Budapest (pronounced /ˈbuːdəpest/ (AE), also /ˈbju-/ (BE) or /ˈbʊ-/; Hungarian IPA: ['budɒpɛʃt]) is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation centre. The official language spoken is Hungarian. Budapest had 1,696,128 [1] inhabitants in 2007 (with official agglomeration 2,421,831 [2]), down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda (Ofen in German) and Óbuda (Old Buda or Alt-Ofen) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.
Dubbed as "The City of Baths"[3], Budapest is considered an essential Central European hub[4], especially since the 1989 downfall of the Communist government in Hungary. The Buda Castle Hill, a collection of palaces, churches and monuments has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites[5], along with Andrássy Avenue and the Millennium Underground railway[6]. Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year[7][8], making it one of the top destinations in Europe. It is now also the third most popular destination in the world for luxury weekend getaways[9], and its Gellért Spa was named the third best thermal bath in the world[10]. Both the Central European University and the CEU Business School are based in Budapest.
The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (Great Synagogue), the largest medicinal bath in Europe[11] (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath) and the third largest Parliament building in Europe[12], once the largest in the world[13]. The third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő) are in the vicinity.
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