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Cave church of Gellert Hill
Budapest, Hungary
December 19, 2004 - 15:05 UTC (16:05 local)
© 2004 Tamas, D.Varga, All Rights Reserved.
Opposite of the Gellert Bath 25 m above the river Danube level in the Gellert Hill there is a large cave which is one of the unique of Budapest.
It has named St Istvan's cave after a hermit who has cured sick people went on a pilgrimage to him with thermal water which sprung in front of his cave. The original cave, which consisted a hollow entrance room and connecting niches, were rebuilt into a church in 1925. Its model was the cave of Lourdes, France. The church was walled up during the Communists era. Nowadays it works again as a church.
The Pest side of Budapest was named after this cave. In the Middle Ages The Slavic name of the (Gellert) Hill was Pest Hill after the large cave. The word "Pest" means cave or oven.