Budapest Travel Guide - Hotel reservations and tourist attractions

Budapest lacks nothing of whatever it is that makes any major European city worth visiting. On the contrary, the city is able to tick off the entire spectrum of tourist assets and to comply with any high standard of tourist demand. Lying on the both shores of the Danube River (literally consisting of the former cities of Buda and Pest), Budapest, on top of all, offers the spectacular view of architectural greatness.

Despite the fact that the city underwent an extraordinary economic and industrial boom, being at the same time the political and administrative center of Hungary, it still has the ability to preserve the touch of nature and to turn it into tourist value. A place bristling with history, culture, elegance, refinement – this is Budapest in a just a few words.

Short History of Budapest

Budapest is said to have been first inhabited by Celts, but it soon became a part of the Roman Empire, being the main city in the Lower Pannonia. After undergoing a brief dominion of Bulgarians, the place was conquered by Hungarians under Arpads, representing the hub starting from which the Kingdom of Hungary was built. Tatars also had an attempt to enforce their rule on the city, but they were dealt with by the Hungarian King at that time. A difficult moment was represented by the Ottoman dominion (which lasted for more than one century). The historic climax of Budapest was reached during the 19th century, when the city became the capital of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. A difficult period was that of World War Two, which destroyed a significant part of the historic and architectural heritage of Budapest. Nowadays Budapest is the proud capital of Hungary.

Accommodation in Budapest

Given its appeal for visitors convinced of the tourist value of the city, Budapest makes available a fairly large range of accommodation solutions by means of hotels, hostels, apartments and rooms for rent, and pensions. Luxury establishments are far from being scarce in Budapest, so one should rest assured that their splurging objectives will be complied with by the finest hotels located on the Danube's banks. Yet, Budapest also host a great deal of hostels and pensions which provide accommodation services of satisfactory quality at a reasonable price.

Hungarian cuisine at Budapest

The presence of international cuisine in Budapest goes without saying, but one should not spoil their stay in the city with such dishes. On the contrary, they should try some of the most spectacular specialties so characteristic of the Hungarian cuisine. For instance, the goulash is a must-try which should not be overlooked, especially in winter, but other dishes are also recommendable: chicken with paprika, fish broth or porkolt. A refined connoisseur of the gastronomical phenomenon will be able to identify the Austrian influences on the Hungarian cuisine, but this is nothing but a manner of creatively taking over the influences of other cultures in terms of foodstuffs. Budapest coffee shops lie on the line between drinking and eating venues and institutions. They are definitely worth visiting and trying.

Tourist Attractions and Objectives in Budapest

Should the tourist want to have a fruitful stay in Budapest, they should mobilize all their planning skills in order to tick off all the significant objectives in the city, since they are extremely numerous and overlooking them is no more than a nuisance. The most important landmarks with historic background are the Fishermen's Bastion, the Budapest Citadel, the Dohany Street Synagogue, the St. Steven's Basilica, the impressive Buda Castle, the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Old City Walls, or the Janos Hegy Hill. Other landmarks refer to the Castle Hill Tunnels and to the Hungarian Opera House. Budapest also hosts more than 40 museums and galleries, the most interesting being the Bible Museum, the Crime Museum, the Liszt Memorial Museum, the Holocaust Memorial center, on the one hand, and the Budapest Exhibition Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts. The Planetarium, the Vidam Amusement Park and the Zoological Garden are just as much worth visiting.

Events and Festivals in Budapest

Budapest proves to have a quite eventful calendar, so no tourist will even begin to get bored while exploring the city. The Hungarian Film Week, the Budapest Opera Ball, the Titanic International Film Festival, the Danube Folklore Carnival, the International Music Competition and the Music of Our Days are the major cultural and artistic manifestations held in Budapest. The Budapest Spring Festival, the Summer Festival and the Autumn Festival are extremely popular among locals, but the list should also comprise, for instance, the Spring Marathon, the Aquincum Festival, the Formula One Grand Prix, the Jewish Summer Festival, the International Wine Festival and the Budapest Marathon and Running Festival in order to make a proper impression of the city.