Gellert Hill (Gellert-hegy) - Citadella, Budapest

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Climbing up from the end of the Erzsebet Bridge will leave you winded, but with scenic views of Pest. You'll also have the chance to get up close and personal with a statue of St. Gellert (whom the hill is named after). Legend has it that the pagans were out to get Gellert, so they sealed him in a barrel and pushed him down this very hill. Perhaps the barrel rolled all the way across the river to the Inner City Church, where his remains remain today? Gellert is backed by a colonnade with a waterfall flowing beneath him. This park is best visited during daylight hours!

Gellert hill proves that Budapest is on the hilly area and this city has great panoramic views. This place named St. Gellert hill for commemorating the death of this Saint man. In 1046 he was martyred and rolled down the hill in a barrel.

There are a few famous places on Gellert hill: The Liberation monument, St. Gellert's Memorial and Citadella.

Citadel is the place I found the most breathtaking view of Budapest with famous buildings, bridges, church spires, bright lights...

Citadel is the fortification against wars. Near the citadel are two objects, some kind interesting too: it is Liberation monument (the bronze female figure) and St. Gellert Memorial.

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We, of course, were taken on our cruise tour to the top of Gellert Hill for a view in the drizzling rain, and the had a great tall figure advertising the Show up the hill at the Citadel---they must have a circus show of a kind going on now, but we went no further than the view over the Danube and the city below. My son has done some stiltwalking so I took the pic.....

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At the top of Gellert Hill, in front of the Citadella stands this impressive statue, Szabadság szobor, or Liberation Monument which was erected in 1947 to commemorate Hungary's liberation from the Nazis. Originally, a representation of a Soviet soldier stood below the main statue, but this was removed to Statue Park after the fall of Communism.

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Gellert Hill lies on the Buda side of the Danube, to the south of Obuda, between Erszebet hid and Szabadsag hid ('hid' meaning bridge). The hill was named after Szent Gellert (St. Gerard), who was a bishop who played an important part in converting Hungary to Christianity. He was thrown to his death from this hill.

At the top of the hill is the Citadella, where some wonderful views over the city and the Danube are available.

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You absolutely must visit the Citadella. I made the mistake of missing this on my first visit. Then I spent almost two years living in Budapest without visiting. When I finally did I couldn't believe what I had been missing. The Citadella offers some of the best views I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Prague might be prettier, Paris more elegant, and London more impressive, but nothing I have seen there matches the views of Budapest from the Citadella.

The views must have been spectacular here before there was even a city. The Danube snaking down the valley, and the green forested hills rolling along the horizon. But when you add in the enormity of the Castle District, the blanket of multicoloured roofs soaking up the summer sunshine, and the network of bridges criss-crossing the glistening Danube, you have something that you'll not see anywhere else on the planet. You'll understand very quickly why this is such a popular place to visit, and such an exclusive and expensive part of Budapest.

The Citadella itself was built as a fortification by the Austrians back in the 19th century. Later the communists added the victory statue to the front, leaning out over the Danube. That statue is now the Citadella's most prominent structure, so it's not surprising that as soon as the Iron Curtain fell, the Hungarians changed the monument from one celebrating the Soviet "liberation" to one celebrating all those who gave their lives for liberty.

You can walk around the Citadella for free, or you can go inside to see the museum and get even better views from its walls. The price is steep, though, at 1200 forints per person.

Note: Unfortunately my pictures, due to the sheer scale of the views, don't do them justice. I also suspect that getting up onto the Citadella walls would give much better pictures, due to less trees.

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This is a good place to walk off your tensions. It has a number of winding trails that take you to the top for the statues commemorating the loss of Russian soldiers in taking back the city from Germany in WWII. There is a fort on top of the hill called Citadella. It was occupied to watch the territory for years. It is almost 700 feet high and the walk can be fatiguing. The Liberty statues on top is seen for miles, as intended; that is what the Russians intended.