Fishermen’s Bastion Budapest

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The White-stoned, Fishermen’s Bastion (Halaszbastya) appears like a castle out of a magical fairytale, where you can take the best photos in Budapest-for free. It is actually a decorative viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths, in neo-Gothic and Romanesque style. It is the tourists’ favorite spot in the Castle district, offering a grand panorama of almost the entire city.

This amazing structure is a little over 100 years old, built by Frigyes Schulek, between 1895 and 1902, simultaneously with the last major renovation of the Matthias Church. A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church. As history has it, in the medieval times, there was fish market nearby and it was the duty of the fisherman’s guild to defend this part of the castle complex, hence the name of the Bastion. So the Bastion was built to commemorate the fisherman who protected the area of the city. There are seven tent-like towers that symbolize the seven Hungarian tribes that arrived to the Carpathian Basin in 1896.

The best time to visit the Fisherman’s Bastion is on a clear, sunny day. This weather will allow you to see all of what Fisherman’s Bastion has to offer including the stunning views and amazing architecture. From this point you can see: slim towers, ships cruising the Danube, the gentle slopes of the Castle Hill, the fresh green of the Margaret Island, and more.

It is free to enter Fishermen’s Bastion, but if you want to visit the very top there is a small fee. After dark there is no fee and during a warm summer night, it is beautiful to see the city lights. In one of the towers, you can also find a cafe, where you can sit for a coffee and enjoy the beauty Budapest has to offer.

Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Between 1947–48, the son of Frigyes Schulek, János Schulek, conducted the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II.
From the towers and the terrace a panoramic view exists of Duna, Margaret Island, Pest to the east and the Gellért Hill.
Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896.
The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths.
A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church. The pedestal was made by Alajos Stróbl, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, in Neo-Romanesque style, with episodes illustrating the King's life.
The Fisherman’s Bastion is made up of seven towers - each one symbolizing one of the seven Magyar tribes that came to Hungary in 896. Some describe the building as almost “Disney-esque” – a fairytale-like structure that conjures up thoughts of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Still, it seems to be in sync with the style of the Church of Our Lady and complements the church, which was the intention of the architect.