Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Strictly speaking, the story of 'Budapest' only begins in 1873, when hilly, resid-
ential Buda and historic Óbuda on the western bank of the Danube River
merged with flat, industrial Pest on the eastern side to form what at first was
called Pest-Buda. But, like everything here, it's not that simple: a lot more took
place here before the late 19th century.
TIMELINE
4600- 3900 BC
The first permanent settlement is established on the Buda side of the Danube; house-
hold items are uncovered in the area.
AD 106
Roman Aquincum in today's Óbuda becomes the administrative seat of the province of
Pannonia Inferior and a fully fledged colony less than a century later.
Late 430s
Aquincum offers little protection to the civilian population when Huns burn the colony
to the ground, forcing the Romans and other settlers to flee.
Early 8th century
Charlemagne subdues the Turkic Avars, who had occupied the Carpathian Basin since
the late 6th century; the Budapest area is incorporated into the Frankish empire.
896-98
Nomadic Magyar tribes set up camp in the Carpathian Basin, with five of the seven ori-
ginal tribes settling in the area that is now Budapest.
955
Hungarian raids outside the Carpathian Basin as far as Germany, Italy and Spain are
stopped for good by German king Otto I at the Battle of Augsburg.
1000
