About Mount Gellert and all its attractions. Budapest. Mount Gellert. Walking route: Citadel, cave church, philosophical garden, Cave Church and Gellert Baths
The Citadel in Budapest is a fortress on Gellert Mountain, in the Buda region. Here you will see a panorama of the entire city. You will see and , and , and . This is a fortification, a fortress built to control the city. Now the citadel is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The dimensions of the fortress are truly impressive: 220 meters long, 60 meters wide and 4 meters high - a considerable massive structure that has recently attracted many tourists.
History of the Citadel in Budapest
In Hungarian it sounds like “citadella” - the fortification structure was erected in 4 years: from 1850 to 1854. The citadel was built by the Habsburgs (one of the strongest and most powerful dynasties in Europe at that time) after the revolution of 1848 - the uprising of the Hungarians against the Austrian Empire.
The construction work was carried out by Hungarian workers under the project of Emmanuel Zitta and Ferenc Kasselik. The purpose of building the citadel was to control the population of Budapest and suppress uprisings by dissatisfied citizens. Since its construction, the Austrian garrison has been stationed here.
Almost two decades later, in 1867, when Austria and Hungary reached a compromise, the citadel ceased to be used for its intended purpose. There were barracks, a hospital, and later, in 1942, a bunker was built, which is now a museum where exhibitions are held. During World War II, the citadel was badly damaged, but was restored. Now a hotel has been built on the territory of the citadel, there are restaurants and cafes, as well as souvenir shops.
Attractions on the territory of the Citadel
- Statue of Liberty.
The Budapest Citadel is a structure that occupies almost the entire top of Mount Gellért, the highest point of the Hungarian capital. This great fortress can be seen from afar thanks to the 40-meter Statue of Liberty, which towers at the entrance to the citadel.
The figure of a woman with a palm branch in her raised hands can easily be called a symbol of Budapest and an attractive tourist attraction.
- Observation platform.
From the territory of the citadel, a fabulous landscape opens up of incredible beauty - a panoramic view of both parts of the city - Buda and Pest, as well as the Danube, which is crossed by eight bridges, openwork decoration rivers and the whole city.
It is especially beautiful here in the evening, when Budapest shines with lights, captivating the eyes of any visitor. From the citadel, the whole of Budapest is clearly visible, as it is one of the best viewing platforms in the Hungarian capital.
- Wax museum, bunker.
Inside the citadel there is now a Wax Museum dedicated to the history of the Second World War. Here you can see many photographs, documents and other things that present the history of Hungary’s participation in this military confrontation.
In addition to the Citadel, you can visit many other attractions:
- Cave Church.
- Park and.
- Philosophical garden, various monuments and more.
How to get there
The nearest tram stops at the Citadel are called.
It received its current name in the 15th century in honor of Bishop Gerard (or Gellert) of Hungary, and before that it was called Kelen. There is a legend that in 1046 the bishop suffered martyrdom from the pagans here. Dissatisfied with the new Christian faith, adherents of paganism threw Gerard in a barrel of nails into the Danube. Now the bishop, canonized, is reminded not only by the name of the mountain, but also by a beautiful statue with a white colonnade.
Description of the attraction
Due to its relatively low height, Gellert is often called a hill, which does not detract from the significance of these places both for the Hungarians themselves and for tourists. After all, it’s not about the height, but about the amazingly beautiful views that open from the top to the whole. The mountain itself is located on the right bank - in the Buda part, but with observation deck You can clearly see Buda, Pest, and the blue thread of the Danube between them.
Travelers can start exploring right from the foot, where the Gellert Hotel of the same name is located. It is more than a century old; construction of the building began in 1912. But the hotel is famous not so much for its architecture as for its luxurious baths with thermal springs and outdoor pools (the latter are open only in the warm season).
Inside the mountain, or rather in its rocky part, there is a cave church, and the top is crowned by the Hungarian Statue of Liberty, which was originally a monument in honor of the victory over the fascist invaders. Also at the very top is the Citadel, a fortress founded in 1851 to suppress uprisings against Habsburg rule.
