Budapest History Museum

The Budapest History Museum (Budapesti Torteneti Muzeum) chronicles the history of the city of Budapest, Buda Castle, and the region as a whole. Located within the UNESCO listed Buda Castle, the site is also known as The Castle Museum and covers a range of eras.

The castle which houses the museum has been part of the Budapest World Heritage Site since 1987.

History of Budapest History Museum

The museum is located within the famous Buda Castle, a historical palace complex which once served the Hungarian kings of Budapest.

It is located on the southern tip of Castle Hill, and is surrounded by the tourist-oriented area known as Varnegyed (Castle Quarter.) The castle was first completed in 1265; however, the Baroque palace in its current state was built between 1749 and 1769.

Budapest History Museum Today

Budapest History Museum is located within the southern wing of the castle, spanning four floors which explore the city’s 2000-year history.

The collection features items which relate to every day Hungarian life, and recreates living spaces and traditional Hungarian-styled rooms.

Other exhibitions feature pottery and ceramics dating from prehistoric times to the late Bronze Age, including Roman Hungary. The ground floor showcases exhibits from Budapest during the Middle Ages, with Gothic statues of courtiers, squires, and saints which were discovered during excavations in 1974 being an interesting feature.

A highlight of a trip to the palace includes a descent to the two-level basement, where visitors can enjoy the Royal Chapel as well as three 15th century rib-vaulted Gothic halls, which date back to when a castle previously stood on the site before the Royal Palace was built. Indeed, the only surviving interior from the pre-war Royal Palace, and the Palatial crypt, belongs to the museum.

There is an excellent audio guide available, and for those who wish to make the most out of the exhibitions available within Buda Castle, the Hungarian National Gallery is also well worth a visit. It features artwork which dates from the 11th century until the present, and highlights include an exhibition on Gothic altarpieces. Within the palace is also the National Széchényi Library, which houses a collection of rare and antique books.

Getting to Budapest History Museum

From the centre of Budapest, the museum is a 9 minute walk via Lánchíd u. By car, it takes around 7 minutes via Palota út, while a connecting (and sometimes rather complicated) bus service takes around 50 minutes to reach Buda Castle, which depart every 15 minutes from Budapest Nyugati Palyaudvar.

A number of boat tours along the nearby river Danube are also popular.