The Pearl of the Danube, Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary. Located in the north-central part of the country, the city of Budapest straddles on both banks of the Danube River. It is the seventh largest city in the European Union.
The city’s name is portmanteau coined joining the town names “Buda,” “Óbuda,” and “Pest.” The city was formed on 17 November 1873 merging the towns of Buda and Óbuda on the right bank and town of Pest on left bank of the River Danube. The merger of towns made Budapest the single city occupying both banks of Danube
Buda, Óbuda, and Pest were prominent towns that had always been center of power and governmental activities in Hungary. Situated among a series of hills, Buda was traditionally the center of government buildings, palaces, and villas belonging to the landed gentry. It was the site of a Roman camp in the 2nd century AD. Pest was a flat area that has long been a commercial and industrial center.
The city standing on the Celtic and Roman ruins, Today's Budapest is the political, industrial, commercial, financial, cultural, and transportation hub of Hungary. The economy of the city is based on telecommunications and electronics manufacturing industry. It’s the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in Hungary and very popular with tourists. The city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue.
Budapest is divided into XXIII districts that are always written in Roman numerals. The city is an ethnic delicatessen made up of Serbs, Croats, Hungarians, and Turks. Ethnically the city has is dominated by Roman Catholics followed by Protestants, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Jews. Hungarian is official language however the city is a genuine polyglot metropolis.
Located between the Alps to the west and the flat, open Great Plain to the east, Budapest enjoys warm summers and bitterly cold winters, with plenty of rain all year round. The winters short, but chilly. It gets highly chilly in mid-December; usually and damp with odd bright sunny days and frequent, but light, snow. The summers spanning from April to September, are sunny, warm, and humid. The city gets sun shining for about 10 hours a day. Generally climate of the city is free from extremes.
The continental temperate climate of Budapest makes it a perfect vacation destination. It is one of the most coveted destinations in Central Europe along with Vienna and Prague. Often dubbed as “Paris of the East,” or “Queen of the Danube,” Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. The city attracts masses of tourists every year. Its people are charming and nice hosts.
Budapest is the city full of tourist attractions. The city has fine parks, museums, theaters, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and hotels. The city attractions are mainly divided in Buda, Castle Hill and Pest. Most of the popular attractions are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways. Major attractions on Castle Hill include the Royal Palace (Királyi palota), the National Gallery (Nemzeti Galéria), the Fisherman's Bastion and lookout terrace (Halászbástya), Matthew Church (Mátyás templom, aka Church of Our Lady), The Historical Museum of Budapest, The Music Museum, and The Military Museum. The attraction of Buda include Chain Bridge, Margaret Island (Margitsziget), Aquincum, Gül Baba Türbéje, and Victor Vasarely Museum.
Pest too is plentiful of attractions including the Parliament Building (Országház), St. Stephen Cathedral (Szent István Bazilika), Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum (Dohány utcai Zsinagóga), Museum of Ethnography, National Museum, Museum of Applies Arts, Natural History Museum, Ludwig Museum of Modern Art, Holocaust Memorial Centre, and the Andrássy út boulevard.
The Andrássy út boulevard in Pest stretches from Downtown (Belváros) to the City Park (Városliget). It is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List and has some of important sights including the State Opera House, the House of Terror (Terror Háza), the Hopp Museum of East Asian Art, the City Park (Városliget), Heroes' square (Hősök tere), Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum), and Vajdahunyad Vára.
Budapest attractions also include seven islands along the river Danube. The islands have parks, dance clubs, bars, and a number of tourist recreational areas. These islands include Hajógyári sziget (Shipyard Island), Margitsziget (Margaret Island), Csepel sziget, Palotai-sziget, Népsziget, Háros-sziget and Molnár-sziget.
Ferihegy International Airport or Budapest International Airport is the major doorway to the city. It is the country's largest airport and the hub of the Hungarian national carrier Malév. Located in the south east of Budapest, the airport has two terminals Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, often mentioned as Ferihegy-1 and Ferihegy-2, respectively.
The city is receives direct flights from the major European cities, and most of the EU countries by direct. Malév and Delta Airlines operate scheduled service between Budapest and North America. Budapest also receives international flights from some countries of the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.
Orson Johnson writes for
Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for bed and breakfasts, villas, hotels and
Apartments in Budapest
