Hungary For More

There are many things to do in Budapest! First of all, there are several major destinations that are seen as major Budapest attractions with a lot of history. These can be found on BudapestSite.com They are The Chain Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, Matthias Church, Fishermen’s Bastion, The Millenary Monument, Elizabeth Bridge, and St. Stephen’s Basilica. A man who is considered “the greatest Hungarian,” began planning the construction of the Chain Bride in 1832. Unfortunately, in 1945 the Germans blew up this bridge. However, the bridge was soon restored. It is a beautiful and important part of Budapest. The Houses of Parliament were built from 1885 to 1904, and they are thought to be one of Europe’s greatest Houses of Parliament buildings. It is definitely considered one of the landmarks of Budapest. The outside of the building is adorned with statues of Hungarian monarchs and other important figures.  Matthias church has been around since 1247! Over the centuries, the beautiful church has been reconstructed and has belonged to many different groups of people. The latest reconstruction was done in 1896, but the building still has some of it’s early Gothic style. Behind Matthias church is Fishermen’s Bastion, which served as a wall for expansive plans for the reconstruction of Castle Hill. It has been around since the late 19th century and serves as one of Budapest’s landmarks.
Andrássy Street, which is considered Budapest’s most beautiful area, is home to the Millenary Monument. This monument consists of statues of important Hungarian figures like monarchs and princes. In the center there are seven statues, which represent the leaders of the seven Hungarian tribes. Another beautiful Hungarian bridge is the Elizabeth bridge, which once served as the world’s longest chain bridge. It was completed in 1903, and lasted until the Germans also blew it up in 1945. Since then, the bridge has been reconstructed, but is now in the form of a cable bridge. Another great destination is St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest’s biggest cathedral. This basilica can hold up to 8,500 people!
All of the monuments and landmarks mentioned above help to make Budapest a beautiful city! There are also many more sights to see that I haven’t even mentioned. These sights can be seen with the help of a tour bus, guided walks, or even a sightseeing cruise. Szentendre, a beautiful, artsy little town right outside of Budapest is also a popular destination. Tour guides frequently bring guests to Budapest out to this town and others surrounding Budapest. However, there is more to Budapest then just history and sightseeing. If you are looking for relaxation, you can spend a good amount of time in one of Budapest’s thermal baths. Budapest is also home to excellent restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, nightlife, casinos, shopping, and sports. Visit Budapest.com, for all the information you need to know that will convince you to visit Budapest. Whether is be fun, sightseeing, or rest that you are seeking, Budapest is a great travel destination!

The Chain Bridge:

The Houses of Parliament:

Matthias Church:

Fishermen’s Bastion:

The Millenary Monument:

Elizabeth Bridge:

St. Stephen’s Basilica:

Szentendre, a town outside of Budapest:

A thermal bath in Budapest:

Work’s Cited:

Budapest Attractions » BudapestSite.com. Things to do in Budapest > BudapestSite.com.  from http://www.budapestsite.com/budapest-attractions/#Chain

Budapest.com- Commercial and Travel Portal of Budapest Since 1995.  http://www.budapest.com/