How to get there
You can get to the foot of Mount Gellert by bus, tram or metro: there are many stops here public transport, carrying to different ends cities.
The exact address: Gellert, Budapest
To ascend from Elizabeth Bridge:
Option 1
Bus: Routes 112, 110, 108T or 8E to the Döbrentei tér stop.
On foot:
Option 2
Tram: Routes No. 56, 56A, 41 or 19 to the Rudas Gyógyfürdő stop.
On foot: The climb from here will take about 15-20 minutes.
To ascend from the Liberty Bridge:
Option 1
Bus: route No. 7 to the stop Szent Gellért tér (St. Gellért tér).
On foot:
Option 2
Metro: on the green line M4 to Szent Gellért tér station.
On foot: The climb from here will take about 11 minutes.
And for those who want to immediately get to the top of the mountain, bypassing the ascent on foot, there is another way:
Option 1
Metro: Take the M4 line to the Moricz Zsigmond korter station.
Bus: route No. 27 from the Moricz Zsigmond korter stop to the Citadella stop.
Mount Gellert on the map
How to get up
As already mentioned, there are two popular ways to climb the mountain - from the Elizabeth and Liberty bridges. Each of them is good in its own way, so tourists who want to cover as many attractions as possible should plan an ascent along one route and a descent along the other.
Route from the Elizabeth Bridge
In this case, you need to walk about 1.2 km and then begin to climb the heavy marble steps past the bishop's monument and a small waterfall. This path up the mountain is good in the warm season, but in winter it is worth considering that the steps can become icy and quite slippery.
What interesting things will happen along the way:
Route from the Freedom Bridge
This route to the top will be on paths, which is good in dry weather, but can bring some difficulties in late autumn and spring. It starts at the Gellert Hotel and passes through the famous cave church and the Pauline monastery.
Sights along the way:
What to pay attention to
Regardless of the choice of route to Mount Gellert, tourists should take into account that the journey to the top takes on average 15-20 minutes, not counting stops for photos and rest. It is advisable to choose comfortable shoes, although the climb up the mountain is not difficult and there will be benches along the way. Before noon the sun illuminates the path from the side cave temple- in the summer heat this can become an important factor.
And now a little about what you can see at the very top of Mount Gellert - basically there are two interesting objects. Statue of Liberty - this monument was erected in 1947 in honor of the victory over fascism. Initially, it was a large sculptural group, but now only a 14-meter central figure and two side ones remain on the mountain. The remaining sculptures were removed in the 90s with the growth of anti-communist sentiment in the country. The statue in the form of a girl with a palm branch is in total about 40 meters high and, since it is installed on a 26-meter stone pedestal, it towers over the city and is visible from afar.
The Citadel is a Habsburg fortress built on a mountain after the 1849 revolution, where the Austrian garrison was located for a long time. Towards the end of the 19th century, the soldiers left it, but there will be another “combat” period in the history of this powerful structure. In 1956, when Budapest was engulfed in an anti-communist uprising, Soviet troops were stationed here. Now those who have climbed Mount Gellert can walk around the Citadel, look at the potholes left in its walls since the war, but the entrance to the fortress itself is closed. However, on the lower tiers - in the bunker - there is a museum dedicated to the events of the Second World War.
Hotels and parking
The part of the city of Buda, where Mount Gellert is located, is traditionally considered more prestigious for living, compared to the Pest side. There are many hotels here and finding a decent place to stay overnight is not that difficult. Moreover, by settling near the hill, you can not only easily reach its attractions, but also go to any other part of the city by public transport.
Hotels near Gellert Mountain:
- Danubius Hotel Gellert is a famous hotel at the very foot of the hill. Tourists are attracted here not only beautiful architecture buildings, but also thermal baths. For hotel clients, one visit to the baths will be free, and a good discount on the rest.
- Citadella Guesthouse is a guest house with a shower in each room and a shared kitchen. It is known for its comfortable conditions, beautiful view to Budapest, as well as the fact that it is located only 200 meters from the mountain.
