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The building of the town began in the middle of the thirteenth century. At the time of the 1241 Mongol invasion the town of Pest, built on the plain on the site of today's Inner City and thus completely defenseless, had been burnt down and its population put to the sword. Thus it seemed safer to build a new city protected by ramparts on the other side of the river, on the plateau on top of the steep limestone hill. The Royal Castle was built at the southern end of the plateau, the civilian town to the north. At first the town was protected only by fences and the walls of the houses, but by the early sixteenth century it was surrounded by strong ramparts. {mosgoogle center} Today the Royal palace house the National Gallery, the National Library, the Ludwig Contemporary Collection and the Historical Museum. From the panorama terrace there is a magnificent view on the Pest side.
The centre of Budapest Castle District is at Szentháromság tér (Holy Trinity Square). The Holy Trinity Statue, the Old Town Hall, the House of Hungarian Wines and Matthias Church are here. Next to the Holy Trinity Square is the Fisherman's bastion.
One way of getting to the palace is by the funicular from the Adam Clarck square(Clark Ádám tér, (near the Chain Bridge), which has a 95 metres long, 48% steep track and offers an astonishing panorama. Other possibilty is to take the Várbusz (Castle bus), it departs every few minutes from Moszkva tér(Moskau square). {mosgoogle left}
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The Castle District in Buda is the ancient kernel of the capital's right-bank settlement. The Royal Palace houses different museums and exhibitions. The castle District is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Budapest. 