The city is divided into two parts, the hilly side of Buda on the western bank and the flat plain of Pest on the eastern bank of the river Danube. These two parts of the city were once separate towns and were merged together with Ancient Buda (Óbuda) only in 1873.

 For about 700 years the location of the royal residences of Hungarian kings today this baroque palace is the home of Budapest's most important public collections and on its grounds are archeological excavations from the palaces of the middle ages. It can be found in the 1st district. To get there: by the Várbusz (Castle bus) from Moszkva tér or from the Lánchíd by the funicular railway which has been reconstructed according to the original plans of 1870.
Today, it functions as home to important cultural institutions and museums: Hungarian National Gallery, the National Széchényi Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Budapest History Museum.

Part of the world Heritage.
The Castle District is one of the most romantic places to stroll in Budapest. It is a mediaeval town with charming streets, old houses, gas lamps and beautiful historic monuments. The district's main street - Tárnok utca - runs from Dísz tér to its present centre, Matthias Church. Colourful little houses line the square and streets. The winding streets and narrow buildings have survived from the Middle Ages and in places fine Gothic windows and doorframes can be seen. The elegant Baroque and 'copf'-style palaces date from the period of reconstruction following the expulsion of the Turks.
A special feature of houses in the Castle District is the mediaeval sedilia in the entrance passages. These were walled up at the time of rebuilding after the Turks and soon forgotten. It was only after the bombing attacks during the war that they came to light again. The servants accompanying visitors to the houses probably waited in these Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance alcoves. Today they are a speciality of Buda distinguishing it from all other cities.
Besides the major museums in the Royal Palace there are many other interesting collections - Museum of Military History, Golden Eagle Pharmacy Museum, Museum of Hungarian Commerce and Catering, Mediaeval Jewish Prayer-house, Museum of Telephony, Museum of Music History - and exciting galleries in the Castle District.
The Budapest Hilton Hotel, perhaps the most beautiful Hilton hotel in the world, is also located here. The remains of a mediaeval Dominican convent can be seen in the side wing.
Another attraction in the Castle District is the Ruszwurm pastry shop founded in 1827; guests still find the original, 19th century furnishings in the romantic little interior and the famous cakes made to the old recipes.

The Royal Palace occupies the southern part of Castle Hill. The famous mediaeval palace was destroyed in the battles against the Turks, leaving only the fortifications as a reminder of the past. The area was filled up to the new level when work began on the imposing Baroque palace that can be seen today, at first commissioned by Maria Theresa and then expanded to its present form at Hungarian initiative. The palace was gutted by fire during World War Two. No trace remains of the luxurious royal suites. The building now houses important cultural institutions and museums, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Széchényi Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art - Ludwig Collection, and the Budapest History Museum.

Fishermen's Bastion was built between 1895 and 1902 in Neo-Gotic style. It was designed and built by Frigyes Schulek. In the Medieval age this part of the castle wall was guarded by the guild of fishermen, it was named after that.
The present Fishermen's bastion is a spectacular looking-out terrace, with impressive stairs and walking paths.
One of the symbols of Budapest together with the Matthias Church it is most beautiful at night with its decorative lighting. Look-out point: the many-leveled look-out terrace offers a very nice panorama of the Pest bank of the Danube and the Buda Hills.
It was not by chance that UNESCO placed this panorama on the World Heritage list in 1988.

 The Buda Castle's church of Our Lady Virgin Mary Buda's main church in the middle ages and the coronation church of Hungarian kings. It received its name from King Matthias the great renaissance monarch. It received its neo-gothic form in the course of the transformation at the beginning of the century. Programs: from May to Octoberthere are organ concerts on Fridays and at the Sunday Mass (10 a.m.) church choirs perform the most beautiful masses in the literature of music. It can be found in the Buda Castle Palace Szentháromság tér (Holy Trinity square).

A 236 meter high hill in the center of the city rich in therapeutic springs. On the top of the hill is the 19th century fortress theCitadella (tourist hotel Gypsy music restaurant wine house casino disco) and the 14 meter tall Liberty Statue. The work of outstanding architect Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobl, was raised in 1947 in memory of the country’s liberation.  It was not removed even after the change of regime since it had become an indebile part of the cityscape.There are two other sculptures at the foot of the female figure holding aloft the palm of victory: one is an allegory of progress, the other the fight against evil.

 The first permanent bridge over the Danube. Budapest owes its construction to Count István Széchenyi who had to wait a week before he could cross the river to bury his father. This is when he decided to build a permanent crossing for the city. Architect William Clark and namesake Adam Clark supervised construction works; the bridge was finally completed in 1849. It has since rightly become a symbol of Budapest city, a magnificent sight when illuminated at night. In 1999 a monumental ceremony and the installation of new floodlights marked the 150th anniversary of the bridge.

Budapest's finest park is Margaret Island in the Danube between the Margaret and Árpád bridges. It was originally three separate islands: the Baths, Painter's and Rabbit Islands. When the Danube was regulated in the 19th century a single embankment was built around them to form the present island which is 2.5 km long.
The island was already inhabited in Roman times and in the Middle Ages monasteries were built here to benefit from its protected calm and kings used it as a hunting ground. It has been named after Margaret, daughter of Béla IV, who retired to a monastery out of gratitude after the Mongol Invasion. The Turkish occupation ended the flourishing of the small monastery island. After centuries of neglect the 19th century brought new life to the island when it was opened to the public as a public park and entertainment place. This became possible when in 1900 a branch was built from Margaret Bridge to the island which up to then could only be reached by boat.
Today calm is ensured in the 100-hectare park by closing the island to traffic. There are car parks at the northern end of the island and from there the area can be explored on foot or by hiring one of the 'family bicycles' known as Bringóhintó (pedal carriage). The city's joggers use the path around the edge of the island.
The park is beautiful and varied. There are avenues of century-old horse chestnut trees, garden areas in English, Japanese and French styles, the ruins of monasteries, an old water tower and different sports grounds. The Palatinus - the city's biggest open-air baths - and the loveliest open-air stage are also found here.

The prestigious Grand Hotel Margitsziget stands at the northern end of the island and next to it is the Termál Hotel Margitsziget with a spa and medicinal section using the thermal wells on the island to provide internationally recognised treatment for various locomotor disorders.

Built at the turn of the 19th century, it immediately became one of the main elements in the appearance of Budapest and the Danube panorama and the city's most popular symbol. It is a building in typical eclectic style. The many small towers and stone tracery make it one of the most decorative buildings in the city. It is one of the largest parliament buildings in the world.
High-ranking guests enter the building between imposing stone lions then climb the ceremonial stairs to the dome hall where the most elegant state receptions are held. The two symmetrical wings once housing the upper and lower houses open from this central point. The interior spaces and decorations of Parliament are well worth a visit.
Since 2000 the general public has be able to view the Hungarian coronation regalia here.

Budapest's biggest church (with a capacity of 8500 persons) was built under difficult circumstances. Work had barely begun on the foundations when it was halted by the War of Independence in 1848/49. It was resumed in 1851 but delayed by the death of two architects and the dome collapsed during construction. The church with a ground plan in the form of a Greek cross, was finally consecrated in 1905.
Because of the proximity to the Danube, massive foundations and three levels had to be built underground. As a result, the enclosed space beneath the ground is almost as big as that above ground. It took 60 years to complete the Basilica which spans two artistic periods, neo-classicism and eclecticism. Very fine works of art in the interior commemorate Saint Stephen, founder of the Hungarian state and church.
The imposing dome dominates the building and it is worth going up to the edge of the dome to enjoy the 360 degrees panorama of Budapest from a height of 96 metres. Most of this distance is covered in a modern and safe lift and then a spiral staircase leads to the look-out.

Budapest can boast one of the world's finest opera houses. It is certainly one of the major achievements of the period; after nine years of work the inaugural performance was held in the Opera House in 1884. It was designed by Miklós Ybl, one of the best architects of the day, and the grand staircases and auditorium are decorated with frescoes by the leading Hungarian painters - Bertalan Székely, Mór Than and Károly Lotz. The first director was Ferenc Erkel; Gustav Mahler was also director for years and Puccini directed productions of his own operas here twice. Guest conductors have included Otto Klemperer, Sergio Failoni and Lamberto Gardelli. It still occupies a leading position among the opera houses of Europe. Even people who are not fond of opera enjoy visiting the building.

 Millenary Monument and Heroes' Square (Milleniumi Emlékmû Hõsök tere)
Heroes' Square marks the end of Andrássy út right at the entrance to the City Park (Városliget). The monumental form is a fitting conclusion to the elegant Andrássy út and pays tribute to one thousand years of Hungarian history in Europe. The details of the monument evoke practically all important aspects of Hungarian history. The statue of the Archangel Gabriel (which was awarded a Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition in 1900) stands in the centre on a stone column 36 metres high. Legend holds that the angel appeared to King Saint Stephen (István), founder of the state, in a dream, bringing him the crown. The statues of the legendary seven chieftains of the Magyar Conquest stand at the foot of the column. The figures in the two colonnades forming a semi-circle represent famous kings, rulers and figures in Hungarian history. The two museum buildings in Classical style on either side of the square, the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépmûvészeti Múzeum) and the Palace of Art (Mûcsarnok) enhance the elegance of the statues and the imposing atmosphere of the square.

 This group of buildings was prepared for the Millennium exhibition of 1896.
Its designer Alpár Ignác took components from the country's most beautiful buildings and constructed the whole out of these units. Moved to the area around the castle are the churches palaces and monasteries of the country's most different areas in miniature copies. The Hungarian Agricultural Museum received a place in the castle. Around the Castle is a rowboat lake which is an artificial ice rink in winter. It can be found in the 14th district Hősök tere.

Ludwig Förster. The foundation stone was laid on September 5 1854 and the building was inaugurated on September 6 1859 during the autumn feasts.

It is a three-nave hall-type building with a forecourt and twin towers and flanked by short two-storey side wings. The natural brick Romantic architecture has a main façade with an Oriental atmosphere. The rectangular interior, almost of equal height throughout, is divided into three naves by the balconies and cast-iron columns.
The artistically most characteristic part of the interior is the Sanctuary covered with a dome on pendentives. Three steps lead up to the seats for the rabbi and cantor which are directly in front of the Ark. The Ark is covered with a dome with the star of David on the top.
The interior of the building has an Oriental atmosphere and is very richly ornamented. The frescoes, the ceiling decoration, the chandeliers, wall lamps. and the East wall are all the work of Frigyes Feszt who directed the construction of the interior.
A wing added to the synagogue in 1931 provides space for the Hungarian jewish Museum. Its exhibits present the historical, religious, and artistic artifacts of the Hungarian Jews from the Roman age on.Via Wesselenyi Street one reaches Heroes’Temple.Also built in 1931, it is a memorial to the ten thousand Hungarian Jews who fell during World War I. The weeping willow-shaped Holocaust Memorial in the courtyard is a monument in memory of the six hundred thousand Hungarian Jews deported during World War 2 . On the leaves of metal the survivors engraved the names of their lost relatives.

The Dohány utca Synagogue and its vicinity, what was once Budapest's Jewish district, are the centre of the Jewish Summer Festival held each year. Further information: www.jewishfestival.hu