If you like good hikes in a beautiful natural environment, then our Visegrád wellness hotel offers the following routes, taking advantage of the beauties of the surrounding nature.
If you are looking for an organized tour in the vicinity of Visegrád to your family and friends, then scroll down and see the possibilities for group excursions!
Áprily-Valley hike: starts from the Main Road 11, through the Áprily-Valley to the Nagyvillám mountain
Dömös- Rám-szakadék hike: starts from the main square of Dömös village. Take the way back through the Lukács-árok to admire pleasant beauty.
Vadálló kövek hike: From Dömös all the way to Vadálló kövek. The way back is easier, this tour takes you through a wonderful environment.
The double castle system was built around 1250-1260 by Béla IV and his wife, Mária Lascaris from the price of her jewellery brought here from Byzantine. The castle consists of the walls circling the hill, two towers and the palace. The castle was expanded and modernised several times during the centuries by different monarchs from the Anjou-kings to Mathias Hunyadi.
The castle was completed in 1251, the old tower was built on the northeastern side which was the most exposed to attack. The pentagonal, wedge-shaped, compact building to the east played an important role in protecting the castle. The holy crown with coronation jewels has been preserved in the castle several times over the centuries. The castle suffered enormous destruction in Turkish times, the first attempts to restore the castle took place in the early 1870s. According to research, on the second floor of the tower there may have been a castle chapel dedicated to St. Elizabeth of the Árpád House. The citadel was built as a refuge for Dominican nuns on Rabbit Island, including Queen Margaret, so a residential palace was built outside the towers, the remains of which can be felt by archaeologists.
There are several interesting exhibitions for the visitors:
For the castle turn off the Road 11 at Rév street, past the Saint John the Baptist Church, go down King Mathias street, then up the Panoráma serpentine to the top of the hill. It's about 7 kms from our Hotel.
Starting point: Visegrád-Nagymaros Ferry crossing.
Go along Rév street opposite the Ferry station about 500 meters, then at the Saint John the Baptist Church turn left into Fő street, go about 200 meters, then turn right into a narrow alley, which leads to the Kálvária steps. Then follow the tourist path leading towards the Kálvária hill. It starts from the Kálvária steps, passes the Kálvária Chapel, built in 1853, and goes up the south-western side of Castle hill to the Castle (approximately 45 minutes).
A fairytale garden waiting for guests wishing to play in the front garden of the Visegrád Royal Palace. You can enter the world of Matthias' tales directly through the ornamental gate, which is guarded by two mighty Hungarian and Turkish knights from all those who do not believe in fairy tales.
Visitors can learn about the life of the Visegrád royal court, famous far and wide, through archeological and historical monuments in the restored Royal Palace. In addition to the historical site, we will revive the treasures of tales that are still alive today with the construction of the Play Park of the King Matthias Museum . We open the gates of our past to our guests here through the world of Matthias tales.
King Matthias Playground is not similar to traditional playgrounds. It wants to affect all the senses with its elements : the cavalcade of colors and sounds, different scents lead to every game. The toys are all uniquely designed works of art made from natural materials that playfully fit into their historic surroundings.
The main task of King Matthias Museum as an affiliate of the Hungarian National Museum is to discover, collect, maintain and exhibit the archaeological and historical findings in Visegrád. The exhibitions of the Museum can be seen at the restored rooms of the Solomon’s tower and the Royal Palace. It has a significant archaeological- and stone-collection, but it also features a local history collection mainly from the 18-19. centuries, and a photo-, drawings- and text collection. The Museum focuses on the research of the material culture and architecture of the Roman limes and that of the late middle ages.
The exhibitions at the early-gothic Solomon’s tower present the history of Visegrád from the prehistoric times to the end of the Turkish occupation, and the gothic and renaissance fountains and sculptures of the Royal Palace can also be seen here. At the restored rooms of the Royal Palace the archaeological findings, stone carvings and reconstructed medieval interiors can be visited.
One of its most remarkable exhibits is the Hercules-fountain from the period of King Mathias, which is the first significant example of renaissance sculpting outside Italy.
A copy of the Hungarian Royal Crown can be seen at the Castle. The Museum has quite a big library open to the public. The standard exhibitions can be visited free of charge.
Opening hours | Monday | Tuesday-Sunday |
---|---|---|
Royal Palace | closed* | 09:00-17:00 |
*whole year | ||
Solomon's tower | closed* | 09:00-17:00 |
*from May 1 to September 30 |
Guided tours can be ordered | Duration |
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Presentation of the Royal Palace | 60 minutes |
Presentation of the Royal Palace and its garden | 90 minutes |
Presentation of the Royal Palace in English/German | 60 minutes |
Presentation of the Citadel | 60 minutes |
Presentation of the Solomon's Tower, Sibrik Hill and the Archbishop's Church | 90 minutes |
Maximum size of a group: 40 people. Guided tours are provided by prior arrangement.
Get more information at the hotel reception or inquire at
The reconstructed parts of the Royal Palace show gothic and renaissance style features. For a certain period this was the official centre of Hungarian monarchs, and then it became their summer residence. The Palace, built in a terraced-design, consists of three major parts: the northern Mathias palace, the Chapel, and the southern Beatrix palace. Originally the Palace-complex had 350 halls and rooms.We know this from Antonio Bonfini’s book, who was one of the humanists at the court of King Mathias. He also described the hanging garden, the halls and the fountains of the Palace. From these fountains two are still in operation in the inner courts. The Lion fountain made of red marble stands in the court on the fourth level. The other red marble fountain, which is considered the most beautiful Hungarian renaissance sculpture, is in the upper court. The building of the Museum and the Stone collection are right next to the excavation area. Every summer there are some period-shows reenacting historical events. The garden of the Palace is accessible by wheelchairs.
