Once in the park area it was a pile fort, which protected the castle and prevented enemy ships from mooring in the area. Here lived and worked fishermen, millers and rafters from Esztergom. The Danube once flowed at the foot of the medieval castle wall at the eastern end of the park.
In the Veprech tower, you can discover nearly 800 years of historical built heritage, from the Renaissance water-lifting structure to the 400-year-old Dzámí. On the Danube side, Suleiman placed a plaque written in Turkish to commemorate his 1543 triumph. It can still be seen on the wall. Over the centuries, the riverbed of the Danube has changed significantly, and after the Second World War, the coastline was filled up by 1.5-2 meters. Thus, a third of the castle wall became underground, and the present form of the park was formed. In the 1990s, the bike path leading to Búbánatvölgy was built on the western side of the park, on the Danube, which was originally planned to reach Pilismarót. Its south-eastern side is dominated by the Primate’s palace, whose garden overlooks the park.
At the south end of the park, at the head of the Kossuth Bridge, there is a bronze bust of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. Originally it was made by György Zala, later the bronze version was made in 2000 as a gift from the city of Ehingen. György Habsburg was also present at its inauguration.
In the middle is the Sobieski monument, which commemorates the Polish king János Sobieski, who won the Battle of Párkany. With the help of János Sobieski, the Hungarians won here over the Turkish forces.
There are 3 legendary stone heads next to the playground. The creatures, which are probably portraits of the three evangelists of the Casagrande sculpture group – the protagonists of the better-known legend after the turn of the millennium. Eventually they took a place of pilgrimage in Elizabeth Park, where they rested wishing to recover from their serious illnesses. There was a time when they waited in long lines in this part of the fence of the Primate’s Palace.
Elizabeth Park offers active and relaxing alternatives in addition to physical and mental rejuvenation. If you just want to see the wonderful sun setting behind the Danube, take a seat on one of the benches lined up next to the bike path.
