Sights and landmarks in Visegrád

Sights and landmarks 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

   Mary Chapel

   Mária-kápolna

   Built in Baroque style in the first half of 18th century, modified in 1788 and rebuilt in the second half of 19th century. Free-standing, small, front towered memorial chapel. Triangular pediment is above the main facade, behind it is a low, wooden bell tower. A gabled building covered with red tiles.

4. See

   Miklós Bertényi Botanical Garden

   Bertényi Miklós Füvészkert

   Follow the 20 board signed nature trail. Every season offers different sight. Walking relaxing between singing birds in Alpine and submediterranean plant environment. A special sight is some andesite and loess between 150–350 m height. Also there is a small presentation house.

   Nov 1–Mar 1: Thu–Sun 12:00–19:00; Mar 15–Apr 30 Sep 1–Oct 31: Mon Thu–Sun 12:00–20:00; May 1–Aug 31: 12:00–20:00·Adult: HUF 1000; senior, student: HUF 500

5. See

   Mogyoró Hill Wildlife Park

   Mogyoró-hegyi vadbemutató kert

   The area of the park is about 1.5 hectares, where red deer and wild boars live.

   Free to visit

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. See

    Spartacus Trail

    Spartacus-ösvény

    One of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Visegrád Mountains.

    Free to visit

11. See

    Telgárthy Meadow

    Telgárthy-rét

    The rest area offers excellent recreation for children and adults alike.

12. See

    Water Bastion

    Vízibástya

    It was built in the 13th century, reconstructed in 1939. There is a statue of King Béla IV of Hungary.

    Free to visit

13. See

    Zsitvay Observation Tower

    Zsitvay-kilátó

    The tower was built in 1933 on the top of the 378-meter-high Nagyvillám and was declared a monument in 2005. The observation tower and Nagyvillám area is an important center of hiking and tourist life, in clear weather you can see the capital and its 100 kilometers surroundings, from the Matra through the Pilis to the Zsámbék Basin, and even the Danube Bend can be seen even in cloudy weather.

    Oct 15–Apr 15: Sat Sun 10:00–16:00; Apr 16–Oct 14: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00·Adult: HUF 400, senior: HUF 300, children: HUF 200

14. 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

15. See Not mapped

    King Matthias Museum

    Mátyás Király Múzeum

    A branch of the Hungarian National Museum. Finds of the local archaeological excavation and photos, drawings and textile can be seen here.

16. See

    Calvary Chapel

    Kálvária-kápolna

    Built in the 18th century in Baroque style.

17. See

    Kaán Spring

    Kaán-forrás

    One of the most popular spring of the Visegrád Mountains.

18. See

    Pálffy Mansion

    Pálffy-kastély

    Built in 1890.

19. See

    Ördögmalom Waterfall

    Ördögmalom-vízesés

    Apátkúti-völgy

    Free to visit

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