Budapest - Castle Quarter

Disz tér (former Parade Ground) stands more or less in the middle of the Castle Quarter. This square, surrounded by several Baroque and Classical buildings, has in the past been a market place, place of execution and parade ground. In the center stands a pleasing Honvéd statue by György Zala (1893) which commemorates the War of Liberation of 1848-49.

At the northwest corner of Andrew Hess Square is Fortuna utca (Fortuna Street), characterized by some very beautiful buildings in the Baroque and plait styles. The street is named after the Fortuna Inn (No. 4; now the Museum of Commerce and Catering).

Relics which once belonged to famous hotels, restaurants, cafés, places of entertainment, and baths are displayed at the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Catering.

The legal predecessor of the National Archives of Hungary, the Archives of the Country (Archivm Regni), was established in 1756. The National Archives of Hungary became historical archives in 1970.

Országház utca (Parliament Street) is the principal street of the northern Castle Quarter, and Baroque and Classical architecture predominate here.

The former Monastery of St Clare (No. 28), founded in the Middle Ages, was rebuilt by Franz Anton Hillebrandt in the 18th C. Thereafter it was the home of the State Parliament and the High Court of the Hungarian capital. The great hall of this building has been splendidly restored, and highly-valued cultural functions are held here from time to time.

The Széchenyi National Library has been housed in the southwest wing of the palace since 1985. This institution, founded by Count Ferenc Széchenyi in 1802, contains about 6 million documents, including well over 600,000 manuscripts and more than 180,000 maps. The highlight of the collection is the "Budapest Manuscripts", some of the oldest known medieval illuminated scripts.

Szentháromság utca leads from Szentháromság tér (Trinity Street) to the west wall of the Castle Quarter. A visit is recommended to Ruszwurm Café (Ruszwurm cukrászda; No. 7); steeped in tradition, it has stood here since 1827 on the site of its medieval predecessor. Nearby is an equestrian statue (G. Vastagh; 1937) to Andreas Hasik who was raised to the rank of field-marshal by the Empress Maria Theresa.

The Saturday Market was formerly held in this square by the north gate (Vienna Gate) of the Castle Quarter. Nearby will be found the Lutheran Church, the huge National Archive (Országos Levéltár; 1917) in Neo-Romanesque style, and the Anjou Bastion (Anjou-bástya).