Budapest is the heart of Hungary, the largest city by far in Hungary. It is home to 20 percent of the nation's population. No other hungarian city approaches Budapest in terms of size, appearance, or importance.
The pave of life is fast in Budapest. The streets are jammed with pedestrians and honking traffic. Many people wear fashionable and stylish clothes. Kids, like youngsters in most countries, are happy to wear jeans and sneakers.
Budapest has a mixture of old a new buildings. Many of its historic structures - churches, museums, and the homes of the nobility - were built in the late 1800s, when Hungary was ruled by the Austrians. These ornate buildings often remind visitors of the Austrian capitol, Vienna. Newer buildings, constructed under the Communists, have a drab, uniform look.
These contracts between the old and the new can also be found in Hungary's other, smaller cities. Miskolc is an industrial city in the northeastern part of the country. Debrecen, in east Hungary is a university town. Pecs lies in south, in the coal-mining region.
