Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bishop Gellért
During a pagan revolt in the
11th century, Bishop Gellért was
thrown off Old Hill in a sealed
barrel. To seek forgiveness from
God, the citizens of Budapest
decided to dedicate the hill to
him a century later. Of Italian
descent, the Bishop had, in fact,
been invited to Hungary to help
the newly baptized St Stephen
(István) spread Christianity
throughout the region. It was
rumoured that Stephen's brother,
Prince Vata, had a hand in the
martyrdom. Today, the Bishop
is worshipped as Budapest's
patron saint.
A Day in Gellért
and Tabán
Morning
Start the day with a coffee
and light breakfast on the
corner terrace of the
Café
Eszpresszó
(see p17)
at
the Gellért Hotel, then
head around the corner to
the
Gellért Baths
(see
pp16-17)
. Try to resist the
temptation to stay all day
in the various baths and
swimming pools; a few
hours worth of pampering
and a massage should be
suficient. Once refreshed,
you'll be in ine form to
tackle
Gellért Hill
(see
p72)
and climb up to the
Citadel
. After enjoying the
views from its ramparts,
break for lunch at the
Citadel's own restaurant,
Citadella
(see p73)
.
The original is in the Budapest
History Museum
(see p63)
. The
church has regular organ concerts.
d
Map J4 • XI, Attila út 11 • 375 54 91
(
Miklós Ybl Square
Afternoon
After lunch, descend south-
wards to the
Cave Church
(see p69)
, a bizarre place
of worship hewn into the
rock of Gellért Hill. From
here, stroll down to Gellért
Square and travel north
along the embankment in
the splendid tram No. 19
to
Miklós Ybl Square
. A
short walk west leads you
to the district of
Tabán
,
where you'll be surround-
ed by Secession buildings.
You can wander about the
pretty terraces and gardens
that replaced the earlier
slum. Next, visit the
Tabán
Parish Church
just off
Attila út, one of the few
surviving buildings from
Tabán's old district. To the
north is the fascinating
Semmelweis Museum of
Medical History
(see p72)
.
End the day by enjoying a
classic Hungarian meal at
the Aranyszarvas restau-
rant in the
Golden Stag
House
nearby.
Arguably Hungary's greatest
architect, responsible for gems
such as St Stephen's Basilica
(see
pp12-13)
, Miklós Ybl is honoured
with a commemorative statue
which stands in a square bearing
his name. It was designed by Ede
Mayer and erected here in 1894,
three years after Ybl died. To the
square's west are Tabán's scenic
terraces, from where a number of
routes lead up to the Royal
Palace.
d
Map J4 • XI, Ybl Miklós tér
)
Golden Stag House
At the foot of Castle Hill is
the Golden Stag House, named
for the superb bas-relief above its
entrance depicting a golden stag
pursued by two hunting hounds.
The 19th-century house has long
been home to the Aranyszarvas
restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the
eatery specializes in game dishes
and features venison, hare,
pheasant and wild duck.
d
Map J4
• XI, Szarvas tér 1 • 375 64 51 • Open
noon-11pm daily • www.aranyszarvas.hu
71
