Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Welcome to Budapest
Straddling the Danube River, with the Buda Hills to the west
and the Great Plain to the east, Budapest is a gem of a city.
The Human Touch
Budapest's beauty is not all God given; humankind has played a role in shaping this pretty
face too. Architecturally, the city is a treasure trove, with enough baroque, neoclassical, Ec-
lectic and Art Nouveau (or Secessionist) buildings to satisfy everyone. Overall, though, Bud-
apest has a
fin-de-siècle
feel to it, for it was during the capital's 'golden age' in the late 19th
century that most of what you see today was built.
The Past at Hand
They say the past is another country, but it's always been just around the corner in Budapest.
Witness the bullet holes and shrapnel pockmarks on buildings from WWII and the 1956
Uprising. There are sad reminders like the poignant
Shoes on the Danube
memorial, but ones,
too, of hope and reconciliation - like the sword of the former secret-police building on
Andrássy út now beaten into the ploughshare that is the House of Terror, with both sides of
the story told. And there's joy as much-loved concert halls and theatres are built and renov-
ated, metro lines extended and busy streets repaved and pedestrianised.
Eat, Drink & Be Magyar
There's a lot more to Hungarian food than goulash, and it remains one of the most sophistic-
ated styles of cooking in Europe. Magyars may exaggerate when they say that there are three
essential world cuisines: French, Chinese and their own. But Budapest's reputation as a food
capital dates largely from the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century and, despite a fal-
low period under communism, the city is once again commanding attention. So, too, are its
excellent wines - from Villány's big-bodied reds and Somló's flinty whites to honey-gold
sweet Tokaj.
In the Soak
The city is blessed with an abundance of hot springs. As a result, 'taking the waters' has been
a Budapest experience since the time of the Romans. The choice of bathhouses is generous -
