1 Budavári Palota (Buda Castle Palace)
2 Gellért-hegy (Gellért Hill)
3 Halászbástya (Fishermen's Bastion)
4 Magyar Állami Operaház (Hungarian State Opera House)
5 Margit-sziget (Margaret Island)
6 Mátyás-templom (Matthias Church)
7 Országház (Parliament)
8 Szent István Bazilika (St Stephen's Basilica)
9 Szépművészeti Mùzeum (Fine Arts Museum)
10 Várhegy (Castle Hill)
Rising to a height of 235m between Erzsébet (Elizabeth) and Szabadság (Liberty) bridges over the Danube, this is perhaps the best vantage point from which to see Budapest.
Named after Bishop Gellért (Gerard), who was given the unenviable task of converting the reluctant Magyars to Christianity, this hill provides a commanding view of Budapest, and overlooks the Elizabeth Bridge from which, according to legend, this poor soul was cast into the Danube by a bunch of stubborn heathens.
At the foot of the hill are the Rudas Fürdó (Rudas Baths) with their unmistakeable domed roof, and inside, their octagonal pool. Crowning the hill is the Citadella , a white-stoned fortress constructed to restore order in the aftermath of the 1848-9 War of Independence. Today, as a restaurant and dormitory- style hotel, it fortifies nothing more than the hungry and foot-weary. The top of the hill is crowned by the Liberation, or Freedom Monument, a striking statue of a woman holding a palm branch aloft. It was raised by the Russians in 1947 and originally incorporated a Soviet soldier, complete with red flag - tactfully removed after the collapse of Communism. Towards Liberty Bridge you can see the famous Gellért Hotel, once the headquarters of the so-called dictator Admiral Horthy. Now the houses and apartments of the well-heeled dominate this area.Address: Budapest I, XI
Open: Open access
Restaurant: Citadella Restaurant (Moderately priced)
Bus: 27; tram 18, 19, 47, 49
Accessible: Limited
Admission: Citadel: cheap
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