Vajdahunyad Castle sits on a small island in the lake at Városliget, surrounded in winter by ice-skaters and in summer by paddleboats. The building is a deliberate architectural collage, its various wings imitating different historical styles from across the Carpathian Basin. It should feel absurd, and in a way it does — but it is also genuinely beautiful, particularly in low light when the towers reflect in the lake.
Inside, the Hungarian Museum of Agriculture occupies the main wing. It is not the most riveting collection in the city, but the building itself justifies the visit. The courtyard is free to enter. Outside the main entrance stands a statue of Anonymous, the medieval chronicler who wrote the first history of Hungary — his face is hidden under a hood, since no one knows who he actually was. Students traditionally rub his pen for luck before exams.