The foundation was laid in the ninth century by the great Magyar chief, Arpad, who lead the people from paganism toward Christianity. On Christmas Day, 1000, Arpad's great grandson, Stephen ascended to the throne with a crown sent from Rome by Pope Sylvester II. The kingdom and nation of Hungary was born.

The three hundred year reign of the House of Arpad saw the country become increasingly westward-looking and the succeeding House of Anjou brought expansion - into Poland, towards Dalmatia - and a great flowering of art and architecture. The first Golden Age had begun. Under King Matthias, celebrated for his fairness and justice, Hungary flourished, but his passing eventually led to decimation under the Ottomans for 150 years during the 16th and l7th-century. However, the Habsburgs helped oust the Turkish, heralding a more stable time of reconstruction.

As the Habsburg Empire floundered, a revolt in 1848 resulted in the dual monarchy of "Austria the empire, Hungary the kingdom" in 1867, two capitals, two parliaments. This "age of dualism" sparked an economic, cultural and intellectual rebirth in Hungary. The second golden age had begun.

The turn of the century Budapest was rightly considered to be the birthplace of the modern world. World War I proved to be disastrous, however. Partitioned into almost one-third of its original size, millions of ethnic Hungarians found themselves living outside the country. Russian intervention followed after World War II as Stalinism lowered its iron curtain across Central Eastern Europe

But at the turn of this new century, Hungary is now a free country for a decade and combines a smiling, dynamic image with a reputation for nostalgia. In this post-communist era of rapid change, the visitor will find constant reminders of a largely vanished Europe old-fashioned customs and courtesies like the kissing of hands and the presentation of flowers.