About Budapest

The history of Budapest dates back to the Celts in the 1st century, as the city was originally a Celtic settlement. Around 89, the Romans founded the city of Aquincum on the right bank of the Danube River, which served as the seat of the province of Pannonia Inferior.
The golden age of the city arrived in the 19th century, when it became the twin capital of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, along with Vienna. On November 17, 1873, Buda, Pest and Óbuda were united, this is the birthday of Budapest. During this time, the city's most famous buildings were built, and it was then that it grew into a world city.

Nowadays more than 40 colleges and universities are located here. It’s also the financial center of Hungary, in 2014 it was the second fastest growing urban economy in Europe.

There are several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Budapest, including the view of the Danube bank, the Buda Castle Quarter, Hősök square, Parliament and the Millennium Underground, the world's first electric-powered underground railway and Europe's second underground railway after London. In addition, the city's Danube bridges are also important for tourism.

There are about 80 geothermal springs in the city. Budapest is the capital with the most spas in the world. The world's largest thermal water cave system, Europe's largest synagogue (Dohány Street Synagogue) and the world's third largest parliamentary building, the Hungarian Parliament, are located here.

Budapest attracts around 12 million international tourists every year, making it one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe.

The Buda Castle District

Located in the heart of the capital, on the castle hill. The castle district is one of the main cultural and tourist centers of Budapest. The Budavári Palace, also known as the former royal palace, is part of it and one of its most significant buildings. The complex was built from the 1300s and underwent continuous expansions until the 19th century, so you can find both Renaissance, Baroque and Neo-Baroque style features. The palace was the seat of the Hungarian kings, and since 1987 it has been part of the world heritage. Another important building is the residence of the president of the republic, named Sándor Palace, as well as the Castle Theater and the top station of the Budavári cable car. The third part of the castle quarter is the historic residential quarter, the 17th-18th century. century with its public and residential buildings.

Millennium monument (Hősök Square)

In the centre on the 36-meter-high column, stands the statue of the archangel Gabriel ("Man of God", "Power of God" or "God proved strong") with outstretched wings, which is almost 5 meters high, holding the Hungarian crown in one hand and the apostolic double cross in the other into the air, just as according to legend, the founder of the state, St. István, did in his dream.

The monument was built in an eclectic style, in a semicircular shape, 85 meters wide, 25 meters deep, 13 meters high, and the distance between the two colonnades is 20 meters. In the left and right colonnades, there are bronze statues of 7-7 famous personalities of Hungarian history, while the reliefs placed on the stone plinths of the open statue niches depict a historical scene typical of the age or activity of the given personality.

The Parliament

The building itself is 268 m long, 123 m wide and 96 m high, with a floor area of 17,745 square meters and a volume of 473,000 cubic meters. Its central element is the dome, on both sides of which rises the House of Representatives (today the Parliament) and the meeting hall of the former Grand Order House (today the Congress Hall). The building has 27 gates, inside there are 29 staircases and 13 passenger and freight elevators for traffic and transportation. The building has slightly more than 200 office spaces.

The side facing the Danube is the main facade, but the official main entrance opens from Kossuth Lajos Square. There are 90 statues outside, 152 inside, a total of 242 sculptures on the walls, frescoes and paintings by famous artists also adorn the Parliament. The total amount of 22-23 carat gold used for decorations is approximately 40 kilograms. It is also one of Europe's first district-heated buildings.

The Millenium Underground

The idea and implementation of underground railway construction is as old as the birth of the London Underground. Construction began in 1860 and the first underground railway was put into operation in 1863, but it was still powered by steam. The Budapest Millennium Underground, was the first underground railway in continental Europe to be used by the general public on May 2, 1896, also the world's first electric-powered underground, and continues to operate today without major interruptions. Until 1973, the length of the line was 3,700 meters, with 9 underground and 2 surface stops. The trains ran at 2-minute intervals, the highest measured daily number of passengers was 34,526 people.

Dohány Street Synagogue

Budapest has always been one of the defining centers of Jewish culture, so it is no wonder that the second largest synagogue in the world is located here. The Synagogue on Dohany Street was built in 1859, in neo-Moorish style, and can accommodate 3,000 people. Not only does it function as a house of worship, it also houses the exhibition space dealing with sacred heritage and the Jewish religion, the Hungarian Jewish Museum (and on the subject of contemporary Jewish fine art, it is worth visiting the neighborhood).