Facing each other across the vast River Danube like inverted mirror images are Buda and Pest, the two contrasts of the city that together make Hungary's capital. On the Western bank lies Buda, green, hilly and charming and dominated by the Royal Palace of Buda; on the Eastern bank is Pest, flat as a Hungarian 'langos' pita bread and with a younger feel.
In Buda, take the Castle District's own nineteenth century funicular railway up to the Royal Palace, housing the Hungarian National Gallery with its collection of Renaissance, baroque and Hungarian masterpieces, plus Budapest History Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Explore the twisting streets, delightful squares and Gothic facades of the surrounding Castle Hill World Heritage site with its unparalleled views over the city.
Stroll across Chain Bridge to Pest for visits to the grand Parliament, Opera, Saint Stephen's Basilica, and perhaps the world's most ornate looking Market Hall.
- Bizarrely, Budapest sports several dripstone caves, which exist in the built-up residential district. Visit Buda Castle Labyrinth for views of Budapest's underground town.