Radó Dezső: Parks and Forests - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
The Tabán is the home of birches and lindens. The latter are dazzling with a heavy load of honey when in blossom. There are also specimens of locust tree, red mulberry and tree of heaven as well as one called rattle tree after its bladder-like, dry fruit. Castle gardens The peculiarity of the Castle Gardens is that they display the horticulture of different eras while adapting to the various buildings of the Castle. In Dísz Tér and in the inner courtyard of the south wing of the Palace medieval gardens can be seen. There are Baroque gardens by the main building of the palace and in the Csikós Yard, whereas modern landscape gardens ornament the surrounding slopes. The characteristic trees of the the Castle Hill slopes include horse chestnut, silver fir (Picea pungens), flowering cherry, tulip tree, Turkish hazel and flowering ash. By the southern Rondella an almost 200 year old Japanese pagoda-tree towers above the city. The Mayors’ Garden, established in 1972, contains trees characteristic of the different European capitals (linden, Turkish hazel, ash, mountain ash and maple). It is located by Ostrom utca, just outside the northern Vienna gate. Tóth Árpád sétány, in the northwest of Castle Hill, offers a unique atmosphere and a magnificent view. Formerly Bástya (Bastion) sétány, it was formed in the 1700’s, after the retaking of the Castle from Turks. Today horse chestnuts and maples border the shady promenade. VÉRMEZŐ (BLOOD FIELD) Entering this park from Mikó utca we find ourselves in the busiest part of the Vérmező. Here is one of the most popular playgrounds of Budapest boasting a toy rental shop. During the siege of Buda Castle in World War 11, the field was used as a makeshift airfield. Extensive shelling almost entirely destroyed the vegetation. The park was re-established after the war but suffered again from the construction of the underground railway. Careful gardening turned the 15 hectare area into a fully-fledged park with diverse tree species, playgrounds, a sunbathing area, and perhaps the richest collection of perennial plants in the city. Near the main playground spiny oleaster, white wil23
