Budapest is the capital city of Hungary and with a population of 2 million citizens it is the largest city in the country.
The city is often referred to as the Paris of the east, and deserves this name. It bears some resemblance to Prague, but is larger and friendlier. The picturesque setting on two sides of the Danube, the nine connecting bridges and the villas and public buildings really make Budapest one of the most enjoyable cities in Europe.

Budapest is composed of two cities: the small Buda, on the west side of the river looking over the much larger Pest on the opposite side. The two parts developed separately as the bourgeois Buda with its palaces and spas and the more commercial Pest. At first, the hills of Buda were the safe core of the twin cities, but as Buda and Pest were united with Óbuda (Ancient Buda) the plains of Pest became the center of the growing metropolis.
Today, the most famous landmark of Budapest is the Parliament building on the banks of the Danube. The best view of the Parliament can be had from Castle Hill, a Budapest highlight itself. This collection of palaces, churches and monuments has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is a must see for every tourist. Budapest has some very good museums as well, The National Museum, the Jewish Museum and the Historical Museum of Budapest being the best.
Budapest has become a gay mecca in this part of Europe with many gay places. By day, you can visit museums, take a coffee in one of the cafés or visit gay sauna Magnum. By night you can have a dinner at either a cheap or a fancy restaurant and after go to the gay discos or bars.

Since the fall of the communist regime, a gay life has grown up. Nevertheless the very first gay youth group was founded recently and a Gay Pride Day in Budapest has been organized every year since 1997. Gay marriage will be possible from 1st January 2009.