Varhegy - The Fortress Theatre of Budapest

SEARCH HOTELS BUDAPEST

In collaboration with Booking.com

Useful Info:

some practical information for visiting Budapest

News

Offerte per gli Hotel a Francoforte con utili informazioni per visitare la città.

Customer Care

Varhegy -The fortress theatre

On the west bank of river Danube lies Varhegy, the Fortress Hill. With an height of about 167 metres, it is the most elevated and oldest part of Buda. It represents the historical nucleon of the city. The borough deserves a special visit, every corner here and every street is a vivid leap into the past!

You can start the walk in the borough from Saint George Square, Szent Gyorgy ter, which is closed on one side by the Royal Palace, while on the other side it opens on the borough.

The huge yellow building lying on the river side is the Varszinhaz, the Fortress Theatre. Originally during the course of the XIII century it was built as an important Franciscan convent, while lately under the Turks dominance it became the residence of the Pasha, and the adjacent church was converted into a mosque. Following the expulsion of the Turks, the palace became the seat of the Carmelite order until 1784, when Emperor Joseph II dissolved all religious orders and the palace turned into a meeting place for social events, something which it is still today.

It was from a project of the famous character Farkas Kempelen, the inventor of the automatic chesses, that the transformation of the palace was made. Thanks to the good sound provided by the vaults, a stage was placed in the apse, where actors performed. In this way the palace turned into the Fortress Theatre.

On the right side next to the entrance one can admire a low relief commemorating one of the most unforgettable nights of the theatre: 7th May 1800, when Beethoven performed his famous sonata for piano and horn.

Varszinhaz Budapest