Gatehouse Tower

Budapest


Covered in vines, the turreted Gatehouse Tower, part of the Vajdahunyad Castle, greets visitors as they cross the footbridge to the small island in the centre of City Park Lake. The tower, which is self-guided and counts 56 steps to the top, is of mild interest if you want to learn more about the castle's history via the archive exhibits on its two floors.

The original blueprints for the castle were found during the 2015 renovations in a hidden alcove in this tower. Combination tickets including the Apostles' Tower (700Ft) and Hungarian Agricultural Museum (adult/child 2100/1300Ft) are also available.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Budapest attractions

1. Ják Chapel

0.02 MILES

The little church with the jungly, overgrown cloister opposite Vajdahunyad Castle is called Ják Chapel because its intricate, many-layered portal was…

2. Apostles' Tower

0.04 MILES

Accessed via the Hungarian Agricultural Museum, the Apostles' Tower stands 30m tall and looks down on the beautiful Ják Chapel, as well as giving you a…

3. Anonymous Statue

0.05 MILES

The statue of the hooded figure opposite Vajdahunyad Castle is that of Anonymous, the unknown chronicler at the court of King Béla III (r 1172–96) who…

4. Hungarian Agricultural Museum

0.06 MILES

This huge and rather esoteric museum is housed in the stunning baroque and gothic wings of Vajdahunyad Castle. Scattered across a dozen palatial halls,…

5. Vajdahunyad Castle

0.07 MILES

Erected for the 1896 millenary celebrations originally in canvas and later built in stone, the castle was modelled after a fortress in Transylvania – but…

6. City Park

0.15 MILES

City Park is Pest’s green lung, an open space measuring almost a square kilometre that hosted most of the events during Hungary’s 1000th anniversary…

7. Heroes' Square

0.2 MILES

Heroes’ Sq is the largest and most symbolic square in Budapest. It is dominated by the Millenary Monument (Ezeréves emlékmű), a 36m-high pillar topped by…

8. Palace of Art

0.21 MILES

The Palace of Art, reminiscent of a Greek temple, is among the city’s largest exhibition spaces. It focuses on contemporary visual arts, with some three…