Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. It is situated on lowland, over the river Danube. There live almost 1,9 million people. For Hungary, this city s the center of culture and trade. In Budapest there is the central seat of Parliament. The city consists on two parts- previously two different cities- Buda and Pest. In 13th century, Buda became the capital city of Hungary. In 1350 there was built the main residence of the kings. At the same time, Pest was the center of trade and craft. In the 18th century the city became the residence of the dynasty of Habsburgs. In 1767 there was built the first bridge over the river, connecting the two cities. Both cities became one- Budapest in 1772. From 1867 the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and the empire of Austria and Hungary. The Austrian emperors were at the same time Hungarian kings. Hungary became an independent country after the World War I. At the beginning of the second World War, the Red Army captured the city. There were great fights and battles from the end of October 1944 to February 1945. The German army was fighting against the Hungarian. In October 1956, the Red Army came back to Budapest. They were supposed to help the Hungarian army in the uprising.
Nowadays, Budapest is the center of Hungarian industry. It is the most modern city in the country. The main kinds of industry in this city are: electro technical, textile, pharmaceutical and food engineering. There is also the greatest harbor on the river Danube and the international airport as well. There is the greatest university of Hungary and several different colleges. Buda and Pest are today connected by 8 bridges- 6 road bridges and2 railway bridges. There are many parks and green areas in the city. Visitors like visiting the island on Danube (Margaret's Island). There is also a delphinarium, and numerous amusement parks. Each visitor may take a bath in special hot pools. The water there comes from deep under the surface of earth and is said to have curing power. There are also many historical monuments such as: the Royal Castle (built in 13th century), the beautiful gothic St Mathew's Church and the seat of the Parliament. In my opinion, Budapest is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe.
