Information about Budapest

Budapest
Skyline of Budapest
Flag Seal
Nickname: "Pearl of the Danube" or "Queen of the Danube", "Heart of Europe", "Capital of Freedom"
Location of Budapest in Hungary Location of Budapest in Hungary
Coordinates:
Country	Hungary
County	Budapest, Capital City
Government
- Mayor	Gábor Demszky (SZDSZ)
Area
- City	525.16 km  (0 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- City	1,697,343 HCSO
- Density	3232/km (0/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website: budapest.hu

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Parliament
State Party	Hungary
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Reference	400
Region	Europe and North America
Inscription History
Inscription	1987  (11th Session)
Extensions	2002
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Budapest (Hungarian IPA: ['budɒpɛʃt] is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation centre. The official language spoken is Hungarian. Budapest had 1,697,343 ^[1] inhabitants in 2007 (with official agglomeration 2,421,831 ^[2]), down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda (Ofen in German) and Óbuda (Old Buda or Alt-Ofen) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.

History

Budapest's recorded history begins with the Roman town of Aquincum, founded around AD 89 on the site of an earlier Celtic settlement near what was to become Óbuda, and from 106 until the end of the 4th century the capital of the province of lower Pannonia. Aquincum was the base camp of Legio II Adiutrix. Today's Pest became the site of Contra Aquincum (or Trans Aquincum), a smaller sentry point. The word Pest (or Peshta) is thought to originate from the Bolgar language, (thought to be a Turkic language, not related to modern Bulgarian, which is a Slavic language) because at the time of the reign of the Bulgarian Khan Krum (approximately 796-814), the town was under Bulgar dominion. The area then became a homeland for the Avars and some Slavic peoples. The area was occupied around the year 900 by the Magyars, the cultural and linguistic ancestors of today's ethnic Hungarians, who a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary. Already a place of some significance, Pest recovered rapidly from its destruction by Mongol invaders in 1241, but it was Buda, the seat of a royal castle since 1247, which in 1361 became the capital of Hungary.

Matthias Corvinus was 15 when he was elected King of Hungary. Matthias was educated in Italian, and his fascination with the achievements of the Italian Renaissance led to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural influences in Hungary. His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the Vatican Library.

The Ottoman Empire's conquest of most of Hungary in the 16th century interrupted the cities' growth: Buda and Pest fell to the invaders in 1541. While Buda remained the seat of a Turkish pasha, and administrative centre of a whole vilayet, Pest was largely derelict by the time of their recapture in 1686 by Austria's Habsburg rulers, who since 1526 had been Kings of Hungary despite their loss of most of the country.

It was Pest, a bustling commercial town, which enjoyed the faster growth rate in the 18th and 19th century and contributed the overwhelming majority of the cities' combined growth in the 19th century. By 1800 its population was larger than that of Buda and Óbuda combined. The population of Pest grew twentyfold in the following century to 600,000, while that of Buda and Óbuda quintupled. Although the three cities remained separate, they were collectively referred to as Pest-Buda.

The first attempt to amalgamate the three cities under a single administration was enacted by the Hungarian revolutionary government in 1849 but was revoked on the subsequent restoration of Habsburg authority. Amalgamation was finally effected by the autonomous Hungarian royal government established under the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867; see Austria-Hungary. The total population of the unified Budapest grew nearly sevenfold between 1840 and 1900 to 730,000. In texts from around that period, Budapest was commonly rendered as "Buda-Pesth" (or "Budapesth") in English.^[3]

During the 20th century, most population growth occurred in the suburbs, with Újpest more than doubling between 1890–1910 and Kispest more than quintupling in 1900–1920, as much of the country's industry came to be concentrated in the city. The country's human losses during World War I and the subsequent loss of more than two thirds of the former kingdom's territory (Treaty of Trianon,1920) dealt only a temporary blow, leaving Budapest as the capital of a smaller but now sovereign state. By 1930 the city proper contained a million inhabitants, with a further 400,000 in the suburbs.

In 1944, towards the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. From 24 December 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the Battle of Budapest. Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking Soviet troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridges were blown up by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the fighting.

Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross genocide during 1944 and early 1945.^[4][5] Despite this, Budapest today has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.

On 1 January 1950, the area of Budapest was significantly expanded: new districts were formed from the neighbouring cities and towns (see Greater Budapest). From the severe damage during the Soviet siege in 1944, the city recovered in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming to some extent a showcase for the more pragmatic policies pursued by the country's communist government (1947–1989) from the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the capital has shared with the country as a whole in increased emigration (mostly to the agglomeration) coupled with natural population decrease.

Politics

Gábor Demszky, a member of the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), has been the mayor of Budapest since 1990.
The capital city is the centre of all political affairs, with most countries' embassies located in the city.

Districts

Main article: List of districts in Budapest

Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. On 1 January 1950 Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22. At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.

Islands

Seven islands can be found on the Danube: Hajógyári sziget (literal translation: Shipyard Island), Margit-sziget (Margaret Island), and Csepel sziget (the northernmost part of this island belonging to Budapest is a separate district of the city, the XXI., while the other islands are parts of other districts, the III. and XIII. respectively), Palotai-sziget (in fact, it's a peninsula today), Népsziget (connected to the above, but mostly surrounded by water), Háros-sziget and Molnár-sziget.

Notable islands:

• Margit-sziget is a 2.5 km (0 mi) long island and 0.965 km (238 acres) in area. The island mostly consists of a park and is a popular recreational area for tourists and locals alike. The island lies between bridges Margaret Bridge (south) and Árpád Bridge (north). Dance clubs, Swimming pools, an Aqua park, athletic and fitness centers, bicycle and running tracks can be found around the Island. During the day the island is occupied by people doing sports, or just resting. In the summer (generally on the weekends) mostly young people go to the island at night to party in its terraces, or to recreate with a bottle of alcohol on a bench or on a grass (this form of entertainment is sometimes referred to as bench-partying)
• Csepel-sziget [ˈtʃɛpɛlsigɛt] or Csepel Island is the largest island of the River Danube in Hungary. It is 48 km (30 mi) long; its width is 6-8 km (3.75–5 mi) and its area comprises 257 km (99 sq mi), whereas only the northern tip is inside the city limits.
• Hajógyári-sziget [ˈhɒjo:ɟa:ri sigɛt] (or Óbudai-sziget) is a man built island, located in the third district. This island hosts many activities such as: wake-boarding, jet-skiing during the day, and dance clubs during the night. This is the island where the famous Sziget Festival takes place, hosting hundreds of performances per year and now around 400,000 visitors in its last edition. Many building projects are taking place to make this island into one of the biggest entertainment centers of Europe, the plan is to build Apartment buildings, hotels, casinos and a marina.
• Luppa-sziget is the smallest island of Budapest, located in the north region.

Landmarks and monuments

Panoramic view points

• Naphegy panoramic view to Gellért Hill, best near view to south side of Buda Castle, historic district Krisztinaváros
• The Fisherman's Bastion panoramic view across the Danube to Pest, in the heart of the Castle District.
• Tabán historic site, near panoramic view to Buda Castle, Danube Promenade, Erzsébet Bridge, park and 1956 Hungarian Revolution Memorial
• Gellért Hill best far view to the Danube Bridges, Danube Promenade and Gellért Baths
• Danube Promenade view to Buda Castle, Gellert Hill
• Sashegy impressive, far view from the top of the Natural Reserve Park to: Gellérthegy, Naphegy, Buda Castle, Danube Promenade. Bus schedule No. 8 http://www.bkv.hu/english/busz/8.html to LEJTŐ ÚT and 10 minutes to the end of the Tájék utca.
• Széchenyi-hegy, far view from the end of the bus-line 112 to: Gellérthegy, Naphegy, Sashegy, Buda Castle, Danube Promenade. Bus schedule No. 112 http://www.bkv.hu/english/busz/112.html (view point http://maps.google.de/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=47.494429,18.999374&spn=0.004821,0.010042&t=h: Thomán István utca /Tamási Áron lépcsõ).

Sights and historic places

(The below sights are grouped by location.)

