Free Buda Castle Walking Tour

As the name of the tour suggests, this tour takes you to Buda Castle, as well as another popular castle-like structure, Fisherman’s Bastion, and other attractions on the Buda side of Budapest. The tour we took was provided through Trip to Budapist, is offered daily at 2:30 PM, and runs approximately 2-2.5 hours. 

The tour is free, but guides are not paid by the organization and make their money from tips. So please be sure to tip your guide at the end of the tour. General tipping guidelines are $5-10 USD/person. 

So without further ado, here’s what you’ll get to see on the Free Buda Castle Walking Tour!

Batthyány Square

The tour starts in Batthyány Square, which sits along the Danube on the Buda side of Budapest and has a great view of the Parliament building. The square is named after Lajos Batthyány, the first Prime Minister of Hungary. A statue of him was erected in his honor on the south end of the square near Saint Anne Parish.

Saint Anne Parish Church 

Saint Anne Parish is a Roman Catholic church dating back to the mid 1700s. It is considered as one of the best Italian Baroque buildings in Budapest and is decorated with colorful frescoes and paintings from the 18th-20th centuries. 

Fisherman’s Bastion

The current Fisherman’s Bastion was built from 1895-1902 and was never actually part of a castle or fortification, but is said to have been built where original walls once stood. It’s called Fisherman’s Bastion because this section of the wall was guarded by the fishermans’ guild. The current structure has 7 turrets representing the 7 Hungarian tribes who founded the country. Our guide also told us that Fisherman’s Bastion was the inspiration for the Disney castle, which I’m not sure is true, but you can see some similarities. There are also some restaurants along the bastion wall with great views of the river and Pest side. 

Matthias Church

Matthias Church is one of the most famous churches in Budapest. It’s a 14th century neo-Gothic church where two former kings were crowned. It has several spires and is famous for its multicolored tile roof.  

The interior was different than a lot of European churches we’ve visited. Rather than being covered in gold or marble, the walls and ceilings were all painted with intricate designs. 

The second level of the church contains some religious artifacts and provides a great view of the nave and altar below. 

The church also frequently provides organ and classical music concerts.  

St. Stephen Statue

The statue of St. Stephen lies in Fisherman’s Bastion next to Matthias Church. Stephen was the first king of Hungary and is known for uniting the Magyar tribes and spreading Christianity. The statue of Stephen is depicted wearing the crown and coronation cloak and holding a double cross. The reliefs at the base of the statue depict important events in his life: the coronation, ruling/passing laws, spreading Christianity, and Vienna honoring him as king.  

Holy Trinity Statue

The initial Holy Trinity Statue dates back to the early 1700s and was erected to protect people from the plague. It’s sculpted with tremendous detail and is definitely worth a few minutes of your time. Moving up from the base of the statue you’ll see reliefs of King David, the epidemic, the Holy Trinity Column, and coats-of-arms for the Emperor, Buda, and Hungary. Above the reliefs are sculptures of several saints including: Saint Roch, Saint John, Saint Christopher, Saint Augustin, Saint Joseph, and Saint Sebastian. Over them are statues of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and Saint Francis of Xaver. The column of the statue is decorated with angels, and at the top is the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

Statue of Andreas Hadik 

Andreas Hadik was the chief military leader of the Habsburg Empire during the 1700s. He is known as a great military leader and for proposing the abolition of the serf system. The statue in his honor was erected in 1937. In the 1950s, it gained new notoriety as students from the Budapest University of Technology began climbing the statue and touching the horse’s balls for good luck. Apparently this became so popular that the government eventually banned climbing the statue. However, we were told that hasn’t completely stopped people from trying to grab a bit of luck!  

Statue Commemorating Union of Buda and Pest

This peculiar statue/fountain has a very specific shape that inspires a very specific nickname. Supposedly, the artist designed this as a surprise to commemorate the union of Buda and Pest. The artist who built this claimed it was a representation of different cultures in Budapest when it was unveiled to its communist benefactors. However, while his explanation and symbolism might work, others believe it was more of a one-finger salute to the communists at the time. So regardless of the truth behind the legend, the statue itself is quite unique for the area.

Buda Castle

Buda Castle is the former palace of Hungarian kings. The original palace was built during the 1200s. However, the current neo-baroque palace was built during the 1700s and has more than 200 rooms. Today, it no longer houses a royal family, but is home to the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest History Museum, and the National Library. The Hungarian National Gallery displays work by Hungarian artists dating from the Middle Ages to the present. The History Museum covers the history of Budapest, as well as the castle, and includes reconstructions of the old Gothic Chapel and Knights’ Hall. And the National Library contains every book published in Hungary. 

Changing of the Guards

One of the things we got to see at Buda Castle was the changing of the guards, which they do every hour on the hour. It was longer and more interesting than I expected. The whole process lasted at least 5 minutes. The guards marched in sync to the beat of the drum ​​with choreographed rifle movements and salutes. I felt bad for them though in those thick, heavy uniforms with the summer heat. No wonder they have to change every hour! 

Habsburg Gate

The baroque gate serves as the main entrance to the palace from Szent György Square. From there you descend an imperial staircase to Savoy Terrace, which was once the castle gardens. It is known for its ironwork and stone statues. 

Turul Statue 

The Turul is a mythical hawk-like bird that has been an important symbol throughout Hungarian history. The statue was built in 1905 and stands on the corner of the Habsburg Gate at Buda Castle. The turul was a symbol of the Árpád dynasty, the first leaders and kings of Hungary. Legend has it that the turul appeared in a dream of Emese, an early ancestor of the Árpád dynasty. Some texts refer to the bird as a protector. Others say the turul impregnated Emese with Álmos, the first leader of the Hungarian tribes. Since then, the turul has remained a national symbol and is even used in the coat of arms of several Hungarian government offices. 

Before your tour ends, you’ll have another great view of the Parliament building from the castle gardens! 

Note: The walking tour takes you by attractions, but you do not go inside. If you want to go inside the attractions you can do that on your own after the tour.  

Here is the Trip to Budapest website if you’d like to check out more or sign up for a tour.  

You can also check out our other article on the Free Budapest Walking Tour.