The imposing reminders of the past, the intensity of its cultural life, the wonderful art nouveau architecture and thermal baths, the magnificent boulevards as well as the historic coffeehouses and lively cafés mean that Budapest is for good reason known as the ''Paris of the east''. The Danube is the lifeblood of the city dividing it into two halves: Buda and Pest. To the west Castle Hill with the majestic Buda Castle and its historic district. The UNESCO has entered this imposing castle on its list of World Heritage sites. Further north 2000 years ago the Romans founded the provincial capital Aquincum, and its remains can still be admired in the suburb of Óbuda. The Ottoman Empire also reached the Danube and left behind stately thermal baths. In the east of Budapest is the capital’s bustling shopping quarter. Pest, in contrast to Buda, is completely flat and also offers a wide variety of cultural highlights. How about a first class opera at the grand operahouse on the World Heritage listed boulevard Andrássy út?