The hill has eyes. And lots of them, but that's only because Gellert Hill is the most popular place for a stunning view of the Hungarian capital.
There are a lot of reasons to visit Gellert Hill. Rising several hundred feet above sea level with a sharp drop into the Danube River, the perfect sightlines are high yet not far from the city. It also hosts several thermal baths, the Cave Church, a manmade waterfall and many monuments, most notably a statue of the namesake St. Gellert. Pagans murdered the famed bishop, who served under King Steven nearly a millennium ago, by tossing him down this hill in a sealed barrel. 
The other major structures are the Citadel and the Liberation Monument. Built by the Austrian Habsburgs in the mid-1800s, the Citadel is a military structure used both by invading armies and by Hungary itself over the years. Both the Nazis and the Soviets suppressed the city from this spot, which is today a hotel and tourist attraction. The Soviets, who brutalized the populace during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, are ironically the focus of the Liberation Monument built to commemorate their liberation of the city from Nazi rule. The palm-bearing female statue seen below left (and from most points in the city) stands at the forefront of the monument. 
Your Tonic Trekker ascended the hill the old-fashioned way, by foot, from a path that starts at the bridge. Interesting, there are lots of options for walking to the top, and they include various detours, such as the slide playground seen to the right. The hilltop can also be reached by car or city bus coming up from the back of the hill, but where's the fun in that? 
Gellert Hill, which has witnessed everything from martyrdom to war, is today a world heritage site and home to the city's most affluent residential neighborhoods. It is truly a place of history and heroism, sacrifice and sacredness, and its beautiful view is always there to remind the Hungarian people why they love their city so. It's definitely worth a visit.
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