During the Bronze and Iron Age, the Celts had settled in many different European countries, one of them being modern-day Hungary. Arpad led the Magyars into the Pannonian Plains and first founded Hungary. During the Arpad dynasty (997-1038 A.D.), King Stephen ruled Hungary. He is actually proclaimed to be a saint and he converted the country to western Christianity. From 1241-1242, there was a terrible Mongolian invasion, which caused a lot of devastation. By 1300, Hungary was back on track again and became a “wealthy and flourishing” kingdom. In 1458 King Matthias took over and Hungary became the center of Renaissance culture. Everything seemed to come together at this point in time. Later in 1514, the country became weak because of the peasant’s uprising and in 1526, the country went even more downhill because they were defeated by the Turks. Because of this, Hungary was separated into three parts with the Turks ruling Central Hungary, the Habsburgs in West Hungary, and the Hungarians occupying South Hungary. The Turks occupy Hungary for 150 years after this. Buda soon became the “western outpost of the Ottoman Empire.” In 1686, the Turkish rule came to an end when the Habsburgs took over after Buda and Pest are recaptured by the Prince Eugene of Savoy who led the Imperial troops.
The Habsburgs were defeated after an eight year war, ending in 1711. This was called the Hungarian War, which was led by the Prince of Transylvania. However, in 1848, during the Hungarian Revolution, the Habsburgs took over again, with the aid of Russia. Hungarian became the official language of Hungary in 1836. In 1873, Pest, Buda, and Obuda, were unified. The country’s capital, Budapest was a result of this and it soon became a major European city. During World War I, Hungary was part of the Monarchy, which was defeated. After the war, Hungary’s area was reduced by two-thirds and it’s population was reduced by 1/3! The Trianon Treaty made this official in 1920. However, in 1938, Hungary’s area increased when part of Slovakia and Transylvania were given back to them.
During World War II, the Soviet Union defeated the Hungarians and the Nazis occupied Hungary in 1944. A war was then declared on Germany. It didn’t end well and in 1945 the Soviet Union occupied Hungary. After years of defeat, tough times, and changes, Hungary started to go uphill. The country formed the Visegrád Group with Poland and Czechoslovakia, the Red Army withdrew from Hungary, and the Warsaw Pact was dissolved in 1991. Hungary joined the NATO alliance in 1999, which made them allies with 28 other countries. In 2004 they joined the European Union.
Overall, just as many countries do, I learned that Hungary faced many trials and tribulations to get to where they are today. Not a single country has flourished perfectly and as seen with Hungary, they wouldn’t be where they are today if they hadn’t faced the defeat and all of the different groups taking over their country.

* All of this information was found on Hungary History Timeline and Facts and Mileposts of Hungarian History.

A picture of Saint Stephen, who ruled Hungary from the year 997 to 1038:

Work’s Cited:

Hungary History Facts & Timeline.  Facts About Everything! Arts, Literature, Science, History, Events, Entertainment, People, Places and the Natural World.  http://www.facts-about.org.uk/history-and-events-timeline-hungary.htm

The Mileposts of Hungarian History. Hungarian People – Hungarian Social & Business Culture – Budapest. http://www.filolog.com/crosscultureHistoryMileposts.htm

I thought it would be neat to list some interesting facts about Hungary, Hungarian culture, and Hungarian people for this blog entry. Some of these may surprise you!

1. Some famous celebrities that are of Hungarian descent are Drew Barrymore, Adrien Brody, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mariska Hargitay, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Paul Newman, Calvin Klein, Harry Houdini, John Kerry, Gene Simmons, and many more famous or well-known actors, filmmakers, sports players, scientists, writers/editors/journalists, artists, musicians/composers, politicians, etc. (Wikipedia)

2. According to babynamefacts.com, the top 10 most popular names for boys in 2008 were: Bence, Máté, Levente, Daniel, Balázs, Adam, Peter, Milan, and Tamás. The top girls names were: Anna, Hanna, Boglárka, Jazmin, Nora, Réka, Lili, Zsófia, Petra, Viktoria, and Luca.

3.   According to the web site, “Behind the Name,” the top ten most common Hungarian Surnames are: Nagy, Kovács, Tóth, Szabó, Horváth, Varga, Kiss, Molnár, Németh, and Farkas.

3. Hungary was founded in the year 896, making it one of the oldest countries in Europe. It was founded even before France and Germany were!

4. According to Lifestyle Lounge, “As per EU statistics, Hungary has the highest death rate by cancer in Europe and also the highest female suicide rate.”

5. Some things invented by Hungarians are the Rubik’s Cube, the ballpoint pen, the theory of the hydrogen bomb, the noiseless match, and the krypton electric bulb.

6. As shown in my previous blog entry, thermal spas and public baths are important to Hungarian culture. “Hungary has one of the most important thermal spring cultures in the entire Europe,” with a total of 1,500 spas and 450 public baths! These spas and baths are typically beautifully adorned with Greek, Turkish, and Roman architecture.

