Hotel Thomas

Budapest has a territory of 525 sqm. The river Danube cuts both the capital and the country into two parts. On the right side, there is Buda, which is quite famous for its historical buildings, while on the left side there is the more modern Pest. Budapest is the capital city of the Republic of Hungary, and with its population of more than 2 million it is the biggest city in the country. For administrative reasons, the city has been divided into 23 districts that are numbered with Roman signs. Nowadays, the city has a defining role in the political, cultural and economic life of the country. Budapest produces more than one third of the GDP. Half of all investments is also concentrated in this region. However, Budapest did not become a distasteful industrial city, just as it did not become an impersonal trade center either. We can witness a wonderful harmony between present and past: culture, tradition, life and energy pulsating on the streets of the city. Now in the 21st century, the rapid changes following the regime change and dynamism, are a good basis for investment and new developments. Signs of the changes can be seen everywhere. Budapest is an interesting, hectic, unique city, which you will leave with good memories.

It's no coincidence that one of the world's most beautiful cities developed this way. The river Danube which runs through it, especially at Gellért Hill, is easy to cross and the area was quite suitable for settling down and was easy to defend because of the hills. In 300-400 BC, lived here highly cultured Eravisk tribes near Gellért Hill, who used iron, pottery with enameling and also made coins. The Romans built their city, Aquincum, what is today's Óbuda. They had their legion there and protected their line of forts, limes, along the bank of the Danube. Hungarians who first entered the area found it one of strategic importance, and had their centres there.

Quite interesting that the place used to be called Pest on both sides of the Danube, a word which some say is a word with Slavic origin meaning 'furnace', and was a reference for the hot water spas underneath Gellért Hill. This was found in a royal document of 1232. The name Buda came into usage only after the tartar invasion, when King Béla IV. ordered the construction of castles throughout the country. The king, setting a good example, built one in Pest, at the one time Újhegy (New Hill), which was called, from then on, Castle Hill (Várhegy). He gave the first special rights here to settlers who came here by a golden sealed letter document in 1244, in order to improve trade and agriculture. In the Middle Ages Buda became the permanent place for the king, under the rule of King Zsigmond. The palace was built up gradually and was finished by King Matthias (Mátyás). The place on this side of the Danube became rich, got a richtrade center, and King Matthias made it of equal ranking to Buda. The Margit island was not unsettled, and according to the documents from dated, there were not only cloisters, but crusaders also had a castle here.

Buda became free of Turkish rule September 2th 1686 and this opened the way for developments. Its national right for organizing fairs was expanded and there was thriving also on the cultural field. From 1724, there was also a press in Buda. In 1777, Queen Mária Terézia had the country's only university moved from Nagyszombat to Buda, scholars and students came here. King József the II. ordered the university to be moved from Buda to Pest. Since there lived was such a host population here, the development of Hungarian-language literature evolved instead of the earlier German-language literature –  became possible, followed by the foundation of a Hungarian theatre in Pest. The role of the Academy of Hungary, the Kisfaludy Society and the National Theatre was highly important in the city which became even more bourgeouis. Newspapers appeared, one of them was Lajos Kossuth's Pesti Hírlap.