Many travelers do not realize that Budapest is actually two cities. The cities are Buda and Pest, which form the modern-day city of Budapest. Learn how these two cities melded into one.
The Property Hungary, the Origins of Gellert Budapest
Different tribes in the region were originally attracted to Budapest for its waterway, the Danube River. In modern-day terms, this property was highly sought after due to its location. Water represented a natural fortification for the tribes, protecting them against their enemies. Thus, in today's real estate terms, property by the Danube River was the Park Avenue of its day.
The Eravisci tribe moved into the area and settled right next to the river in the third and fourth centuries B.C. They lived on Gellert Hill. The Eraviscis were iron workers, minting their own coins and decorating pots. After the Eraviscis, the Romans came along and settled in this area (also called Obuda). Their settlement was known as Aquincum.
With the all the new settlers in the region, both sides of the river became occupied. All tribes flocked to the river to provide fortification and clean water for their settlements. In fact, it is said that the word "Pest" came from Slavic origins, meaning stove or kiln. Historians believe the name Pest originated from the warm springs on Gellert Hill. Both sides of the Danube River were known as Pest.
Later in the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Hungary and destroyed its infrastructure. A new king was sworn in: King Bela. It was King Bela who gave the name of "Buda." Buda became an enviable empire and King Bela was a very successful monarch. He built castles and fortresses and let his countrymen thrive in the area of agriculture. Buda became an important trading center due to King Bela, thus rivaling its counterpart, Pest.
By the 15th century, Buda and Pest were equal economically. Yet in 1526 the Turks invaded Buda and it was burned to the ground. Pest suffered as well. The Turks ruled for the next 150 years. Finally in the 17th century, Buda was emancipated. Literature, the arts and culture flourished in Buda. In 1873, the powers that be decided to unify the city into one by building the Chain Bridge over the Danube River as a public works project. With its inception, the two cities were now known as one: Budapest.
Travel to Hungary in Astoria Budapest
Today, the city is modernized, still with the influence of Turkish baths, but Hungarian literature and culture still thrive. For artistic and cultural travelers, it is a popular Eastern European city to visit. Many travelers and locals alike mark the center of the city as Astoria, the place where a main metro line, the university and the Grand Hotel Astoria intersect. It's a far cry from the fortifications that were the center of Budapest in ancient times.
As Budapest's tourism industry thrives into the 21st century, travelers swarm to the city for art and culture. They will find all the historical influences of the past and come away with an understanding of what make Budapest so unique in historical terms.
Check out the Eastern European History blog at Suite 101.
Source:
" Budapest Info " -- accessed June 11, 2010
Jennifer Ciotta - Jennifer Ciotta is the author of I, Putin (Vladimir Putin novel): http://vladimirputinnovel.com.
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