BUDAPEST » ABOUT THE CITY
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is situated along the Danube River, in the heart of the Carpathian basin.
Hilly Buda, which comprises one-third of the city's area of 525 squarekm, is located along the right bank of the Danube surrounded by low mountains. János Hill, with its 529 meters is the highest summit of Buda. Across the river sprawls flat Pest. The geology of Budapest has played a determining role in the city's life over the course of history. Hot springs breaking through limestone mountains supplying water of 35-76 degrees centigrade gave rise to a flourishing culture of spas in the Roman Age and made Budapest one of the most popular spa cities of Europe.
The determining role played by Budapest can be felt not only throughout Hungary but also in the neighboring countries.
The city boasts sites, monuments and spas of worldwide renown. Its numerous cultural events attract a wide international audience. In recent years the UNESCO put several parts of the city on the list of World Heritage.
A large number of the Budapest tourist sites are concentrated along the banks of the Danube. In the southern downtown area that was once surrounded by walls are located the oldest historical monuments of Pest as well as the capital's financial and cultural centre. North downtown hosts the government or administrative quarters with the Parliament Building, the Offices of MPs as well as a lot of the ministries. The majority of the buildings are turn-of-the-last-century.
The most outstanding of the avenues starting from the Danube is Andrássy Avenue bordered by mansions known as palaces carefully designed and erected in the 1870's, similar to the famous avenues of Paris or the Ring in Vienna. Two centers emerged on the Buda side. One is the mediaeval Castle District, home of the rulers of Hungary of old, then assumed government functions until the end of the Second World War. The Buda Castle currently houses cultural institutions including museums, libraries and theatres. (Picture: Sándor Palace, Castle, Royal Palace). The other?
Local Government System
Budapest consists of twenty-three districts. The Hungarian capital city has a peculiar dual self-government system. This means that in addition to the Budapest Municipality, the local government of Budapest, each of the twenty-three districts has their own government, the so-called district governments, with elected mayors and a body of representatives. The General Assembly of Budapest and the district bodies of representatives are equal in terms of their basic rights, with no hierarchic relationship between them. A division of labour has emerged among the autonomous and equal local governments which are in line with duties and responsibilities. Local government tasks are generally implemented by the district governments while tasks stemming from its nationwide scope and related to multiple districts or the city as a whole are undertaken by the Budapest Municipality.
The Budapest General Assembly is the representative body of Budapest. Its sixty-seven members are represented by the Mayor and five Deputy Mayors. The Budapest General Assembly sets up committees from its members to prepare decisions and to organize and check on their implementation. The Budapest General Assembly tends to have meetings on a monthly basis. In 2001 the representatives discussed a total of 532 items on the agenda, passed 2,152 decisions and 89 by-laws.
The Budapest General Assembly is assisted by the Mayor's Office. The Mayor's Office is responsible for the preparation and implementation of decisions taken by the General Assembly. The Mayor's Office is headed by the City Clerk appointed by the General Assembly. There are twenty-eight departments in the Mayor's Office, each responsible for the coordination of tasks in a particular area.
In 2002 the Mayor's Office was awarded the ISO-9001:2000 Quality Assurance Certificate. This means that in all of its activities the Office follows quality assurance standards accepted throughout Europe.
Population
In 2001 the population of Budapest was 1.774 million, 17% of the country's population. Women contribute more than half, 54% of the population.
Health Care
The number of hospital beds per ten thousand people is 124. The average length of stay in health care institutions is 9.4 per year. The level of use of hospital beds is 88.6%. A family practitioner has an average of 1,323 patients. The national government as wells the city leaders are well aware of the numerous problems that have yet to be solved in health care despite continuous capital investment. The ongoing reform and pending European integration are expected to bring about a major positive change in health care in a few years.
Transport
Public transport in Budapest is the responsibility of the Budapest Transport Company, or BKV by its Hungarian acronym. Between 1991 and 2001 the Budapest Municipality spent 35% of its revenues, 100 billion forint (4.2 billion euros) on transport development. Fifty-nine percent of the Budapest people use public transport to go to work; 29% drive a car and 11% walk. Forty-two percent of the people of Budapest use public transportation day by day and 73% at least once a week. The total length of paved roads in the capital city is 3,353 kilometers. In recent years, fourteen kilometers were added to the road network.
Culture
The city leaders consider it their fundamental task to make Budapest a livable and pleasant city. A place where local people and visitors can find a variety of leisure activities and entertainment. In recent years the lively café life that had characterized Budapest in the early 20th century has also been rekindled. Walking around the city, visitors are lured by a multitude of cafés and restaurants with terraces, particularly in the increasing number of pedestrian zones. A favored entertainment area is Liszt Ferenc Square and its vicinity, and recently renewed Ráday Street.
The cultural life of Budapest would be inconceivable without buoyant nights in the theatre. Many of the renowned old theatres have been remodeled over the past few years including the Operetta Theatre and Thalia Theatre. In 2002 the National Theatre, demolished in the 1960's, was rebuilt on a new site.
