Várkapitányság

The country’s largest flag was hoisted at the Renewing Citadel On 15 March, the largest national flag of Hungary was hoisted on the Citadel, which is under renovation. The 72-square-foot flag will adorn the capital’s iconic building day and night.

The renovated Turul statue in the Buda Castle was restored to its original location The Turul statue of the sculptor Gyula Donáth was restored to its original location next to the Habsburg Gate in the Buda Castle. The beautified work was placed on its pedestal using a 60-ton giant crane. Specialists performed patina-preserving cleaning and restoration on the work of art, repairing the surface with bronze welding. The inner frame of the statue was also reinforced.

The roof structure of the Budavár Riding Hall won an international award The recently reborn Riding Hall in Budavár, with its red and green English slate roof structure rebuilt in the same way as the original, won the World Championship of the International Roofing Association in Germany. The building, with its vaulted mansard roof, has earned the recognition in the category of metal roofs.

Thousands were curious about the biggest architectural attraction of 2021 Probably the biggest architectural attraction of 2021 is the reconstruction of the southern connecting wing of the Buda Castle and the re-creation of the St. Stephen's Hall. On the festive weekend of 20 August, an unprecedented crowd waited at the palace courtyard to enter the now handed over part of the building. Krisztina Sikota, Deputy Director General of Tourism and Culture of the Várkapitányság, evaluated the events for our site.

The final touches are being made in the St. Stephen's Hall of the Buda Palace As a result of the years of work of many experts, from 20 August we can admire the St. Stephen's Hall in the Buda Palace in its old light. The years of work are now coming to an end, almost all the former decorative elements have been put in place. Once again, the bust of St. Stephen stands on the world-famous Zsolnay fireplace, the pyrogranite images depicting the kings and saints of the Árpád dynasty have also been placed, and the huge chandeliers and special wall sconces have also been installed. After the opening on 20 August, it will be free to access the St. Stephen's Hall for a few days.

Intact utensils found in a medieval well excavated under the National Guard Headquarters The everyday life of the former inhabitants of Buda Castle can be studied through the objects, especially the ceramic jugs and glasses, which were found during archaeological research in the area of Dísz Square – Szent György Square, on the basement level of the Honvéd ('national guard') Headquarters. Most of the finds were hidden in the depths of an identified well.

Unique ceiling and parquet of Saint Stephen's Hall recreated The construction of Saint Stephen's Hall in the southern connecting wing of the Royal Palace of Buda Castle has entered a new phase. According to the announcement from Várkapitányság, the spectacular ceiling and parquet have been installed, and most of the custom furniture has also been completed. The next task will be to recreate the lavish wall covering

Artefacts found at 14th century castle wall The finds from the Anjou or Sigismund-era constructions were found near the castle walls of the Royal Palace of Buda Castle, in the New World Garden. Staff from the Budapest History Museum completed the excavations. The finds are of particular importance because little is known about the Anjou-era parts of the palace.

From Triton's Well to Ifipark - The stories of the Castle Garden Bazaar The Neo-Renaissance garden of the Castle Garden Bazaar was built between 1874 and 1882. It is a worthy pair to any palace garden in the world and houses many details that have exciting stories to tell beyond their beauty: the Triton Fountain, the garden's budding roses, and the medieval curtain wall could each tell hundreds of stories if not sentenced to silence. So let us tell their stories for them.

New collection of posters brings the turn-of-the-century to a terrace of Buda Castle A new outdoor installation of 25 posters has been opened on the terrace of the Castle Gaden Bazaar. The exhibit opens the door to the life, industry and politics of the past. The newly opened collection includes the posters of Budapest Orpheum, the Holzer Budapest Clothes Shop, the Törley Champagne Factory, the newly-opened Corvin Department Store, and the Budapest Operetta Theater's poster for its revue Halló Amerika. The works of the poster artist Géza Faragó are on display on the southern panorama terrace of the Castle Garden Bazaar.

Restoration of Habsburg Gate and Turul statue in Buda Castle has begun The ornate gate built during the Hauszmann-reconstruction of Buda castle stands at the Szent György Square station of the Buda Castle Funicular. The ornate fence, stairs, and the adjoined great Turul statue – erected in 1905 – are being restored.

Citadel renovation to create 1500 square-metre exhibition space Several lifts, a pool, a 1,500-square-metre exhibition space and a twenty-metre flagpole will also be installed in the Citadel as a part of the current reconstruction, which will see the walls and gardens of the structure completed in 1854 completely renewed. The work will be carried out by the consortium of ZÁÉV and Market Zrt. for 14.8 billion HUF.

Reconstruction of the former Red Cross headquarters on Dísz Square to begin in 2021 Designed by Alajos Hauszmann and Dezső Hültl, the palace once housed the Red Cross Society, and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The representative spaces of the palace, torn down after World War II, and its façade will be rebuilt according to the original plans. Other areas will be reimagined for the modern age.

The future of the Citadel seen from the sky A unique drone video is giving viewers a sneak peek into the future of the Citadel. The dilapidated fortress on the top of Gellért Hill will soon be renovated. Its outer walls, courtyard and cannon tower will be restored. The new public park will open in 2022, and an exhibition entitled "Bastion of Freedom" showcasing the Hungarian nation's struggles for independence will open in 2023, housed in the old cannon tower.

Fehérvári Roundel and Western Gardens of Buda Castle to be renovated, new parking garage planned The Fehérvári Roundel and its surroundings are to be demolished and rebuilt to its original size in Buda Castle. One of the main goals of the National Hauszmann Program is to allow visitors to Buda Castle to explore the Castle District by walking around it on its walls. The Fehérvári Roundel plays a major role in enabling this. Following the reconstruction, a previously closed section of the western castle wall will be opened, connecting the roundel to Csikós Courtyard. The western gardens will be revitalised to evoke the vineyards and orchards that once surrounded Budavár. Várgarázs III. will meanwhile further reduce the number of cars parked in the Castle.

Ruins of observatory found on Gellért hill Archaeological excavations are happening in preparation of the renovation of the Citadel. Around the fortification, the ruins of the observatory that once stood on Gellért Hill but was destroyed in 1867 have been found. The dig team has also confirmed the find of a First World War gun carriage, Celtic, Roman, and Ottoman Turkish coins. The renovation of the courtyard is set to begin soon, accompanied by the restoration on the outer walls.

Masterpieces with a view – A visit to the Royal Palace of Buda Castle A few secrets from Buda Castle: there is no gas in the building for security reasons; thus, the whole complex is connected to district heating. The current dome reaches higher than the original planned by Alajos Hauszmann. At the turn of the century, the length of the connecting halls facing the river was matched only by Versailles. Pestbuda visited the building before pandemic-related limits on events entered into force, as part of a guided tour offered within the Budai Várséták ('walks in Buda Castle') series of the National Hauszmann Program.

Legends from Buda Castle: Descendants of Hauszmann and Strobl join opening of new photographic exhibition in the Castle Garden Bazaar The descendants of the Alajos Hauszmann, the Teleki family and Alajos Strobl can be seen in the portraits newly on display on the Southern Panorama Terrace of the Castle Garden Bazaar. The exhibition entitled legends from Buda Castle – open until 15 November – highlights the connections between the Castle and Budapest through the lives of people deeply connected to the Castle District.