• Andrássy Avenue with its several sights including the State Opera House, the Pest Broadway and the House of Terror
• Bauhaus in Budapest: walk in Napraforgó Street, row of 22 Bauhaus villas, Pasarét and Újlipótváros
• Buda Castle with the Royal Palace, the Funicular, Hungarian National Gallery and National Széchényi Library, Matthias Church, Holy Trinity Column (a plague column) and Fisherman's Bastion
• City Park with Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, Vajdahunyad Castle, the Timewheel, the Zoo, the Municipal Grand Circus and the Amusement Park
• Danube Promenade or Dunakorzó with Vigadó Concert Hall
• Ferenciek tere with Paris Courtyard and Erzsébet Bridge with Inner City Parish Church nearby
• Franz Liszt Academy of Music
• Gellért Baths, Gellért Hill with Gellért Statue, Cave Church and Citadel with Liberty Statue
• Geological Museum
• Great Market Hall and Liberty Bridge
• Heroes' Square with the Millenary Monument, the Palace of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts
• Margaret Island with the Centennial Memorial, a Japanese garden, a Musical Fountain, several recreation facilities and Franciscan, Dominican and Premonstratensian ruins from the Middle Ages
• Museum of Applied Arts
• National Museum
• Szabadság tér One of the most beautiful squares in downtown Budapest
• Corvin tér Beautifully restored square at the foot of Castle Hill
• Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe with the Holocaust Memorial (weeping willow statue)
• New York Café
• Óbuda
• Palace of Arts and National Theatre
• Parliament Building with King Stephen's crown and sceptre, Kossuth Memorial, Ethnographical Museum, Attila József statue, Imre Nagy statue
• Saint Stephen's Basilica
• Sashegy The largest Natural Reserve Park of Budapest
• Shoes on the Danube Promenade Gyula Pauer - Holocaust Memorial
• Statue Park
• Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Academy of Sciences and Gresham Palace
• Tomb of Gül Baba
• Váci Street and Vörösmarty Square
• Western Railway Station
• Erzsébetváros District VII, the former Jewish quarter

Shopping

Budapest has many shopping centres, including WestEnd City Center, one of the largest shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe. Other shopping malls include Mammut, MOM Park or Duna Plaza. The Great Market Hall is a large indoor market and a major tourist attraction.

Most luxurious brands can be found on the high streets, such as Andrássy Avenue and Váci utca.

Transportation

Airport

Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, which has 3 different passenger terminals: Ferihegy 1, which tends to serve the many discount airlines now flying to and from Budapest, Ferihegy 2/A and Ferihegy 2/B. Terminal 2/C is planned to be built. The airport is located to the east of the centre in the XVIII. district in Pestszentlőrinc. Malév (Hungarian Airlines) began to change its aircraft in 2003, and by 2005 owned the most modern fleet in Europe.

Roads

Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus; all the major highways end there. Between, the city Street names were reverted from the names given under Soviet occupation back to their late-19th century names. Budapest is also a major railway terminus.

Ring road M0 around Budapest is currently under construction.

Commuting with public transport

Budapest public transport is well covered with services provided by BKV, the company operates buses, trolleybuses, trams, suburban railway lines, the metro, boats and many other special vehicles.

Budapest's tram network is extensive, and reliable despite poor track infrastructure and an ageing fleet. Routes 4 and 6 combined form the busiest traditional city tram line in the world, with 50 metre (164 ft) long brand-new Siemens Combino trams running at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time and 3-4 minutes off-peak and usually packed with people.

Day services operate from 4:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. each day. Night traffic (a reduced overnight service) is outstandingly good.

There are three metro lines and a fourth is currently under construction. The Yellow line, built in 1896, is one of the oldest subway lines in the world, following only the early lines of the London Underground.

The city of Budapest proves that it is the frequency and quality of public transport services which attract people to use it, given the systems reliability and extensive coverage across the city. The city is currently updating and replacing its entire fleet.

