BUDAPEST
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In the heart of Europe, Budapest has everything to offer to everyone from round-the-world backpackers to couples on a romantic weekend getaway.
With around 2 million inhabitants, Budapest is just the right size. Tranquil parks and busy boulevards, cobblestone streets, a huge World Heritage Site with tons of amazing sights and views, spectacular architecture, around 80 geothermal springs, spas, caves – Budapest has it all. And then there’s the city’s unique, bustling nightlife of course, with its famous ruin pubs and a myriad of bars all over town.
Budapest, that is divided into a hilly (Buda) and a flat landed side (Pest) by the Danube River, has an exceptionally beautiful location with breathtaking panoramic view from the riverside. On the Pest side stands the monumental neo-gothic building of the Parliament – according to the urban legend it was desired to buy by Freddie Mercury – that has become one of the main symbols of Budapest. It is the biggest building in the country and also the home of the Holy Hungarian Crown.
You can stroll the “Cultural Avenue”, which is a continuous walk covering the World Heritage Sites of Budapest, leading you through the whole Castle District, the Danube Banks, the Andrassy Avenue with all the impressive buildings, museums, villa houses, cafés and restaurants. Finally the walk ends in the City Park, with the Heroes’ Square, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Vajdahunyad Castle, the Zoo and the Széchenyi Bath.
The land under Budapest abounds in natural springs and wells that contain several beneficial minerals. Budapest gained its reputation as a city of spas in the 1920’s, following the first realization of the economic potential of the thermal waters in drawing visitors. If you are happened to be here on a very cold day, then you can have a unique experience of sitting in an outdoor hot pool in the snowfall. And if you are ready for an exceptional party experience that you only find here in Budapest, than visit one of the Cinetrip parties organized twice a year in Széchenyi Bath with DJs, sound systems, giant screens and spot lights add to the dramatic effects. However, if you are not that lucky to be able to participate on these two occasions, night bathing parties (so called SPArties) are organized every weekend in Széchenyi and Lukács Baths.
At the beginning of the 21st century, new places were opened in the city center, one after the other in abandoned buildings. These so called Ruin Pubs are equipped with rejected furniture of old community centers, cinemas, and grandmothers’ flats, bringing a retro feeling into these places. Every bar has a unique style and also a completely different atmosphere in the day and night time. Szimpla, the first bar of this kind that opened it’s doors, even organizes farmers’ market every Sunday morning, which is getting more and more popular among locals and tourists as well.