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Location Guide ~ Budapest in Hungary
The capital city of Hungary, Budapest, was created out of the unification of the separate historic
towns of Buda, Pest and Óbuda in 1873. It was from this date that the city's expansion into a world
capital really began.Flowing north to south through the centre of the city is the mighty River Danube.
Buda and Óbuda, comprising roughly a third of the total, are situated mainly in the hills to the west,
with commercial Pest on the flat plains to the east. There are three islands - Óbuda Island, Margaret
Island and Csepel Island - and nine bridges, two of which carry railway lines. The River Danube
splits the city into two parts, historical Buda on the west bank and industrial Pest to the east.
Covering an area of two hundred square miles and divided into 23 administrative districts.
- Budapest, the Capital of Hungary
Both economically and culturally, Hungary
is dominated by its capital, Budapest. Home to around
a fifth of the population, it is divided into two parts by
the River Danube, historical Buda on the west bank,
industrial Pest to the east; the pair were once
separate entities but were joined in 1873 to form a
single municipality. Buda is built upon hills, Castle
Hill and Gellért Hill, their feet almost standing in the
water. Buda is quite simply stunning, with many
locations now recognised by UNESCO with World
Heritage status.
The most
prominent
district is the
Castle quarter,
the real core of
the ancient town
boasting
Hungary's most
historically
important
monuments
including the
700-year-old Matyas Church, and Sándor
Palace which houses the president of the Hungarian
republic. The Royal Palace of Buda is visible from
virtually every point in the city, while the whole of the
medieval town not only has fantastic views over the
city but real character with its twisting streets and
charming squares.
Facing Buda on the eastern side is Pest, the perfect
contrast as it's very flat. The famous Andrássy
Avenue is to be found here, and stretches more than
two kilometres in a straight line, its grandest building
being the Opera House dating back to 1875. Beneath
the avenue lies one of the Europe's first underground
railways (outdated only by London's underground
system). Indeed, Budapest is regarded as having
perhaps the finest public transport system in the
whole of Europe; as well as the underground network,
there are trams, electric trolleys and buses. The number two
tram is
particularly
important as it
is an excellent
means of
sightseeing.
North of the capital is one of
the country's most stunning
regions, commonly known
as the Danube Bend, where
Budapest's natives flock in
the summer months to
escape the city heat. The
most commanding view of
the river's bend is at
Visegrad's citadel. 
Just
above the citadel lie the
Visegrad Hills, a particular
attraction for ramblers in the summer.
Southwest of Budapest, Lake Balaton and its
environs are by far the dominant attraction. The lake
itself is the largest expanse of freshwater in Europe,
covering some 600 km. It's popular with
swimmers and watersports enthusiasts, and
attracts millions of visitors every year.To the
east of Budapest at Mogyoród, is the
Hungaroring circuit, which is the only Formula
One racetrack in Central Europe.
Hungary's winemaking industry has
undergone something of a resurgence, and
there and are now 22 grape-growing regions,
complemented by a wealth of wine festivals.
There is also the House of Hungarian Wines
in Szentháromság
Square in Buda, where 450 wines
from all regions an be sampled. If you are a nature
lover then the beauty spot at Vácrátót has 70 acres of
botanical gardens that includes 13,000 different
species of plants.
From the middle of the 19th century
Budapest underwent an unprecedented surge of building and expansion.This
was due in part to disaster as much as to economic growth,
and by the turn of the century Budapest had caught up with
itsold rival Vienna, as similarly Budapest is not only one
of the finest capital cities in Europe, but also one of the
best situated.There isn't another capital city that has more
hydrothermal and mineral springs, giving Budapest a wonderful bathing
culture. There are 118 in total, the best one being
at the Gellért Hotel and Baths dating
from 1918 and still retaining original art nouveau fittings
and colourful mosaics.