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By following one of the steep paths opposite the Gellert Hotel you can reach the summit of Gellert-hegy in about twenty minutes. Though it's quite a slog, it's not as laborious as the alternative: catching a #18 or #19 tram from Szt. Gellert ter to Moricz Zsigmond korter and then bus #27 to the last stop, from where it's a ten-minute walk. Either way, the panoramic view from the top is stunning, drawing one's eye slowly along the curving river, past bridges and monumental landmarks, and on to the Buda hills and Pest's suburbs, merging hazily with the distant plain. On the summit stands the Liberation Monument - a female figure brandishing the palm of victory over 30m aloft. The monument's history is ironic, since it was originally commissioned by Admiral Horthy in memory of his son - killed in a plane crash on the Eastern Front - but was ultimately dedicated to the Soviet troops who died liberating Budapest from the Nazis. Its sculptor, Zsigmond Kisfaludi-Strobl, substituted a palm branch for the propeller it was meant to hold and added a statue of a Red Army soldier at the base of the monument, to gain approval as a "Proletarian Artist". Having previously specialized in busts of the aristocracy, he was henceforth known by his compatriots as "Kisfaludi-Strebel" ( strebel meaning "to climb" or "step from side to side"). The monument survived calls for its removal following the end of Communism, but its inscription was rewritten to honour those who died for "Hungary's prosperity", and the Soviet soldier was banished to the Statue Park. The Citadella or fortress behind the monument was built by the Habsburgs to dominate the city in the aftermath of the 1848-49 Revolution. When the historic Compromise was reached in 1867, Budapest's citizens breached the walls to affirm that it no longer posed a threat to them - though in fact an SS regiment did later hole up in the citadel during World War II. Today, it contains a tourist hostel and an informative outdoor museum relating the hill's history, but it's the stunning view from the ramparts that justifies the 300Ft admission charge.
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