Saint Gellért Statue

As you look out onto the Danube, this 7-metre-tall statue may catch your attention, even if it’s only seen from behind! Here is Gerard of Csanád, or Saint Gellért, holding a gold cross that points towards the sky. This Venetian-born saint has been watching over Budapest since 1904, and he stands here for a very good reason! While travelling on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, this Christian missionary was asked by King Stephen I of Hungary to help convert the local population. At the time, locals still followed pagan beliefs—meaning they worshipped several gods. But this mission did not end well. Saint Gellért faced a violent uprising from locals, who, according to the king, didn’t want to change their beliefs. He was captured, stoned, tortured with spears, sealed inside a barrel pierced with nails, and thrown from this cliff. Canonised in 1083, Saint Gellért is considered the patron saint of Budapest. This hill was fittingly renamed to honour him.