Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion looks medieval and is not: it was built between 1895 and 1902 by Frigyes Schulek as an ornamental viewing terrace along the old walls of Castle Hill, in a fanciful white neo-Romanesque style of arcades, stairways and seven conical turrets, one for each of the Magyar chieftains who led the tribes into the Carpathian Basin. Its name comes from the guild of fishermen who by tradition defended this stretch of wall. From the terraces the view is the classic Budapest panorama, straight across the Danube to the Parliament building on the far bank, with the bridges strung between the two halves of the city, and it is at its best at sunrise when the stone turns pale gold and the crowds have not yet arrived. Behind it stands the tiled roof of the Matthias Church, restored by the same architect.

History

In the Middle Ages, historians agree, this stretch of the castle wall was defended by the guild of fishermen who lived below it, though the name may come rather from Fishtown, the settlement by the Danube. The present structure was built between 1895 and 1902 in Neo-Romanesque style on the base of the old castle walls by the architect Frigyes Schulek, who also restored the Matthias Church, and its seven towers stand for the seven chieftains of the Hungarians who founded the country (Wikipedia, Fisherman's Bastion).

Highlights

• The terraces and turrets - the white arcades and seven conical towers.
• The Danube panorama - the view across to the Parliament and the bridges.
• Matthias Church - the neighbouring church with its patterned tiled roof.
• Sunrise from the walls - the light on the stone before the crowds arrive.

When to go

Any time of year; dawn is the best hour by a wide margin, both for the light and for having the terraces almost to yourself, and the lower levels are free and open then. Evenings are lovely when the Parliament is floodlit. Midday in summer is the most crowded.

What to expect

It is one of the most photographed spots in the city and by late morning in summer the terraces are shoulder to shoulder, with a queue for the paid upper section. That upper ticket buys a slightly higher vantage rather than a different view, and outside the charging hours the same terraces are free, which most visitors do not realise. The climb up Castle Hill is steep if you skip the funicular.

Nearby

Buda Castle and the castle quarter are along the hill; the Chain Bridge leads down and across to Pest.

Key facts