Budapest [antikvár]

Budapest-formerly known as Buda and Pest-Buda-has been the centre, the heart of Hungary for seven centuries. Its importance grew especially during the last century, when Budapestassumed undisputed leadership among Hungárián towns. Besides being the political and administrative capital of the country, it steádily gained significance as a centre of economic and cultural life and of communications. The capital of Hungary is similarly the centre of domestic and foreign tourist traffic. The traveller finds here a fascinating and famous panorama, a harmonious unity of a large city and nature, monuments imbued with historical traditions, a wealth of collections, urbanism, culture and entertainment. And beyond these, thanks to the matchless geological endowments of the capital, the best and most popular thermal baths and splendid possibilities for recreation, bathing and sport are here concentrated. It has been our endeavour to present in this guidebook a many-sided picture of Budapest, with a thoroughness that meets the requirements of tourism, and which corresponds to the dimensions and eminence of this metropolis of close to two millión people, and to its past and present. We have given a rather broad interpretation to what a tourist is interested in.We have gone beyond advice on the best way for the traveller to reach his destination, on lodgings, meals, sightseeing, amusements and recreation. We believe that travel in our days cannot be imagined without interest in fundamental information about geology, geography, economics, history and culture, as well as trends of progress with a new content yet rooted in tradition. This guidebook calls attention not only to the traditionally popular spots of Budapest, frequented for decades by the tourist, but it alsó wants to extend his sphere of interest. We had to be careful, nevertheless, to select the most im-