Hungary was part of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The glory and splendor of empire is evident everywhere in Budapest. The city has an unusually attractive natural setting, which lies astride the Danube, separating hilly Buda, dominated by the ancient Royal Castle, from Pest, on the edge of the Hungarian Plain.

But to understand something of the history and culture of the empire, one must also go outside Budapest were a number of well preserved smaller towns, largely unknown to foreign visitors and blissfully unspoiled. Gothic architecture can be observed throughout the country, particularly in the ancient towns of Sopron and Koszeg. But it is in the later styles, especially Baroque, that Hungary is particularly rich. Hungarian Baroque is more subdued than its Austrian counterpart; the best examples include St. Anne’s Church in Budapest, the Esterhazy Palace in Fertöd and the Minorite Church in Eger, while the Lyceum in the last-named town is a fine instance of traditional Baroque-Rococo. The architecture of the 19^th century is largely ’Neo’, whether Neo-Classical (cathedrals of Eger and Esztergom), Neo-Gothic (Parliament building in Budapest) or Neo-Renaissance (Budapest Opera House). The end of 19^th century witnessed a flowering of Art Nouveau (Budapest Museum of Applied Arts and Kecskemet Town Hall). Finally, as a result of Turkish occupation of the country in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Hungary has several very interesting Islamic monuments, mosques, minarets, baths a funeral chapel in Pecs, Eger and Budapest.