Description
The Castle District National Memorial Site in Budapest is the oldest part of Hungary’s capital, featuring the highest concentration of historic monuments, and is also listed as a World Heritage site. Aside from the period when the country was occupied by foreign powers, it has been at the centre of Hungary’s public administration and politics since 1247. Until the middle of the 20th century, the palaces of the head of state and government, the offices of the prime minister, some ministries and the embassies of many foreign countries were located in the Castle District. Nowadays, it is the cultural and representative centre of the Hungarian state, home among other things to the presidential residence, the Sandor Palace, the Prime Minister’s offices, the Matthias Church, the National Széchényi Library and the Hungarian National Gallery. The coin celebrating the Budapest Castle District National Memorial Site continues the series of collector coins issued annually since 2014 presenting national memorial sites. It highlights three important architectural anniversaries in 2025: next year marks 600 years since the widow of King Sigismund, Barbara of Cilli, had the Buda Castle rebuilt, construction of the Várkert Bazár started 150 years ago, and work on the current facade of the Royal Palace began 120 years ago, based on the plans of architects Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann.