- St. Gellért Square - Minilux - apartments close to the Gellért Baths and the metro station. This option will appeal to those who want to be able to prepare home-cooked meals and also have everything they need for self-catering at hand.
- Five Season’s - another apartment nearby famous mountain and baths. The advantages here are, firstly, the opening views of the Danube and the Freedom Bridge, and secondly, a simple and convenient path towards Pest.
Of course, these are not all hotels, but only the most famous of them. The situation is a little more complicated with parking at Mount Gellert, especially for those who want to leave the car for a long time. At the top of the Citadel itself there is a large guarded parking lot, but it is paid. You can park your car for free in the city at your hotel (if it provides such a service) or use one of the municipal parking lots on the weekend. However, even on weekends, the maximum period without payment is no more than 3 hours. Experienced travelers advise using the so-called park-and-ride parking lots, which are located at metro entrances or near public transport stops.
On the third day of the next (3rd) visit to Budapest, my wife and I went for a walk around the city. Walking along the Danube on the Buda side we came across Mount Gellert. And of course we climbed there on foot. Actually, you can get there by bus or tram, like all normal tourists, but we are not looking for easy ways. By the way, the climb was not very easy for me (although the height is only 220 meters). The paths leading up are winding and there are benches for resting.
Views of the Danube during the ascent.
The mountain is named after St. Gerard of Hungary (St. Gellert), who baptized the Hungarians and was killed in a barbaric manner: he was thrown from the aforementioned mountain in a barrel studded with nails and drowned in the Danube. (wiki)
On the mountain itself, in 1947, a monument was erected in honor of the Soviet army, its liberation from the fascist invaders. Initially there was a woman and a Soviet soldier, and on the monument itself there were the names of 146 of our heroes. In the early 90s, the soldier, names and star were removed. This is how Hungarians are getting rid of the Soviet past... The monument began to be called the Freedom Monument instead of the Liberation Monument.
The history of the capture of the city in the Second World War.
Interestingly, Hitler was afraid of losing oil refineries and small oil fields in Hungary. By the way, they were the only ones in the entire Reich at that time. Hitler knew that with the loss of Hungary, the Wehrmacht would lose fuel, and, consequently, all armored vehicles would simply stop. Well, we must not forget that Hungary was an ally of the Reich.
The offensive operation lasted from October 29, 1944 to February 13, 1945. Our troops (2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Front (Marshal R.Ya. Malinovsky and Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin) were opposed by the German-Hungarian garrison under the command of General Pfeffer-Wildenbruch (188 thousand people). Then the 4th SS Panzer Corps intervened. And only by bringing in our reserves (30th Rifle Corps and 23rd Panzer Corps) were we able to hold back the Germans. Already on December 26, our troops surrounded the group in Budapest. Famine set in. In front-line units, rations had to be cut to a portion of horse meat soup and about 150 g of bread per day. Numerous wounded, who were in deep basements royal castle, received only a thin soup. On January 29, on the day of celebration in Germany of Hitler’s coming to power, G. Himmler, with the help of aviation, sent so-called reinforced rations to the besieged. The containers dropped from the air contained canned horse meat, cookies and cigarettes. But this did not help them in mid-February, in last days assault, only a few managed to escape from the encirclement.
The Red Army lost 320 thousand people, 1,766 tanks and self-propelled guns in this operation (3rd place in terms of losses of personnel and tanks in the 1945 campaign, after the East Prussian and Berlin operations).
On June 9, 1945, the medal “For the Capture of Budapest” was established, which was awarded to 350 thousand people. 79 units and formations were awarded the honorary name “Budapest”.
There is a version that initially it was “a monument to a crashed fascist pilot, so initially the woman was holding an airplane propeller in her hands. After the end of the Second World War, statues of Soviet soldiers were installed at its foot, and an ear of wheat was given to people’s hands.” I really don’t know who to believe...
At the very top of the mountain, after numerous shops with wartime paraphernalia, is the Citadel. It was built in 1850 by the Habsburgs (Austrians) to keep the Hungarian capital under constant threat and suppress uprisings. But it never served its intended purpose. At one time there was even a prison in it, and now it is a hotel.
