Walk in the Veszprém Castle

The castle of Veszprém was built in the X-XI. centuries on one of the seven hills, Castle Hill. A wall encircling the steep slopes of the hillsides as a remainder of the former fortification, where historic buildings rose step by step stand today. The visitor should not look for a classical medieval, thick-walled stone building, but instead this place is surrounded by a whole quarter of ancient atmosphere and spirit as he crosses Heroes' Gate ...

In the meantime, the castle district, which has been given a Baroque look, concentrates most of the city's attractions. In addition, great viewpoints and important program venues await the enquirer.

Turning westward from the already entered Heroes' Gate, you will find the Fire Lookout Tower, one of the city’s symbols, which was originally raised to protect the gate, from the height of which you can glimpse the town and look into its everyday life. Walking down the only narrow cobblestone street of the castle, you will be surrounded by magnificent Baroque buildings on both sides, once built on medieval castle walls.

In the immediate vicinity of the tower is the former Syringe House, built in the early 1800s for a fire brigade. On its façade there is an inscription referring to its original function: "This house is built with the money of the citizens, and it is a means of protection from the fire." Today, the Syringe House is the headquarters of an industrial corporation, the symmetrical facade building is decorated with the coat of arms of the city of Veszprém and three guild badges.

There was already a prison in the castle of Veszprém around 1600, which at that time consisted of only one cell.

In the ancient buildings modern art has found its way home: you can see artworks of different eras and trends in the Modern Art Gallery or the Csikász Gallery, or admire the fine arts at Dubniczay Palace. The palace currently has four exhibition spaces; temporary exhibitions of the palace, the Castle Gallery and the Granary, and the Brick Collection on the south side.

Saint Emeric Piarist and Garrison Church is a church of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The picture of the main altar was made in honour of Saint Emeric, who is the patron saint of the church.

Located in the heart of the castle district is St. Michael's Cathedral, which is based on the oldest episcopal cathedral in the country, founded by Queen Gisela. However, the ruined Romanesque foundations of the original building, its Gothic shrine and its lower church were incorporated into the neo-Romanesque building that is still visible today.

In the neighbourhood of the cathedral, the Castle Street expands into a small square (Trinity Square) with an ornate ornamentation of the Trinity Statue. The space is surrounded by impressive buildings such as the Archbishop's Palace, where a valuable library and archive awaits those interested in the origin of old volumes, family trees, and names; Gisela Chapel, named after our first Queen, Dubniczay Palace, which has been an exhibition venue since 2006, or Judge Giczey's House, which since 2011 has been home to the Salesianum - Archbishopric's Touristic Centre.

Next to the Salesian Archdiocese Tourist Centre is the one-nave Franciscan church built in 1730 and built in the style of Copf. One of the most popular attractions of the Veszprém Castle is the Castle Well, which is located next to the Trinity statue in front of the Gisela Chapel.

Further along the northern side of the cathedral, you will find Veszprém's probably the oldest medieval building, the St. George's Chapel (built in between X-XI centuries); where, according to the legend of St. Emeric, the son of our first king made a vow of virginity.

Reaching the northern corner of the castle, the statue of the first Hungarian royal couple, Saint Stephen and Blessed Gisela, rises above the old town, almost protecting the settlement and its inhabitants. Behind the stone figure of the prestigious couple, a stroll through the castle of Veszprém is once again a great panorama.

On the northern side of the castle we reach a narrow staircase to the Benedict Hill, which was the burial ground of our conquering ancestors. On its white cliff you can see the cross erected in 1904, which was renovated in 2005.

As of February 2024, the next phase of the Veszprém Castle District project will be launched, covering the majority of the buildings in the inner area of Veszprém Castle. The Castle Street will be open to the public outside working hours - from 17:00 on weekdays until 6:00 the next morning, and all day on weekends and public holidays. The opening hours of the sights and exhibition places in the castle can be found on the website of the given attraction.

The Veszprém Castle can be visited free of charge. The ticket prices and discounts of the sights and exhibition places in the castle can be found on the website of the given attraction.