Budapest

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Budapest (pronounced /ˈbuːdəpɛst/, also /ˈbʊdəpɛst/, /ˈbjuːdəpɛst/; Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt]  (13px listen); names in other languages) is the capital of Hungary.<ref name=TIME>Bachmann, Helena (2002-03-18). "Beauty and the Feast". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901020325-218419,00.html. Retrieved 2008-05-22. </ref> As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre.<ref>"Budapest". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 2008. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9106098/Budapest. Retrieved 2008-01-30. </ref> In 2010, Budapest had 1,721,556 inhabitants,<ref>"Hungary by data 2009". Hungarian Central Statistical Office. 2010-07-16. http://portal.ksh.hu/pls/ksh/docs/hun/xftp/idoszaki/mosz/mosz09.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-17. </ref> down from its 1980 peak of 2.06 million. The Budapest Commuter Area is home to 3,271,110 people.<ref>History of the Budapest Commuter Association (English))</ref><ref>Settlements of the Budapest Commuter Area (Hungarian)</ref> The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres (202.7 sq mi)<ref name=Encarta/> within the city limits. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right (west)-bank Buda and Óbuda with left (east)-bank Pest.<ref name=Encarta>Török, András. "Budapest". Encarta. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572648/Budapest.html. Retrieved 2008-04-06. </ref><ref>Molnar, A Concise History of Hungary, Chronology pp. 15.</ref>

Historically, Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement,<ref name=Aqua/> was the direct ancestor of Budapest,<ref>Sugar, Peter F.; Péter Hanák, Tibor Frank (1990). "Hungary before the Hungarian Conquest". A History of Hungary. Indiana University Press. pp. 3. ISBN 025320867X. http://books.google.com/?id=SKwmGQCT0MAC&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 2008-05-19. </ref> becoming the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia.<ref name=Aqua>"Aquincum". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. 2008. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31272/Aquincum. Retrieved 2008-05-22. </ref> Magyars arrived in the territory<ref name=Travel>"Budapest". Travel Channel. http://guides.travelchannel.com/budapest/city-guides/historical-background. Retrieved 2008-05-22. </ref> in the 9th century. Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42.<ref name=Eleventh>"Budapest". 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Budapest. Retrieved 2008-01-30. </ref> The re-established town became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture<ref>Drake, Miriam A. (2003). "Eastern Europe, England and Spain". Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. CRC Press. pp. 2498. ISBN 0824720806. http://books.google.com/books?hl=hu&lr=&id=w1Xtjiyh9XYC&oi=fnd&pg=PA2494&ots=zKQ2JFNcOr&sig=PBqz2v48y02bWQKE_obj9N8tfis#PPA2498,M1. Retrieved 2008-05-22. </ref> in the 15th century.<ref>Casmir, Fred L. (1995). "Hungarian culture in communication". Communication in Eastern Europe: The Role of History, Culture, and media in contemporary conflicts. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 122. ISBN 0805816259. http://books.google.com/?id=be2UW6NyposC&pg=PA115. Retrieved 2008-05-21. </ref> Following the Battle of Mohács and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule,<ref>Molnar, A Concise History of Hungary, Chronology pp. 15</ref> development of the region entered a new age of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Budapest became a global city after the 1873 unification.<ref>Beaverstock, J. V.; R. J. Smith, P. J. Taylor (1999). A Roster of World Cities. Loughborough University. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html. Retrieved 2008-05-22. </ref> It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.

Cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe,<ref name=TIME/><ref name="ICOMOS"/><ref>Lyman, Rick (2006-10-03). "Budapest Is Stealing Some of Prague’s Spotlight". The New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/travel/03journey.html. Retrieved 2008-01-29. </ref> its extensive World Heritage Site includes the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes' Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world.<ref name="ICOMOS">"Nomination of the banks of the Danube and the district of the Buda Castle". International Council on Monuments and Sites. http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/400bis.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-31. </ref><ref>"World Heritage Committee Inscribes 9 New Sites on the World Heritage List". Unesco World Heritage Centre. http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/156. Retrieved 2008-01-31. </ref> Other highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs,<ref>"Hungary's, Budapest's and Balaton's Guide: Budapest's spas: Gellért, Király, Rác, Ru..'l'; l;lldas, Széchenyi, Lukács"]. Guideviaggi.net. http://www.guideviaggi.net/en_budapest_spas.asp. Retrieved 2009-07-07. </ref> the world's largest thermal water cave system,<ref>Published: 10:25AM Wednesday November 19, 2008 (2008-11-19). "Big underground thermal lake unveiled in Budapest, Hungary | WORLD News". Tvnz.co.nz. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/2319289. Retrieved 2009-07-07. </ref> second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building. The city attracts about 2.3 million tourists a year.<ref>"Tourism in Hungary in 2009". Hungarian Central Statistical Office. http://itthon.hu/szakmai-oldalak/turizmus-magyaro-2009. Retrieved 2010-02-23. </ref>

Considered an important hub in Central Europe,<ref>"Doing Business : Budapest, the soul of Central Europe". International Herald Tribune. 2004-08-04. http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/08/04/trbuda_ed3_.php. Retrieved 2008-01-29. ^{[dead link]}</ref> the city ranked 3rd (out of 65 cities) on Mastercard's Emerging Markets Index (2008),<ref>"New MasterCard Research Ranks 65 Cities in Emerging Markets Poised to Drive Long-Term Global Economic Growth | MasterCard". Mastercard.com. 2008-10-22. http://www.mastercard.com/us/company/en/newsroom/pr_new_mastercard_research_ranks_65_Cities_in_emerging_markets.html. Retrieved 2009-07-07. </ref> and ranked as the most livable Central/Eastern European city on EIU's quality of life index (both 2009 & 2010).<ref>"Index - Külföld - Budapest a legélhetőbb kelet-európai nagyváros". Index.hu. 2008-07-07. http://index.hu/kulfold/2009/06/08/budapest_a_legelhetobb_kelet-europai_nagyvaros/. Retrieved 2009-07-07. </ref><ref>http://hvg.hu/gazdasag/20100211_eiu_legelhetobb_varosok_listaja_2010_vanc</ref> It is also ranked as "Europe's 7th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes.<ref>Beckett, Edward; Olson, Parmy. "In Pictures: Europe's Most Idyllic Places To Live". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/18/europe-homes-dollar-forbeslife-cx_po_1118realestate_slide_5.html. </ref> It is the highest ranked Central/Eastern European city on Innovation Cities' Top 100 index,<ref>http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-top-100-index-top-cities/</ref> and has featured well in a number of specialist rankings.<ref>http://www.rolandberger.at/publications/local_and_regional_publications/2009-05-28-CEE_city_ranking_2009_en.html</ref><ref>http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/corvinus-university</ref>

Budapest is home to the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT),<ref>"EU nations pick Budapest for technology institute". International Herald Tribune (The New York Times Company). 2008-06-18. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/18/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Technology-Institute.php. Retrieved 2008-06-20. </ref> and the first foreign office of the CIPA.<ref>MTI. "hírek szünet nélkül : Kínai nagyfalat - Budapesten nyílik az első kínai befektetési támaszpont külföldön". hvg.hu. http://hvg.hu/gazdasag.hazai/20090526_kinai_befektetesi_kozpont_budapesten.aspx. Retrieved 2009-07-07. </ref>

[edit] The view

[edit] History

The first settlement on the territory of Budapest was built by Celts<ref name=Aqua/> before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans. The Roman settlement - Aquincum - became the main city of Lower Pannonia<ref name=Aqua/> in 106 AD.<ref name=Aqua/> The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.<ref name=Frank>Sugar, Peter F. (1990). "Hungary before the Hungarian Conquest". A History of Hungary. Indiana University Press. pp. 5. ISBN 9780253208675. http://books.google.com/?id=SKwmGQCT0MAC&pg=PR9&dq=The+Romans+roads,+amphitheaters+Aquincum+%C3%93buda. Retrieved 2008-06-03. </ref>

