Once covering much of the area where the boat landing and Fo utca (Main Street) are now found, are the excavated remnants and restoration of parts of the King Matthias Museum, at Fo u. 27 (tel. 26/398-026; www.visegradmuzeum.hu). It consists of the 14th- and 15th-century palace that covers an area more than 500m (1,640 ft) in length and 150m (492 ft) in width at the foot of the hill. The terraced palace complex consists of three large units: the northern Matthias Palace, the Chapel, and the southern Beatrice Palace. The tower of the lower castle, known as Solomon's Tower, was built in the 13th century. Entrance to the palace is 1,040 Ft and 620 Ft for the tower. Students receive a 50% discount. Both are open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm, but the tower is closed from October 1 to April 30. The buried ruins of the palace, having achieved a near-mythical status, were not discovered until the 21st century.
The Cloud Castle (Fellegvár) (tel. 26/598-082), a mountaintop citadel above Visegrád, affords one of the finest views you'll find over the Danube. Admission to the citadel is 900 Ft. It is open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm from March 15 to October 14. The "City Bus," a van taxi that awaits passengers outside Visegrád Tours, takes people up the steep hill for a steep fare of 2,500 Ft apiece or 4,000 Ft for a round trip, if you stay a maximum of 30 minutes, otherwise, it is again 2,500 Ft. Note that it is not a casual walk to the citadel; consider it a day hike and pack accordingly with bottled water.
An Annual Festival -- Each summer on the second weekend in July, Visegrád hosts the International Palace Tournament, an authentic medieval festival replete with dueling knights on horseback, medieval music, and dance. If you cannot make it to this fabulous event, you can enjoy a tournament on a smaller scale combined with a medieval dinner at 6pm on Thursday in July and August. For more information, contact Visegrád Tours at tel. 26/398-160.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
