Intro to Budapest

Sharing this info about Budapest from one of my travel agent research sites.  Stay tuned for upcoming info on Vienna and Prague.

HISTORY

The history of Budapest has been marked by waves of conquerors and immigrants. Celtic remains have been found near Gellert Hill, but one of the first substantial settlements was Roman. The Romans conquered the area in 11 BC and established a city called Aquincum in present-day Obuda. The Huns began threatening the area around AD 250 and, led by Attila, finally gained control over present-day Hungary in 437.

The empire collapsed with Attila's death less than 20 years later. Successive ethnic groups migrated to the area over the next several hundred years, with the Magyars (ethnic Hungarians) gaining dominance.

The Mongols destroyed both Buda and Pest in 1241, but Buda rebounded and became an intellectual and artistic center during the Renaissance. In 1541, the Ottoman Turks sacked the city and went on to rule until they were replaced in 1686 by the Austrian Hapsburgs. The Hungarians revolted against Austria in 1848-49, and a compromise was reached in 1867, creating the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

In 1873, Buda, Pest and Obuda were united into one city, Budapest, which became the capital of Hungary. The city underwent expansion and mass development through the end of the 19th century. During that period, the large boulevards were laid out and many of Budapest's landmark buildings were erected.

But then World War II wreaked devastation: Nazi troops occupied Budapest in the latter part of the war, and heavy fighting between the Germans and the Soviet army resulted in much destruction.

Fortunately, the city center and the bridges over the Danube were rebuilt. The Soviets gained control after the war, and a 1956 uprising was squelched with great force. In 1989, Hungary's borders were finally reopened—a contributing factor in the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall.

Despite a steady turnover of political leadership since then, Budapest has played an integral role in keeping Hungary's economic growth strong. Hungary joined the European Union in May 2004.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Hungarian language is spoken exclusively in Hungary (except for the Hungarian diaspora, which consists of about 5 million people) and has survived even though Hungarians have lived in Europe for more than 1,100 years. It is related to Finnish.

The entire city of Budapest is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The building that houses Budapest's Parliament is the second-largest parliament building in Europe after Romania's.

Budapest's metro is the oldest in Continental Europe. The foldalatti is still in use.

The world's largest-known thermal cave system, comprising more than 170 caves, lies under Budapest. The Molnar Janos Cave in Buda, discovered only in 2008, even has an underground thermal lake.

GEOGRAPHY

Buda has hills. Castle Hill is home to some of the city's most visible landmarks, including Budavari Palota (Buda Castle). To the south of Castle Hill is Gellert Hill, which is topped by the Citadel and the Liberation Monument. Farther north is Obuda, the oldest part of the city. The city's Turkish baths are located in Buda near the river.

By comparison, Pest is flat. The grand Parliament building dominates the Pest embankment and skyline. South of Parliament is the area that is generally referred to as the city center. Deak ter is a square at the heart of the city—all three metro lines cross there. The boulevard Andrassy ut runs from Deak ter to Hosok tere (Heroes Square), which is at the edge of Varosliget, the main city park.  

WHY VISIT?

Budapest, Hungary, may be the capital of the landlocked country, but it's far from dry. In fact, Budapest's most seductive element is water. It springs from underground wells, filling Ottoman, baroque and art-nouveau pools.

It flows through the city in the broad and meandering Danube River, dividing Buda and Pest in yin-yang fashion. It even provides welcome relief after a bowl of hot paprika-spiced goulash.

Few visitors can resist the Budapest baths, but the city's allure goes beyond its spa status. As a large urban center, Budapest manages to strike a nice balance between nature and development. Hills, islands and parks coexist with hotels, theaters, cafes, monuments and other buildings in an eclectic array of architectural styles.

Maybe now it will go on more bucket lists!

ko

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Just another day at the Library!