If you come to Budapest, you should for sure visit the Gellert Hill. Quite a lot of tourists miss out on this great spot, but if you invest some hours walking to the top of the Gellert Hill, or maybe pay a taxi driver to take you there, it will for sure be worth the money (just make sure the driver doesn’t trick you). From the Gellért Hill you can enjoy a stunning view of Budapest, with almost all major attractions possible to see (for example the Parliament, Chain Bridge, Stephens Basilica, the Castle, Matthias Church, Big Market Hall and the Heroes Square… though quite hard to see as it is far away).
On the hill itself visitors can also check out a World War II museum located inside the citadel on the hill. This was originally built between 1850 and 1854 by the Habsburgs, showing their power and might to the Hungarians, whom they just defeated during their 1848-1849 revolution. On the hill a big statue can also be found, a lady holding a palm branch in her hands. This statue was raised in honor of the communists liberating the Hungarians from the Nazis. After the fall of communism the text on the statue was changed, and is now commemorating the heroes who have sacrificed their lives fighting for the liberty and the freedom of the Hungarians.
The view from the Gellért Hill is on our list: Budapest Best – The Best Five of Budapest! That is not a coincidence, but if you have the chance to make your own time schedule, you should visit the hill during both daytime and nighttime. And if you have a good camera, do not leave it at home, because you can make some of the nicest Budapest pictures from the Gellért Hill.
On the hill you can also grab something to eat in the Citadella Panorama restaurant, or just drink some cafe and some champagne on the terrace by the main view point of the hill. There are several exhibitions available at the hill, some for free on the outside of the citadella, and some for a plus charge on the inside.
Exhibitions at the Gellert Hill
– Hungarian Saints – photo exhibition
– Budapest Anno 1850-1945 (outdoor – free)
– Bunker Wax Museum and Exhibition
– The History of Gellért Hill
– Military History Exhibition (outdoor – free)
How to get to the Gellert Hill?
As mentioned earlier in the text you can walk to the top of the hill from the Buda side of the Elisabeth Bridge (the white bridge). You can also join in on a private guided tour or a hop on-hop off bus tour, or grab a taxi from your hotel. There is a also a public transportation bus going to the hill from Moricz Zsigmónd Körtér.
Many people wonder if the Gellert Hotel and the Gellert Thermal bath is located on the hill itself. It is not, but they are very close to one another. The citadella and the liberty statue is located on the top of the Gellert Hill while the Gellert Hotel and the Gellert Thermal bath is located by the foot of the hill, on the Buda side of the Liberty Bridge (the green bridge).
