Budapest Guide » More About Budapest: Overview

Overview

Budapest is a city of beautiful contrasts. There's a little bit of rawness fraying the edges of its Neo-Classical resplendence; a city in which intricate architecture contrasts gorgeously with graffiti-scarred walls, where the temperature soars in summer and plummets in winter. Even the landscape occupies opposing ends of the spectrum, with the Danube river slicing the city into hilly, green Buda and busy, flat Pest.

The Danube is a central feature to the city. The many bridges stretching across it attest to the progress of Hungary's architecture, from the lion-adorned Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) to the suspension Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd). Along this wide, gently flowing river journey tug-boats and ferries, as well as permanently moored vessels that have been transformed into restaurants and clubs offering fantastic riverside views. Peppered along the Danube are also little islands that offer a respite from city living; Margaret Island (Margit sziget), in particular, thrives during the balmy summer months as locals flock to the river's edge and lush island parks and pools to sunbathe.

There's a vibrancy to this city that sets it apart from its Czech and Austrian counterparts of Prague and Vienna. It may not be squeaky clean, and the Danube may be more brown than blue, but there's an individuality to Budapest and its inhabitants that gives the Hungarian capital a refreshing edge. Distinctive, distinguished, and definitely worth a visit.