Secrets of the 100-year-old Gellért Hotel – what’s underneath it?

Gellért Hill, together with the Liberty Statue and the Citadella on top, is a sight not to be missed by tourists visiting Hungary. The Hotel Gellért has an imposing presence at the bottom of the hill, and even though locals might think there is nothing new we can say about that area, let me assure you that this article contains some pretty unique and interesting information, so it is a perfect read for tourists and locals alike.

The history of the area

Today, it is hard to imagine that the hill was once covered by a vineyard. However, the street names and the fact that there is a statue of Saint Vincent, patron of winemakers, behind Gellért Baths, are all proof of this – reports Origo. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why, from the 17th century on, the hill was considered to be the meeting point of witches. There are references to the witches of Gellért Hill in both court cases and poems of the time.

The Citadella has become an important symbol of the Buda Hills. Well, how many of you knew that there used to be an observatory in its place?

It was officially opened in 1815, with the Austrian emperor, the Russian tsar and the Prussian king all present for the ceremony.

The building was the scene of important research, but it was significant in determining the correct time, too, as all the clocks of the town, all clock towers and pocket watches, were based on the observatory’s bell. The observatory operated until 1849; however, it was severely damaged during the uprising. A few years later, they built the Citadella in its place.

Hungary is famous for the many hot springs and the thermal water supplies of the country. The area around the present Hotel Gellért has been especially significant throughout history.

There are sources saying the waters were used for healing as early as in the 13th century, and during the Turkish occupation, the water and mud from the springs were used to treat at least eight different kinds of ailments.

The construction of the current building of the Gellért Baths started in 1911 but was finished only in 1918 due to the First World War. So, the building celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.

What is underneath it?

First of all, there is a tunnel running 1000 meters underneath the building. It was established between 1969 and 1978, in the hopes that they could get to the hidden streams of the Danube and thus supply additional water for the baths since they discovered in the ’60s that the original spring probably gets mixed into the river. The tunnel connects Gellért Baths to the Rudas and Rác baths. Over the years, there were attempts to make use of the tunnel.