Gellért Hill

Budapest · Ungern · Natural site

The hill where Bishop Gellért was hurled to his death in 1046 became, in folk belief, the foremost meeting place of Hungary's witches.

Gellért Hill rises steeply above the Danube in the heart of Budapest, named after Bishop Gellért, who according to legend was hurled from its cliff by pagan rebels in 1046. Perhaps for that very reason, folk belief attached evil to the hill: for centuries witches were said to gather here for sabbaths on Saturday nights and around St George's Day and St Lucy's Day. A priest recorded the witch gatherings as early as 1656, and in 1682 two women stood trial accused of frequenting the hill too eagerly. Today it is a beloved lookout point – but the phrase 'going to Gellért Hill' survives in Hungarian as a euphemism for a witch's ride.

FAQ

Wo befindet sich Gellért Hill?

Gellért Hill liegt in Budapest, Ungern.