Don’t Miss Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest

By Ellen (Updated Jul ’22)

⏱ 3 min

We went to Budapest this spring for the first time, and we both enjoyed it more than expected. It’s a beautiful city, with a complex history, delicious food, and great value for the cost. It’s a perfect city for a long weekend getaway in Europe. This post is specifically on visiting one of Budapest’s top sites – Fisherman’s Bastion.

The Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest appears in most search results for “best things to do in Budapest.” It offers, what many consider to be Budapest’s best viewpoint. Locals and tourists alike, come for the views of the Pest side of the city with the Danube River and Budapest’s iconic Parliament Building. In this post, you’ll find out what you need to know about going to one of Budapest’s most-visited sites.

About Fisherman’s Bastion

A bastion is an angular defense structure, that projects outwards from a wall of a fortress. Fisherman’s Bastion was built in the walls around the Buda Castle, between 1895 and 1902 to celebrate the Hungarian state’s 1000^th birthday. It honors Hungary’s history with 7 towers that represent 7 Hungarian cheiftans who led their tribes to settle in what we know as present-day Hungary. Additionally, there is a large statue of St. Stephen, the first Hungarian king.

The Bastion is not designed to be a thick impregnable defense but instead, is designed to offer magical surroundings for the people to enjoy views of the city. It is an enchanting place that offers a unique photo opportunity. People visit not only for views of the city but also for photos of the Bastion itself.

So where does the name come from? The “Fisherman’s” Bastion, is speculated to be named after fishermen in Watertown, located just below the Bastion. The fishermen from the town are said to have defended the Buda Castle walls in times of conflict.

How to get to Fisherman’s Bastion

The Fisherman’s Bastion is on the Buda side of the city on Castle Hill. There are a few ways you can get there.

• Metro: We took the M2 (metro) from the Pest side to Batthyány tér station and then walked 15 minutes up a lot of stairs to reach the Bastion. We would recommend this option because you can get some great photos of the Parliament building from outside the station, before heading up to the Bastion.
• Bus: Catch a bus and get dropped off near Buda Castle.
• Metro + Bus: If you want to do the least amount of walking possible, you can take the M2 to Széll Kálmán tér station, and then catch the 16 or 16A bus that will drop you off in front of Fisherman’s Bastion.
• Walk: Alternatively, if you want to walk the MOST, you can walk all the way from the Pest side of the river. You can cross over the Danube river via the Elisabeth or the Chain Bridge.

Best time to visit?

Fisherman’s Bastion is always open. If you don’t care about crowds of people, you can visit anytime. We visited at 3 pm on a Saturday, and it was very crowded. Good luck getting your “perfect photo” at that time. We returned at 7 am on a Monday morning and found it completely empty. We enjoyed peaceful hours of dawn in this fairy-tale-like setting.

Fisherman’s Bastion Entrance Fee

Visiting the main area is free. The bastion has two Neo-Romanesque style lookout terraces, which you can go up in for a higher viewpoint from 9 am-7 pm. There is a small fee of 1,000 HUF per adult and 500 HUF for students. Children under 6 are free. Check the Fisherman’s Bastion website here, for more information.

I hope this post gave you just enough background about the Fisherman’s Bastion and the curiosity to visit it for yourself. While you’re there, don’t forget to explore more of the beautiful Buda side, like the oldest church in Budapest, Matthias Church, located right behind the Fisherman’s Bastion.