District I Budavár - Buda side: Budapest

The Castle Hill of the Buda side occupies a whole district on its own; The Castle District or District I. It dates back to the end of the 13th century, when the first royal castle was built on the site by King Bela IV., and maintains its medieval charm to this very day. It saw waves of destruction by former oppressors, with the castle being reduced to rubble first by the Turks, followed by the Habsburgs, the Nazis and the Soviets. All that is left of the original castle today is an excavation site, and the newly reconstructed castle on the Southern end of the district is now called the Royal Palace. It is divided into two main parts: the Royal part occupied by the fore-mentioned grand Royal Palace, and the Civilian part consisting of the Old Town with delightful little cobble stone streets and baroque buildings resembling the Medieval Town plan. Main sights on the hill include the National Art Gallery and Budapest History Museum housed in the Royal Palace, the Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion, and other small museums such as the Museum of Military History. A beautiful panorama opens of the Pest side and of the Buda hills, with romantic look out terraces to enjoy the view from. © NileGuide