The peace treaty of 829 added Pannonia to Bulgaria due to the victory of Bulgarian army of Omurtag over Holy Roman Empire of Louis the Pious. Budapest arose out of two Bulgarian military frontier fortresses Buda and Pest, situated on the two banks of Danube.<ref>B. Dimitrov, Bulgarians- Civilizers of the slavs, p.48</ref> Hungarians led by Árpád settled in the territory at the end of the 9th century,<ref name=Travel/><ref>Molnar, A Concise History of Hungary, Chronology pp. 12</ref> and a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary.<ref name=Travel/> Research places the probable residence of the Árpáds as an early place of central power near what became Budapest.<ref>Molnar, A Concise History of Hungary, p. 14</ref> The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quickly proved that defence is difficult on a plain.<ref name=Encarta/><ref name=Travel/> King Béla IV of Hungary therefore ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns<ref name=Travel/> and set his own royal palace<ref name=Eleventh/> on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361<ref name=Eleventh/> it became the capital of Hungary.<ref name=Encarta/>

The cultural role of Buda was particularly significant during the reign of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary.<ref name=Encarta/> The Italian Renaissance had a great influence on the city.<ref name=Encarta/> His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana,<ref name=Encarta/> was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the Vatican Library.<ref name=Encarta/> After the foundation of the first Hungarian university in Pécs in 1367,<ref name=Sugar>Sugar, Peter F. (1990). "The Angevine State". A History of Hungary. Indiana University Press. pp. 48. ISBN 9780253208675. http://books.google.com/?id=SKwmGQCT0MAC&pg=PR9&dq=Hungarian+university+1395+Buda. Retrieved 2008-06-03. </ref> the second one was established in Óbuda in 1395.<ref name=Sugar/> The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473.<ref>Mona, Ilona (1974). "Hungarian Music Publication 1774–1867". Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae (Akadémiai Kiadó) 16 (1/4): 261–275. doi:10.2307/901850. http://www.jstor.org/pss/901850. Retrieved 2008-06-03. </ref> Buda had about 5,000 inhabitants around 1500.<ref name="Peter F. Sugar page 88">Southeastern Europe under Ottoman rule, 1354-1804, Peter F. Sugar, page 88</ref>

The Ottomans pillaged Buda in 1526, besieged it in 1529, and finally occupied it in 1541. The Turkish occupation lasted for more than 140 years.<ref name=Encarta/> The Turks constructed some fine bathing facilities here.<ref name=Travel/> Under Ottoman rule almost all Christians left the city and it became a truly Muslim town. By 1547 the number of Christians was around one thousand. In 1647 it had fallen to about seventy.<ref name="Peter F. Sugar page 88"/> The unoccupied western part of the country became part of the Habsburg Empire as Royal Hungary.

In 1686, two years after the unsuccessful siege of Buda, a renewed campaign was started to enter the Hungarian capital. This time, the Holy League's army was twice as large, containing over 74,000 men, including German, Croat, Dutch, Hungarian, English, Spanish, Czech, Italian, French, Burgundian, Danish and Swedish soldiers, along with other Europeans as volunteers, artilleryman, and officers, the Christian forces reconquered Buda, and in the next few years, all of the former Hungarian lands, except areas near Timişoara (Temesvár), were taken from the Turks. In the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz these territorial changes were officially recognized, and in 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule.

The city was destroyed during the battle.<ref name=Encarta/> Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.<ref name=Encarta/>

The nineteenth century was dominated by the Hungarians' struggle for independence<ref name=Encarta/> and modernization. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848 and was defeated a little more than a year later.

1867 was the year of Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary.

