2017
Pest-Buda became a global city with the unification of Buda, Obuda, and Pest in 1873, with the name “Budapest” given to the new capital. Budapest also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a great power that dissolved in 1918, following WWI.
Upon entering Budapest from the south is the Statue of Liberty perched on top of Gellert Hill. First erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during WWII, the 14 meter tall bronze statue stands atop a 26 meter pedestal holding a palm leaf.
Views of Budapest, overlooking the Danube River which runs North-South, separating what was once known as Pest along the west side of the Danube, and Buda, on the east side of the Danube. The hills on both sides of the Danube provide wonderful panoramics of the city. The Danube, located in Central and Eastern Europe, is Europe’s Second longest river after the Volga.
The House of Houdini memorializes Harry Houdini’s 1874 birth in Budapest. Upon immigrating to the U.S., he became a famous illusionist, known especially for his sensational escape artistry.
