Yesterday I climbed Gellért Hill in Budapest, because I thought I could take some photos of the city. Luckily, I was greeted by clear skies and sunshine, so the light and color were ideal. My old camera - Panasonic Lumix FZ82 proved to be ideal for this as it has a maximum zoom of 60x. So I was even able to read signs in the distance. From a distance Budapest is beautiful even for me, although I often see it up close the streets are not so attractive, especially with all the neglected and empty shops, rubbish and homeless people. I hope this will change one day, I visualize a clean bright city where people live in peace, happiness and love.
The walk was short, but it was a good workout for all parts of my body. It could be considered a cardio workout.
The hill of Gellért is the remnant of an ancient volcano and a highly sacred place. Its eastern side is very steep, but it offers a wonderful panorama of the city.
From the first lookout point you can already see the Liberty Bridge.
Winding paths and steep stairs lead up to the top of the hill. Fortunately, there was no ice anywhere.
Between the cliffs you can see the southwestern part of the city.
You can see the Pest side of the city centre with the Parliament, the embankment and the hotel row. In front is Elisabeth Bridge, followed by Chain Bridge and Margaret Bridge. In the distance, the mountain ranges of Pilis can be seen.
Not just to look at the panorama, a cute robin ventured quite close to me.
The Basilica and the Ferris wheel in the centre
The Parliament (right), with Óbuda in the background slightly to the left
The Palace of Buda Castle
A girl cast in bronze, looking into the distance...
Small caves in the rock
An unusual view of the Statue of Liberty
I can't get enough of the brilliant colours in the following photos!
Domes of the Gellért Hotel with the majolica roofs of the Technical University in the background
An "oriental" wonder, currently undergoing interior renovation.
Then I looked into the distance, one last time.
The Eastern Railway Station (Keleti Pályaudvar) sign is perfectly readable!
This striped balloon seems to have been taken from a painting by Pál Szinyei Merse (late 19th century)! See the original painting here: https://en.mng.hu/artworks/balloon/
The Whale (Bálna), a modern cultural centre built on old factory buildings.
The Great Market Hall (Fővám-tér)
Towers and domes
Puskás Ferenc Stadium
After 4 pm, I had to say goodbye to the view and to Budapest. If you are passing by, be sure to go up to Gellért Hill and enjoy the panorama!