"Budapest" a Budapest Travel Page by grkboiler

Budapest is one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It has a rich history and an amazing culture. It is home to 1/5 of the population of Hungary.

I enjoyed my 3 days in this city on the Danube and would love to return someday. The city is full of things to do for everyone, the food is great, and everyone is friendly.

The thing about Budapest that fascinates me most is its history.

The modern Hungarian people are ancestors of the Magyars, migrants from the Urals who arrived in the Budapest region in 896. The people were united under St. Istvan, the first Christian king of Hungary, who was crowned in 1001.

In the 16th century, the Turks took over most of the Hungarian lands and ruled for 150 years. After the Turks were expelled, the Habsburgs took over and ruled until the end of WWI. Finally, it was the Soviets and Communists who ruled brutally until 1989. The Hungarian people revolted many times but all were crushed.

Basically, Budapest had been ruled by other nations for over 400 years before the Hungarians were able to fully return to self rule. One of the best things I noticed is that the Hungarian people are extremely proud of their past and their Magyar ancestors and that is shown by monuments all over the city. I also was inspired by the story of the 1956 Revolution and the spirit of the Hungarian people.

Budapest wasn't always one big city. In 1873, the cities Buda and Obuda on the west bank of the Danube merged with Pest on the east bank to form Budapest.