Gellért Hill is a 235-meter-high dolomite rock, looming over the Danube on the Buda side of Budapest. The hill is a nature reserve with extensive tree coverage that was named after St. Gellért, Hungary’s first missionary. He was killed there by pagans during a rebellion. You find his statue on the hillside.

On the top, you can see a statue of a lady. The Statue of Liberty holding the palm leaf. She is definitely one of Budapest’s symbols. The statue is surrounded by the Citadel, which was built after the 1848-49 revolution by the Habsburgs to control the Hungarians. The view from the top is spectacular and definitely worth the effort to 15-minute walk up there.

You will see the white Elisabeth bridge (Erzsébet híd)  from the hilltop. Its namesake was Queen Elisabeth (Sissy the wife of Franz Joseph who was the Emperor of Austria, and King of Hungary ) and her statue can be found at the Buda end of the bridge.  There are 13 different bridges crossing the river Danube in Budapest, starting with the gigantic Megyeri Bridge in the north and finishing with Gubacsi Bridge in the south. These bridges are a mix of road, railway, and foot. 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: The view is free from the hilltop. The Citadel atop Gellert hill is fenced around for renovation, but you can still enjoy the overall view from the hill. There are no shops to purchase drinks and snacks so bring them with you to the hilltop. We finish our Evening Walking Tour close by to the hill.