Modern Budapest is the once united at the end of the 19th century settlements of Buda, Obuda and Pest. Budapest is located on the banks of the deep Danube, which divides the capital of Hungary into western Buda and the plain Pest. So, on the banks of a full-flowing river, a pearl appeared - the capital, incomparable with any European city in the beauty and grandeur of architecture. Opposite parts of the capital surprise the tourist with their beauty - the streets of old Buda are very different from the avenues.
Today, more than two million people live in the metropolis. The bulk of the population of Budapest is Hungarians, most of which are followers of the Catholic faith, there are a large number of Protestants and Orthodox.
Most of the Hungarians outside their country live in the United States - one and a half million people. About nine and a half million Hungarians live in Hungary. This represents ninety-three percent of the country's population.
Metropolis
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, on the one hand, and a major metropolis of the country, on the other. Of the nearly ten million people of this small state, nearly twenty percent of Hungarian citizens live in the capital . In terms of population, the city of Budapest is in eighth place in the European Union. Budapest residents have recently migrated, moving from the bustling center of a metropolis to remote rural areas of the country. Budapest population information is constantly changing.
Time in Budapest: minus two hours from Moscow time.
Modern metropolis
Budapest is a leading political, economic and cultural center of the country. It is located on the banks of the Danube River: two-thirds are occupied by Pest, and one third - by Buda. The city stretched twenty-five kilometers from north to south and twenty-nine from east to west. The lowest point of the metropolis is the Danube, the highest point of the city is Mount Gellert.
In Budapest, half of the country's industry and the lion's share of foreign trade are concentrated. Historically, all the country's railways originate from Budapest. Seven highways of national importance begin here.
Budapest is also the largest tourist center of the country. Many monuments of the city are included in the list of UNESCO heritage sites.
The unique appearance of the capital of Hungary owes much to the territory in which it is located. The deep Danube, through which many bridges of unique beauty were built, divides the capital of Hungary into two large parts. On the one hand is the mountainous Buda, recognizable by tourists for its medieval buildings (the Royal Palace, the white towers of the Fisherman's Bastion). The panoramic windows of the palace offer a beautiful view of the vast Danube and another part of the metropolis - Pest, which today has become the center of the cultural, financial and political life of the Hungarian capital.
The city has about three hundred bus routes, thirty-four tram and sixteen trolleybus routes. The city has three metro lines, including the oldest in Europe.
Population density
The population of Budapest is more than one and a half million people. This is more than twenty percent of the population of Hungary.
The population density in the metropolis is just over three and a half thousand per square kilometer. In Hungary, the population density is only one hundred and eight people per square kilometer. Where is the largest population in Hungary or Budapest? Because of this density, one gets the feeling that there are more people in Budapest, at least per square meter for sure!
National composition
The population of Budapest by ethnic composition: 91.2% are Hungarians, 1% are Germans, 0.8% are Gypsies, Slovaks are 0.3%.
Interestingly, everything that the Hungarians hear is accepted by them as truth. Many people think that even if the Hungarians say frank nonsense, they will carefully write it down and execute it, while the Germans, for example, think over every word and love to criticize.
Hungarians are pretty friendly people who quickly get in touch with strangers and tourists. Already at the second meeting, Hungarians can easily invite you to visit you home or call for your birthday. They always turn to “you,” using a bunch of informal words when speaking even to strangers.
Hungarians are very polite and tolerant.
The population of the capital by religion is divided into followers of the Roman Catholic faith (45.5%), Calvinists (12.6%), Lutherans (2.6%), Greek Catholics (1.6%), Jews (0.5% ), atheists (19.5%).
National language
In Budapest, the main language is Hungarian. It is completely incomprehensible to tourists from our country. Hungarian is perhaps the only modern large language in European countries that is not of Indo-European origin.
This language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family, within which it together with the Mansi and Khanty languages forms the Ugric group. In Europe, Finnish and Estonian can be considered remotely similar languages.
According to surveys, 22% of the inhabitants of the capital of Hungary speak English, 16% - German, 4% - Russian, 3.2% - French.
Most residents of Budapest speak only one language - their native language. Those who have tried to study it know how difficult it is to learn. However, the use of any Slavic, English and German will not facilitate communication with the indigenous people in any way - the Hungarian dialect is quite unique, hard to hear and requires a lot of painstaking study for several months.
