Blue hour at the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Blue hour at the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Fishermen's Bastion (Halászbástya) is one of the most famous monuments in Budapest, located near Buda Castle, in Budapest's 1st district. It is one of the main tourist attractions because of the unique panorama of Budapest from its neo-Romanesque viewing terraces. The facade of the Fisherman's Bastion, parallel to the Danube, is about 140 metres long, with the southern side aisle about 40 metres long, the northern 65 metres long and the ornate central parapet 35 metres long. The seven tall stone towers symbolise the seven chiefs of the Hungarians who founded Hungary in 895.

The original walls were built in the 18th century and were part of the walls of a castle. Several historians say that in the Middle Ages, this part of the castle walls was protected by the fishermen's guild (halász), which lived under the walls in the so-called Fish City or Water City. The current building was built between 1895 and 1902 in neo-Romanesque style, at the foot of part of the walls of Buda Castle, by architect Frigyes Schulek, who was also responsible for the restoration of Matthias Church.

The building was previously known as the 'Fishermen's Bastion', presumably from the part of Buda's city walls entrusted to the fishermen's guild, but more likely from the settlement on the Danube, Fishtown (Halászváros), also called Watertown. Fishermen found their merchandise at Matthias Church as early as the Middle Ages, it was taken to the fish auction, but the fishermen's guild was not only concerned with selling fish, but in wars its members also defiantly defended the city walls.