This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest, lasting until World War I. In 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. Budapest went from about 80% German-speaking in 1848 to about 80% Hungarian-speaking in 1880.<ref>Nationalism and the Problem of Inclusion in Hungary. Alice Freifeld , Associate Professor of History at the University of Florida, and a former Title VIII-supported EES Short-term Scholar.</ref> The capital, Budapest, was 23% Jewish. Due to the prosperity and the large Jewish community of the city, Budapest was often called as the "Jewish Mecca"<ref>Encyclopedia Britannica 1911, Budapest article</ref> World War I brought the Golden Age to an end. In 1918 Austria-Hungary lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In 1920 the Treaty of Trianon finalized the country's partition, as a result, Hungary lost over two-thirds of its territory, about two-thirds of its inhabitants under the treaty including 3.3 million out of 10 million ethnic Hungarians.<ref name="Macartney37">Macartney, C.A. (1937). Hungary and her successors - The Treaty of Trianon and Its Consequences 1919–1937. Oxford University Press. </ref><ref>Bernstein, Richard (2003-08-09). "East on the Danube: Hungary's Tragic Century". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07E3D91531F93AA3575BC0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2. Retrieved 2008-03-15. </ref>

In 1944, towards the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. From 24 December 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the Battle of Budapest. Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking Soviet troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the conflict.

Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross Party genocide during 1944 and early 1945.<ref>"Budapest". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005264. Retrieved 2007-07-18. </ref> Despite this, modern day Budapest has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.

In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings like the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.

In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. The Leadership collapsed after mass demonstrations began on 23 October, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until early November, leaving more than 3000 dead.

From the 1960s to the late 1980s Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the Eastern bloc, and much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired. Work on Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1965. In the early 1970s, Budapest Metro's East-West M2 line was first opened, followed by the M3 line in 1982. In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Andrassy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere and Városliget) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002. In the 1980s the city's population reached 2.1 million. In recent times a significant decrease in population occurred mainly due to a massive movement to the neighbouring agglomeration in Pest county. In the last decades of the 20th century the political changes of 1989-90 concealed changes in civil society and along the streets of Budapest. The monuments of the dictatorship were taken down from public places, into Memento Park. In the first 20 years of the new democracy the development of the city was managed by Gábor Demszky.

[edit] Timeline of the history of Budapest

[edit] Geography

The 525 km² area of Budapest lies in central Hungary surrounded by settlements of the agglomeration in Pest county. The capital extends 25 and 29 kilometers in the north-south, east-west direction respectively. The Danube enters the city from the north; later it encircles two islands, Óbuda Island and Margaret Island.<ref name=Encarta/> The third island Csepel Island is the largest of the Budapest Danube islands, however only its northernmost tip is within city limits. The river that separates the two parts of the city is only 230 m (755 ft) wide at its narrowest point in Budapest. Pest lies on the flat terrain of the Great Plain while Buda is rather hilly.<ref name=Encarta/> Pest's terrain rises with a slight eastward gradient, so the easternmost parts of the city lie at the same altitude as Buda's smallest hills, notably Gellért Hill and Castle Hill. The Buda hills consist mainly of limestone and dolomite, the water created speleothems, the most famous ones being the Pálvölgyi cave and the Szemlőhegyi cave. The hills were formed in the Triassic Era. The highest point of the hills and of Budapest is János hill, at 527 metres (1,729 ft) above sea level. The lowest point is the line of the Danube which is 96 metres (315 ft) above sea level. The forests of Buda hills are environmentally protected.

[edit] Climate

The city has a temperate, transitional climate - somewhere between the mild, snowy weather of Transdanubia, the variable continental climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east and the almost sub-Mediterranean weather of the south.<ref>"Budapest:When to go". Lonely Planet. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/hungary/budapest/when-to-go. Retrieved 2008-04-06. </ref>

[edit] Sports

City Park (Városliget) and Margit Island are perfect places to find some green area in the city. In the City Park in winter you can enjoy ice skating on one of the largest artificial ice surfaces in the world. The Margaret (in Hungarian: Margit) Island offers a wide range of sports from running and cycling to tennis or swimming in the Alfréd Hajós Swimming Center where Budapest proudly hosted the LEN European Aquatics Championships in 2006 and in 2010. Budapest was the host for the ITU Triathlon World Championships 2010, too. The 2011 IIHF World Championship (Division I, Group A) and Athletics - 2012 European Cross Country Championships will be held here.

