The building has already been standing for a while, but now visitors can now enter its café and exhibition spaces. The café can be found on the ground floor with a terrace that overlooks the Mátyás Fountain in a courtyard of the Royal Palace. 

The Guard House stands on the western side of the Hunyadi courtyard, on the castle wall. To its left stands the F-building of the palace, in which the National Széchényi Library operates, on the right of the Főőrség the roof of the Riding Hall is visible (Photo: Várkapitányság)

Two event rooms have also been created on the ground floor, named after the first and second captain of the Hungarian noble bodyguard, Lipót Pálffy and Count Miklós Esterházy. The former has 80 seats and the latter 40 seats, but the Esterházy Hall can also be opened to be a single space with the café. 

Visitors can also sit on the terrace (Photo: Várkapitányság)

The kitchen operates on the level below the café, and an event space has been set up on the upper level of the building, where exhibitions and lectures can be held. The current exhibition presents more than five hundred paintings, lithographs and archival photographs from the 260-year history of the Hungarian Royal Guards since the founding of the Hungarian Noble Royal Gard in 1760.

The café on the ground floor of the Guard House (Photo: Várkapitányság)

The exhibition guides the visitor through the 18th century to the abolition of the guard unit in 1944 in chronological order. The exhibition also features contemporary guard uniforms, helmets, personal items, decorations and complete personal materials. The walls are decorated with photographs of contemporary life, celebrations, and portraits of the guards.

The exhibition on the floor of the Guard House presents the 260-year history of the Hungarian Royal guards (Photo: foorseg.hu)

The exhibition also features contemporary guard uniforms (Photo: Várkapitányság)

The café and exhibition can be visited every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 14.

The building, originally completed in 1903 and designed by Alajos Hauszmann, survived World War II but was demolished in 1971. Reconstruction began in 2017 under the National Hauszmann Plan (today Program) and was completed last year. One of the most special elements of the building is the 3-metre-high and 7.2-metre-wide bronze gate, by the sculptor Ferenc Farkas, facing Csikós courtyard, which depicts the 27 most important historical episodes of Buda Castle's past. 

Cover photo: Café opens in the Guard House in the Royal Palace of Buda Castle (Photo: foorseg.hu)