Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.
Following the fall of Nazi Germany, Hungary became part of the Soviet area of influence and was appropriated into a communist state following a short period of democracy in 1946–1947. After 1948, Communist leader Mátyás Rákosi established a Stalinist rule in the country, which was hardly bearable for the war-torn country. This led to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact which were met with a massive military intervention by the Soviet Union. The first free elections were held in 1990. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Hungary developed closer ties with Western Europe, joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union on May 1, 2004.
The end of Communism has hastened the spread of glossy western capitalism, and on arrival in Budapest visitors first impressions will be of a fast-developing and prosperous nation.
Transportation in Hungary
By Car: Traffic drives on the right. There are eight arterial roads in the country: all but the M8 start from central Budapest. Tolls are payable on some roads and all motorways. From Budapest the two main highways are the M1 to Györ and Vienna and the M7 along Lake Balaton. The M3 connects Budapest with eastern Hungary.
By Bus/Coach: Budapest is linked with major provincial towns by bus. Tickets are available from Volán long-distance bus terminal, Budapest, and at Volán offices throughout the country. Bus connections are available from most major European cities. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Hungary. The National Express run regular coach services from the UK to Hungary.
By Rail: Services are operated by MÁV. All main cities are linked by efficient services but facilities are often inadequate. Supplements are payable on IC and express trains. Reservations are compulsory for IC trains and recommended for express trains, particularly in summer. Tickets can be bought 60 days in advance on domestic railway lines, as can seat reservations. The most popular tourist rail routes are: Budapest–Kecskemet–Szeged– Budapest and Budapest–Siofok–Lake Balaton.
By Air: The national airline is Malév (MA), operating flights to more than 40 cities. Other airlines serving Budapest include Air France, British Airways, EasyJet, KLM, Lufthansa, Sky Europe, Swiss, United Airlines and Wizz Air
Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation center. The key to Budapest lies in its history, marked by alternate periods of great wealth and prosperity and devastating eras of political and social upheaval. The modern Budapest was born in 1873, when Buda, Óbuda and Pest were officially joined. Today, the city is composed of 23 districts.
Originally a Roman outpost, Esztergom later became the country’s capital from the 11th to the 14th centuries and remains at the heart of the country’s Catholicism. Hungary’s largest Basilica, the Palace ruins, the Museum of the Stronghold of Esztergom and the Christian Museum of Esztergom, containing some of Hungary’s finest art collections, are all important attractions.
Main Attractions
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace, fully reconstructed after being bombed during World War II, houses the National Gallery, with collections of fine Gothic sculpture and modern Hungarian art
Halászbástya
The rampart of Halászbástya (Fisherman’s Bastion), so called because it was the duty of the city’s fishermen to protect the northern side of the Palace during the Middle Ages.
Szentendre
An old market town, originally inhabited by Serbian refugees fleeing from the Turks: unusual because churches had to face east regardless of their position on the streets.
Szombathely
Szombathely claims to be the oldest town in Hungary and has some excellent Romanesque stonework to admire.
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