A glorious city built on the banks of Danube; Budapest is the cultural
is the cultural assimilator of Western and Eastern Europe. A city
which is youthful, exuberant, vibrant and full heritage and classical European
culture is the largest city of Hungary one of the largest cities in the European
Union. The city is cultural, political and economical heart not only Hungry but
also Central Europe. The city has a population of about 1.74 million people and whole Budapest Commuter Area holds
some 3.3 million people. The city’s past is well preserved in the many architectural
splendors of the eras gone by and is today seen as one of the prettiest cities
in Europe. Besides all the history and modern day extravaganza that Budapest
offers of the main attractions for so many tourists to this wonderful city are
its thermal baths and massage centers. Budapest is made of two cities, Buda on
the West bank of Danube and Pest on the east bank of Danube, together they form
one of the most livable, friendliest and youthful cities of Europe.
The city’s history dates back to the times of the roman Empire,
the first settlements at the bank of
Danube were formed by the Celts. By the 1st
century AD the Romans had occupied the settlement and established their own
settlement called Aquincum which later became the main city of lower Pannonia. In
the early decades of 9th century AD the Pannonia was made part of the
Bulgarian country, by the end of the same century Hungarians occupied the
territory and a century later declared the Kingdom of Hungary with Budapest as its
capital. Under the short rule of Bulgarian, Budapest came into being as two
military frontiers with Buda Fortress on the west bank and Pest Fortress on the
east. Budapest played a very major role during the period of renaissance as a
center of arts, culture and literature. The city had at that time the largest and
greatest collection of historical chronicles as well philosophical and
scientific work at the library Bibliotheca Corviniana.
In 1848 Budapest became the joint capital of two monarchies of
Austro – Hungarians and the Habsburgs this marked a period of greater development
of the city, a year later the famous Chain Bridge was opened linking the two
banks of Danube. Ultimately in 1873 Buda, Pest and Obuda (Ancient Buda) was merged together to form the metropolitan
city of Budapest. The city saw unprecedented development of the city lading to
the development of the famous metro line which made Budapest only the second
city in the world to have such transportation system. During this time Jews
were a big part of the city’s demography which led to it being named “the Mecca
of Jews”.
The city incurred heavy losses during both the World Wars. The years
after the war saw massive redevelopment as well as restorations of some of the architectural
heritage of the city which was partially destroyed by the erstwhile Soviet Regime.
Budapest is slowly capturing the imagination of the traveler,
its beautifully energy, architecture, World Heritage Sites, its vibrant culture
and music scene is attracting people of the city with more than two million
people visiting the city every year. The Buda part of the city on the west bank is the more
ancient part of the city with many of the historical treasures of the city such as Castle
Hill which homes most of its architectural heritage including the Royal Palace,
the Fisherman’s Bastion, National gallery, Mathias Church, Lions’ courtyard and
Hunyadi Garden. The Castle Hill is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The chain
Bridge and the Banks of Danube ( A World Heritage Site) are lovely way to spend
your noon and evenings in the city walking along the banks and on the bridge. You
can also enjoy a boat ride on the Danube during sunset and also visit the famous
Shoes on Danube which is a memorial on the banks of the river in tribute to the
Jews killed there.
The pest part of the city is more modern in its atmosphere,
cultural and lifestyle with city’s financial and business center lying in this bank of the Danube. You can
rest in the many famous thermal baths and spas in the city some of which have
been operational since the 16th century. These bath centers as the one
above are great places to enjoy yourself and relax.
