The time of the visit was carefully chosen to fall on one of the two days special folklore festivals held once a year, called St. Martin’s day, the first day of winter and the last day before the 40 days of Advent, where feast, balls, fairs used to be held. People ate goose and drank new wine and said: „Eat a goose on St. Martin’s Day or you will starve all year”.
Having met at Szell Kalman Square at 10.30, the six AIC students with the guides took a few minute’s rides by bus (16A) to the Royal Castle. We started our tour at the Castle side of the medieval city on Castle Hill, which lies and is still inhabited by locals in the heart of the Capital. The construction of the Castle was started by Béla IV. to build a siege-proof residence against the Mongolian invasion in the mid 13th century. All the successor kings added extensions to the Royal Castle which first wore the sign of the Roman, Gothic, later [...]
