Europe > Central Europe > Hungary > Central Hungary > Budapest Budapest From Wikivoyage Budapest (http://www.budapestinfo.hu/home_en.html) is the capital city of Hungary. With a unique, youthful atmosphere, world-class classical music scene, a pulsating nightlife increasingly appreciated among European youth, and last but not least, an exceptional offer of natural thermal baths, Budapest is one of Europe's most delightful and enjoyable cities. Due to the exceedingly scenic setting, and its architecture it is nicknamed "Paris of the East". The modern-day Budapest results from the amalgamation of two historic cities lying right opposite each other over the Danube river. Buda is the western (left) bank side, with the high hill atop which the Buda castle sits. Pest is the relatively flat eastern (right) bank side, with the Parliament, numerous other stately buildings, and busy streets retaining all their 19th century architectural heritage. In 1987 Budapest was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue. Districts Although Budapest is administratively divided into 23 numbered districts (always written in Roman numerals) it is colloquially often divided into parts, roughly corresponding to the two major cities of Buda and Pest, which it comprises. Listings of particular points of interests - museums, historic monuments, restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping opportunities and such - can be found in the following articles: Belbuda (Inner Buda) (District I) The oldest part of the city containing the Castle and some of Budapest's best-known attractions such as Fishermen’s Bastion, the Labyrinth and Mathias Church. All areas are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List Óbuda (Old Buda) (District III) The third, smaller town before the unification to the north, and a great place for water sport, archaeology, caving Hegyvidék (The Mount area) (Districts II and XII) The greenest part of Budapest. Many hiking, trekking, mountain biking possibility Újbuda and Tétény (New Buda) (Districts XI and XXII) The south part has famous wine cellars. The Gellért Hill Nature Preserve Area with citadell and the beautiful Gellért Bath are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Belváros (Inner City) or the 'City' (District V) This is the other name of Districts V. The highlight of this area is the Parlament, the Saint Stephen (István) Basilica and the Promenad (Corso) with beautiful views of the Danube and to the Castle Hill. All area is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Central Pest (Districts VI-VIII) Historical districts full of monumental buildings, museums, luxury shops along Andrassy Avenue and the Jewish Quarter are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most theatres and accommodation are here. 5 km Wikidata: Q1094308, Wikidata: Q580770, Wikidata: Q1068701,Q974038, Wikidata: Q330026,Q370152, Wiki… Map of Budapest North Pest (Districts IV and XIII.) Angyalföld is famous about lot of contemporary art galleries, Margaret Island, the green oasis in the middle of the city, and Újpest with a very few old building, some country town feeling, a good starting point for exploring northern Pest County and the Danube Bend by car, train or bus East Pest (Districts X. XIV.-XVII.) Include Rákospalota, Sashalom, Zugló districts. The last one include the Heroes Square with museums of its, the villas of outer Andrassy Avenue and the Városliget (City Park) with a 1:1 copy of a Transylvanian Castle-Palace called Vajdahunyad vára. All these are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. South Pest (Districts IX. and XIX.-XXIII.) Csepel Island, Ferencváros, Józsefváros, Kispest, Kőbánya, Pesterzsébet Of course, quarters often offer their own atmosphere due to their history and inhabitants. Roughly speaking, areas near to, especially inside of Nagykörút (Great Boulevard or Ringroad, served by Tram 4 and Tram 6) are considered central, even if some of these are in less than perfect condition and not typically frequented by tourists. In Pest, Kiskörút (Small Boulevard) is traditionally considered as the border of the centre proper, including some highly touristic areas. Informally, quarters are known under their own historical name which are often referred to by the locals. The names are often linked to members of the House of Hapsburg or - in fringe areas - the names of villages or towns which later became part of Budapest. Particularly interesting quarters are Belváros (Inner City) and Lipótváros (Leopold Town), together form the Belváros district (a bit confusing but usually the biggest or oldest quarter gave its name to the entire district), the heart of Pest, including a number of major sights but also beautiful squares and cafés. With the Parliament, a number of ministries and banking houses, Lipótváros is also a major political and business centre of the country. The name refers to the Hapsburg Emperor Leopold I The Hungarian national parliament