In the center of the Citadel is the entrance to the bunker, which in turn was built in 1942. It has many tiers, secret passages and consists of three floors and an area of 750 m2 with 17 rooms. The structure is reinforced concrete. During the war it served as an excellent center for air defense and has excellent all-round visibility for shelling the area. It housed a hospital, an ammunition depot and barracks.
I haven’t found any reliable information, but they say that it was not easy to knock the Nazis out of it.
“The Citadel’s firing points fired continuously at Soviet troops trying to cross the Danube. They could not knock out the SS men holding the defense in the Citadel either by shelling or bombing. Towards the end of the assault on the city, seeing the hopelessness of further resistance, the Nazis tried in small groups to escape beyond the encirclement line. However, the Citadel still remained one of the decisive centers of resistance. A detachment of marines, composed entirely of officers, was entrusted with taking it. One night, using mountaineering equipment, Soviet soldiers secretly climbed the steep slope of Mount Gellert, took the Nazis by surprise and in hand-to-hand combat knocked them out of the Citadel.”
The characters are represented by wax figures for realism.
Local support? Hungarians or Romanians?
In some places it looks like the famous Wolf 3d toy.
All sorts of military trifles are also presented.
Let's leave this dark place. At the top, a certain artifact is discovered. I suspect that this is a very ancient stove.
And of course there are guns that probably fired at our troops.
Wonderful view of the Danube.
We go down the southern slope to the Gellert baths.
At the end of the descent towards the Heller baths (Kelenhegyi út 2-4) (descend to the right, looking at the Danube) there is an entrance to the cave Catholic church, which we also visited. During socialism, the entrance was walled up for many decades. The church is operational and services are held there.
The monument to St. Stephen stands opposite the entrance to the cave. In the Middle Ages, according to legend, the hermit Stephen lived here. He treated people with thermal water from a spring near the cave. This water is now used for the Gellert baths. Stephen was subsequently canonized, and the cave was named St. Stephen's Cave.
Church with a cross on top.
Something like that.
http://www.citadella.hu/ - Citadel website.
Get there by bus number 27 from Móricz Zsigmond krt.
Located on the top of Mount Gellert, highest point Budapest, the citadel was built by the Habsburgs in 1854, after the Hungarian democratic revolution of 1848-1849. The revolution was defeated, but the rulers chose to secure the rear and build a reliable fortress. The first fortifications began to be built in 1850 according to the design of engineer Emmanuel Sitt, and four years later the Austrian garrison was settled in barracks.
During World War II, the Budapest citadel housed a German air defense center, an ammunition depot, a hospital, and barracks. The complex multi-tiered structure had many secret passages, thanks to which one could find oneself far beyond the mountain in different parts of the city. Today, the citadel has been reconstructed; a three-story bunker with an area of 750 square meters houses a wax museum and an exhibition displaying many archival documents and photographs.
Near the walls of the citadel there is a 40-meter-high Freedom Monument. It represents a female figure with a palm branch in her arms raised high. The statue was created by the Hungarian sculptor Zsigmond Strobl Kisfaludy in 1947. Going down to the Gellert baths, you can get to the cave Catholic church. At the entrance to the cave there is a monument to St. Stephen.
The Budapest Citadel is included in the List of objects World Heritage UNESCO.
Opening hours: The museum in the bunker is open daily from 9:00 to 20:00 (May 1 - September 30) and from 9:00 to 17:00 (October 1 - April 30). Ticket price: entry to the fortress territory is free. A visit to the exhibition in the citadel bunker costs 3600HUF for an adult. Address: 1118 Budapest, Gellérthegy, Citadella sétány 1. How to get there: from the Móricz Zsigmond körtér stop by bus number 27 to the top of Mount Gellért, stop Búsuló Juhász. www.
