City Statistics
Location
Budapest county, northern Hungary.
Dialling code
36.
Population
1,699,000 (city).
Time zone
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temperatures
-1°C (30°F).
Average July temperatures
22.5°C (71°F).
Annual rainfall
635mm (25 inches).
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Overview
Only two decades ago Budapest was trapped in a
communist-era time warp, but these days it is a city
seriously going places. It has moved from an Eastern European backwater to the capital of a
European Union member state, and once again
crowds of Europeans are discovering the charms of a city that not only boasts
beautiful architecture, but also offers visitors
first rate attractions.
Modern Budapest was born in 1873, when Buda, Óbuda and Pest were officially joined. Today, the city is composed of
23 districts (kerületek), each designated on maps, street signs and addresses by Roman numerals (I to XXIII).
Buda and
Pest still remain distinct, however, creating a
fascinating west bank-east bank contrast. Hilly
Buda in the west is laced with
narrow cobbled streets and packed with a mixture of
medieval and neoclassical buildings almost totally reconstructed after WWII. Flat
Pest lies to the east, its
wide boulevards and
art nouveau structures testimony
to the boom Budapest experienced in the years before WWI. In between
are remnants of Turkish and Communist occupation, creating a
crazy mosaic of mismatching styles.
Despite its current contemporary outlook, 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.
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 Matyás (1458-90). The second Golden Age was symbolised by the 1896
millennium celebration in 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
WWII; 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. Even though the young in this city of
almost 2 million are eager to adopt Western European values, they still
retain a deep relationship with Hungary's
fascinating past and value the traditions and history of the
Magyar people
highly. This has made Budapest a wonderful mix of old and new, and the
political, intellectual, commercial and cultural capital of Hungary.
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Tourist Information
The Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd)
is the central point of Budapest. From here, hilly Buda is to the west
and the plains of commercial Pest are to the east. A steep climb in the
Sikló, the 19th-century funicular, leads to Buda's Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where many attractions are clustered. Trinity Square is at the heart of the district and usually thronging with tourists. Nearby is the mosaic-roofed Matthias Church, fronted by King Stephen's statue and the fairytale Fishermen's Bastion, with the best views of Pest - particularly of the Houses of Parliament.
First built by Béla III following the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, and reconstructed over the following centuries, the Buda Castle Palace
now houses several museums. South of the Chain Bridge lies Gellért
Hill, named after Bishop Gellért, who was (as legend has it) rolled off
the hillside in a barrel for converting the Magyars to Christianity. At
the summit are the Liberation Monument and Citadella, a Hapsburg fortress built to subdue the Magyars after the 1848-9 revolution.
From here, Independence Bridge (Szabadság híd) leads to Pest, which extends out from the Belváros (inner city). The busiest spots here are the shop-lined Váci utca and the square, Vörösmarty tér,
marked by a statue of the poet, Mihály Vörösmarty (1800-1855), and the
Gerbeaud pâtisserie. The most grandiose monument in Pest, Hosök tér (Heroes' Square), is reached via Andrássy út, home to the Opera House and House of Terror. The Museum of Fine Arts and Palace of Art border the monument and City Park is just behind it.
Warm
vapours rising from underground hot springs swirl up into the square,
which is much favoured by teenage skateboarders. Moving closer to the
River Danube lies the Dohány Synagogue, the second largest in Europe, as well as the small Jewish quarter (district VII). Further south is the Hungarian National Museum and Applied Arts Museum.
Tourist Information
Budapest Tourism Office1056 Budapest Marcius 15 tér 7
Tel: (01) 266 0479.
Website:
www.budapestinfo.huOpening hours: Daily 0800-2000.
IBUSZ tourist office, V Ferenciek tere 10 (website:
www.ibusz.hu), open Monday to Friday 0900 to 1700 and
Tourinform, Süto utca 2, (tel: (01) 438 8080; website:
www.tourinform.hu), open daily 0800 to 2000 also provide tourist information.
The
main information office of the Budapest Tourism Office is located in
Liszt Ferenc tér 9-11 (tel: (01) 322 4098), open Monday to Friday 1000
to 1800 (October to May); daily 1000 to 1800 (June to September).
Other offices can be found in the main hall of Nyugati station, at the airport, and the Castle District.
Passes
The
Budapest Card (website:
www.budapestinfo.hu)
is simple to use and excellent value. It provides free travel on public
transport, entrance to 60 museums and attractions (such as the
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest Zoo and the Museum of Fine Art),
half-price city sightseeing programmes, reductions on cultural and
folklore programmes and further discounts at spas, shops, restaurants,
airport minibus and car hire services, sports facilities and flights.
The
card is valid for one adult and one child under 14 years for two or
three days. You can buy the cards at tourist information offices,
hotels and at main underground ticket booths. Budapest Tourism Office
provides online details of the discounts available at each location.
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