Info

Some of the first settlers on the territory of present-day Budapest were the Celtic tribes. Later, the town was inhabited by the Romans. They built amphitheatres, Roman baths, houses, and military camps. Later, the Hungarian tribes expelled the Bulgarian population from the towns of Buda and Pest and founded their new Kingdom of Hungary in the 9th century. In 13th century the city's defense walls were improved so that they could withstand the attacks of hostile nations. In 1526 the Ottoman Empire conquered the town of Buda and it fell under Ottoman rule for the next 150 years. The unconquered Western part of the country was declared territory of the Habsburg Empire. The 19th century was marked by struggle for independence but in 1867 the Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed, and after six years the cities Buda and Pest were merged into one - Budapest. The city was largely destroyed during the two World Wars and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. In the 20^th and 21^st centuries Budapest recovered from the damage and began its development towards the prosperous European city it is today.