Budapest is the ‘Little Paris of Middle Europe’

By Frederica Dunn - - Friday, October 20, 2017

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Budapest, Hungary at a glance: Start with coffee in Gerbeaud, the city’s most famous café. Then ride the old preserved trolley line built in 1894 to the Szechenyi Baths and spend several hours indulging in bathing, sauna, massage and other treatments in imperial surroundings. The Szechenyi Baths are the deepest and hottest baths in Budapest. Best of all, the bus and trams are free to senior citizens.

Often described as the “Little Paris of Middle Europe,” Budapest is famous for its own 1,000-year-old culture and also the culture of others who settled here. Remains from both Roman and Turkish occupations can still be seen in the city.

Hungary’s capital has two sides, Buda and Pest, stretching along the banks of the Danube River, representing two different characters of the city. Suburban Buda and its historic castle district offer medieval streets and houses, museums and Roman ruins. The dynamic Pest side boasts the largest parliament building in Europe, riverside promenades, antique shops, bookstores and café houses.

This country boasts one of Europe’s largest fresh water lakes, Balaton, providing a natural paradise for visitors. Hungary also is home to hundreds of therapeutic mineral springs that gush up from the earth. People come from all over the world to take these medicinal springs or merely relax in gorgeous baths.