Budapest: Gellért-hegy
Another day, another bridge! This time we crossed the Danube from Pest to Buda via the Szabadság Bridge to Gellért-hegy (Gellért Hill).
Ahead of us, we could see our two destinations: the Cave Church and the Liberation Monument on top of the hill.
Outside the Cave Church is another statue of the ubiquitous St Stephen and a great view back to the bridge we had just walked across.
The Cave Church, created in the 1930s, is a higgledy-piggledy warren of passages and small chapels where masses are conducted by monks of the Pauline Order.
Climbing beyond the church, the views became even better.
At the top, we admired the Liberation Monument from all angles. It was originally erected to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who liberated Budapest from the Nazis, but after the fall of communism its inscription was rewritten to honour all those who died for Hungary’s prosperity.
The Citadella, which you can just glimpse behind the monument in one of the pictures, was built to reassert Hapsburg dominance after the revolution of 1848-9. After walking round it to admire the views on all sides, we set off down the other side of the hill.
This took us past the statue of St Gellért, after whom the hill is named. Gellért was a Christian missionary in the time of St Stephen and, after Stephen died, pagans apparently threw him off the hill at this very point. Today, he brandishes his crucifix at all comers.
The path down the hill deposits you at a complicated road system leading to the Erzsébet (Elizabeth) Bridge which we would use to cross back to Pest later. A statue of Empress Elizabeth (1837-98) sits on a central island.
Navigating our way across the road, we arrived in the Tabán district. Large figures were advertising an exhibition about the First World War, but we headed next door to the Semmelweis Medical Museum.
Dr Ignác Semmelweis (1818-65) discovered the cause of puerperal fever, which was usually fatal, thus saving the lives of many women in childbirth. Good man! I also liked the Holy Ghost Pharmacy which dates from 1786 (though not on this site), the opium pillow (how comfortable could that be? Don’t you mind if you’re taking opium?) and the portrait of Zsuzsanna Kossuth, sister of the revolutionary leader and National Head Nurse during the 1848-9 War of Independence.
After a final stroll around the area, we headed back to our hotel for our last night in Budapest.
Just one more post to complete my Budapest holiday diary!
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
Adore the cave church, the vistas, the moments, and John’s radiant smile. Thank you for taking me here today.
LikeLike
A good bit of armchair travel! Or whatever seating arrangements you have to hand …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, it is a long couch in our boat salon 🙂
LikeLike
That will do nicely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
ooh I seem to have liked this previously but I can’t recall this beauty. Lovely post Anabel
LikeLike
Thanks Becky! I had forgotten much of it too, and had muddled it up in my thinking with another hill in Budapest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phew not just me who does that then!
LikeLike
Nope!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Did we go to the same city? I’m afraid we didn’t see any of these things. We purposely didn’t go to the Citadel, but focused on Castle Hill and Fisherman’s Bastion, etc. We spent one full day going on a Danube Bend cruise to Esztergom and Visegrad. So much to do and see!
LikeLike
Well, we were there a whole week so were quite thorough!
LikeLike
I think a whole week is good! A minimum of 5 days is necessary to do a city right. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Anabel! Sorry I’ve disappeared. It has been quite an hectic few weeks. I’m trying to catch up with everything, but so many things still ask for my attention.
But I’m determined to go back to my friends’ blogs 😉
Really really liked the highlights of this posts. I’ve never imagined Budapest to be such a grandeaur city.
Give my current interests, I don’t think I’d miss the WWI exibition, but that medical museum also sounds so very interesting.
LikeLike
Thanks Sarah! Budapest is full of grandeur.
LikeLike
Was just idly scrolling around on WordPress, when I found your post. Really glad you enjoyed it here, and yes, Budapest – and especially Gellért Hill – is a truly magical place.
LikeLike
Thank you for visiting – we loved Budapest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve always felt bad for Semmelweis, because no one listened to him about the importance of handwashing, and he died in an asylum shortly after being committed. There are probably so many thousands of lives that could have been saved in the interim between Semmelweis and Lister if doctors had just washed their damn hands. I’d love to visit his museum though!
LikeLike
For some reason I thought of you when writing this! And that you’d be disappointed not to see any grisly photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
An extra gold star for any city for me is one with a major river flowing through its centre, urban hills for views over the districts, interesting bridges and history… so Budapest seems to tick all the boxes.
LikeLike
Several gold stars I think!
LikeLike
Hi Anabel – your photos are so good and the history … fascinating – I keep hearing about Budapest, apart from Patrick Leigh Fermor!, I really have to get over and see it … cheers Hilary
LikeLike
You definitely do! Thanks Hilary.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your visit to Budapest! I’m enjoying the photos and descriptions.
LikeLike
Thanks Ann. Almost there – it’s been a marathon!
LikeLike
I’ve never heard of the Pauline Order. What an interesting post. Thanks Anabel.
LikeLike
I think they were specifically a Hungarian Order. Glad you found it interesting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would have loved to have seen that cave church so I will just have to go back. Seeing the pictures of the Liberation Monument brings back memories of being there back in 1982. I remember it being more in memory of Communism and of the sleazy bus driver who was making the eyes at me and the 16 year old. The 16 year old was loving the attention a bit too much as the bus driver was in his 40’s and over-weight and red in the face. He was asking me why I didn’t like him and I told him that he should never have knocked on our hotel room door at midnight! I told some of the older people what was happening and he didn’t bother us again….or at least me.
LikeLike
Ugh, sleazy! The Cave church was sealed up under communism, so yes, you’ll just have to go back.
LikeLike
I absolutely LOVE the cave Church. It would be amazing to attend a Mass there! I greatly enjoy tagging along with you virtually!
LikeLike
Thanks – the Cave church seems to be the biggest hit in the comments.
LikeLike
A cave church. How fascinating.
LikeLike
It was! Interesting and beautiful.
LikeLike
That cave church and the bridge. Got me. So unique and beautiful.
LikeLike
I’ve never seen anything like the Cave church before. And Budapest certainly knows how to do bridges!
LikeLike
We enjoyed the views of Gellert Hill the most! Thanks for the glimpse inside the Cave Church, another site we did not manage to visit. How many steps did you collect after this day of walking and climbing, Anabel?? 🙂
LikeLike
Just over 18000 – not bad, but less than other days (the record was over 30000).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great pics – the Cave Church looks fascinating. It would be quite the place to see a service.
LikeLike
Yes, it would. Unique.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m losing track – how long did you stay there? You seem to have been a whole load of places. A really thorough exploration, and it all looks great 🙂
LikeLike
A week! We walked miles every day, so did cover a lot of ground.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Impossible to dislike a city with so many bridges, Anabel 🙂 🙂 But if they didn’t have the bridges it would be 2 cities, wouldn’t it?
LikeLike
Well, indeed! Though Newcastle and Gateshead haven’t merged yet, have they, despite their bridges? 😉
LikeLike
I doubt they ever will 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That bridge and those cave churches are fabulous, Anabel. It seems you found some strange and interesting things in the medical museum. The views of the Danube are fabulous too. It seems you had wonderful weather. 🙂
I really need to start reading up on our upcoming trip, but all my guidebooks are at home.
LikeLike
We didn’t do much research beforehand – just decided it on a daily basis where we fancied going. There’s so much choice!
LikeLiked by 2 people