The Gellert mountain or hill rises 235 meters above the Danube. The mountain is named after Saint Gellert or Gerard of Hungary, who died from the pagans in this place on September 24, 1046. At the foot of the hill stands probably the most widely known hotel in Budapest - the Gellert Hotel and the baths of the same name, the street part of which is clearly visible from the mountain. A cave church is hidden in the mountain. And the top of Gellert Hill is decorated with the Statue of Liberty, erected in 1947 in honor of the liberation of Hungary from Nazi Germany, and the citadel erected by the Habsburgs in 1851 after the suppression of the revolution.
The most important thing about visiting Gellert Mountain is, of course, the amazing panoramic views of the city.
General view of the Citadel and the park on Mount Gellert (photo from Wikipedia)
In the Middle Ages, the mountain was called Kelen Hill (Kelen-hegy) or Pest Hill (Pesti-hegy) or Blocksberg. The first name is Hungarian, the second Slovak literally means “cave”, the last is German. This is a fairly widespread practice in Hungary, with many places having different names in Hungarian, Slovak and German.
The mountain received its present name in the 15th century in accordance with the legend of the death of St. Gellert. The holy bishop was killed by pagans during a revolt against the new Christian faith in 1046. The pagans put the bishop in a barrel filled with nails and rolled him down the mountain. Bishop Gellert was an Italian, had great influence on the King of Hungary, Istvan I, the local population considered him a stranger, and this probably predetermined his tragic fate.
How to get to Mount Gellert
You can get there in four ways, in any case you will have to go uphill:
Mount Gellert in Budapest, view from the Danube First way: Take the M4 metro line to the Szent Gellért tér metro station. And climb the mountain on foot from the Gellert Hotel. It will be a fairly steep climb up some stairs with excellent viewpoints along the way offering stunning views of the Danube and Pest, past the church in the rock.
Second way: Get to the Ferenciek tere station and go towards the Elisabeth Bridge, cross it and go up from the Elisabeth Bridge. In this case, you will first have to walk through the city and then across the bridge for about 1.2 km. You will still have to walk up the mountain along the stairs, past the monument to St. Gellert.
Third way: take bus number 7 to the Búsuló Juhász (Citadella) stop and climb up the mountain along a wide asphalt path without stairs, about 400 m. There will be no views on the way up, but nothing will stop you from going down the mountain by another road to take in the sights.
Fourth way: by car, there is paid parking, it was empty out of season, or by tourist bus, if you have a ticket for it and plan to use it at all. Read - there are 4 different companies there. This is the least physically strenuous method; in other cases you will have to climb steep mountain on foot.
All Gellert Hill monuments on the map
On the mountain, in different secluded corners, there are many hidden behind the trees. interesting sculptures and a cave church. From all points of the city, only the Statue of Liberty is visible; other monuments in the area are not easy to find. Therefore, I suggest you look at the map. Each point has a photo and an explanation of the height at which the point is located.
We chose the most non-trivial way to reach the foot of the mountain near St. Gellert Square. We arrived on a boat, which is part of Budapest's public transport; if you have a pass, you don't need to pay for it on weekdays.
Therefore, the description of attractions will come from.
Hotel Gellert and the pier next to it This composition is used to decorate the source of healing water in front of the Gellert Hotel. This peculiar dome echoes one of the hotel's domes.
Healing spring in front of the Gellert Hotel From the hotel we will begin to climb the mountain. The first thing we will see on the slope will be a cave church.
In front of the church in the rock there is a monument to St. Stephen (975?-1038) - the first Hungarian king of the Arpad dynasty, who accepted the crown from the hands of the papal legate. Judging by its appearance, the monument is quite new.
Monument to Saint Stephen Church in the rock on Mount Gellert
The church is located in a natural cave in Gellert Hill. According to legend, in ancient times the monk Ivan settled in the cave. He practiced healing using local mud and thermal water. Nowadays the pools of the Gellert baths are filled with these waters. Later, the monk was canonized and the cave was named in his honor as the Cave of St. Ivan.
This cave church was officially opened in 1926 as a church and monastery of the Paulines. Now the most famous monastery of the Paulines is located in the Polish city of Chekhonstova; the order itself was founded in Hungary in the 13th century.
