Your tour begins at the palace, the ancient seat of royal power. It was rebuilt, extended, changed, burned down, and rebuilt again several times over, and it got its current eclectic appearances only after World War II. Walking past the Presidential Palace and the National Dance Theatre, you will enter the Castle Hill residential district. The modern wars suffered by Hungary did not pass unnoticed here. This part of town, too, was completely destroyed at least twice; once when Hapsburgled troops retook it from the Turks in 1686, and again when the Russians crushed the besieged troops of Nazi Germany in 1945. It was lovingly rebuilt in the 1950s and 60s.

A highlight of the tour is the Matthias Church, with its abundantly decorated roof and amazing interior. In many ways, this church is not what it seems. Along the way, you’ll also pass numerous town palaces and visit one of them, the house of an 18th-century pharmacist’s family. There, you can also see the extensive damage caused by the siege of Buda in the first months of 1945, when German troops and their allies were hiding out in the cellars and caves under Castle Hill.

You will drop by the hidden garden of an interesting gallery, see two wooden hussars and the stone statue of a hussar who conquered Berlin (if only for a few days). You’ll also hear about the mythical “turul bird”, the genius baron and his amazing chess machine, and the reason why the bells of Catholic churches chime routinely at midday. Your tour eventually ends at the Vienna Gate, from where you can see all the way to Obuda (Old Buda), where the Romans founded the city (then called Aquincum).