Habsburg Gate

The Habsburg Gate, in Budapest

The Habsburg Gate is an elegant ornamental arch of the beginning of the twentieth century that marks the entrance of the Budavár Palace, guarded by the legendary Turul bird. The Budapest audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this elaborate and imposing structure, and the great bronze statue of the Turul, protective spirit of Hungarian mythology and national symbol of the Magyar people.

The arch of the Turul, protective spirit

What more sovereign than this ornamental arch to mark the entrance of the Budavár Palace? It is called the Habsburg Gate. It is in its appearance at once elaborate and imposing, typical of the beginning of the twentieth century, that it makes us succumb to its charm. But very quickly, you are intrigued by the bird statue that stands at its side. This immense mass of bronze, in the shape of an eagle or a falcon, perched on the edge of the void, is a Turul. To be brief, it is a protective spirit of Hungarian mythology and the national symbol of the Hungarians. It is particularly known for having protected Álmos, the legendary ancestor of the royal dynasty, according to the famous legend of Emese: the mother of Álmos is said to have dreamed that a Turul announced to her the birth of a lineage of great sovereigns. Holding in its talons the sword of Attila, the Turul embodies the strength, the freedom and the identity of the Magyar people, and several representations of it are found across the country. Perched there, wings spread facing the Danube, it symbolically watches over the former royal palace and offers a magnificent viewpoint over the city. This stop, mingling art, legend and history, complements marvellously the walk along the Budavár Palace. An ornamental arch and a legendary bird, the Habsburg Gate is a fine stop of the discovery of Budapest.

What to see

Here you admire an elegant ornamental arch of the beginning of the twentieth century marking the entrance of the Budavár Palace, guarded by a great bronze statue of the Turul, a legendary bird in the shape of an eagle, protective spirit of Hungarian mythology and national symbol of the Magyar people, linked to the legend of Emese; the site also offers a fine view over the Danube. The Habsburg Gate is a place of legend of Budapest. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Habsburg Gate lies at the entrance of the Budavár Palace, on the castle hill, in Budapest, reachable on foot. It is a monument in free access in the public space, that also offers a fine viewpoint over the Danube and Pest. You discover it during a walk along the palace.

What is the Turul of the Habsburg Gate in Budapest?

It is a legendary bird in the shape of an eagle or a falcon, protective spirit of Hungarian mythology and national symbol of the Magyar people; according to the legend of Emese, it protected Álmos, the ancestor of the royal dynasty. Its great bronze statue, wings spread, guards the entrance of the Budavár Palace from this ornamental arch of the beginning of the twentieth century, facing the Danube.

Where is the Habsburg Gate in Budapest?

At the entrance of the Budavár Palace, on the castle hill, in Budapest, in Hungary.