Fri 16th May 2008
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and with a population of 2 million citizens by far the largest city in the country.
The city is often referred as the Paris of the east, and deserves this name. It bears some resemblance to Prague, but larger and friendlier. The picturesque setting on two sides of the Danube, the nine connecting bridges and the villa's and public buildings from the fin-de-siècle era really make Budapest one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe.
Budapest is composed of two cities: the small Buda, on the west side of the river looking over the much larger Pest on the opposite side. The two parts developed seperately as the bourgois Buda with it's palaces and spas and the more commercial Pest. At first, the hills of Buda were the safe core of the twin cities, but as Buda and Pest were united with Óbuda (Ancient Buda) the plains of Pest became the centre of the growing metropolis.
Today, the most famous landmark of Budapest is the Parliament building on the banks of the Danube. From a distance it looks a lot like the English House of Parliament. Only Big Ben is missing. The best view of the Parliament can be had from Castle Hill, a Budapset highlight itself. This collection of palaces, churches and monuments has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is a must see for every tourist. Budapest has some very good museums as well, The National Museum, the Jewish Museum and the Historical Museum of Budapest being the best.
Budapest has developed to become a very lively city, with many good restaurants and a nightlife scene you need to check out to believe it. By day, you can roam the city, visit a museum, take a look around churches, make your choise from the dozen or so types of coffee in one of the cafés. By night you can have dinner at a cheap or a fancy eating out, go to the opera, and afterwards dance the night away.