Gellert Hill and Surroundings

 

Gellert Hill is located to the south of Castle Hill; it rises 235 metres above the Danube and offers some of the best panoramic views of the city. This is my favourite Budapest lookout – the hill is high enough to make you feel you have the river and city at your feet. You can view beautiful scenes of southern Buda, the whole of Pest and see Buda Castle from another angle.

According to legend, during the Middles Ages, Gellért Hill was a favourite meeting place for witches. It was also the place where the Venetian bishop Gellért (invited by Saint Stephen to Christianize the citizens) was killed by the pagans during the great pagan rebellion in 1046. He was rolled down to his death from the hill in a nail-sealed barrel; the hill was named after this martyr.

A huge statue blessing the city with his uplifted cross stands on the hill to perpetuate his memory. Bishop Gellért is the patron saint of Budapest.


Gellert Baths

Gellert Baths is an Art Nouveau bath complex built between 1912 and 1918. It consists of 13 indoor and outdoor pools, fed with medicinal water from Gellert Hill’s mineral hot springs. This water is rich in magnesium, calcium, sulphate-chloride, hydrogen-carbonate, fluoride ions, and sodium.

The Baths complex includes saunas and plunge pools (segregated by gender), an open-air swimming pool that can create artificial waves every ten minutes and two effervescent swimming pools. Massage services are available.

Gellert Baths is very popular with tourists; therefore, it can be quite pricy, but the entrance is free for hotel guests.

This thermal complex is located in Gellért Hotel and is admired for its opulent style and baths adorned with mosaic tiles, stained glass windows, sculptures and marble pillars.

Address: Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4.

Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 6.00 am – 7:00 pm
Sat-Sun: 6:00 am – 5:00 pm


Cave Church

The Cave Church is located across the road from the Gellért baths, on the southern slope of Gellért Hill, just overlooking the Freedom Bridge. The grotto church of Gellert Hill was established in 1926, inspired by a pilgrimage of Pauline monks to Lourdes, France.

The monks performed their duties in the Chapel for 17 years, until 1951, when the Communists forced the monks to abandon the temple, arrested them and condemned their superior to death.

The Chapel’s entrance was blocked up with a 2.25 metre thick concrete wall. After the fall of Communism in 1989, the Cave Church was returned to the Pauline order and immediately reopened.

The Chapel’s interior is unique, with natural rock walls, nooks decorated with statues and a wonderful solemn atmosphere.The admission is free. Open daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. No tourists are allowed during services (weekdays 11:00, 17:00 and 20:00; weekends 8:30)


Citadella

Citadella is a fortress build by the Hapsburgs in 1848-49 following the Hungarian uprising and War of Independence, was designed to suppress future rebellions, but in reality it was just a way to frighten the population, because it did not really meet any military requirements.

Today, the fort holds a photo open air exhibition on its exterior walls, about Budapest from 1859 to 1945. A military wax museum (a World War II Bunker Exhibition) and an exhibition on the past and present of Gellert Hill can be found in the interior courtyard of the stronghold. A hotel, a traditional Hungarian restaurant, some coffee shops and a nightclub are part of the place today.


The Liberation Monument

This monument is a 14 metre statue of a woman holding the palm leaf of victory. This monument was erected in 1947 by the Soviet Red Army to pay tribute to their liberation of Budapest from Nazi occupation.

Originally, the statue was designed to honour the memory of Regent Horthy’s son, István, who died in the war in a plane crash, but by the time the statue was finished, Russians were already ruling here.

Therefore, instead of a plane propeller, as originally planned, a palm tree leaf was place in her hands and a Soviet soldier was at her side (this was later removed from the monument to Statue Park).

At the base of the monument, there are two statues representing progress and the battle against evil.


How to get there

The easiest way to get up the Gellert Hill is to drive up, or to take bus 27 from Móritz Zsigmond körtér to the top of the hill.

The best way to enjoy the city views from different heights is to walk up on the sloping pathways and steps. It takes a while but, believe me, the scenery is awesome. You will find these ways up on the southern side of the foothill, opposite the Gellert baths and also on the north, just in front of the Freedom Bridge.

Trams 19 (from Batthyány tér), 47 and 49 (from Deák tér), buses 7 and 8 (coming from Pest) and bus 86 (coming from Óbuda) all will take you to Szént Gellért tér, where you will get off right in front of Gellert Hotel.

Have a Great Time!

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