Come and explore Budapest which for much of its history has been the tale of two cities. The Chain Bridge was opened in 1849 and was the first permanent structure to span the Danube . Before 1849 the river formed a barrier separating the two communities Buda (the west of the river) and Pest (the East of the river). Both halves of the city are very different - Buda houses the palace and medieval Castle District and the leafy hills whilst Pest is the financial and commercial district which is home to the Parliament buildings.

Aquincum, on the Buda side of the river was the area first settled by the Romans in 35 BC and became the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia . It was previously occupied by the Celts. In the 9^th Century the Magyars arrived and their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241/1242. After the Battle of Mohacs and nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule, the region entered a new age of great prosperity in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries with Budapest becoming a global city in 1873 after the unification. It was also the second capital of Austria-Hungary , a super power which dissolved in 1918.  It was the centre of the Hungarian Revolution in 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, the Operation Panzefaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest in 1945 and the Revolution of 1956.

The cost of this 6 day 5 night trip is £395 per person and includes Bed and Breakfast and evening meal. Our stay will be in a modern hotel in the center of Budapest. The rooms will be twin bedded with en-suite facilities. Booking deadline 28th February 2011

Regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe its extensive World Heritage Site includes.. the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle quarter, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes’ Square and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second oldest in the world. Other highlights include around 80 geothermal springs and the world’s largest thermal water cave system.

During our time in Budapest we aim to be visiting many of the historic sites in Buda’s Castle District as well as a short trail to Janos –hegy.  We will then cross the river to Pest and visit Heroes’ Square, relaxing in the of the Spas and sampling Hungarian food.