Budapest is one of the Central Europe’s most beautiful capitals, and one of its most popular tourist destinations. It receives around 24 million visitors from around the world every year. They come to Budapest for its architecture, its art and culture, its spas and its vibrant metropolitan scene.
 
Separated by the River Danube, Buda and Pest, the twin cities that make up the capital of Hungary are ideal for both tourism and business. The Royal Castle and the beautiful district that surrounds it is one of the favourite tourist spots on the Buda side, while the Vaci Street shopping area is one of the main attractions of Pest. Places connected with Hungarian history (like the House of Terror Museum and memorials to the 1956 events) also attract many visitors.

The Royal Castle and the castle district dominate the panorama of Buda. Most of the residential quarter was built in the 20th century. Buda has played a central role in the life of Hungary since the first Hungarians settled here in the 9th century. After the Mongol invasion of 1241 the first significant fortress was built here to protect the population. From the Middle Ages it was the seat of the Kings of Hungary. The ravages of the Ottoman Turkish forces, sieges, wars, and finally the embittered battles of the last days of the 2nd World War all took their toll on the former palaces, but even their ruins preserve much of their former glory.

The skyline of Pest on the left bank is dominated by the large housing units built for its respectable burghers during the 19th century. In recent years, the population of Pest has risen threefold. Despite its wide radial and ring roads, Pest has been finding it difficult to cope with the increased traffic this has brought.

In 1849 the two cities were at last linked by a permanent chain bridge across the Danube. Before then the two banks had been connected only by ferryboats and a temporary wooden bridge. In 1945, at the end of World War II, every one of Budapest’s bridges lay in ruins. Today seven bridges connect the two halves of the city. Three of them, Freedom Bridge, Margaret Bridge and Chain Bridge, can still be admired in their original beauty.

Budapest’s charm lies in its streets and in its main sights. There is a breathtaking panorama of the city from the Fishermen's Bastion, part of the Castle area. Nobody can fail to be moved by the magnificent view of Budapest’s embankments and the majestic Danube. The most spectacular square in the city is Heroes’ Square, with its great breadth and the magnificent buildings which surround it. The Royal Palace, one of the symbols of the Hungarian nation, has a history which stretches back to the 13th century. And the Parliament building, the largest in the country, is built in a Neo-Gothic style and presents a striking harmony of form and content.

Budapest is truly a "world city". It rejuvenates and transforms itself day by day, greeting its visitors with the promise of ever more to see. The past and the present live together in this buzzing, bustling city, and the excitement affects both visitors and inhabitants alike.