Budapest’s Fisherman’s Bastion (or Halászbástya in Hungarian) is one of the most popular sights in the city’s Castle district. Located on the Buda side of the Danube River, the Fisherman’s Bastion is a turreted, medieval fort with amazing views back to the Pest side of the city, including views of the iconic Hungarian Parliament building.
We visited Budapest in Hungary in 2019. The Fisherman’s Bastion was the sight I was most excited to see, so we visited it (for the first time) on our first morning in the city.
Getting There
To access the elevated Castle district, you can take the Siklo, which is a gorgeous little wooden funicular (HUF 1,200 each ticket), up to the Castle. From there, it’s a 12 minute walk to the Bastion. This is how we travelled up to the Castle district on our first visit to the area.
On subsequent trips up to the Bastion, we caught one of the little buses that travel around the city. There was a bus stop conveniently located close to our hotel (Prestige Hotel Budapest), and after a 15 minute ride on the 16B bus across the Chain Bridge, you can alight right next to Matthias Church.
The Fisherman’s Bastion
With its lovely stone turrets and circular staircases, the Fisherman’s Bastion is reminiscent of a fairytale castle. The Bastion, surrounding statues and Matthias Church were all so clean! We bought a ticket from the ticket office to access the upper wall of the Bastion, which is worth doing for the elevated views over the Matthias Church and to the Pest side of the Danube River. We paid HUF 1,000 each in 2019 for the ticket.
The Statue of St Stephen
From the Bastion’s wall, you also have a great view of the statue of St Stephen, although from the rear end of his horse. The statue of St Stephen is beautifully ornate. Note the lions with their wavy manes, and that each pair of the decorative columns feature different patterns.
Drinks with a view at the Panoramia Café & Bar
We had an Aperol Spritz in the Panoramia Café & Bar located under the Bastion. This bar holds a prime viewing position, and the drink price reflects the location. We had a fantastic view of the Parliament building from our table, so we lingered over our spritzes.
The Matthias Church
One of the standout features of the Matthias Church (or Mátyás Templom, named after King Matthias) is its beautiful coloured ceramic tiled roof. The entrances and tower are ornately decorated. The summer sun shines on the front of the church in the afternoon, and we were able to take some lovely photos around 5 to 6pm.
We climbed the tower of the Matthias Church. Although you can buy tickets to visit the interior of the church online (on their website, definitely worth doing), you have to buy your tower tickets on site. We paid HUF 1,800 per person (2019). They are at the same ticket office for the Bastion wall entrance, and you enter through a door at the base of the tower (not from within the church).
They take you up in small groups, stopping in a couple of rooms on the way, where the guide gives you some information about the tower and you get nice and close to the bells. The spiral stairs (196 steps) are narrow but the view from the top is worth it. You are rewarded with great views of the coloured church roof, of the Danube river and across the city.
The Holy Trinity Column
In front of the Matthias Church is the impressive Holy Trinity Column. It was completed in 1706, apparently to help protect the community from the plague. The column and its decorative pieces were the work of both Fulop Ungleich and Antal Horger.
The Holy Trinity features at the very top. The Father is holding the sceptre, the Son is holding a cross and the Holy Spirit is in the form of the dove.
You can take great photos which include the Holy Trinity Column and the Matthias Church by positioning yourself west of the column.
Wine Tasting at Faust Wine Cellar
Just steps away from the Fisherman’s Bastion is Faust Wine Cellar. Locating the cellar is a fun experience before you even get to the wine tasting. It is in the depths of the Hilton Hotel (although not actually part of the Hilton), so we made our way past reception, a nice looking lobby bar, function rooms, courtyard gardens and an historic cloister to eventually reach a set of stairs to descend to the cave-like, candle lit Faust Wine Cellar.
Faust Wine Cellar has set times for a guided tasting of wines from across Hungary. You need to reserve a table, and do this ahead of time. We waited until we were in Budapest and had to accept the only time they had available across the days we had left.
We chose the ‘Curiosities of Hungary (short tasting)’ option, which cost HUF 7,500 each (2019, current prices are on their website). The tasting included a small basket of Hungarian savoury scones, and a bottle of water. Tables are set up to accommodate your booking size (so we had a table just for the two of us) and a staff member will come to your table and talk you through the wine and where it is from. The focus is on small batch producers. It was fun and good value, and of course you can buy wine to take or have shipped.
It was a great opportunity to try the local wines, and wasn’t rushed, so we were able to relax and talk about what we were tasting and reflect on other aspects of our day. Note that when we visited, they were taking cash only, so check when you book.
So Much More in the Castle District
The Fisherman’s Bastion and the area around it is just one part of the Castle district. There is much more to see here, including of course Buda Castle and its museums. We visited this district a number of times during our week in Budapest, it is easily accessible and good to explore and admire the sights at different times of the day and evening.