It is the language barrier that makes the life of emigrants in Hungary difficult and sometimes impossible. Without fluency in the official language, it is difficult to find work, go to supermarkets, and solve home problems. English and German are little known only in recreation areas, largely due to the fact that these foreign languages are taught at school as additional lessons. The inhabitants of Budapest do not know the Slavic languages and are offended if they are addressed to them. Almost no Hungarians know them well enough.
The nature of the Budapest
The city determines the nature of its inhabitants. Budapest is very friendly, cordial and welcoming people. They are open to everything new. At the same time, the Budapest people take care of their history.
Tourists visiting the capital of Hungary note the cheerful and fervent nature of the local population. They actually amaze guests with their positive attitude and vitality. At the same time, Budapestians are highly spiritual. From an early age, they pay attention to the careful preservation of the traditions of their ancestors.
Budapest is very welcoming. They quickly attract tourists to themselves. One of the amazing facts is that locals welcome even strangers in public transport. It is customary to greet absolutely everyone here. If the eyes of two unfamiliar Hungarians crossed, they will greet each other. Tourists have to get used to the fact that they will have to say hello to the natives everywhere. The greeting in men consists in a strong, warm and single handshake, an embrace is possible only with relatives, and it is often accompanied by the laying of cheeks. Shaking hands is found not only among male residents, but also among women who make it softer, but longer. Women in Budapest introduce themselves to men, thereby expressing their respect, although it is preferable that each other Budapest is represented by a common acquaintance. It is worth noting that personal acquaintance, according to the rules of local etiquette, is allowed only in case of urgent need, although it takes place to be in extreme circumstances. During the meeting, it is customary to report first the name, then the name.
The population of modern Budapest is very romantic. People are sensitive and careful to each other and to their city. This is the true reason that Budapest is full of charm. The capital of Hungary is called the city of music and dance. Throughout the year, various national holidays and festivals take place in Budapest.
It should be noted that another distinctive feature of the population of Budapest is a passionate love of dancing. It is no accident that the townspeople spend their leisure time attending dance schools, because they are especially partial to this type of art.
A fun pastime is, in principle, a character trait that distinguishes the indigenous population of the country and Budapest in particular. People like to spend their leisure time in dance schools. Although for rural residents this kind of entertainment seems to be unique, since they have much less opportunities for such an active vacation than the townspeople. It’s easy for an ordinary tourist to be on a noisy Hungarian dance festival.
Climate
As you know, the climate (the number of sunny days a year, the proximity of the sea) forms the character of the local population. The location of Budapest is very advantageous. The climate of the capital of Hungary is quite mild. Extremely low or high temperatures are rare in the city on the Danube River, winters are short and not cold, and summers, on the contrary, are very hot.
The interests of the inhabitants of Budapest
The center of Budapest is already so full of tourists that the residents themselves do not always feel comfortable in their city. Because of tourists, sometimes the answer to the question of where the population is larger, in Hungary or in Budapest, is ambiguous. There are always a lot of guests in Budapest.
Here is an example of places that are loved by the local population of the modern city of Budapest:
- Baths Rudas. The population living in Budapest has its own way of soaking in the springs. First, the Budapestians bask in a tank of warm water, then go into a hotter bath, then they go to the steam room, and from there, after a short shower, they jump into cool water. The bathhouse is open for men on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Only on Tuesday does the bathhouse function for women. Hungarian women try to visit the bath every Tuesday and chat here with each other. On weekends, both men and women can visit the bathhouse. On Saturday, the baths are open until four in the morning, which once again underlines their popularity among the population of the city of Budapest.
- Own Borozó and Söröző. At Borozó, wine is poured for relatively little money, and beer at Söröző. Tourists usually bypass these places. The regulars of these institutions are the local population of Budapest. The range of such establishments is small. What should a tourist drink? First, palinki. This is a Hungarian fruit brandy. Secondly, Bitter Unicum.
- Bakery Butter Brothers. It is located near the market in the center of Budapest. The population loves this place for excellent coffee, silence, homemade cakes and delicacies.
- Lehel Market. Lehel has few people, and the range of Hungarian products is huge. Tourists should not walk around the market.
- Cafe Club Lumen. A small club gathers the population of Budapest on Miksat Kalman Square. All avant-garde and jazz lovers come here. As we noted above, the capital of Hungary is a city of dance and music!
