How to see the Holy Crown of Hungary
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The Holy Crown of Hungary, with its famous bent cross, is the most important symbol of Hungarian statehood. It is on display in Budapest, but only on the guided visit of the Parliament, which often sells out.
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Where the crown is kept
Since 1 January 2000 the Holy Crown has been kept in the Dome Hall, the domed central hall of the Hungarian Parliament Building on the Danube. It lies in a glass case together with the other coronation regalia: the sceptre, the orb and the coronation sword. Soldiers of the ceremonial guard stand guard beside it. The coronation mantle is kept separately, in the Hungarian National Museum.
How to see it
You see the crown on the public visit of the Parliament: an audio-guided tour that also takes in the grand staircase and the old Upper House chamber. Tickets are sold only online at jegymester.hu, the official shop, for a fixed date and time. There is no separate ticket just for the crown.
Dates often sell out weeks ahead, but returned tickets come back on sale every day. Our free alert checks the shop every few minutes and emails you when your date has a free slot. Read more in our guide to sold-out Parliament tickets, with prices.
A short history
- Two crowns in one. The lower band, with Byzantine enamel pictures, and the upper arched part, with pictures of the apostles, were made separately and joined later.
- The bent cross. The cross on top has leaned for centuries; it was damaged long ago and never straightened.
- Hungarian kings were crowned with it for centuries, and the crown itself came to stand for the Hungarian state.
- A trip to America. At the end of the Second World War the regalia were taken west and handed to the US Army. The crown was kept in the United States, at Fort Knox, until it was returned to Hungary in January 1978.
- From museum to Parliament. After its return it was shown in the Hungarian National Museum, and on 1 January 2000 it moved to the Parliament.
More on Wikipedia.
If you cannot get a ticket
Guided tours from tour companies include entry to the Parliament and often still have places when official tickets are gone: tours on GetYourGuide, tours on Viator. These are affiliate links: we get a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Compare them in official tickets vs guided tours.
Questions
Where is the Holy Crown of Hungary?
In the Dome Hall of the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest, where it has been kept since 1 January 2000, together with the sceptre, the orb and the coronation sword.
Can you see the Holy Crown without a Parliament ticket?
No. The crown is shown on the public visit of the Parliament, which needs a ticket from jegymester.hu, the official shop, or a guided tour that includes entry.
Why is the cross on the Holy Crown bent?
The cross was damaged centuries ago and has been left leaning ever since; the bent cross is now one of the best-known features of the crown.