"Szabó Ervin" Central Public Library had also undergone spectacular renewal and expansion which was accomplished in 2001, making it one of the largest and most modern public libraries in Central Europe. Renewal of the network of branches has also been started recently.
Leisure and recreation
Parks and green areas are the most popular places of recreation. Of the total area of Budapest 13.4% is forest and 2.3% is parks. The Budapest Environmental Protection Programme envisions increasing the proportion of forests to at least 16%, and of parks, to 5.5% in the next five years.
Margitsziget or Margaret Island is one of the most popular places of recreation. From spring to autumn, hundreds of people visit the island to find rest or active recreation among its trees and bushes. Surrounded by the Danube, the island's 5.3 kilometers circumference is eminently suitable for running, jogging or cycling.
The City Park on the Pest side hosts several major events every year. Created originally to serve as a site for the Millennium Celebration in 1896, the park near downtown Budapest offers entertainment to local people and visitors alike with its monuments, ponds, outdoor restaurants and cafés. Its lanes and alleys and open spaces are also favored by sport lovers: cyclists, roller skaters and joggers.
The Zoo is a favorite place of entertainment of both locals and visitors. Boasting many buildings preserved as monuments, the Budapest Zoo launched a major reconstruction project in the mid-1990 which has been going on to date. As a result, the old buildings regained their original splendor and the number of visitors has been continuously increasing. The designers pay special attention to providing an appropriate environment to both animals and plants while preserving the constructed environment evoking the atmosphere of the first decade of the 20th century and considered today as part of our national heritage.
The Amusement Park next to the Zoo is visited by about a million people each year. One of the most visited entertainment facilities; the Amusement Park has seen several major renewals over the past two years resulting in the installation of several new rides. At the same time the Amusement Park does not neglect its old rides nor the numerous facilities considered to be monuments under protection.
Commerce, catering and tourism
In 2001 there was a 110 percent increase in the number of businesses in Budapest. Recent years have brought massive foreign investments in the Hungarian capital. Shopping malls and office blocks have mushroomed. The unique features and ambiance of Budapest make the city a favored destination for both European and overseas tourists.
Tourism in Budapest has been steadily rising over the past years. Commercial accommodation was sought by two million visitors in 2001 spending a total of 5.1 million nights. The number of foreign visitors was 1.6 million, 55% of whom came from European Union member countries. Lat year the largest number of visitors arrived from Germany, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, France and Austria.
Budapest has become a popular destination for conference tourism over the past few years. In addition to the Budapest Convention Centre built specifically for this purpose, there are countless facilities which are capable of housing even the largest events.
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is situated along the Danube River, in the heart of the Carpathian basin.
Hilly Buda, which comprises one-third of the city's area of 525 squarekm, is located along the right bank of the Danube surrounded by low mountains. János Hill, with its 529 meters is the highest summit of Buda. Across the river sprawls flat Pest. The geology of Budapest has played a determining role in the city's life over the course of history. Hot springs breaking through limestone mountains supplying water of 35-76 degrees centigrade gave rise to a flourishing culture of spas in the Roman Age and made Budapest one of the most popular spa cities of Europe.
The determining role played by Budapest can be felt not only throughout Hungary but also in the neighboring countries.
The city boasts sites, monuments and spas of worldwide renown. Its numerous cultural events attract a wide international audience. In recent years the UNESCO put several parts of the city on the list of World Heritage.
A large number of the Budapest tourist sites are concentrated along the banks of the Danube. In the southern downtown area that was once surrounded by walls are located the oldest historical monuments of Pest as well as the capital's financial and cultural centre. North downtown hosts the government or administrative quarters with the Parliament Building, the Offices of MPs as well as a lot of the ministries. The majority of the buildings are turn-of-the-last-century.
The most outstanding of the avenues starting from the Danube is Andrássy Avenue bordered by mansions known as palaces carefully designed and erected in the 1870's, similar to the famous avenues of Paris or the Ring in Vienna. Two centers emerged on the Buda side. One is the mediaeval Castle District, home of the rulers of Hungary of old, then assumed government functions until the end of the Second World War. The Buda Castle currently houses cultural institutions including museums, libraries and theatres. (Picture: Sándor Palace, Castle, Royal Palace). The other?
Local Government System
Budapest consists of twenty-three districts. The Hungarian capital city has a peculiar dual self-government system. This means that in addition to the Budapest Municipality, the local government of Budapest, each of the twenty-three districts has their own government, the so-called district governments, with elected mayors and a body of representatives. The General Assembly of Budapest and the district bodies of representatives are equal in terms of their basic rights, with no hierarchic relationship between them. A division of labour has emerged among the autonomous and equal local governments which are in line with duties and responsibilities. Local government tasks are generally implemented by the district governments while tasks stemming from its nationwide scope and related to multiple districts or the city as a whole are undertaken by the Budapest Municipality.
The Budapest General Assembly is the representative body of Budapest. Its sixty-seven members are represented by the Mayor and five Deputy Mayors. The Budapest General Assembly sets up committees from its members to prepare decisions and to organize and check on their implementation. The Budapest General Assembly tends to have meetings on a monthly basis. In 2001 the representatives discussed a total of 532 items on the agenda, passed 2,152 decisions and 89 by-laws.
