The Fisherman’s Bastion in the Buda Castle Quarter is one of the few Budapest attractions that are open all year round, even on public holidays like New Year. You can also take night photos of the city celebrations from the Bastion. The even greater news is that it is free to visit the Fisherman’s Bastion from Oct 15 to March 15, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day too.
There will be a smaller Fireworks show in Budapest on the Pest side, which you can enjoy from the bastion terraces. You may also consider a beautiful winter dinner on the Budapest dinner cruise on the Danube, enjoying the same city sights from a boat. Or even better, book a whole night program on the Budapest New Year Cruise boats.
Both on Dec 31 and on Jan 1, the Fisherman’s Bastion (Halaszbastya) viewing terraces are open all day and all night, from Monday to Sunday, which makes it one of the easiest attractions to fit in any Budapest itinerary, especially among your New Year Budapest break or among your Budapest Christmas things to do list. From the Bastion you can see the ship of the Budapest New Year’s Cruises passing by under the many historical bridges, past beautiful attractions.
The Fisherman’s Bastion is one of the best lookout towers in Budapest. No doubt, this is the place to take a sweeping look at the UNESCO World Heritage site and the modest New Year’s Eve fireworks. Indeed, the NYE Fireworks are humbled by the big summer fireworks on August 20 (best seen from the Budapest Fireworks Cruise), which is sort of the birthday party of Hungary.
On Fisherman’s Bastion you can take fantastic panoramic photos to capture the December sights of the Pest side, the city with its Christmassy and New Year decorations and her “regular” beauties like the Hungarian Parliament, the Gresham Palace, the domes of the St Stephen’s Basilica, the Chain Bridge over the river Danube, the Great Market Hall of Budapest, etc.
On New Year’s Day, or even at Christmas, the Fisherman’s Bastion can seem slightly deserted, which is ideal for those who do not like crowds of tourists flocking around a beautiful sight.
Generally speaking, the Buda Castle hill is not a party place on NYE, but there are some restaurants in the Castle District (including a restaurant in the Fisherman’s Bastion), which will serve NYE dinner menus. Most parties are, however, taking place on the more eventful and exciting Pest side of BudaPest, there are also some clubs on the Obuda Island, etc. but typically the Buda Castle Quarter, including the Fisherman’s Bastion (Halaszbastya), is a calm place, and an excellent venue to take great Budapest riverfront photos from (just like the cruising boats on the river where going up to the upper decks or side balconies offers a captain feeling and viewpoint).
If you look at the photo, you can imagine easily what the Fisherman’s Bastion look like: 7 turrets, several romantic arcades and ramparts. Not a real fortification, not a “boring” museum. It is an open air attraction, with some closed spaces and roofed balconies.
