National Széchenyi Library

Castle District

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The copyright National Széchenyi Library contains codices and manuscripts, a large collection of foreign newspapers and a copy of everything published in Hungary or in the Hungarian language.

The library was founded in 1802 by Count Ferenc Széchenyi, father of the heroic statesman István, who endowed it with 15,000 books and 2000 manuscripts. This library allows members (adult/student annual 6500/3500Ft, per six months 3500/2000Ft, daily/monthly per person 1200/2000Ft) to do research, peruse the general stacks and read the large collection of foreign newspapers and magazines.

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Nearby Castle District attractions

1. Castle Museum

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The Castle Museum, part of the multibranched Budapest History Museum, explores the city's 2000-year history over four floors. Restored palace rooms dating…

2. Royal Palace

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The former Royal Palace has been razed and rebuilt at least half a dozen times over the past seven centuries. Béla IV established a royal residence here…

3. Matthias Fountain

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Facing the Royal Palace’s large courtyard to the northwest is the Romantic-style Matthias Fountain, portraying the young king Matthias Corvinus in hunting…

4. Eugene of Savoy Statue

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To the southeast of the Habsburg Steps entrance, just in front of the Royal Palace, stands a statue of Eugene of Savoy, the Habsburg prince who wiped out…

5. Hungarian National Gallery

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The Hungarian National Gallery is an overwhelming collection spread across four floors and four wings of the palace that traces Hungarian art from the…

6. Castle Garden Bazaar

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This renovated pleasure park dating from 1893 has added a whole new dimension to Tabán district in recent years. The complex comprises over a dozen neo…

7. Turul Statue

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To the east of the Habsburg Steps entrance to the palace is a bronze statue from 1905 of the Turul, a hawklike totemic bird that supposedly impregnated…

8. 0km Stone

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What looks like an elongated concrete doughnut hidden in the bushes off Clark Ádám tér is the 0km stone. All Hungarian roads to and from the capital are…