Mount Gellert is often called a hill because its height is only 235 meters. It was named after the Hungarian educator and Catholic saint, whose statue stands on the hillside and is clearly visible while riding the water tram. From Mount Gellert there is a wonderful view. From here you can see the city from above. There are many attractions here. Gellért Mountain is visited by most tourists in Budapest and provides some of the best photos of the capital from here.
Citadel
In the 18th century, Hungarians grew grapes on the slopes of this mountain and dreamed of freedom from the Habsburgs. Later they even tried to do this, but to no avail. This event went down in history as the Hungarian Uprising of 1849-1850. After its suppression, Vienna decided to build a fortress in Budapest and chose Mount Gellert for this, from where cannon shots would reach both Buda and Pest. Thus the citadel was born.
An Austrian garrison was stationed in the fortress, but after the establishment of a dualist monarchy and the creation of Austria-Hungary in 1867, the citadel lost its function. Residents of Buda and Pest wanted to raze it to the ground, but were content with only demolishing the gates.
Statue of Liberty
Fifty meters from the Citadel there is a tall monument, which is visible from many points in the city. The Statue of Liberty in Budapest was erected on Gellert Hill in 1947 to commemorate the liberation of Hungary from the Nazis. In the center of the composition, on a 26-meter pedestal, stands a 14-meter statue of a woman, cast in bronze, holding a palm branch on her head.
Near the main statue you can see two more sculptures.
Gellert Hill offers a magnificent view: Budapest bridges and the main attractions of the city will appear before your eyes.
Philosophical Garden in Budapest
In fact, the “philosophical garden” is a small square on which there are 8 bronze statues.
Five of them - Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Lao Tzu and Akhenaten - stand on a round pedestal, in the middle of which there is a small ball (earth). Mohandas Gandhi, Daruma (Bodhidharma) and Francis of Assisi are standing there. The Philosophical Garden was opened in 2001 on Gellert Hill in Budapest. Its author is the Hungarian sculptor Nandor Wagner.
Jesus and Buddha need no introduction. Therefore, let's say two words about the rest: Abraham is a biblical character considered the ancestor of the Jewish people; Lao Tzu - Chinese philosopher (VI-V centuries BC), founder of Taoism; Akhenaten is an Egyptian pharaoh who carried out a great religious reform in the country and introduced the cult of the god Aten; Bodhidharma - follower of Buddhism (6th century), founder of the Chan teachings; Mohandas Gandhi is a famous political and public figure of modern India, the so-called author of nonviolent philosophy; Francis of Assisi - founder of the Franciscan order (XII-XIII centuries), saint.
Meeting of Buda and Pest
200 meters from the Philosophical Garden there is a sculptural composition “Meeting of Buda and Pest”. From Hungarian it literally translates as “King of Buda and Queen of Pest.” This statue of Martha Leschen was erected in 1982. Below is a reservoir located under Mount Gellert.
The composition represents two sides of Budapest, separated by the Danube. Many people think that it is dedicated to the creation of Budapest, but this is not so, because Budapest was created as a result of the merger of three cities - Buda, Pest and Óbuda - in 1873.
There is a cave on Mount Gellert (often called St. John's, after a monk who supposedly once lived there) in which there is an active church. The cave is connected to the Pauline monastery, located at the foot of the mountain.
How to get to the foot of Mount Gellert:
- from the Erzsebet Bridge: by bus - №8E, 108E, 110, 112, stop Döbrentei tér ; by tram - №19, 41, 56, 56A, stop Rudas Gyógyfürdő.
- from the Freedom Bridge: by metro - green line M4, stop Szent Gellért tér; by bus - №7, stop Szent Gellért tér M; By tram - №19, 41, 47, 49, 56, 56A, stop Szent Gellért tér M.
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