Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
4. Castle Hill & Gellért Hill
CASTLE HILL & GELLERT HILL 33 Monument dominates the skyline. There’s not a lot going on up there, but it’s worth a visit for the view alone. The hill can be climbed via a number of paths leading up from either Elizabeth Bridge or the Gellért Hotel, but it’s quite steep and it may be better leave these for the descent. No. 27 bus runs to the top of the hill from the end of Villányi út, by Móricz Zsigmond körtér (which is two stops on any tram going south from the Gellért Hotel). The upper terminus is by the entrance to the Citadel, a walled fortress structure built by the Austrians after the failed Hungarian uprising of 1848-49. Inside there is a hotel, restaurant and café, but the main attraction for children is that you can walk around the ramparts of the thick fortress walls. This offers a much better, higher, more all-round view of the city and the hills than that from the Fishermen’s Bastion on Castle Hill. In the summer, except on Mondays, you can use a telescope here, which is also available at night for star-gazing. There is a small charge to enter the Citadel, and although no sign says so, it’s free for children up to six and half price for others up to twelve. On the far side of the hill, behind the Citadel, there is a small playground (across the gravel area). Given the height and fresh air, it’s probably the healthiest playground in the city! There are two sets of swings (six each), a small sand pit, climbing frames and three curious limestone dog-like animals which can be climbed on. For some reason, there’s also a 2-metre high abacus, which can be played with. The park area stretches down towards the river and the Gellért Hotel. In the lower area there are some of the biggest slides in Budapest (five long ones, some twisting, and one little one). There are benches in the play area, which allow adults to sit and watch while the kids tire themselves out. (These slides are easily reached from below. Take the steps which start a short way up the road by the side of the hotel.) A curiosity of Gellért Hill is that on the side facing the Gellért Hotel there is a cave-chapel [sziklakápolna]. It has recently been reopened after being closed for decades. 3
