Budapest is regarded by many as one of World's most beautiful cities It is known as the "Paris of the East" and the "Queen of the Danube". Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda (Ofen in German) and Óbuda (Old Buda or Alt-Ofen) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.

In 1987, Budapest was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the Banks of the Danube and the Buda Castle Quarter.

The Danube flows through Budapest from north to south; within the city boundaries its widest part (640m) is in the north of the city . The river is at its narrowest (283m) below Gellért Hill; here it is about 9m deep.

Many Budapest attractions and monuments are located at or near the Danube banks. On the north there is a Margaret Island. It is 2,5 Km long and up to 500 m wide. On both of its ends are bridges: Arpad bridge and the Margaret bridge. In the Middle Ages cloisters were built on the "Rabbits' Island", as it was then called. At the beginning of the nineteenth century members of the royal family living in Buda transformed it into a landscape garden. By the turn of the century it had become a health resort owing to its therapeutic springs. Today the island is one of Budapest's most popular places for walking, bathing, amusement and sports.

On the Pest side there is a monumental building of the Parliament, one of the biggest attractions of Budapest. Souther, near the Chain Bridge (first bridge to connect Buda and Pest, built 1849), there is a Grasham palace and the Hungary Academy of Since. Near the Lagymanyosi bridge there are two new buildings worth to see: the National Theater and the Palace of Arts.

On the side of Buda you can find Fisherman's bastion and the Royal Castle, both of them very popular tourist sites. Between the Erzsebet bridge and the Liberty bridge there are the Gellert Hill , the Citadel and the Liberation Monument. The famous Gellert Spa Baths with Gellert Hotel are located near the Liberty Bridge.

More information about Budapest you can find at Budapest Tourist Info and Travel Guide .

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Copyright: Budapest Tourist Info and Travel Guide