Matthias Church (Mátyás Templom)

The jewel of Castle Hill, a white beauty whose colored-tile rooftop is visible from miles away, has a long and fascinating history. Founded in the 13th century after the Mongol invasion, it was redesigned as a Gothic church in 1387. During more than a century of Turkish occupation, starting in 1541, Matthias Church was converted into a mosque and much of its original décor and ornamentation destroyed. After the Turks were defeated in 1686, restoration began, but most of the splendid interior was restored thanks to the Hungarian coronation, in 1867, of Austria’s emperor Franz Joseph and empress Elisabeth. Franz Liszt composed and conducted his Coronation Mass for the lavish celebration (though he was famously snubbed and not invited to the subsequent festivities because he was not an aristocrat). The church still hosts fabulous free concerts—try to catch a performance by the acclaimed choir.