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BUDAPEST
Budapest, known as the 'Queen of the Danube', is a
magnificent city exuding a cultural sophistication 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 atmosphere that has
given Budapest Parisian status among the Eastern
European countries.
Budapest offers the visitor the familiarity of European
culture with a distinct Hungarian flavour. It is evident
in the neo-Gothic Parliament buildings, sidewalk cafes
and Magyar cuisine; classical concerts and Hungarian
folk music; the cobbled streets of medieval
neighbourhoods and shady parks, and everywhere the
sounds of an unfamiliar language. Highlights for
visitors include a river cruise on the Danube and a
thermal bath in one of the Turkish-era bathhouses.
Budapest was originally two cities built on either side
of the Danube, namely Buda and Pest. The two districts
are still distinct in their contrasting makeup, with the
older and more charming Buda comprising atmospheric
cobbled streets, little picturesque 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
ramparts of Fisherman's Bastion.
Pest lies on a flat plain and is the commercial core of
the city. It bustles with fashionable shopping areas and
has characteristically wide, leafy boulevards. Andrássy
Boulevard is the Champs-Elysées of Budapest, lined with
a typical mosaic of architectural styles and buildings
with the enormous Heroes' Square at the end.
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 restoration by a proud and
resilient nation of people; a city of charm and
character, both European and singularly Hungarian. |
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