Fisherman Bastion - Halaszbastya, Budapest

4.5 out of 5 stars4.5 Stars - 161 Reviews

Castle District (Varhegy) in Buda
 
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  • Raimix's Profile Photo

    Fisherman bastion

    by Raimix Updated Mar 4, 2011 1552 reviews

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    The fishermen bastion is a nice place in Budapest near the Matthias church and more historical building in Buda district. The bastion was built in 1902 and from there you can see nice views of Pest with Parliament house, Cathedral.

    By the way, another beautiful panorama can be seemed from yards of Buda castle.

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    Fisherman's Bastion

    by mallyak Written Dec 16, 2010 719 reviews

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    Built in 1905 on the medieval castle walls, the neo-Romanesque ramparts were so named after the city's fishermen whose duty it was to defend this side of the hill during the Middle Ages, but the existing bastion never actually served a defensive purpose. It is solely ornamental with gleaming white cloisters and stairways connecting seven turrets symbolic of the Magyar tribes that conquered the Carpathian Basin in the 9th century. Set back from the ramparts is an equestrian statue of King Stephen, a memorial to the founder of the Hungarian nation. The view from Fisherman's Bastion, over the Danube, the Chain Bridge and the Parliament Buildings with Pest stretching out into the distance, is outstanding

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  • JessieLang's Profile Photo

    Fisherman's Bastion

    by JessieLang Written Nov 21, 2010 636 reviews

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    The Fishermen’s Bastion was built in the early 20th Century. It was never used for defensive purposes; it was built to be decorative, and it is. A statue of St. Stephen sits in the adjoining square. The Bastion has 7 towers, representing the 7 Hungarian tribes, and there is wonderful view from the top.

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  • Sergiods's Profile Photo

    Fisherman's Bastion

    by Sergiods Written Nov 16, 2010 51 reviews
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    Well-known for the wonderful panoramic views it provides of the city of Budapest, the castle-like Fisherman’s Bastion was built in 1905, mainly for decorative purposes. It’s located near Matthias Church in the Castle District of this interesting city.

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  • azz8206's Profile Photo

    Wonderful Views of Budapest

    by azz8206 Written Oct 18, 2010 169 reviews

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    View of Fisherman's Bastion
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    You can see some really nice views of Budapest from Fisherman's Bastion, though you'll have to pay 500HUF pp to see those views.
    Fisherman's Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 in a neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style. It was almost destroyed during WW2 but the son of the man who designed it was put in charge of its restoration. There are seven towers made to represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled around Hungary in 896. The Bastion takes its name from the fishermen that were responsible for defending Budapest during the Middle Ages.
    In the middle of the square between Fisherman's Bastion and Matyas Church there is a bronze statue of Stephen the First, the first king of Hungary, on horseback. It was erected in 1906 and follows the neo-Romanesque style with depictions of the king's life.
    It is easily reached by taking the no. 16 bus at Moskva Ter.

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  • milliturtle's Profile Photo

    Night and Day

    by milliturtle Updated Sep 30, 2010 69 reviews

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    We were staying at the Hilton right next to it, so we had a chance to see the Fisherman's Bastion at night and in daytime. The atmosphere is so different, it is literally night and day". (Couldn't resist.)

    We first saw the Fisherman's Bastion at night after dinner. We didn't plan to visit anything that night and just wanted to go for a stroll. We walked through this little path next to the hotel and discovered we were actually in the Fisherman's Bastion. It was quite an experience to see a historical site by flood lights with only a few other people around. We were also treated to a panoramic night view of Pest. The place was just really quiet and serene - which came at a good time because we had been moving around quite a bit and was ready for some rest. It got a bit chilly and soon we were the only ones left. We might have stayed longer but decided that we should turn in because we got a lot of grounds to cover the next day.

    In the morning, after we found breakfast, we decided to see the Fisherman's Bastion under sunlight. Boy, had the scene changed. The place was now filled with people and tour buses. It seemed like all the tour groups decided they must visit this site at the same time. While it was quite lively, it was also difficult to (say) take a picture without other people in the frame. That's not to say we didn't manage to get a few shots. It did give us new appreciation to the architecture and the size of the place.

    I think if you have a chance, you should try to visit the site at night. It might be a bit hard unless you are staying in the Castle district though, because the castle bus may not run frequently at night.

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    Fishermen's Bastion

    by german_eagle Updated Apr 4, 2010 1923 reviews

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    Fishermen's Bastion and King Steven's monument
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    The oh so medieval looking Fishermen's Bastion on the castle hill in Buda is only slightly more than 100 years old. It was built 1899-1905 by Frigyes Schulek to replace the ruinous castle wall. The style is neo-Romanesque which fits perfectly for a romantic decoration, finishing the grounds of St. Matthew church in the east.

    The arcades on the ground floor are free and offer fantastic views of the Danube and the city - the galleries upstairs cost an admission fee - a rip-off - and offer basically the same views. The huge staircase leads down to Vizivaros district - probably a nice walk and not to exhausting.

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  • illumina's Profile Photo

    Halászbástya

    by illumina Written Jan 17, 2010 1045 reviews

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    The Fishermans's Bastion is a beautiful terrace next to Matthias Church, which offers a superb view out over Budapest and the Danube, and of the Parliament Buildings in particular. It was designed by the architect Frigyes Schulek and constructed around 1900, though because it was built in Neo Gothic and Neo Romanesque styles, you could be forgiven for thinking it was older.

    It was built on the site of a stretch of the original medieval city walls, and it's name comes from, variously: the fact that that stretch was defended by the Fisherman's Guild; that this area was known as Fisherman's Town, or that a fish market was held here during the medieval period. Maybe all three!

    In addition to it's stairways, passages and viewing platforms, the Bastion has seven turrets which are said to represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled Hungary in the 9th century.

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  • ViajesdelMundo's Profile Photo

    FABULOUS VIEWS with Music and Drinks

    by ViajesdelMundo Written Jul 30, 2009 277 reviews

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    Enjoy the ambience with the view
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    These bastions on Castle Hill were erected between 1895 and 1902. In the Middle Ages, the fish market was here, and this part of the wall was defended by the fisherman, hence the name

    White limestone was used for construction of the five circular turrets, which are connected by arcaded passages.

    We were delighted our first evening to sit at a cafe' set up with the best views and listen to the roving minstrels, over a drink! STUNNING views and ambience!

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  • BruceDunning's Profile Photo

    Fisherman walls

    by BruceDunning Updated Jun 15, 2009 3411 reviews

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    Close up view of size dimensions
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    It really is not old-but does commemorate the fisherman who defended the city from attacks in the old days; like 1300-1500 era of times. This wall and towers/turrets were build over 1901-1905. Also called Halazbastya in Hungarian. The complex is great and the statue of Charles III is in the middle to monument him. The fishermen were said to have used this spot as a defense against intruders more than once and saved the city from occupation.

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