whose coronation to the King of Hungary in 1790 gave rise to the name of the then-new quarter. Újlipótváros (New Leopold Town) The inner part of the XIII. district (so called Angyalföld), just outside of the Great Boulevard north of Leopold Town with the marvellous Margaret Bridge at its corner, was built between the 1910s and 1930s. It is considered as one of the finest residential areas in Budapest with a relaxed, inviting atmosphere and a number of restaurants, cafés and small shops. It also comprises the Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre) and a few tiny off-mainstream cinemas. The quarter is traditionally home to a population with Jewish background as the activity of people such as Raoul Wallenberg, Giorgio Perlasca, and Carl Lutz was linked to this area (see history). Terézváros (Theresa Town) VI. district. Among others, it contains Nyugati pu. (Western Railway Station), an architectural sight, and areas neighbouring districts V. and XIII. The then-developing quarter was named after a visit of Habsburg Empress and Queen Maria Theresa in 1777. Erzsébetváros (Elisabeth Town) VII. District. While parts of it are not yet renovated, it contains the famous Synagogue in the Dohány street. The quarter was split off from Terézváros and asked for permission to be named after the wife of Franz-Josef I, popularly called Sisi, in 1882. Understand History Antiquity The first settlement on the territory of Budapest is accounted to Celtic tribes. During the first century CE, the Roman fortification on the territory of present-day Óbuda (now part of Budapest) gradually developed into the town of Aquincum which became the capital city of the province of Lower Pannonia in 106CE. The Romans founded a fortress known as Contra Aquincum on the other side of the river which is assumed to have developed into the later town of Pest. This was part of the Limes, marking the eastern border of the empire, and was gradually given up by Rome during the early fourth century, becoming part of the Hun empire for a few decades. The Huns were a confederation of various nomadic nations and tribes inhabiting the Eurasian steppe, and not Magyars, but Attila, the King of the Huns, is considered a national hero and Attila is a common given name in Hungary. Early Middle Ages Once the horse-riding Magyar (Hungarian) tribes arrived in the Carpathian Basin in 896CE, Óbuda served as the seat of the Magyar high-chieftain (or prince) Árpád. After a century marked by frequent raids on Christian western Europe, the erstwhile Hungarian prince Géza realised that converting to Christianity was the key to survival in Europe. The Christian Kingdom of Hungary was founded by the crowning of his son, Szt. István (Saint Stephen) on 1 January 1001 (or possibly Christmas Day of 1000). As visitors will quickly realise, Saint Stephen became an omnipresent national symbol, as did the artefact known as Saint Stephen's Crown (the Holy Crown of Hungary) which was regarded as a legal entity that was by law equivalent to the country itself during medieval times. It is still unclear whether the millennium-old crown used in this function for many centuries and shown in the Parliament today, was used by Saint Stephen. In the following centuries, Buda emerged as the most important royal seat. In 1241/42 the Mongol Empire conquered the territory along with large parts of Europe - this short but devastating conquest of the country is still remembered as Tatárjárás - the name reflecting the erroneous confusion of Mongols and Tatars at the time. Medieval Hungary reached its zenith under King Matthias (Matthias Corvinus), the vividly remembered Renaissance ruler whose patronage of arts and sciences made Hungary, a notable power at the time, the first European country to adopt the Renaissance from Italy. However, after residing in Buda for decades, he moved his seat to Vienna in 1485 for the last five years of his life after defeating the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. In 1541, Buda and Pest fell to the Ottoman Empire and were taken back 1686, when the Hapsburg Empire centred in Austria conquered the country on its way to becoming a major European power. Marks of these two cultures are still part of everyday life in Budapest. The 19th-century - formation of Austria-Hungary and Budapest After the anti-Hapsburg revolution in 1848–49 (defeated through the decisive help of the Russian Czar) the 1867 Compromise (Kiegyezés) with a weakened Vienna made Buda the capital of a near-autonomous Hungary, a large, multi-ethnic kingdom comprising half of the newly created Dual Monarchy of Austria- Hungary. In this peculiar double-state the monarch was Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, two autonomous realms. The following half century marked by peaceful development counts among the most successful times in the history of the country and its capital. With the 1873 unification of Buda, Pest, and Óbuda, the city of Budapest was created.