| WELCOME TO HUNGARY BAIRDSTRAVEL`S guide to Hungary. At present I have only visited the wonderful city of Budapest. BUDAPEST Bairdstravel stayed at Hotel Victoria Hotel located in the heart of historical downtown of Budapest, directly on the riverside of the Danube. We had ROOM 51 magic views. Really enjoyed our stay there. Staff were brilliant and the breakfast was fine . Hotel Victoria is located in the heart of historical downtown of Budapest, on the Buda side, directly on the riverside of the Danube. As the facility is equipped with large panoramic windows, one can enjoy the spectacular view on the city from all rooms. The hotel is truly an attractive location as it is situated directly in the neighbourhood of the Buda Castle, within 10 minutes walk from the Matthias Church and 5 minutes walk from the Chain Bridge. The historical monuments, the main sights, the artistic, shopping and pedestrian area, the business and financial quarter of Budapest is also within easy reach, walking distance. 
Budapest, HUN
Updated 11 March 2010 10:00
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Low: -1°C
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Regarded by many as one of World's most beautiful cities, Budapest (the "Paris of the East" and the "Queen of the Danube") has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Vienna and Prague. Millions of tourists visit the city every year. Located on both sides of the Danube River and featuring both the rolling hills of Buda(on the west bank) and the organized, gridlike layout of Pest (east bank), these two very different cities united by convenience into one city offer the traveller a Viennese-style aura at half the price. is still very much its own city.  The people are charming, and for the most part very helpful. They are proud of what this ancient capital has to offer, and proud of their contributions to European culture, especially in the field of music, a universal language one doesn't need to speak to appreciate. WHAT TO SEE 1. The Szechenyi Chain Bridge
Designed by an Englishman and built by a Scot (Adam Clark, who also built the Hammersmith Bridge, which it resembles), the Szechenyi Lanchid was the first permanent link between Buda and Pest when it opened in 1849. It was also notable because the aristocracy, normally exempt from taxation, had to pay a toll to use it like ordinary citizens. As well as being the most beautiful of all the bridges across the Danube, it is the city’s most potent symbol and can be seen on countless souveniers. 
2. The Castle District (Várhegy)
Buda’s most prominent feature and the site of its old town, this long plateau includes a palace, the fascinating Matyas Church, mansions, museums and picturesque squares. The streets still follow their medieval courses but the buildings are a mixture of gothic and baroque architecture.
The palace complex, which can be reached by the Siklo (daily, 7.30am-10pm) – a 19th century funicular that runs from Clark Adam ter by the Chain Bridge – includes the excellent Hungarian National Gallery.
3. Parliament (Orszaghaz)
The writer Gyula Illyés described Budapest’s vast, neo-Gothic extravaganza as “No more than a Turkish bath crossed with a Gothic chapel”. In reality, it is far more impressive.
Built between 1884 and 1902, the design by Imre Steindl was based on the Houses of Parliament in London. The country’s largest building, it is where the coronation regalia and St Stephen’s Crown, the symbol of Hungarian statehood for more than 1,000 years, are kept. Look out for the numbered cigar holders that line the windowsills outside the debating chamber.
V. Kossuth tér 1-3
00 36 (1) 441 4000
www.parlament.hu
8-11am Mon, 8am-6pm Tues-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun
Free for EU citizens
Daily guided tours.
4. The State Opera House
Opened in 1884, this magnificent building, financed by the Hapsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, was designed by the celebrated Hungarian architect Miklos Ybl to rival the Europes’s great opera houses. Endless marble hallways, crystal chandeliers and acres of gilt complement the elaborate frescoes depicting Grecian allegory and belle époque fantasy that were painted by the foremost artists of the day.
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