7. For the Summer Olympics, Hungary has won the sixth highest number of gold medals. This is out of 211 nations!

8. Hungary has received a total of 448 medals all together!

9. According to Eupedia, Hungary was once part of the Celtic world, and then the Roman Empire. When the Huns settled in the area after the fall of the Roman Empire, they gave Hungary it’s name, deriving from their own name.

10. The Magyar language springs from the language that was spoken by the Huns. It isn’t an Indo-European language, and the only two languages that are somewhat similar and related  to the Hungarian language are Finnish and Estonian.

11. There are about 15 million Hungarian speakers and 1/3 of them live outside of the country! The majority of this 1/3 lives in Romania.

12. Eupedia also mentions, “Despite the country’s name and it’s language, DNA tests have revealed that central Asian genes represent only a tiny percentage of the Hungarian population.”

13. Hungary has a very long tradition of classical music. It is commonly combined with folkloric elements.

14. A total of thirteen Hungarians have received a Nobel Prize. This is more than China, Japan, Australia, India, and Spain!

The Rubik’s Cube: a popular toy/game!:

A public bath building in Budapest:

Work’s Cited:

Behind the Name: Most Common Surnames in Hungary. Behind the Name: the Etymology and History of Surnames. http://surnames.behindthename.com/top/lists/100hus2006.php

Eupedia : Hungary Guide – Interesting facts about Hungary. Eupedia : Your Guide to Europe in English.  http://www.eupedia.com/hungary/trivia.shtml

Interesting Facts About Hungary – Fun Facts About Hungary. Lifestyle Lounge – Online Lifestyle Magazine. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-   hungary-1550.html

List of Hungarian Americans – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hungarian_America

Most popular baby names in Hungary – compiled by BabyNameFacts.com. http://www.babynamefacts.com/popularnames/countries.php?country=HNY

 In Hungary, the social structure revolves around family. Extended families live with each other often and grandparents play very important roles in the lives of their grandchildren. Because Hungarian people are so family-oriented, they typically provide emotional and financial support to each other. According to Kwintessential.co.uk, like many cultures, Hungarian people have close-knit relationships with friends, and often share personal information with each other. Close friends and family greet each other with a kiss on each cheek, like most European countries tend to do. Something that I was surprised at was the fact that other men and women greet by shaking hands, and the woman is expected to extend her hand first! Women are typically expected to stay at home and take care of the children, while men are usually the workers and providers in the Hungarian culture. Men tend to walk on the left side of women, and usually walk in a public place before the woman they are with. Most Hungarian men don’t help out with household chores, but the women don’t object to this because it is what they are used to. When a couple first gets married, it is typical of them to move in with whichever set of parents has more room for them, if they are unable to move out on their own. College education is not too common, but there has recently been a slight increase in enrollment. Most people see a high school diploma as being a final step of schooling (everyculture.com)

The red in the Hungarian flag stands for bloodshed, the white stands for freedom and faithfulness, and the green stands for hope and the green land of Hungary. Although not common in modern times, Hungarian folk dress is beautifully embroidered and colorful. It is usually seen in traditional Hungarian folk dancing (about.com) Horses have always played an important role in the lives of Hungarians, and they still do today. Hungary is often referred to as the “nation of horsemen” (Kwintissential.co.uk) Food plays an important role in the lives of Hungarians as well. Hungarian bread, which is called Magyar kenyér, is seen during most meals. Goulash, a stew made of beef, potatoes, and other ingredients is very popular. Wheat is the most important crop, and pig breeding is the most important type of animal breeding. For special occasions, such as weddings, chicken soup, gulyás, rice dishes, stuffed cabbage, tortes, and other baked goods are often served. Although drinking beer is popular among Hungarians, wine drinking is also something that they enjoy, and growing grapes and wine-making is popular as well. The growth of corn, potatoes, wheat, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, and barley are common crops. To support good health, Hungarians sometimes go to thermal baths and other spas. The majority of Hungarians are Roman Catholic, and the others are Calvinist Reformed, Lutheran, and about 1% is Jewish. Besides the traditional holidays such as Christmas and Easter, Hungarians celebrate a few national holidays. On August 20, they commemorate the death of King Steven and have a feast. Art festivals, folk festivals, and memorial celebrations are also common. Traditional Hungarian folk dress can be seen at these fairs and sometimes even at weddings. On a day to day basis, Hungarians typically wear modern Western style clothing. Women may wear peasant babushkas as well (everyculture.com).

