Budapest Guide
Várhegy and central Buda
Rószadomb
The smoggy arc of Margit körút underlines the gulf between the polluted inner city and the breeze-freshened heights of Budapest's most affluent neighbourhood, Rószadomb (Rose Hill). The hill is named after the flowers that were reputedly introduced to Hungary by a revered Sufi dervish, Gül Baba, the "Father of the Roses", who participated in the Turkish capture of Buda but died during the thanksgiving service afterwards. The Tomb of Gül Baba (Tues– Sun: May– Sept 10am–6pm; Oct– April 10am–4pm; 500Ft) is located on Mecset utca (Mosque Street), five-minutes' walk uphill from Margit körút via Margit utca. Restored with funds donated by the Turkish government, its octagonal shrine is adorned with Arabic calligraphy and Turkish carpets, and is surrounded by a colonnaded parapet with fine views and a pristine park with rose bushes and marble fountains decorated with tiles.
The Rószadomb itself is as much a social category as a neighbourhood: a list of residents would read like a Hungarian Who's Who. During the Communist era this included the top Party funcionárusok, whose homes featured secret exits that enabled ÁVO chiefs to escape lynching during the Uprising. Nowadays, wealthy film directors and entrepreneurs predominate, and the sloping streets are lined with spacious villas and flashy cars.
The area north of the Margit híd contains two noteworthy baths, the Neoclassical Lukács Baths, harbouring a thermal pool, a small swimming pool and whirlpools, and slightly further north up the road, the modern Császár Komjádi Pool, past a ruined Turkish bath to the left.