The city is proudly a home for many Olympics, World and Europen Championships winners and medalists. In memoriam of world wide famous Ferenc Puskás, the city's largest football stadium is named after the top class player of Real Madrid and the Hungarian National Team who was recognized as the top scorer of the 20th century and who the FIFA's Puskás Award<ref>http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/releases/newsid=1120531.html</ref> (Ballon d'Or) was named after. (read more about the award {[2]|here})

It's home to Hungarian bandy. The Bandy World Championship for women 2007[3] and the Bandy World Championship 2004 /B-group/ were held here [4].

[edit] Population

[edit] Ethnic groups

Population by nationalities according to the 2001 census, (Based on self-determination)<ref>"Population by nationalities". Hungarian Central Statistical Office. 2001. http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/06/01/tabeng/4/load01_11_0.html. Retrieved 2008-05-30. </ref>:

• Hungarians - 1,631,043 (91.2%, 56.75% in 1880)
• Germans - 18,097 (1%, 34.3% in 1880)
• Roma - 14,019 (0.8%, 0% in 1880)
• Slovaks - 4,929 (0.3%, 6.1% in 1880)
• Others (mainly Poles, Greeks, Romanians) - 16,762
• No answer (unknown) - 93,071

According to Demográfiai Portré ("Demographical Portrait") estimation of 2009 95.6% of Budapest's population was native Hungarian (91% ethnic Hungarian, 4.6% Roma (Gypsi)) and 4.4% foreigner (mainly ethnic Hungarians from Transylvania, Romania and Voivodina, Serbia).<ref>"Budapest's population is increasing". Index.hu. 2010. http://index.hu/belfold/budapest/2010/02/24/novekszik_budapest_nepessege/. Retrieved 2010-03-30. </ref>

[edit] Religions

Population by denominations:<ref>"Population by religions, denominations". Hungarian Central Statistical Office. 2001. http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/18/tables/load3_12.html. Retrieved 2008-05-30. </ref>

• Roman Catholic - 808,460 (45.5%, 67.4% in 1880)
• Calvinist - 224,169 (12.6%, 6.1% in 1880)
• Lutheran - 46,449 (2.6%, 5.5% in 1880)
• Greek Catholic - 28,901 (1.6%)
• Jewish - 9,468 (0.5%, 19.7% in 1880)
• Atheist - 347,209 (19.5%)
• Others (mainly Christian) - 26,681
• No answer (unknown) - 286,584

[edit] Districts

Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. On 1 January 1950 Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22 (Greater Budapest). At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel Island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest. The city centre itself in a broader sense comprises the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 13th districts on the Pest side, and the 1st, 2nd, 11th and 12th on the Buda side of the city.<ref>"Downtown and Districts", Budapest Corner, http://budapestcorner.com/index.php/news/information/budapest-districts, retrieved 2010-12-14 </ref>

[edit] Economy

Nearly all branches of industry can be found in Budapest. Main products are communication engineering and computer appliances, electric machines, incandescent lamps (General Electric). Pharmaceutical industry is also important, well-known Egis, Richter Gedeon and Chinoin companies are Hungarian, Teva also has a division here.The Malév Hunagrian Airlines is based in Budapest.

Industry is rather in the suburbs, the centre is place for the main national and international service and financial companies like Hungarian Telekom, General Electric, Vodafone, Telenor, Erste Bank, CIB Bank, K&H Bank&Insurance, UniCredit, Budapest Bank, Generali Providencia Insurance, ING, Aegon Insurance, Allianz. Regional base of Volvo Co., Saab, Ford, GE are in Budapest. MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company which with its Subsidiaries, is a leading integrated oil and gas company in Central & Eastern Europe, and OTP Bank which is the biggest Hungarian bank, with branches in 8 other countries as well, are based in the capital.

