View of Vajdahunyad Castle from across the lake

A Castle Born from Imagination

Along with Heroes’ Square with its iconic Millennium Monument, Vajdahunyad Castle was built in 1896 as part of Hungary’s Millennium Exhibition, celebrating 1,000 years of Hungarian history. The mastermind behind its design, architect Ignác Alpár, took inspiration from some of Hungary’s most iconic architectural styles, blending Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements into one impressive castle model.

Initially constructed from wood and cardboard for the exhibition, the castle was so beloved by locals and visitors that it was later rebuilt in stone and brick by 1908. One of its most interesting features is the Gothic-style section modeled after Corvin Castle in Transylvania.

The main entrance gate to Vajdahunyad Castle. The Gate Tower is on the left.

More Than Just a Pretty Face: Inside Vajdahunyad Castle

While the exterior is stunning to look at, it’s worth taking a walk through the castle courtyards to see the interior of the castle.

The Museum of Hungarian Agriculture

Vajdahunyad Castle does actually serve a purpose; it also houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, the largest museum of its kind in Europe. The exhibits cover everything to do with agriculture, from traditional Hungarian winemaking to forestry and fishing. Even if agriculture isn’t your thing, the museum is worth a quick peek if only to explore the castle’s interior. From the outside it looks like a palace!

View from inside the main courtyard. On the right is the Gothic style Apostles’ Tower and ahead is the Baroque style palace that houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture

The Church of Ják

Outside the museum is a stunning church built in the Romanesque style as a replica of the Church of Ják. Get up close to see the elaborate carvings that surround the big wooden doors.

The replica of the Church of Jak

The Gate Tower

For a small entrance fee, you can climb up inside one of the castle’s Gothic towers. The Gate Tower (which you can see from the front of the castle near the lake) is well worth climbing just to get the views from above the main gate.

The Gate Tower from the top of the gate

The Apostles’ Tower

I didn’t do this, but you can also pay for a tour to climb one of the other castle towers – the Apostles’ Tower – for more wonderful views of Budapest.

View towards the palace and the Apostles’ Tower from the Gate Tower

Budapest City Park (Városliget Park)

Vajdahunyad Castle is surrounded by the picturesque Budapest City Park – a green oasis in the centre of Budapest. It’s well worth taking a leisurely stroll or a bike ride around to escape the city for a moment. There are cafes as well where you can enjoy a drink or some lunch while looking over at the castle. The lake next to the castle makes for some great photos and you can hire boats to paddle around in. Apparently, there is ice skating here in the winter, and there is a Christmas Market in the castle grounds.

Visiting Vajdahunyad Castle

Getting there

Vajdahunyad Castle is located in City Park (Városliget), just a short walk from Heroes’ Square. You can take the M1 metro line (the oldest subway in mainland Europe!) and hop off at the Széchenyi Fürdő station.

Entrance fees and opening hours

Entrance to Vajdahunyad Castle is free and the castle courtyards are open 24/7.

Entrance to the palace (Museum of Hungarian Agriculture) costs HUF 2,500 and is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm (closes earlier in the winter months).

Entrance to the Gate Tower costs HUF 400 (this is included for free if you buy the ticket to the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture). Opening hours are 9am – 7pm every day.

A tour of the Apostles’ Tower costs HUF 800. Opening hours are 10am – 4pm every day.

You can also purchase a combined ticket where you can do all of the above for HUF 3000. Children under 6 are free.

Where we stayed

Since we are travelling with kids these days, we stayed in an Airbnb (more space and a kitchen) in a nice central location in district V, not far from the Opera House. It was an easy half hour walk to Heroes’ Square and Vajdahunyad Castle from there. We like to walk everywhere, but the metro in Budapest is fantastic if you don’t like walking too far.

Vajdahunyad Castle might not be a real castle, but it’s well worth having a quick look if you’re in the Heroes’ Square area – even if it’s just for the photo opportunities!

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Today’s travel photo of the Millennium Monument at Heroes’ Square in Budapest, Hungary. This impressive 36 metre tall column first began construction in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Hungary. It is the centrepiece of Heroes’ Square, one of the must-see attractions in Budapest.

More about the Millennium Monument

Completed in 1906 to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, the Millenium Monument features a towering central column topped with a statue of the Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian Holy Crown and a double cross, symbolizing Hungary’s Christian heritage. Surrounding the column is a semi-circular colonnade with statues of key historical figures, including Hungarian kings, leaders, and statesmen, representing different eras of the nation’s history. At the base of the column, the seven Magyar chieftains who led the Hungarians into the Carpathian Basin are depicted in dramatic equestrian statues.

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Today’s travel photo is of a quiet, colourful canal in Burano, Italy. Venice is one of those places where you could spend weeks exploring and still have so much more to see. During my last trip, I took the water bus to explore some of the surrounding islands in Venice. One of my favourites was Burano. The first thing that greets you as you approach the island is the amazing colours of the buildings on Burano. Every house is painted a different, bright colour and the affect is so appealing to the eye. I really loved exploring Burano, not just for the colourful buildings, but because it was away from the crazy hordes of tourists that you find in the main parts of Venice. Burano, though still popular with visitors, was so much more relaxed and there was always space to get blissfully lost amongst its canals and laneways. I spent my entire afternoon here but wanted more. Next time I visit Venice (of course there will be a next time), I would love to stay on Burano for a few nights. I think it would be so quiet and peaceful in the evening after the day trippers have gone back.

