Have you ever wanted to see Budapest from the best and most scenic view? Sometimes you need to step away from the city and retreat back into the outskirts to get a better view. That was our experience when we went into the hills of Buda and hiked all the way to the top of the Elizabeth Lookout Tower.
Thanks to a detour off the Children’s Railway at János-hegy station, we climbed for what felt like an hour to the see this lookout tower. We made it about half way when we heard the sounds of children playing. It was music to our children’s ears. They laughed, jumped, and enjoyed the playground with local Hungarian families.
After a short break, we set our eyes to go even higher.
Once we got there, we saw this gorgeous view of the Elizabeth Lookout Tower.
We took a short cafe break inside the lookout tower. The cafe had all the usual – coffee, tea, water, etc. and some dry good snacks like chips and chocolate bars. There is also a restroom inside as well (and free to use).
Now, no need to pay to enter the lookout tower. Just walk on up.
I believe there were two or three points for the lookout to get a 360 view of the area. Later, I found out that János-hegy (János Hill) is the tallest point in Budapest. Here’s a video:
That video is from the middle portion of the tower. Wait until you get to the top:
That’s Prof pointing out the city and the Parliament building with Piano Man.
I am not thrilled to see locks on Elizabeth Lookout because you know what happened to the locks on the bridge in Paris. It can become a dangerous place for tourists and locals if safety is compromised, as well as the architectural heritage.
TRAVEL REQUEST: When you are here, please don’t add a lock here. Think of people’s safety and the beauty of the space that the next person can enjoy.
Instead take in the view.
Or just snap a photo.
There are a few other lookouts all along the Children’s Railway route, such as the Kaan Karoly Lookout Tower at Hárs-hegy Station and at Szépjuhászné Station. But the walk from those stations looks to be about a 20-minute walk from either direction. I may have to scout out the area before we take the kids.
The view from Elizabeth Tower was, dare I say, more beautiful than the view from the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica. Piano Man said he felt like he wished to be painting what he saw at that every moment. I see why many Hungarians come here on the weekends. You can retreat from the big city life and enjoy this spectacular view for free. You can’t beat that.
For More Information:
Address: Budapest, Erzsébet kilátó út, 1121
Have you ever been to the top and enjoyed the view like this? Share where you were and what it was like in the comments below.
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Related:
https://travelingseouls.com/st-hilarion-castle/
