Visiting the Palace
Visiting the Palace should begin with a look at the exterior of the palace.
The main façade overlooking the Danube is 304 meters (334 yds.) long, with
columns arranged symmetrically, in Baroque style on both sides of the dome. In
front of the central part of the building there is a statue of Prince Eugene of
Savoy who was one of the leaders of the armies that liberated Buda Castle in
1686.
The statue at the gate of the palace garden represents the
Turul, the
mythic bird of the ancient Magyars. The neo-Baroque groups of buildings towards
the south and north are simpler in style. The fortifications of the palace date
from the Middle Ages. To the south, facing
Gellért Hill, the large Round
Bastion, 40 meters (44 yds.) in diameter, and the Gate Tower with its tent
roof, dominate the scene. In front of the Round Bastion on the slope of the
hill a group of excavated Turkish tombstones presents an interesting sight.
Passing through the Baroque gate cut in the outer wall we reach the walls and
passages of the fortifications.