VIEWPOINTS

From many points of the renewed Citadella complex, magical panoramas open across the city. The Roof Garden 360 terrace and the Round Bastion Terrace are accessible from The Bastion of Liberty exhibition and may be visited with an exhibition ticket, while the lookout terraces opening from the park — along the wall-walk and bastions — are accessible free of charge.

The Roof Garden 360 observation terrace, created atop the Western Round Bastion, offers a truly complete panorama. From here, visitors can revel in sweeping 360-degree views across both Buda and Pest, the winding course of the Danube, and the surrounding hills.

The north-facing Lookout Point preserves the memory of the moment when, following the withdrawal of imperial troops in 1899, the citizens of Budapest began enthusiastically dismantling sections of the Citadella — a process never fully completed due to financial reasons. Today, a distinctive selfie point has been created at the site of the V-shaped opening above the former main gate, now known as the Great Gate, preserving this symbolic trace of the past. During the socialist period, a modern glass structure supported by reinforced concrete pillars was inserted into the breached section of the cannon tower, housing the restaurant of the Citadella Hotel. During the renewal of the Western Round Bastion, this concrete extension was removed, and in its place the Round Bastion Terrace was created, opening up the view towards Buda Castle.

On the south-eastern façade of the cannon tower, a large wartime wound once marked the wall. This damaged section, bearing the impact of explosive fragments, was carefully dismantled stone by stone during restoration. Today, the reconstructed wall segment — covering more than 6m² — is displayed on the Round Bastion Terrace as a powerful memorial to the destruction of war. Additional new lookout terraces have also been created throughout the Citadella. From the North Bastion, visitors can survey the area towards Elisabeth Bridge and Margaret Island; from the East Bastion, towards Liberty Bridge; and from the South Bastion, towards Kelenföld — each offering its own distinctive perspective on Budapest’s remarkable cityscape.