Budapest
It has two parts "Buda" and "Pest" (pronounced Pesht) with the river Danube running through it.
Originally it was a Celtic settlement, then it became a Roman capital. It was under rule of the Mongols, been under Ottoman rule for nearly 150 years, became a center of culture in the Renaissance , a part of the Austria- Hungarian power and later became part of the Soviet republic.
It is now a democracy and a city filled with World Heritage sites. it has the second oldest underground railway system in Europe and the world's largest thermal water cave system running under the city.
It is hot in Hungary in August, but we braved the heat and were rewarded to a tour of one of the most amazing and architecturally diverse cities in Europe.
I could not get enough of the beauty of the buildings in the city.
We saw influences and motifs from all eras.
With the exception of the boxy soviet era buildings, the city is filled with architectural delight.
As you stroll the city, you will see the sky line pierced with majestic buildings ranging from Gothic to Roman, Turkish, Classicist, Bauhaus and "Art Nouveau" influences.
It is easy to see how this city can inspire fairy tales of princesses locked in towers and castle filled with royalties and colorful characters.
