The 140 meters long wall and bastion complex is a defining element of the panorama of Buda and, as part of the Castle District, it is also a World Heritage Site. Though its foundations are of medieval origin, the current outlook of the structure, similarly to the Matthias Church, is the result of a rebuilding at the end of the 19th century.

According to tradition, its name comes from the fact the medieval guild of fishermen were responsible for protecting this part of the castle wall. Another, more probably theory states that it was named after the district of the city that lied under the wall, Halászváros (meaning fishermen city). There was a road at the northern end of the wall which the fishermen usually used when going to the market with their goods. Also, the brother of King Matthias, László Hunyadi tried to escape through here before he was beheaded.

The original wall and bastion was once used for military defense, and it was modernized for such purposes at the end of the 18th century but by the end of the 19th century it was no longer needed. During these times there were talks about rebuilding it to fit the cityscape and the aesthetics of the era, and the rebuilding of the Matthias Church in revivalist style happened to be the perfect opportunity for this. Both buildings were designed by Frigyes Schulek. The construction took place between 1899 and 1902 and many historical findings were uncovered in the process.

The original thick walls were rebuilt in Schulek's Neo-Romanesque style. He put strong, cylindrical towers in the corner points and connected them with vaulted arcades known from medieval monasteries. The resulting wall almost encloses part of the Matthias Church and at the same times functions as an entrance to the district. The stairs leading to the castle were also rebuilt and named after the architect. At the southern end of the bastion, there is a statue of Saint Stephen by Alajos Stróbl.

The inauguration of the bastion took place in 9 October 1905 which means we celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2015. Every night, the bastion is lit up signifying its importance in the cityscape of Budapest.

The top floor of the bastion can be visited by purchasing a ticket.