Budapest The charming Old World city of Budapest, Hungary is bisected into Buda and Pest by the Danube River. Buda is located on the west side of the river and is predominately hilly, while Pest is the flatter east side which contains the city's commercial core. More than 20 million tourists visit this ancient cultural capital city, the historical roots of which extend back to the first century AD.
Budapest is an excellent city for walking and contains a great number of pedestrian zones. Some of the more popular attractions include:
• The Royal Palace, which contains the National Gallery's astonishing collection of paintings;
• The Historical Museum of Budapest;
• The scenic bridges over the Danube, such as the Chain Bridge, which are actually best seen by boat;
• Margaret Island and its beautiful parks.
One of Budapest's most famous features is the 100 or so underground hot springs which feed the celebrated baths located around the city. The baths are one of the last signs of the Turkish cultural influence on Budapest; their main feature is the thermal pools, but other offerings include saunas, steam rooms, massages and other therapies.
The increase in tourism in the past twenty years has caused some strain on Budapest's supply of hotel rooms. Especially at more moderately-priced accommodations, advance reservations are recommended. Prices for accommodations run from around $25 per night for a private room in a home to several hundred dollars for some of the more luxurious hotels. |
