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Gellert Hill and its Surroundings

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Gellert Hill
One of The Best Panoramic Views of Budapest

Gellert Hill is a 140-m high dolomit rock rising above the Danube in Buda. According to the legend witches visited the hill every night and were riding on the back of a human being.

Besides this fantasy the Gellért Hill oferts you several more down-to-earth attractions:

from the hill top you can enjoy one of the most stunning vistas of Budapest

you'll find many historical monuments on the hill and it

abounds in protected natural values.

Gellert Hill

Gellert Hill received its name after bishop Gellért who came to Hungary from Italy around 1000 AD. St. Stephen King invited him to help converting the Hungarians into Christianity. Some resisiting pagans rolled him down the hill in a barrel into the Danube.

A large statue holding a cross in his right hand commemorates the bishop on the northeastern slope of the hill, facing Erzsébet híd (Elizabeth bridge). The Gellért Hill is also important in hidrogeological point of view. Part of the drinking water supply of Budapest is stored in an inner reservoir within the hill.

The spactacular fireworks on our national hoilday, 20th August are launched from the hilll.

Getting to Gellert Hill
The Citadel (Citadella)
Statue of Liberty (Szabadság szobor)
The Cave Church
Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Thermal Baths
The Tabán
Restaurants on Gellert Hill or nearby

TIP- Cruise on the Danube with Lunch or Dinner & Live Music

You can admire the scenic riverbanks of Budapest including the Gellért Hill looming over the Danube from a cruise. You can relish a generous three-course meal from the buffet dinner while the ship gently slices through the water. On the cruise starting at 19.00 live music makes the excursion even more romantic.

Danube cruise in Budapest - Buffet Dinner

Find more information and book your place for the Danube cruise here.

Getting to Gellert Hill

Trams:

No 41,

No 47 and

No 49,

Buses

No. 7,

No 86, get off: Szt. Gellért tér

Read more about how to travel in Budapest.

The Citadel (Citadella) on Gellert Hill

The Habsburgs realised the strategic importance of Gellert Hill: they built this fortress on top of the hill after they supressed the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. Gun shafts aim at the Danube and the Buda Hills.

The purpose of the Citadel was to remind the rebellious Hungarians who ruled the country. The citadel was the most despised establishment in Budapest back then and Hungarians called the it Budapest Bastille.

The Habsburgs handed it over to the City Council at the end of the 19th century. Parts of it were simbolically destroyed. The Citadel has served several purposes since then, it's been a prison camp, temporary accommodation for the homeless, the site of an anti-aircraft battery and since the 1960-ies the fortress is a tourist attraction.

It's worth coming up here, and enjoy the breathtaking vista. Walk up the upper level and whole Budapest will be sprawling in front of you.

Admisison is 300 HUF, slightly more than 1 Euro.

Statue of Liberty (Szabadság szobor) on top of Gellert Hill

Gelleret Hill

This enormous female statue stands in front of the Citadel. You can see her from almost all parts of the city. She became the symbol of the Hungarian capital.

The Statue of Liberty commemorates Hungary's liberation from the Nazi rule. According to the story she was originally designed to the memory of Regent Horthy's son. Horthy was a right-wing leader of Hungary between the two World Wars. His son died in a plain crash.

The statue was designed to hold a propeller blade in her hands. By the time she was erected, history had Horthy swept away. Instead of the propelller blade a palm tree was placed in her hands and a Soviet soldier was added to the base.

Altough all communist monuments were pulled down and reerected at the edge of the town in the Statue Park, the Statue of Liberty remained. Only the Soviet soldier from the base and the names of the Red Army soldiers who died in fights during Budapest's siege were removed.
I can't imagine Budapets's cityscape without the Statue of Liberty.

Gellért Hill - Cave Church

Cave Church

Location: just up from Szent Gellért tér, opposite the entrance to the Gellért Baths.

Open: 8.00-19.00

Admission free.

The church was formed in a natural cave system according to the caves in Lourdes. It was dedicated in 1926. In the early thirties the Pauline monastery order expanded and run the church until the 1950s. The Pauline is the only monastery order of Hungarian origin.

The order received its name after Paul, a 3rd century Egyptian hermit who lived in the desert. His only company was a raven, it brought him food, half a slice of bread every day.

In the 1950s the communist arrested the monks, executed their leader and walled the church up. The wall was pulled down in 1989 and the church reopened. You can see a piece from this wall at the cave entrance.
In the central chapel you can see the statue of St Paul, with his raven on his shoulder.

See our photos about Gellert Hill.

Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Thermal Bath

Hotel Gellert

The elegant, historic spa hotel is an Art Nouveau gem at the foot of Gellert Hill, on the Danube bank. You can read more about it on this page.

There are hot thermal springs deep inside Gellért Hill that supply water for three spas. The most famous and upscale is the Gellért Thermal Baths attached to the Hotel Gellért.

This large spa complex was built in 1918 in Art Nouveau style. It has both outdoor and indoor swimming pools, thermal pools, steam baths, sauna, offers different massage types. Roman style marble columns support the indoor swimming pool. Other decorations are beautiful majolica tiles and stone lion heads spouting water.
If you don't have time to swim, at least walk into the hall to admire the interior. In summer try swimming in the outdoor pool, a wave machine is switched on for ten minutes in every hour.

The Tabán

The northern slope of Gellert Hill is known as Tabán. In the late 1930-ies it was densely inhabited with numerous inns and pubs.

The Tabán was a popular entertainment place. The houses had to be demolished due to public health reasons. The Deer House still represents the old atmosphere of the Tabán. This triangular building was built at the beginning of the 18th century. It was a café then, you can still see the café sign above the gate.

Today it houses the Aranyszarvas Restaurant, famous for its game dishes. In winter the snowy slopes are covered with sledging children. In summer the Tabán becomes alive again, with many rock and folk concerts. A must-see attractions are the two pieces from the Berlin Wall that have been erected here.

TIP: since the two hills are close to each other, after a walk on Gellért Hill you can explore the Buda Castle District, the panorama of which you can enjoy from the top of Gellért hill. Devote at least half a day to each sight.

Places to Eat on Gellert Hill or Nearby

If you love meat try one of the game dishes in Aranyszarvas Restaurant.

Address: Szarvas tér 1., I. District
Tel: +36 1 375 6451

In a sunny afternoon have freshly brewed coffee or tea with homemade desserts in the café of the Gellért Hotel.

Address: Szt. Gellért tér 1., I. District
Tel: +36 1 889 5501

János Vendéglő in Hotel Charles on Hegyalja Road offers both traditional Hungarian dishes and international cuisine specialities. For a quick snack walk across Szabadság Bridge to Pest and have a pastry in the Great Market Hall (Vásárcsarnok). On its upper level you find buffets and restaurants as well, if you want to have a warm meal.

Address: Hegyalja út 23., I. District
Tel: +36 1 202 3414

See also our page about Best Restaurants in Budapest or our recommendation of Hungarian Resturants in Budapest.