Budapest

The history of Hungary starts with the migration of the Magyar tribes, around the year 896. Due to the attacks of the Bulgarians they moved to the Danube plains and founded the first settlements in Óbuda and on the island Csepel (both in the current Budapest region). The Magyars have the name of being brutal warriors, sacking towns from Spain to Italy.

In 955, the Magyars are defeated by Otto I, and the conversion to Christianity started. The city of Pest is first mentioned in 1061, and between 1242 and 1244 the Buda Castle was built by King Béla IV, initiating the settlement on Buda. Around the year 1800, Buda has about 24,000 inhabitants, while Pest has about 30,000. In 1873, the 3 cities Pest, Buda and Óbuda are amalgamated and the new city, Budapest, reaches a population of about 300,000.

The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is an era of prosperity and growth for Budapest, but after WWI and WWII, where Hungary chose the side of the Germans, Budapest started to decline and it lost much of its luster. However after the fall of the iron curtain, the city has started to recover, regaining the glory of the past.

Some Budapest Highlights:

Gresham Palace, Budapest
	This palace in Sezession style - the Hungarian variant of Art Nouveau - was built in 1906 for the Gresham Life Insurance Company. More about Gresham Palace...

Margaret Island, Budapest
	Budapest's Margaret Island is a green recreational island in the middle of the Danube river close to the city center. More about the island...