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Pest, Hungary

Pest (pronounced [ˈpɛʃt], Slovak: Pešť, Croatian: Pešta, Serbian: Пешта) is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, comprising about two thirds of the capital's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and Andrássy Avenue. In colloquial Hungarian, Pest is often used for the whole capital of Budapest.

The name Pest comes from a Slavic word meaning "oven, stove"^[1] in reference to the ovens in which the bricks of homes were fired^{[citation needed]}.

History

Pest was a separate, independent city, references to which appear in writings dating back to 1148. In earlier centuries, ancient Celtic and Roman settlements existed in the same place. The city became an important economic center during 11th–13th centuries. It was destroyed in the 1241 Mongol invasion but rebuilt once again soon thereafter. In 1837 it was flooded by the Danube. In 1849 the first suspension bridge, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, was constructed across the Danube connecting Pest with Buda. Consequently, in 1873, the two cities were unified with Óbuda to become Budapest.

See also

• Budapest
• Pest County

External links

• Pest on Wikitravel

References

1. ^ www.hungarybudapestguide.com/budapest/budapest.php - The origin of Buda and Pest