Brunswick Castle

Brunswick Castle is located in the Hungarian town of Martonvászár. The picturesque neo-Gothic castle is often referred to as “Beethoven’s nest”. The beautiful building is an example of 18th century architecture, and its owners, the Hungarian aristocrats of Brunswick, left their mark on the country’s history as founders of the Enlightenment and outstanding statesmen. Ludwig van Beethoven was a friend of the Brunswick family and often came to Hungary. It is believed that it was here that he composed the famous “Moonlight Sonata.”

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Video: Brunswick Castle

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Highlights

Nowadays, Brunswick Castle is occupied by the Research Institute of Agriculture, established under the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The building also houses a museum dedicated to Beethoven and a spacious hall where movies about the composer are shown. Around Brunswick Castle there is a huge park of 70 hectares with more than 300 species of trees. In the summertime, live music concerts featuring classical works are held on a small island in the park.

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Tourists

For tourists, the park grounds are open any day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A ticket to the park costs 1400 forints and to the museum costs 640 forints. At the ticket office you can buy a map of the park, which is very convenient to navigate and find the right paths.

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History of Brunswick Castle

The Brunswicks became the owners of Martonwashar in the 18th century. At that time, the main manor house was one-story and looked nothing like a palace. The new owners wanted to enlarge the building and commissioned the Viennese architect Joseph Taller to do so. Initially, the castle was built in the Baroque tradition, but in the beginning of the XIX century it was added one more floor and remodeled in the English Neo-Gothic style. Under the Brunswiks, the Baroque church of St. Anne, built by the Pest architect Jozsef Jung, was added to the estate and a luxurious park was laid out.

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The next owner of Brunswick Castle was Baron Atale Dreher, a wealthy factory owner who brewed beer. Curiously, the beer that bears his name is still sold today and is very much liked by Hungarians.

During World War II

During World War II, the palace complex housed a hospital. In the process, the palace and the English park were severely destroyed. The estate was empty until the 1950s, but then the castle and park were restored and they were declared a protected area. In 1970, the composer’s museum was established here.

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Beethoven Museum

The aim of the creators of the museum at Brunswick Castle was to memorialize the composer’s stay on Hungarian soil. It is believed that Beethoven composed the “Moonlight Sonata” when he was in love with the castle owner’s cousin and his student Giulietta Guicciardi.

The rooms display antique pianos, other musical instruments and antique furniture. A bust of Beethoven can be seen, as well as portraits of the composer and members of the Brunswick family. On the walls there are stands with information about the family history of the owners of the castle and the milestones of Beethoven’s biography. There is no audio guide in the museum, and descriptions are in English and Hungarian.

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How to get there

Brunsvik Castle stands 36 km southwest of Budapest, in Martonvaszár, at Brunszvik, 2. The place is not difficult to reach by car and public transportation. By car, from the capital of Hungary, take the M7 highway towards Lake Balaton. Free parking is available in front of the entrance to the castle.

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Travelers getting there on their own drive from Budapest’s Déli pályaudvar station or Kőbánya-Kispest station to Martonvásár station. Trains in this direction run at intervals of 20-30 minutes, the journey itself takes 25-30 minutes. From the railway station in Martonvásár to Brunswick Castle is about 0.6 km on foot. Buses from Budapest to Martonvášar leave from the Nepliget bus station.

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