Gellért Hill and the Citadella

Gellért Hill rises steeply from the Danube at the southern end of the Buda bank, its summit some 235 metres above sea level, and the view from the top takes in the whole of the city: the bridges in a row, the Parliament in the distance, Castle Hill to the north, and the endless rooftops of Pest. The hill is named after St. Gerard, an Italian bishop who, according to legend, was martyred here in the eleventh century, and his statue, with a cross raised over the city, stands above a waterfall on the side facing the Elisabeth Bridge. At the summit stands the Citadella, a fortress built by the Habsburgs in the early 1850s after the failed revolution of 1848 and 1849, to keep watch over the city rather than defend it. In front of it, the Liberty Statue, a woman holding a palm leaf high above her head, was erected in 1947 and has become one of the symbols of Budapest. After more than a decade of closure, the Citadella reopened on 28 March 2026 following a major renovation, and it has been transformed. New passageways have been cut through the walls, including a grand white staircase leading up from the Liberty Statue; the inner courtyard is now a 6,000-square-metre public park, with lawns, rose gardens and lavender; new viewing terraces and a lookout tower have been added; and lifts and barrier-free paths now make the summit accessible to everyone. The park and the terraces are free and open from early morning until around midnight. Inside the walls, the Bastion of Freedom is a large interactive exhibition on Hungary's struggles for independence, with its own ticket and online booking, open from mid-morning to early evening most days and until later on Fridays. There is a café and a gift shop.

Getting up: the walk is part of the pleasure. From the Pest side, cross the Liberty Bridge or the Elisabeth Bridge and climb the wooded paths of Gellért Hill, which take twenty to thirty minutes, past viewpoints, the St. Gerard statue and a few benches for breathers. For an easier ascent, take bus 27 from Móricz Zsigmond körtér to the stop near the top, a few minutes' ride, and walk the last stretch. With the new lifts and barrier-free paths, the summit is now accessible for wheelchairs and strollers from the bus stop side. Taxis can also reach the top.

When to go: sunset is spectacular, as the sun drops behind the Buda hills and the lights come on across Pest, and the bridges light up one by one. Night views are magical, and the park stays open late. Mornings are quiet and clear. In summer, the hill provides welcome shade on the walk up; in winter, the paths can be slippery. Allow an hour for the park and terraces and another ninety minutes for the Bastion of Freedom exhibition, which is popular in summer, so book ahead online.

At the foot of the hill, by the Liberty Bridge, the Gellért Hotel and Baths are closed for renovation until 2028, but the Cave Church, a chapel built into a natural cave in the hillside, is a short walk away, and the Rudas Baths, an Ottoman-era bath with a rooftop pool, are by the Elisabeth Bridge. Combine the Citadella with a morning at the Great Market Hall across the Liberty Bridge, then walk up the hill for lunch with a view, or end a day on the river with a sunset climb.