White stone towers line the Castle hill overlooking the Danube River. You can imagine Rapunzel letting down her luscious locks for her prince to climb up from any of them. The Fisherman’s Bastion is a place where fairy tales crossover to reality. But this terrace didn’t come from the imagination of Walt Disney.
The neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque structure was built on the design of Hungarian architecture Frigyes Schulek. It took 7 years to complete and was finished in 1902. Seven is a key number for this magnificent destination. There are 7 small towers, or turrets, that encompass it. Each of the towers representing one of the 7 Hungarian tribes that founded the country.
Fisherman’s Bastion is a translation from the original Hungarian name, Halaszbastya. There are many theories of where the name comes from, but most agree that it comes from the fisherman’s guild who were the early protectors of the Castle walls.
The Bastion was almost destroyed during World War II, and it was Fridgyes Schulek’s son, János Schulek, who led the restoration to bring it back to its original splendor in 1948.
A statue of the first king of Hungary, Stephen I, stands on the terrace.
The Fisherman’s Bastion was originally built as part of the celebration of the 1,000th birthday of Hungary as a decorative lookout tower from which the locals could enjoy panoramic views of the city. Today this unique structure continues to be one of the most iconic sights on the Buda bank from where you can get the best panoramic views of Budapest.
Entry:
The terrace and many of the balconies are free. However, you can choose to get a deeper look.
Upper observation deck: $1000 Hungarian Forint
Website:
http://www.budavar.hu/halaszbastya-belepodijai
Address:
Budapest, Szentháromság tér, 1014 Hungary
