High on the hill sits the lonely castle…
No, that’s not quite right. Buda Castle has plenty of neighbors, though perhaps none so well-lit. The site is ancient even if the buildings are not. Buda Castle was annihilated in the Siege of Budapest and the “medieval” walls on show are the result of 1950s-1960s reconstruction.
The interior’s much more interesting. Here you’ll find the Hungarian National Gallery and a smorgasbord of fascinating art.
And death. I don’t know what was in the water in the 19th century, but it certainly produced a morbid taste for drama. If exophthalmic brides are to your taste, don’t miss this beauty:
1881
And these corpses:
1860
1859
Then head for a breath of fresh air on the first floor, just off the stairs:
1890
1891
Footnote: Fans of penmanship should dig up József Faragó. I stumbled upon a temporary exhibition of his work and found it hard to stumble away. A hard-hitting satirist and caricaturist, Faragó was famous for gleefully skewering Imperial fat cats. His etchings ain’t half bad, either.
1903