Hungarian Embroidery typically seen in Hungarian folk dress:

Traditional Hungarian folk dress:

Szechenyi Thermal Baths in Budapest:

“Culture of Hungary – traditional, history, people, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social, dress, marriage, men, life, tribe, population, religion, rituals.”  <http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Hungary.html&gt;.

“Hungary – Magyar Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette.”  http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/hungary-country-profile.html.

Kubilius, K.  Eastern Europe Travel.  http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/hungary/ss/hungaryculture_9.htm

According to the Cambridge University Encyclopedia, The Republic of Hungary is called Magyarország by the people who live there. There is a population of slightly more than 10,000,000. Budapest is the capital and biggest city of Hungary, and Hungarian is the official language of the country. 65% of Hungarians live in urban areas (Ask4Geo.com). The majority of Hungarians are Roman Catholic, but Calvinists make up about 1/5th of the population. The currency used is called a Forint, but there is now a possibility that the currency may be changed to euros in the near future. Ask4Geo.com says that 99% of Hungarian adults are literate and unemployment rates have recently declined. Hungary is the newest member of the European Union.
At 92%, Hungarians make up the majority of the population, but small percentages of Germans, Slovaks, and Romanians occupy the country as well. Roma people, who are more easily recognized by the word “gypsy,” make up about 5% of the population, and the population of this minority is continuing to grow, according to AllExperts.com. Unfortunately, Roma children do not get too far in their education, which later on makes them more susceptible to poverty and crime. Only 1% of Roma people get through higher education.
AllExperts.com mentions that Hungary is bordered by Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Hungary is landlocked, but is home to the Danube River, which splits the country in half. Other large bodies of water are the Tisza River and Lake Balatin, which is settled in the Carpathian Basin. Kékestetö, is the highest mountain in Hungary. The country is divided into seven Euro-regions and nineteen counties. The climate stays pretty true to what is typical of the seasons in Europe, and there is a fairly good amount of forested land and agriculture plains, according to the Cambridge University Encyclopedia.
From doing my research, I learned a lot more about Hungary than I knew before! Just from starting this first entry, I’ve realized that researching Hungary and posting what I find on my blogs, is teaching me many new things. Also, I love the fact that I get to share my interests with others who may have the same interest as me. I’ve always been interested in European culture, and I’d randomly look up information on different countries, just out of curiosity. Now  that I’ve been given the opportunity to actually put my interests out there for everyone else to know makes it fun! Further on in my blogging experience, I expect to share with my readers information about Hungarian culture, Hungarian recipes, some of the history of Hungary, etc. I love the fact that I am finding out more about my own culture, and where my relatives came from. I’m proud to be Hungarian, and I look forward to learning more and sharing more information with everyone else!

Here is Hungary shown with the countries that surround it:

Hungarian Currency- The Forint (This is just one example):

Kékestetö- Hungary’s highest point:

Budapest- Hungary’s Capital & Largest City (Not to mention, Beautiful!):

Citations:

Ask4Geo – Hungary . Ask4Geo.  from http://www.ask4geo.com/hungary.php

http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/10327/Hungary.html (This is where I retrieved my information from, however, while doing my work’s cited, the page would not load. As soon as it works again and I have all the information I need, I will edit this citation).

Hungary at AllExperts.  Expert Archive Questions. http://en.allexperts.com/e/h/hu/hungary.htm

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