BUDAPEST - Geography and history
A metropolis on the Danube
Budapest, the capital of Hungary is situated on both banks of the Danube, at the foot of the Buda hills, where the plains and the hills meet. Thanks to its excellent geographical situation, human settlements existed in this region as back as the Palaeolithic Period. After the Celtic era, the Romans established a flourishing garrison here. The Magyars appeared here in about 900 AD though their settlements were ravaged by the Mongol invasion in 1241. The rebuilt city, with the Castle of Buda, became a European centre of classical culture at that time, and then in 1541 Buda came under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. The 19th century saw the country's large-scale industrialisation and the unification of Buda, Pest and Old Buda as Budapest was a ceremonial occasion in 1873.
Budapest developed into the present day metropolis in the second half of the 19th, and in the 20th century due in part to rapid industrialisation, to the capital's favourable location with good communications, and also to the desire to reinforce the separation from Vienna, the centre of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Budapest became the industrial, trade, political and cultural centre of the country, and its overwhelming dominance was enhanced by the re-drawing of the national boundaries after the First World War, when the other major cities in the area, which could have had a balancing effect, were left to the neighbouring countries. A new era began in the city's history in 1950 when by annexing 23 of the surrounding settlements, Greater Budapest was formed. This increased the capital's size to two-and-a-half times its former area, while its population increased by 50%. Currently, Budapest is administered by 23 district governments and the Budapest City Government which has jurisdiction over the whole area.
The climate of Budapest is temperate. Summers are hot and humid with average temperatures of 22°C while winters are short and snowy, with temperatures around -2°C. Budapest is nearly a totally Hungarian-speaking place.
A varied landscape
Budapest occupies a land area of 525 square kilometres, a mere 0.6% of the country's territory. It is surrounded by the county of Pest, a considerable part of which is covered by the built-up area which extends out from Budapest. The city's extent measures 25 kilometres from north to south and 29 kilometres from east to west. Its lowest point is the water level of the Danube (96 metres), while its highest is the peak of János Hill (529 metres). Budapest's relief is highly varied: the eastern side of the Danube (Pest) is essentially flat, while the western side (Buda) is hilly. The Buda Hills, which stretch into the city, are covered with forests. Probably the best panorama of the Hungarian capital is from its natural observation tower, the top of the Gellért Hill, which is situated in the centre of the city's residential district. The famous towers, the larger buildings, the avenues, the ring roads and boulevards, and the bridges spanning the Danube are all clearly visible from here.
The central role of water in the city's life
The Danube, Central Europe's largest river, crosses the city roughly in a north-south direction, thus separating the hills from the plain. The main branch of the Danube in Budapest is about 30 kilometres long, with an average width of 400 metres. The river plays a variety of roles in the city's life, the most important being as a source of drinking water. Besides making passenger and goods transport possible between the eight countries through which the Danube flows, the river, together with the islands and the river banks flanked with greenery, provides numerous recreational opportunities for the city's inhabitants.
The geology of Budapest has played a determining role in the city's life over the course of history. Hot springs breaking through limestone reserves, supplying water of 35-76 degrees Celsius gave rise to a flourishing culture of spas in the Roman Age and made Budapest one of the most popular spa cities of Europe. In 1934 Budapest won the title of Spa City, and was declared an international health spa centre by the First International Bathing Congress in 1937. Currently, there are about 80 known thermal and medicinal springs in Budapest, each with different levels of water discharge and temperatures.
Unique qualities with all the problems of a large city
Its geographical situation and its townscape rich in architectural features place Budapest amongst the world's most beautiful cities. Its tourist attractions further include the wide variety of its cultural life, with its traditions and medicinal baths. The city's attributes, together with the relatively developed economic, financial, and scientific sector have made Budapest one of the regional centres of East Central Europe.
At the same time, due to the high concentration of population and economic activity, the city's services and infrastructure are overused, leading to tensions. While the Danube is the source of high-quality drinking water, the lack of adequate public sewerage facilities and the lack of appropriate waste water treatment threaten to contaminate the Danube's catchment area. The road network is fairly dense in Budapest, but the width and quality of the roads have not kept pace with increases in traffic. This increase and the ageing vehicle stock are major sources of air pollution. The communications infrastructure has been expanded significantly in the last few years, but much work remains to be done.
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