Inhabited 50 thousand years ago, Budapest has had its present for nearly 130 years; Obuda, Buda and Pest were separate towns until 1873.
Under its hills there is a continuous cave system with medicinal waters welling up from thermal springs. Eighty thermal springs supply 12 spas with 70 million liters of thermal water daily.
Among its monuments there are 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheaters, 400-year-old Turkish baths and typically Hungarian art nouveau style buildings from the 19th century. The cityscape owes its uniform appearance to the elegant mansions erected at the beginning of the 19th century in eclectic style.
The underground railway connecting the inner city with the city park was the first on the continent and has been running for more than 100 years. Serving the Buda hills is the world’s third mountain railway. Tourists can drive a steam locomotive under supervision at the Hungarian Railway Historic Park.
For lovers of culture, the only problem is choice. There are 237 monuments, 223 museums and galleries, 35 theaters, 90 cinemas, 200 places of amusement offering a variety of things to do in Budapest.
Budapest and the Central Danube region swell with history presented in still-existing buildings and within the walls of museums. The palace, once home to Hungarian kings for 700 years, was built in the 14th century. It would be 400 years after its construction that it would become the royal residence.
The Hungarian National Gallery shows a cross-section of Hungarian history of art from the 10th century to the present.
(‘Hungary Step by Step,’ TAB)
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