"Budapest - The Heart Of Classical Europe" Budapest by edvin_br

Budapest Travel Guide: 7,462 reviews and 17,197 photos

At the foot of Gelletrs hill - Budapest
At the foot of Gelletrs hill
The City Of My Dreams

Budapest is not just another city, at least for me... sine the first time i saw it in summer 2001, altough it been just in the cities suburbs i fall in love in the city and especially in the great people that live there and welcoming the tourist very happily.

Since then i been in Budapest another 2 times... in the summers of 2002 and 2003 and in every visit it looks like the city is always getting better in everything... and im sure that in the near future it will be one of the best places to visit in the whole world... im not kidding... :))

Until the summer of 2003 i was with my parents in Budapest (not too active trips... ) and was especially in the city Center and saw some famous buildings and stuff like this... but in the summer of 2003 i been in Budapest with my older brother and i it was one of my best experiences in life... i was there for week and i feel already like i know every corner in the city (altough i know it is not imposible because the city is enormous). Until now i can remember perfectlly any street, shopping center, park, train station (and i been in a few because i traveled outside to Budapest too), any hotel i saw or any attractive building.
Im sure i will go there again in the future but unil i'll get there i can just dream about my beautiful Budapest...

Some Facts, History And Useful Information
City view up from Gellerts hill - Budapest

City view up from Gellerts hill

Facts
-Budapest is situated in the northon centeral part of Hungary.
-Budapest population is about 2 milion inhabitants.
-Budapest divided into 23 districts.
-Budapest is made up from Buda in the west and Pest in the east.
-The winter in Budapest is very cold with snow and the summer is hot in places where there is no air condition.
-Budapest is a center of industry, clture, education and transportation.

History
In the begining Aquincum, the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia, was near the modern ?buda, and Pest developed around another Roman town. Both cities were destroyed in 1241 by the Mongols. In the 13 cent, king Bela the IV built fortress in the hill around Buda and in the 14 cent the emporer Sigismund built palace for Hungarian rulers. Soon after that Buda became the capital of Hungary but in the 16 cent both Pest and Buda fell to the Turks.
The Hapsburgs conquered Buda and Pest in 1686 when the cities were in ruins and started to setle then again, Buda with Germans and Pest with Serbs and Hungarians. Later Pest flourished as an intellectual and commercial center and Buda became largely a residential sector.
After the union of Buda and Pest in 1873 the city grow up rapidly and became an industrial center and a city of culture that was attractive for a lot of tourists because of its beautiful buildings and parks.
After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918 Budapest became the capital of Hungary. In 1919 B?la Kun, gained temporary control of the city and established a Soviet republic in Hungary but Romanian troops occupied Budapest in november 1919.
In the WW2 the city was under German occupation and after a 14 week siege the city fell under Soviet troops and a big part of Buda was destroyed. Budapest was Hungaries capital under the Communist regime and continues to be until today.

Useful Information
Transportation to the city - if you come by plane you will arive to the modern Ferihegy airport which is located 24km east to the city Center. In the airport you can change money, buy phone cards and rent a car. To get to the city you can use or buses or taxis. for more informationyou may check in www.bud.hu.
There is also an option to arrive to Budapest by train. there are 3 big stations:
-the Nyugati train station is the biggest one. There are some shops in the station and a huge Mcdonalds. To get to the city Center you should use the metro which is placed just under the station.
-The Keleti train stationis located in the east part of the city and trains from southren europe are getting there. To get to city Center use the metro.
-The Deli train station is located in Buda. In the summer it could get crowded becase train are going frm here to the Balaton. to get to city Center use the metro.
If you arrive by car you should drive on the motorways that surround Budapest from every direction.

Transportation in the city - BKV is running a very good public transpotation in the city. there is the metro with 3 lines, trams, trolleybuses and buses which together are very effective. for more information check on www.bkv.hu.

Restaurants - Budapest is full with possibilities to eat... it is also matched to any pocket... you can find food in a stand in the street or go to an expensive restaurant.

Accommodation - Budapest has a big range of hotels, hostels and apartments. you have an option to choose between luxurious hotels to cheap hostels.

Shopping - In Budapest you will find a lot of big shopping ceters that as shops of the most importent brands in the world but you may go also to open markets and to some gifts and souvenir shops.

Culture - You may go to theaters, opera or to more simple stuff like cinema.

What To See...
The historical Szabadsag hid (the Freedom bridge) - Budapest

The historical Szabadsag hid (the Freedom bridge)

Budapest is huge and its impossible to see all of it of course. Budapest has all you need.... if you like architecture, parks, art , religion or if you like just to shop and seat in cafes all day... Budapest suites everything.
Here are some options of how can you plan your trip and where can you go:
The first thing you should do in Budapest is to get from your accommodation to city Center. You can start before Erzsebet bridge, in the side of Pest. There is great walk near the Danube that lead you until the cities huge, where there is a great view over Buda. In this area there is alwyas a good mood, happy people, pigeons and many tourists. From there you should go toward the magnificent Chain bridge that was the first that was built between 1839-1849 and was the first that connected Buda to Pest. Just in front of iy you can see the Four Seasons Gresham Palace hotel that was built between 1904-1906 and its considered to one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in the world... it was heavily renovated last years and now it looks great. The Hunarian Academy is situated just 2 minouts from there and its also worth a visit. From there your next stop will surely be the Parliament that is the cities most famous and attractive landmark. It was built from 1885 to 1903... you can also take a tour inside in fixed hours. The sorroundings of the Parliament are amazing with some beutiful buildings and lovely parks with statues, one of them is the pleasant Kossuth Lajos Park that situated just behaind the Parliament. From there you may go back a bt to Vorosmarty square and sit down at the famous Cafe Gerbeaud... You should also take a walk at the stylish Vaci Utca.
Your next visit should be to Buda, to the castle district. You should take a tram to Mokva ter, If you like to shop you can jump into the huge mamut mall thatr is a few minouts by walk... if not you can immediately take a bus that will take you up for the castle district that is the old, colorful town of Buda and its situated on a hill so i reccomand you to take the bus. When you will be up the hill ypou should visit the beutiful Matyas Church and the Fishermans Bastion. To get to the castle you have to take a little road with small parks near it, a very pleasant place and then you will get to the Castle masterpiece of Buda, wich was finished in 1867 and represents the glory of the city. On the wy down you can take the Siklo tat is a little cable car that takes yo down almost until the Chain bridge.
Another trip you can take taht will lead you to another beautiful place in buda its will be to Gellert Hill. You should start it in Blaha luiza square and from there going in Rakoci ut (that has some nice buildings and shops) until Astoria square, from there continue in Kossuth ut and see the Klotild Palaces & the Parisi Udvar. From there you have to pass Erzebeth bridge until you get the side of Buda.You can walk a bit along the Danube, this area its different from Budapests other parts with her architecture and because it its special. from there you should go up in the beautiful Gellert Hill and see the Statues.
One of the cities most impotent monumentsa is the Heros Square that in both of her sides there is good museums. In the way back you can walk a bit in andrasi ut that is a big boulevrad with a lot of trees and villas.
Calvin ter is alo a nice place and between it and the Astoria ter you will find the amazing Hungarian National museum.
One of the cities most busiest places are the area near the Nyugati train station... a lot of traffic, tourists and shops including the west end shopping center. From there you should go to city Center and must stop before the enurmos St.Stephens basilica that is one of the europes most beautiful building and it took 57 years to build it (1948-1905). Just a few meters from there you arrive to Deak ter where there is a nice new park and some beautiful buildings.
Not far from there there is the cities big Synagogue, located in Dohany street, that was built between 1854-1859 and is the biggest Synagogue in Eurpoe.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Amazing architecture, great atmosphere and wonderful people and tourists... :))
  • Cons:Almost nothing!!!
  • In a nutshell:The best city in Centerall Europe!!
  • Last visit to Budapest: Sep 2011
  • Intro Updated Oct 9, 2011
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Comments (13)

  • Reply
    nora_south_africa's Profile Photo
    Apr 26, 2008 at 8:08 AM

    a very good page, thanx

  • Reply
    newyorkerman's Profile Photo
    Jul 27, 2007 at 8:42 AM

    Good comments on people in Hungarian history remembered in Budapest's street names. There is a street where I live named for Kossuth.

  • Reply
    Maurizioago's Profile Photo
    Jun 13, 2005 at 12:15 PM

    Will you put some pics on your Busapest pages? You have written some very useful tips! Ciao!

  • Reply
    m-joy's Profile Photo
    Jan 13, 2005 at 12:23 AM

    Thanks for visiting my page - brilliant descriptions here, but where are your pictures????

  • Reply
    Oct 24, 2004 at 11:57 AM

    Yeah..I know... I have to be 4 days off school... I'll be there from wednesday to monday :)

  • Reply
    ettenaj's Profile Photo
    Jun 5, 2004 at 1:12 PM

    Quite fancying Budapest now that I have seen your page

  • Reply
    gkitzmil's Profile Photo
    May 31, 2004 at 1:56 PM

    I just returned from Budapest and found a wonderful restaurant. I am glad you liked Pizza Hut but for your next visit I can recommend real local food

  • Reply
    miss_mercury's Profile Photo
    May 29, 2004 at 4:04 AM

    Nice and good info!

  • Reply
    AcornMan's Profile Photo
    Apr 1, 2004 at 6:10 AM

    Budapest sounds great. Thanks for your helpful descriptions.

  • Reply
    diocletianvs's Profile Photo
    Mar 20, 2004 at 11:21 AM

    Thanks for your comment. I just started writing tips - but will have to wait untill VT stops displaying all the ? signs :-(

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