HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM (MAGYAR NEMZETI MÚZEUM)

Built between 1837 and 1846 to the plans of Mihály Pollack, this neoclassical palace owes much to the treasures amassed by Ferenc Széchenyi, a great collector. In 1848, the institution became a rallying point for the March 15 uprising against the Habsburgs. The young revolutionary Sándor Petőfi gave a speech there at the time. Visiting the National Museum is an excellent way to learn about Hungarian history. The museum's permanent exhibition features a rich Roman lapidary in the basement, revealing the nuggets of Pannonia. On the first floor, a door opens onto the room reserved for the coronation robe. This Byzantine silk chasuble dates from 1031 and depicts the coronation of St. Stephen and his wife, Gisela. It was worn by all Hungarian rulers during their coronation from the 13th century onwards. On the mezzanine floor, one can navigate from prehistory to the arrival of the first Magyar tribes. Then on the second floor, 28 rooms allow to go back ten centuries of Hungarian history, from the Arpadian dynasty through the Middle Ages, then the Ottoman occupation (1541-1686) and the liberation by Ferenc Rákóczi, hero of the war against the Habsburgs (1703-1711). In 1867, Vienna gave in to Magyar demands. The period of prosperity that followed was ended by the First World War and the Treaty of Trianon. In 1989, after more than four decades of communist rule, Hungary regained its sovereignty and democracy.