Cittadella

The fortress dominates the top of Gellért hill on Buda site of Danube (read more about the hill in section Budapest, sightseeing in and around city of Budapest). From Gellért Statue, there is a path up to the citadel. The U-shaped 220 m long fort was  erected in 1851, after the 1848/49 Hungarian uprising against Habsburg-Austria. Its purpose was to control effectively both parts of the city, Buda and Pest. Works were commanded by Julius Jacob von Haynau, while architects were Emánuel Zita, and Ferenc Kasselik. In 1900, it went into property of the city. During WWII, Germans had a bunker and fortifications here. In 1945 and in 1956, the city was bombed by Soviet artillery and tank fire from the citadel. Today, the citadel houses an event center with panorama hall, dome hall, hunting hall, monarchy hall, knight and marble hall and even more, a hotel, lounge, folklore restaurant, and panorama restaurant, where one may enjoy fantastic panoramic views on Budapest and Danube. 

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