Vajdahunyad Castle: All is not what it seems…

Vajdahunyad Castle is the Dracula-type castle can see behind the Heroes’ Square Monument. It’s on the far side of the ice rink/boating lake. In fact, Gothic elements are one of three styles you can see side by side here. If you know what to look for, you can also see

Vajdahunyad Castle

Romanesque and Baroque- Renaissance elements, entire building in those styles actually. Vajdahunyad Castle is not a real castle. It was actually a mock up in wood and plaster board, a life size architectural exhibit for the 1896 great Exposition, a mishmash to highlight the very different styles that you can find in the country.

Because it was so popular, the rebuilding of the old construction was into stone.

Vajdahunyad Castle

The renaissance-baroque bits house the agricultural museum. You can see the Romanesque in the huge decorated church entrance on the left, and the Gothic is in the towers and the portcullis-wielding entryway. Oh, and for some reason there is a statue nearby, of Bela Lugosi, the famous Hungarian actor, who was Count Dracula in many early movies.

(Now you noo vy zey talk like zis in Dracula mooviez!) It is a bit out of the way, but ask on the tour and the guide will point it out to you.  Just around the side of the building you can see a famous statue of a hooded figure, the original “anonymous”.

Vajdahunyad Castle Info

Address: Vajdahunyad vár, City Park (Városliget) Budapest, 1146.

The Anonymous Statue behind Vajdahunyad Castle.

Map ref: 47.514868, 19.083059

Opening hours: 11am-5pm Mon-Sat)

Cost: It is free to enter the courtyard, but not the building that houses the agricultural museum, (but you are not missing much, in our humble opinion)
When to go: This palace is full during the day, but is empty and spooky after sunset.