Székesfehérvár – Visiting Bory Castle & a bit of the city

Székesfehérvár(Latin Alba Regia) is located in Central Hungary and it’s one of the most ancient towns in the country.

A bit of History of Székesfehérvár

Easily reached by car (via M7 highway) from Budapest, the town was established by Géza, the Grand Duke, during his principality (972 – 997). Although you can also hop on a train from Budapest-Déli station or catch a bus from Budapest’s Népliget bus station

During the reign of King St Stephen (1001 -1038), the city extended and was populous.

In the 12th century, the monks established here enriched Latin Alba by building pompous churches, monasteries, and dwelling houses. The construction of Saint Peter’s cathedral started, which later was the scene of the coronation of King Béla IV.

In the 14th century, the city walls were built, but the Turks took over in 1543 and kept the city under their rule for 145 years. In In 1703, it became a free royal city and soon after the Franciscans built churches.

Visiting Bory Castle

If you’re goal is to first get here, a car is the best bet. You can also take a local bus, but apparently you have to tell the bus driver you’re going to Bory Vár (because none of the buses will take you directly there).

Without a doubt, it’s the most popular attraction in tow – and we could certainly tell by the number of visitors. The castle is open year round but in winter it closes earlier. There were still flowers in bloom in late May, although it believe it’d be better to visit in early May because of the gorgeous gardens.

Built by the sculptor Jenő Bory and his wife, it’s more of a manor than a castle. And yes, it’s pretty small, albeit very cute. The castle combines a variety of styles, such as Scottish, Romanesque, and Gothic. But most of the place is open to roam around and you can freely climb the towers and walk through the gardens. There are sculptures and paintings, all by the owner.

The entry ticket is 4000 HUF (USD 13-14) / adult and it grants you access everywhere and allows you to take pics. Just bring cash because apparently we couldn’t pay by card (the machine “wasn’t working”). Students and pensioners pay less (3000 HUF) and children under 6 visit for free.

>> You can find a lot of detailed info here (in Hungarian, but my Chome did a lovely job translating).

As for how long you can spend here: pretty much as long as you wish but I’d say 1.5-2h is enough. There’s a café on site (but I wasn’t interested in checking it out or the prices).

You’ll do a lot of walking and climbing stairs. I wouldn’t say you need to be fit but let’s say some stairs wouldn’t let a very large person fit in there.

The views from the castle are gorgeous. And you can stop at every step to take a photo of something.

Below are some photos I have taken:

What about the rest of the city?

We have not planned to spend a lot of time visiting the rest of the city. So, we made our way to the center and walked by Városház Square, Koronázó Square, Milk Woman Kati Monument, Sovereign’s Orb, King Stephen Museum, and visited (for free) Our Lady – John of Nepomuk Parish Church.

And here are some pics from the rest of the city: