| Page Views: 2,590 Last Visit to Budapest: - | Budapest, Hungary by al_mary - last update: Apr 16, 2006 |
A visit to Budapest reveals a city that is going places.
Communism is well and truly history, the young are
eager to adopt Western European values, while remaining
in an obsessive relationship with Hungary's fascinating past.
The traditions and history of the Magyar people are still vitally
important, as is the ubiquitous mobile phone.
The key to Budapest lies in its history, marked by alternate
periods of great wealth and prosperity and devastating eras
of political and social upheaval.
Repeated warfare was inevitable due to the strategic location
of Budapest, spreading out on either side of the River Danube,
(Duna) in the heart of Europe, offering a defensive position and
potential control of Central Europe’s main waterway.
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|  | A City Rich In History
The Magyars view their history not in black and white
but in gold and silver. The first Golden Age coincided
with the reign of Renaissance King Matyas (1458-90).
The second Golden Age was symbolised by the 1896
Millennium celebration in Varosliget (City Park) and the
Silver Age was the 20th-century inter-war period, when
the likes of Evelyn Waugh and the Prince of Wales
frequented Budapest’s spas and casinos. Balanced
against the good times, however, there is the Turkish
victory over the Hungarians in 1526 (with the ensuing
rebuilding of Buda as a Turkish capital) the Hapsburg
rule that continued to deprive Hungary of its autonomy
until 1867, the devastation caused by World War II and
Russian control, only lifted in 1989.
These significant events have turned the Hungarians
into a flexible and resilient race, proud of their national
heroes, Count Istvan Szechenyi (1791-1860), responsible
for the first bridge across the River Danube, and the poet
Sandor Petofi, remembered for his revolutionary Nemzeti
dal (National Song), read on the steps of the National
Museum on 15 March 1848.
Click On Photo To Enlarge
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A City Of Historical Buldings
The modern Budapest was born in 1873, when
Buda, Obuda and Pest were officially joined.
Today, the city is composed of 23 districts (keruletek),
each designated on maps, street signs and addresses
by Roman numerals (I to XXIII). Buda and Pest still
remain distinct, however, creating an interesting
west bank-east bank contrast.
Hilly Buda is situated in the west, with its narrow cobbled
streets and mixture of medieval and neo-classical buildings
almost totally reconstructed after World War II. Flat Pest lies
to the east, with its wide boulevards and Art Deco styles.
The city is a mixture of Turkish, Venetian, Empire and Art
Nouveau in a crazy mosaic of mismatching styles.
Perhaps the Hilton Hotel combines the oddest example, with
its 13th-century Gothic church, 17th-century facade and
gleaming modern glass and concrete.
Budapest has a continental climate, with extreme differences
in temperature between the winter and summer months.
Snowfall is frequent in winter and rain is fairly common all year
round. Two and a half million people, roughly one-fifth of the
country’s population, live in this cosmopolitan city, making
Budapest the political, intellectual, commercial and cultural
capital of Hungary.
Hungary joined the EU in May of 2004, and the streets
of the capital are sure to get more crowded as Westerners
discovers the charms of a city that not only boasts beautiful
architecture but also offers visitors top attractions.
The Hungarian Tourist Board is doing a lot to promote the
country abroad, and Budapest is already proving increasingly
popular as a business destination… it won’t be long until
leisure travellers follow suit.
Click On Photo To Enlarge
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| In A Nutshell: | "Very Historical - Great City" |
al_mary's Budapest Travel Tips
 Comments for al_mary about Budapest | | | | |
Mikebb Tue Jul 25, 2006 22:46 UTC
Looks like you had a great time, we were there in Sept and ate at some of the places you ate. A most interesting city. Enjoyed your pages. | budapest8 Wed Jun 14, 2006 08:55 UTC
Looks like you enjoyed your Budapest stay! Nice pictures too. The eating out places, well 2 of them are on Vaci utca, the walking street just off your hotel Pilvax...Do drop my Budapest pages if you miss the place.Tim | Levente_D Tue Oct 4, 2005 03:45 UTC
I'm glad you enjoyed Buapest and your tips are great as wel because they are also about everyday places and not just tourist spots! Viszlát! |
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