The Buda Citadella, Budapest's ‘other’ castle, commands the best view in town, perched on the craggy wooded slops of Gellért Hill.
Budapest doesn't have just one impressive fortification on its western hills of Buda, but two. While Buda Castle may have the history, Buda Citadella draws the view-seekers. This century-old fort, built in 1854, sits atop Gellért Hill, 140 metres above the Danube. From this vantage point it has the best views over the whole of Budapest and up to Buda Castle, a couple of kilometres to the north.Originally designed to be a grand fort for the city’s protection, the Citadella was built on Buda's highest hill shortly after the Hungarian revolution of 1848, when the Austrians were worried about keeping the Hungarians in their empire. At 220 metres in length, with thick 4-metre high ramparts, it remains a foreboding piece of defensive work. In the end, though, the Citadella managed to dodge conflict.Today, this fortress is now mainly used as a hotel – and a viewing platform for the rest of the city. It does have a few sights of its own to check out – some of its gun emplacements boast cannons originally installed in the 19th century. And there is a museum dedicated to the Soviet bunker, installed here during the 1945 Battle of Budapest.Gellért Hill itself provides an interesting backdrop to the Citadella, made up of wooded parklands and elegant embassies. A network of caves runs through the rock, fed by warm thermal springs, some of which are open to the public. Saint Ivan's Cave features a cave church, and enchanting crystal formations have been found in others.Perhaps the most poignant part of the Hill lies just east of the Citadella – the Liberty Statue. A giant figure of a woman holding a palm leaf, it was once dedicated to the Soviet Russian 'liberators'. Since 1989 it has been rededicated to 'all who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary'.
