Located in Gellert Hill and at a height of 25 meters from the Danube River, Gellért Hill Cave is also known as Saint Ivan Cave. Later, used as a chapel by Saint Pauline. The cave was closed and walled by the secret police of Hungary in 1951 and re-opened in 1989.
Cave on the top
Gellért Hill Cave is a part of Gellért Hill that rises over the Danube River and overlooks the city of Budapest. Gellért Hill Cave lies opposite to the Gellért Bath and at a height of 25 meters above the Danube River. It was from this cave that the hill came to be called Pest Hill and a part of the city was named Pest.
Saint Ivan Cave
A large cave, Gellért Hill Cave is one of the significant caves of Budapest. It is also called Saint Ivan's Cave, a name it got from a hermit known as Ivan who inhabited this cave in the medieval era. According to legends, he used to heal the wounds and diseases of people with waters from a spring that was located in front of the cave. With time, Ivan was glorified as a saint and the cave was named after him.
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Cave Church
Later, in 1924, Gellért Hill Cave in Budapest was turned into a church by Saint Pauline. The cave underwent notable changes in 1925 and 1926. The old entrance was demolished and a new one was constructed at its place. Also, the interiors of the cave were made to resemble the cave of Lourdes in France. With time, the Pauline Monastery was established beside the cave church which is now called 'Chapel in the Rock'.
In 1951, the Pauline order was wiped out by the secret police of Hungary and the people associated with it imprisoned. The police walled up the church and closed the entrance of the Gellért Hill Cave of Budapest. Many years later, in 1989, the seal on the cave was removed and it was opened once again. The wall was destroyed and the church was reconstructed.
Presently, the Gellért Hill Cave and its church, along with other significant structures, is a major attraction of Gellert Hill in Budapest. Tourists can either climb up the Gellert Hill to visit the cave or avail a public bus to go up to the hill. Other significant tourist attractions at the hill are Gellert Bath, Liberation Monument and Statue of Bishop Gellert etc.
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