Palaces, manors and town halls in Hungary

Hungarian Parliament Building

The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe"s oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It is currently the largest building in Hungary and still the highest building in Budapest. Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the Diet resolved to establish a new, representative ...
Founded: 1885-1904 | Location: Budapest, Hungary

Hungarian State Opera House

The Budapest opera house is a beautiful Neo-Renaissance building opened in 1884. Construction included the use of marble and frescos by some of the best artisans of that era. Designed by Miklós Ybl, one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late 19th century, the Budapest Opera House quickly became one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Europe. Many important artists performed here, including Gustav M ...
Founded: 1884 | Location: Budapest, Hungary

Bishop’s Palace

King St. Stephen established a bishopric of Pécs in 1009. The origins of the Bishop"s Palace reach back to the 12th century. First it was inhabited by the French Bishop Bonipert and later on by the Hungarian Bishop Mor. Just like the cathedral, the palace is a piece of stylistic history. The Gothic windows and Roman layout are hidden by the Neo-Renaissance facade. Preserved in the smokery is the wooden tobacco ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Pécs, Hungary

Eszterháza Palace

Esterháza is a palace built by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Sometimes called the 'Hungarian Versailles', it is Hungary's grandest Rococo edifice. Esterházy began his plans for a new palace not long after he became reigning prince in 1762 on the death of his brother Paul Anton. Before this time, Nikolaus was accustomed to spending much of his time at a hunting lodge called Süttör, built in the same location around 1720 ...
Founded: 1766 | Location: Fertőd, Hungary

Bishop's Palace

The Bishop"s Palace in Vác is a historic building, built between 1768 and 1775. The garden of the palace is a preserved botanical garden of national importance. The side-wing on the side of the garden overlooks Konstantin Square, while its main entrance opens from Migazzi Square.
Founded: 1768-1755 | Location: Vác, Hungary

Gödöllo Palace

The Royal Palace of Gödöllő is one of the most important, largest monuments of Hungarian palace architecture. Its builder, Count Antal Grassalkovich I (1694–1771) was a typical figure of the regrouping Hungarian aristocracy of the 18th century. He was a Royal Septemvir, president of the Hungarian Chamber, and confidant of Empress Maria Theresa (1740–1780). The construction began around 1733, under the direction of ...
Founded: 1733 | Location: Gödöllő, Hungary

Festetics Palace

The Festetics Family is one of the most significant ducal families in Hungary. The family, who was of Croatian origin, moved to Hungary in the 17th century. In 1739 Christopher Festetics (1696-1768) bought the Keszthely estate and its appurtenances, and chose it to be the centre of his estates. He began the construction of the Festetics Palacein 1745. The two-storey, U-shaped, 34-room Baroque palace was rebuilt several ti ...
Founded: 1745 | Location: Keszthely, Hungary

L'Huillier-Coburg Palace

The L"Huillier-Coburg Palace in Edelény is the seventh largest palace in Hungary. This prominent example of early-baroque architecture was built between 1716 and 1730 by Jean-Francois L"Huillier who originated from France, Alsace-Lorraine. In 1727 L"Huillier became full owner of the palace with the king"s consent. The construction of the palace needed a well-organized logistics as the woods wer ...
Founded: 1716-1730 | Location: Edelényi, Hungary

Andrássy Palace

Hungarian aristocratic family, Andrassy, has been known for its lavish lifestyle. The Andrassy Palace was built in the second half of the 19th century. With multiple towers, and neo-gothic, romantic style, it resembles the French castles in the valley of the Loire. Behind the building, a well-kept English park pleases the eye, hosting concerts during the first half of August annually. The musical series are named Piano Ce ...
Founded: 19th century | Location: Tiszadob, Hungary

Fehérvárcsurgó Palace

Set in a 50-acre English-style park, the Károlyi Mansion in Fehérvárcsurgó was built in 1844. The Neo-Classicist style mansion offers 20 rooms, furnished with historic décor. There is a summer terrace and an onsite restaurant that serves Hungarian and French cuisine.
Founded: 1844 | Location: Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary

Széchényi Palace

The mid-18th century palace in Nagycenk honours the memory of the Széchényi family. The collections of Ferenc Széchényi are the foundations of the National Széchényi Library and the Hungarian National Museum. The mausoleum of the family is in Nagycenk; István Széchenyi, 'the greatest Hungarian' lived here for a long time and is buried here.
Founded: 1750 | Location: Nagycenk, Hungary

Savoy Castle

The Savoy Castle is an 18th-century Baroque style palace. Construction of the spacious home was begun in 1702 at the commissioning of Prince Eugene of Savoy and finished in approximately 1722. Prince Eugene of Savoy acquired Csepel Island in 1698, and thereafter began the planning process of this 'maison de plaisance'. Eugene commissioned Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, a student of the Roman Carlo Fontana, to de ...
Founded: 1702-1722 | Location: Ráckeve, Hungary

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.