Archdeacon Church

   Főesperesi templom romjai

   Built in Romanesque style. At the beginning of statehood, Stephen I constituted the castle called Visegrád as county seat. The first parish church of the county was built on the hillside near the castle. The church of the archdeaconry was built on its site after 1063, in King Solomon's time.

   By appointment only

5. See

   Ruins of Pone Navata

   The ruins of this Roman Empire military camp can be seen on a hill overlooking river Danube. These are the basement walls of a five sided Roman Castrum from the 5th century and the ruins of the governor's castle from the 10th and 11th centuries.

   Free to visit

6. See

   Solomon Tower

   Salamon-torony

   The Lower Castle is the part of the fortification system that connects the Upper Castle with the Danube. In its centre rises the Solomon Tower, a large, hexagonal residential tower dating from the 13th century. In the 14th century, new curtain walls were built around the tower. During a Turkish raid in 1544, the southern part of the tower collapsed. Its renovation began only in the 1870s and was finished in the 1960s. The Tower houses exhibitions that exhibitions present the reconstructed Gothic fountains from the Royal Palace, Renaissance sculpture in Visegrád, and the history of Visegrád.

   May–Sep: Wed–Sun 09:00–17:00·Adult: HUF 700; senior, student: HUF 350

7. See

   Zugfőzde

   Here can get information about the era when pálinka distillation was outlawed, from 1919 to 2010. You can also watch two short films show the history of pálinka distilling, and one an interesting compilation about the ingredients of pálinka, including medicinal pálinka. The films reveal exciting secrets about how the ancestors protected themselves against excise men and where they hid their illegally, yet continuously distilled pálinka in order to save their values. By watching the film shot in a "Kisüsti" distillery viewers can learn about the process of preparing "kisüsti" (pot still) pálinka. In the building of Zugfőzde there used to be a grocer's store at around the turn of the century for this reason there is an ice house under the building.

   Tue–Sat 14:00–18:00·Adult: HUF 800; senior, student: HUF 700

8. Do Not mapped

   International Palace Games of Visegrád

   Visegrádi Nemzetközi Palotajátékok

   The largest medieval festival in Hungary, held annually at the second weekend of July. The 3-day event is meant to reach a wide international public with its diversified programmes: performances and shows of Hungarian and foreign participants – hundreds of re-enactors, musicians, dancers, comedians and jugglers – in a uniquely authentic environment.

   Ticket: HUF 1500

9. Do

   King Matthias Historical Playground

   Mátyás Király Történelmi Játszópark

   A fairy tale garden and a craft house.

   Mar 15–Oct 13: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00·Children: HUF 500, adult: HUF 200

10. Eat

    Renaissance Restaurant

    Medieval-style restaurant with local cuisine.

    Mon–Thu Sun 12:00–21:00, Fri Sat 12:00–22:00·HUF 3100

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Visegrád (CC BY-SA 4.0).