Visegrád is a small town on the right bank of the Danube in the
Danube Bend. (And a great day trip from Budapest!) Visegrád is
famous for the remains of the early Renaissance summer palace of
King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and the citadel or “upper
castle.” The citadel, atop a 328 meter high hill, was originally
built in a triangular shape and had two towers. It dates back to
the 13th century and was home to Hungarian kings. It later
became their summer residence. New wings and an external wall
were built during the Angevin period. Around 1400 King Sigismund
also had a third curtain wall constructed and enlarged the
palace buildings. At the end of the 15th century, King Matthias
Corvinus had the interior part of the castle renovated. The
upper castle also served for the safekeeping of the Hungarian
royal insignia between the 14th century and 1526. The hexagonal
Solomon Tower was built in 1258. Vlad Tepes, aka Dracula, was
imprisoned here between 1462-74.