MAHART Passnave

This town, which was the royal centre of the Hungarian Kings in the Middle Ages, is one Danube-bend settlement that is rich in monuments.
Visegrád first became important in the Roman era, and a series of watchtowers were built along the military road. Sights you can visit are the Castle, built by Béla IV., which is located above Visegrád on a hill of 328 m in height, the Lower castle on the hill close to Várhegy, and the Water Bastion by the Danube-riverbank. Charles Robert began construction of a royal palace at around 1320, which became the centre of the court after some years. At the end of the XIV century, the royal palace was regarded as one the most outstanding masterpieces of the secular Gothic architecture in Hungary.

One should then walk up a staircase by the side of the Renaissance Restaurant and turn left, on the way to Salamon tower.

Béla IV and his wife, Mary Lascaris, constructed the double castle system after the Mongol invasion of around 1250-1260. The Castle was enlarged, rendered comfortable and modernized for military expectations by several Hungarian sovereigns, from the Anjou kings to Matthias Hunyadi. The lower castle is made up of a fortress wall and one big keep, and is fortified with a gatehouse and watch-houses; these made it both a royal and count residence and a fortified building with a military function.

The lower castle was connected to the Citadel by a catchment wall fortified with towers that extended to the watchtower situated by the Danube riverbank. As the primary function of the Castle was to control the road and the naval traffic of the Danube, the medieval road leading from Buda to Esztergom passed by the catchment wall.

Subsequent to your visit to Salamon tower, you can then start for the Royal Palace, which is located in the town centre, by taking the paved road; or one may walk in the direction of the Citadel after entering the the Salamon tower’s second stone gate. One can get to the Citadel by entering the stone gate and, after 100m, taking the right path and walking along it for 15-30 minutes.
You are able to get to the Royal Palace by taking a light walk of 15-30 minutes from Salamon tower in the direction of the town centre.

The history of the Royal Palace began when Charles Robert transferred the royal court to Visegrád, and the town constructions were initiated in this period. The first remark made on this group of buildings evokes bad memories: the Picture Chronicle says it was the location for Felicián Zách’s attack on the royal family. Some houses were pulled down in the era of Charles Robert, though he did create room appropriate for the organization of a knights’ tournament.

The Visegrád International Palace Games have been organized to commemorate this heroic period for more than 25 years on the second weekend of every July.

After a visit to the Royal Palace, you can continue your walk to the Roman Catholic Church. Turning right at the church, one is able to get, after a short walk, to the Sirály Restaurant.

After your visit to the Salomon-tower, you can take a light walk of 15-30 minutes to get to the Citadel by crossing the stone gate and turning to a small path after 100 m.

The actual Citadel is not the first astle built here. The Firt one, destroyed in the Mongol invasion, was constructed on the foundation of a former Roman camp located on Sibrik hill.

Béla IV and his wife, Mary Lascaris, created the double castle system and the constructions were financed from her dowry. The Castle is made up of fortress walls, ones surrounding the mountain’s top, two towers and the royal residence. Later, Charles Robert, who moved the capital here, enlarged this; the famous royal meeting of 1335 was also held here. The Castle was further modernized under the rule of Sigismund of Luxembourg. The women’s residence was probably constructed in this period, too.

The lower castle was connected to the Citadel by a catchment wall fortified with towers that extended to the watchtower situated by the Danube riverbank. The medieval road leading from Buda to Esztergom, closed by a gatehouse to the North and a gate to the South, passed by these catchment walls.

The Castle’s palace wings were renovated under King Matthias. The Sacred Crown and the coronation jewellery were under guard in the Castle on several occasions, though a robbery case is related to Visegrád: the sacred crown was stolen by Mrs. János Kottaner in1440, the maid of honor of Queen Elisabeth, with the event being commissioned by the queen herself. Visegrád was a Crown guardian location until 1529 and it was looked after by the Guards from 1490. In the Turkish period, the Castle was overrun, and it passed into the hands of the Turks from 1544. Both the Castle and the town were destroyed - and its re-population took several years. The first efforts to reconstruct the Castle were made at the beginning of 1870 and the reconstructions are still in progress.

Today, one can see several interesting exhibitions:
• The historical exhibition of the Castle
• Reconstructed fortress systems and the Castle in model form
• Historical exhibition concerning the Sacred Crown
• A wax figures exhibition
• Exhibition on hunting, fishing and farm management

Renaissance Restaurant

It is situated in the neighbourhood of the port.

Visegrád, Fő út 11.
Tel.: 06/26-398-081
e-mail: renrest@visegradtours.hu
www.renvisegrad.hu

The golden age of Visegrád goes back to the rule of King Matthias; the Royal Palace and Castle were renovated by Italian masters in a Renaissance style, owing to the intervention of Beatrix, the Italian wife of Matthias. Visitors to Visegrád who dine at the Renaissance Restaurant are able to ‘go back in time’ to this period thanks to the internal design, costumes and the delicious dishes and drinks served up in earthenware pottery utensils.

Sirály Restaurant

Visegrád, Rév u. 15.
Tel.: 26/398 376
email: info@siralyvisegrad.hu
www.siralyvisegrad.hu

This 25 year-old, elegant and famous restaurant, furnished in a civil style and provided with a panoramic garden location, is to be found at the centre of Visegrád at the junction of main road no. 11. along the road going up the Citadel. Its excellent, homely cuisine offers both Hungarian and international specialities, dishes made of fish, wild meat, etc. The restaurant’s facilities enable the provision of fast and high quality service both to individuals and to bigger or smaller groups/companies; there is a daily menu as well as a la carte offerings; the menu has been translated into 15 languages.