The Citadella

The Citadel, in Budapest

The Citadel of Budapest dominates the city from the summit of the Gellért hill, at two hundred and thirty-five metres of altitude, for more than a century and a half. The Budapest audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this fortress built in the middle of the nineteenth century by order of the emperor Franz Joseph, surmounted by the Statue of Liberty, and offering one of the finest panoramas over the Danube.

The fortress of the summit of the Gellért

Perched at two hundred and thirty-five metres at the summit of the Gellért hill, the Citadel of Budapest dominates the city and the Danube for more than a century and a half. Built between 1851 and 1854 by order of the emperor Franz Joseph, this fortress two hundred and twenty metres long served above all to watch over the Hungarian population, in a climate of mistrust that followed the revolutions of 1848. Irony of history, it was never used in a war situation: its cannons fired only once, to celebrate the birthday of the emperor. The military architecture remains impressive, with its massive walls, its bastions and its carefully chosen materials, like the red limestone of Tardos. In 1947, the Citadel was surmounted by a Statue of Liberty fourteen metres high, forty with its pedestal, erected to commemorate the liberation of Budapest at the end of the Second World War. Become a strong symbol of the city, this slender silhouette, brandishing a palm, is seen from almost everywhere. Today, the site is especially renowned for its exceptional panorama: from its ramparts, the gaze embraces the two banks of the Danube, the bridges, the Parliament and the whole of the capital, a particularly striking spectacle at sunset. A panoramic fortress and a symbol of the city, the Citadel is a fine stop of the discovery of Budapest.

What to see

Here you discover a fortress of the summit of the Gellért hill, built between 1851 and 1854 by order of the emperor Franz Joseph to watch over the population after 1848, never used in war; surmounted since 1947 by the Statue of Liberty of fourteen metres commemorating the liberation of the city, it offers, at two hundred and thirty-five metres, an exceptional panorama over the Danube and the capital. The Citadel is a belvedere of Budapest. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Citadel lies at the summit of the Gellért hill, on the Buda bank, in Budapest, reachable on foot by paths or by transport. The site and its belvedere are in free access; some parts may be under works or follow hours that vary. It is best to enquire before going up and to favour a day of clear sky for the view.

Why was the Citadel of Budapest built?

It was built between 1851 and 1854 by order of the emperor Franz Joseph to watch over the Hungarian population, in the climate of mistrust that followed the revolutions of 1848; never used in war, it has been surmounted since 1947 by a Statue of Liberty commemorating the liberation of the city, and offers, at the summit of the Gellért hill, an exceptional panorama over Budapest.

Where is the Citadel in Budapest?

At the summit of the Gellért hill, on the Buda bank, in Budapest, in Hungary.