Hungary » Budapest

Budapest has a vigorous arts, cafe and music scene. It is a host to a variety of cultural and sporting festivals. You'll find majestic plains, resort-lined lakes, Baroque towns, horse markets and rustic villages, in the countryside. Budapest’s key lies in its past, marked by alternate periods of great prosperity and overwhelming eras of political and social turmoil. The Magyars outlook their history in gold and silver. The modern Budapest was born in 1873, when Buda, Obuda and Pest were officially joined. Today, the city is composed of 23 districts, each selected on maps, street signs and addresses by Roman numerals (I to XXIII). Buda and Pest still remain distinct, creating an attractive west bank-east bank contrast.

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. Budapest is clearly a city on the move in both the realms of tourism and business. Budapest is known as the 'Queen of the Danube', it is a wonderful city with a cultural complexity that entices and enchants, gracing both sides of the legendary river with grand historic buildings, regal bridges and graceful tree-lined boulevards. It is the city's elegant beauty and romantic impression that has given Budapest Parisian status among the Eastern European countries.

A history of numerous wars and invasions, with repeated destruction and rebuilding, has created the Budapest of today with an amalgamation of styles, created over time during periods of loving re-establishment by a proud and flexible nation of people. It is a city of charm and character, both European and singularly Hungarian.

Budapest was originally two cities built on either side of the Danube, namely Buda and Pest. These two districts are still different in their distinct structure. Buda comprises of atmospheric cobbled streets, little striking coloured houses and a medieval, neo-Classical mixture of architecture set among the gentle hills of the west bank. It is famous for its historic Castle Hill featuring the Royal Palace, museums and galleries, St Matthias Church and the walls of Fisherman's Bastion. Pest lies on a flat plain and is the commercial core of the city. It bustles with stylish shopping areas and has typically wide leafy boulevards.