The second phase of the Buda Castle Gardens (Várkert Bazár) renovation project has come to an end as Sunday saw the ceremonial opening of the finished heritage site. The royal garden pavilions lie at the foot of the city’s iconic Castle Hill and was opened to the public during the weekend.
László L. Simon government commissioner, in charge of the renovation project, said the renovation consisted of the reconstruction of the heritage site, public transportation development and construction of new buildings. The total budget of the project was EUR 35 million (11 billion HUF), and was financed by the Hungarian state and the European Union. The opening was commemorated by a massive street celebration.
The Castle Garden was originally designed by renowned architect Miklós Ybl in 1883, but the 2.000 square-meter pavilions, after years of negligence, were closed down in 1984. With the renovation complete, the boat rides of Budapest public transportation company BKK will all stop at the new attraction. During the renovations, construction workers laid down 19.900 square-meters of asphalt and 3530 meters of sidewalk curbs. The Castle Garden is now open to the public, it will also be opened for traffic in the middle of September.