The Budapest General Assembly is assisted by the Mayor's Office. The Mayor's Office is responsible for the preparation and implementation of decisions taken by the General Assembly. The Mayor's Office is headed by the City Clerk appointed by the General Assembly. There are twenty-eight departments in the Mayor's Office, each responsible for the coordination of tasks in a particular area.
In 2002 the Mayor's Office was awarded the ISO-9001:2000 Quality Assurance Certificate. This means that in all of its activities the Office follows quality assurance standards accepted throughout Europe.
Population
In 2001 the population of Budapest was 1.774 million, 17% of the country's population. Women contribute more than half, 54% of the population.
Health Care
The number of hospital beds per ten thousand people is 124. The average length of stay in health care institutions is 9.4 per year. The level of use of hospital beds is 88.6%. A family practitioner has an average of 1,323 patients. The national government as wells the city leaders are well aware of the numerous problems that have yet to be solved in health care despite continuous capital investment. The ongoing reform and pending European integration are expected to bring about a major positive change in health care in a few years.
Transport
Public transport in Budapest is the responsibility of the Budapest Transport Company, or BKV by its Hungarian acronym. Between 1991 and 2001 the Budapest Municipality spent 35% of its revenues, 100 billion forint (4.2 billion euros) on transport development. Fifty-nine percent of the Budapest people use public transport to go to work; 29% drive a car and 11% walk. Forty-two percent of the people of Budapest use public transportation day by day and 73% at least once a week. The total length of paved roads in the capital city is 3,353 kilometers. In recent years, fourteen kilometers were added to the road network.
Culture
The city leaders consider it their fundamental task to make Budapest a livable and pleasant city. A place where local people and visitors can find a variety of leisure activities and entertainment. In recent years the lively café life that had characterized Budapest in the early 20th century has also been rekindled. Walking around the city, visitors are lured by a multitude of cafés and restaurants with terraces, particularly in the increasing number of pedestrian zones. A favored entertainment area is Liszt Ferenc Square and its vicinity, and recently renewed Ráday Street.
The cultural life of Budapest would be inconceivable without buoyant nights in the theatre. Many of the renowned old theatres have been remodeled over the past few years including the Operetta Theatre and Thalia Theatre. In 2002 the National Theatre, demolished in the 1960's, was rebuilt on a new site.
"Szabó Ervin" Central Public Library had also undergone spectacular renewal and expansion which was accomplished in 2001, making it one of the largest and most modern public libraries in Central Europe. Renewal of the network of branches has also been started recently.
Leisure and recreation
Parks and green areas are the most popular places of recreation. Of the total area of Budapest 13.4% is forest and 2.3% is parks. The Budapest Environmental Protection Programme envisions increasing the proportion of forests to at least 16%, and of parks, to 5.5% in the next five years.
Margitsziget or Margaret Island is one of the most popular places of recreation. From spring to autumn, hundreds of people visit the island to find rest or active recreation among its trees and bushes. Surrounded by the Danube, the island's 5.3 kilometers circumference is eminently suitable for running, jogging or cycling.
The City Park on the Pest side hosts several major events every year. Created originally to serve as a site for the Millennium Celebration in 1896, the park near downtown Budapest offers entertainment to local people and visitors alike with its monuments, ponds, outdoor restaurants and cafés. Its lanes and alleys and open spaces are also favored by sport lovers: cyclists, roller skaters and joggers.
The Zoo is a favorite place of entertainment of both locals and visitors. Boasting many buildings preserved as monuments, the Budapest Zoo launched a major reconstruction project in the mid-1990 which has been going on to date. As a result, the old buildings regained their original splendor and the number of visitors has been continuously increasing. The designers pay special attention to providing an appropriate environment to both animals and plants while preserving the constructed environment evoking the atmosphere of the first decade of the 20th century and considered today as part of our national heritage.
The Amusement Park next to the Zoo is visited by about a million people each year. One of the most visited entertainment facilities; the Amusement Park has seen several major renewals over the past two years resulting in the installation of several new rides. At the same time the Amusement Park does not neglect its old rides nor the numerous facilities considered to be monuments under protection.
Commerce, catering and tourism
In 2001 there was a 110 percent increase in the number of businesses in Budapest. Recent years have brought massive foreign investments in the Hungarian capital. Shopping malls and office blocks have mushroomed. The unique features and ambiance of Budapest make the city a favored destination for both European and overseas tourists.
Tourism in Budapest has been steadily rising over the past years. Commercial accommodation was sought by two million visitors in 2001 spending a total of 5.1 million nights. The number of foreign visitors was 1.6 million, 55% of whom came from European Union member countries. Lat year the largest number of visitors arrived from Germany, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, France and Austria.
Budapest has become a popular destination for conference tourism over the past few years. In addition to the Budapest Convention Centre built specifically for this purpose, there are countless facilities which are capable of housing even the largest events.