- Bock Bisztro. In your favorite institution in Budapest, you should definitely try sushi from goose liver and other tricky chef dishes, which in their ideas rely exclusively on traditional Hungarian cuisine.
- Franz Liszt Academy of Music. On Sundays, in the lunch area, tourists should go with an English-speaking guide at the music academy and learn a lot of interesting things about the composer's work. The most amazing thing in the life of Franz Liszt is that, being a Hungarian, he never learned his native language and never spoke it. He was a member of the Freemasonry in Frankfurt. Liszt Liszt Liszt Liszt Liszt Ferenc Liszt # 3 has long been used as a ringtone in Nokia phones. The composer possessed a long hand, covering almost two octaves. This is an incredible Hungarian.
- The mountains.
The mountains
On weekends, you can meet many couples with children in the hills of Buda. In sunny weather, Budapest walks in the mountains, picnics, walk dogs. In the mountains of Budapest, you can walk on planned routes of varying difficulty, ride a bike, take a train or go up to the observation deck on a lift.
The most famous mountain of Buda is the Norma. Bellini's opera gave its name to sorrow; in the 19th century, under an old beech, there was a sung aria from the opera of the same name. There are several cafes on the mountain where you can have a tasty meal and drink decent coffee. Here you can transfer to the railway and get to the observation tower, and then go down from it.
Local kitchen
So, what does the local population of Budapest like to cook and eat?
- Goulash. Nowhere is it more delicious to cook goulash than in Budapest.
- Libamai. This is a foie gras goose liver. Libamai is served both cold and hot. Delicate, airy and melting in your mouth.
- Duck. Budapestians are versed in game and birds. Duck in Budapest is cooked perfectly. If a tourist orders a roasted duck breast or leg, it will not fail. Perfectly cooked duck, properly cooked, with crispy crust and juicy meat - this is a class!
- Chicken Paprikash. Chicken with paprika stewed in a thick sour cream sauce. Served with small dumplings. The dish is simple, but iconic.
- Halasle - fish soup with paprika and tomato sauce. Baked trout is also very popular in Budapest. If you like fish from the rivers - it's worth a try.
- All kinds of sausages and sausages. They are sold at street stalls.
- Langos is typically Hungarian fast food. Yeast cake fried in oil, and on top some filling, most often grated cheese. Tasty, satisfying, cheap and cheerful.
- Cremes. A traditional hungarian cake. Two to three layers of puff pastry, and between them a thick, thick layer of custard.
- Cakes Dobosh and Esterhazy.
- Shomly dummy. Slices of biscuit with custard, cream and sweet syrup. The dessert resembles tiramisu.
- Chestnut puree with which to prepare different desserts. Often found in the menu of cafes and restaurants in the autumn, in the season of chestnuts.
Special ingredients and the Hungarian way of cooking make hearty and spicy Hungarian dishes. The main ingredient is paprika powder, which gives the unique taste and orange color to local dishes. Do not mistakenly think that red pepper dishes are too spicy. For the most part, sweet paprika is added to stew, goulash, chicken and paprika, and hot pepper, as a rule, is served separately.
So, the Budapest people know how and love to cook both game and fish! They can treat the guest with a hearty goulash, a melting liver in the mouth, and a fried chicken. Their table is full of food, and the doors are open for guests.
Famous residents of Budapest
Budapest is the hometown of many famous people:
- Actress Shari Gabor was born in Budapest on February 6, 1917. She received her name in honor of the Hungarian actress Shari Fedak. In 1936, she won the Miss Hungary competition, but was disqualified for her minor age. A year later, she went to play at the Vienna Theater.
- Carinti Frides was born on June 25, 1887 in Budapest. This is a Hungarian writer, one of the most popular authors in the country of the first decades of the last century.
- John von Neumann was born on December 28, 1903 in Budapest. This is a Hungarian-American mathematician of Jewish descent. He made an important contribution to physics, logic, functional analysis, computer science, and other branches of science.
- Harry Houdini was a famous American illusionist, a hypnotist. He was born on March 24, 1874 and became famous for exposing charlatans and difficult tricks with escapes and liberation.
- Theodore Hardin is known as Hardin or under the pseudonym Dash, Harry Houdini's younger brother. Born March 4, 1876.