Buda, on the left of the picture, and Pest on the right and another area called Obuda united in 1873 to create Budapest. This area, where Europe and Asia meet, was first settled in 896 and has had a very checkered past.

Budapest is only 260 km from Vienna and copied much of their architecture. During their golden ages (1867 - 1918) they shared the rule as the Austro-Hungarian empire. After WWI, they lost 2/3 of their land and things have gone downhill with the Nazi's blitz, destroying most of the city and all of the bridges, and then the Communist takeover (1945-1989). Today there is still much renovation taking place, but things are on the upswing and the tourist trade is lively!