Budapest is the centre of services, financial counseling, money transactions, commercial and estate services. Trade and logistic services are well-developed. Tourism and catering is also worth to be mentioned, the capital is home to thousands of restaurants, bars, coffee houses and party places.

[edit] Main sights

The neo-Gothic Parliament, containing amongst other things the Hungarian Crown Jewels. Saint Stephen's Basilica, where the Holy Right Hand of the founder of Hungary, King Saint Stephen is on display. The Hungarian cuisine and café culture: for example, Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants. There are Roman remains at the Aquincum Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum.

The Castle Hill, the River Danube embankments and the whole of Andrássy út have been officially recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Castle Hill and the Castle District; there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary – and has been the scene of battles and wars ever since the thirteenth century. Nowadays it houses two impressive museums and the National Széchenyi Library. The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The seven-hundred year-old Matthias Church is one of the jewels of Budapest. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the Fisherman's Bastion, from where opens out a panoramic view of the whole city. Statues of the Turul, the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.

In Pest, arguably the most important sight is Andrássy út. As far as Kodály Körönd and Oktogon both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and Heroes’ Square the houses are detached and altogether grander. Under the whole runs continental Europe’s oldest Underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. Heroes’ Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Arts, and behind City Park opens out, with Vajdahunyad Castle. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the Hungarian State Opera House. Statue Park, a theme park with striking statues of the Communist era, is located just outside the main city and is accessible by public transport.

The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (Dohány Street Synagogue),<ref>Kulish, Nicholas (2007-12-30). "Out of Darkness, New Life". The New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/travel/30dayout.html?scp=1&sq=largest+synagogue+in+Europe&st=nyt. Retrieved 2008-03-12. </ref> and second largest working in the World .<ref>"In the Neighbourhood: the Synagogue". Hotel Ambra. http://www.hotelambra.hu/index.php?page=neigh2&lang=eng. </ref> The synagogue is located in the Jewish district taking up several blocks in central Budapest bordered by Király utca, Wesselényi utca, Grand Boulevard (Budapest) and Bajcsy Zsilinszky road. The city is also proud at the largest medicinal bath in Europe (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath) and the third largest Parliament building in the world, once the largest in the world. The third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő) are in the vicinity.

The world's largest panorama photograph was created in (and of) Budapest in 2010.<ref>http://www.70-billion-pixels-budapest.com/index_en.html</ref>

[edit] Islands

Seven islands can be found on the Danube: Shipyard Island, Margaret Island, Csepel Island, Palotai-sziget (now a peninsula), Népsziget, Háros-sziget, and Molnár-sziget.

Notable islands include:

• Margaret Island is a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long island and 0.965 square kilometres (238 acres) in area. The island mostly consists of a park and is a popular recreational area for tourists and locals alike. The island lies between bridges Margaret Bridge (south) and Árpád Bridge (north). Dance clubs, Swimming pools, an Aqua park, athletic and fitness centres, bicycle and running tracks can be found around the Island. During the day the island is occupied by people doing sports, or just resting. In the summer (generally on the weekends) mostly young people go to the island at night to party in its terraces, or to recreate with a bottle of alcohol on a bench or on the grass (this form of entertainment is sometimes referred to as bench-partying).
• Csepel Island (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈtʃɛpɛlsiɡɛt]) is the largest island of the River Danube in Hungary. It is 48 km (30 mi) long; its width is 6–8 km (3.75–5 mi) and its area comprises 257 km² (99 sq mi), whereas only the northern tip is inside the city limits.
• Hajógyári-sziget ([ˈhɒjoːɟaːri siɡɛt], or Óbudai-sziget) is a man built island, located in the third district. This island hosts many activities such as: wake-boarding, jet-skiing during the day, and dance clubs during the night. This is the island where the famous Sziget Festival takes place, hosting hundreds of performances per year and now around 400,000 visitors in its last edition. Many building projects are taking place to make this island into one of the biggest entertainment centres of Europe, the plan is to build Apartment buildings, hotels, casinos and a marina.
• Luppa-sziget is the smallest island of Budapest, located in the north region.

