Matthias Church

Matthias Church, officially the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, stands in Holy Trinity Square at the heart of the Castle District, just behind the Fisherman's Bastion. A church has stood here since the 13th century, when King Béla IV built a basilica after the Mongol invasion, and it was rebuilt as a Gothic hall church in the 14th century. It takes its popular name from King Matthias Corvinus, who had the great southwest bell tower rebuilt and held both of his weddings here.

Its history mirrors that of the city. Under Ottoman rule from 1541 to 1686 it served as a mosque and lost most of its medieval furnishings. Later it was restored in Baroque style, and between 1874 and 1896 the architect Frigyes Schulek returned it to a Gothic form and added much of what you see today, including the diamond-patterned roof tiles and the richly painted interior. Franz Joseph I was crowned King of Hungary here in 1867 and Charles IV in 1916, the last two coronations of Hungarian kings.

Inside, the walls and pillars are covered with painted patterns and figures in deep colours, a style quite unlike most Gothic churches in western Europe. Look for the sandstone pulpit designed by Schulek and the Ecclesiastical Art Museum, which starts in the medieval crypt and climbs to St Stephen's Chapel. The church offers a free audio guide in several languages through a QR code on its Wi-Fi network, and separate tickets cover visits to the bell tower, which gives views over the castle and the river.

This is an active Catholic parish church, so tourist visits are limited during services, weddings and concerts, and opening times are shorter on some days. Check the official website before you go and dress respectfully. Allow 45 minutes for the church and longer if you climb the tower. Evening concerts take advantage of the organ and acoustics.

The church is a natural pair with the Fisherman's Bastion directly in front and the Holy Trinity Column in the square. Buda Castle is about ten minutes' walk south along the hill. Buses run up to the Castle District, or you can walk up from Batthyány tér station on metro line M2.