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Today’s travel photo is of Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, England. This stunning building is one of the most iconic in the University of Oxford. Built in the mid 18th century, Radcliffe Camera is part of the Bodleian Library complex and was originally used to hold science texts. It is still a part of the working library today and is predominantly used as reading rooms. Oxford University is well worth exploring when visiting Oxford as the architecture is simply stunning. I could easily be happily lost wandering the streets here for hours. On this particular visit there was a freezing wintery wind blowing through the city and we couldn’t linger long with our baby daughter at the time. We shall definitely return to explore further.

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Today’s travel photo is of a sunrise in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, Australia. I took this photo from the balcony of the holiday apartment we stayed in for a few days recently. Burleigh Heads is a beautiful spot on the Gold Coast, located further south from the most popular areas of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. Burleigh Heads offers a more laid back vibe without the busy streets and tall high rises…for now at least. The beach here is just as lovely, with plenty of good surf. Another drawcard is Burleigh Head National Park, on the headland in the right of this photo. There is a nice coastal walk here which goes around the head to Tallebudgera Creek – a nice sheltered spot for swimming.

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Today’s travel photo is of the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Riomaggiore, Italy. Riomaggiore is one of the five villages that make up the beautiful coastal area of Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Coast of Italy. This beautiful 14th Century stone church is small and simple compared to many other Italian churches, but its location overlooking the Mediterranean makes for an alluring sight.

The church is made from grey stone, whereas the surrounding buildings are very colourful, in the architectural fashion of the Cinque Terre, with a green background of the mountains beyond. I took the colour out of this image to draw the eye to the church, which I think deserves more attention.

If you’re in Riomaggiore, follow the main streets up through the town to the Church of San Giovanni Battista. It’s well worth the walk for the views alone. From here, you can easily access the Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Walk) to the next village, Manarola.

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Today’s travel photo is of a quiet street in Chinatown in Malacca, Malaysia. Malacca is a beautiful historic town located about two hours from Kuala Lumpur, and is a popular weekend spot for people escaping the city. During the week it is a lot quieter, and I took this photo late at night while wandering the streets of Chinatown back to my guest house. It was nice to seemingly have the place to myself as the shop owners and restaurants began to close up for the night. This is the sort of place I could spend days just wandering along the little streets and alleyways.

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The art found in the Vatican absolutely fascinated me, but with up to 20,000 people crowded into the Vatican Museums each day, it is rather hard to enjoy the art as much as I would like – it’s hard to sit and ponder an art piece while being bumped by rushing tourist groups and a lady with an umbrella (inside?) standing in front of you before you can even read the title of the piece from the plaque on the wall. My return to the Vatican last year was a little frustrating rather than enjoyable – I was there to see the art, but all I saw was a glimpse of art between groups of people.

Galleria Borghese: A quiet alternative

The following day I visited the Galleria Borghese for the first time, located in the huge gardens of the Villa Borghese. I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed atmosphere at this gallery. The art on display is as good as those pieces in the Vatican, but visits are timed, and only a certain amount of visitors are allowed entry within a 2 hour period. Although tickets have to be reserved in advance, this allows for a relaxed way to enjoy some of the best art in Rome without the crowds.

The Galleria Borghese is one of the best private art collections in the world. It was collected by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the 17th century, and features some of the best pieces by artists of the likes of Caravaggio, Bernini, Titian and Raphael, to name a few. The villa itself is stunning, with all of its walls and ceilings covered in stunning art that could rival that of the famous paintings that hang on its walls. What I loved most about it was that I could view all of the art pieces in peace, with only a handful of other people wandering around. There were even times when I had rooms all to myself. I found the 2 hour time period to be just enough time to see all of the gallery at a relaxed pace.

This is just a taste of the stunning art found in the Galleria Borghese in Rome:

Visiting the Galleria Borghese in Rome

The Galleria Borghese is located in the Borghese Gardens in Rome, which can be reached on foot from downtown Rome or via taxi. The closest metro stop is Spagna which requires a walk through the Borghese Gardens to reach the gallery.

Reserving tickets in advance is a must at Galleria Borghese as visits are timed and limited each day. A maximum of 360 people can visit the gallery in 2 hour time periods, starting at 9am and ending at 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday. You can book your tickets in advance here.

The Galleria Borghese is one of the best art galleries in Rome, and it is a such a quiet and relaxing experience after the chaos of the Vatican Museums. I highly recommend visiting if you enjoy Italian Renaissance art.

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Today’s travel photo is of a quiet alley in Cortona, Tuscany, Italy. Cortona is a popular town in Southern Tuscany, perched on the side of a hill and known as the setting for the famous book and film, Under the Tuscan Sun. I visited Cortona for the first time during my most recent trip to Italy and I was surprised by the size of the town. I quickly realised that I had not allowed anywhere near enough time to explore. With just the afternoon available to me, I wandered along the main street in town and peered up and down these intriguing little alleyways that I would love to explore further. This is a place where I could easily spend a couple of days. There is always another reason to visit Tuscany.

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Today’s travel photo is of the Grand Council Chambers in Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy. Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) is a magnificently preserved palace in the heart of Venice. It was the epicenter of Venice for centuries, and all matters of the city state were run from here. The palace is lavishly decorated by stunning artwork which decorate the walls and ceilings. The largest room, the Grand Council Chambers is perhaps the most impressive due to its size. Palazzo Ducale is an absolute must see if you’re visiting Venice for the first time, located at St Marks Square in the centre of the city.

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