Fisherman's Bastion
Perched on a hill overlooking the Danube River, white stone glistening in the sunlight, the towers and arches look like something out of a fairy tale. When I climbed the massive stone steps up the hill, I expected to find an ancient fortress of some sort. In fact, Fisherman's Bastion (Halaszbastya) is more of a tribute to history than a piece of ancient history itself. That said, the history — and the city — it celebrates is vast and colorful.
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Budapest today is a bustling city with a rich past, from opulent Baroque times to the stark Soviet era. But it was born all the way back in 895, when seven Magyar chieftains joined to form what is now Hungary. Though Fisherman's Bastion is far younger than this, it harkens back to this moment — as a celebration of the 1000th birthday of the Hungarian state. By the late 1800s, Budapest was developing into a major cosmopolitan city, experiencing a massive boom of construction and renovation. As part of this, Fisherman's Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 — a celebration of the state, the views of the city, and the beauty of Matthias Church. Since then, it has witnessed a turbulent century. It was damaged during World War II, hosted a red Soviet star during Communist rule, and had fallen into disrepair by the 1980s. Today, restored, it is one of Budapest's main attractions.
With long arcades, wide arches, and elegant cornices, the bastion's neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style draws inspiration from the time of the first Hungarian king (circa 1000). Designed by architect Frigyes Schulek, it was built on top of thick castle walls dating back to the medieval period that once protected the castle and city of Buda on Castle Hill. The L-shaped bastion serves as a viewing terrace, offering a panoramic view of the river and city below, as well as a spectacular entrance point to Castle Hill via a grand staircase connecting the riverfront to the hilltop. In a nod to Hungary's past, the seven lookout towers feature statues of the seven Magyar chieftains who united to form early Hungary. And the name? Some historians say that this section of the castle walls was protected by the guild of fishermen (halasz) who lived under the walls in Fishtown or Watertown. In any case, it serves its purpose well as a celebration of Budapest and Hungary, from its symbolic creation to the unparalleled views it casts over the city.