Fisherman's Bastion / Matthias Church
Halászbástya / Mátyás-templom
A fairy-tale neo-Romanesque lookout with seven spires on Castle Hill, overlooking the Parliament and the Danube, with the colorfully tiled Matthias Church right behind it.
Fisherman's Bastion was designed by Frigyes Schulek and built between 1895 and 1902. It is not a defensive fortification. It is a viewing structure built to celebrate the millennium, on the spot where the medieval fishermen's guild defended the walls. Its seven conical towers symbolize the seven Magyar tribes that settled the Carpathian Basin in 896.
The lower arcades and terrace are free all day. The upper towers charge about 1,500 forints during the day, but entry is free from mid-October to mid-March, and free after 19:00 in the evening and before 9:00 in the morning. In fact, the lower level already offers panoramic views of the Parliament, the Chain Bridge and Margaret Island. It is the best angle for photographing the Pest skyline, and it is most beautiful at sunrise, when the light is backlit.
Next door, Matthias Church (Church of Our Lady) dates from the 13th century. King Matthias held two weddings here. In 1867, Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) were crowned King and Queen of Hungary in this church, and Liszt's Coronation Mass premiered here for the ceremony. In the late 19th century it was remodeled in the neo-Gothic style. Its roof is covered with colorful Zsolnay tiles, and the interior murals and painted columns are intensely colorful. Admission is about 2,900 forints, and a separate ticket can be bought to climb the tower. In front of the church stands an equestrian statue of St. Stephen, and the square is surrounded by the Hilton Hotel, which preserves the remains of a Dominican monastery.
Getting there: walk across the Chain Bridge from Pest and take the Sikló funicular up the hill, or take bus 16 or 16A from Széll Kálmán tér (Metro M2) to Szentháromság tér. It is best to visit Buda Castle on the same day, scheduled for the morning.
Opening hours
Fishermen's Bastion lower level all day; upper towers 09:00–19:00; Matthias Church Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, Sat until 12:00, Sun 13:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum
- Buda Castle
- Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- Shoes on the Danube Bank
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Danube River Cruise
- Rudas Baths
- Gellért Hill