[edit] Spas

One of the reasons the Romans first colonized the area immediately to the west of the River Danube and established their regional capital at Aquincum (now part of Óbuda, in northern Budapest) is so that they could utilize and enjoy the thermal springs. There are still ruins visible today of the enormous baths that were built during that period. The new baths that were constructed during the Turkish period (1541–1686) served both bathing and medicinal purposes, and some of these are happily still in use to this day. Budapest really gained its reputation as a city of spas in the 1920s, following the first realization of the economic potential of the thermal waters in drawing in visitors. Indeed in 1934 Budapest was officially ranked as a "City of Spas". Today, the baths are mostly frequented by the older generation, as, with the exception of the “Magic Bath” and "Cinetrip" water discos, young people tend to prefer the lidos which are open in the summer. Construction of the Király Baths started in 1565, and most of the present-day building dates from the Turkish period, including most notably the fine cupola-topped pool.

The Rudas Baths are not only superbly centrally placed – in the narrow strip of land between Gellért Hill and the River Danube – they are also an outstanding example of architecture dating from the Turkish period. The central feature is an octagonal pool over which light is thrown from a 10 m diameter cupola, supported by eight pillars.

The Gellért Baths and Hotel were built in 1918, although there had once been Turkish baths on the site, and in the Middle Ages a hospital. In 1927 the Baths were extended to include the wave pool, and the effervescent bath was added in 1934. With its immaculately preserved Art Nouveau interior, including colourful mosaics, marble columns, stained glass windows and statues, this is without doubt the most beautiful bathing complex in Budapest.

The Lukács Baths are also in Buda and are also Turkish in origin, although they were only revived at the end of the nineteenth century. This was also when the spa and treatment centre were founded. Happily, there is still something of an atmosphere of fin-de-siècle about the place, and all around the inner courtyard there are marble tablets recalling the thanks of patrons who were cured there. Since the 1950s it has been regarded as a centre for intellectuals and artists.

The Széchenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in all Europe, and the only “old” medicinal baths to be found in the Pest side of the city. The indoor medicinal baths date from 1913 and the outdoor pools from 1927. There is an atmosphere of grandeur about the whole place with the bright, largest pools resembling aspects associated with Roman baths, the smaller bath tubs reminding one of the bathing culture of the Greeks, and the saunas and diving pools borrowed from traditions emanating in northern Europe. The three outdoor pools (one of which is a fun pool) are open all year, including winter. Indoors there are over ten separate pools, and a whole host of medical treatments is also available.

[edit] Transport

[edit] Airport

Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, which has 3 passenger terminals: Ferihegy 1, which tends to serve the many discount airlines now flying to and from Budapest, Ferihegy 2/A and Ferihegy 2/B. Terminal 3 is planned to be built. The airport is located to the east of the centre in the XVIII. district in Pestszentlőrinc.

[edit] Roads

Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus; all the major highways end there. Budapest is also a major railway terminus.

Ring road M0 around Budapest was recently completed and allows people to go around Budapest from East to West and from North to South, however there is no way from West to North - you must go around to the South.

[edit] Public transport

Budapest public transport is provided by BKV,<ref name="NYT Travel">Rail, Evan (2007-08-12). "36 Hours in Budapest". The New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/travel/12hours.html?scp=10&sq=Budapest&st=nyt. Retrieved 2008-01-29. </ref> the company operates buses, trolleybuses, trams, suburban railway lines, the metro, a boat service, a cogwheel railway, a funicular, and a chairlift, called Libegő.

