Magyarország, Budapest

7/24/2019 Magyarorszg, Budapest

1/35

B

U

D

AP

EST

63

TELEPHONE CODE: 1 POPULATION: 1.75 MILLION AREA: 525 SQ KM

Budapest

Budapest is unique in Hungary. No other city is as beautiful, as rich, as well endowed in

fine art and architecture or, frankly, as crowded. As Hungarys fvros (main city or capital),

it is the administrative, business and cultural centre; virtually everything in Hungary starts,

finishes or is currently taking place here.

Straddling a curve in the Danube River (Duna), Budapest is flanked by the Buda Hills on the

western bank and what is essentially the start of the Great Plain to the east. And the human

legacy is just as remarkable as Mother Natures. Architecturally, Budapest is a gem, with a

surfeit of baroque, neoclassical, Eclectic and Art-Nouveau (or Secessionist) buildings. Overall,

however, Budapest has a fin-de-sicle feel to it, for it was then during the industrial boom

and the capitals golden age in the late 19th century that most of todays city was built.

To retain its well-deserved title of vilgvros (world-class city), Budapest has taken on all

the baggage that such a status usually demands: organised crime, faceless modern archi-

tecture, a mobile phone at the ear of every suit, international fast-food eateries at every

corner. Yet Budapest remains Hungarian: exotic, sometimes inscrutable, often passionate,

with its two feet firmly planted in Europe, but with a glance every now and then eastward

to the spawning grounds of its citizens. It is unmissable.

HIGHLIGHTS

Taking views of the Danube while aboveit (from Castle Hill, p69, or Gellrt Hill,p71), while on it (from Vigad tr, p102)or while in it (fromMargaret Island, p75)

Letting your mind wander over thesinuous curves and asymmetrical forms

of the citys incomparable Art-Nouveauarchitecture, such as the Museum ofApplied Arts(p94)

Soaking the afternoon away in a thermalbath Turkish-style (Rudas, p99, or Kirly,p97), in a cathedral (Gellrt, p97) or whileplaying board games afloat (Szchenyi,p97)

Taking in an evening of music at theHungarian State Opera House(p95) or

the Liszt Academy of Music(p93) Sizing up the monumental socialist

mistakes on display at Statue Park(p127)

Applied ArtsMuseum of

Opera House

Liszt Academy of Music

Margaret Island

Gellrt Hill

Castle Hill

Vigad tr

Gellrt Baths

Szchenyi Baths

Kirly Baths

Rudas Baths

Hungarian State

Statue Park

Lonely Planet Publications


2/35


3/35


4/35


5/35


6/35


7/35


8/35


9/35


10/35


11/35


12/35


13/35


14/35


15/35


16/35


17/35


18/35


19/35


20/35


21/35


22/35


23/35


24/35


25/35


26/35


27/35


28/35


29/35


30/35


31/35


32/35


33/35


34/35


35/35

Documents

Magyarország, Budapest