Street-by-Street: Gellért Hill 6
Rising steeply beside the Danube, Gellért Hill is one of
the city’s most attractive areas. It is named after Bishop
Gellért, who converted the pagan Magyars to Christianity
at the behest of King Stephen (István), the first king of
Hungary. In the 11th century, Prince Vata, brother of King
Stephen, incited a heathen rebellion here that
resulted in the death of the bishop. Under the
Ottomans, a strong hold was built on the hill to
pro tect Buda, and in 1851, the Habsburgs
placed their own intimi dating Citadel at the
sum mit. It was not until the end of the 19th
century that Gellért Hill became a venue for
picnick ers. In 1967, the area around the
Citadel was made into an attractive park.
344 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
STAR SIGHTS. Statue of St Gellért
. Gellért Hotel
and Baths Complex
Liberation Monument
Designed by Hungarian
sculptor Zsigmond Strobl, the
monument commemorates the
liberation of Budapest by the
Soviet Army in 1945.Citadel
Once a spot that inspired terror, the
Citadel now hosts a hotel, restau rant
and wine bar, where people can relax
and enjoy the splendid view.
. Statue of
St Gellért
The statue of
Bishop Gellért,
blessing the city
with his uplifted
cross, overlooks
Elizabeth Bridge.
He is regarded as
the patron saint
of Budapest.
Queen Elizabeth Monument
Close to the entrance of Elizabeth Bridge
stands this statue of Habsburg Emperor
Franz Joseph’s wife, Elizabeth, who was
popular with the Hungarians.KEY
Suggested route
Elizabeth Bridge
Gellert Hill’s reservoir
H
EG
YA
LI
A(^) Ú
T
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp390–93 and pp394–7