The church operated from 1926 to 1951 with a break for the war. During the war there was a German hospital there. And in 1951, the church was closed, the abbot was shot, and the monks were given 10 years in prison so that they would not distribute opium to the people. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the church was reopened in 1989.
Entrance to the cave church Previously, entry to the rock church was free, but now everything has changed. Admission is paid, 600 HUF, in general it is not expensive. The audio guide is included in the price and is in Russian.
Church buildings in the rock The cave has only 4 rooms and corridors between them. In the first there is a ticket office and a small shop with books and tourist brochures, in the second, the largest, there is an altar and a hall with seats, like in any Catholic church.
Main hall of the church in the rock Opposite the altar hangs the Polish coat of arms. The theme of friendship between peoples can be seen in this temple. In Poland there are many Pauline monasteries and the most important shrine of the order is the icon of the Mother of God of Czestochowa, so the Polish corner in this temple did not surprise me.
Polish coat of arms with icon The third hall is no longer in the cave, but in an adjacent building. The third room is decorated using wood carving technique, very beautifully, there is also a huge carved wardrobe and a bedside table.
Carved altar Whether it is worth visiting this church for money is a big question; in general, there is nothing special there; those who have seen the church in the rock in Helsinki will not be surprised by this.
Viewpoints on Gellert Hill
During the ascent from the Gellert Hotel you will be able to continuously admire the views of the Danube and Pest. The first stop is at the cross on the cliff. It offers an excellent view of the Freedom Bridge. The central arches of the bridge are decorated with the Hungarian coat of arms and topped with figures of the mythical Turul birds - symbols of the Arpad dynasty. just beyond the bridge is under a multi-colored roof.
Freedom Bridge Previously, the Freedom Bridge was named after Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria-Hungary. It was the first bridge to be rebuilt after its destruction during the capture of Budapest in 1945.
In general, you can climb slowly, periodically resting on the platforms. There are benches for those who are completely tired.
Viewpoint on Mount Gellert Statue of Liberty
The very top of the hill is decorated with the Statue of Liberty - a woman with a palm branch in her hands. Previously, this was all called the Monument of Liberation from the Nazi Invaders, it was installed in 1947, but with the onset of perestroika, all Russian inscriptions and statues of Soviet soldiers of the liberators were removed in order to quickly put an end to the past, and about 80,000 Red Army soldiers died in the battle for Budapest, the operation to capture Budapest lasted for 108 days.
Statue of Liberty All sculptures from the Soviet period are now exhibited in a special park - Memento Park on the outskirts of Budapest. The advertising slogan of this park is the largest statues of the communist dictatorship. We did see one monument to our liberating soldiers.
Still, a couple of the least politicized sculptures adorn the monument today.
Almost Saint George defeating the dragon 
Almost Prometheus, giving fire to people The Hungarians did not perceive our army as a liberator. In their eyes, the fascist dictatorship was replaced by a communist one, so they are setting up a museum of terror in Memento Park, and in general they are not missing the opportunity to make money from this not the most pleasant period of their history.
Citadel
The mountaintop citadel was built by the Habsburgs with Hungarian workers after the suppression of the 1848 revolution. From this mountain, on occasion, it was possible to fire cannons at the entire city. The citadel occupies almost the entire top of Mount Gellert. The Habsburgs equipped this massive fortress with 60 cannons.
Citadel After reaching the Austro-Hungarian compromise in 1867, the Hungarians wanted to demolish the fortress, but the garrison left it only in 1897. The Hungarians had to be content with only the symbolic destruction of the main gate of the fortress. During the 1956 revolution, Soviet troops occupied the Citadel and tanks shelled the city during the storming of the government house.
Previously, there was a bunker museum in the citadel. The bunker was already from the Second World War, military mannequins were installed there to increase interest in this museum object, now this bunker is closed and it is not known when it will open again.
Buda Castle, view from Gellert Mountain On the outer walls of the Citadel hung curious photographs from Budapest's past.
