Location Spotter: Vajdahunyad Castle, City Park, Budapest
zita kisgergely
Sometimes it takes an outsider’s eye to appreciate what has been in front of you all along. Take, for instance, the City Park, a place that is often overlooked for flashier locations in Budapest. One thing that stands out in this huge green space is the historic and curious history of the Vajdahunyad Castle, which is fast achieving a place as a top tourist site and ever-more intriguing location, so much so that it was recently the subject of a profile on the ultra-hip and in-the-know travel site Atlas Obscura.
Most passersby don’t recognize that the Vajdahunyad Castle wasn’t intended to be a residential castle at all, but rather was only for show (it now houses the much-overlooked agricultural museum). Utilizing four styles of architecture: Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, and Romanesque, the structure was originally constructed out of wooden planks and cardboard, for the Millennial Exhibition (Hungary’s 1000th year birthday), and though it was slated to be torn down, was reconstructed with proper building materials due to its popularity with locals.
According to the castle’s official site: “The concept of Vajdahunyad Castle Budapest was to blend the various architectural styles into one composite castle. The design of Ignác Alpár contains the architectural details of 21 buildings, some only in minor additions, while others as main characters.” While Atlas Obscura describes the building as having a funhouse quality and ‘dreamy ambivalence’ it is in fact a more serious affair, lending a sinister and Medieval air to its surroundings. While the Vajdahunyad Castle may fit the bill perfectly as the pied-a-terre of a wealthy vampire, and it has been speculated that Bram Stoker visited the place and took inspiration from it for his creation, there is no real proof of this, though it is interesting to note that there is a bust of Bela Lugosi, the Hungarian actor who originated the role of Dracula, outside the castle. Just like with Dracula, the profile of the castle only grows with time.
All images via vajdahunyadcastle.com and wiki commons.
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