Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a fairly large and bustling city, with almost 2 million inhabitants. It is comprised of what were once two distinct cities: Buda, on the west side of the Danube, and Pest, to the east of the Danube. As a large city should, Budapest has plenty to offer culturally, culinarily, and touristically.

Touristically, on the Buda side, are Castle and Gellert Hill. Please see the links below for more on these places.

On the Pest side of the river bank stands the Gothic House of Parliament - a large and beautiful building of which the Parliament uses a scant 12 percent. Fairly close by are St. Stephen's Basilica and the Synagogue - designed to accommodate 3,000 faithful at a time, and the second largest in the world.

In Pest you will find several pedestrian streets with lots of tourist shops and cafes. Also, built above the first metro line in Europe is Andrassy ut, a large boulevard. Along Andrassy ut you will find the magnificent National Opera House. The boulevard leads to the Heroes' Square and City Park. Please see the below link for more on these sights.

On the cuisine side, a lot of paprika is used in Hungarian cooking. The famous national dish is goulash - beef stew with paprika, vegetables and dumplings. There are plenty of other offerings at Hungarian restaurants, and plenty of other cuisines from which to choose in Budapest. The Belgian Brasserie Henri, on the Buda side at Bem rakpart 12, offers Belgian favorites such as mussels, hare and specialty beer. Bombay Palace, at Andrassy ut 44, offers good Indian food, served with flair and more spice than normally seen in eastern Europe. The website Globopolis has a good listing of restaurants.

Budapest has a fair share of museums, such as the Ludwig Museum at the castle (contemporary art) and the Musem of Fine Arts (off Heroes' Square). In addition to the Opera, there is the Philharmonic Orchestra and several theaters.