Budapest Travel Guide

Budapest 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 (right) bank side, with the high hill atop which the Buda castle sits. Pest is the relatively flat eastern (left) 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 Site for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Aven

Budapest has direct flights to most major European cities. Many of these are operated by the budget carrierWizzAir, which is based here and is now in effect Hungary's national airline. Other budget operators include Easyjet, Ryanair, Jet2, Norwegian and Vueling. This competition holds down prices on the traditional airlines such as KLM and Lufthansa.

Orientation is not a big problem in Budapest. The river Danube splits the city into two areas:BudaandPest. Aside from the very centre, the city's structure is quite logical. Landmarks in Buda as the Royal Castle or Citadella Castle also help you to find your way. Besides the Danube, the best reference points for orienting yourself are the bridges crossing the river. From north to south, they are:

This narrow street begins at Fővám square (Fővám tér) in front of Central Market (Nagyvásárcsarnok) and ends at Vörösmarty square (Vörösmarty tér). Supposedly being one of the main tourist attractions of the city, Váci Street is visited by all the tourists arriving to Budapest. Enjoy this lively place, shop in its fashion stores, buy Hungarian and foreign literature in its great bookshop, eat in the American fast food restaurants if you intend to, but avoid being victimized by its many tourist t

Budapest offers a wide range of accommodation in all price classes from the hostels which start at €7 per night, to small cheap pension, to the luxurious 5-star hotels, although the costs of staying here are notably higher than elsewhere in Hungary.