Gellert Hegy (Gellert Mountain)

Budapest, Hungary’s capital city, is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most beautiful Capital Cities thanks to the hundreds of millions of Euros the European Union had granted to the country during the last two decades for restoration purposes.

I am happy to report that the latest major such restoration project, namely the Szent Gellért Hegy Citadella Complex Reconstruction Project, had been completed in early 2026 to the delight of masses of visitors.

Szent Gellért Hegy means Saint Gerard Mountain in Hungarian, and is the name of the 235 meters high hill on the western bank of the Danube (Duna in Hungarian), the river that divides the city into Buda and Pest. Residents “in the know” consider the Citadella at the top of Gellért Hegy the best place to take pictures of the city.

The hill and its environs, part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, is named after Saint Gerard (Gellért), a Christian bishop who was martyred in 1046. According to legend, he was placed into a barrel full of nails and rolled down to his death from the top of the hill.

At the summit of Gellért Hill stands the Citadella, a fortress built by the Habsburgs in 1851 after the suppression of the 1848 Hungarian War of Independence. Today, it serves as a lookout point and tourist attraction, housing a remarkable exhibition covering Central European history from when the seven Magyar tribes arrived in the Carpathian Basin until today.

The truly fascinating exhibition is divided into five parts:

1. Christian Hungary (900-1500)
2. In the shadow of the crescent moon -Turkish occupation) (1500-1700)
3. In the eagle’s talons – Habsburg occupation (1700- 1900)
4. The Soviet occupation (1945-1990)
5. A free Hungary 1990 –

The story is told through VIDEOS featuring well-known actors assisted by AI.

Near the Citadella, the Freedom Statue is one of Budapest’s most iconic symbols. Conceived by the eminent sculptor Zsigmond Stroble as a memorial to Istvan Horthy, the murdered son of Miklos Horthy, Regent of Hungary form 1920 to 1945.

It was finally erected in 1947, but it ended up commemorating not Istvan Horthy, but those who sacrificed their lives for Hungary’s independence, freedom, and prosperity.

There is a new era of hope putting smiles on the faces of Hungarians I have not seen in a long time.

On April 12, 2026, there was a general election in Hungary. A record 80% of eligible voters decided to oust Viktor Orban’s “illiberal democracy” and usher in a new era with Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party winning an “over two thirds majority” in parliament. During the last number of years, the EU froze huge amounts of funds from Hungary due to the undemocratic practices of the Orban government. This will now change, ushering in a new era allowing for the release of these funds, permitting the new government to rebuild the seriously damaged economy of the country.

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