Test drive of the first Budapest bus on Andrassy Ave. 1910 To look at new modern sculptures“Philosophical Garden” and “Buda Meets Pest” will have to go down the mountain from the Citadel in the direction opposite to the Danube.
Philosophical Garden
“The Philosophical Garden” is a relatively young sculptural composition, donated to Budapest in 1997 in honor of the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Japan. The author of the monument is the sculptor of Hungarian origin Nador Wagner, who lived in Japan for many years. In the circle stand five figures of the founders of the five great religions of the world: Abraham, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), Jesus, Buddha and Lao Tzu. The artist arranged them so that they all faced the center of the circle, where the invisible deity is located. Outside the circle stand three more figures - St. Francis of Assisi, Bodhidharma and Mahatma Gandhi. These three lived in different cultures, were enlightened thinkers, and embodied and fulfilled the norms contained in the five world religions.
To be honest, the figure of Akhenaten in this group is not entirely clear to me, because the religion he founded died with him, which cannot be said about all the other religious movements represented in the monument.
In 2007, three figures from the composition were stolen by unknown persons. The municipality of the Budapest district of Budavar allocated ten million forints for the casting of the stolen sculptures. The casting mold was provided by Mrs. Akiyama Chiyo, the artist's widow.
Monument "Buda meets Pest"
A little further from the Philosopher's Garden is the popular sculpture "Buda Meets Pest" by György Vadás. The height of the figures is only 150 cm. The gap between two stone blocks represents the Danube, parts of the city in a stylized relief image, above them is the figure of a king and a princess with their arms outstretched towards each other.
Behind the fortress there is a large picturesque park. It's probably wonderful there in the summer, but in the winter we were almost the only people walking there. In the 18th century, these slopes were planted with vineyards, but now nothing remains of them.
Children's playground in the park 
Park, on top of the Citadel But if you also want to look at the Gellert statue and the monument to Princess Sissi, then you should turn towards the Danube.
Monument to Empress Sissi
The statue of Sissi is located at the very entrance to the Erzsebet Bridge or Elisabeth Bridge, this is the real name of the princess. The decision to erect a monument to the memory of Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria was made immediately after her tragic death at the hands of a fanatic on the shores of Lake Geneva in 1898. However, the implementation of the idea was very delayed and nothing remained of the original plan to build something huge and monumental. The memory monument was opened only on September 25, 1932. This sculpture was located in the rotunda on the Pest side of Esku Square.
After the end of World War II, the communist regime saw no reason to continue to honor the memory of the beloved empress of the Hungarians and the memorial was demolished, but fortunately the statue was not melted down. She simply gathered dust in storage and successfully survived until new times. The Sissi sculpture was reinstalled in the park near the Erzsebet Bridge in 1986. Many believe that without the rotunda covering her, the empress’s figure looks much better.
Monument to Empress Sissi at the foot of the Erzsebet Bridge Monument to Saint Gellert
The statue of the Hungarian martyr is the central figure of a semicircular arcaded composition on the slope of Gellert Hill.The main figure, Bishop Gellert, raises a cross on the right in his right hand, and the secondary figure is a pagan Hungarian warrior positioned at his feet. The entire composition is much more interesting to view from the Erzsebet Bridge or from the Danube, since the 7-meter statue of the Saint is installed on a very small platform. Great things are better seen from afar.
According to legend, Bishop Gellert, of Venetian origin, was the teacher of Prince Imre, the son of King St. Stephen, the first Hungarian king of the Arpad dynasty.Historical research doesn't confirm this, but they certainly knew each other well. The monument was erected in 1904; it is the oldest monument still standing on Mount Gellert, not counting the church in the rock.
Monument with a colonnade in honor of St. Gellert 
Night hotel Gellert, Freedom Bridge and statue on the mountain. Despite the resistance of part of the family, not everyone wanted to climb the hill, we got great pleasure from this walk, the effort to climb the mountain is worth the pleasure.
— a complete overview of the districts with selections of hotels in each of them, the answer to the question of which is better in Buda or Pest, what is the center of Budapest and where is it located.