Stone collection from the Anjou-period | Stone collection from the Mathias-period | The Royal Palace at the Anjou- and King Zsigmond-period |
The Royal Palace at the Mathias-period (Jagellos and János Szapolyai) | The interiors of the Royal Palace at the Mathias-period | Vestry – The beginnings of the renaissance art in Hungary |
Hercules-fountain | Kitchen from the Mathias- period | Room from the Zsigmond-period |
The Bath of the Palace | The Garden of the Palace |
The residential tower of the Lower Castle, called Solomon’s tower, was built in the 13. century. It is almost unique in contemporary Hungarian architecture. It has been ruined several times and then restored; now it is a museum. The Lower Castle consisted of walls fortified by a Gate Tower, several Sentry Towers and one Residential Tower. It served three functions: it was a residence for the monarch, a residence for the landlord and a military fortress. It was linked to the Upper Castle by a valley-protecting wall, which went all the way down to the Sentry Tower at the Danube-bank. The main entrance of the Solomon’s tower opened from the first floor, the rooms here were heated by fireplaces with columns and were lit through richly framed twin-windows. At the sixth floor there was a terrace surrounded by high walls with passageways, from here one could step out to the outside corridor of the terrace.
If you come from Budapest on the road 11 turn left and up the hill after Szent-Györgypuszta, before reaching Visegrád. Go up the serpentine and after a sharp left turn park at the car park beside the road. From here you can walk down to Solomon's tower.
Colonel Miklós Sibrik was named after Captain Kuruc, who was the owner of the area during the Rákóczi War of Independence.
Remains of a Roman camp
In the vicinity of Visegrád we can find many remains of the limes that protect the province of Pannonia. The most significant of these are the remains of a Roman camp, which can be seen on the 176 m high Sibrik hill. The area of present-day Visegrád in Roman times, was one of the important battles of the northeastern tip of the province of Pannonia; the fortress was built under Constantine I. in the 320s, its floor plan was deltoid and was protected by 11 horseshoe-shaped towers. The interior buildings were walled up to the main walls. The nearby limes section and the camp under the supervision of the Danube were named Pone Navata and had an auxiliary garrison of 300 people. A century later, using the remains of the migration period (Gothic, Gepid, Hun, then Avar), St. Stephen established a Spanish center here, next to which the first church of the town was built before 1009. Instead, Solomon built a larger main church in Esper. Until the Tartar invasion, it was the center of the city, where the ancient Visegrád was located. Here was the center of the manor house with the associated church buildings. A IX. In the 16th century, Slavs migrated to the area, and traces of residential settlements were found during research. The historical significance and memories of the hill were discovered by archaeologists in the early 1970s under the leadership of Mátyás Szőke.
Archaeologists and historians have discovered decades ago that there may be significant archaeological material in the Sibrik Hill area. For a long time they could not start the excavations because the best wine was produced here in Visegrád. However, the tool of the winegrowers often brought to the surface old coins, pottery fragments from the late Roman emperor times.
The first church of Visegrád after Turkey operated in the old school building of medieval origin, which still stands today. The building was completed in 1712; His painting also can be seen in the engraving of Samuel Mikovinyi in 1737. The church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was rebuilt in 1756. Around him was the first cemetery in the village. Today's parish church was built in 1787, the old church is used for school purposes. During its reconstruction in 1871, a red marble, Latin inscription can still be seen above the entrance to the old building. The monumental church in Visegrád was built between 1773 and ’82 according to the plans of Leonard Schade, the architect of Esztergom. Vincenz Fischer's work, a former altarpiece of the St. Sigismund's Chapel in Budavár, came here in the 1930s . A festive Mass is held in the church several times a year, about which information can be found at the church gate. The special celebration and tradition of the church is the flower carpet of the Lord's Day.
It stands on the Danube’s coast, built in the 18th century and built in the Baroque style in the first half of the 19th century. The chapel was renovated several times, between 1788 and 1873. There are several ideas about its origin, some say that Visegrád was raised by troops recapturing the Turks in memory of the victory, others that it was raised by the German population who settled after the Turks. The latter seems to be supported by the popular image of the chapel, which is a replica of the Madonna of Passau. The farewell of the chapel is on September 8, which is also the traditional celebration of the settlement.
The Calvary Chapel dates back to the 18th century. Built in the 17th century in 1770, it is a Baroque building on a hill above the settlement. In the vicinity of the chapel there is a natural rock formation, the stations leading to Calvary were made in 1961 by the sculptor Ernő Szakál. From Calvary there is a wonderful panorama of the Danube Bend.
Artúr Görgey, the legendary general of the war of independence, spent the last decades in the house at 5 Fő street, Visegrád. The controversy over his verdict had already begun in his lifetime, as many, in agreement with Kossuth's accusation, considered him a traitor. These people often organized a demonstration in front of his house and throwed it by stones, bittering the life of the old general who lived until 1916. The General, who was often ill in his last years, closed his eyes forever at the age of 98, on May 21, 1916, the day of the occupation of Buda Castle. His coffin was buried in the Hungarian National Museum. After the funeral ceremony in the Kerepesi út cemetery, the veterans of the army house saluted at his grave, then stumbled to the tomb of Kossuth to give grace there as well.
On May 21, 2009, the Görgey equestrian statue, damaged in the World War, was renovated in Buda Castle, mostly from public donations. The renovated monument named after him was inaugurated in Visegrád on May 22.
Visegrád is one of the most beautiful jewels of the Danube Bend. Exciting historical monuments, wonderful natural treasures, dazzling panorama! We are one of the newest hotels in Visegrád, only 400 meters from the center. The Royal Club Hotel is a perfect starting point to discover the natural beauties of the area, and return for calm relaxation after a day of sightseeing.