Baroque baths and Communist chic
By Amanda Castleman, TravelMail
Last updated at 13:49 15 September 2003
Take in the sights of Budapest
My first glimpse of Budapest was the Nyugati train station, an odd blend of Victorian ironwork, eastern Bloc grime and a slick blue-glass mall.
This mishmash, not without its charms, is repeated throughout Hungary's capital.
Two million people, one-fifth of the country's population, live on the banks of the Danube here.
The river splits the metropolis: funkier Pest raves on the western bank, while dignified Buda presides to the east.
The Romans, Turks, Hapsburgs and Soviets all left their mark on the city. No wonder it has a split-personality: Belle Epoque splendour one moment, proletarian concrete the next.
Somehow Budapest pulls it off. The glorious Art Noveau and eclectic buildings rub shoulders with sassy modern restaurants and smoky jazz clubs.
There truly is something to suit every taste, from the gilded palace to the rock-hewn Cliff Chapel and the glowing neon box of the MEO Contemporary Art Collection.
Soviet troops occupied Hungary for more than 40 years. The initial deportations, terror and executions left residents of its capital bitter, and eager to wipe out traces of the regime.
The 'goulash communism' of the 1960s - with some intellectual freedom and open markets - was the kinder, gentler face of Party politics.
This left Hungary well-positioned to join the west in 1989 - and now the European Union. A centre-left government rules, led by Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy.
These days around 16,000 tourists visit each year, drawn by inexpensive luxury hotels and restaurants.
Click on the sections below to find out more about what to do, where to eat and where to stay in Budapest:
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