Reading the history of Budapest is like taking lessons in the agony of defeat. The city has been invaded, sacked, destroyed, rebuilt and conquered so many times it is amazing that anything has survived. The Romans established the area where the Danube narrows and makes for easier crossing in AD100. In the 5th century the region fell to Atitila the Hun, and was then ruled by the Goths. The first Christian King, Istvan I laid down the basis of the modern Hungarian state in the 11th century. Then in the 15th century the Turks sacked the cities and began a hundred and fifty year siege that turned the Christian churches into mosques. Returning the area to Christian rule destroyed it once again. In the 18th century it fell under Austrian rule and the Grand Empress Marie Terese rebuilt the cities with some fine architectural additions. The Great Compromise with the Austrians saw Buda and Pest united and a period of prosperity raised the hopes of all Hungarians that their new city would be one of the finest in Europe. At the turn of the century Budapest was indeed the fastest growing city in Europe and the future was bright. All that changed when Hungary was on the wrong side in World War I, and then with disastrous effects, aligned itself with the Nazi's in WWII. The city lay in ruin at the end of the war and then found itself within the Soviet controlled zone of Europe. Stalinism was particularly brutal in Hungary and the city continued to crumble with Soviet-era neglect. Finally in 1989 the Communists were booted out, and at last Budapest was able to regain its dignity.

So here we are, just twenty-one years after its independence and Budapest has been largely rebuilt, and fully re-energised and can now compete with Paris for grandeur and elegance. Budapest has been called "Paris on a Budget" because it offers visitors such good value. For the four day Easter weekend, we got a five star holiday for the price of three. We love that. Our Hungarian friend Krisz, who lives near us in London, was in Budapest to celebrate Easter with his family. He became our tour guide and translator as we set off to explore the sights.

English is spoken as a second language here, and that is a very good thing as Hungarian surely must be one of the strangest languages in the world. It shares its roots with no other language and every word is required to have at least one 'Z' and several accent marks. After four days the only Hungarian I mastered was 'Nem' which means 'No'. 'Yes' remained beyond my grasp. I tried to say something simple like 'goodbye'. The word for this is VISZONTLATASRA.... You try it. One evening we had a waiter called Zsplot who tried to teach us how to say 'cheers' in Hungarian which sounded something like 'a shitty alligator'.

The Hungarians themselves are quite a masculine race. A trait that definitely works better on the men. The women dye their hair in multiple un-natural shades of red and orange that makes them look like they have roosters perched on their heads. Despite their stern looks, Hungarians seem to enjoy life and have embraced the new millennium and their status as members of the European Union. Many of the worlds leading retailers have opened in Budapest in the last few years, and cuisine from all over the world is on offer. I loved the traditional Hungarian food and made sure I got my fill of it while we were there. Like the people, the food can best be described as 'hearty'. Big fat sausages, thick stews, pork and sauerkraut stewed with paprika and chunks of dense bread. Paprika is to Hungarian food as curry is to Indian food. If you don't like the spice, you are out of luck here. 

Exploring the center of Budapest is easily done on foot as the areas of interest are not far apart. We learnt quickly to avoid taxis, as their only purpose seems to be to rip off the tourists. (We hailed a taxi for an eight block ride back to our hotel, and it was the same price as the forty-five minute ride from the airport in a "regulated" cab.) There are three subway lines that are excellent and cheap. Lines 2 and 3 are Soviet made industrial steel boxes, but Line 1 was built in the late 19th Century and is only about six inches beneath the ground. This line runs through the center of Pest and the little painted wooden carriages rattle along on the old tracks. A little jig is played over the antique speaker box when it pulls into the station. I kept expecting Hungarian gnomes to come out and dance each time I heard it.

Krisz took us to see all the major sites and the first stop was the magnificent St. Stephens Basilica. It's only one hundred years old, but it was built in grand Neo-Classical style which makes it feel much older. The crowning dome is 315 feet high, and the views of the city are well worth the climb. St. Stephens is home to a most unusual sacred relic. The mummified forearm of King Istvan I is on display in a lavish gold and glass box. It is kept in the appropriately named 'Chapel of the Holy Right Hand'

The center of the city is undoubtedly where Buda and Pest are joined by the graceful 'Chain Bridge'. A walk across it is a must for any visitor. Like so many other things in Budapest, it was destroyed by the Nazi's at the end of the war, and had to be rebuilt stone by stone. Once across the Chain Bridge we were now in Buda with its steep green hills and the magnificent Royal Palace. This sprawling complex of buildings has known many incarnations over its long life time. We stopped for a coffee in one if its beautiful pagodas and admired the views from this high perch on the hill, then walked around the cobbled streets of the Old Town. Once again, the Palace and The Old Town had to be reconstructed after their near complete destruction in WWII.

Back on the Pest side, only the more central areas have been fully restored. Much of Pest is still plagued with the neglect of Soviet occupation. Her grand buildings are battered from old revolutions and new graffiti. Even though the parks are still overgrown and untended, the Hungarians have taken great care to preserve their treasured bath houses. One of the reasons the Romans settled in the area was for the natural hot thermal springs that bubble up through out the region. Many bath houses were established during the Turkish rule, and the Hungarians themselves are avid public bathers easing their aches and pains in the therapeutic waters.  We visited the most beautiful of these called The Szechenyi Baths. A gorgeous Neo-Baroque facility with three giant pools that claim to be the hottest in Budapest.

One evening we took a scenic river cruise on the Danube. The boats leave at dusk and slowly make their way up and down the river past the five central bridges as they are lighting up for the evening. Sweet Hungarian sparkling wine is served and classical music is playing quietly in the background. Yes it was touristy, but magical nonetheless. 

A final highlight of our trip was late one night back at The Corinthia Hotel, where a marvellous quartet was serenading the guests in the lounge. With two violins, a cello and a harpsichord, they played our requests of "Libertango" and "La Vie en Rose" which were both gorgeous. I noticed the Irish actor Colm Meaney (of Star Trek and The Commitments fame) was sitting at the table next to us. I sent him over an Irish whiskey and we began chatting. He was in town filming a movie called "Bel Ami" with Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas. He explained that the film was set in Paris, but it was much cheaper and easier to shoot it in Budapest. And that statement just about sums up this fair city. Budapest is beautiful and grand with graceful bridges and classical architecture...and it is still a bargain.