Special vehicles

Beside metros, suburban rails, buses, trams and boats, there are a couple of less usual vehicles in Budapest:

• trolleybus (trolibusz) on several lines in Pest
• funicular (sikló); the Castle Hill Funicular between the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle
• cyclecar (bringóhintó) for rent in Margaret Island
• chairlift (libegő)
• rack railway (fogaskerekű vasút); the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway
• children's railway (gyermekvasút)

The latter three vehicles run among Buda hills

Line 4-6	Budapest Funicular	Batthyány tér	Millennium Underground old phase at Heroes' Square

Railway

Main articles: MÁV and HÉV

Hungarian main-line railways are operated by MÁV. There are three main railway termini in Budapest, Keleti (eastern), Nyugati (westbound), and Déli (southbound), operating both domestic and international rail services. Budapest was one of the main stops of the Orient Express until 2001, when the service was cut back to Paris-Vienna.

There is also a suburban rail service in and around Budapest, operated under the name HÉV.

Waterways

The river Danube flows through Budapest on its way to the Black Sea. The river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a major commercial port (at Csepel). In the summer months a scheduled hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to Vienna.

International schools

Many embassies and transnational companies are located in Budapest. They bring many expatriate foreigners and their families to town, creating demand for private and international schools. These schools are usually quite expensive and are attended by the expatriates as well as some richer Hungarians.

International schools:

• Central European University - Homepage
• Andrássy Gyula Deutschsprachige Universität Budapest - Homepage
• McDaniel College (Budapest branch) - Homepage
• American International School of Budapest - Homepage
• Thomas Mann Gymnasium / Deutsche Schule Budapest - Homepage
• International Business School - Homepage
• International School of Budapest - Homepage
• International Christian School of Budapest - Homepage
• Greater Grace International School - Homepage
• British International School, Budapest - Homepage
• Budapest University of Technology and Economy International Secondary School - Homepage
• Britannica International School - Homepage
• SEK International School Budapest - Homepage
• Lauder Javne Jewish Community School and Kindergarten - Homepage
• Budapest French School (Lycée Gustave Eiffel) - Homepage
• Austrian-Hungarian European School - Homepage
• Japanese School of Budapest - Homepage
• Chinese-Hungarian Bilingual School - Homepage (in Chinese and Hungarian)

Sister cities

These are the official sister cities of Budapest^[6][7]:

Berlin, Germany (1992) Dublin, Ireland (2006) Frankfurt, Germany (1990) Fort Worth, United States (1990) Lisbon, Portugal (1992) Zagreb, Croatia (1994)

New York City, United States (1991) Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995) Tel Aviv, Israel (1989) Vienna, Austria (1990) Košice, Slovakia (partner city)

Some of the city's districts are also twinned to small cities or districts of other big cities, for details see the article List of districts and towns in Budapest.

Gallery

Crown of St. Stephen(13th century)	The Alexander Palace	Széchenyi Chain Bridge	Square of the Franciscans	Gresham Palace
Fisherman's Bastion	Museum of Applied Arts	Comedy Theatre	Klotild-mansion
Mária Magdolna-tower	Matthias Church	Museum of Ethnography	New York Café
New York Palace	Hungarian Parliament	Lion of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge	Castle District, Buda
Castle District, Buda	Saint Elisabeth church	Széchenyi Medicinal Bath

References

See also

• Bauhaus in Budapest
• Music of Budapest
• List of cemeteries in Budapest
• Urban and Suburban Transit Association (most of its activity is centred around Budapest)

External links

• Official homepage
• Budapest Tourist Office
• Public transport in Budapest
• Budapest tourism map and Budapest pictures

Budapest in the European Union

•  • [ e]  Capital cities for the European Union's Member States Amsterdam Athens Berlin Bratislava Brussels Bucharest Budapest Copenhagen Dublin Helsinki Lisbon Ljubljana London Luxembourg City Madrid Nicosia Paris Prague Riga Rome Sofia Stockholm Tallinn Valletta Vienna Vilnius Warsaw

•  • [ e] World Heritage Sites in Hungary

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrssy Avenue Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (with Slovakia) Early Christian Necropolis of Pcs (Sopianae) Fertő / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (with ) Old Village of Hollkő and its Surroundings Hortobgy National Park – the Puszta Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape