Budapest, Hungary

Regional Population: 1,708,087

Elevation: 607 meters

Time Zone: Europe/Budapest

Local Currency: HUF

Latitude: 47.5

Longitude: 19.0833333

Nearby Airports: BUD

Regarded by many as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Budapest (the “Paris of the East” and the “Queen of the Danube”) is fast becoming one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe, attracting approximately 20 million visitors per year.

Comprised of two very different cities, Buda on the west bank of the Danube River and Pest on the east bank, Budapest offers travelers a Viennese aura at roughly half the price. Still, it is unique in its own right. Hungarians are proud of what this ancient capital has to offer and its contributions to European culture, especially in the field of music—a language one doesn't need to speak to appreciate.

Today’s Budapest is by far the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in Hungary. In 1987, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the cultural and architectural significance of the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue. Most of Budapest’s famous sights are concentrated on Castle Hill on the Buda side, in downtown Pest and along the riverside walkways.