Budapest is an exciting city. The Danube River splits the city into two. The city's western half is Pest, while the eastern half is Buda. When you put the two together, you get Budapest. Some people claim Budapest is one of the world's most beautiful cities. That is hard to say. On the Pest side, the city is beautiful, brimming with Baroque architecture. The Parliament Building, West Train Station, and National Theater are on the Pest side. On the Buda side, around Buda Castle, it is also quite nice. However, Hungary was invaded by the Soviets after World War II. The Soviet planners constructed the ugliest, plainest buildings one could imagine. The Soviet buildings are always painted in a dull pastel yellow or white. On the Buda side, the city is brimming with this ugly Soviet architecture, block after block. When I arrived in Budapest at the East Train Station, I thought I had fallen asleep and ended up in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Soviets almost entirely built Almaty and the city is filled with the ugly Soviet design. I was thrown back a little.

If you plan to go to Budapest, give yourself some time. The city is filled with numerous museums and sights. It also has many restaurants of many nationalities, and the food was quite good, even at the train station. The McDonald's in the West Train Station is considered the most beautiful in the world, and I would strongly agree with that statement.

Hungary

• The country's area spans 35,919 square miles, making Hungary the 109th largest country in the world.
• The currency is the Forint, even though Hungary is a member of the European Union.
• The capital is Budapest.
• In 2011, the population was estimated at 10 million.
• Budapest is the largest city and the country's financial, manufacturing, and political hub.
• The tourist destination for foreigners is Budapest. Budapest has many attractions and museums.