Fisherman Bastion in the Castle Quarter

fisherman-bastion-budapestThe Fishermen’s Bastion is one of the most popular spots of the Castle District with visitors, as it offers a grand panorama of almost the entire city. It is situated at the eastern side of Castle Hill, and can be reached from the centre of the district, Szentháromság tér (Trinity Square). Its architecture is characteristic of the turn of the century; its flights of stairs, its projections, its turrets, and its ambulatory-like galleries make it a mixture of the neo-Gothic and neo-Roman- esque styles and of the romantic baronial castles. In 1901-03, the aim of its architect, Frigyes Schulek, was to provide a worthy setting for the Church of Our Lady (Matthias Church); when building it he also made use of the remaining stones of the old Castle wall. The Fishermen’s Bastion received its name from the medieval ramparts system which rose above the suburb named Fishermen’s Town; furthermore, there used to be a fish-market behind the ramparts. Beneath the Fishermen’s Bastion lies the old suburb of Vízi- város (Water Town), now full of new bindings; its Baroque church towers recall the past. Looking towards the north we get a view of the Danube with Margaret Island.