Budapest's tram network is extensive, and reliable despite poor track infrastructure and an ageing fleet. Routes 4 and 6 combined form the busiest traditional city tram line in the world, with the world's longest passenger trams (54-metre (177 ft) long Siemens Combino) running at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time and 3–4 minutes off-peak and usually packed with people.

Day services operate from 4:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. each day. Night traffic (a reduced overnight service) has a reputation for being excellent.

There are three metro lines and a fourth is currently under construction. The Yellow line, built in 1896, is one of the oldest subway lines in the world, following London Underground and the Istanbul Metro that were built respectively in 1863 and 1875.

[edit] Railways

Hungarian main-line railways are operated by MÁV. There are three main railway termini in Budapest, Keleti (eastbound), Nyugati (westbound), and Déli (southbound), operating both domestic and international rail services. Budapest was one of the main stops of the Orient Express until 2001, when the service was cut back to Paris-Vienna. There is also a suburban rail service in and around Budapest, operated under the name HÉV.

[edit] Waterways

The river Danube flows through Budapest on its way to the Black Sea. The river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a major commercial port (at Csepel). In the summer months a scheduled hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to Vienna.

[edit] Special vehicles

Beside metros, suburban rails, buses, trams and boats, there are a couple of less usual vehicles in Budapest:

• trolleybus on several lines in Pest
• the Castle Hill Funicular between the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle
• cyclecar for rent in Margaret Island
• chairlift
• the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway
• children's railway <ref name="NYT Travel"/>

The latter three vehicles run among Buda hills.

[edit] Education

Budapest is Hungary's main centre of education and home to numerous universities:

• Budapest University of Technology and Economics
• Corvinus University of Budapest
• Eötvös Loránd University
• Semmelweis University (medical university)
• Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science
• Óbuda University

• Pázmány Péter Catholic University
• Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church
• Jewish Theological Seminary – University of Jewish Studies

• Central European University
• Andrássy Gyula German Language University of Budapest

• Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
• Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music

[edit] International relations

[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities

Budapest is twinned with:<ref>"Sister City - Budapest". Official website of New York City. http://www.nyc.gov/html/unccp/scp/html/sc/budapest_main.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-14. </ref><ref>"Sister cities of Budapest" (in Hungarian). Official Website of Budapest. http://www.budapest.hu/engine.aspx?page=20030224-cikk-testvervarosok. Retrieved 2008-01-31. </ref><ref>"Who knows less about Budapest? A quiz with mayor candidates" (in Hungarian). Index. http://index.hu/politika/belfold/budapest/kvizkerdes74/. Retrieved 2008-01-31. </ref>

Some of the city's districts are also twinned to small cities or districts of other big cities, for details see the article List of districts and towns in Budapest.

[edit] Partnerships

• 22x20px Kraków, Poland<ref name="Kraków">"Kraków otwarty na świat". www.krakow.pl. http://www.krakow.pl/otwarty_na_swiat/?LANG=UK&MENU=l&TYPE=ART&ART_ID=16. Retrieved 2009-07-19. </ref>

[edit] See also

• List of cemeteries in Budapest
• List of famous people of Budapest
• Music of Budapest
• Urban and Suburban Transit Association (most of its activity is centred around Budapest)
• Budapest metropolitan area
• Fort Budapest

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

• DK Publishing, Budapest: Eyewitness Travel Guildes (2007). DK Travel. ISBN 978-0756624354. 
• Barber, Annabel (2004). Visible Cities Budapest: A City Guide. Somerset. ISBN 978-9632129860. 
• Ungvary, Krisztian (2006). The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300119855. 
• Molnar, Miklos (2001). A Concise History of Hungary. Cambridge Concise Histories (Fifth printing 2008 ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521667364. 

[edit] Notes

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[edit] External links

• Official homepage
• Budapest Tourism Office
• Public transport in Budapest
• MÁV-Start Railway Passenger Transport Co.
• Budapest on Facebook
• Budapest travel guide from Wikitravel
• Beautiful Budapest: Vintage Photos - slideshow by Life magazine
• 70 gigapixel photo of Budapest