In the capital city of Budapest, Hungary

 "Budapest is a prime site for dreams: the East’s exuberant vision of the West, the West’s uneasy hallucination of the East." – M. John Harrison

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(in Hungary) The city of Budapest, the capital of Hungary is the political, administrative, industrial, and commercial center of the country. The city straddles the Danube River in the magnificent natural setting where the hills of western Hungary meet the plains stretching to the east and south. It consists of two parts, Buda and Pest, which are situated on opposite sides of the river, and connected by a series of bridges. The site has been continuously settled since prehistoric times and is now the home of about 20 percent of Hungary's population. Once called the “Queen of the Danube,” Budapest has long been a lively cultural center. Writers and poets have been drawn to Budapest, as have Hungary’s composers: Ferenc Erkel, Ernst von Dohnányi, Béla Bartók, and Zoltán Kodály all lived in the capital.

+ Strategically well placed at the center of the Carpathian Basin, Budapest lies on an ancient route linking the hills of Transdanubia with the Great Hungarian Plain. The Danube was always fordable at this point because of a few islands in the middle of the river. The city has marked topographical contrasts: Buda is built on the higher river terraces and hills of the western side, while the considerably larger Pest spreads out on a flat and featureless sand plain on the river’s opposite bank.

+ In a central position is Castle Hill, crowned by the restored Buda Castle. In the 13th century a fortress was built on the site and was replaced by a large Baroque palace during the reign of Maria Theresa as queen of Hungary. The spire of the medieval Gothic Church of Our Blessed Lady (also known as the Matthias Church) thrusts into the skyline above Castle Hill, with the late 19th-century Neo-Romanesque Fishermen’s Bastion (featured here) in front of it, and a contemporary hotel next to it.

+ Fishermen’s Bastion, a neo-Gothic structure that looks medieval and offers some of the best views in Budapest, was built as a viewing platform in 1905 by Frigyes Schulek, the architect behind Matthias Church. Its name was taken from the medieval guild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of the castle wall. The seven turrets represent the Magyar tribes that entered the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. The bastion consists of a large terrace that blends neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque styles. Stroll around the terrace to inspect its intricate features, such as the towers symbolizing the Magyar tribes. See a monument to Stephen I of Hungary, mounted on a horse. Climb down the steps and follow the walking paths around this surreal site. Note how trees climb the sides of the terrace, which is built seamlessly into the hill. (Visitors can enjoy magnificent views of the Danube River and the eastern half of Budapest from this fascinating neo-Gothic balcony at the top of Castle Hill.)