Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary

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. Construction of the bastion destabilised the foundations of the neighbouring 13th century Dominican Church which had to be pulled down. 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 Danube, 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.

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User Reviews

Adriel Merino (22 months ago)
Best views from Pest. I’ve been blessed as it was full moon. This place is breathtaking and admirable. I love it. I could spend the evening in here seeing the sunrise the next time I came back because I loved it.

marco pracucci (22 months ago)
Maybe the best place in Budapest... awesome view. Great history and a really good place to spend some time with family, in couple or alone as well. The square in front of the Church of S.Mathius is really clean and a quiet place despite of plenty of people going around there

Sharon Hayre (22 months ago)
One of the most beautiful places to visit in Budapest. Travelled during the snow so was made especially magical. Very distinct and clean architecture. The church inside the grounds is a must see too. Cafes are located next to the bastion. Great views from the top!

raghav chawla (23 months ago)
A perfect place for a perfect view of the city, to see the Budapest parliament, the river, the skyline and much more. It's just the perfect spot. There are lots of eating options, restaurants and Talley really available. Buses run every 10 minutes and you can also hike and reach here. It's open thought-out the day but the morning and evening are just great

Noja M (2 years ago)
Having a three course lunch here in early July was like a dream. Breathtaking view all around. Good value for money. I didn't mind paying to go up to take photos. It's the best idea so the place doesn't get trashed. It doesn't become too busy either. It was clean and well kept. The downstairs 3D cinema was amazing! A very fantastic way to tell Hungary's history. It gave me goosebumps.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright oxfordblues84

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The famous Italian Medici family have given two queens to France: Catherine, the spouse of Henry II, and Marie, widow of Henry IV, who built the current Luxembourg palace. Maria di Medici had never been happy at the Louvre, still semi-medieval, where the fickle king, did not hesitate to receive his mistresses. The death of Henry IV, assassinated in 1610, left the way open for Marie's project. When she became regent, she was able to give special attention to the construction of an imposing modern residence that would be reminiscent of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, where she grew up. The development of the 25-hectare park, which was to serve as a jewel-case for the palace, began immediately.

The architect, Salomon de Brosse, began the work in 1615. Only 16 years later was the palace was completed. Palace of Luxembourg affords a transition between the Renaissance and the Classical period.

In 1750, the Director of the King's Buildings installed in the wing the first public art-gallery in France, in which French and foreign canvases of the royal collections are shown. The Count of Provence and future Louis XVIII, who was living in Petit Luxembourg, had this gallery closed in 1780: leaving to emigrate, he fled from the palace in June 1791.

During the French Revolution the palace was first abandoned and then moved as a national prison. After that it was the seat of the French Directory, and in 1799, the home of the Sénat conservateur and the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. The old apartments of Maria di Medici were altered. The floor, which the 80 senators only occupied in 1804, was built in the middle of the present Conference Hall.

Beginning in 1835 the architect Alphonse de Gisors added a new garden wing parallel to the old corps de logis, replicating the look of the original 17th-century facade so precisely that it is difficult to distinguish at first glance the old from the new. The new senate chamber was located in what would have been the courtyard area in-between.

The new wing included a library (bibliothèque) with a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix. In the 1850s, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Gisors created the highly decorated Salle des Conférences, which influenced the nature of subsequent official interiors of the Second Empire, including those of the Palais Garnier.

During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), Hermann Göring took over the palace as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe in France, taking for himself a sumptuous suite of rooms to accommodate his visits to the French capital. Since 1958 the Luxembourg palace has been the seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic.

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