Budapest is the capital of Hungary, as the largest city it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right west bank Buda and Óbuda with left east bank Pest.

Originally a Celtic settlement on the territory of Budapest was Ak-Ink, Abundant Water in english, before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans who constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths and houses with heated floors. Magyars arrived in the 9th century, their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42. Budapest arose out of two Bulgarian military frontier fortresses Buda and Pest, situated on the two banks of Danube. Hungarians settled in the territory at the end of the 9th century, and a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary. The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quickly proved that defense is difficult on a plain, the king of Hungary ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. It became the capital of Hungary in 1361.

The re-established town became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture in the 15th century. The Bibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the Vatican Library.

The Ottomans occupied it in 1541 followed by nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule. The Turks constructed some fine bathing facilities that the city is famous for. In 1686 a renewed campaign was started to enter the Hungarian capital, the Holy League's army forces reconquered Buda, and in 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule. Destroyed during the battle. Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.

The nineteenth century was dominated by the Hungarians' struggle for independence and modernization. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848, the Hungarian Revolution, and was defeated a little more than a year later. In 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918 after it lost the war and collapsed, Hungary declared itself an independent republic in 1920.

Known as the city of revolutions, more were to follow such as the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.

In 1944, towards the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids, Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking Soviet troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans, more than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the conflict.

In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings like the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.
In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. The Leadership collapsed after mass demonstrations began on 23 October, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt.

From the 1960s to the late 1980s much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired, Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt. Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, including the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world after London. Highlights include a total of 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building.

Castle Hill and the Castle District, there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary and has been the scene of battles and wars ever since the thirteenth century. Nowadays it houses two museums. The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The seven-hundred year-old Matthias Church is one of the jewels of Budapest. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary and behind that is the Fisherman's Bastion, from where opens out a panoramic view of the whole city. Statues of the Turul, the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.

In Pest, the most important sight is Andrássy út and Heroes’ Square dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Arts, and behind City Park opens out, with Vajdahunyad Castle. The Chain link bridge is the only bridge not to be destroyed during the war and certainly has much character.